Today is the last Friday of the regular season. Thus, we are going to start things off with a quote from Head Coach John Fox about the team’s mindset heading into the finale against the Kansas City Chiefs.
“I think four months ago if you would have told me we were going to be in the last regular season game of the season with a chance to get into the playoffs, I probably would have taken it and run,” Fox said. “We’ve got some unfinished business, and it’s all out there for the taking. Now we just have to go take it.”
FILLING BIG SHOES
It looks like everyone should be healthy and ready to go Sunday as all the players listed on the injury report are probable with one notable exception: safety Brian Dawkins.
Dawkins, who hasn’t practiced all week with a neck injury, is listed as doubtful for Sunday’s contest. Dawkins missed the entire New England game and most of the Buffalo game with an injury, meaning that for the third straight game, Denver is most likely going to be without its most experienced player.
However, while cornerback Champ Bailey said that it’s extremely tough to replace a guy like Dawkins, rookie safety Quinton Carter said he and the rest of his teammates are ready to once again step up.
Carter said that one area he’s looking to improve is his tackling. He’s made it a point all week to emphasize that in practice. It helped that for the last time in the regular season — and just the third time in the last six weeks — the Broncos practiced in pads Wednesday.
“Just getting some reps in and being able to put your body on somebody going full speed. I feel like it will help out tremendously,” Carter said.
“It’s easily correctable,” he stated. “It starts at practice. This week I’ve been stressing tackling. Just taking every little step, and we all have as a defense. We just have to go out there, play through and play the way we’ve been playing for the majority of the year.”
Carter noted that the practice on Wednesday resembled that of a training camp session, in terms of the intensity and physicality, which he said is something the team appreciated as they head into a game knowing that a victory would clinch the AFC West division title.
“I liked it personally,” Carter said. “I feel like a lot of the other guys liked it too. Just knowing where we were the past few weeks, just slacking off on the tackling. We needed that.”
BRONCOS ROOKIES HONORED
Three Broncos rookies were named to the Football Outsiders All-Rookie Team this year: tackle Orlando Franklin, outside linebacker Von Miller and cornerback Chris Harris.
The Broncos are tied with the Cowboys for the most players named on the team.
INJURY REPORT
Here is the injury report for Sunday.
For the Broncos:
DOUBTFUL: Safety Brian Dawkins (neck).
PROBABLE: Safety David Bruton (Achilles), cornerback Chris Harris (neck), linebacker Von Miller (thumb), safety Quinton Carter (hip).
For the Chiefs:
OUT: Running Back Jackie Battle (foot).
DOUBTFUL: Safety Jon McGraw (ankle).
Below are some photos from the Broncos’ Friday practice.
-Kenny Legan
Tags: Injury report, Kansas City Chiefs, Week 17
Dude we got a Sonic…..KFC and a McDonalds (which sucks)…so don’t feel bad…we do have a Wal-Mart..WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!
D.Smith and S.Atwater……..the true HeadHubnters of the Denver Broncos.
*HeadHunters
Turtle…..Buzz and Rock it on in bro………..
wheres strand?????????????
Damn I Smell like smoke from the Bon Fire I was at……but it was worth it…family and friends is what it’s all about!!!
Yes, right the first time, Bronco_Turtle! (Though much love to Mark Jackson [and The Vance] while I’m here.)
One regret is not adding an 84 to my handle for the tight end who redefined the freakin’ position and won three Super Bowls and got HOFed two years too late Shannon Sharpe!! (Another is many other Bronco greats I can’t fit in – Mecklenberg, Fletcher, etc.)
And great to know that people in Bronco land still have the respect for the great Dennis Smith!!
It’s past 3:00 AM here…..1:00 AM Bronco time…where is everybody at????
The 3 Amigos…..Jackson,Johnson,and Ricky Nattiel!!!!!!!!!!!!!
remember those guys?
Elway made it all magical……..imo!
WHHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAh!!!!!
O’yeah! Loved the Amigo’s… add in Clarence Kay and Orsen Mobley and you got yourself a recieving core worthy of dominating most of a Decade!!!
Man o Man… Sewell was a good number 30 before number 30 was just number 30!!! (Davis, we still Salute you!!!)
Here’s to 2012 and making more Bronco Buddies!!! Cheers!!! (BONG)
Sorry guys…I’M on a different planet tonight…a big time boozer tonight!!!
I heard that bro!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hear ya Turtleman……..but I’m out dude……GO BRONCOS!!!!!!!!!!!
And before someone with their panties in a bunch says, Blah blah Kay and Mobley were TE’s… D’uh… Sorry for the omission… ;o) I consider TE part of the recieving corp…
Good Night BFE!!! Happy New Year!!!
See you tomorrow!
I agree..100%…Happy New Year to you Bro!!!
Panties in a bunch…..blah,blah,blah..LMAO!!!!!!!!!
Shoot I done ate my big Philly Cheese steak Sub……and drank 3 beers with it…I could eat 2 more…lol…Goodnight!
Happy New Years Broncos Country!!!!!!!!!
3:38 AM here in the East…Goodnight Bronco fans!!!!!!!!!
GO BRONCOS!!!!!!!!!!BEAT THE CHIEFS ASS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
11 hours 56 minutes till Bronco Football!!!…
One Love… Happy New YEAR!
No matter what, Paige is like a borderline sage/zany uncle whom is such a staunch optimist, you can’t help yourself and eventually buy into it.
Woody Paige: A familiar ring to new Broncos 01/01/2012 1:00 AM
This will be the happiest New Year’s Day in Denver since Jan. 1, 1978.
Ring out the old Broncos. Bring on the new Broncos.
Wring out the predominantly blue Broncos. Bring back the dominant Orange Broncos.
At the stadium, get loud, get rowdy, get happy. At home, get zany, get chips and guacamole, get right in front of the TV.
People, get ready. In the only Orange Bowl played Jan. 1, 2012, Kansas City will be barbecued by the Broncos.
The Broncos win one for The Barrel Man, old Mile High Stadium, the bad-news Broncos of 1960, the Orange Crush of 1977, former Broncos coach “Orange” Miller, the South-Standers, the loyalists with season tickets for half a century, Champ Bailey, the world champs of 1997-98, Randy Gradishar and Goose Gonsoulin, Floyd Little and Terrell Davis, Rich Jackson and Tom Jackson, Haven Moses and Shannon Sharpe, John Elway and Marlin Briscoe, Steve “Greek” Antonopulos and Jim Saccomano, the Phipps brothers and Pat Bowlen.
The Broncos have played on New Year’s Day just once. They outlasted the Raiders 20-17 in the AFC title game 34 years ago today to advance to the Super Bowl for the first time.
A commemorative coffee cup produced by the Rocky Mountain News sits on my office desk. The story on the mug, tapped out on a typewriter by a slug named Woodrow Paige Jr., starts: “SUPER NEW YEAR!”
Only two current Broncos were alive when the team defeated Oakland in that epic duel. Safety Brian Dawkins was 4, and backup offensive lineman Russ Hochstein was almost 3 months old.
Before today’s game, a member of that team should give a pregame talk to this team. Billy Thompson, director of the Broncos’ community outreach program and a Pro Bowl safety on the 1977 Broncos, is an excellent choice.
Bronco Billy would explain how: A Jan. 1 victory became the most significant in the Broncos’ and Denver’s history; the underdogs played so hard and committed to knock out their bitter rivals; wide receiver Moses did cartwheels down the field afterward as a wounded Craig Morton limped away; the city erupted in peaceful celebration; and the franchise became an authentic player in the NFL for more than two decades.
Then, the Duke of Denver could speak about how the Broncos played in five Super Bowls during his career and ended the run as back-to-back winners of the Lombardi Trophy.
Last season, when Elway had a part-time role with the Broncos, he addressed the team before the Chiefs game in Denver about the meaning of being a Bronco. The Broncos won 49-29. They would win just one more game under Josh McDaniels, and Elway was named executive vice president a year ago this week.
Over a 29-year span from 1977-2005 the Broncos played in 32 postseason games, winning 17. From 2006-10, the Broncos didn’t make the playoffs — their longest drought since 1960-76, when the Broncos were pro football’s laughingstocks.
They won 12 of 14 regular-season games in 1977, whipped Terry Bradshaw and the famed Steel Curtain in the franchise’s first playoff game, then edged the Al Davis-John Madden-Snake Stabler Raiders.
During a “secret” offseason Denver visit with close friend Bob King (the Nuggets’ media relations boss), coach Madden told me over an off-the-record lunch in the circular hotel next to Mile High Stadium that the Broncos’ defense was dirtier than his own. Tight end Dave Casper went to the bench in the second quarter with the entire rear end of his uniform pants ripped off. Madden said the Raiders had been “jobbed” by the officials on a no-call fumble near the goal line by the late Rob Lytle.
The Broncos of today should be made aware that the Broncos of yesterday played sensational defense while Morton completed only 10 passes but threw for two touchdowns.
They must be reminded that the Broncos have lost to the Chiefs (and their predecessors, the Dallas Texans) all eight times they have met in final regular-season games. (another reason to back my score prediction lol)
Previously, two former Broncos quarterbacks — Jacky Lee and Steve DeBerg — returned to Denver as Chiefs quarterbacks. DeBerg was replaced as starter here by Elway.
But this will be the first time an ex-Broncos starting QB has come back in the same season as the Chiefs starter. The Kyle Orton-Tim Tebow matchup will be the most fabled in a Chiefs-Broncos game since Joe Montana and Elway played at old Mile High in 1994.
Before the other Jan. 1 game in Denver, I correctly predicted the winner and the exact score in my Sunday column. The sightless squirrel searches for a second acorn. (Before broncofalls shoots him lol, sorry bfalls I never got over the squirrel jokes)
Broncos 27, Chiefs 13.
HAPPY NEW BRONCOS!
–Woody Paige
And sorry not to mention the youngest blogger champBrandon, but not to fret lil man I also forgot some of the most seasoned vets on this blog, snvl, O_C, and Carnage (wouldn’t want to forget your “ilk” lol jk) among others like KKod thecladybunch and many more bloggers that I could go on, ad infinitum. Not that they would care just wanting EVERYONE to know that I do.
–Royalty
I’ll talk wit y’all tomorrow, when we’re hopefully done putting a good whoopin on the Quifs.
–Royalty
Happy new year Bronco fans.
Well we have to beat the chiefs!! We need a bit of luck me thinks. Irish luck, American luck, it does not matter just some luck. We cannot hope that Orton will blow it. We gotta hope we just go win it. Teams that move forward to become champions first learn how to win must win games. We have not done that the last number of seasons. So today can we take the step forward we have all been waiting for??
Thanks for all the entertainment over the last year I have thorughly enjoyed it. My new year wish?? Bay’s score prediction contest to run too February.
GO BRONCOS MAKE US PROUD!!!
I
Bad start to a new year, haha.
I did get hacked last night. I finally did go for a couple hours down the street to celebrate the new year with friends after I thought both my wife and grand-daughter fell asleep. I had the misfortune to leave my computer on the blog page and my wife was obviously feeling no pain with her champagne and strawberries and decided to use my handle and chat with you guys!!! What can I say, I’m just glad that’s all she said, could of been much worse, LOL. First time she’s ever done that, I better get on top of this and nip it in the bud, haha, it’s going to be a strange 2012 I can tell.
HAPPY NEW YEAR BRONCO COUNTRY!
Thanks to all bloggers for sharing your Bronco thoughts here and a special thanks to Royalty for voicing his love of the blog.
All score predictions are in, no picks on game day ever.
Here is to hoping the Broncos allow us to play this contest at least one more time after this one!
Good luck to everyone and
GO BRONCOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not feeling spiffy enough to do the news this morning, you’ll have to do that on your own, LOL.
Final tally for this final week of regular season:
45 say we win
11 say we don’t
It was obvious that it wasn’t you Bay. It took about half a sentence to know someone else was using your handle.
This vid makes me shutter with despair.
http://youtu.be/WhOL28tvMX4
Kinda funny that Orton can prevent us from going to the playoffs for the third year in a row as a starting qb.
BTW. I think it is totally awesome that DT seems to have gotten over his injury bug. He no longer looks like glass out there. And he no longer looks hurt every time he gets tackled.
He is coming around big time. He is almost living up to his draft position these days. Keep it up DT.
This is such a huge game today. We need every single player focused and playing like his hair is on fire.
Coaches need to have a good game plan.
On D we need to get after Orton Early and Often. Get him playing scared (which shouldn’t be too hard).
On O, we need a smart game plan. Need to mix it up enough to keep them on their heals. Roll outs, bootlegs, draw plays, play action, triple option, quick screens. etc.
On ST, we need to be disciplined. No gaffs, please. No TD returns allowed. No big returns of our own called back on dumb penalties, please.
C’Mon Broncos. Win and you in. This is what football is all about.
Von DOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
Jeeze where is everyone? Still hung-over from the new years festivities?
I thought it was your Granddaughter or something LOL.
Well Alex if he couldn’t get it done here for us why does everyone seem to think he can do it for the Chief’s? The Bronco’s didn’t screw him he screwed himself. Had he played like he is supposed to be able to play and not screw up at crucial points in the game he would have still been here. He asked for the release and got it. As far as the fans go I watched the early games of the year and the fans cheered for him and it wasn’t until AFTER he lost by throwing INT. and fumbling that the fans chanted for Tebow. He showed last week while they (Chiefs) still had a prayer that he couldn’t get it done. In his last 2 games he has thrown 1 TD and I think 2 INT. Still BAD in the red zone. Sorry just wanted to vent because I just don’t understand the hype for him. He showed us for 2 1/2 years that he can’t take the pressure.
Well, here we are, our season hanging in the balance on the same day to mark a new year.. My hope is that just as today marks the beginning of a new year, today will also be the same day our young team starts a magical journey!
One game at a time, and let’s get back to our winning formula – drag our opponent into a dog fight!!! Smash mouth football baby!!! Grind the clock, keep our defense fresh, play a swarming D, secure each tackle, and HOLD ON TO THE BALL!!!
Coffee is for closers!!! Get it done fellas!!!
Let’s go Broncos! WOOOOOO!
IMO, this game today will be the best look at TT long term viability so far. Last week he had the worst game of his entire career at any level. Pass completions in the 30 percent range. 3 ints, one for a TD, and fumble for a TD. Plus, he appeared to be playing desperate.
Defenses now have lots and lots of film to look at, and they are no starting to tighten down on some of his short-comings.
If he can play lights out and keep us in this game for 4 quarters, than that will be awesome, esp if we get the win. But, if he has another outing like he did against Buf, and if the Raiders beat the Chargers, then it is going to be a very long off season filled with lots and lots speculation at the QB position.
This grand-daughter is only 22 months old, she doesn’t type too good yet, LOL.
And yeah it was obvious it wasn’t me , my wife is the nice one in the family, haha.
Shaztah. Don’t get me wrong, I was all for getting rid of Orton. I was a fan of his until the KC rematch last year that we lost 6-10.
Even so, I never doubted Orton as a pure passer. If his offensive line keep him clean today, and he has plenty of time, then he will be able to move the Chiefs up and down the field (at least between the 20′s).
Look, we all know Orton’s weaknesses, as many of us have been driven close to tears as we lost game after game due to his ineptitude. Even so, we should also be aware of his strengths. If he is allowed to feel comfortable in the pocket, he can be a dangerous QB.
Hopefully today the Broncos force Orton to show all his weaknesses. But my only point is that it would be cruel irony if Orton kept us out of the playoffs even AFTER we got rid of him.
Good morning to one and all and Happy New Year to everybody.
Are we ready for some FOOTBALL?!?
Big Time!!! 4.5 hours and counting. Can’t wait. Go Broncos!! Please don’t let this be our last game of the year!!!!!!!
Baylin – seems like most bloggers have predicted a close, low scoring game.. My attempt to revise my prediction was like betting $1 on the ‘price is right’.. Lol
I went on a limb for the prediction this week. Predicted a blowout victory. Figured I better go for it at this late stage.
Alex – what was your prediction?
Not really, actually we have like Broncos win 24-6, 48-17, 34-14, 41-6, 34-15, 32-10, and KC win 29-15, 30-17, 31-10, 28-13, 45-13, so a bunch of high scoring large spread scores going both ways. You are just not paying attention, LOL.
I think it was 34-14
Happy New Years to all my bronco country brothers and sisters! Here’s to a great and not the-end-of-times 2012 for you all and for the Denver Broncos!!
Let’s hope orton comes out and lays an egg and we dominate the whole game cuz I can’t take the stress anymore watching on Sunday’s. I just don’t know if I could stand our loss putting the dang raiders in the playoffs. A loss is one thing, but a loss that benefits the raiders in such a way? Unconscionable…
man alex, you are the only one really blogging today so far! here on the west coast, its 9:00, and i might miss some of the game because i have to drop off relatives so they can fly home. although i might miss the whole game because hte raiders-chargers game will probably be on cbs @ 1 o’clock. oh well, the broncos will dominate the game (hopefully) and i will be satisfied if the raiders lose and we lose, but i still want a win.