Still Keeping Score

Days before the Broncos travel to Oakland to play the arch rival Raiders on Christmas Eve, chaos reigns supreme. Broncos Country is in full, open rebellion. From the always on the hot seat head coach, to the players on the field the to very leaders atop the organization in Dove Valley, no one is safe from the growing critique of unhappy customers. There are rumors of old coaches returning to town, rants regarding possible turns the Broncos could have taken or should have taken. Coulda, woulda, shoulda. Angry callers rule the radio air waves. Former quarterback Chad Kelly due back in court. Dogs and cats living together! Losing to the Cleveland Browns may be the straw that broke the last line of defense, turning the last of the loyal fans against the home town team. If that's not enough crazy for you, there are factions of the Bowlen family pushing in different directions for ultimate control of the team. Bill Bowlen's recent legal court actions await the NFL and...

Ready or not, the new NFL season is here. Broncos Country is about to find out if the most recent overhaul of the roster will be enough to return the team to winning ways. Led by the cast-away quarterback, Case Keenum and a fascinating draft class, Denver will face off against former AFC West division rivals and their Super Bowl XLVIII oppressors, the Seattle Seahawks. Most fans and local media members are attempting to temper their excitement as no one really knows if all of the changes made in the off-season can move the Broncos in a more competitive direction. Even the Vegas oddsmakers are shrugging their collective shoulders for the opening contest. The line opened with both teams as even, save for a slight home field advantage with game hosted here in Denver. I made the trek to Dove Valley during training camp and I learned a few things by watching from the grassy knoll overlooking the team practicing under the summer sun. The first thing I noticed was that a number of grump...

Future Hall-of-Fame linebacker Von Miller recently claimed he could play quarterback for Denver and basically implied anyone can play that position.  However, the Broncos did try and prove him right by playing as many people back there as possible. It appears not just anyone can play signal caller in the National Football League. I also think the conversation about football in Denver should include lots of other player positions that could use some help. For example, we could spend a few weeks discussing the wildly inconsistent effort by the very offensive line. Or has the tight end spot been replaced by Where's Waldo? We might even spend some time trying to get placekicker Brandon McManus an appointment with a sports psychologist. After signing his first substantive contract, McManus has barely been able to keep his roster spot, much less earn the bonus cash. Dark humor is all the fans have left this season on the eve of the second to last game of the season. And much hum...

When the Broncos lined up to play the winless New York Giants on a nationally televised Sunday night game, optimism, and maybe a dash of overconfidence filtered up into the mile high night sky.  After all, the home team was 3-1, with two impressive division wins, and a rare romp over the Dallas Cowboys, one of the toughest teams in the NFC.  It appeared team co-captain Trevor Siemian had put the quarterback question to rest, and Denver was aiming at a return to the post-season. What a difference a handful of days can make. The Broncos were stunned by the Giants, and then shut-out in the very comfortable confines of Stub Hub Stadium in Los Angeles, with half of the small crowd clad in orange before turning the ball over five times to the division rival Chiefs on Monday Night Football. By the time the final whistle sounded, 15-days passed, from the loss to the Giants October 15th to error filled loss in Kansas City on the October 30th. It was far more trick than treat for ...