Baltimore Pounds Denver 31-17

The Broncos fell to 2-3 on Sunday at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore. The Ravens completely manhandled and dominated the game from start to finish. The final score doesn't indicate how one-sided this game really was. The Ravens got off to a good start and moved the ball down inside the five on their first drive, but Denver's defense held and stopped them on four straight plays. Denver was moving the ball, but a costly holding penalty negated a 33 yard run by Eddie Royal, and the Broncos never really got going after that. The Ravens jumped out to a 14-0 lead, and Demaryius Thomas fumbled away the ensuing kickoff, and the Ravens recovered. Denver's defense held the Ravens to a field goal. At 17-0, the Broncos actually stablized the game. The Broncos scored a late touchdown near the end of the half on a Kyle Orton to Brandon Lloyd hookup. At 17-7, the Broncos got the ball to start the half, but they couldn't generate any points on the drive. The defense stepped up and dropped the Ravens twice, but both times Denver couldn't move the ball on offense, and the Ravens put the game away with two late touchdowns to finish off the Broncos.
Here are my quick thoughts on the loss...........
1) The Bronco defense did not play well at all. This was the first game that the run defense got smoked. After holding Chris Johnson to only 53 yards last week, the Broncos let Ray Rice rush for over 130 yards and they got completely gashed by the Ravens.

2) The Bronco offense again could not come up with a big drive or a big score at a critical moment of the game. The Broncos cut the lead to 10 and then had two drives to get some points and really make a game of it, but both times the offense faltered and any chance of winning evaporated.

3) The run game was ineffective again, but to be fair this game was 17-0 right out of the gate, so any type of running game was going to get thrown out. Hopefully, Knowshon Moreno will be back this week to give the Broncos some sort of running attack.

4) Kyle Orton posted his fourth straight 300 yard game, but the most important stat is in those four games the Broncos are 2-2. Orton played well, but once again he doesn't make the big time play when the Broncos needed it. I've been saying this all year, and I will continue to say it: Orton is only going to be able to do so much, but you can't count on him in a huge spot.

5) The Broncos looked like the mailed this one in. It was an uninspired effort, and everyone in the organization needs to take the blame for this loss. Most of that blame lies with the head coach Josh McDaniels because it is his team and for the second year in a row the Broncos didn't show up for a game in Baltimore.

6) I would like to thank the schedule makers for really screwing the Broncos to start the 2010 season. Instead of giving Denver a home game on MNF like they requested, the schedule makers put Denver on the road for the sixth straight year. Plus, they send them down to hot and humid Jacksonville. Then, the Broncos get a stretch of games that included Indy, at Tennessee, at Baltimore, and home versus the Jets. The Broncos get the two AFC Championship participants in four weeks, and have back to back road games in the Eastern Time Zone. Anyone who thought that Denver was going to survive this stretch was drinking the kool-aid a little too much. That is why the schedule plays an important factor early in the season.

7) The Broncos got beat up in this game, and the injuries continue to pile up. Andre Goodman, Brian Dawkins, Wesley Woodyard, Robert Ayers, and Darcel McBath are all out this week. Demaryius Thomas and Knowshon Moreno are questionable too. Ayers, who has played very well, is out for at least 6 weeks with a foot injury. Dawkins is out for at least two weeks with an ankle injury. Injuries will be the theme of this year, and now the injuries are really going to effect them, especially the defensive side of the ball. It will be interesting to see how guys like Joe Mays, Jarvis Moss, and David Bruton step up and play this week.

8) The Broncos are 2-3 and are pretty much where I expected they would be at this point. This is the last week of their toughest stretch in the schedule. The only chance I think they have this week is that the Jet game is at home. If the Broncos can somehow steal this game, then at 3-3 the Broncos could have a chance to get hot and get some wins under their belt. I think 10 wins could win the AFC West this year, and 9 wins might be able to get you in the playoffs as a wild card. After this week's game, the Broncos have a stretch of games that include: home vs. Oakland, vs. SF in London, a bye week, and then home vs. KC. Hopefully, the injuries don't continue to pile up, and the Broncos get going a little and get this season going in the right direction.