Broncos Lose Opener at Oakland 24-16

The Broncos went into Oakland on Monday Night Football for the season opener and promptly got stomped by the Raiders 24-16 to start the 2019 season. It wasn't the night we all hoped for and expected, and it certainly was not the way you want to start the season. Here are my thoughts and observations from the game....

1) The Raiders came out and scored on their first possession and completely controlled the game from there. Derek Carr sliced the Broncos with quick passes and rookie RB Josh Jacobs ran well and hard all night long. The Broncos defense had no answer for the Raiders gameplan. There was no pass rush and they had trouble getting the Raiders off the field on third downs.

2) Give Jon Gruden credit because he had his team ready to play and completely outcoached Vic Fangio on this night. The quick passing game made it very difficult for Von Miller or Bradley Chubb to get to Carr. He was basically untouched the whole game.

3) I'm not going to kill Joe Flacco in this game because I don't think he played bad at all. The problem was the Broncos were down 14-0 early in the game, and they were on the road with a shaky offensive line. Flacco didn't have time in some key situations, and he isn't mobile so that is what caused some sacks on those key downs in the first half.

4) Once the Broncos finally got going and cut the lead to 14-3 in the third quarter, Flacco hit DaeSean Hamilton with a perfect pass in the endzone on 3rd and goal, and Hamilton flat-out dropped the ball and the Broncos had to settle for a FG to make it 14-6. That was a killer moment for the Broncos.

5) Even when Denver cut the lead to 24-16 late in the 4th quarter, I never felt comfortable that they were going to get the ball back. The Raiders picked up a first down and ran out the clock to secure the win. The game never felt in doubt for the Raiders all night long.

6) The Broncos entered as favorites due to the Antonio Brown drama the Raiders dealt with in the week leading up to the game, but they came out fired up and Gruden had them ready to go. They used the Brown saga as a rallying point and they were the better team on this night.

7) The Broncos are sent licking their wounds as they dropped Vic Fangio's debut as a head coach. The part that was disappointing the most was the fact that their defense got run over by the Raiders and had no answers for the Oakland offense all night. We knew the Broncos offense wasn't going to light it up on the road, but I expected the defense to play well and they didn't.

8) This game made me feel like nothing has changed from the last two years. Bad offensive football, poor defense, no adjustments, and the feeling that the Broncos are used to getting outcoached and outplayed. The Broncos are used to losing the last two years, and this game was the exact mirror of those two years. It is only one game, and the Broncos started 3-1 and 2-0 the last two years only to have miserable seasons, but you always want to win the first game, and it was disappointing how it played out.

9) The Broncos return home to Mile High and host the 0-1 Bears next Sunday. Vic Fangio gets to go against his old team, and it will be interesting to see how this team plays at home instead of on the road.

Broncos-Raiders Week 1 Preview and Prediction

What a bunch of storylines heading into the season opener for the Broncos at Oakland in the Black Hole on Monday Night Football! The debut of Joe Flacco for Denver, the head coaching debut of Vic Fangio, and the last regular season meeting between the Broncos and Raiders in Oakland are all on the table in this Week One matchup. Also, the Raiders dealt with the Antonio Brown saga and all the craziness involved with him, Jon Gruden, and GM Mike Mayock. It led to the release of Brown on Saturday. There is plenty to talk about regarding this game. To me, I can see the Broncos defense doing a great job on Derek Carr and that Raiders offense for 3+ quarters, but I can see them running out of gas and not being able to hold off the Raiders late. I'm also worried about Joe Flacco on the road in his debut as a Bronco. I think it all adds up to a very frustrating loss for the Broncos at the hands of the Raiders.

Prediction: OAKLAND (-1.5) over Denver

Final Score: Raiders-27 Broncos-20

Bears-Packers Season Opener Pick and Week 1 Picks!

The NFL is back for its' 100th season, and the league decided to celebrate the 100th anniversary by having the Packers and the Bears start the season on the opening Thursday night. The NFL's oldest rivalry takes center stage before giving way to the Pats hosting the Steelers on Sunday night to celebrate their Super Bowl title. Here are previews and the rest of the picks for Week 1 (Can you believe it?) of the 2019 season.....

HOME TEAM IN CAPS

Green Bay (+3) over CHICAGO: I think the Packers will come out flying and take this critical Week 1 matchup over the Bears. The Bears are a team that I think takes a step back this year.

MINNESOTA (-3) over Atlanta: Very interesting game for Week 1, and I love the Vikings at home in this one. I think both teams will make the playoffs in the NFC, but look for the Vikes to get the win in a very good game.

PHILLY (-7) over Washington: The Eagles are my Super Bowl pick, and I think they start off the season red-hot with a blowout win over the Redskins.

NY JETS (-3) over Buffalo: The Jets look to be that surprise team under new head coach Adam Gase and Sam Darnold's sophomore campaign. I think the Jets jump all over the Bills at home in Week 1.

MIAMI (+5) over Baltimore: Miami is tanking in 2019 but I think that they could surprise the Ravens in the heat and humidity in South Florida. There is always a wild surprise in Week 1, and this might be it.

Kansas City (-4) over JACKSONVILLE: Pat Mahomes and the Chiefs offense will continue where they left off in 2018 as they steamroll the Jags in Jacksonville.

CLEVELAND (-5) over Tennessee: The Browns will live up to the hype for Week 1 at least as they get off to a good start with a home win over the Titans.

LA RAMS (-3) over CAROLINA: Here is a sneaky good early game in Week 1. I like the Rams on the road in Carolina, but I think it will be close and the Rams will escape with the win.

Detroit (-2) over ARIZONA: Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury debut at home against the Lions. Both of these teams could be in for a rough year, but I like the Lions to win it on the road.

San Francisco (+2) over TAMPA BAY: Look for a big day out of Jimmy G and the Niners as they go into Tampa and spoil Bruce Arians head coaching debut for the Bucs.

SEATTLE (-8) over Cincy: The Bengals might be vying for the #1 pick in the draft come April, and I think they are walking into a buzzsaw at Seattle in Week 1.

LA CHARGERS (-6) over Indy: This would have been a must watch game for Week 1 until Andrew Luck retired on the Colts. I think the Colts will have trouble recovering from that and the Chargers will roll at home.

NY Giants (+7) over DALLAS: I think the Cowboys will win the game, but I can see the Giants keeping this game close. This is the late window game on FOX and it should do a massive Week 1 rating.

Pittsburgh (+7) over NEW ENGLAND: The Pats open at home on Sunday night as they hoist the Super Bowl banner. The Steelers come in after missing the playoffs last year and moving on from the Antonio Brown and Le'veon Bell distractions. I think the Pats will win, but the Steelers will keep it close.

NEW ORLEANS (-6) over Houston: I like both of these teams to make the playoffs this year, but look for the Saints to get the win over the Texans in the Superdome in the first half of Monday Night Football doubleheader.

Your 2019 Denver Broncos

Ladies and Gentlemen, here are your 2019 Denver Broncos....

QBs:
Joe Flacco, Brandon Allen, Drew Lock (IR-Designated for Return)

RBs:
Philip Lindsay, Royce Freeman, Devontae Booker, Andy Janovich, Theo Riddick (IR-Designated for Return)

WRs:
Emmanuel Sanders, Courtland Sutton, DaeSean Hamilton, Tim Patrick, Juwann Winfree, Diontae Spencer

TEs:
Jeff Heuerman, Noah Fant, Trou Fumagalli, Andrew Beck, Jake Butt (IR-Designated for Return)

OL:
Garret Bolles, Dalton Risner, Connor McGovern, Ron Leary, Ja'Wuan James, Elijah Wilkinson, Austin Schlottmann, Corey Levin

DL:
Derek Wolfe, Adam Gotsis, Shelby Harris, DeMarcus Walker, Dre'Mont Jones, Mike Purcell

OLBS:
Von Miller, Bradley Chubb, Malik Reed, Justin Hollins

ILBs:
Todd Davis, Josey Jewell, Corey Nelson, Joe Jones, Alexander Johnson, Keishawn Bierria

CBs:
Chris Harris, Bryce Callahan, Isaac Yiadom, De'Vante Bausby, Duke Dawson, Davontae Harris

Safety:
Kareem Jackson, Justin Simmons, Will Parks, Trey Marshall

K: Brandon McManus

P: Colby Wadman

LS: Casey Kreiter 

2019 NFL Predictions

With the NFL season right around the corner, here are my predictions heading into the season. Once again, I tried to think outside the box a little bit. In the NFC, I looked at Chicago and Seattle as teams that will take a step back this year with Green Bay, Atlanta, and the Vikings getting back into the playoff mix. Over in the AFC, I think Baltimore and the Chargers miss out on the playoffs this year, and Indy won't be able to recover from Andrew Luck's shocking retirement. Look for the Browns to live up to the hype, and the Jets to be the surprise team to get into the playoffs. Overall, I have 6 playoff teams returning this year to the playoffs in 2019 and six teams not making it back. Here are my predictions for the 2019 NFL season...

NFC East
1) Philly (12-4)
2) Dallas (9-7) Wild Card
3) NY Giants (7-9)
4) Washington (5-11)

NFC North
1) Minnesota (11-5)
2) Green Bay (10-6) Wild Card
3) Chicago (8-8)
4) Detroit (4-12)

NFC South
1) New Orleans (10-6)
2) Atlanta (9-7)
3) Carolina (8-8)
4) Tampa Bay (6-10)

NFC West
1) LA Rams (9-7)
2) Seattle (8-8)
3) SF (7-9)
4) Arizona (4-12)

Playoff Predictions
Wild Card Weekend 
3-New Orleans over 6-Dallas  (The Saints topple the Cowboys at home to move on in their quest to get to the Super Bowl after two stunning defeats in the playoffs the last two years)
5-Green Bay over 4-LA Rams (Aaron Rodgers and the Packers return to the playoffs and notch their first playoff win since 2016 with a big win in LA over the Rams)

Divisional Round
1-Philadelphia over 5-Green Bay (The Eagles thwart Aaron Rodgers in Philly and move on to their second NFC Championship Game in three years)
3-New Orleans over 2-Minnesota (The Saints go into Minnesota and upset the Vikings, get revenge from the 2017 Divisional Playoff loss, and head to their second straight NFC Championship Game)

NFC Championship Game
1-Philadelphia over 3-New Orleans (The Eagles with Carson Wentz head to their second Super Bowl in three years by knocking off the Saints at home in a very tight NFC Title matchup)

AFC Predictions

AFC East
1) New England (11-5)
2) New York Jets (9-7) Wild Card
3) Buffalo (6-10)
4) Miami (5-11)

AFC North
1) Pittsburgh (12-4)
2) Cleveland (10-6) Wild Card
3) Baltimore (7-9)
4) Cincinnati (5-11)

AFC South
1) Houston (10-6)
2) Jacksonville (8-8)
3) Tennessee (7-9)
4) Indianapolis (6-10)

AFC West
1) Kansas City (12-4)
2) Denver (8-8)
3) LA Chargers (7-9)
4) Oakland (6-10)

Playoff Predictions
Wild Card Weekend
(3) New England over (6) NY Jets (The Jets make their first playoff appearance since 2010, but the Pats roll at home and advance to the Divisional Round once again)
(4) Houston over (5) Cleveland (The Browns make their first playoff appearance since 2002, but they fall short to Deshaun Watson and the Texans, as Houston moves on)

Divisional Round
(1) Kansas City over (4) Houston (Pat Mahomes leads the Chiefs to the AFC Championship Game for the second year in a row after disposing of the Texans in Arrowhead)
(2) Pittsburgh over (3) New England (In a classic matchup, the Steelers outlast the Patriots and head to the AFC Championship for the first time since 2016. The Pats fail to advance to the AFC Title game for the first time since 2010)

AFC Championship Game
(1) Kansas City over (2) Pittsburgh (The Chiefs, a year after losing the AFC Title game at home, finally return back to the Super Bowl for the first time since Super Bowl IV with a victory over the Steelers)

SUPER BOWL LIV
Philadelphia Eagles over Kansas City Chiefs (The Eagles win their second Super Bowl in three years as they defeat their former coach, Andy Reid, and the Chiefs. Carson Wentz outlasts Pat Mahomes in a classic shootout and wins the Super Bowl MVP award.

Broncos 2019 Training Camp Preview

The Broncos were the first NFL team back at training camp when they reported on Thursday July 18th. It is the earliest I can remember the Broncos going back to camp. There are a lot of changes and a new sense of excitement for the Broncos as they begin camp. There is also a lot of pressure on John Elway and the rest of the franchise to get things turned around after the last two losing seasons. Here are some of the questions to preview the Broncos 2019 training camp...


Where We Left Off: The Broncos were walking off the field after a loss to the LA Chargers and finished 2018 with a 6-10 record. It was the second straight losing season for the Broncos and many changes were on the horizon.

What Happened Since? The Broncos fired head coach Vance Joseph the next day after the season ended. They replaced him with Vic Fangio, formerly the Bears Defensive Coordinator. The team traded Case Keenum to the Redskins and traded for Joe Flacco from the Ravens. They also made a splash in free agency by signing Jawuan James, Bryce Callahan, and Kareem Jackson. They also extended Chris Harris for another year. The team drafted Noah Fant, Dalton Risner, and Drew Lock in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft in April. In sad news, Pat Bowlen passed away after a long battle with Alzheimer's Disease.

Position Battles at Camp: The one area that could be up for grabs is what the Broncos do at safety. Justin Simmons has one spot locked down, but will Kareem Jackson play the other safety or play corner? Will Parks showed some flashes last year, so does he get a shot? Will Sua Cravens step up his play this year and make a difference? This is one position to watch out for as camp goes on.

Surprise Cuts: I think a guy like RB Devontae Booker could be a surprise cut. Booker hasn't done much in his couple of years as a Bronco, and with Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman getting a bulk of the time and carries, I could see Booker on the way out.

Out of Nowhere Players: In the running back conversation is Devontae Jackson. If Booker, goes maybe this Devontae stays. He might have a chance to stick around as the summer goes on.

Biggest Questions That Need To Be Answered: Can Joe Flacco play at a high enough level to get this team to be in wild card contention come Week 17? The other big question is if this offensive line can hold up to get Flacco upright and protect him each week. If the Broncos can get an above average year out of Flacco, then there are enough weapons around him to at least make this offense decent enough to win some games for this team. 

RIP Pat Bowlen

On Friday, I woke up to the news of the passing of Pat Bowlen. He was 75 and died surrounded by his family at his home. He had battled Alzheimer's disease and he had to step away from the Broncos after the 2013 season. Although it wasn't a surprise, the news is definitely sad. As a lifelong Broncos fan, Bowlen was the owner of the franchise during all of my fandom and that starts in 1985. There are good owners and bad owners in sports, and Bowlen was one of the great owners. Without Bowlen's vision and leadership, the Broncos would never have been so successful as a franchise. He is just as important as John Elway in making the Broncos one of the premiere franchises in the NFL. Bowlen always did what he could to keep the Broncos competitive and he was all about winning. He is responsible for providing me with all those great memories as a Broncos fan. I always used to say the Broncos are lucky to have someone like Bowlen as their owner. I think my favorite memory of Bowlen will always be when the Broncos won their first Super Bowl in January of 1998 over the Green Bay Packers, and Bowlen was finally awarded the Lombardi Trophy. He stood up there and said "This one's for John." He knew how important the Super Bowl was to Elway and he didn't want to take the spotlight away from him. That's the kind of owner he was. The best part was when Denver won Super Bowl 50 and Bowlen was not there because of his illness and Elway was presented with the Lombardi Trophy and said "This one's for Pat!" That was a fitting moment in Bowlen's legacy. Rest In Peace Pat Bowlen. The Broncos and their fans were lucky to have you as an owner, and you will never be forgotten.