Broncos Take Down Chargers, Improve to 6-5

 The Broncos entered Sunday's home game against the 6-4 Chargers as an underdog, but they left with a victory and a 6-5 record as they head into December. The Broncos controlled the Chargers 28-13 to record their sixth victory, put them back above .500, and have a chance to make a run at the playoffs down the stretch of the season. Here are my thoughts on the game....

1) The Broncos defense was the story in this game. They played very well. They got a pass rush consistently on Justin Herbert and registered three sacks, countless hurries, and two big interceptions. I thought Baron Browning played really well and was all over the field.

2) Patrick Surtain II continues to look like a stud first round pick for Denver. He intercepted Herbert  in the end zone with the Broncos up 14-7 in the fourth quarter, and he later added a 70 interception return TD later in the quarter to put the game away for good. Surtain has played really well this season, and this was his signature game.

3) The Broncos offense was okay for the time that Teddy Bridgewater was in at QB. They were up 7-0 and moving the ball when Bridgewater was blindsided by Derwin James and suffered a bruised leg that made him miss a few series. Drew Lock came in a led a scoring drive which was aided by the run game to make it 14-0. Denver was controlling the game until Lock threw a terrible interception right before the half. LA capitalized to make it 14-7. The Broncos had really dominated up until that point. After only running three plays in the third quarter, Bridgewater led the Broncos on a drive when they needed it most. Up 14-7 in the 4th quarter, Denver moved the ball right down the field and they put it into the endzone with a Bridgewater to Eric Saubert TD pass to make it 21-7. You can say what you want about Bridgewater, but he is the best option for this team at QB, and he has been the best option for this team at QB since Peyton Manning retired. 

4) Give Vic Fangio credit. He has his team ready. The defense played way better this week than they did two weeks ago in the loss to the Eagles. When Bridgewater was in at QB, the offense moved the ball consistently, and the running attack was once again headed by both Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams, who continues to impress. Denver controlled most of the game and dominated it in most facets. This was a very solid win.

5) The Broncos are 6-5 and heading to KC next week to play the Chiefs on Sunday Night Football. This is exactly what you want: Meaningful football games in December. Consider this: Last year at this time, Denver was coming off that loss to New Orleans when Kendall Hinton had to start at QB after all of the QBs were out due to Covid protocols. At 4-7, the season was basically over. It will be a tall order to go into Arrowhead and knock off the Chiefs, but it will be fun to get excited about the Broncos biggest December game since 2016. 

Broncos-Chargers and Week 12 Picks

The Broncos had a bye last week, and at 5-5 they are still in the hunt for a wild card spot in the AFC as they begin the home stretch of their season. You would think that coming off a bye at home that the Broncos would play well and have a really good chance of beating the Chargers. Unfortunately, the Broncos have not been consistent at all this season. This week they have to somehow find a way to stop Justin Herbert and the Chargers offense. I can't see Denver slowing Herbert down and I can't see them matching score for score with LA. Look for another disappointing outcome at home for the Broncos. 

Prediction: Chargers (-3) over DENVER

Final Score: Chargers-41 Broncos-17

Last Week's Record: 6-8-1

Overall Record: : 79-76-9

(HOME TEAM IN CAPS) 

Now, onto the picks for Week 12........

Tampa Bay (-2) over INDIANAPOLIS: The Colts are 5-5 after a big win over the Bills last week. The Bucs are 7-3 and in control of the NFC South. Big game for both teams, but I like the Bucs to win this won on the road.

Philadelphia (-4) over GIANTs: The Giants are 3-7 and fired Jason Garrett, their offensive coordinator this week, and they host the surging Eagles, who are 5-6. I see Philly continuing their winning ways and evening their record at 6-6.

Carolina (-1) over MIAMI: At 5-6, the Panthers are still in the mix for a wild card spot in the NFC. Cam Newton coming back has given them a boost. The Dolphins are 4-7 and have won three straight. I think the Panthers find a way to win this game and get to 6-6.

Pittsburgh (+5) over CINCINNATI: The Bengals are 6-4 after a big road win in Vegas last week. The Steelers are 5-4-1 after a tough loss to Chargers in LA. The Bengals won the first meeting in Pittsburgh earlier in the year, and I think they sweep the season series with a win at home this week.

Tennessee (+6) over NEW ENGLAND: The Patriots are 7-4 and winners of five straight. Now, everyone is back on the Patriots bandwagon, and everyone is back to kissing Bill Belichick and his rings. The Titans head to Foxboro with an 8-3 record, but lost a bad game to Houston last week. I think this will be close. I don't know if Tennessee wins, but I think it is close.

JACKSONVILLE (PICK) over Atlanta: I'll take the Jags at home in a game that isn't very watchable.

Jets (+3) over HOUSTON: I'll take the Jets on the road and the points in another unwatchable game.

GREEN BAY (-1) over Rams: I like the Packers to rebound from last week's loss to the Vikings, and I think they will respond here with a win at home over the Rams. Big game for both teams, who will be in the playoffs in the NFC.

Minnesota (+3) over SAN FRANCISCO: The Vikings have life again and at 5-5, they are right in the middle of the wild card picture. The Niners are now 5-5 and have revived their season as well. This is such a huge game for both teams. I like the Vikings ever so slightly. 

BALTIMORE (-3) over Cleveland: The Browns are 6-5 but they barely beat the Lions last week. Baker Mayfield is beat up and 

Seattle (-1) over WASHINGTON: The Seahawks are having a down year at 3-7, and this could be the end of their run. Washington is 4-6, so they are not out of it in the NFC. I think Seattle gets to 4-7 with a win on Monday Night Football. 

Thanksgiving Day Picks

 DETROIT (+3) over Chicago

Las Vegas (+7) over DALLAS

Buffalo (-4) over NEW ORLEANS

Week 11 Picks

With the Broncos on a bye, here are the picks for Week 11...

Last Week's Record: 7-7-0

Overall Record: 73-68-8

(HOME TEAM IN CAPS) 

New Orleans (+2) over PHILADELPHIA: The Saints head to Philly with a 5-4 record and are looking to get back on track after two straight losses. The Eagles come off a win over Denver to improve to 4-6. I'm still not sold on the Eagles, so I'll take the Saints to bounce back with a win here.

Miami (-3) over JETS: No one cares about this game.

CAROLINA (-3) over Washington: Cam Newton is on track to start and face off against his old coach, Ron Rivera. At 5-5, Carolina is in the mix in the NFC Wild Card race. Look for them to continue their winning ways at home over WFT.

Indianapolis (+7) over BUFFALO: At 5-5, the Colts are in the mix for the Wild Card in the AFC. The Bills are 6-3 and holding off the Pats in the AFC East. I think Buffalo wins but Indy keeps it close. 

CLEVELAND (-10) over Detroit: The Browns will bounce back from their blowout loss to the Pats last week, and I think they will take care of business over the Lions at home. 

San Francisco (-6) over JACKSONVILLE: The Niners improved to 4-5 with a big win over the Rams last week. They will get to 5-5 with a road win over the 2-7 Jaguars.

CHICAGO (+6) over Baltimore: The Bears desperately need a win at 3-6 to stay alive in the NFC playoff race. The Ravens are 6-3 and looking to bounce back after a bad loss to Miami last week. I think the Ravens pull it off, but it will be close.

TENNESSEE (-10) over Houston: The Titans are 8-2 and lead the entire AFC. They won't lose ground here with an easy win over Houston at home.

Green Bay (-2) over MINNESOTA: The Packers are 8-2 and head to Minnesota to take on the 4-5 Vikings. This is a huge game for Minnesota and I think it will come down to the end, but I think the Packers will pull it out late.

LAS VEGAS (+1) over Cincinnati: Two 5-4 teams face off in a huge AFC game. I think it is a little surprising that the Raiders are underdogs at home here. I think they will play a solid game and beat the Bengals in Vegas.

SEATTLE (+3) over Arizona: The Cardinals might get Kyler Murray back for this one but at 8-2, they are in solid ground to make the playoffs in the NFC. The Seahawks are 3-6, and are the more desperate team. I think Seattle will use that as motivation to get a much needed win.

KANSAS CITY (-2) over Dallas: The Chiefs are 6-4 and in first place in the AFC West. After struggling for most of the year, Pat Mahomes put on a show last week over the Raiders. Dallas comes in at 7-2, so this should be a marquee game of the day. Look for KC to be too much at home.

CHARGERS (-4) over Pittsburgh: At 5-4, the Chargers need this win to keep pace in the AFC. The Steelers are 5-3-1. This is a huge game on SNF. Look for the Chargers to get the win at home.

TAMPA BAY (-10) over Giants: Monday Night Football features Tom Brady and the Bucs hosting the 3-6 Giants. The Bucs are 6-3 after losing two straight. I can't see them losing three in a row, so I'll take them in a blowout win over the G-Men. 

Week 11 TNF Pick

 ATLANTA (+7) over New England

Broncos Get Beat Down by Eagles at Home, Fall to 5-5

 The Broncos entered Sunday's game at home against the 3-6 Eagles flying high with a big road win over Dallas the week before and a 5-4 record. It looked like the perfect scenario for them to get to 6-4 heading into their bye week. Unfortunately, the Broncos did not show up and they paid the price with a 30-13 defeat at the hands of the Eagles. The loss is a big one as Denver falls to 5-5 heading into their bye week. It was definitely a missed opportunity and further questions where this team is actually headed this season. Here are my thoughts on the game...

1) Pat Shurmur tested positive for Covid on Friday so he didn't call the plays on Sunday. Instead, Mike Shula took over the play-calling. Whatever the case was, Shula didn't do a good job at all. It was not pretty on offense at all.

2) The Broncos injuries have piled up each week and being without three starting offensive linemen did not help their offense one bit.

3) The Broncos defense also got shredded in the run game and in the passing game by Philly. I didn't think Jalen Hurts would dice the Broncos defense up like he did. Just a disappointing performance all around.

4) Denver's redzone opportunities killed them in this game. They had a 22 yard field goal blocked, they had a touchdown called back, and they fumbled on a 4th and 1 late in the third quarter. All three plays were pivotal.

5) The play that got the most attention-and for good reason- was the fumble return by Darius Slay at the end of the 3rd quarter. After Melvin Gordon fumbled on a 4th and 1 play, Slay picked up and ran around and through the Broncos all the way for a 87 yard fumbled return to make it 27-13 Philly. The key moment on the play was Teddy Bridgewater didn't even attempt to tackle Slay as he raced passed him. Teddy did absolutely nothing which is just so bad on every level. It was the signature play of the game and could be the signature play for Bridgewater this year.

6) This is another bad home loss for the Broncos. It is their third home loss this year, and all three were by double digits. They have suffered eight double digit home losses in the Vic Fangio era. The Broncos are 4-9 in their last 13 home games, which is very disturbing to say the least. They are also 1-20 when trailing at halftime under Fangio. That all adds up to a team that looks like it is going nowhere and will have massive changes on the coaching staff after the season. 

7) Just a disappointing day all around for the Broncos. Just when you got excited about them again this season, they give a performance like this and bring you right back down. 

Broncos-Eagles and Week 10 Picks

The Broncos come into this game with Philly riding high after a big, upset win over the Cowboys in Dallas last week. At 5-4, the Broncos have a realistic shot at getting to 6-4 heading into their bye week. On paper, this looks like a very winnable game for the Broncos, and it is, but a few things worry me. First, Denver's injuries are continuing to pile up. They are probably going to be with only two out of five starters on their offensive line this week. Next, Pat Surtain is likely to miss the game due to a knee injury. I just don't know how much of a toll this injuries will continue to have and how much longer the Broncos can sustain them. I know Philly is 3-6, but I think this game will be close and tough for Denver throughout.

Prediction: Philly (+3) over DENVER

Final Score: Eagles-24 Broncos-23

Now, onto the picks for Week 10...

Last Week's Record: 7-7-0

Overall Record: 66-61-8

(HOME TEAM IN CAPS) 

INDIANAPOLIS (-9) over Jacksonville: The Colts at 4-5 can get back to .500 and in the thick of the playoff race with a big home win over the Jaguars, and I think that will happen.

NEW ENGLAND (-2) over Cleveland: Two 5-4 teams going at it in Foxboro. I initially liked Cleveland, but I have shifted to the Pats. I think the Pats will find a way to frustrate Baker Mayfield and win a close game late. 

Atlanta (+9) over DALLAS: The 6-2 Cowboys will rebound from their home loss to the Broncos last week, and I think they will win the game, but I like the Falcons to cover. Atlanta is 4-4 and in the mix for that last Wild Card spot in the NFC. I think this game goes back and forth for awhile. 

Buffalo (-13) over JETS: The Bills lost a bad game at Jacksonville last week and at 5-3, they need to win to stay atop the AFC East. I like Buffalo to take care of business over the 2-6 Jets on the road.

New Orleans (+3) over TENNESSEE: The Titans blasted the Rams last week to get to 7-2. It will be interesting to see how this plays out the rest of the way without Derrick Henry. The Saints lost a close one at home to Atlanta to fall to 5--3. Big game for both teams, but I think it means more to the Saints. I like them to win outright. 

Tampa Bay (-9) over WASHINGTON: Tampa Bay will roll into Washington off a bye week and take care of business over the WFT. 

Detroit (+10) over PITTSBURGH: The Steelers had an emotional win over the Bears on Monday Night Football last week, and I think it will be tough for them to get up for the winless Lions. I think the Steelers will win but I think Detroit keeps it closer than people think.

CHARGERS (-2) over Minnesota: At 3-5, the Vikings desperately need a win. They head to LA to take on the Chargers and there will be a lot of Vikings fans there. This game will be close, but since I'm getting two instead of three, then I'll take the Chargers to win it late.

Carolina (+10) over ARIZONA: Former XFL star P.J. Walker will start this game for Carolina, who is now 4-5 after a 3-0 start. The Cardinals are 8-1 and the best team in the NFC. I think the Cardinals win, but look for a closer game as well.

Seattle (+4) over GREEN BAY: It looks like Aaron Rodgers will be back after missing last week's game against KC for testing positive for Covid. Seattle gets Russell Wilson back, so this game has some juice to it. At 7-2, the Packers need to keep pace for the #1 seed in the NFC, and the Seahawks are 3-5, and if they win this game, then they can start to make their run for a Wild Card with Wilson back. Tough one to call, but I'm going with Seattle and the upset. 

LAS VEGAS (+3) over Kansas City: This is a huge game in the AFC West. The Raiders are 5-3 and coming off a bad loss to the Giants. The Chiefs are 5-4, but haven't looked great all season. The Raiders played the Chiefs very tough last season. I have a feeling the Raiders are going to find a way win this game at home on SNF.

SAN FRANCISCO (+3) over Rams: The Rams just signed Odell Beckham Jr. this week after he was released by Cleveland. I don't know how much of an impact he will have this week. The Rams are 7-2 and they need to move on from last week's debacle to the Titans. They to San Francisco, where the Niners are 3-5 so far this year and actually 0-4 at home. The Niners need this game more than the Rams, and I think they will find a way to pull off the upset on Monday Night Football.

Week 10 TNF Pick

 Baltimore (-7) over MIAMI

Broncos Upset Cowboys, Improve to 5-4

 I have to admit that I did not see this coming. The Broncos marched into Dallas on Sunday and absolutely dominated the 6-1 Cowboys en route to a 30-16 upset win. The win improved the Broncos record to 5-4, and it was maybe their biggest win in the Vic Fangio era. This was the kind of game that could turn the Broncos season around. Here are my thoughts on the game...

1) The Cowboys failed on two 4th and short conversions in the first quarter, and Denver never looked back after that. It changed the complexion of the game.

2) The Broncos built an early 13-0 lead with the help of Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams. The Broncos combined for almost 200 yards rushing and held the ball for over 40 minutes in time of possession. It was a dominating performance.

3) Teddy Bridgewater played great and his TD pass to Tim Patrick to make it 13-0 was a backbreaker for Dallas because Patrick beat Trevon Diggs on the deep ball. Diggs has been Dallas' best corner and the Broncos went after him.

4) The key play in the game was when Denver was up 16-0 in the 3rd quarter and Dallas blocked a punt in Denver territory. But, the ball went past the line of scrimmage, touched a Dallas player, and was recovered by Denver. This gave the Broncos possession of the ball and a first down. I have never seen that happen in all my years of watching football. It was a huge break for Denver.

5) The Broncos were up 30-0 in the 4th quarter in this game and it felt like it could have been 50-0. They completely dominated the game from the outset and this was the type of game they can play. Solid and stuffing defense, running the ball effectively, and Bridgewater making timely and big throws in the passing game. Everyone on offense and defense stepped up in this win.

6) It seems like the Broncos were tired of hearing about the Cowboys all week and tired of hearing about how the Von Miller trade was going to end their season. They played inspired from the beginning and you could tell they kept that energy up all game long-especially when they got an early lead. 

7) This is one of the biggest wins for the Broncos in the Vic Fangio era, and they improved to 5-4 and right in the mix in the AFC Wild Card race. This is the first time Denver is over. 500 in November since 2016!. They get a chance to get to 6-4 with a home game against the Eagles next week. 

Broncos-Cowboys and Week 9 Picks

The Broncos are 4-4 after a crappy win over Washington last week and now they head to Dallas to take on the 6-1 Cowboys. Dak Prescott returns to the lineup this week, and this game has the feel of a blowout by the Cowboys. Denver traded Von Miller earlier in the week, Bradley Chubb is still out, Bryce Callahan is out, and this Broncos defense hasn't played well against a good offense all year long. I can't see Denver slowing down this Cowboys attack with them at full speed. It will be an ugly game for the Broncos and I expect them to get smoked.

Prediction: DALLAS (-10) over Denver

Final Score: Cowboys-52 Broncos-20

Now, onto the picks for Week 9...

Last Week's Record: 8-7-0

Overall Record: 59-54-8

(HOME TEAM IN CAPS) 

MIAMI (-6) over Houston: The Dolphins are 1-7 and so are the Texans. I think Miami will win their second game of the year at home, but both of these teams are in the dumps this year.

Minnesota (+6) over BALTIMORE: The Ravens are 5-2 and lead the AFC North. The Vikings are 3-4. I think everyone has the Ravens penciled in for the big win, but Minnesota will make this a tough game. The Ravens will win, but the Vikings will keep it close.

CAROLINA (+4) over New England: It looks like Sam Darnold is out with a shoulder injury so XFL star P.J. Walker will probably get the start. I think the Panthers will keep this close because they are looking at getting Christian McCaffrey back this week.

Buffalo (-13) over JACKSONVILLE: The Bills are 5-2 and rolling to the AFC East title. The Jaguars are 1-7 and trying to build something. Look for another easy Bills blowout win this week.

CINCINNATI (-2) over Cleveland: I think Cincy will rebound after their bad loss to the Jets last week. I think the Browns are 4-4, but could be in trouble because Baker Mayfield is basically playing with one shoulder and their offense is banged up. 

Atlanta (+6) over NEW ORLEANS: Taysom Hill is back and takes over at QB for the Saints with Jameis Winston out for the season. At 5-2, I have been a little surprised by the Saints this year, but I think they could get tripped up in this one.  Atlanta is 3-4 and this is the type of game they win each year.

GIANTS (+3) over Las Vegas: The Raiders are dealing with another issue as WR Henry Ruggs was released this week after getting arrested for DUI and getting into an accident that killed a young woman. What a terrible and tragic situation. The Giants are 2-6 but played hard last week in the loss to KC. This is a game I could see going either way.

Chargers (-1) over PHILADELPHIA: I think the Chargers snap their two-game losing streak and get to 5-3 with a big, blowout win over the 3-5 Eagles in Philly on Sunday.

Green Bay (+9) over KANSAS CITY: How bout this game for storylines? Aaron Rodgers is out due to testing positive for Covid, and now we get to see what Jordan Love has to offer in place. I think the Chiefs will win but I have a feeling the Packers will somehow keep it close.

SAN FRANCISCO (+1) over Arizona: The Cardinals are banged up and I think the 49ers are desperate enough to win this game.

RAMS (-6) over Tennessee: No Derrick Henry for the Titans means no problem for the Rams. LA wins big at home.

Chicago (+6) over PITTSBURGH:  I think the Bears will keep this game close into the 4th quarter. I'm still not sold on the Steelers even though they have won three in a row

Jets-Colts Week 9 TNF Pick

 Jets (+11) over INDIANAPOLIS

Denver Trades Von Miller to the Rams

 On Monday, Denver traded Von Miller to the Rams for a 2022 2nd round pick and a 2022 3rd round pick. It was a bit of surprise that the Broncos traded Miller, but there was some speculation on Sunday that this could happen. It is definitely a sad day as a Broncos fan to see Miller go. I understand the business aspect of this, and I understand why George Paton did it, but it still hurts. Von Miller is the face of the Denver Broncos and all-time Bronco. He will be a Ring of Famer in Denver, and he will be a NFL Hall of Famer. He brought us Super Bowl 50, and he is a Mount Rushmore Bronco in my opinion. Denver felt like it was probably not going to sign him next offseason, so they shipped him off and got back two second day picks. They weren't going to get that-even in compensatory picks next year if he walked. It will hard to replace Von Miller on the field and in the locker room, and it is hard for me to explain to my kids why their favorite Bronco is now being traded. It might turn out to be a great move for Denver, but that is for another day to discuss. It hurts to see such an iconic player in Broncos history get traded away. Hopefully, it will be a win-win situation for both Von and the Broncos. 

Broncos Defeat Washington. Get to 4-4

The Broncos defeated the Washington Football Team on Sunday in Denver to even their record at 4-4. The Broncos stopped a four game losing streak, and the 17-10 got the Broncos back on the winning track. Although a win is a win, this game was not very impressive for the Broncos. It took two late game stops by the defense to clinch it at the end. Here are my thoughts on the game....

1) The Broncos had a bunch of missed opportunities to put this game away but a penalty or mistake just didn't allow that to happen. I felt like every time the Broncos would be on the move a negative play would knock them back and they couldn't recover.

2) The offense still is struggling and they only put up 17 points on a defense that was playing the worst in the NFL in recent weeks. That is not a good sign going forward.

3) The Broncos defense stepped up and harassed the WFT offense all game long. They got key stops late in the 4th quarter to preserve the win.

4) The last sequence of plays by the Broncos was truly interesting to say the least. After Justin Simmons intercepted a pass near the goal line, the Broncos had the ball with only 37 seconds left. WFT had 3 timeouts, so Denver ran the ball on first down and Javonte Williams fumbled, but Dalton Risner recovered. On 2nd down, the Broncos called a rollout pass, and Teddy Bridgewater threw an incomplete pass instead of just sliding and forcing Washington to take a timeout. On 3rd down, Melvin Gordon ran right and fumbled and Washington recovered. The Broncos defense did hold and they closed out the game, but that was a rough sequence there in that spot. The one thing you can't do is fumble the ball and the Broncos did that twice in three plays.

5) The Broncos are 4-4 but it feels like they are 2-6. The offense struggled to score points once again, and there is just not a good vibe around this team. I can't remember a less satisfying win for the Broncos at this point in a season in a long, long time. Denver will definitely have their hands full when they head to Dallas to take on the Cowboys on Sunday.