The questions definitely made me laugh….Well done.

As for the answer, I asked Broncos fans that exact same thing when the original comments about Elway came out. The poll results may surprise you — Cutler/Elway Poll

Honestly, who knows. The Broncos have been really good at times, really bad at others. They have 3 loses to teams(Chiefs, Raiders, Jags) that have a combined 6-26 record against the rest of the NFL while also having 3 wins against teams(Bucs, Falcons, Jets) with a combined 25-8 record against the rest of the NFL. What it shows is the Broncos can beat anyone when they play well, at home or on the road. It also says the Broncos aren’t good enough to just show up and beat anyone, no matter how troubled they appear to be.

I just think it is important for a young team to experience the post season, what it feels like, for their growth. I have said that 2008 is year 3 of a 5-year rebuild and a playoff appearance would keep that theory right on schedule.

Absolutely not! I am not going to apologize for winning the division. Every team has the same opportunity — go out, play 16 games, let the dust clear and see where everyone stands. I doubt Chiefs fans were embarrassed in 2006 when a Bronco loss got the Chiefs into the playoffs.

I thought the Broncos would finish 10-6 this season and that is still a strong possibility. Sure, the wins/losses may not be who I projected. If that is good enough for a divisional title, I’ll take it, and so would you.

In one word, AWESOME. I have always thought that Ben Hamilton was the anchor of the Broncos O-Line, but the center is obviously extremely important to the protection schemes and line calls. Wiegmann has come right in and started from day 1, despite going through training camp knowing that Tom Nalen would be the guy if healthy. For a guy that had started over 100 straight games that was a lot of humble pie to swallow. IN the end, Nalen couldn’t get healthy and Wiegmann plugged himself right in and the Broncos O-Line hasn’t missed a beat.

Yesterday was a great example. Kris Jenkins is actually getting some Defensive MVP consideration. Wiegmann, despite giving up about 65 pounds to Jenkins, kept Jenkins out of the backfield. Jay Cutler wasn’t sacked, threw for 350+ yards and Peyton Hillis ran for 130 more. A huge addition, and I am hoping the Broncos re-sign Wiegmann for ’09.

We can start with all of the rookies, really, but the two early picks have been huge —

LT Ryan Clady – Has allowed 1/2 sack all season while being called for 2 5-yard penalties all season. He has also allowed TE Daniel Graham to get more involved in the passing game, something that is critical to the Broncos efficiency on offense.

WR Eddie Royal — Has already broken Broncos rookie records for receptions, yards and TD receptions. Royal has also had a big year on special teams, though I still haven’t forgot the fumble against K.C. that got that game going in the wrong direction.

There have been others as well, from Spencer Larsen playing both ways to undrafted FA Wesley Woodyard starting at Weakside Linebacker and leading the team in tackles the past 3 or 4 weeks. CB Josh Bell has come in and started for Champ Bailey, playing extremely well yesterday.

The Broncos have started 9 different rookies this year, ROOKIES, and that doesn’t count the 2nd and 3rd year guys that have seen action.

Yeah…fear the playcalling too. You never know what kind of trick moves Herm will use. Shannahan should just try to figure out what he would do in Herm’s shoes….and then do the exact opposite and that’s pretty much Herm’s game plan.

After the way the last home game ended I don;t think there is anyway the Broncos will have that type of let down. That doesn’t mean they can show up an win, that is for certain.

If for some reason you couldn’t watch the game and had one stat to look at to determine who won, look at the number of Broncos turnovers. When they have 0 or 1 turnovers for a game, they win. When the turnovers start to pile up, well, you have what happened Week 4 against the Chiefs.

That was a great one, even of the Broncos lost the game.

There have been a few here and there, a game against the Falcons a few years ago when Jake Plummer threw for almost 500 yards but was beat by Michael Vick is one.

One thing is almost a constant in those types of games with the Broncos — it usually means a Denver loss. That may change with Cutler since he loves to throw the ball around. Those types of games are fun, but it doesn’t mean a whole lot of it ends up a loss….

Was there a question in there??

Anyway, the main difference between the Vermeil Chiefs and these Broncos is age. The Broncos are alot younger at the key positions on offense that those Chiefs were. Yes, the Broncos are weighted heavily on the offensive side, but that is to be expected with an offensive coach. The Broncos went heavy offense in the last 3 drafts. With a stockpile of picks in 09, the Broncos will likely focus on the defense. If they can put together the type of draft on defense in 09 that they did in 08 on offense the Broncos will be well on their way.

The important thing for the Broncos is they have the most important position taken care of, quarterback. Now its time to fill in the pieces. 10 players have been put on I/R yet the Broncos still are 7-5, still in first place, still in position to make the playoffs. Cutler is a large part of it. That we can take comfort in, regardless of what happens in the playoffs. When the Chiefs got dismantled by the Colts in 2006, that was an old team on the decline. This Broncos team, in the key areas, is a young team on the rise.

the “Plummer-Royal” was meant as an insult ; ^ )

But we’d rather have our draft position.

Also, the denver crosswalk guards are in a pretty decent position youth movement wise.

Honestly, it sucks to be San Diego right now, this is the prime of their careers and they’re locked in a swan dive.

The next two years it’s gonna be a line of scrimmage race to see who can put together a run defense and revive their run offense quicker. Jamaal Charles will be hugely determinative of how the Chiefs fair in the next 3-5 years.

The situation has kind of made some Broncos fans long for the days of the Browncos, when the Broncos could stop the run. In all seriousness, this group has come a long way this season and has played much better. The problem with young d-line talent is it takes some time to develop. Marcus Thomas is up and coming and starting to come into his own. Same with Jarvis Moss who is starting to get it. Moss missed most of his rookie season, and had alot of catching up to do. Josh Shaw was playing well until he dislocated his elbow on Sunday.

That youth will be key because Ebenezar Ekuban isn’t getting any younger. Kenny Peterson is as good as he is going to be, and Dewayne Robertson’s knkees are always going to be a question mark. I’d expect the Broncos to look at the D-line in free agency and early in the draft to try and find some consistency.

DT – Thomas will stay
DE – Moss will stay
DT – Peterson stay (but likely backup)
DE – Dummervil stay

Everyone else would be a toss up, I agree with TSG, there will likely be a combination of free agents and draft picks comming in next year.

Is all of the above an answer???

Shooting your pregnant girlfriend, not very classy.

Ya know what, I’ll agree with you. To go 1-3 against the Raiders and Chiefs this year would be a disappointment, even winning the Division.

I want to see how the team responds to a team the second time after getting thoroughly defeated the first time. I saw how they handled the Raiders, a team the Broncos dominated the first time, and it wasn’t pretty. This is the exact opposite and I am curious to see what they do.

I am hoping that the youth of this team is starting to taste the playoffs and a division title. Hopefully that, along with the bitter taste left by a home losing streak, will be enough for the Broncos to get it done this weekend.

smug leathery mug looks like it might explode at times.
/fixed

I like good humor, no matter which team we all root for….Bravo!

A)Mr Ed??

B)The Chargers have lost all credibility when it comes to the Hochuli game by going 4-7 in the other 11 games. I have said from the beginning that it was unfortunate that it happened, but I won’t apologize for it. It is what it is. The Chargers have had issues overcoming adversity for a long time and this is just another prime example

after it happened it was 3rd and goal from the 11 or 10. They had a chance to stop us. We got to the 5 or 4 and had a fourth down THEY had a chance to step up. We scored and went for two THEY HAD A CHANCE TO STOP US. THEY DIDNT. they had 3 chances to stop us but they preferred to do their charger thing and start whining about the call before game ended. ooo and also they got the ball back with about a minute left and one or two timeouts soo they had a chance to win.

I take a realistic approach. It happens to every team at some point. Just last year in a game against the Colts the Chargers won a game in large part due to an inadvertent whistle. The Colts intercepted a pass in their endzone and it was run back to the Chargers 6. At some point, some official blew the play dead, forcing the Colts to take the ball at their own 20 instead. Long story short, the COlts lose the game after Adam Vinatieri misses a 29 yard field goal.

The Colts didn’t whine, in large part because they had chances to overcome the adversity and didn’t, and that’s on them. They know it. The Chargers on the other hand enjoy blaming others all the time. It sucked, it was a bad call, it shouldn;t have happened. Make a stop on the next couple of plays you win the game. They couldn’t.

If you ever hang around MHR for any period of time there are a few things I avoid. One is blaming officials, no matter what.

Feel free to drop by, especially when the topic is draft picks. I would be very interested to see what other teams’ fans think the Broncos should do in the draft.

IMO, if a Chiefs fan asked me, I would say keep spending high draft picks on offensive and defensive linemen. I know that the young D-linemen at KC aren’t getting top results, but it takes 3-5 years of pumping iron and learning technique to become a good NFL D-lineman. If KC fans don’t have the patience to keep Dorsey and give him time to develop, I would love to see him play for the Broncos.