Denver Broncos: Embarassed at Home, Now Synonymous with “Collapse”

With their Mile High Magic and Mile High Mystique, the Denver Broncos were once a franchise synonymous with winning seasons and respect in the AFC. Those days feel farther away than ever in the Mile High City.

For the fourth straight year, the Broncos have gone home following their 16 game regular season.

For the third straight year they have failed to pass eight wins.

And, for the second straight year, they have been embarrassed in their final game, a game that has in both cases carried playoff implications.

The Denver Broncos that played today against the 3-12 Kansas City Chiefs looked unprepared and, for lack of a better term, downright bad.

This was quite similar to how last year’s Broncos looked in their final game against the San Diego Chargers.

Two years, different coaches, different core players, but the same result. The Denver Broncos had it all in front of them this season, and they let it all slip away, the same as they did last year.

Synonymous with “collapse.”

The 2009 Broncos fooled fans into believing that this year would be different. They started out 6-0, respected as one of the dominant teams in the AFC. It all fell apart after their week seven bye.

Losses to the Ravens, Steelers, Redskins, and Chargers put the Broncos into a dangerous tailspin. They were able to rebound with wins against the Giants and Chiefs, only to complete their collapse by “running the table” the wrong way.

After a loss to the Colts, the Broncos sat at 8-6 and in command of the AFC’s fifth seed. With games against the Raiders and Chiefs at home, they were fully expected to easily reach ten wins and walk into the postseason.

Needless to say, they did not. Amid the controversial benching of top receiving threats Brandon Marshall and Tony Scheffler, the Denver Broncos’ season went down in flames once again on Sunday. 

There will be many decisions to make this offseason, the least of which includes dealing with Brandon Marshall, as his troubled relationship with Josh McDaniels appears to have reached the boiling point.

There is nothing more to say about the 2009 season. The team will have to take what they can, having learned the hard way that it is rarely beneficial to peak in the first six weeks of the season.

They do have a relatively strong core of players and coaches, and now it is time to try once again to avoid yet another repeat in 2010.

For the sake of poetic justice and karma, Jay Cutler finished with seven wins, and can only dream about what might have been for him, had he stayed in Denver. 

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Swagger Regained, the Denver Broncos Must Step Up Once Again

44-13 over the Kansas City Chiefs. The way it should be.

With their four-game freefall and the depths of depression feeling far off, the Denver Broncos have now won two games in a row to move their record to 8-4.

They currently sit at the fifth seed in the AFC, occupying the first of two wild-card openings. They are second in the AFC West, behind the red-hot San Diego Chargers, winners of seven straight.

The final four weeks of the season will prove challenging for the Broncos, and they will need to continue playing at the level exhibited on Sunday in Kansas City.

First on the schedule is a trip to “the Oil Can” or Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the undefeated Indianapolis Colts.

The Denver pass defense will be put to the test by Peyton Manning and the extremely high-powered Colts offense. It will be imperative for the Broncos to keep pressure on Manning, and the defensive backs must continue the exceptional play they have shown over the past two games.

As the New England Patriots and Houston Texans have both demonstrated, no lead is safe when Manning and the Colts’ offense is on the opposite sideline, and the Broncos will have to score early and often to keep the pressure on for all 60 minutes.

If the Broncos end up on the short side of a relatively close game, it would be a respectable showing.

The following week, they must play the suddenly-upstart Oakland Raiders. With shocking last-second wins against the Bengals and Steelers, the Raiders have become a semi-legitimate opponent.

This will be a critical game for the Broncos, especially if they fall in Indy. A win at home against the Raiders would put the hypothetical record at 9-5, likely retaining the fifth seed.

Two days after Christmas, the Broncos will visit Philadelphia in Brian Dawkins’ much-anticipated homecoming. In a game that could go either way, the Broncos will need to play physical football and put pressure on Donovan McNabb.

If the Broncos are able to leave Philadelphia with a 10-5 record, both players and fans should be very proud of their team.

More importantly, the team would then have the opportunity to give some starters a much-needed rest during the regular season finale against the Chiefs.

The Denver Broncos have re-focused themselves, worked hard, and righted the ship. As bad as the four game losing streak felt, in hindsight it may have happened at exactly the right time.

Losing streaks that begin a season can be detrimental to team and fanbase morale, and losing streaks to finish the season can knock a competitive team out of the play-offs, a situation that is all too familiar in Denver.

Losing streaks that fall smack in the middle of the season, however, can be enough to force the players to “wake up” and refocus without damaging either morale or even play-off hopes.

The Denver Broncos have a very real shot at finishing the 2009 season with an 11-5 record, far better than anyone would give them credit for in the preseason.

With this in mind, it is time to once again step things up. Step up practicing, step up effort, step up with the leadership.

The time is now for this team to drive away the demons of last year and regain their status as one of the AFC’s strongest contenders, maybe even venturing to say “AFC’s elite.”

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There Is a Pulse in Denver: Broncos Finally Wake Up and Step Up

“Wake up and step up.”

A phrase that has defined the Denver Broncos since their Monday Night loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers three weeks ago.

It took them three weeks, but they finally did it. Going into a crucial primetime matchup with the New York Giants on Thanksgiving Night, the Broncos absolutely needed to win.

And, for the first time since mid-October, they did just that.

Just four short days ago, things looked bleak in Denver. The Broncos had lost four straight, the offense was hapless, and the defense tired. Brandon Marshall and Knowshon Moreno were fighting on the sideline.

It’s amazing how quickly things can change.

A short practice week and a game on Thursday night were just what the doctor ordered for the Broncos. There was no time to mope, as practice time was in short supply.

This is a young team with a young coach, both of whom needed the proverbial “fire” lit under them.

Josh McDaniels’ smack-talking incident with members of the San Diego Chargers may have been the perfect fire-starter.

When the coach makes a controversial move like that, especially following a loss, the players are more motivated to win, not just for themselves, but to protect their head man’s reputation and image.

Regardless of the motivation, the Broncos were able to wake up from their daze, regain some of their early-season swagger, and put a 26-6 beatdown on the Giants.

The Broncos played well in all phases of the game, and looked like the team that fans “knew and loved” through the first six weeks. They were able to repair the holes that had developed over the four-game skid.

The defense held New York to a mere 57 rushing yards, forced three turnovers, and sacked Eli Manning three times.

The Giants only managed one red zone trip the entire game, and scored only the two field goals. This is the same Giants offense that hung 456 total yards and 34 points on the Atlanta Falcons four days earlier.

The Broncos’ defensive effort set the tone for the entire game, and gave them confidence to open up the offense and once again take risks.

Elvis Dumervil was “back in the building” racking up two more sacks (he leads the league with 14) and forcing a fumble. His ability to pressure the quarterback is crucial to the success of the defense.

The Denver rushing attack finally got back into gear, as Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter teamed up to consistently put pressure on the Giants and keep the offense moving in the right direction.

Finally, Brandon Marshall’s performance cannot be overlooked. His play is critical to the offense, and he made two spectacular catches.

Those kinds of catches help boost confidence for both Orton and McDaniels, which will ultimately lead to more aggressive play calling—something the Broncos undoubtedly need.

In the end, though, the Broncos won the game they absolutely had to win. At 7-4, they now have nine days before they travel to Kansas City to take on the “streaking” Chiefs.

With last season’s Kansas City trip in mind, the Broncos must not overlook the 3-7 Chiefs.

At this point, they need as many wins as possible in order to either beat out the Chargers in the West or obtain a Wild Card spot in the competitive AFC.

Ancient Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu once said, “A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.”

The Denver Broncos took their first step. They look to be back on track. Now it is time to buckle down and, ultimately, win.

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More Than a Tailspin: The Denver Broncos Are Now in an All Out Free-Fall

It’s official. The floodgates have opened. The Denver Broncos‘ three game tailspin is over. It’s now a full on free-fall.

Today’s 32-3 pounding at home to the rival San Diego Chargers is the fourth consecutive loss for the Broncos, and none of those games have really been close.

The Broncos are being dominated on offense, and their once vaunted defense is struggling to keep up. To their credit, they have been putting in their best effort, as they held the Chargers to only three touchdowns on seven red zone trips.

It has now been clearly established that Chris Simms is incapable of competing in the NFL anymore. A once viable starter for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Simms was nearly killed three years ago when his spleen was ruptured in a game against the Carolina Panthers.

Simms was signed by the Broncos this offseason to be the primary backup and played well in preseason. However, in nearly four quarters of regular season action, Simms has failed to produce, totaling five completions on 17 attempts for a total of 23 yards, an interception, and a lost fumble.

The situation became so bad that Josh McDaniels was forced to put the injured Kyle Orton into the game late in the second quarter, as the Simms-led offense was going nowhere.

Orton and the offense showed signs of life for a short period of time just before halftime, as Orton executed two nice passes to Jabar Gaffney and Brandon Marshall to get to the San Diego four yard line. However, Knowshon Moreno fumbled at the goal line and killed the drive.

The Broncos look like a shell of the team that was once flying high at 6-0 going into their bye week. At 6-4 they are now one game behind San Diego in the AFC West race and are right in the middle of the wild card race.

Despite having a respectable record, there is very little to be respected in this Broncos team.

The lack of commitment to the ground game, the frustrating predictability of the play calling, and bad fundamentals make the Broncos look like the team people thought they would be going into the season.

After being blown out by Baltimore and Pittsburgh, the team was still capable of getting back on their feet, but the ensuing loss to Washington and the injury to Orton put them in an uphill battle. This loss only makes the hill steeper.

The Monday night win in San Diego seems distant and the days of a potent offense and lights-out defense are quickly fading.

With a short week and a date on Thanksgiving Night Football this Thursday against the Giants, the Broncos will get another opportunity to snap out of this free-fall.

The outcome of Thursday’s game could very well be the difference between hanging in the AFC playoff race and quietly “slipping” under the proverbial water.

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After Inexcusable Loss, Reeling Broncos Must Put Up or Shut Up

This was the game they couldn’t lose.

The 6-2 Broncos against the 2-6 Washington Redskins. The Redskins were thought to be a well-established “trainwreck.” An incompetent owner, a terrible offense, a confused coach, and an angry fan base made Washington the laughing stock of the NFC East.

And what did the Denver Broncos do? They went into the Nation’s Capital, and lost to them.

The Denver Broncos lost by ten points to the Washington Redskins. Inexcusable.

There are plenty of excuses. Kyle Orton was knocked out of the game after Redskins defensive end Brian Orakpo tackled him by the ankle.

In the second quarter, the Redskins lined up for a field goal, then went into punt formation, and then punter Hunter Smith threw the ball 35 yards downfield to the fullback for a touchdown. The Denver special teams were taken completely by surprise and had no answer for the trick play.

Chris Simms came in for Orton to start the second half and played “like crap” for lack of a better term. In two quarters of play, he made three completions on 13 pass attempts for a pitiful 13 yards and an interception to DeAngelo Hall.

On the bright side of things, the offense came out gunning in the first quarter.

Kyle Orton and Josh McDaniels had been heavily criticized for playing a conservative offense devoid of the “big play.” Determined to change that, Orton connected with Brandon Marshall on two big plays of 40 and 75 yards, showing that this tandem is capable of stretching the field.

However, the once-vaunted defense looked soft. The Redskins were playing without star running back Clinton Portis, and the banged-up Ladell Betts ran on the Denver defense 26 times for 114 yards and a late touchdown that put the ‘Skins up for good.

The statistics speak for themselves. The intangibles are what make this loss more distressing for the Broncos and their fans.

Denver is now 0-3 after the bye week. Over that week off, the rest of the league caught up to the them, and they have been unable to make any adjustments to regain their edge.

The cold reality of the NFL has now set in for Josh McDaniels. It’s nice to start 6-0, but it will mean nothing if this team misses the playoffs. Still haunted by their three-week meltdown last December, the time for this team to be kicked in their rear-ends is now.

This cannot continue. They had a chance to rebound and they let it slip away. Orton needs to be healthy for next week’s game against the Chargers.

Pending their game with the Eagles today, the Chargers and Broncos could be tied for the AFC West lead going into that game. The desperate struggle keeping this sinking ship afloat has begun.

The season is not lost by any means, but it is now going fast, and it’s time for the Broncos to “put up or shut up.”

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It’s Time for the Denver Broncos to Wake Up and Step Up…or Just Shut Up

This is the worst a 6-2 record has ever felt.

To most teams in the NFL, entering week 10 at 6-2 is impressive and promising. For the Denver Broncos of 2009, it feels like a recipe for disaster.

If you’ve been following football this season, you’ll know that the Denver Broncos were everyone’s biggest surprise entering their bye week at 6-0. Many analysts even predicted an insulting 3-13 record for the squad.

The Broncos were riding a wave of adrenaline and energy, mixed with some luck and some big-time play from just about everyone on the roster.

Unfortunately though, every wave eventually “breaks.” It happened to the 2007 Patriots at the most inauspicious of times, Super Bowl 42. And then, in week 8 of 2009, it happened for the Broncos.

The energy ran out over the bye week. The edge that Josh McDaniels, Mike Nolan, and the Broncos coaching staff had over the competition went dull.

The Broncos got exposed by the Ravens and then by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Suddenly, the offense couldn’t put up any points. The revitalized defense, although putting in their best effort, spent far too much time on the field.

During the second half of their Monday Night game against Pittsburgh, the Broncos offense held the ball for six minutes. That means the defense was on the field for roughly 24 game minutes.

People who want to assign blame might point fingers at Kyle Orton, who threw three interceptions, two of which came at critical points in the game. They might point fingers at McDaniels, who clearly has not prepared his players well enough for these past two games.

While we’re at it, why not point fingers at newly-acquired punter Mitch Berger, who averaged a pitiful 33.4 yards on seven punts.

As good as it may feel to make someone the “goat,” this recent slide is no individual’s fault. Orton needs a running game to be successful in the system. He does not have the arm strength or poise to beat a team like the Steelers on his own.  

He has thrived in the system that McDaniels has implemented for him. But this system includes a running game, and 27 total yards on the ground is not a “running game.”

It’s time for this team to show what they are really made of. Is this the year they return to being legitimate contenders, or is it yet another strong start that quickly turns into a desperate attempt to bail out a sinking ship?

And, don’t look now, but the Chargers and their ever-despisable quarterback Philip Rivers are one game back.

The veteran leadership is there. Brian Dawkins, Champ Bailey, and even newly acquired nickelback Ty Law have all been here before. They need to be talking to the rookies and younger players to keep their spirits up.

Luckily for this team, they have an opportunity to get back on track against the Washington Redskins next weekend, one of the clear-cut ” train wrecks” of the NFL.

The Denver schedule is such that they do not get too many breaks. It is imperative to take this one and capitalize on it, because the following week in “Charges” San Diego.

The Broncos are not dead. They are 6-2, and we have seen what they’re capable of. They’ve beaten the New England Patriots, the Dallas Cowboys, and those Chargers.

This is a good team that has lost track of who they are, and have fallen out of rhythm. They were riding a wave, it broke, and now they’re stuck somewhere in between. But great teams find a way to get back up, find another wave and take it for all it’s worth.

They’ve felt winning and now they’ve felt losing. Now they know that winning doesn’t come that easily in the NFL.

It’s time to wake up, and it’s time to step up.

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Broncos-Browns: Firing on All Cylinders, Denver Rolls Over Cleveland

And the streak rolls onward to nine.

The Denver Broncos have now beaten the Cleveland Browns in their last nine meetings.

The game began with legendary Broncos tightend Shannon Sharpe parachuting into the stadium. Sharpe was officially inducted into the team Ring of Fame today.

Also worthy of note, the Broncos won their tenth straight home opener, and have now started 2-0 for the third straight season.

Today’s win, 27-6 over the Browns, was an outstanding team effort by all members of the Broncos. Everyone did their job, and the team looked very impressive playing in front of it’s fans at Invecso Field.

The game opened with a disastrous play, during which Peyton Hillis fumbled (and lost) the kickoff and gave Cleveland excellent starting field position. However, the Broncos defense held fast, and forced the Bronwns to settle for a field goal.

After a Broncos three-and-out gave Cleveland the ball, newly acquired linebacker Darrell Reid was able to recover a Brady Quinn fumble, giving the Broncos excellent field position. Kyle Orton capitalized with a nice two yard touchdown pass to tight end Tony Scheffler.

The rest of the first half was uneventful, with the Broncos adding three more points on a Matt Prater field goal.

The second half opened with the Broncos defense making more big plays.

Elvis Dumervil tackled Browns wideout Joshua Cribbs and forced a fumble that was recovered by Brian Dawkins. The Broncos were able to capitalize with another Prater field goal.

The Broncos entered the fourth quarter up 13-6, but were not done by any means. The offense was ready for their “best quarter” of the young season.

On a second down and eight from the Denver 49-yard line, Kyle Orton hit Jabar Gaffney on a deep-out route. Gaffney ran away from the defenders and sprinted all the way to the two yard line. Peyton Hillis then bull-rushed his way into the endzone to put Denver up 20-6.

After another Browns three-and-out, Correll Bucklhalter put the game out of reach. Taking a handoff at midfield, Buckhalter ran easily into the secondary, where he put a beautiful move on two defenders.

He had to stiff-arm and fight cornerback Eric Wright for the final five yards, but was able to make it into the endzone, putting the game away for the Broncos.

Brady Quinn’s final, last ditch effort pass was intercepted by rookie safety Darcel McBath.

This game, in addition to being another solid Denver win, was a very promising sign for fans. The Broncos defense turned in a lights-out performance, holding the Browns to just 11 first downs and 200 net yards on offense.

On the other side, the Broncos offense woke up in a big way, tallying 449 net yards of offense.

Elvis Dumervil had a career day, getting to Quinn for four sacks and forcing a fumble.

The Denver rushing attack also looked excellent. Correll Buckhalter led the way with nine touches for 76 yards, including the big 4th quarter run. He was followed by rookie Knowshon Moreno (17 for 75 yards) and LaMont Jordan (seven for 19 yards).

Kyle Orton also had a solid day, finishing 19 for 37 with 263 yards and a touchdown. He has yet to throw an interception.

The Denver offensive line did not allow any sacks.

Overall, today was a very good day in Broncos Country. The defense backed up last week’s performance and showed that they might just be “the real deal”. Mike Nolan’s defensive playcalling was excellent once again.

The offense made up for last week’s sluggish start, and the team looks confident and ready.

Coupled with a Chargers loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the Broncos now sit alone atop the AFC West.

Next Sunday, the team will travel to Oakland to take on an improved Raiders team. It is very important for the Broncos to open the season 3-0, and they will work all week to accomplish that goal.

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

Broncos-Bengals: Denver’s Defense Shines and Stokley Saves the Day

The Denver Broncos entered their week one game against the Cincinnati Bengals trying to leave a tumultuous offseason behind. They absolutely succeeded.

With what seemed like the world (minus their fans) hoping to see them be blown out, the Broncos stepped up and delivered for their fans. 

The analysts said that the Broncos defense was still terrible, and would be “lit up” by Carson Palmer, Chad Ochocinco, and the rest of the Bengals offense.

Cincinnati did not score a point for the first 59 minutes and 19 seconds of the game.

The defensive line that “did not do nearly enough to improve itself over the offseason” racked up three sacks of Palmer, all by new acquisitions.

Andra Davis, Darrell Reid, and defensive captain Mario Haggan all got to Palmer.

Champ Bailey showed that he is still the best cornerback in the NFL, holding Ochocinco to 89 yards on 5 catches, and putting himself in position to perfectly read a route and tip a pass that would be intercepted by linebacker Wesley Woodyard.

Not surprisingly, Brian Dawkins led the defense with seven tackles and four assists.

The Broncos’ unit held the Bengals to only 86 yards rushing, and stepped up on third down, as Cincinnati converted only five of 15 opportunities.

In the first quarter, in a stunning repeat of the snowy game in Denver two years ago, the Cincinnati holder missed a snap on what would have been an easy field goal. The ball bounced to midfield where it was recovered by the Broncos.

As good as the Denver defense looked, the offense was equally mediocre. Kyle Orton did not complete a pass until there was 1:20 left in the first quarter, when he completed a short pass to Brandon Marshall.

The Broncos were forced to punt eight times, and the offense was not very efficient.

Orton showed flashes of brilliance, including a perfect 21-yard strike to Jabar Gaffney who was wide open. Orton finished the day 17/28 for 243 yards, one touchdown, and most importantly, no interceptions.

The rushing duties were split by Correll Buckhalter and Knowshon Moreno, with each player getting eight touches. Buckhalter led the team with 46 yards rushing.

Kicker Matt Prater turned in a stellar performance, hitting big field goals from 48 and 50 yards out with perfect accuracy.

The real drama came half way through the final quarter. Denver led 6-0, and was forced to punt the ball away with 6:29 left in the game.

The defense, which had held fast all afternoon, was finally overpowered as the Bengals put up an impressive 11-play, 90-yard drive to score on a Cedric Benson run with just 41 seconds left to play.

Down by one point, backed up to their own 13 yard line, things did not look good for the Broncos.

But, after holding the lead all afternoon, this team was not about to be let down in the final minute.

Orton attempted a pass to Marshall, who could not make the catch. On the next play, with just 28 seconds left, Orton attempted another deep pass to Marshall, but it was tipped high in the air by cornerback Leon Hall.

That is when something truly magical happened.

Veteran slot receiver Brandon Stokely was in perfect position to catch the ball as it came down. With no defenders around him, he did, and took off down the field.

Stokely sprinted 87 yards all the way to the Cincinnati “inch” line and tiptoed along in an effort to “waste” as much time off the clock as possible before stepping into the endzone to the elation of Broncos fans everywhere.

The two-point conversion attempt failed, however with only five seconds remaining, Carson Palmer had no choice but to throw a desperation pass that was intercepted by tight end Tony Scheffler, of all people, to end the game. 

The Denver Broncos return home 1-0, with rookie head coach Josh McDaniels kicking off his tenure with the team on a very high note.

The Broncos can use this energy to prepare themselves for their home opener against the Cleveland Browns next Sunday.

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The Denver Top Five: Preseason Edition

Looking at a NFL preseason roster, one can get lost in the sea of names, numbers, experience levels, and statistics. A preseason roster is full of guys vying for a roster spot come the regular season. It has superstars, career-backups, and rookie prospects hoping to make a name for themselves.
I have decided to sort through the plethora of orange names on the Broncos’ online roster and pick the five best players.
“Best” can be a very subjective word. I wanted to choose the five players that I think, a) have the most raw talentl, b) have lived up to their potential so far in their careers, and c) are likely to have outstanding seasons in 2009.
While the players who made the list may not surprise a Bronco fan, the order might. So, without further ado, the top five Broncos in 2009.

Begin Slideshow

Madden NFL ’10 Rankings: An Insult to Many Denver Players

Each August, EA Sports releases it’s annual edition of the well-known Madden franchise.

Madden has long been regarded as the best NFL video game out there, in many ways simply because it has been the only game that includes rosters of real players for a number of years now.

Each edition includes updated “ratings” for players and teams.

Each player is given an overall rating on a scale of 0—100, which is complied using more specific rankings of various skills.

Common skills include speed, acceleration, awareness, and strength, as well as specific skills for each position. For example, a cornerback is rated on his “shutdown” ability and a linebacker is rated on his “big hit” ability.

These numbers, especially for rookies, are almost entirely subjective. Real NFL statistics do not play an important role in determining ratings.

That means the developers and analysts who work for EA are the ones dishing out the ratings. That fact has led to some insulting results, in the eyes of a Broncos fan.

For starters, the Broncos received a team rating of 70. The offense alone is rated at a very respectable 88. While many fans would argue for at least a 90, 88 is acceptable.

The defense, on the other hand, is given a lowly 62, above only the Chiefs, Rams, and Lions. Back in grade school, that would translate to a D.

Champ Bailey is fairly ranked second among corner backs with a 96. He is the highest-rated Bronco.

On the other end, Matt Prater is insulted with a rating of 58. The EA developers essentially gave him a big fat F as an NFL kicker.

The majority of the team is underrated across the board, but no group so much as the offensive line.

The Denver offensive line was regarded as the premier group of the NFL in 2008. Jay Cutler was sacked merely eleven times…in over 600 pass attempts.

If there was one player who absolutely held down the line, it was Ryan Clady.

Clady had an outstanding season, absolutely shutting down the likes of Julius Peppers, John Abraham, Luis Castillo, and Derrick Burgess.

For these efforts, EA rewarded him with a ranking of 88, good for 12th among left tackles.

In comparison, Joe Thomas is the top rated at the position, followed by the likes of Jordan Gross, Jason Peters, Matt Light, and Jake Long.

Although these are all very respectable linemen, quite honestly they are not on the same level as Clady.

When the camera was focused on him, fans could see the opposing lineman or linebacker attempt to bull rush Clady, be knocked back, then attempt a spin move, only to be overpowered and fall to the turf.

That is the mark of a dominant left tackle, not a B+ left tackle.

As for the rest of the offensive line, Ryan Harris receives a 73, Chris Kuper a 78, Casey Wiegmann an 87, and Ben Hamilton an 81.

No player on the offensive line is graded above B+, and Ryan Harris, one of the better right tackles in the game, has a lowly C—.

In retrospect, none of this really matters. We, as fans, know that Clady and the offensive line will continue to be the best. Matt Prater will continue to improve, and the Broncos may surprise a lot of doubters around the NFL this season.

Although they might not be the best group of guys to play as against your friends on your Xbox, they might be a great team to watch in real life.

The EA ratings do not really matter, however it would be nice for Bronco fans to be able to see their favorite players perform as they actually do when they are playing a video game.

Kind of like how Patriots fans are treated to a team ranked 92 overall that will dominate any Madden online match-up.

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