And now, we wait.
We wait for the start of the game. Days leading into night games are fairly interminable, although moreso on the road than at home. There’s a little more to do at home, even if it’s as simple as watching the snow drop from the skies.
We wait for word on Champ Bailey, who is questionable for the game. One can presume he will test out the ailing quadriceps muscle at some point prior to the game. The Broncos have to determine their 45 active players 90 minutes before kickoff; sometime after that, we’ll know whether No. 24 will play or whether he’ll miss his first game in two years.
We wait to see how the re-jiggered offensive line will fare. The last time the Broncos lost Tom Nalen, they rebounded by defeating the New England Patriots in the following game, but then went 3-5 in the games that followed. In shifting over to center, Chris Myers has a comparable amount of experience to Ben Hamilton when he filled in for Nalen in 2002; Hamilton was a second-year player with seven starts at guard, while Myers is a third-year player with five starts at guard before moving over. While I’m curious to see how Myers fares, I’ll be watching Chris Kuper even more closely in his first NFL start.
We wait to see how the young wide receivers will fare. Was Glenn Martinez’s effort against the San Diego Chargers a one-time deal, or a hint at his future?
We wait to see how the special teams will look; after the bye and with the release of Domenik Hixon earlier this month, it’s almost like the return units have started over again. In coverage, they could be hindered if Bailey can’t go; he had a touchdown-saving tackle back in Week 1 at Buffalo.
We wait for the snow to stop falling, as is forecast for later in the afternoon. Of course, the ski resorts probably want it to keep dropping on the Mile High City, but I would like as safe a drive as possible coming back from the stadium for not only the 75,000-plus who’ll be there tonight, but also for me at 5 a.m. Monday morning, so the sooner it pauses, the more benign the now-slick roads will be after temperatures descend into the 20s tonight. The weather shouldn’t have much of an effect on the game tonight; the field is covered until the players begin warming up and the majority of the precipitation should have passed.
And now I’m going to wait for my fantasy team to score a few points. More from the stadium later; until then, vaya con Dios.
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Hello Andrew! I hope to see our team come out with some fight tonight! I hope our fans on hand will get up for them as well. Sorry your bucs fell to the lions.
I hope & pray to God, Champ Bailey plays… this injury stuff is just brutal to our team especially with our current status. I’ve got nothing but faith in this team but we need a miracle tonight and I hope they completely run over those Steelers. I don’t think I can take another heartbreak at home of all places… Crush ‘em Orange & Blue!!!!!!
GO BRONCOS!!!
Sweet – it’s my birthday and my in-laws just came over and I opened my gift! A Jay Cutler Jersey! I still believe!
Things I’ll be watching for:
–how will Denver respond to the Week 5 Chargers debacle?
–the reconstituted offensive line
–how will Bailey’s injury status affect the pass defense? if he goes, how effective will he be? if he doesn’t, how will Foxworth perform?
–will the weather have any effect (recent reports indicate it probably won’t)?
–how will the running game perform against a tough Pittsburgh defense, and a 3-4 defense at that, which the Broncos historically struggle against?
–how will Marshall/Stokley/Martinez/Clark handle the WR duties?
–will Scheffler seem a bump in targets? will he be a factor?
–any chance our rush defense has found the solution? any chance they contain Parker and/or Davenport?
–will Pittsburgh even considering passing the ball in balance with the run?
Should be an intriguing match up. I expect the Broncos to come out hungry and determined. If they don’t, we have bigger problems than injuries and rush defense.
Any word on Bailey yet? Fingers crossed. Let’s show some fire tonight Broncos! For once. I have faith despite the injuries, but it’ll be a tough game. Let’s bring it!
Bailey is inactive.
Andrew, PLEASE tell me you’re kidding!!!
All these injuries — it’s just nuts man. He better be back for Monday Night against Green Bay. I’m not liking this one bit… we’ve got WAAAAY too many injuries. But…
GO BRONCOS!!! Please kick some Steeler butt tonight.
Nope … y’all might have seen Bailey on the sidelines, giving John Lynch a hug just before kickoff.
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