As we embark upon what is, at least in my opinion, the greatest weekend in sports, we have the best slate of Divisional Round match ups that I can remember in years. Both NFC games are virtual toss ups that I don’t think will be decided until the final minutes. In the AFC, while I don’t think the games have as good a chance of being competitive, we get to watch two legendary QB’s, and we should cherish it, because we may not get many more opportunities see them in the playoffs again. It’s been a few years since we had a truly memorable or great Divisional Round weekend, and I think we just may be in store for that this time around. Onto my predictions

Ravens at Broncos

The Broncos are the hottest team in the league. They’ve rolled off 11 wins in a row, the first time they’ve done that since 1998, which just so happens to be the last time Denver won the Super Bowl. They face off at home against a team that, at least for me, is kind of hard to gauge. The Ravens got off to a solid start, beginning the season 9-2 before dropping 4 of their last 5 to finish a mediocre 10-6. They have a quarterback who, believe it or not, now possess 6 wins in the playoffs, which is more wins than either Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees have had in the playoffs. Even with leading his team to 5 consecutive playoff appearances and winning 6 playoff games, Joe Flacco rarely looks like a consistent top tier QB. The only playoff game I recall him impressing me was last years AFC Title Game.

This game seems like an easy call, the Broncos are the hotter team, they have the better quarterback, they’re at home, and they just whipped these guys a few weeks ago in Baltimore. Manning’s past playoff performances do leave me with some concern, he’s gone one and done an unthinkable 7 times in his career, and the Ravens have obvious playoff experience. However, after everything Manning’s gone through this season, with all the neck surgeries, switching teams, and having one of the greatest seasons of his career, I just don’t see him not coming out with a masterful performance.

Broncos 34 Ravens 14

Packers at 49ers

The best game of the weekend slate featuring two teams that completely expected to be playing deep into January. You have the 49ers, a whisker away from making the Super Bowl last year, with coach Jim Harbaugh making an incredibly ballsy move benching Alex Smith, who was having a productive year, for who was essentially an unproven QB in Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick has played very well this year, giving the 49ers offense a more explosive element. Meanwhile, the Packers come in just two years removed from winning it all and featuring the QB who I feel has been the best in the league over the past two seasons. As much as there is to like about the 49ers, there is some cause for concern. They’re starting a QB who has never played in a playoff game before, and their defensive anchor Justin Smith, arguably more important than Patrick Willis, will not be at full strength.

With all the rule changes we’ve seen in the NFL, this is clearly a quarterback run league. You can see it with which teams have won the past 9 Super Bowls, and you can see it this weekend, with once again the top QB’s favored to win the Super Bowl again. As good as the 49ers are, even though they are at home and they beat Green Bay earlier this year, I just cannot go against Aaron Rodgers, in a game this close I feel you just have to go with the team with the better QB.

Packers 24 49ers 20

Seahawks at Falcons

Even if you factor in Denver’s 11 game winning streak, I feel the hottest team in football is the Seahawks. They’ve won 6 games in a row, averaging an unheard of 24 point margin of victory during their win streak. They make their second straight east coast trip, this time down to Atlanta to take on a Falcon team that, suffice to say, has a bit of pressure on them to win this weekend. While every team has pressure to win this time of year, especially home teams, you’ll be hard pressed to remember the last time a team will face as much pressure to win as the Falcons do this Sunday. The Matt Ryan/Mike Smith era Falcons have gone 0-3 in the playoffs, including two embarrassing routs the past two seasons. Atlanta finds themselves as the one seed once again, but they are getting no breaks this weekend taking on a surging Seattle team that just has that feel of a championship contender.

The majority of the public loves Seattle this week, they’re the hotter and even arguably the better team, and I guess no one really trusts Matt Ryan and co. to come through with a playoff win yet. I expect this to be a low scoring, very competitive game that will come down to the final minutes. While you’d figure the Falcons would just be due for their playoff breakthrough, I don’t see it happening this weekend. I think Seattle will be the looser, more confident team, and I just feel like we’re due to have a Fail Mary rematch in the NFC Championship Game. Don’t say I didn’t warn you when ESPN bombards you with 500,000 replays in the upcoming week.

Seahawks 20 Falcons 17

Texans at Patriots

Like the other AFC game, this one figures to not be too competitive either. The Texans have looked rather mediocre since Thanksgiving, and they won in completely unconvincing fashion over a totally non-threatening Bengals team that, in my opinion, is not even close to being a Super Bowl contending team. Then you have New England coming off another stellar regular season that saw them crack the 500 point barrier for the 3rd year in a row, matching the Greatest Show on Turf Rams for the all time record. Their 3 Super Bowls that everyone associates with New England are now in reality several years ago, and they’re coming off of several disappointing and heartbreaking postseason defeats. Since their last Super Bowl win, Brady and the Pats are almost mirror images of those underachieving Peyton Manning led Colts teams, the ones that would rack up double digit wins and lead the league in scoring, then come out, lose to an underdog opponent in the playoffs and see their offensive production drop significantly.

With that said, there are several promising signs for the Patriots this weekend. For one, the Giants didn’t make the playoffs, which I know must have been a relief to at least a few Pats fans, and second, New England just stomped this team around a month ago. I expect the Pats to win quite comfortably on Sunday and advance to their 7th AFC Title game in the Brady/Belichick era. I feel for Houston to win this is a game where everything has to fall exactly right for them, and with the way they’ve played recently, especially Matt Schaub, I have a hard time seeing Houston truly testing the Patriots this weekend. It just feels like we’re in store for one last Brady-Manning postseason showdown in what would be an epic AFC Championship Game matchup.

Patriots 31 Texans 14

After clinching the AFC West against the Bucs, the Broncos had a short week to celebrate and rest, as they had to travel to Oakland to take on the Raiders on Thursday night. But just like the previous 7 games, the result was the same, Denver walked off the field with a victory. The Broncos beat Oakland 26-13 to win their 10th game of the year and their 8th game in a row. Now, depending on the outcome of the Monday Nighter between New England and the Texans, the Broncos could find themselves in position for a first round bye.

Denver made quick work of taking their inferior opponent out of the game early, as on their opening possession of the game, the Broncos hit paydirt. Manning and the offense converted 3 3rd downs and Peyton finished off the drive with a 6 yard strike to Joel Dressen, giving Denver an early 7-0 advantage. The defense forced a Raider third and out, giving the Broncos the ball right back. Denver drove inside the Raider 20 on the ensuing possession, but a sack on third down forced the Broncos to settle for a Matt Prater field goal to extend the lead to 10. The Raiders nearly struck back, as Carson Palmer hit Rod Streader on a 58 yard hook up, setting Oakland up at the Denver 20. On the next play however, Palmer would get picked by Champ Bailey at the goal line, snuffing out the Raiders scoring chance, preserving Denver’s lead at 10 after one.

The Bronco offense was still in a grove in the 2nd, as Denver once again marched inside the Raider 20, but once again would have to settle for another field goal, extending their lead to 13. Denver’s D forced another Oakland 3 and out, and Manning had the offense on the move once again. Just when it looked like the Broncos were going to really break the game open, Manning’s pass in the end zone was picked off, preventing Denver from putting a real stranglehold on the game. The Raiders finally put a consistent drive together, putting together an epic 14 play, 80 yard drive that Darren McFadden concluded with a 6 yard reception, turning what at one point looked like a blow out into a 13-7 ballgame at intermission.

Oakland got the ball to start the second half, but the Bronco D forced another Raider punt, this time pinning Denver inside their own 10. After two long strikes to each of Manning’s two favorite targets, Demaryious Thomas and Eric Decker, a Raider pass interference call brought the ball all the way to the one. However, Denver could not punch it in, and they had to settle for a short field goal, giving themselves a 9 point lead but keeping Oakland in the game. The Raiders next possession is where the game would effectively be decided. On 3rd down Palmer was sacked and stripped by who else but Von Miller, and Denver recovered at the Oakland 2. This time the Broncos would not be denied, as Knowshon Moreno ran it in from a yard out, putting Denver up 23-7. The Raiders were once again forced to to go 3 and out, and the offense would be on the move once again on their ensuing possession. The Broncos went inside the Raider 20 yet again, but were forced to settle for another field goal, this one Matt Praters 4th, to push their lead to 19.

The 4th quarter didn’t see anything too significant, only Palmer’s deep bomb to Darrius Heyward-Bey providing anything of note. After a failed two point conversion, the lead would be cut to 13, where it would remain at games end. For my player of the game, it goes to possible DPOY candidate Von Miller, who had that game changing sack and strip in the 3rd to ensure a Bronco victory. The Broncos face a huge test next week, as they head to Baltimore with a possible first round bye on the line against the Ravens.

The Broncos clinched their second consecutive AFC West Championship on Sunday, as they held off a Tampa Bay rally to win 31-23, making it 7 wins in a row for Denver. Unlike last year, when the Broncos lost 3 straight to finish 8-8 and clinched due to a Raider loss, the Broncos this year wrapped up the division after only 12 games, which is a testament to not only the impact of Peyton Manning, but how simply atrocious the rest of the division has been.

After a Buccaneer punt to open the game, Manning and the offense made quick work of the Tampa defense, as after a Ronde Barber pass interference kept the drive alive, Peyton hit defensive lineman Mitch Unrein from one yard out to give the Broncos an early touchdown advantage. The Bucs managed a short field goal to cut the deficit to 4, and after a Bronco punt, Josh Freeman hit Mike Williams for 40 yards, setting Tampa up in Bronco territory. Freeman finished off the drive by hooking up with one of Manning’s former favorite targets, former Colt tight end Dallas Clark to give the Bucs their first lead of the game at 10-7, which is where the score would stand after one. The second quarter was a series of defensive domination and punting, as neither offense was able to get untracked, and the game went into intermission with the Bucs still up by 3.

The third quarter is where the Broncos would take the game by the throat and dominate. After punts by both teams to start the second half, a nifty Trindon Holliday punt return set the Broncos up with the ball in Buccaneer territory. Manning and co. made quick work of the short field, as Manning hit Demaryious Thomas with an 8 yard strike, regaining the lead for Denver. After forcing a 3 & out, the Bronco offense picked up where it left off, as Manning again hit Thomas for the second time in the quarter to give Denver an 11 point edge. Two plays later, while facing heavy pressure Freeman was picked off by Von Miller, who took it 26 yards to the house for his first career touchdown, blowing the game open and giving the Broncos a commanding 18 point lead. Just like that, in 5:30 of game play, Denver saw it’s 10-7 deficit turn into a 28-10 advantage. The defense went right back to work, as they got the Bucs off the field without allowing a first down for the 4th consecutive possession, and just went it looked like the Broncos were able to really pour it on, Manning threw a terrible, wobbly pass into triple coverage, giving very slight life back to Tampa Bay.

The Bucs capped off their first drive of the 4th with a field goal, which the Denver offense matched on their next possession, retaining their lead of 18 points. After holding the Bucs off on 4th down, the Broncos got great field position inside the Bucs 40, but the offense went 3 & out and Matt Prater missed from 47 yards out. The Bucs added another field goal, this time on a 55 yarder from Connor Barth, his second of the quarter from 50 yards out, to trim the Bronco lead to 15. The Broncos tried running the clock out, but had to give it back to the Tampa offense, which responded with a touchdown to turn what was once a blowout into a 31-23 ballgame. The suspense was short lived however, as the Broncos recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock, locking up their 9th win of the season.

Due to the patheticness of the rest of the division, Denver became one of three teams to have locked up their division already. As for my players of the game, I’m giving out two game balls. My first one goes to Demaryious Thomas, who continued his impressive season with 8 receptions, 99 yards, and 2 touchdowns. My next one goes out to Von Miller, who legitimized his Defensive Player of the Year candidacy with another game changing performance, recording 5 tackles, a sack, and a pick six for his first career TD. The Broncos don’t get much time to rest or celebrate, as they travel to Oakland to take on the Raiders on Thursday night.

It was far from a stellar performance, and at times it was pretty ugly as the Broncos pulled out a win against arguably the worst team in football. But a win’s a win, and Denver won’t make any apologize’s for getting a W in this league. The Broncos improved to 8-3 on the year, and with the Chargers finding another incredible way to lose yesterday, Denver has all but wrapped up the AFC West at this point.

The game was a struggle right off the bat on Kansas City’s first possession. Denver nearly forced a turnover, but a fumble recovery was overturned by officials, retaining possession for the Chiefs. The KC offense drove inside the Bronco 20, but on third down an ill advised Peyton Hillis to Brady Quinn play call ended the drive, forcing the Chiefs to settle for 3. Disaster almost started Denver’s opening possession, as Manning threw an interception on third down; however, just like the on the previous drive, the turnover was overturned, and the Bronco offense started the game with a three and out. Javier Arenas gave a solid punt return of 20 yards to give KC great field position as the Chief offense began the drive from inside Denver’s 40. KC drove the ball inside the 10, but on a big third and goal, the Denver D held the Chiefs out of the end zone, keeping the deficit at just 6 points. Manning and the offense tried to answer with a score on their own on their next drive, but Matt Prater pushed his kick wide right, and Denver was trailing 6-0 after one.

After a Chiefs 3 and out, Manning heaved a deep ball for Eric Decker, but Brandon Flowers came up with the pick, snuffing out another Denver possession. After keeping the Chiefs next drive alive with a 4th down penalty, KC was in scoring range again, but on third down, Wesley Woodyard sacked Brady Quinn, pushing the Chiefs out of field goal range and forcing a punt. On the ensuing Bronco’s drive, after a Manning and Stokley 31 yard hook up, on 3rd and goal Manning hit Jacob Tamme to finally put the Broncos on the board, as well as give Denver it’s first lead of the afternoon, as at intermission they held a 7-6 advantage.

On their first drive of the second half, the Broncos seemed poised to add onto their lead, but Matt Prater clanked his 33 yard attempt off the left upright, his second miss of the game that kept the score at 7-6. On the Chiefs next drive, the KC offense faced a critical 4th and 1 from the Denver 31. Romeo Crennel opted to go for the field goal, which was converted, giving the Chiefs the lead back at 9-7. That lead would not last for long, as Manning found Demaryious Thomas to finish off Denver’s next drive to put the Broncos up by 5 entering the final quarter of play.

There wasn’t much that happened for most of the 4th quarter, as both teams combined for an astonishing 7 consecutive punts, something I thought would be unattainable in the current NFL. The final Bronco drive of the game would be the clincher, as Manning and co. went 68 yards in 12 plays, and most importantly, taking up over 6 minutes of critical time and adding a field goal to extend their lead to 17-9. The Chiefs never truly threatened to tie the game, and Denver walked out of Arrowhead Stadium with their 6th consecutive victory.

There’s really not much to say about this one, the Broncos were not on their A game, perhaps they were overlooking their dreadful opponent. But as all the elite teams have proven this year, including the 10-1 Texans and Falcons, every team has games like this, it’s just unavoidable. Tough to give out a game ball in an ugly performance like this, but I guess I’ll give shout outs to Demaryious Thomas, who had another solid game with a TD; and Knowshon Moreno, who filling in for the injured Willis McGahee churned out 85 yards on 20 productive carries. The Broncos host Tampa Bay next week in Denver, looking for their 7th win in a row

Denver went down to Carolina on Sunday and took care of business against an inferior opponent in Cam Newton and the Panthers, as John Fox gained a victory against his former team, where he previously spent nine seasons as the head coach. Manning turned in yet another 300 yard game, and the defense was dominating, sacking Newton seven times. Manning also threw his 420th career touchdown pass, tying him with Dan Marino for second all time; he’s still got a while to go however until he can catch Brett Favre, who sits at 508.

After punts by each team to start the game, Cam Newton and co. made quick work of the Bronco defense. After consecutive completions of over 20 yards, Newton found tight end Greg Olsen for a 4 yard score to give Carolina an early 7-0 advantage. After both teams punted again, Manning and the offense answered with a score of their own. After Peyton hit Demaryious Thomas with a 32 yard strike, he finished off the drive with a TD pass to Brandon Stokley to knot things up at 7 a piece.

After forcing a three and out, the Broncos began the second quarter with a bang, as Trindon Holliday found the end zone for the second week in a row, this time on a punt return, to put Denver up by 7. However, this play really shouldn’t have counted for a touchdown, since Holliday appeared to pull a Desean Jackson and let go of the ball just shy of the goal line. I don’t get it, how hard is it to hold onto the ball until you’ve reached the end zone? The rest of the 2nd quarter saw more Denver defensive domination, as well as a Matt Prater 53 yard field goal to give Denver a 17-7 lead into intermission.

After several punts to start the second half, on the Panther’s first play of their next drive, Newton was picked off by Tony Carter, who ran it 40 yards back for six to essentially put the game away and give Denver a commanding 24-7 lead. The rest of the quarter was again controlled by the defenses, as that 24-7 score remained entering the final quarter.

After a short field goal padded the Bronco lead to 20 points, the Panthers found themselves pinned deep in their own territory. Mike Adams sprung through and sacked Newton in the end zone, putting two more points on the board and giving Denver a 29-7 lead. After a Bronco punt, the Carolina offense was finally able to do something positive, as Newton found Olsen again near the goal line to cut the deficit to 15. After the Broncos recovered the ensuing onside kick, they made quick work of the short field, as backup running back Ronnie Hillman punched it in from 5 yards out to put Denver back up by 22. Rahim Moore capped off the tremendous defensive performance by picking off Newton, putting an emphatic stamp on a dominating performance.

The Broncos actually made things relatively easy on themselves yesterday, which has not been a consistent theme this season. As for my game ball, I think I have to give it to the entire Bronco defense. The numbers are simply astounding, just 250 yards allowed, less than 4 yards per play, 7 sacks, a safety, and a pick six. After this impressive performance, the Broncos head back to Denver to host the reeling Chargers. If Denver wins next week, as ridiculous as it sounds, barring any significant injuries, a victory on Sunday will wrap up their division before Thanksgiving.

That game was far from pretty, and as usual, the Broncos made it a lot harder on themselves than it should have been, but a win’s a win, and Bronco nation will take it. Denver pulled out a W in Cincinnati yesterday against a feisty Bengals squad to improve their record to 5-3 and remain in first place of the AFC West at the midpoint of the season; pretty much where everyone expected they’d be in early November. Manning broke Dan Marino’s record for career 4th quarter comebacks, notching his 48th in yesterdays win. Although for a while, it looked like the 4th quarter heroics wouldn’t be necessary.

After a slow first quarter that saw Denver take a 3-0 advantage, the Broncos responded to a short Bengals field goal with a score of their own, with Manning capping off the drive hitting his new favorite target Eric Decker with a 13 yard score to take a 10-3 lead. After 4 punts in a row by both teams, Mike Nugent missed a field goal at the gun to preserve the Denver lead at 10-3 going into the half.

Denver got the second half off to a rousing start, as Trindon Holliday ran the opening kickoff deep in the end zone and took it a Denver team record 105 yards for an exhilarating score, giving the Broncos a two touchdown edge just seconds into the 3rd quarter. Cincy responded right back, as A.J. Green beat Champ Bailey in the end zone to haul in a 10 yard strike from Andy Dalton to cut the deficit back to seven. Manning and the offense drove inside the Bengal’s 10 yard line on their next drive, and just when it looked like they were about to put the game away, Manning threw a shocking interception to Terrence Newman in the end zone; snuffing out a scoring opportunity and giving new life to the Bengals. Cincinnati added a field goal on their next drive, cutting the Bronco lead to four. On the ensuing kickoff, Lance Ball misplayed the ball, and ended up being touched down at the one yard line. On third down deep in their own territory, Manning threw a horrible pass that Newman caught for his second interception of the quarter. The Bengals took advantage of the gift field position, as Ben Jarvis Green-Ellis punched it in from the two to give Cincy a surprising 20-17 lead early in the 4th.

It seems like I write this every week, but it’s worth mentioning again, this Bronco team has a lot of fight in them, and seems to handle adversity very well. Yesterday’s game was no different. On a key 3rd and 3, Manning hit Decker for a 30 yard pick up to keep the drive alive. After a pass interference penalty in the end zone brought the ball to the goal line, Manning found Joel Dreessen for a 1 yard score to give the lead back to Denver. The Bengals self combusted on their next drive, committing three penalties that all wiped out first downs. On 3rd and 25, Dalton threw a pick to Bailey, his first of the year, to give Manning and co. great field position. The offense took care of the rest, as Manning hit Decker for his second score of the game, Manning’s third, to essentially put the game away and give the Broncos a 31-20 lead. The Bengals would tack on another field goal, but Denver recovered the onside kick to cap off a hard earned 31-23 victory.

It was far from pretty, but a win’s a win, and I’m sure the Broncos will take it. They just really could have made that one A LOT easier on themselves. I’ve got to give out a couple of game balls for their efforts yesterday. My first goes to Eric Decker, who’s continued his breakout season with an 8 catch, 99 yard, and 2 TD effort. While my other goes to budding star linebacker Von Miller, who took down Dalton 3 times yesterday. Denver takes their 5-3 record to struggling Carolina next week, to take on Cam Newton and the Panthers

The Broncos were doing it again. They were digging themselves into what seemed like an insurmountable hole against a top tier team on their way to a disappointing 2-4 record to start the season. Down 24 points at halftime, the Broncos stormed back with one of the greatest comebacks the NFL has ever seen. Denver cruised to a 35-0 second half advantage behind Peyton Manning’s arm and a very opportunistic defense; they’ve evened their record to 3-3 on the year, and now thanks to this comeback, own an early lead of first place in the AFC West.

After consecutive punts to start the game, the Chargers struck first blood with a Nick Novak field goal. On the ensuing kickoff, Oman Bolden lost the ball, giving great field position to the Chargers. Rivers and the offense made quick work of the gift, scoring in two plays on a Rivers to Gates TD strike to extend the lead to 10-0. After strong defensive play by both teams, the Broncos looked as though they were about to score their first points on the game on a long Manning strike to Eric Decker. However, Decker tripped himself up, turning what looked like was a sure TD into merely a long completion. Three plays later from the Charger 20, Manning threw a terrible pass that Quentin Jammer took all the way back 80 yards to put the Chargers in a commanding 17-0 lead. After the Broncos responded with a quick three and out, Rivers hit Gates for their second hook up of the half to cap off a dominant half of football, giving the Chargers a 24-0 lead at intermission.

As they’ve done all season long, the Broncos faced their humongous deficit head on, refusing to give up without a fight. Manning and the offense found the end zone for the first time all night on their opening possession, as Manning hit Demaryious Thomas for a 29 yard score to cut the Charger’s lead to 24-7. The Chargers drove into Denver territory on their next possession, and just when it looked like they were about to extend the lead, Elvis Dumervil sacked Rivers, who lost the ball, and Tony Carter scooped it up and ran it back for a 65 yard TD, making it a 10 point game, and suddenly making things a lot more interesting.

After the Denver defense forced a three and out, Manning and the offense went back to work. After converting a huge 3rd and 16, Manning found Decker for a 7 yard score, and just like that, San Diego’s lead was cut to just three. On the Chargers next possesion, Rivers was picked off by Tony Carter, who returned it 15 yards to midfield. At one point what had seen like an impossibility, the Broncos had a chance to take the lead. Manning finished off the next drive with his third score of the half, this on a sensational throw to old reliable Brandon Stokley, giving the Broncos their first lead of the game 28-24, and sending the entire Qualcomm stadium crowd into complete shock. The Broncos defense took care of the rest, as Chris Harris picked off Rivers two more times, including a 46 yard pick six dagger to cap off their incredible comeback, leaving the Chargers in ruins, and walking out of San Diego with a 35-24 triumph

An effort like this can’t only have one player receive a game ball. Three players get a game ball from last night’s epic comeback. One to Manning, who was brilliant in the second half, going 13/14 for 167 yards and 3 TD’s in the second half. The next one goes to Tony Carter, who had the game changing defensive TD and also added a pick. My final one goes to Chris Harris, who picked off Rivers twice, including one for the game clinching score

It seemed like Groundhog Day in Foxboro for Bronco players and fans alike, as for the third straight game against an elite opponent, Denver dug themselves into a deep hole, made a comeback, and once again saw it fall short. The Broncos fell to New England 31-21 on Sunday, dropping their record below .500 for the second time in this short season. The Broncos fell into a 31-7 hole that was just too large of a deficit to overcome against too good an opponent. Like in their past defeats, the Broncos made a valiant comeback attempt, but due to sloppy mistakes and turnovers (Willis McGahee, I’m looking at you), Denver could not get over the hump, and for the time being, can’t seem to get over the hump against the elite teams in the league.

Manning got the Broncos off to a good start, as he had the offense on the move on their opening possession. However, just like last week, a long Demaryious Thomas reception was once again coughed up and recovered by the opposing defense, snuffing out a great scoring opportunity to start the game. After consecutive punts, Brady and the Pats drew first blood, capping off an 84 yard drive with an 8 yard scoring strike to Wes Welker, who ended up having a big game. Manning and co. matched Brady’s score with one of their own, as Manning found Jacob Tamme from the one to tie the game at 7.  This is about as good as it would get for the Broncos, as the Pats marched right down the field on their very next possession, this time with Shane Vereen punching it in from one yard out. The Pats almost added another TD at the end of the half, but a brilliant stop by Von Miller forced the Pats to settle for a short field goal, as New England went into halftime with a 17-7 lead

The 3rd quarter is when the Pats for all intents and purposes put the game away. After consecutive punts by both teams, the Pats offense put together an incredible 16 play, 95 yard drive, which included an absurd 3rd and 17 conversion on a Danny Woodhead run, which Tom Brady concluded with a 1 yard sneak to extend the Patriots lead to 17. On Denver’s first play on their next possession, Manning was sacked and stripped, setting New England’s offense with gift field position. The Pats made quick work of Denver’s turnover, with Stevan Ridley finding paydirt from 8 yards out to give the Patriots a seemingly insurmountable 24 point lead

As much as you can criticize Denver for failing to show up against good teams, for which they do deserve all the criticism they get, you have to admire how the Broncos continually fight back. Manning finished off Denver’s next drive with his second TD pass of the game, this one on a nifty catch by Eric Decker, to cut the deficit to 31-14 at the close of the 3rd quarter. After forcing a New England punt, Manning and the offense had the ball at the New England 47 facing a 3rd and 1. After getting stuffed for no gain on 3rd down, Denver went for it on 4th; where Manning found a wide open Willis McGahee, only to see him commit one of the worst drops I think I’ve ever seen at an NFL level, stalling the Broncos and giving the ball back to New England. The Bronco’s defense stood strong after the miscue, as Elvis Dumervil and Wesley Woodyard sacked Brady and caused a fumble, which the Broncos recovered, giving Denver’s offense a short field to work with. Manning made quick work of New England’s D on the next possession, as he hit Brandon Stokley for his third score of the game, and with the score now at 31-21, we had a ballgame on our hands.

The Broncos defense came up huge again, as on the Patriots next possession Von Miller forced another Patriot fumble that Denver was able to recover, giving the Broncos a real shot at making this a one score game. Manning and the offense drove inside the 20, and just when it seemed like they were about to cut the deficit to single digits, McGahee coughed up the ball, as well as Denver’s chances for a comeback win. Manning fell to 4-9 career vs. his arch-rival, but through no fault of his own. Manning had another solid and productive game, throwing for nearly 350 yards and 3 TD’s, and in all honesty outplayed Brady on Sunday. It was just the same old formula that has plagued this team all season; fall into a ridiculous large hole against a good team, make a comeback, see it come up short. Lather, rinse, and repeat. Next weeks game in San Diego looms rather large now, as AFC West supremacy will be on the line Monday Night

After back to back losses against arguably the two best teams in football, and with a trip to New England looming next weekend, yesterday’s game against the Raiders was a must win for the Broncos, and win they did, in emphatic fashion. Denver stomped Oakland by 31 points yesterday, highlighted by a 27-0 2nd half destruction that brought the Bronco’s record to 2-2 at the quarter mark of the season. After two off games that had the critics questioning his arm strength, Peyton Manning had a remarkable day, torching the Raider secondary for 338 yards and 3 touchdowns. After throwing a career high 26 incompletions last week, Manning was much more efficient and accurate, letting only 8 of his passes hit the turf yesterday.

Manning and the offense got off to a hot start, as they started the game with a touchdown on their opening drive of the game, which included a 4th down conversion, and ended with a 22 yard Manning touchdown pass to Joel Dressen. After the Raiders responded with a field goal, Manning led the Broncos into the red zone once again, only this time, they were unable to convert a 1st and goal at the 4 into 7 points, and had to settle for a short Matt Prater field goal to extend their lead to 10-3.

After forcing an Oakland punt, Manning hit Demaryius Thomas for a 40 yard gain on 3rd down, but it was all for naught, as Thomas coughed up the ball and Oakland was there to recover. After another Raider punt, Denver once again drove into Oakland territory only to come away with no points. Facing a 4th and 1 at the Raider 36, the Bronco’s lined up for a 53 yard field goal attempt, but in an attempt at trickery, failed to convert after Matt Prater’s pass fell incomplete. I don’t mind trying to fake out the opposition, but when you only have to gain one yard, I don’t understand why you’d have your kicker attempt a pass. Poor play call in that situation. The Raiders ended the first half with another Janikowski field goal, and Denver went into the half with a slim 10-6 advantage.

From the second half kickoff on, it was all Denver. After the Raiders went three and out, the Denver offense went to work, capping off a 79 yard drive with Manning’s second TD pass of the day, this time to Eric Decker, to extend the Bronco lead to 11 points. After the defense forced another Oakland three and out, the David Bruton got a hand on Shane Lechlers punt, giving the Broncos a very short field to work with. Denver took full advantage, as Willis McGahee punched it in from 2 yards out to give the Broncos a 24-6 lead. The Broncos defense didn’t let up on the next drive, forcing the Oakland to punt again. The offense kept up the pace as well, as Manning finished off another touchdown drive with his 3rd TD of the game, this one to Lance Ball, as Denver finished off a dominating 3rd quarter with a 31-6 lead. Matt Prater added two field goals in the 4th, and the defense did the rest to close out a convincing 37-6 win over their divisional rivals.

For some perspective on how badly Denver outplayed Oakland in the 2nd half, just check out some of the numbers from the carnage. The Raiders got outscored 27-0, went 0-7 on third down compared to Denver’s exquisite 6-8, and were outgained 239-74 in yardage. My game ball for this week has to go to who else, but Mr. Manning, who was simply unstoppable yesterday, and was merciless in the 3rd quarter. The Raiders simply had no answer for Manning yesterday, and if he continues to play like that, the Broncos will be difficult to beat. My shout outs also go out to McGahee, who had a solid game, chipping in with over 130 total yards and a touchdown; and the Denver defense, who completely suffocated the Raider offense all day, making Carson Palmer and Darren McFadden total non factors.

Manning just might have to keep up the pace next week, as he faces lifetime rival Tom Brady for the 13th time in his career as the Broncos head up to New England for what should be an incredible game featuring endless hype

The Broncos once again got completely outclassed by one of the elite teams in the NFL through three quarters, only to see their furious late charge come up short, this time a 31-25 defeat at home to the Texans.

Yesterdays game, like last week against the Falcons, was not nearly as close as the score indicated. After a safety and a field goal staked Denver to an early 5-0 lead, the Texans went on a 31-6 tear, highlighted by Matt Schaub’s four touchdown strikes. The Bronco’s simply had no answer for the Texans explosive passing game, and Manning and the offense didn’t do nearly enough to soften the blow. “We have to learn from this game, address it, be honest, everybody needs to be accountable and try to improve forward,” said Manning. “It’s not the ideal situation. Everyone would love to be 3-0. That’s not the way it is right now.”

After that early 5-0 lead, the Bronco defense was helpless in stopping the Texans. Three plays into their second drive, the secondary was burnt by Andre Johnson for a 60 yard bomb to give Houston a lead they would never relinquish. After a sack on Manning ended Denver’s next possession, the Texans offense went back to work, finishing off a workman like 14 play, 98 yard, 7 minute drive that included four third down conversion with Schaub’s second score of the day, a 3 yard TD pass to Arian Foster. Things didn’t go any better for the Broncos; following a three and out, Schaub once again shredded Denver’s secondary, this time hooking up with Kevin Walter for a 52 yard score, and just like that, the lead ballooned to 21-5.

Denver had a great chance to answer that TD score with one of their own, but inside the ten the offense couldn’t find paydirt, and they were forced to settle for a short Matt Prater field goal. Towards the end of the half, Schaub made his only mistake of the game, throwing a pick to Wesley Woodyard, which Manning and co. converted into another Prater field goal to cut the lead to 21-11 heading into the second half.

The Texans defense put the clamps on Manning and the offense in the third, forcing Denver to punt on every 3rd quarter possession. After a Shayne Graham field goal on their second drive, the Texans all but put the game away on Schaub’s fourth touchdown of the game, with his 14 yard score to Owen Daniels giving the Texans a commanding 31-11 lead.

To their credit, the Broncos once again went down swinging. After Robert Ayers forced a Brandon Tate fumble, Manning hit former Colts teammate Brandon Stokley for a 38 yard score, cutting the deficit to 31-18. After forcing a punt, the offense went back to work, finishing the drive with Manning’s second touchdown of the quarter, as he hit Joel Dreeseen to cut Houston’s lead to just six. However, just like last week, the Bronco’s defense couldn’t make that one big stop to give Manning a reasonable shot to win the game. They gave up a big third down conversion to Andre Johnson, allowing the Texans to milk to clock all the way down to 20 seconds before stopping the Bronco’s last ditch effort.

While there isn’t much shame in losing back to back games to undefeated teams, the Broncos are now in early season desperation mode, and next weeks game against the Raiders has to be considered a must win