Broncos at Chiefs: Pregame Blog
You can smell the barbecue smoke wafting from the parking lot as you enter Arrowhead Stadium this morning. The tailgaters came out in full force to greet the Broncos on the way in.
It’s cold enough to see your breath in front of you, and one player is already on the field warming up.
Cannon Ball
Lance Ball spent his rookie season bouncing from team to team. Two years later, the 25-year old running back bounces off defenders.
Ball began his NFL odyssey as a college free agent with the Rams in 2008 and moved on to the Colts’ practice squad in the same season. Indianapolis waived him after training camp in 2009, and he spent three weeks on Tennessee’s practice squad before he joined the Broncos practice squad at the end of the season.
The University of Maryland product finally got his shot as a member of Denver’s active roster for the 2010 season opener at Jacksonville, where he made one special-teams tackle.
Who’s No. 1?
In one corner, wearing red trunks with yellow trim, we have the NFL’s leader in touchdown receptions. In the other corner, wearing white trunks with blue trim, stands the league leader in receiving yards.
For the second time this season, two pass-catching heavyweights will attempt to outperform each other as Dwayne Bowe and the Chiefs host Brandon Lloyd and the Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday.
Both receivers scored two touchdowns in the Chiefs’ Week 10 loss to the Broncos in Denver.
So Much to Cheer For
The holidays are upon us, and there is so much to be thankful for. I love Thanksgiving! It may be my favorite holiday, and not only for the fact that it’s the kickoff to this festive season.
New Arrowhead, Old Rivalry
This week when the Broncos take on the Chiefs in Kansas City, there will be some new aspects to the venue, but the rivalry is one of the oldest for both teams.
Kansas City had one of the most remarkable building projects in American sports history 40 years ago when the city built the Harry S. Truman sports complex, stunning to look at as you drive by and featuring two separate stadiums that have become iconic among American venues.
Bakke: The Next One May Be The Best One
Team photographer Eric Lars Bakke has been working with the Broncos for 26 years. His photography blog will serve as a unique look from the perspective of an NFL photographer, periodically updating the site with tales from the sidelines, some of his favorite photos and the stories behind them.
Each week I look forward to a new game and the photographic challenges that present themselves on the field.
By this point of the season I have fulfilled many of the requests for certain games, players and on-field events needed by the various departments for which I report.
Still there is always a need for more and better photographs.
Click to continue reading “Bakke: The Next One May Be The Best One”
Inconsistency
The contrast is startling.
At times, the Broncos look like a great team. In the same game, they often look completely out of it.
That was certainly the case Sunday against the Rams. The Broncos played really well on their first three possessions when they scored 13 points and moved the ball seemingly at will.
Spreading Broncos Spirit
Hey, Broncos fans!
During the bye week, six of your Denver Broncos Cheerleaders were lucky enough to go on an Armed Forces Entertainment tour. This is a trip to boost the morale of our troops and their families who are based overseas and need a little bit of America brought to them.
Brianne, Serita, Nicole, Tara, Candace and I traveled around the Mediterranean visiting American bases and embassies in five different countries. Fifteen days later and with 19 commercial flights under our belts, we are back in Denver.
I am very excited to share our experience with you.
‘No Excuses’ 
A day after the Broncos lost for the sixth time in seven games when their spirited fourth-quarter rally fell short against the Rams, Head Coach Josh McDaniels explained some of the factors behind his team’s disappointing 3-8 record.
The head coach concluded there are no easy answers to his team’s recent inconsistency but took responsibility for that lack of success.
“I’ll be the first one to stand up and say, ‘I can do a better job doing what I’m doing,’ but I think that again, this is a team game — a situation where you have to have a lot of people do the right thing and execute it at a high level,” McDaniels said. “We’re playing against really well-coached and really well-put-together teams that play hard every week too.”
Semifinalists for The Hall
Two former Broncos survived the cut from 114 preliminary nominees to 26 modern-era semifinalists for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Shannon Sharpe and Terrell Davis will wait and see if they make the list of 15 modern-era finalists to be decided by mail ballot and announced in January 2011.