Tag: Kyle Orton (Page 8 of 14)

      Broncos: Struggling team or overrated?

      November 15, 2009 /

      When a team loses to a good Ravens squad after starting the season 6-0, nobody questions it.

      When that same team drops a home game on national television to the physical Steelers, again, nobody questions it.

      But when that very same team can’t beat the hapless Redskins (whether it’s on the road or not), then it’s only fair that the “O” word starts to rear its ugly head.

      I actually don’t think the Broncos are overrated – I think they’re just sputtering. Had Kyle Orton not suffered an ankle injury right before half, there’s a good chance he and Brandon Marshall (who had an excellent game while catching five passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns) would have continued to torch Washington’s secondary on their way to a victory. Instead, the highly incapable Chris Simms came in and was incredibly inaccurate while missing open receivers and lacking composure in the pocket.

      Denver also had to travel cross-country, which is tough for any team, nevertheless one that played on Monday night. The Broncos were worn out from their loss to the Steelers and it showed today.

      That said, I don’t want to completely make excuses for this Broncos team because they were playing the Redskins – a team that gave up weeks ago. Their defense gave up 27 points to a Sherman Lewis-led offense, which is ridiculous – I don’t care if they played on Friday night and had to travel Washington from China. They also allowed Hunter freaking Smith to throw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Mike freaking Sellers on a fake freaking field goal, which is ludicrous.

      The bottom line is that Josh McDaniels and his coaching staff have their backs up against the wall and they need to figure out how to fight out of the situation. Teams have obviously figured out what the blueprint is to beat the Broncos and now it’s time for the rookie head coach to adjust. They’re still in a great position at 6-3, but the Chargers are breathing down their necks so a sense of urgency is a must.

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      2009 NFL Week 9 Picks & Predictions

      November 6, 2009 /

      Here are my top 5 picks for Week 9 against the spread. As usual, fade at will…

      Steelers (5-2) at Broncos (6-1), 8:30PM ET, Monday
      This game set up nicely for the Steelers, who have won four in a row, are coming off a bye and are playing a Denver team that was thumped last Sunday by the Ravens. But I fully expect Josh McDaniels and the Broncos to learn from their loss last week to Baltimore and rebound on Monday night. Denver is always a tough place to play – just ask the Cowboys and Patriots, whom the Broncos beat earlier this year at Invesco Field. I don’t expect Kyle Orton, Brandon Marshall and Knowshon Moreno to have a lot of success against Pittsburgh’s excellent defense, but I do think Denver’s defense will force a couple turnovers to set the offense up in good field position. Linebacker Elvis Dumervil has been a beast this season and Ben Roethlisberger has always had trouble holding onto the ball. While some will start to doubt the Broncos after last week, I’m holding strong that this is a good football team and will prove it with a small upset Monday night.
      Odds: Steelers –3.
      Prediction: Broncos 20, Steelers 17.

      Texans (5-3) at Colts (7-0), 1:00PM ET
      This game has trap written all over it. The Texans have won three straight and four of their last five, while the Colts finally looked beatable last week in their 18-14 win over the 49ers. Your head and gut tell you that Houston will be able to hang with Indy this weekend and at the very least cover the 9-point spread, if not win outright. But don’t be fooled – the Colts are 9-1 in their last 10 games against the Colts and have covered in six of those 10 games. While the ATS trends aren’t impressive, Peyton Manning should have his way with an improving, but suspect Houston defense at home. With Bob Sanders sidelined again, the Texans should score, but it’s not like Indy isn’t used to not having Sanders on the field. This one will be a little bit of a shoot out, but I see the Colts winning by a decent margin in the end.
      Odds: Colts –9.
      Prediction: Colts 35, Texans 24.

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      Ravens’ defense answers the bell vs. Broncos

      November 1, 2009 /

      If the Ravens were going to knock off the undefeated Broncos on Sunday, they would need their defense would have to step up and play inspired.

      Baltimore has struggled defensively the past couple weeks, but held Denver to only one score in a 30-7 rout in Week 8. The Raven defense harassed Broncos’ quarterback Kyle Orton for much of the contest and limited him to 23-of-37 passing for 152 yards and no touchdowns.

      The Ravens’ secondary has struggled all season, but was great today. Part of their success came from Orton’s inability to stretch the field vertically, but credit Baltimore’s defensive backs for not allowing the big play. They also benefited from a relentless pass rush, which produced two sacks and five QB hits.

      If the Ravens are going to make the playoffs this season, how they played Sunday is how they’ll have to play every week. They don’t have the defensive talent like they had in years past, so perfect execution is a must and that’s how they won today. Plus, while he didn’t set the stat sheet on fire, quarterback Joe Flacco was efficient and kept the chains moving all game.

      As for the Broncos, this loss will serve Josh McDaniels’ squad well. Good teams learn more from losses than they do wins, so now we’ll see what McDaniels and his coaching staff is made of. The Broncos host the Steelers (who will be fresh coming off their bye) next week on Monday Night Football and if they can produce a win, it would go a long way in proving that McDaniels and his crew can make adjustments when their team needs them.

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      Six-Pack of Observations: Broncos 34, Chargers 23

      October 20, 2009 /

      1. Royal is making his presence felt in other facets of the game
      After hauling in 91 receptions for 980 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie last year, Eddie Royal has largely been a bust in his second year. But he proved Monday night that he could contribute in other areas, especially on special teams. He returned a 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the first quarter and a 71-yard punt return in the second quarter. As Denver’s offense sputtered in the first half, Royal provided a major spark.

      2. The Broncos’ offensive line has been fantastic
      Kyle Orton has turned out to be a great fit for Josh McDaniels’ offense, but he owes a lot of his success to his O-line. They’ve protected him like Fort Knox all season and did so again Monday night. Orton had all day to throw and was accurate when his receivers broke free from defenders. The Broncos’ front five continues to be one of the better units in the league.

      3. The Chargers’ defense is a mess
      One would have thought Ron Rivera would have fixed some of San Diego’s defensive issues during the team’s bye week. But the same problems that the Bolts had heading into the bye were evident again tonight: They couldn’t generate any pressure, they didn’t tackle well and they couldn’t come up with the big stop when they needed it. The Broncos did whatever they wanted offensively in the second half.

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      2009 NFL Picks & Predictions: Week 6

      October 16, 2009 /

      Giants (5-0) at Saints (4-0), 1:00PM ET
      Hopefully readers will give me credit for attempt to predict the toughest games this week. No? All right then…This is by far the hardest game to predict on the Week 6 schedule, so let’s look at some of the facts. The Saints should be well rested coming off a bye and are playing at home. They have the edge then right? They should, but don’t forget that the Giants essentially had a bye themselves since they played Oakland last week and New York always travels well. Drew Brees hasn’t seen a pass rush as good as the Giants’ all season and I think New York will disrupt his rhythm. And while Darren Sharper and the New Orleans defense is playing out of their minds right now, Eli Manning won’t make the same mistakes rookie Mark Sanchez did two weeks ago when the Saints earned a victory against the Jets. I like Brandon Jacobs to get back on track and for the G-Men to pull off a huge win at the Superdome.
      Odds: Saints –3.
      Prediction: Giants 27, Saints 24.

      Ravens (3-2) at Vikings (5-0), 1:00PM ET
      So, are the Ravens just in a slump or were they overrated to begin with? Give yourself a gold star if you answered, “A little of both.” Baltimore lost several defensive starters and their coordinator Rex Ryan in the offseason – they were due to have a setback at some point. While I think the Ravens are a solid football team, I don’t like this matchup for them. They’re reeling after two straight losses and play an unfamiliar foe in a hostile environment. I also don’t like the matchup between the Ravens’ receivers and the Vikings’ corners and wonder how Joe Flacco will do once Ray Rice and the running game is shut down by Minnesota’s Williams Wall. As long as Brett Favre doesn’t get turnover-happy for the first time this year, I like the Vikings to remain undefeated.
      Odds: Vikings –3.
      Prediction: Vikings 21, Ravens 17.

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