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itsalloverfatman
12-13-2010, 07:38 AM
Hit Bottom Yet? Lard 12-13-10

Douglas A. Lee Dec 13, 2010 7:30 AM

Hmm. Good Morning, Broncos fans. If you're reading this, at least you have a pulse - which is more than we can say about our favorite football team. In case you wanted to know what could be worse than giving up 59 points at home to Jokeland, perhaps yesterday answered that question. Denver gave up 43 points to the Cardinals, who started a rookie fifth-round draft choice out of Fordham University at QB. Even worse, 25 of those points came off the legs of Jay Feely, who kicked five field goals and ran for a humiliating TD on a fake FG. But wait! Still it gets lower - the Broncos turned it over a whopping six times, were 3 of 15 on third downs, and allowed 211 rushing yards to an Arizona squad which had totaled 219 rushing yards in its previous three games. Denver is now in the thralls of its second four-game losing streak of the year, and over that span they have gone 8 for 48 on third downs, or 16.7% by higher math. By comparison, the Cards had entered the week at 26% on third downs, worst in the NFL. Last time the Broncos turned it over six times? October 3, 1999 when the two-time defending champs lost Terrell Davis to the knee injury that eventually cut his career short.

Kyle Orton posted an atrocious QB rating of 27.1 to follow up his 46.3 rating of a week earlier, to go along with three interceptions. Orton had thrown but six INTs in the season's first 12 games; he's looking worse by the week, and yesterday even garbage time didn't really serve to pump up his numbers. Naturally, the calls for Denver to start Tim Tebow are gathering momentum - perhaps Woody Paige will call a meeting with his newest minion Eric Studesville and decree that Tebow shalt start next week. Hopefully Studesville values self preservation and took in the lesson Josh McDaniels learned when he disobeyed Paige's order to lose the hoodie.

But is it actually time to start Tebow? Probably, but really who knows? We don't see him at practice, so the thinking that he could gain valuable experience or that we'll find out what Denver has in him as a QB is a bit overstated. Hopefully he is ready to start an NFL game without making a complete fool of himself, and perhaps a full week of first-team snaps would go a long way towards making that a reality. But let's not put everything on the kid and say we have to find out next Sunday whether he can be the QB in 2011 - and really, is the Black Hole truly the place for Denver to start their potential QB of the future for the very first time? Especially considering that right now Jokeland is a much better team than Denver, has won double the games the Broncos have and sports a plus-7 point differential as compared to the minus-107 of Denver? Really, let's think about it before we get the DP/internet narrative train rolling full steam ahead...

Broncos/Cardinals

Here's the box score (http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2010121211/2010/REG14/broncos@cardinals#tab:analyze) to satisfy your masochistic pleasures.
Chris Hall reports (http://prod.www.broncos.clubs.nfl.com/multimedia/videos/Cardinals-Postgame-BTV-Report/a05878e8-0f25-4a96-8a85-558e92249ce4) on the game for Broncos TV.
Lowlights (http://prod.www.broncos.clubs.nfl.com/multimedia/videos/NFL-Network-Broncos-at-Cardinals-highlights/91b502c7-97fa-43b6-8600-7f7484cd398f) of the game courtesy of NFL GameDay.
Studesville (http://prod.www.broncos.clubs.nfl.com/multimedia/videos/Cardinals-Postgame-Studesville/794c15c7-1a1a-48d9-b83e-cff9ed8a16b7) and Orton (http://prod.www.broncos.clubs.nfl.com/multimedia/videos/Cardinals-Postgame-Orton/1cd1a34c-7dcb-4af8-a5e6-dfe14154aa58) spoke with the press following the game.
Mario Haggan (http://prod.www.broncos.clubs.nfl.com/multimedia/audio/Broncos-vs-Cardinals-Haggan/d5877f0b-c1bf-4b77-a0da-0d7b1c2012e1) and Champ Bailey (http://prod.www.broncos.clubs.nfl.com/multimedia/audio/Broncos-vs-Cardinals-Bailey/d5ad4877-ff48-4a6e-9b08-b8bb9ec40dcd) spoke to reporters in the locker room.
Mason goes over some of the more gruesome numbers (http://maxdenver.com/blog1/2010/12/13/cardinals-43-broncos-13-by-the-numbers/). Plus, what he saw (http://maxdenver.com/blog1/2010/12/12/cardinals-43-broncos-13-three-observations/) yesterday.
Champ would be all for (http://maxdenver.com/blog1/2010/12/13/if-elway-returns-bailey-approves/) John Elway rejoining the organization.
But PFW has a gem of a quote (http://www.profootballweekly.com/2010/12/12/insider-elway-not-what-broncos-need) regarding the possibility of Elway being hired. It starts with:
(Broncos COO) does not know what he does not know (about) running a football team. Mason points out that Denver has a pretty good grip (http://maxdenver.com/blog1/2010/12/12/as-of-now-broncos-hold-no-3-pick/) on the #3 overall draft choice at this point.
Bob Baum recaps (http://denver.cbslocal.com/2010/12/12/four-turnovers-have-broncos-trailing-at-halftime/) the game for the AP.
Notes (http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_16843642) on the Broncos, who may have lost S Kyle McCarthy to a season-ending knee injury.
LJ on the fake FG TD (http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_16843524).
Don't expect the Broncos to find a new GM or coach anytime soon (http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_16843163). Of course, they had "no plan" six days ago...
Klis basically says yesterday was all Josh McDaniels' fault (http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_16841370).
Legwold calls yesterday more of the same (http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_16843021) in terms of the offense, which is strange considering the Broncos turned it over just 17 times while McDaniels was coaching.
Here we go - right on cue (http://www.denverpost.com/paige/ci_16843834) - Woody says he "pressed" Studesville on the issue of playing Tebow yesterday, and the coach became "a bit testy." Eric, don't you know you're supposed to kiss the ring??
Somehow, Kiszla thinks it matters (http://www.denverpost.com/kiszla/ci_16843833) that Floyd Little was at the Pats/Bears game rather than the Broncos/Cards game.
Kent Somers summarizes (http://www.azcentral.com/sports/cardinals/articles/2010/12/12/20101212arizona-cardinals-roll-denver-broncos-end-skid.html) the game from the Arizona side.
Folks found out yesterday why Jay Feely wears gloves (http://www.azcentral.com/sports/cardinals/articles/2010/12/12/20101212arizona-cardinals-jay-feely-gloves.html) despite being a placekicker.
Dan Bickley on QB John Skelton's debut (http://www.azcentral.com/sports/cardinals/articles/2010/12/12/20101212arizona-cardinals-john-skelton-performance.html).

Enemies

The Chefs were shut out (http://www.kansascity.com/2010/12/12/2515573/uninspired-effort-leads-to-an.html) by the Dolts. Notes (http://www.kansascity.com/2010/12/12/2515567/notes-on-the-chiefs-chargers-game.html) on the Chefs, who need to beat the Dolts outright to take the division.
Canepa says the Chefs should feel shame (http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/dec/12/bolts-were-good-chiefs-should-be-ashamed/). Acee's notes (http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/dec/12/notebook-mathews-returns-learns/) on the Dolts.
Despite a fine performance by Darren McFadden, Jokeland fell short (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/12/SPJ51GPNNP.DTL) of the Jaguars. Plus, Tafur's notes (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/12/SPG81GPO67.DTL).

Trimmings

The Metrodome's roof collapsed yesterday, and here's a remarkable video (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Unbelievable-video-of-Metrodome-collapse-from-in?urn=nfl-294816) that showed it happening.
Shanny's kicker missed two short FGs and then his ST guys screwed the pooch (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Kicker-Graham-Gano-s-terrible-horrible-no-good?urn=nfl-294877) on the would-be game-tying extra point.
Matt Bowen sums up the early games (http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Game-notes-early-kickoffs-5670.html), the late ones (http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Game-notes-late-kickoffs-1651.html) and his winners and losers (http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Week-14-winners-and-losers.html).
Bill Rhoden says Rex Ryan is full of hot air (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/13/sports/13rhoden.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss).
Not only that, but Ryan's assistants are apparently classless cheaters (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Video-Jets-coach-trips-Dolphins-player-during-g?urn=nfl-294916).
But at least Mark Sanchez showed some good hustle (http://kissingsuzykolber.uproxx.com/2010/12/thats-great-stationary-bike-hustle.html) on the stationary bike yesterday.
Brian Burke has a brilliant manner in which to evaluate the otherwise gray area known as tackle statistics (http://www.advancednflstats.com/2010/12/checking-in-on-tackle-factor.html).