It is only Wednesday and the anticipation will start to build for the Broncos as they get closer to their Divisional Playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. As we get closer the game, here are my thoughts, opinions, and updates related to game.
1) Of the three possible opponents that the Broncos could have faced this weekend, the Ravens were the team that I least wanted to see come to Denver. I think the Broncos would have handled the Colts and Bengals rather easily, but now we get the Ravens coming to town instead. They are a veteran team with a ton of playoff experience, and now they have the Ray Lewis retirement factor that could pose some problems for the Broncos in this game. The nine point spread in this game just seems too high for me, but I hope I am wrong.
2) The Broncos are relatively healthy heading into this game. Ryan Clady and Chris Kuper were back at practice on Wednesday, and they are slated to start the game on Saturday. Apparently, Clady has been nursing a shoulder injury and he was held out of practice during the Broncos bye week, and Kuper should be ready to go with his ankle injury.
3) The weather for Denver on Saturday looks downright cold. The forecast calls for the temperature to be 15 degrees at kickoff. I don't know how much this will affect Peyton Manning and the Broncos, but I would rather have the temperature around the 40 degree mark for the game.
4) The Broncos seem to be an overwhelming favorite in the public's eye. It seems that most of the national media is really backing the Broncos this week, and I haven't seen too many people think that it will even be a close game. I hate that. I want more and more people to start jumping on the Ravens bandwagon by the weekend. I really don't want the Ravens using that "Nobody Believes in Us" mentality going into this one.
5) The Ravens will be a lot healthier in this game than the prior meeting with the Broncos in Baltimore on December 16th. Bernard Pollard, Ray Lewis, Dannell Ellerbe, and Marshal Yanda are all expected to play, and those guys did not play in the Week 15 game.
6) Speaking of that last game, I went back and watched that game once again and a few things stood out to me. The game was pretty even in the first half. Denver had trouble moving the ball in the passing game, and the Ravens got to Manning a few times. Down 10-0, the Ravens were moving the ball deep into Denver territory, but Joe Flacco threw a crushing 98 yard interception return to Chris Harris, and at 17-0 the Broncos were able to get a huge game-changing score. The Ravens moved the ball quite effectively the first drive of the third quarter, but they had to settle for a field goal. Trindon Holliday fumbled the ensuing kickoff, but the ball squirted out of bounds. If the Ravens recover that fumble deep in Denver territory, then that game all of sudden gets really close. The Broncos did manage to run the ball down the throats of that Baltimore defense, but will that be the same story will Lewis, Pollard and Ellerbe back for this game? Also, Manning made two amazing throws to put the game away in the third quarter. One went to Eric Decker for a touchdown down the sideline to make it 24-3, and the other was a perfect pass to Joel Dressen down the seam to set it another score to make it 31-3. He didn't have the greatest game statistically, but those two throws by Manning really put the game away.
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