Q3 – 15:00: After winning the opening coin toss and deferring possession, the Broncos will get the ball first here in the second half. One injury update for the Raiders — rookie TE Brandon Myers has a concussion and has been declared out for the rest of the game.
Q3 – 14:59: Janikowski’s kickoff sails out of the end zone, and for the fourth consecutive drive, the Broncos will start at their own 20-yard line.
Q3 – 13:59: Knowshon Moreno takes the first-down handoff on a sweep right, but finds no room and is stopped for no gain. On second down, Orton finds Tony Scheffler for his first catch of the afternoon — a 9-yard pickup. Facing 3rd and short, Orton takes the QB sneak past the marker for a first down.
Q3 – 12:18: At their own 30-yard line, Orton hands off to Moreno, who stumbles forward for a 1-yard gain. He goes back to the pass on second down, finding Moreno in the flat for a 6-yard gain before a tackle by Raiders LB Kirk Morrison. On 3rd and 3, Brandon Stokley makes a diving catch in the left flat for four yards and the first down.
Q3 – 11:38: LaMont Jordan spells Moreno, finding a fresh hole in the left side for a 13-yard gain and another first down.
Q3 – 10:59: Orton continues the offense’s rhythm, finding Eddie Royal in an open seam for 13 yards and another first down in Oakland territory.
Q3 – 10:20: Moreno gets back in the action, but is stopped by Oakland DE Matt Shaughnessy after no gain. Out of the shotgun, Orton looks for Jabar Gaffney, but after seeing the coverage, throws it out of bounds. On a 3rd and 10 from the Oakland 33-yard line, Orton throws the fade to Gaffney but the ball sails long. Gaffney, Head Coach Josh McDaniels and the crowd fight for the pass interference flag, but the officials rule it clean coverage by Raiders CB Chris Johnson.
Q3 – 10:07: Facing fourth down, Matt Prater continues his perfect day on field goals, connecting from 51 yards out to close the Oakland gap. He has converted all three attempts.
Raiders 13, Broncos 9
Q3 – 10:06: Prater adds to his strong day on the kickoff, as Raiders RB Gary Russell takes a knee for the touchback. Oakland will get its first offensive possession at the 20-yard line.
Q3 – 9:10: With two tight ends in on first down, Oakland goes to RB Michael Bush, who is wrapped up quickly by D.J. Williams after a 1-yard gain. With T Erik Pears reporting as eligible, Charlie Frye fires a swing pass in the left flat to Bush. He finds running room and picks up a first down after an 11-yard gain.
Q3 – 7:56: Working from his own 32-yard line, Bush barrels forward for three yards on first down, before being stopped by Ryan McBean. Out of the I-formation on second down, Darren McFadden takes the pitch right, finding a seam for nine yards and another first down. There is an injured Bronco on the play and it looks to be CB Champ Bailey.
*Q3 – 7:56: Flanked by trainers, Bailey walks off the field on his own power and appears to be okay.
Q3 – 7:31: On the ensuing play, D.J. Williams forces a fumble on Darren McFadden, which is recovered by Tony Carter. The Broncos take over at midfield.
Q3 – 6:44: After a 4-yard loss by Moreno on first down, Orton completes a pass to Daniel Graham. Raiders CB Stanford Routt is called for an illegal contact penalty, pushing the Broncos five yards ahead and resulting in a first down.
Q3 – 5:55: With a 1st-and-10 at the Oakland 49-yard line, Moreno picks up a modest gain of four yards on first down. Orton goes back to the pass on second down, finding Brandon Marshall on a quick hook. He snags the ball with one hand and picks up seven yards for the first down.
Q3 – 4:50: Orton goes back to the well, finding Marshall 19 yards over the middle of the field for another first down. The Broncos are again in the red zone.
Q3 – 4:39: Flushed out of the pocket, Orton scrambles on first down and eludes pressure for a 9-yard run. There is a stoppage of play as Raiders DT Tommy Kelly is being attended to by his team’s trainers.
*Q3 – 4:39: Kelly walks off the field on his own power, and the Broncos will have a 2nd-and-1 from the Raiders’ 10-yard line.
Q3 – 3:55: Out of the pause, LaMont Jordan enters and picks up four yards on the carry for the first down. With a 1st-and-goal in hand, Orton looks for Daniel Graham in the end zone but the pass lands incomplete.
Q3 – 3:48: Orton goes right back to the end zone on the next play, finding Marshall for a 6-yard touchdown reception. Some pushing and shoving breaks out between the two clubs, before Prater tacks on the extra point. The Broncos have regained the lead.
Broncos 16, Raiders 13
Q3 – 3:40: Prater’s line drive kickoff is returned by Gary Russell for 21 yards. But holding is called on Raiders FB Luke Lawton, backing Oakland up to its own 11-yard line. That’s where the Raiders will take over.
Q3 – 3:10: Michael Bush gets the first-down call, rumbling off left tackle for 18 yards and a Raiders first down.
Q3 – 2:15: Bush goes back to that side, breaking a series of tackles for a 40-yard gain. The Raiders have a first down at the Denver 31-yard line.
Q3 – 1:48: Oakland continues its ground attack, as Darren McFadden hits the same left side for 28 yards to set up first-and-goal. Andre’ Goodman made the touchdown-saving tackle.
Q3 – 0:28: At the 3-yard line, Bush picks up one yard on first down. Oakland goes back to Bush on second down, but he is stopped inside the 1-yard line by Brian Dawkins. With a big third down forthcoming, the Broncos call their first timeout of the second half.
Q3 – 0:00: Oakland goes back to Bush, but the Broncos defense makes a stand. Andra Davis stops him for a 2-yard loss, signaling the end of the third quarter. Oakland will have a 4th-and-goal from the 3-yard line to start the fourth quarter.
END OF THIRD QUARTER: Broncos 16, Raiders 13
Q4 – 14:55: Oakland brings in its offense for the fourth-down try. McFadden takes the pitch, but he is stopped short of the end zone by the tandem of Mario Haggan and Andra Davis. The Broncos take over on downs at their own 1-yard line.
Q4 – 13:28: Moreno tries to give the Broncos some breathing room, but is stopped for no gain. Working out of the end zone, Orton hits Marshall for nine yards to set up a 3rd-and-1 try. In a heavy set with LaMont Jordan and Spencer Larsen in the backfield, Orton goes for the QB sneak. The officials call for a measurement, and he is stopped short, forcing the punting team to come in.
Q4 – 13:08: Mitch Berger enters for the punt, with Raiders WR Johnnie Lee Higgins back deep to receive. Berger backs Higgins up inside his 30-yard line with a stellar 64-yard kick. Higgins returns it 14 yards to the Raiders’ 40-yard line.
Q4 – 11:28: Frye pitches to McFadden on first down, who picks up six yards before Champ Bailey stops him. With T Erik Pears reporting as an eligible receiver, the Raiders change pace with Bush, who picks up three yards. Facing 3rd and 1, Frye gives to Bush, who scurries past the marker for a first down.
Q4 – 10:59: Pears is again eligible on first down, but Frye gets no time to escape the rush of Andra Davis. Davis deflects Frye’s pass and drives him to the ground, resulting in an incomplete pass. The Raiders QB is shaken up on the play, and the training staff has come out to attend to him.
*Q4 – 10:59: Frye leaves the field and backup JaMarcus Russell is now in at quarterback.
Q4 – 10:06: McFadden takes the first-down carry from Russell, but flags fly for an illegal motion penalty on Raiders WR Chaz Schilens. Oakland is backed into a 2nd-and-15 at its own 47-yard line. Bush takes the carry but slips and falls after a 3-yard gain to midfield.
*Q4 – 10:06: Facing 3rd and 12 at midfield, Oakland has called its first timeout of the half.
Q4 – 9:51: An injury update for the Broncos — CB Tony Carter (cramp) is probable to return. Russell looks for rookie Louis Murphy down the left sideline. He traps the ball and it is called an incomplete pass. Murphy costs the Raiders five yards for spiking the ball after the play was dead, backing Oakland into a 4th-and-17 on their own 45-yard line.
Q4 – 9:35: Shane Lechler’s 47-yard punt is fielded by rookie Kenny McKinley and returned 11 yards to the 19-yard line. A Raiders injury update — QB Charlie Frye (head) is questionable to return.
Q4 – 8:55: Sporting four wide on first down, Knowshon Moreno is wrapped up by Kirk Morrison for a 1-yard loss. On second and long, Orton lines up in the shotgun and hits Moreno in the flat for a 12-yard gain and a Broncos first down.
Q4 – 7:26: A Broncos injury update — Eddie Royal (neck) is questionable to return. Jordan gives Moreno a breather, but is stopped for a 1-yard loss on the first-down run. Facing 2nd and 11 from their own 29, Orton works with Jordan as the lone setback. He finds Marshall on a short crossing route for a 3-yard gain.
Q4 – 7:10: On the 3rd-and-7 attempt, Brandon Stokley goes in motion. He finds a seam in the middle of the defense and breaks away for a 63-yard gain. Raiders CB Stanford Routt is called for a horse collar tackle, pushing the Broncos to a 1st-and-goal at the Oakland 2-yard line.
Q4 – 6:53: After an incomplete pass to Scheffler by Orton, there is a stoppage of play and the referee is communicating with officials upstairs. We are unsure what caused it, but television cameras are pointing to the crowd.
*Q4 – 6:53: The officials have signaled the players back to the line of scrimmage. Denver has a 2nd-and-goal at the Oakland 2-yard line.
Q4 – 5:54: Moreno tries the right side, but the Raiders’ defensive wall causes him to lose a yard. Orton tries a fade in the left corner of the end zone on third down, but Thomas Howard breaks up the pass. Matt Prater comes in for a 21-yard field goal attempt and nails it, moving to 4-for-4 on his attempts this afternoon.
Broncos 19, Raiders 13
Q4 – 5:48: Prater’s kickoff is taken at the foot of the goal line by Gary Russell. He is stopped at the 21-yard line by rookie Alphonso Smith. That’s where JaMarcus Russell and the Raiders will take over.
Q4 – 4:35: Bush takes the carry four yards off left guard, before being stopped by Ryan McBean. Facing 2nd and 6 from their own 25-yard line, Oakland opts to pass, as Russell completes to Chaz Schilens. He is wrapped up by the duo of Dawkins and Goodman, setting up a 3rd-and-2 at the 29-yard line.
Q4 – 3:59: Out of the shotgun, Russell found Bush out of the backfield, but he bobbled the ball and lost control of it for an incomplete pass. Lechler comes in to punt, and the ball is fielded by rookie Kenny McKinley. He returns the 54-yard kick to the 24-yard line. Orton and the offense will take over from there.
Q4 – 3:52: Moreno is stopped for no gain on first down, prompting Oakland to use its second timeout of the second half.
Q4 – 3:46:Appearing to have time to throw, the pocket collapses and Orton is sacked by Greg Ellis for a 9-yard loss. Oakland uses its final timeout and Denver will have a 3rd-and-19 from its own 15 when play resumes.
Q4 – 3:29: On the third-and-long, Orton looks for Jordan out of the backfield. Feeling pressure from Richard Seymour, he fires incomplete, forcing the punt. Berger’s 59-yard kick sends Higgins back near his 25-yard line. He is stopped by Josh Barrett at the 37 after a 12-yard return on the punt.
Q4 – 2:38: With Russell in at QB, he loses the football at the hands of Vonnie Holliday. The ball is recovered by the Raiders, but after a 13-yard loss. Facing 2nd and 23, Russell looks for Murphy. The ball falls incomplete, but Andre’ Goodman is flagged for pass interference, propelling the Raiders into Denver territory at the 43-yard line.
Q4 – 2:26: Facing pressure on first down, Russell’s pass is deflected at the line by the tandem of Holliday and rookie Robert Ayers. With a second-and-long, Russell works out of the shotgun. Looking for Murphy, the pass is broken up by rookie Alphonso Smith and Russell is down on the play. Oakland’s training staff is out to take a look.
*Q4 – 2:26: Russell exits the field and recently-signed third QB J.P. Losman is in behind center for a crucial third down.
Q4 – 2:00: Holliday brings pressure and forces the Losman incompletion. Russell is back in at quarterback, and the Raiders will go for it on 4th and 10 at the Denver 43-yard line. He completes to TE Tony Stewart, who lunges for an 11-yard gain and a first down. That brings us to the two-minute warning, as Oakland will get a new set of downs from the Denver 32.
Q4 – 0:59: On first down, Russell goes back to Stewart over the middle for a 9-yard gain. Out of timeouts, Russell works out of the gun on 2nd and short, hitting Schilens at the 10-yard line for 13 yards and another Raiders first down. The Broncos will talk things over, using their second timeout of the half.
Q4 – 0:30: Russell looks for Chaz Schilens on a quick post, but the ball is thrown slightly behind him, resulting in an incomplete pass. Facing 2nd and goal from the 10, Russell eludes pressure and completes to Schilens at the 5-yard line. Wesley Woodyard is whistled for illegal contact, giving the Raiders a new set of downs at the 5-yard line.
Q4 – *0:30: The clock kept running after the completion, sending referee Alberto Riveron to the viewing booth to find out the correct time.
Q4 – **0:30: Riveron rules that the clock be reset to 45 seconds. Before the Raiders get a play off, T Cornell Green is whistled for a false start, backing Oakland to the Denver 10-yard line.
Q4 – 0:35:After an incomplete pass on first down, Russell takes a three-step drop and hits Schilens for a 10-yard touchdown. Janikowski’s extra point is good and Oakland has regained the lead.
Raiders 20, Broncos 19
Q4 – 0:29: Janikowski’s kick is fielded and returned by Kenny McKinley to the 22-yard line. The Broncos offense will start from there.
Q4 – 0:13: Greg Ellis forces a fumble on Orton, which is recovered by Tyler Polumbus at the 15-yard line. After the 7-yard loss, the Broncos use their final timeout of the game. On 2nd-and-17, Orton looks for Moreno in the flat, but the ball falls incomplete. Backed into 3rd and long, Orton looks for Marshall over the middle of the field. But Michael Huff breaks up the pass, setting up fourth and long.
Q4 – 0:00: Attempting the desperation heave, Orton completes to Scheffler for a 39-yard gain. He races his line downfield to try and spike the ball, but time runs out.
FINAL: Raiders 20, Broncos 19
This is the time of the year when I no longer get all highed up about what is or what might be going on. This game has all but shut down any hope of making it in the post season, and even if we do make it , we are not playing as if we should matter. This falls on the hands of McD as far as I’m concerned. I am so sick and tired of hearing that we got ourselves an offensive genius for a head coach, and all that comes out is a predictable average joe blow dude. This was an absolute disgrace. As we did for the entire season so far, we couldn’t get anything going in the first half again. McD does not know how to attack a team right off the bat, period. Even if we make it to the playoffs by the grace of God, there is no way we could ever succeed in there with the way McD runs his offense. This is on you McD, not on execution, as you love to excuse it on, you are so stuck up on your N-E ways that you do not realize you have different personnel. You are so young, and even so it doesn’t excuse you from doing stupid things, you do so over and over. I know darn well I cannot make you see the light, so all I am left with is to hope that Bowlen can help you realize that you do not know everything, rather that you should learn from what you got and adapt it to winning games with the team you got. As for now, you are absolutely missing the boat and are making us all feel miserable in the process. This miserable loss is on you McD, I don’t care what anyone else says about it. In a way, thanks for putting us out of our misery early, it’s always easier that way than deep into the post season. Here is to hope that you will eventually grow out of your stubborn youthful arrogance and open up to the wisdom of an NFL head coaching job experience. You have a long ways to go, coach, but I do believe you can see the light once you put your blind folds away. If you don’t, your career in Denver will be short. This year was a promissing one, but in Denver that is not enough. Losing in this fashion to the Raiders at home, who didn’t have a QB to speak of, is not acceptable, shame on the whole thing, good luck in Philly.
What do you think of the execution of your football team?
I’m in favor of it.
We can’t stop the run, and we can’t stop the pass.
Other than that, we’re in pretty good shape.
Bay…you are so right. Losing this game AT HOME to the Raiders was unacceptable! Period!
After the game was stopped due to the laser pen incident McD had plenty of time to dig a little deeper into the play book and the best play he could come up with was to slide right with No-Show??? And then a fade to Scheff? (Which I feel was no fault of Scheffs for the incomplete pass)
And let’s be honest here, how in the WORLD is Jordan better than Hillis???
This game falls soley on McD’s shoulders! V E R Y disapointing!
I too, hang this on the coach. I’m not only sick and tired, but also bored out of my trees watching the same horrible play calling week in and week out. I know he wants Moreno to be the back of the franchise, and by rookie standards, he’s having a solid year. But when you need to win now and need a back of the present, not future to be carrying the rock in crucial situations, he is not the answer. I’m not sure why he doesn’t give Hillis a chance in any situations. His leash with Moreno has been toooooooo long for toooo long! If one guy isn’t going, get someone else in there……plain and simple.
And another thing……has the coach ever heard of play-action? Always the back straight up the gut. Sure, use that play, but why not mix in a few playactions to keep the D off balance. It’s easy to defend what you know is coming….with the exception of our run D today I guess…….geeeez were they ever aweful.
Okay, I still need to cool down or I’m gonna blow my top. I’m so disappointed with my team right now. They all need to take a good long look in the mirror and man the hell up.
I think Orton is a classy guy with a lot of brains. He needs more arm and more atletic ability to really get it done. When he runs he looks like he needs to go to the bathroom. I don’t believe he will ever win us a super bowl.
As was mentioned above, Moreno reminds me of Reggie Bush (only not nearly as good). The only time I saw him make any yardage today was when he was THROWN to. He can’t run it up the middle no matter how much McD wishes it to be true.
I, too, screamed at the TV today when Hillis never got the nod on short yardage plays.
We did better this year than I ever expected us to, but it is still really disappointing. And what is going to happen next year? I see a lot of old guys and a lot of free agents. How long is Marshall going to be content to be on a team that is “almost” good?
I agree with baylinorcrush, McD has a lot of growing up to do.
Oh come on now. Yeah this was a heartbreaker, but throwing our coach under the bus already is ridiculous.
So we lost the lead with 30 seconds left and lost this game 19-20 at home with the playoffs and the division lead on the line. Last year, with a veteran superbowl wining coach, we did the same thing, except we got blownout and didn’t have the game in our hands late in the 4th.
McD’s team has already clinched our avg. over the last three years with two games left. Shanahan is a great coach. I love him. I think whatever team he coaches next will do well.
But McD has already done as well in his rookie year as a coach as we have averaged over three years with a great veteran coach, and we still have 2 games left.
I’m not going to give up on this team I been here since forever and I’m not going to stop now..Im a die hard fan and Im going to stay that way..We all now there have to be some changes for us to win games but they’re not big changes..just switch personel on short yardage to get us those 1st downs so we can keep on rollin down the field…We had some key players out today like buckhalter and renaldo hill even ty law would have made a difference so I dont think anyone should give up…but mcd really needs to expand his play calling and be smarter on his decision…Moreno is one hell of a back but he cant get every 1st down especially with the size of these defenders so why not put hillis in there and barrel his way through defenders i mean the guy breaks tackles and he is a proven football player….he is being paid like everybody else so let him earn his pay…I dont see why mcd dosent use schefflers size and height like he should. I said it earlier about how rivers uses his 6’5 recievers to his advantage so Im sayin if it works in sd it can work for us cuz i believe we are the better team….royal has been quiet and we all know that guy has unbelievable talent I stll dont see why mcd isnt using him more….I havent seen the wild horses in effect for whatever reason but when we did use those couple times we won games….THIS MESSAGE IS TO YOU COACH MCD. IF YOU WANT TO STICK AROUND AND FOR US FANS TO CONTINUE TO BELIEVE IN YOU LIKE WE DID THE 1ST SIX WEEKS THEN GO BACK TO THOSE WINNING WAYS AND ACCEPT THE FACT THAT YOUR NOT IN N.E ANYMORE. THIS IS BRONCO COUNTRY…AND OUR PLAYER MAKERS CAN DO JUST AS GOOD IF NOT BETTER THAN THE N.E PLAYERS YOU BROUGHT OVER HERE SO USE THE PLAYERS YOU KEPT HERE FROM THE SHANNAHAN ERA LIKE HILLIS STOKLEY ROYAL AND SCHEFFLER AND NOT JUST YOUR PLAYERS SO WE CAN KEEP THESE LAST 2 DEFENSES ON THEIR TOES AND HAVE AN IMPACT IN THE PLAYOFFS…IT MAY SOUND FUNNY BUT THESE PLAYERS CAN MAKE ONE HELL OF A DIFFERENCE IN A GAME AND GIVE US MORE CHANCES OF WINNING GAMES AND SCORING POINTS….
mike nolan as HC? cause he did SO well in SF. “No, lets keep the front office the same for at least one more year,” says the sane person. All the free agent moves worked out, and most of this draft class has contributed well.
One year to make a vast change and we are still in the lead for a wild-card berth at this point in the season. Even if we choke hard, that is way more that anyone expected, and it should be considered a marvelously successful transition.
Regardless of what happens the rest of the year, with one more offseason to fine tune, we should only expect improvement on what is already a respectable thing.
Well, that’s where we’re at, it’s not the end of the world, but it might be the end of our season. I thought 8-8 would be a good season, considering all the changes, so I’m satisfied in that regard. However, the team showed much more promises with a 6-0 start and so it naturally comes down as a letdown. A lot to be digested by our head coach in his first year. If he learns from it, we’ll be fine, if he doesn’t and keeps up his N-E stubborness, we are doomed. Here is to hoping Bowlen has a good productive talk with McD in the off season. I am not going to blame any short comings on this season other than on McD, it was obvious all year that it was his way or the highway, so now here we are, at the end, or damn near, of your road coach and I hope you enjoy the view…
idk bout u alexanserg but im tired of lookin forward to next year…we have the opportunity and the team to make things happen now…we started off good and we should end it good…we proved ourselves to be worthy opponents its just a matter of getting back to where we was before
SO mad. Terrible, terrible playcalling by McDaniels. May still have #6 seed – pending Phili game – but playoff worthy teams do not lose this game. Raaaaaaar!
There is absolutely no way we are going into Philly and win that game in any way, shape, or form! They are in the play-off fight of their lives as well, and Andy Reid will definately have his team well prepared. Our D is going to have their hands full!
Choke,Choke,Choke!!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!
Ok I broke down the AFC wild card picture. Bal is 8-6 they have pit and oak left I see them winning out and going 10-6 that knocks pit to 8-8(out). Jac is 7-7 with NE and Cle left is see them going 8-8(out). MIA 7-7 with TEX PIT left I see them winning maybe one for 8-8(out). NYJ 7-7 they have IND and Cin left i see them going 7-9(OUT) TItans 7-7 they have SD and SEA i see them going 8-8(out). Texans 7-7 Mia and NE left I see them going 8-8(out). WE still have hope. Everyone cheer for Bal, SD, NE, Tex this next weekend. Lets hope to finish off with two wins and go 10-6. GO BRONCOS!!!!!
To make it short: I’m pissed as hell as well! I’m not giving up hope, though. I bet we beat the Eagles next week. The Raiders have always played us tough on our own turf! look at recent history! I still don’t know why Hillis is still in the doghouse; BUT, I hope McD has something up his sleeve. Keep the faith, and Merry Christmas everyone! Maybe next week I can turn around my little, Bronco bobblehead from the corner of my office window.
We can still get it done!
Go Broncos!
McD?
Amen to Baylin….and…..we suck
I know I am the only one on now. I seem to get here really too late. I will try this site later. but usually I’m on the NFL site defending my team as all true bronco fans do. I am looking forward to the Eagles game. I believe we had a let down. We let our guard down. We overlooked the Raiders. WE did not prepare for them. I could tell we were not even emotionally in the game.
I’m surprised at baylin and the others here. You guys are the ones I always read on this blog. Don’t give up on our coach and our team yet. I believe it was you baylin who said McDaniels was saving Hillis for the playoffs. You might be right. He doesn’t want to give anyone any tape of Hillis. I hope so. I hope that is what is really going on. I want to stay positive. And I don’t want to throw Mcdaniels under the bus yet. Here is to the last two games. Go broncos. Beat those stinkin Eagles.
Only three third down conversions, and only one touchdown on five trips to the redzone equals loss and no playoffs. Way to go McD, your offensive play calling sucks, and cost us the game because our defense was on the field the entire game. I do ot understand why he played Lamont Jordan instead of Hillis. He was the spark we needed, and would have converted on short yardage, and maybe even gotten us a second touchdown instead of another field goal. Way to go guys, chaoke against the raiders and now you lose the 5th place playoff spot and give the Charges their fourth division title in a row. I bet Phillip Rivers and the Chargers are laughing their a$$e$ off at us right now, along with the rest of the NFL and all the media. Everyone is looking at us going, “told you so, same old choke artist out in denver.” NO way on earth do we go into Philly next week and win. If we are lucky we will beat the Chiefs, but then we still finish 9-7 watching the playoffs from home. Pathetic!!!
So here are my thoughts:
1) I don’t like to be THAT guy, but the refs were horrible. They wouldn’t call anything against the Raiders secondary, or holding on those big gainers or anything. Their center flipping his head around like he is having a seizure that’s illegal also should be false starts every time he does it.
2) What happened to our running defense and who had containment on Frye’s long run?
3) Why no Hillis yet? Jordan had one good run and couldn’t catch the ball. Moreno c’mon man run like you mean it and don’t just stop and try and switch directions you ain’t Barry Sanders pick a hole and go with it. If there ain’t a hole smash your way into their somewhere and at least try to get a yard or two.
4) Red Zone..Red Zone..Red Zone, when are we going to learn that settling for field goals ain’t gonna win games for us?
5) McD and playcalling? Still don’t understand why we call those stupid screens on third and long.
6) Oh someone also asked is Smith was worth the draft picks, after that game when he needed to make a tackle and he attempted to tackle like a punter/kicker, um no that was the weakest effort I’ve ever seen. I’ve seen punters/kickers make better efforts to tackle.
One more thing to those who said we shouldn’t have trouble with the Raiders you’re comments are ignorant. You think just because its the Raiders its a for sure win. Well looks like our team and coaches thought so too. We are having the same metldown as last season with new coaches and new players, so what does that tell you?
I’m not going to give up on this team but I wouldn’t be surprised if we didn’t make the playoffs. If we can’t beat the Raiders at home how can be beat an explosive Philly team on the road, and KC at home that ain’t a for sure win either. I always keep telling people it doesn’t matter records or stats at this point in the season and they keep ignoring it.
Like I said at the beggining of the season I’d be happy with at least a winning record. It sucks that I got my hopes up though of having a good season. If you can’t beat teams in December you have no place in the playoffs and that’s the truth.
So we’ll see what happens, maybe we need a players only meeting every single week?
Go Broncos!!!!
McD, hind sight is 20/20 after this season maybe you should give Hillis the ball more. You’re becoming predictable and your playcalling is nothing new. The quickest way out of a job is to just keep doing what you’re doing and losing games. Right now you’re proving the critics right as to why NOT to sign a 32 or 33 year old coach.
I don’t care what you do just fix what ever damn thing is broken. I’ve not given up yet mainly because I still think we can win one of the next two, still make the playoffs, if the right teams lose. Or we could win both and have a better chance. I still want to know why with a new coaching staff, new players, new system, we still have a meltdown for the fricken last 4 seasons we’ve had these meltdowns.
Go Broncos!!!!
McD let Hillis into the K.C. game two weeks ago at the end and he looked great on the three of four carries he got. I really thought after that McD would have realized he had something in this guy. I can’t believe this guy will not change his play calling. Philly’s defense will eat us alive if we keep coming out with the same old tired offensive game plan. Show us the genius you are supposed to be McD and salvage this once promising season by getting us into the playoffs. Its real simple, win the last two games and we arte in. Start out 6-0 and we may only win three games down the stretch after that start. How do we keep falling apart like this at the end of the season. I would love to discover and answer for this perdicament.
Even if we make the playoffs or not we have some serious work to do in the offseason. First on my list and what better be the first on the coaching staffs list is getting us a true Nose Tackle for the 3-4 defense. Priority #1!!!
Why doesn’t Josh play Hillis. Come on, if things are not working, try something else. We are done for the year boys and girls!!!
Defense gives up 200+ yards on the ground when we know they are going to run the ball. Offense can’t get the ball across the goalline in 4 out of 5 attempts (sound familiar?). It looked like a preseason game with all the predictable play calling in short yardage and goal line as usual. 1st and goal on the 2 with the game on the line and settle for 3 points is inexcusable.
I for one, am sick and tired of hearing we need to fix this we need to fix that when all we do is the same thing over and over and over looking for different results. Our playoffs start today with the game plan against a Philly team that has a lot riding on this game as well. If Mc D has some secret weapon x (Peyton Hillis?) that he is holding out for the playoffs then he better be aware that the playoffs start this sunday.
I, like many of you, have seen this movie over and over and the ending is always the same. We get a chance to take a step forward and instead take two steps back. This team does not have the killer mentality it takes to put teams away and until it finds it we will remain in the middle of the pack.
Good luck in Philly
you’ll need it!
I’m throwing the coach under the bus because of what he’s telling us. He’s always telling us we need to do this better, the film never lies, we have to do that better, blah blah blah. Apparently you’re not learning anything from the film. You used the exact same gameplan you used the first time we played the Raiders. It was an entirely different team this time what made you think it would work. Well apparently Cable knew you’d do this and he adjusted and pretty much said hey not this time. Since we’ve split the W/L with each other divisinoal opponent now, what are you going to do against KC? First what are you giong to do against Philly. If you let Russel pick us apart at the last second when we HAD to have a stop what are you going to let McNabb who is much better than him do? Get your head out of your A$$ start coaching. Honestly McD isn’t going to play Hillis, after this season Hillis will probably get traded.
Mitch Berger, Ty Law, Lamont Jordan, these are just a few that need to go.
Go Broncos!!!!
BRONCOS 19 RAIDERS 20
Predictions result time!
Only 18 entries this week, I should of known, that was an omen for bad things to come…
Not many accolades to be had today, everyone posted us for a win and with a double digit margin, no less. Everyone but one, who had us winning by only 7 points, so here is recognizing the one who showed more wisdom than the rest of us, either by not underestimating the Raiders, or by not overestimating our offense, or both:
oldsouthstander 24-17
There are plenty more on the other end of the spectrum who could be made fun of this week, LOL, but as the list would include most everyone, I’ll reserve the following three for having giving us a good laugh with their picks:
Bronco Aussie 44-7
baby champ-broncos 44-6
and the guy who takes the pie a la mode in the face, LOL:
coachemup 55-16 (he jokingly referred to it as “the speed limit” when he made the pick, either way it’s a good joke both ways coach, LOL)
Well, it’s down in the trenches now. Is it safe to call this upcoming one in Philly a must win game? Or are the mathematicians around here still going to come out and tell us different? LOL. Whatever, for one more week we are in control of our destiny, even if to my biggest chagrin we made the Chargers division champs once again, 5 in a row I believe, disgusting. If anyone feels anywhere close to how I feel about playing at Philly with the type of offense we have, there ought to be a lot of scared puppies out here, picks probably will be scarce, but I’ll be here to take them until the usual Saturday pm deadline. Good luck, and good luck to our beloved Broncos as well, they need it more than we do.
USC#1, first of all, thanks for taking the time to read some of my posts, much appreciated. I try to read most everyone’s post, and reading yours above I noticed you mention that you thought I was the one who said McD was keeping Hillis for the playoffs as a secret weapon kind of thing. I have never said that, must of been someone else. In fact what I have said in the past is that McD has so obviously completely written Hillis off his game plan, that please trade the poor fellow so this young talented man doesn’t end up roting away on our team. That is my opinion, McD has no purpose for Hillis on his team, please let him go at year end so next year I can enjoy watching this talented young man doing his thing on another team, regardless of what team, even the Raiders. What a waste of talent, disgusting.
beastyfan, I liked a lot of what you had to say above. It seems as you enjoy your freedom of speech as much as I do, and it is much needed here at times. Reading from the writers here who are affiliated by contract to the Denver Broncos organization is not always hardly ever a true analysis of what is really going on with our team, and they are very good writers, don’t get me wrong, they are just doing their job within the allowed guidelines of their bosses, but I think what is most refreshing here, and the true value of this blog, is to have guys like us being able to come out and say things exactly like they are, brutally honest type of thing.
All this diatribe to get to my point: I want to thank the Denver Broncos and their staff on this blog personally for allowing me to come on here and saying it exactly like I see it and they have never deleted or blocked any of my posts. This blogging forum It is a great way for me to share my happiness about the things that are going well with our team, but it is even a bigger benefit to me when things are not going well at all, and I can just release my frustrations out in the open rather than letting them bottled up inside and ruining my whole week. As of now, after a little ranting here last night, I already feel perfectly fine today. Thank you once again.
What a stupid loss in a must-winn game! Reasons?
1. Play calling/running game: 2.9 yds/rush; 15 runs with yardage of 1 yd or less; –> this had to result in poor 3rd down conversion rate as well as poor red zone efficiency.
Instant remedy: a) Peyton Hillis at RB! He usually pushes through in short yardage situations. b) Use a FB (named Peyton Hillis) along with Moreno. For rush attempts over the middle, a lead blocker helps – at least compared to what we saw yesterday.
2. Big plays on defense: Too little pressure from the DL, especially on 3rd and 10, 4th and 10 along with too soft coverage. Overcommitting LB’s were easy to block leading to long runs. On the positive side – the goal line stand was great.
3. Stupid penalties: The illegal contact penalty on the last drive made a 1rst and 5 out of a 3rd and 6. What if …?
4. The O-line plays out of sync. I can’t point out individual mistakes, the line just appears hesitant.
Fix it coach – we want to see our Broncos in the postseason!
Losing at home, to Oakland, in DECEMBER is unacceptable! 1st and goal at the 2. Settling for 3, unacceptable. Getting burned by Jamarcus, unacceptable. I thought we were finally gonna see some meaningful action from Hillis. Lamont Jordan-UNACCEPTABLE. Something tells me Hillis would not have short armed that ball out of the backfield as the aforementioned player from above!!! So 2 straight years we get burned by our archrivals. And if it wasn’t for a Timely timeout (thats why he was the mastermind) it could be 3 straight. Losing never sits well with me. It will be a long time to get over this one. Baylin, I predicted a blowout. I should have predicted that McHoodie and his playcalling (and personnel decisions) would be predictable. As coach Cable did. I agree with you Hillis needs to be used or allowed to flourish with another team. Maybe wherever Shanahan goes???
Now on to Philly. I don’t even know if we can win now. Let alone on the road against a very good team. Jackson scares me! That leaves us with a MUST WIN AT HOME AGAINST KC. Idk, if 9-7 gets us in. I tried to do all the math for the tie breakers. It got my head spinning. And it is next to impossible to predict how the logjam of 7-7 teams will play out. I will NEVER root for SD, INDY or NE. Only for DENVER to win. So thats our formula to qualifying for the postseason. But haven’t we been in this position before? Beat San Fran at home…Beat Buffalo at home… Its all so frustrating.
At least we don’t have Cutlers 25 int’s to digest!!! Way to go McHoodie. What do we have to show for it. KM with potential. Ayers missing a tackle on the 1st TD. And the phonse wit his attempt at a tackle!
If I can take anything positive away from this game…ha… Bruton did a fine job and Carter did a nice job as well. Congrats to Orton for your career best passing yards. And spider Marsh, you never cease to impress. You will be compesated nicely I presume!
GO BRONCOS!!!!!!!!
Win or lose, I will always bleed Orange and Blue. However, this loss was unacceptable and a complete joke. I agree with baylinorcrush… play Hillis or trade him. He is entirely too talented to be wasting away on the bench. Playing Jordan over Hillis is an insult to the team and organization. Some people will say that you should support the team, coaches and the decision made by those individuals. I have no problem supporting this team and the coaches, but I am sick and tired of seeing the same unimaginative play calling by McD. His play calling and offensive game plan is too predictable. Getting out coached by Cable and the Raiders is pathetic. Not playing your best players (i.e. Peyton Hillis) is a JOKE. Royal had an unbelievable season last year as a rookie… what happened?? Answer… McD is his EGO!!!! Pisses me off…
GO BRONCOS!!!
Sad, pathetic, sickening, stupid whatever other words you want to use to describe that game. I think that was the worst loss of the year. The other losses I could make excuses- Orton getting hurt against washington, playing steelers and ravens after a bye, untimely turnovers against SD, ect.
This game there was no excuses, losing to a inferior division rival at home that is playing with a 2nd, 3rd and 4th string QB when you are in the middle of a playoff race. Good teams win the games they are supposed to win.
SNDL- I totally agree- a first and goal at the 2 or 3 yardline and settle for a field goal is unacceptable. Score a TD and put the game away!!!! The Broncos are settling for field goals way too much. I am tired of the Broncos driving down the field into the red zone and then settling for a field goal.
Letting Jamarcus Russell burn you to win the game made me sick. Where was the coverage on the recievers??? The D line was actually getting good pressure on Russell but it seems like the coverage fell apart.
As for Philly. After losing to the Raiders at home I am not very confident they can go and win against a very good Philli team.
Last week I figured the Broncos were playoff bound- beat Oakland and KC and even if they fall to Philly they are still in. Now that has changed, the Philli game is a must win.
The Broncos are 2-6 in the last 8 games. That does not sound like a playoff team to me.
Sorry to be such a downer but that loss yesterday took all the enthusiasm I had. The only way to get me positive again is if they can beat Philly.
USC#1 The whole Hillis being a TRUMP CARD, SECRET WEAPON came from me it was my lame attempt at justifying McD’s reasoning on not playing his playmaker at FB and RB. He is not going to play Hillis one bit Adam Schneider is right Hillis is not going to get one sniff at tailback or FB.
beefdirkus- I feel the same way. seriously im lost for words right now. ima be strait forward…. if we dont beat philly we got no chance making playoffs. i can care less if the rest of the 7-7 teams lose their game next week this team isnt ready for the playoffs.
this loss is to depressing to talk about. lets change the subject.
do you guys/girls think we can get a top 10 pick from chicago if they finish 5-11 or 6-10. if we do i hope we can get Suh.
Wow,
It is amazing how fast things change. After the Broncos were 6-0 this blog was full of people saying he was a genius and a great coach.
Now all the sudden he is a horrible coach and everyone is thowing him under the bus.
I too was very upset about the loss yesterday and felt it was unacceptable and imbarrassing. I am hoping the coaches and players feel that way also. I was not that upset about the play calling yesterday. At least McD did not try and run it 3 times at the goal line.
I think it was not just the play calling but the entire effort of both coaches and players.
I know Hillis is a fan favorite but just because you put in Hillis does not mean it is an automatic TD. I do agree that Moreno is not the answer for short yardage, he dances around too much and does not hit the hole.
The one thing I do like about the Philly game is that I know that this is one game that Dawkins circled on his calander and wants to win this game bad. I think Dawkins will have the D pumped and ready to play.
So it comes down to the philly game. what are the ods. Dawkins has done so much for this organization they should win this one for him.
2 main reasons we lost the game,
1. we cant run the freekin ball. knowshon moreno is supposed to pick a hole and hit it with a head of steam.
2. when we get to the redzone we cant score a td. this is the main reason we lose all the games we did is because we cant pound the ball in like adrian peterson of jonathan stewart. i think if we can get somebody willing to throw there body in the touchdown then we would be putting up more points.
it also does not help when we cant stop the run.
broncosfan1580, you forgot our other major problem, we can’t STOP the run, remember SD, also over 200 yards or rushing against us.
At this time of year if you can’t run and you can’t stop the run, I don’t care what else you do, you are done and out! Period.
We allowed 203 yards rushing against SD and 241 yesterday.
Same old Story. This team cant get it done in Decemeber. I thought the play calling was absolutely horrible. The qb sneaks and the running game didn’t work. Too not score on the 3 yard line is pathetic.
I think McDaniels should give up the play calling.
It all goes back that we didn’t address the D line in the draft, I wonder what McD will do in next draft. Let’s not tell him the D line is where we need help, we can be sure in order to show us how wrong we all are, he would not draft at that position again. It reminds me of an adolescent, in order to want him not to do something, you got to forbid him to do just the opposite. LOL. So with that in mind, coach, Hillis is atrocious, we all hope you don’t play him for the rest of the season. LOL.
That was PATHETIC. I don’t care if the Broncos’ playoff hopes are still alive, if they continue to play like that they won’t be for long. But I don’t even care anymore. Even if they do make the playoffs, they’ll be lucky to get to the second round. There is NO WAY that the Broncos win more than one postseason game IF THEY EVEN MAKE IT. McDaniels needs to SWALLOW HIS PRIDE and use Hillis on short yardage runs. Not the little Moreno guy, not for the short, tough yards. Get rid of Lamont Jordan- he’s useless and only takes Hillis’ playing time. Give McD another year. He made good personel calls, and no one expected him to even take the Broncos this far at the beginning of the season. He is kind of a genius and a bonehead mixed into one person. I hope he gets Suh in the draft. A big, dominant DT is just what the Broncos need. Let’s go 2010-2011 Broncos!
In that case Baylin, KM is great at short yardage pick ups. Keep using him. Don’t give up McD! And field goals when we get in the red zone. They are just fine!
sndvl, here you go, that’s the spirit! LOL.
Suh would be great! I don’t think he will fall far enough. He is def a top 5 pick. And too many other teams are salivating over his services! Carolina and Dallas did us all favors in regards to Chicagos final two games. The Vikes will be forced to play out for the 1-3 seeds! Even if we don’t get that playoff nod, we can all still root for the Bears to lose out and give us a higher draft pick!
ugh.
Any chance we bring Kubiak back for O coordinator. Or does he go with Shanny? Or do the Texans get in the postseason festivities??????
seriously what does McD have againts Hillis. he mentioned in the offseason that he was a athletic, versitile player that every team would want. then why is he not using him? i know im only a fan but im positive Hillis is a lot better than Jordan. Hillis would have mad that catch on third down. its not fair for Hillis to waste all that talent warming the bench. either we utilize him or we let him go to another team that will let him suceed. THIS IS JUST NOT FAIR FOR HILLIS.
the only positives I can take from this game is how well Carter and Bruton played. if you didint see Carter defelcted a sure touchdown. As for Bruton he was all over the field. Orton also played well. after seeing those to deep passes to marshall and scheffler i hope no one doubts his arm anymore.
if we could at least get the 8th-9th pick from the Bears we should be able to draft Suh. Im all for trading up to get him. What do you all think?
So is this what the Browns, Lions, and Rams feel all the time?