It has been a season in which the unexpected has become the norm, the unthinkable has come to pass time and time again.
After five games, the Broncos were 1-4. Now, they are in the playoffs for the first time in six years.
Go figure.
And when you figure whatever it is you figure, let me know what you figured. Because I have no idea what has gone on this year and what will happen against the Steelers on Sunday.
Last Sunday after the loss to the Chiefs, I must say I was somewhat conflicted. As glad as I was to see the Broncos make it back to the playoffs, I was equally disappointed at how they got there. While I believe the NFL is a bottom-line business—and the Broncos’ bottom line is a playoff berth—the conversation about how they are playing is still a legitimate one to have.
Somehow, the Broncos have to find a way to put it back together against the rough-and-tumble Steelers, who certainly won’t be without their own issues when they arrive in the Mile High City.
I’m trying to decide what I think is going to happen. It seems like no one is expecting the Broncos to win, let alone keep the game close. There is a big part of me that agrees with this.
There is also a part of me that knows full well that this season has been about the unexpected. It has been about making something out of seemingly nothing. It has been about showing everyone who thinks they know something that they really don’t know much of anything.
I have no idea what is going to happen on Sunday. Profound, I know. I want to know what I think will happen. But I simply don’t.
I do know that I am eagerly awaiting the next chapter in a season to remember.
Can the Broncos advance? Will they? Let me know what you think of Sunday’s playoff game against Pittsburgh. Thanks for reading and sharing.
Sincerely,
Mike
Mike, any given Sunday. I am excited to find out.
I find that where I work the roads have a series of 3 speed bumps and then a smooth surface. Well hopefully we have crossed over the speedbumps without too many things falling off (Kuper) so hopefully we will see a game similar to the Minnesota game where we came out firing on all cylendars. We can open it up in the first quarter like we did against the patriots and then skip the 2nd quarter all together and then come out in the 3rd and play as if we were at Minnesota again. Then finish off the 4th with fireworks and watch all the NFL experts with their mouths hanging open.
Did you notice that the Patriots played from behind every game after they played us? Just seemed starnge to me. Of course they came back in every one of them and won though. LOL
We won games ugly and we won the division ugly but we won. All that matters.
Playoffs is a new season. The records don’t matter. They are useless. Obsolete. The only thing they dictated was how many homegames u will have this season and if u would have a bye week.
We can win. We have found a way all year. I strongly believe who ever is writing this season is writing a movie because the ways we won, meeting Orton in the final game of season and possibly taking on the best 2 Ds on the way to the superowl with a QB many doubt and a offense that looks anemic … This iwll be a great one. Its already a legendary/historical season…. Lets make it more so.
TRB
Go Broncos and Champ for President!!
being the underdog is the best position to be in at this point.
this might sound crazy, but I’d rather see TT throw an interception than fumble the ball. Well, I hope not to see any of it, but at least with the picks, he’s trying to move the ball downfield and not scrambling backwards and coughing up the ball……….which gives them better field position.
It’s all just going to be about execution and who does a better job. Each team pretty much knows what the other is going to do………there’s no real secrets or trick plays………
And the difference maker might just be the special teams……..which were okay last game but horrible in the losses to NE and the Bills.
But I’m in the same boat Mike………I have absolutely no freakin’ clue how this game is gonna turn out but I’ll be watching and cheering, and hopefully with minimal cursing at my tv! hahaha
Whatever happens, at least we made it to the playoffs since what seems like an eternity. And I’ll take that anyday.
GO BRONCOS!
This is a good-hearted, high-spirited, but all too thin team with an offensive scheme that has been decoded and deflated. It has been a great season with Tebow freaking people out with his game winning drives, and the D showing flashes of brilliance, but the last few games have really shown that we’re not the caliber team to beat a mature powerhouse like the Steelers.
I know Pittsburgh’s banged up and theoretically anything can happen, but without Tebow suddenly, miraculously (hm, maybe that’s the wrong word) quadrupling his output and efficiency, the Steelers are going to expose and take advantage of our inability to put up points. I don’t want it to be that way, and I’m going to watch with a faint flicker of hope because I’m a fan. But I’m also a realist, and the past few games have cast the cold light of reality on the weakness of our offense.
So it has been a really fun season to watch, and I’m looking forward to next year, and I’ll enjoy this last game they play cuz I love to watch ‘em play, but I know when it’s time to step away from the Kool-Aid™.
Mike,
I’m dissapointed in you sir! I eagerly anticiapte your thoughts and as I walk into the room (your blog) to sit on the leather couch with my feet up and vent….you….uh….um…..
Mike always remember, there’s room on the couch for the both of us!
LOL!
I agree buddy! What a season huh? In my humble opinion, I just want to believe that this can be turned around! It’s like it’s a story that is so great you just don’t want to put the book down!
Mike, you know what this season has done for me personally? It’s changed the way I view football games! Games where I thought the other team was better, we won! How did that happen? How did the ball bounce our way? Was it heart? Was it pride, determination? I’m not sure. I don’t think anyone does. Sure you can say if this or that would’ve happened we wouldn’t have won some of those games but that holds true to say that had the other team not done this or that we wouldn’t have lost…It goes both ways!
I guess when it comes down to it…there will be a day we call all analyze the season and tatically look for faults and areas that need improving. But one thing I know, you simply can’t count out these Broncos! They deserve to be where they are at and they deserve to be a playoff team. They played better football than anyone in our division and time will tell if this book ends on Sunday…..or if there will be another chapter written!
Thanks for the post
GO GET EM’ BOYS!
Like probably many fans, I came away from the Chiefs game pretty pessimistic about the Broncos chances against the Steelers. As a season ticket holder though, I’ll be at the game and as usually happens as the week goes on I rationalize more and more about our chances and will probably find that by Saturday or Sunday I will have convinced myself that we will have a good chance to come out with a win… whatever happens I’ll be there yelling and cheering on the Broncos until the final gun. GO BRONCOS!
Wow, well said. I guess I learned my lesson Shaz, will no longer predict when im upset. I still believe and the future is still bright. Gotta go #eat greedy.
E.E.T.
Von Miller going thru this injury and watching him struggle, I hope it only makes him stronger, makes him hungrier, makes him wanna train even harder, and above all makes him even greedier. WE NEED YOU, one sack. Elvis and the rest of the D will handle the rest.
Watched the TEBOW video Everything in Between. Crazy what he went through, keeps going through. Go on, keep telling him what he cant do. Keep that edge. Elway loves it.
I think this most recent neck injury for Dawkins is the last straw. I think he’ll retire after this season.
I’m sure he wants to play and be out there for his teammates……..let’s hope he is good to go……….we really need him out there directing traffic and stuffing the run up the middle.
Dont know why in the heck Philly let a player with Dawkin’s caliber leave. This guys is a proven leader. They could’ have surely used him this year.
You could see it in the defensive play that they really lacked a defensive leader.
Its not like thier current safeties are any better. They coulda groomed up furutre safeties behind him like we are. Anywhoe thier loss is our gain. Much respect for Dawk but its time to hang it up. Hopefully he hangs around Denver and continus to motivate the troops. Part of the reaso I was hoping for superbowl this year, for Champ and Dawk. Mighty unlikely now but anythings possible. Packs went into the playoffs last year as a wild card team. They clicked late in the year. Maybe we can too… hopefully, but who knows. As resilient as this team is, they havent struck me as a a SB team. but if we do make SB and thats a big IF … neck or no neck bdawk will probably play.
TRB
Any given Sunday, Mike. If we knew what the outcome would be of any game in any sport eventually no one would bother watching. If the guys just go out and play like they have nothing to lose we will beat the opposition. Go Broncos!
I also want to appologize to Chris Harris because when I saw he made the 53 and my boy Darcel McBath was cut I was soo mad. I was like who is this guy. a UFA … really? We need an experienced FS with potential (McBath) … then I saw he was like 5’10 an di was like sigh …. but the boy has played big. Even last game against chiefs i saw him in some highlights. And he was playing hurt. One of the best gifts we have recieved in a while. Diamonds in the ruff like him that u find in UFA are the best. Sure u may have missed with some draft picks but UFAs make u feel better. How the kid got so overlooked is beyond me. Lotta talent out there. Im still hoping Mario Fannin pans out too but his injury might be the first of many. If perrish cox wasnt such a dik, we would have cox, harris, syd, and even vaughn for the future with he vets being champ goody and wilhite. Anyway, he has been the brightest surprise and he can only get better. Now if we draft another CB next year Ill be excited (like Alfonzo Denard or Chase Minnifield) … hen maybe Champ can finally move to FS and the rookie safeties can learn at thier pace.
TRB
I’ll be at the game still believing in the Broncos. I’ve been there when we won and been there when we lost this year and cheered just as hard every game. This has been an awesome year when compared to what the “experts” predicted. Now the “experts” don’t give us a chance but it is not over until the fat lady sings and she hasn’t cleared her throat yet. A fumble recovery here an interception there. Mix in a few sacks and a Tebow that takes charge and pulls the trigger and maybe a safety and presto we prove the “experts” wrong one more time.
Broncos win 12-7
Go BRONCOS
Also for the love of God can Royal return EVERYTHING. He is the difference between a possible momentum switching TD/great field advantage or startign from our side of the field. HE CAN DO IT. WE NEED ALL THE HELP WE CAN GET. ROYAL ROYAL ROYAL ROYAL.
TRB
Here is that terrell Suggs story when he was talk about tebow
Go to profootballtalk.com if want to see it
We don’t need God on our sidelines either..we just need a passing attack.
I think I have mentioned it before, but I am a preschool teacher for 3 year olds and during the 6 game win streak I always got my class to join me in chanting for Tim Tebow after each win. It has slowed down in recent weeks obviously, but now they all ask about Tebow, and their parents mention that the kids all ask to watch him when he is on TV. Awesome right? haha. One dad is a Chicago fan and got mad (jokingly of course) because his son was rooting for Tebow when we played the Bears lol.
Well now some of the kids are starting to actually pay close attention to him, and one student, Emma, in particular has become such a big fan that her mom is currently buying her a Tebow T-shirt. She makes me so proud haha.
Anyways, Emma approached me today at snack time and said, “Tim Tebow lost!”
Defending my team I said, “Yeah that is true. But the Broncos are in the playoffs!”
“Yay!” she exclaimed, but then she pondered for a second and asked me this….
“Mr. Jon, does Tim Tebow ever THROW the football?”
Not wanting to teach my kids false information all I could say to answer her was “Not well, Emma. Not well at all.”
True story I thought everyone could appreciate
Regardless of Tebow’s future, at least we got to add another fan to Bronco Country! lol
SF Forty Whiners beat Pitt 20-3. SF is ranked lower than Denver in Total offense.
All 3 teams to beat Pitt are ranked in the top 10 in Total rushing offense, Denver is #1.
I thought that everybody needed to see this news. It might give our defense a little incentive to get him out of the game a little sooner.
Roethlisberger suffers ‘little setback’
January, 4, 2012
By Jamison Hensley
PITTSBURGH — Ben Roethlisberger walked into the locker room Wednesday with more of a limp than he did last week but the Steelers quarterback doesn’t think it will affect him for Sunday’s wild-card playoff game at Denver.
“I had a little setback early in the third quarter [at Cleveland last Sunday],” Roethlisberger said today. “We’re working really hard with the trainers and doctors to get back to even where we were before the Cleveland game. I felt pretty good going in and moved a little bit at the beginning of that game. It’s a little setback but we’ll get moving.”
Roethlisberger indicated that he probably got set back “about a week.” This is exactly the reason why I was in favor of Roethlisberger sitting out the regular-season finale.
Since spraining his left ankle on Dec. 8, Pittsburgh has scored two touchdowns in 10 quarters with him as quarterback.
With the injury, Roethlisberger hasn’t been able to follow through on his passes because he is unable to put weight on his left leg. He has completed 56 of 96 passes (58.3 percent) for 729 yards. He has thrown one touchdown and four interceptions for a 68.4 passer rating.
Roethlisberger is unsure how he hurt his ankle last Sunday.
“I don’t know if I caught on the ground wrong or got hit … we’ll see,” Roethlisberger said. “We’ll be all right.”
“Mr. Jon, does Tim Tebow ever THROW the football?”
“Not well, Emma. Not well at all.”
ahahahahaha, this story made my day … hilarious. Kids love TT which is good, the earlier u affect a kids character, the better chance of it sticking and for all the criticism TT gets, everyone agrees he is a great human being and a overall good person with good character.
TRB
Yea weather man … i was just reading a cimilar article on DP. He said his ankle is a 5 … im happy about this altho we sould want to play teams at thier best, we aren’t exactly in the best situation health wise either lol.
TRB
that is a funny story denver0723
i cant wait to see how denver plays this sunday after not even sniffing the playoffs for a long time.
I agree TRB, but, in this situation, with our team beat up as bad as it is, we need all the help we can get from the ‘other side’.
Thanks TRB, it definitely cheered me up about the whole thing today. I have definitely been disappointed and upset the last few days, but when she said that it was like everything was okay. Sometimes you just need the humor and laughter of a child to get things back into perspective.
Yesterday I picked the Broncos to lose, and I’m stuck with that. I was pretty harsh about all aspects of our team, and I am stuck with that too. But I am more optimistic about what our team has a chance to do after calming down and sharing a laugh with a 3 year old. Elway telling Tebow to pull the trigger definitely makes me feel better as well. He is basically telling him to just go and play football. Forget playing it safe, just go out and ball. I hope Tebow listens. Cause it could really shake things up. And who knows, maybe by some freak chance we win. Last time we got confidence, we won 6 in a row. Winning and gaining some of that confidence could go a lot farther than we think.
Long term, next year, future. Doesn’t matter right now. Everyone has an opinion. All that matters is right now. And right now we are in the playoffs, and we need to play our best football with who we have. We can argue in the offseason. Right now we need to all be on the same page.
Go get em boys! GO BRONCOS!
curiosity is killing the cat 0723. What would you predict if you could?
i hope the refs dont fudge this up for us I cant believe some of the crap they have not called this season. I believe going against a banged up pitt team denver has a great shot at getting the w. We could really use moreno right about now imo.
Broncos 20-13. DEEEEEENVER SMMMAASH!!!!!
If I could change my prediction? I would pick Den to win 10-7.
A hobbled Big Ben, and no Mendenhall makes their offense less scary. I would run the same defense people run against us and force Ben to throw from the pocket against man to man coverage. It would force him to drive the ball with accuracy off his bad ankle. I would move Ayers to the middle with Bunkley, and let Doom and Miller blitz off the edge all day to make Ben uncomfortable and let Haggan, Williams, and Mays play LB. I think Ayers ability against the run would pay off in the DT spot.
On offense I would let Tebow have at it. Let him ball out and do what he knows how to do, and let him be aggressive. Pound the rock, and go for it with no hesitation. If our defense can halt their back up running backs, and keep Ben from getting comfortable, we could afford a more aggressive game plan. And we will need one against the best D in the league.
The Steelers only put up 13 points against Cleveland. With Ben hurt, they really aren’t all that unstoppable. Perhaps I found more Koolaid, or perhaps there really is a chance.
i think in order for denver to have a chance they will have to cover there speedy receivers well. And win the turnover battle.
well said denver0723
i think denver will win 13 -10 and matt prater will kick a 60 yard field goal in regulation.
OH MAAN I WISH I COULD WATCH THE GAME IN PERSON!!!!
“DEFENSE, IF THE OFFENSE CANT PUT UP POINTS THEN TAKE THOSE POINTS!!!! HIT EM IN THE MOUTH!”
BOY WOULD I LOVE TO SEE ONE OF OUR BLOCKERS LEVEL JAMES HARRISON….IF ONLY THAT BIG FULLBACK SYLVESTER WAS ACTIVE!!
I think there is a good chance that Denver can win this game. It’s quite likely that this is going to be a field position battle, and come down to the fourth quarter where hopefully Tebow Time will make another shocking appearance.
Mike I truly enjoyed your article, one of the most neutral one you ever posted here, telling it exactly like you feel it, not being a voice for the organization whatsoever, totally refreshing, keep up the good work!
I hear you loud and clear as far as having no clue whatsoever on what will happen Sunday, but I think I have a pretty good idea myself but not ready to reveal it yet, we are in the midst of an important contest you know… LOL.
My post is short and sweet . . . 10-11, we were 4-12. 11-12, we’re 8-8. I will watch with anticipation of something special happening, and I will always root for Broncos Country. But, and this is a big BUT, if we don’t win this game on Sunday, lets all be proud of where our team has come despite the McDaniels era. Go Elway, Go Fox, Go Xanders, and ultimately GO BRONCOS!!! Lets ROCK Mile High and show “Steeler Nation” that we ARE the BEST fans in the NFL!!!
Mike,
Tell FOX/McCoy to stop running pass plays with max protection… MOST of the pass plays had only 2 wr’s and 8 men blocking…. How the heck do you expect that to work???? That’s insane!! Please watch the film…
23 Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. 24 Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
26 Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.
27 The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!”
How many Feared Staying on the Tim Tebow Bandwagon that appeared to going down in Flames and Jumped off ? God tested MILLIONS of peoples Faith in 1 moment and its fasinating to watch how many peoples faith went south for the winter in 1 moment.God made Believers out of a whole country where they tuned in to watch a miracle in the 4th quarter,BELIEVING 1 would come and once people say they BELIEVE ,God tested there faith and POOOOOOOOOOOOF.the doubters Pride has GONE THROUGH THE clouds ,ENJOY the humble pie on sunday because GOD IS SOOOOOOOOO WOUNDERFUL,AMAZING,AWESOME,IN HIS WAYS .He WILL NEVER FORSAKE TIM .even WHEN he walks through the valley of the shadow of deaith he will be there so FEAR NO EVIL FOR JESUS CHRIST IS WITH YOU AMEN even until the END OF THE AGE.
corithians 1:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
Psalm 3:6 I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side
Psalm 27:3 Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident.
Proverbs 3:5-65Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.6In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
Faith can move mountains it is written:Just believe,even when all you have left is a Prayer,Its Then Miracles Happen.