For the third time in four seasons, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Dwayne Bowe has surpassed the 1,000-yard receiving mark.
That doesn’t surprise Champ Bailey, who will most likely spend the majority of his day matched up against the talented wideout.
“He’s tough every time I face him,” Bailey said. “He’s one of my biggest challenges, and I look forward to it every time because I know he’s going to give his best shot. It’s just his size and speed — the combination of both. And he’s so deceptive with his speed in route-running, because he can start and stop just like a quick guy. He’s dangerous.”
Last year, Bowe was one of the hottest receivers in the league in the middle of the season. In the seven games leading up to the Broncos-Chiefs Week 13 rematch, the receiver racked up 733 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Included in that stretch was the first Broncos-Chiefs matchup, when Bowe accumulated 186 yards and two touchdowns.
However, 120 of the yards and both touchdowns came in the second half of a blowout, 49-29 Broncos win. Still, Bailey was upset at himself, and made sure there was no repeat performance.
In that Week 13 game, Bailey held Bowe without a single catch.
“That will be a matchup that will be pretty big in the game this Sunday,” Head Coach John Fox said. “When you have two great players going at each other, you expect those types of matchups. Hopefully it’s one that we’ve prepared to where we can win.”
MOVING FORWARD
In the Broncos’ past two losses, Tim Tebow has thrown three interceptions and lost two fumbles.
On Wednesday, he was asked if he simply has to wipe the slate clean and move on from those mistakes.
“I feel like I usually let stuff go pretty well, but I don’t know if you always want to,” Tebow said. “It’s a part of being motivated. It’s learning from mistakes, learning from past failures, and also learning from losses and having that feeling of disappointment drive you in practice and meetings to watch more, do more. I don’t know if you always want to just let things go and just continue to be the same person. I think you need to let it eat at you a little bit because I think that can make you better as a player, as a person.”
Offensive Coordinator Mike McCoy agreed with Tebow’s assessment on Thursday, saying the second-year quarterback has learned plenty from week-to-week.
But at the same time, Tebow can’t get down on himself.
“The first thing I told him after the game was, ‘Tim, don’t ever question yourself,’” McCoy said. “Playing quarterback, you have to play with confidence, and the decisions he made he was confident with what he was doing. It was just unfortunately it went the wrong way, and we’ve talked about that.”
“That’s all a part of the game,” McCoy continued. “Tim is moving on. He’s a professional, and he’s been here before. He’ll be fine.”
MAKING THE OPPORTUNITY COUNT
Bailey and D.J. Williams are the only remaining Broncos from the 2005 squad that made it to the AFC Championship game — the last time Denver entered the postseason.
So Bailey has a unique perspective to share with his younger teammates, and he has taken that opportunity this week.
“You don’t really realize it because I’ve been in this situation before, and you don’t realize it until you get older that those opportunities pass you by,” Bailey said of his message. “If you don’t take advantage of them, you never know when it’s going to come back again.”
The Broncos have an opportunity this weekend to clinch the AFC West and enter the playoffs with a win — or an Oakland loss.
Denver had a chance at the playoffs in 2008 and 2009 and didn’t make it in, but Bailey said there’s no comparing what’s happening this season to those years.
“The last two times it happened we had two different staffs, so you can’t really compare it to what we had on our team at that time,” he said. “As far as this organization, yes, it’s happened. We’re trying not to let it happen. We’re going to do everything in our power to go out there and win this game because our playoffs start this week, plain and simple.”
INJURY REPORT
Here’s a look at Thursday’s injury report.
For the Broncos:
DID NOT PARTICIPATE: Safety Brian Dawkins (neck).
LIMITED: Safety David Bruton (Achilles), cornerback Chris Harris (neck).
FULL: Safety Quinton Carter (hip), linebacker Von Miller (thumb).
For the Chiefs:
DID NOT PARTICIPATE: Running back Jackie Battle (foot), wide receiver Jeremy Horn (illness), safety John McGraw (ankle).
Below are photos from Thursday’s practice:
-Gray Caldwell
Tags: Champ Bailey, Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs, Tim Tebow, Week 17
McCoy about Tebow telegraphing his throws:
“It just comes with experience. It really does,” McCoy said. “If they’re thinking that he’s looking, staring a guy down or maybe he’s doing that a little too much, we’ll help him with that. He’s got to do a better job of keeping his eyes down the middle of the field and not really telegraph where he’s going with the ball.”
The more I read McCoy the less I think he is good coaching material, I mean “If they’re thinking that he’s looking, staring a guy down or maybe he’s doing that a little too much, we’ll help him with that.” You have to be told all that to do something about it? Come on grab the bull by the horns and get the job done before anyone even mentions it, geee.
Woody getting all nervous, rightly so, just like Bailey, and giving advice to Tebow:
This week, Tebow has made the proper statements about the excitement of the Chiefs game, the playoff possibility, the return of Orton, the Broncos’ focus.
But this game is about the Broncos not breaking down completely, and embarrassingly, on offense, special teams and defense.
Tebow is the face of the Broncos, and he can’t have it rubbed in the dirt again.
No miracles. He has to be mean, motivated and mad.
He needs to get mad at himself and those who stand in his path, as he did after Nease High School was thumped by prep power Hoover 50-29 in his senior season. Nease went on to win the state championship.
And, as he did after Ole Miss edged Florida 31-30, and Tebow made his famous promise before the Gators eventually won the BCS title over Oklahoma.
Tebow should reread the Scriptures of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John describing Jesus when he channeled anger.
In maddening defeat, the Broncos would have five consecutive seasons without a winning record.
Tebow’s time to turn past-season anger into postseason joy is now.
TEBOW TIME if there ever was a time.
BTW, I bought that first edition of the NFL magazine with Tebow on the cover with “TEBOW TIME” plastered all over it, and I put it in my Bronco album, just mentioning that for the ones here who question my loyalty to him. Real cool stuff, my Bronco album is my favorite earthy possession.
And the Baylor game last night was one for the ages, glad I saw the whole thing, 17 TDs!!!!!!.
Which brings me to this:
For two years at Baylor, J.D. Walton hiked the ball to Robert Griffin III, who this month was named the Heisman Trophy winner as the best college football player.
I wouldn’t mind a reunion at all, even if Tebow is in my Bronco album, LOL, like I said last night RG3 is better at everything football than Tebow at this very moment other than they are about equal as to the will to win.
BR1979 – that was Peter Kings’ comments and score prediction, but I hear you.
Well, I think I double posted only very little of what Royalty posted, goes to show I read all the comments, always, haha.
rbf1, you do that every week, it would be a big help if you wrote down “Peter King’s prediction” because you always cause me to write you down for it first only to scratch you out later, messing up my entry forms, haha, thanks.
Yes Bay, Tebow needs to get mad, but I want to see the Defense angry as well. Doom and Von putting Orton on his but early and often, till he decides it isn’t even worth it with no play-offs on the line.
Woody Paige is in a class all his own too. But I think it’s the class that rides the short, tinted-windows bus to school lol.
He must have been watching the latest re-run episode of the loosely based FBI TV series ‘Criminal Minds,’ as they quote great poets and writers including Ghandi, Winston Churchhill, Hemingway and the like. The re-run this week they quoted “Star-Wars” as a joke.
Try not. Do, or do not. -Yoda
Woody’s article is titled: Timmy: Do or do not. There is no try.
Bay broke it down greatly above but if you want to see his FULL and I mean FULL RANT here it is lol: http://www.denverpost.com/paige/ci_19643828
And I only quoted what was said in the video so you could post the full Legwold article with your BAY spin on it, all at once.
Oh well it was a good article which you broke into two. But the video shows the demeanor of Bailey and Allen. I really don’t know how much they can mask from the Vet Orton, especially if they go into a hurry up mode which will force the Denver D into a base 4-3 which he could probably have his way with (between the 20s of course lol)
-Royalty
I find it so amusing that Baylor’s (football) offense put up more points than it’s last mens basketball game lol. RG3 is a savage!!! Watch out for that kid!
I do list it as I type “Source – Peter King SI”. at the bottom
I can list it at the top of the entry if you think that will help.
It definitely would.
No problem – don’t see how it’s missed at the bottom of the entry when it’s typed out clear as day…..lol!
Hey Bay!
I was reading your comments regarding a “re-union” between RG3 and Walton, and personally…I would’nt mind seeing it.
I’m not taking anything away from Tebow. I love his spirit, and how he surrounds himself with the ‘team’.
But it would’nt hurt seeing Tebow have a liitle bit of competition.
The ONLY thing that Tebow and Cam have on RG3 is size. People are already worried about Tebow getting hurt the way he runs, RG is a little guy and I would hope he would slide more in the NFL.
The other kid is nothing to wag a finger at either he had RG in a dogfight. That had to be the worst defensive showing ever though. In all actuality it was, based on total yardage + they only missed the scoring record by 2 points.
Because as soon as I see a score on a blogger’s post I start writing it down, afterall I only write well over a thousand scores a season…
Royalty, thing is RG3 is a geart passer, he doesn’t have to run anyway.
great
But by no means am I implying that Denver needs to sell the farm, give up draft picks, to aquire a QB.
I hope that EFX will make our defense a top priority in the 2012 draft.
RockyMts69, here is an old face, good to see you’re still kicking.
Bay, I’m not old, just well seasoned…
I think we need to sell Turtle’s farm and acquire RG3, LOL.
And I’m in my prime, LMAO!
Shoot, I’m gonna be late… I hope the blog is slow today I missed out on a good one the other day on the ‘Broncos/Chiefs Rewind’ I miss those blogs where everybody gets all riled up… but in the end can’t do nothing but watch lol.
That’s why I thank you for the score prediction Bay, it let’s people put up or shut up….
That’s my time… (i’ll still be checking in on my iPod touch though lol) Have a good one…
-Royalty
Saturday is new year’s eve, don’t blow it with your entry!
It could be crucial as you well know….
Ok – got it.
Talking about the contest:
Up to 33 now think Broncos win
Still only 6 think they’ll lose
Listen to this, Ted Bruschi is saying exactly what I have been saying all along about the Romeo factor:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPPscoedsfE&feature=relmfu
Broncos 24
KC 9
All phases of our team were embarrased last weekend, and I just don’t see that happening again.
Almost like strand’s 24-6, but not quite the 41-6 shellacking of CurtOU…
Only read this if you are interested in what KC might do to beat us:
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d82586a37/article/defenses-coming-up-with-blueprint-for-tebow-time-to-run-out?module=HP11_cp
I have some thoughts on the draft, but like you Bay, I am holding them until season is completely over.
Let’s just hope Romeo doesn’t read anything Bucky Brooks because there is a crapload of useful info about beating the Broncos now version in that article.
Yeah, whenever our season is over there will be plenty of time to switch gear about FA and the draft.
(sorry if it posted before)
Prediction:
Broncos: 17
Chiefs: 19
I’m a Baylor fan from Singletary days so love what RG3 has done for the Bears. But the Broncos aren’t getting him with #20 (or below) pick.
We all know that so this must be the lusting after the Corvette in the showroom window thing.
Broncos over chiefs. 17 – 12
Score prediction:
Broncos: 20
Chiefs: 16
My prediction is 20-13 DEN
16-13 OAK
*predictions*
Score prediction-
Broncos: 24
Chefs: 13
I really can’t see us laying down for this one. Hopefully our young safties have grown a little with a little more experiance. I guess we’ll see come Sunday.
Let’s get the new year started off with a Bronco victory!
Go Broncos! Playoffs 2012!
Man, I wish rahim would play moore.
I had him on one of my fantasy teams, and I really liked him. oh well. dont really care for D. Bruton. this is for rahims eyes only: “u snooze, u LOZE!” (dont worry everyone else, I know i spelled it wrong)
2484, you already made your prediction yesterday, 20-10 Bronco win, only first prediction counts.
question: does bay really keep track of everyones prediction? if so, where does he keep them?
In my files.
Oh. Oops
Not oops for the question, oops for the prediction. Thanx Bay. Where are ur files?
In my file cabinets. It’s all hand written stuff.
2824 he also has them from years past.
Now you are learning why Bay is our statistician.
1. He is HIGHLY respected by ALL Bronco bloggers fotr his work and dedication to the team/organization/blogs.
2. He can get the stats on anything faster than anyone else. The man is a walking/blogging Webster/Funk & Wagnel set of encyclopedias.
Thanks, I’m just a Superfan, LOL.