Patriots Blast Broncos 43-21 in Manning-Brady Showdown

The highly anticipated Peyton Manning and Tom Brady matchup on Sunday turned out to be a no contest. The Patriots buried the Broncos 43-21 in a game that showed everyone that the Broncos are not as good as they think they are. It was a beatdown, and the Pats certainly made a statement in this statement game. Forget about the performances by Brady and Manning. The Patriots as a team outcoached, outexecuted, and outplayed the Broncos in every phase. The Broncos got served a big piece of humble pie, and in the process now need to reevaluate themselves going forward. Maybe they can use this game as a learning tool, but in any event they have to realize that there is a long way to go before someone gives them the Lombardi Trophy. Here are my thoughts and observations on the game….

1)    In my opinion, the entire game fell apart in the second quarter. The Broncos actually started the game well. They forced a punt on the first drive and gave up a field goal on the second drive, and they answered that field goal with a really nice touchdown drive that was capped off by a Ronnie Hillman 1 yard touchdown run. The score was setup by big throws from Manning to Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas against Darrelle Revis. At 7-3, you had to feel good as a Broncos fan. After giving up only a field goal on the next drive it was 7-6 Denver, and the Broncos were getting the ball back.

2)    Here is where the game turned for the Broncos: Manning gets fooled by the Patriots defense and he gets picked off by Rob Ninkovich. That pick sets up a touchdown pass from Brady to Julian Edelman to give the Pats a 13-7 lead. From there, the game just snowballed for the Broncos.

3)    After the Broncos offense stalled, which happened quite often in the game, Edelman returned the ensuing punt for a touchdown to make it 20-7. That really put the Broncos in a bind. That kind of took the Broncos out of their gameplan and turned the game in the Patriots favor for good.

4)    From there, the Broncos seemed to implode. Brandon McManus is a real question mark at kicker, and I have been saying this for the last three weeks, and he screwed us once again in this game. His 41 yard field goal was wide right, and that would have made the game 20-10. His miss was huge, and I think that the Broncos have to start to think about replacing McManus. Plus, he had the freaking wind at his back and he still missed it.

5)    First, they miss the field goal, then they have to go for it on 4^th and 6 from the Pats 34 because we have no faith in our kicker. A sack on Manning killed the drive, and then the Pats stick another touchdown in the end zone on a Brady and Shane Vereen hookup. At 27-7, that late sequence near the end of the half completely changed the game and affected the outcome.

6)    Down 27-7 at the half, you knew that the Broncos were going to at least get back into the game at some point. They got a pick of Brady to start the half, and Manning hit Julius Thomas on a fade route for a touchdown to make it 27-14. You hoped that Denver would start the comeback at this point. Of course, our defense can’t get a key stop, and New England kicked a field goal to make it 30-14. The Broncos defense got worked by the Pats. They couldn’t cover Rob Gronkowski which always happens. Edelman and Brandon Lafell won the matchups against the Broncos corners. The Pats offensive line neutralized the Broncos pass rush. Von Miller and Demarcus Ware had trouble getting pressure, and the Pats completely dictated the pace of the game.

7)    The game was officially over when Manning’s pass for Wes Welker bounced off Welker’s shoulder and Brandon Browner intercepted it and returned all the way down to the Broncos five yard line. The next play Brady hit Lafell for a touchdown and that made it 37-14. The game was over at that point. The Broncos offense seemed uncoordinated, inconsistent, and just sloppy in this game. On the road, the Broncos has really struggled this year, and Sunday was no different. Manning played okay, but he needed to be great in this game and not just good or okay. They abandoned the run after the first quarter, and it just seemed like something was off with the offense in general.

8)    The Pats were simply the better team on Sunday. They did everything they had to do, and the Broncos simply got beat. Plain and simple: The Pats were better in every phase of this game. It doesn’t mean that will be the case if they meet up in January, but for this game, the Pats looked remarkably better than the Broncos.

9) Here is what has the Broncos fans up in arms after Sunday's loss: It seems like the team was no ready to step up to the plate in the second biggest game since February. Sunday's loss reminded a lot of us of the Super Bowl against Seattle. Of course there is no reason to jump off the ship, but it could be a bad omen for the Broncos going forward-especially in a big game in the playoffs. Do you have any faith in Denver winning a huge game on the road in the playoffs? I don't and Sunday's blowout loss to the Pats did nothing to encourage me on that fact. The sky isn't falling and at 6-2 the Broncos are still in good shape in the AFC, but the confidence in them of producing in the big spot is very low at this point. The vaunted defense generated no pass rush, got beaten consistently in one-on-one matchups, and there seemed to be no adjustments by John Fox and Jack Del Rio on that side of the ball. On offense, it looked like a team that gave up on the run too early, didn't win one-on-one matchups consistently, make silly and sloppy mistakes, and it looked disjointed at times. Overall, it was a bad day for the Broncos and their fans. Let's hope we get a chance at the Patriots one more time in the playoffs, and let's just hope that the result is different next time around. At this point, it is hard to believe that it will be. 

Manning vs. Brady and Week 9 Picks

On Sunday, Peyton Manning and the Broncos travel to New England to take on Tom Brady and the Patriots. It will be the 16th meeting,including playoffs, for these two legendary quarterbacks. So much has been written about these two immortal players. Both are in the top five or six greatest QBs in history alongside Johnny Unitas, Joe Montana, John Elway, and Dan Marino. What I think makes this year's game so special is that the game is still "The Game" on the schedule for that week. Manning's Broncos are 6-1 and on top of the AFC. Brady's Patriots are 6-2 and riding a four-game winning streak. Both teams are the two best teams in the AFC once again as we hit November. This game is huge for both of them once again. Last year, both teams met in the AFC Championship Game. This year, everyone was jumping on the Bengals and Chargers bandwagon in early September. After Denver lost at Seattle in Week 3 and the Pats got crushed by the Chiefs in Week 4, people were starting to doubt if the Pats and Broncos were still the elite in the AFC this year. A month later, and here we are with both teams settling in for a showdown to prove who is elite in the AFC at this point. Enjoy Manning and Brady once again not only because they are two of the greatest ever to play the game. Enjoy it not only because it is a classic rivalry that we really don't have a lot of anymore in sports. Enjoy it because it proves once again no matter who comes into the league, which team is the hot team at the moment, everything in the AFC revolves or goes through Manning or Brady. I can't wait for Sunday. As for the game, I think Denver is the better team, but I think this is a tough spot for them. The Pats are pretty dominant at home and the weather is supposed to be really crappy-which favors the Patriots. I look for a close game, but look for the Pats to pull it out in the end.

NEW ENGLAND (+3) over Denver

Final Score: Pats-28 Broncos-25

Last Week's Record: 10-5

Overall Record: 58-58-5

(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)

Here are my other quick picks for Week 9...

San Diego (+2) over MIAMI: I like the Chargers to get back on track.

Jacksonville (+11) over CINCY: The Bengals will win, but they will sleepwalk through this one.

Tampa Bay (+7) over Cleveland: I've been tempted to take the Bucs all week long. I think the Browns will win the game, and it sets up a really good Thursday night game next week at Cincy, but I think Cleveland will struggle for awhile with Tampa in this one.

Arizona (+3) over DALLAS: Looks like Tony Romo is out, and that means I'll take the Cards on the road against Brandon Weeden. 

Washington (+3) over MINNESOTA: RG III returns and pulls out a win on the road for the Skins.

Philly (-1) over HOUSTON: The Eagles will bounce back after that bad loss at Arizona last week.

KANSAS CITY (-8) over NY Jets: The Jets are down and out at 1-7, and I can't see them keeping up with rapidly improving Chiefs in Arrowhead.

SAN FRANCISCO (-8) over St. Louis: The 49ers had a week off after getting pasted by the Broncos two weeks ago, and I think they will be recharged and take care of business at home.

SEATTLE (-13) over Oakland: I have a feeling the Seahawks will be ready for this one and they will dominate from the start.

PITTSBURGH (+2) over Baltimore: This is a really good Sunday night game. I think the Steelers will grind one out and find a way to get past the Ravens at home.

Indy (-3) over NY GIANTS: Too much Andrew Luck for the Giants on Monday night. I expect the G-Men to play really well, but Luck will stick it to them in the end.

TNF Pick: Panthers-Saints

New Orleans (-2) over CAROLINA: A battle for first place in the putrid NFC South is on the line on Thursday night. I think the Saints will find a way to get their first road win of the year-even on a short week.

Week 8 Picks!

This week the NFL goes back to London for the second time this year with another game in their International Series featuring the Falcons and Lions. The difference in this game is that the game will kickoff at 1:30pm locally in London, so that means that the game will start at 9:30am here on the East Coast. It sounds like a pretty cool idea to me, and we'll see how it is to watch the game live at that time in the morning, but that might be the only cool thing about the London series at this point. I keep reading articles about how the NFL wants to either expand or move a team to London in the future, and I keep asking myself: Why? Who cares about London? Seriously, I don't mind having a regular season game there every few years, but this year there are three games there, and it looks like there could be almost eight in a few years. I get the idea of expanding markets and tapping into other revenue streams, but the London thing seems to be going too far. Just stop with the nonsense of expanding and putting a team there. If anything, worry about putting a team in Los Angeles or figuring out if the Rams and Raiders can move back there, but please one request for the NFL: Enough with the London stuff!

Onto the picks for Week 8....

Last Week's Record: 7-8
Overall Record: 48-53-5
(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)

Atlanta (+4) over Detroit (In London): I had the Falcons going to the playoffs this year, and at 2-5 they look dead on arrival. Maybe they can muster something this week against the Lions. Perhaps, Detroit will fall into some London hangover in this game, and the Falcons could shock them.

TAMPA BAY (-2) over Minnesota: Easy pick here. The Bucs are due for a big effort at home against the lowly Vikings.

Chicago (+7) over NEW ENGLAND: Going with my gut on this one. The Bears are so quirky that you could see them playing their best game on the year on the road in Foxboro this week. I think this is going to be a back and forth close game throughout.

KANSAS CITY (-6) over St. Louis: You have to like the combination of how the Chiefs are playing with the Royals amazing World Series run for this Sunday.

CAROLINA (+6) over Seattle: This game looks like this to me: Carolina leads the entire game and it looks like Seattle is heading for a 3-4 disaster, but Russell Wilson makes a few plays at the end to save them and win the game 23-22 or something like that.

NY JETS (-2) over Buffalo: The Bills are a 4-3 team, but they aren't really a 4-3 team. The Jets had 10 days off after losing to the Pats last week, and Percy Harvin will be ready to go. The Jets will get the job done at home this week.

Miami (-6) over JACKSONVILLE: Watch out for Miami. That was a big win on the road last week in Chicago.

Houston (-2) over TENNESSEE: Zach Mettenberger gets the start for the Titans, and I am licking my chops at the prospect of J.J. Watt chasing him down all day. I'll take the Texans on the road.

CINCY (PICK) over Baltimore: I just think that the Bengals have the Ravens number. They just match up with them pretty well.

Philadelphia (+3) over ARIZONA: I'll take the Eagles on the road on a hunch. Who would have guessed that this would be the marquee game in the NFC in Week 8?

Indy (-2) over PITTSBURGH: Indy's beatdown of the Bengals sent a message that they are for real at 5-2. I think they are too much for the Steelers in Pittsburgh today.

CLEVELAND (-5) over Oakland: This game is pretty weak. We just want to know when Johnny Football is going to start for the Browns.

NEW ORLEANS (-1) over Green Bay: The Saints season is on the line, so that is why I am picking them here. At 2-4, it is desperate times for them, and I like their chances at home.

Washington (+10) over DALLAS: The Cowboys will win, but they never cover as big home favorites.

Broncos Outlast Chargers 35-21 on Thursday Night Football

You have to look at the last four days and think that the Broncos chances of getting back to the Super Bowl are high after witnessing them demolish the 49ers on Sunday night 42-17 and racing past the Chargers 35-21 on Thursday Night Football. Denver now stands atop the AFC West with a 6-1 record, and they get a mini-bye here as they will have 10 days off before heading to New England to take on the Patriots on November 2^nd. The Broncos built another big lead at home and at 35-14 early in the 4^th quarter, you felt good about their chances to wrap this one up. There were a few moments in the final quarter that made you worry just a little bit, but Rahim Moore’s interception of Phillip Rivers put that all to rest. It was a solid win for the Broncos, who have looked really good since losing to the Seahawks in overtime in Week 3. Here are my thoughts and observations on the game…..

1)    After punting on their first two drives, Peyton Manning got dialed in and there was no stopping him from that point. His throw to Emmanuel Sanders on a deep post for 38 yards was a great throw and an even better catch by Sanders to go get it. Sanders hauled in the first touchdown in the back of the end zone on a rollout from Manning to make it 7-0. Sanders totaled three touchdowns on the night to go with his 9 receptions for 120 yards. Sanders brings an element to the Broncos that they didn’t have with Eric Decker last year-plus he was cheaper. It is really starting to click with Manning and Sanders.

2)    Manning was his usual magnificent self. He finished 25-35 for 286 yards and 3 touchdowns. After getting fooled a little bit on the first two drives, he came back and was on fire the rest of the way. You can fool Manning a few times, but after a while he will figure it out, and he did.

3)    Demaryius Thomas continues his amazing month of October. He finished with 8 catches for 105 yards. I love the catch and runs that Thomas makes-especially on deep in cuts over the middle. He continues to dominate and his route-running last night was just incredible.

4)    At 7-7, Denver caught a break when the official overturned a fumble by Andre Caldwell on a kick return. The Broncos got possession and on that drive Manning threw a touchdown to Sanders on a go route to make it 14-7 with just 32 seconds left in the half. That was the turning point for me.

5)    Great job by the Broncos to extend their lead in the second half. Manning found Sanders on another sweet play for a short touchdown pass to make it 21-7, and then a big pass to Ronnie Hillman down to the three on a blitz set up a Juwan Thompson touchdown run to make it 28-7. I like the play design with Thompson at fullback in the I formation and just letting him dive over the guard for the touchdown.

6)    Hillman had another big day running the ball, and Montee Ball might not get his job back when he returns from injury. Hillman just seems to hit the hole faster than Ball. Hillman ran for 109 yards on the night. You have to go with the hot hand and right now that is Hillman. Plus, he made some big catch and runs in the passing game.

7)    You knew the Chargers weren’t going to go away quietly, and Phillip Rivers never does in any game against Denver, so to see him hit Antonio Gates on a 4^th and goal touchdown to cut it to 28-14 late in the third wasn’t surprising. Also, the hit Gates again for another touchdown to make it 35-21 midway through the 4^th quarter. Rivers is like a cockroach, you just can’t kill him off.

8)    Once again, the Broncos defense was great for most of the game. Chris Harris’ interception on the first drive of the third quarter set up a Broncos touchdown to make it 21-7. Rahim Moore had a huge interception late in the 4^th quarter with the Broncos up 35-21 and the Chargers threatening to make it a one score game. Moore went up and grabbed it out of the air on a deep ball to make the play. Also, Von Miller was all over Rivers, and he was dominating once again against the run. Brandon Marshall continues to shine in his role as Danny Trevathan’s replacement. Marshall was all over the field last night. Also, the defense completely shut down the running game of San Diego.

9)    The Broncos definitely caught some breaks in this game. They got the official to overturn Caldwell’s fumble, they recovered a fumble by Sanders in the 4^th quarter, and they were the beneficiary of a lot of penalties on the Chargers. You take it when you get it because these things usually even out over the course of the year.

10) I was a little surprised that John Fox elected to try a 53 yard field goal on 4^th and 11 in the 4^th quarter. At 35-21, punt the ball and make San Diego go the length of the field to try and make it a one score game. Instead, Brandon McManus shanked the kick, and the Chargers had the ball with good field position. Thank God for Rahim Moore’s interception on that next drive. I didn’t like the decision by Fox, and I don’t trust McManus at this point. He has missed two field goal, and both were over 50 yards. I am worried about our kicker going forward. 

11) Overall, it was a solid win over a good team, but the Chargers aren't going anywhere, and they will be a different team and a challenge when the Broncos head their in December. At 6-1, the Broncos are flying. Both sides of the ball are getting it done at this point, but it is still a long way to go. As a Broncos fan, you have to just focus on that week and not look too far ahead. Denver now has 10 days to get ready for the Patriots and another Brady-Manning showdown in Foxboro on November 2nd. 

TNF Pick: Broncos-Chargers

DENVER (-6) over San Diego: Here is why I like the Broncos in this game: The Chargers are coming off a tough loss to the Chiefs and now have to travel to Denver for the short week. Denver lost to San Diego last year on a Thursday night in Mile High, so that will put the Broncos on notice. They know that the Chargers are good at 5-2, and they need to be at their best to beat their division rival. The Chargers are due for a stinker this year because their two losses were very close. Also, Peyton Manning is facing a Chargers team without Brandon Flowers and possibly Jason Verrett at CB. I might regret it, but I’ll take the Broncos on Thursday night.

Final Score: Broncos-27 Chargers-20

Broncos Thrash Niners 42-17, Manning Sets the TD Record

The storyline coming from Denver’s 42-17 demolition of the 49ers on Sunday Night Football was how Peyton Manning broke Brett Favre’s record for TD passes all-time. The one thing that wasn’t discussed was how the Broncos dominated the Niners and put together their best game of the season. This was their signature win of the year and put the Broncos at 5-1. Here are my thoughts and observations about the game….

1)    There isn’t anything else that you can say about Peyton Manning, but to watch him break Favre’s record was very special. You could see how much it meant to Manning to get to 510 touchdown passes for his career. Each pass was different, and each touchdown pass put the Broncos up and added to their blowout. Manning’s first touchdown pass was to Emmanuel Sanders gave Denver a 7-0 lead, and it was nice to see Sanders get his first touchdown of the year. The second touchdown pass was a sweet play when Manning faked the quick WR screen to Demaryius Thomas and he hit Wes Welker all alone down the sideline and a 14-0 lead in the 1^st quarter. The third touchdown pass that broke the record was a really great throw by Manning to Demaryius Thomas in the front corner of the endzone. You could see that Manning put everything into that throw to get the record. That score made it 21-3, and Denver was on a roll.

2)    Give the Broncos credit for not letting the Niners back into the game. Up 21-10 going into the third quarter, the Broncos got a key interception from Aqib Talib, and Manning went for the killshot on the very next play. His 40-yard pass to Demaryius Thomas on a deep post was a thing of beauty and a perfect pass to make it 28-10 and basically put the game away.

3)    Give Ronnie Hillman credit. He put in another good week and he has shown a lot of burst in the run game since taking over for the injured Montee Ball. He had 74 yards on 14 carries and added two touchdown runs-one that was 37 yards to make it 35-10 and then a 1 yard run to put it away officially at 42-10. Hillman has really stepped up the last two weeks, and I think that can only make this offense better.

4)    You know what makes this offense better? Demaryius Thomas playing the way he has since the beginning of October. Thomas finished with 8 catches for 171 yards and 2 touchdowns. Thomas made some big catch and runs throughout the game as well. Dear John Elway: Please pay this man!

5)    The Broncos defense completely shut down Colin Kaepernick from the first series on. They swallowed him up and only allowed a few big plays. The defense looked so fast during the game. I was worried that Kaepernick was going to extend some plays and kill the Broncos with his feet, but that did not happen. Demarcus Ware has been a beast all year and he continued that again in this game. He had 3 sacks and was in the backfield all night. The same goes for Von Miller. Miller looks dominating again the last few weeks. He finished with 2 sacks and was all over Kaepernick all night long. Also, Aqib Talib was solid again, and Chris Harris stood out once again. I love the way that Bradley Roby is playing in the nickel, and you have to give credit to LB Brandon Marshall for making some big plays once again with Danny Trevathan out. The defense was just nasty on Sunday night. They had 6 total sacks, 1 interception, shut down the Niners running game, and basically harassed Kaepernick all night long.

6)    The Broncos signature win of the season gets them to 5-1, but they have to play the Thursday night game this week as San Diego comes to Denver for TNF on CBS.