2014 Broncos Season, Week 14



Week 14: Broncos 24, Buffalo Bills 17
Season Record: 10-3 (7-0 Home)
Key Play: In the third quarter, leading 21-3, the Broncos defense saw the Bills' offense, led by former Bronco Kyle Orton, driving for a score. In the Red Zone, Orton dropped back to pass, looking for Robert Woods. Instead, cornerback Chris Harris, Jr., stepped in front of the pass, picking it off to end the drive and stymie the Bills' hopes at a victory. The ensuing drive led to a field goal, putting the Broncos up 24-3 late in the third quarter.

Recap: It's time to talk about Peyton Manning. Last year was magical. Manning started with seven touchdown passes in the opener, and ended the season setting a new record. This season hasn't been as a magical. Manning has been fine, for the most part, but he accuracy has been noticeably off, especially on deep passes. He's made more mistakes, looked sloppier, and the Broncos have struggled more. Take yesterday. The defense was great, forcing three turnovers. The Broncos ran well, with CJ Anderson piling up three touchdowns. The problem was Manning. In fact, at times in the second half, it looked like the Broncos were afraid to throw the ball. Manning finished 14-for-20 for 173 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. Both interceptions where ghastly, as were the times he missed wide open receivers running free down the field. In fact, most of his passes were simple wide receiver screens and other "safe" throws. What gives? This was a home game? Against the Bills? Sure, they have a good defensive front, but what's going on here? I have had questions about Manning for a few weeks, but now I have concerns. The Broncos won on Sunday, but they certainly didn't look like a great playoff contender. They haven't for most of the season. The defense is better. The running game has improved. But can Manning really lead this team back to the Super Bowl. With three weeks to go until the playoffs, I have my doubts.

Game Balls:
* CJ Anderson. Though he looked somewhat hobbled, Anderson continued to show he's been the second half of the season's MVP. He earned hard yards and ran in for three scores. He and Juwan Thompson carried the offense most of yesterday.
* Chris Harris, Jr. Harris possibly had the play of the game in picking off Orton as the Bills were driving for a score. Given the uneven offensive performance, it was the defense that had to carry the day. Harris has quietly been the best defender in the Broncos' secondary.
* Brandon Marshall. All he's done is lead the team in tackles, been all over the field, and helped drive the Broncos defense. And on Sunday, he added an interception of Orton to boot. Marshall has been a great find for the Denver defense.

Lingering Concerns:
* Peyton Manning. He just seems off. Hopefully I'm wrong, but something doesn't seem right.
* Injuries. The Broncos have been a MASH unit. Demaryius Thomas is knicked up, Emmanuel Sanders takes huge hits, and Julius Thomas hasn't really played in four games. Add to that the running back injuries (here's to hoping Anderson isn't badly hurt) and the injuries on defense, and the Broncos have some issues. Depth was a strength of the team, and still is, but it would be nice to get some of these pieces back healthy for the stretch run.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Burial a courtroom drama with heart

Image
Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx) is a brash trial lawyer who is good at rallying a jury to his cause. Jeremiah O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) is a quiet grandfather who is trying to ensure the business his family built remains viable after he’s gone. These two don’t appear to have much in common on the surface. But when they’re brought together by young lawyer Hal Dockins (Mamoudou Athie) brings them together, a connection is formed over their shared background of working hard to become self-made men. And it turned out that Willie was just who Jerry needed in his corner to win the fight of his life. The new Prime Video film The Burial, which opened in theaters October 6 and started streaming October 13, captures that trial against the Loewen Group that changed the course of their lives. The film is based on the true story and covers the trial, but more importantly captures the relationship between the men. The film plays out like a traditional courtroom drama. Foxx is solid as Willie Gary, while Ju
Read more

Broncos Draft Targets

Image
  The NFL Draft is just a few days away. On April 25, the Denver Broncos will head into the draft in the midst of something of a rebuild. In the draft, the Broncos have the No. 12 pick in Round 1, then have a Third Round Pick, Fourth Round Pick, three Fifth Round Picks, a Sixth Round Pick, and a Seventh Round Pick. So, what might they be targeting? Let's dive in and look at possible positions. Quarterback : The team clearly needs a long-term quarterback. Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci are there but the team could certainly use someone else. Could they move up for Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy? Yes, they could. Will the take Bo Nix at 12? It's possible. Or will the Broncos wait until next off-season to make a move? Anything is in play for the Broncos in 2024, but quarterback is surely a need. Tight End: The team brought back Adam Trautman and still has Greg Dulcich, but it's still a need. Dulcich hasn't been able to get on the field and Trautman hasn't been great. Co
Read more

Favorite Westerns, No. 43

Image
  Do you like a good Western? It's a classic genre in film and this year I've decided to look at some of my favorite Westerns. So, join me each Friday as I count down my favorite Westerns from No. 50 to No. 1. Rooster Cogburn : [ watching Mattie ford the river hanging on the back of her horse] By God. She reminds me of me. True Grit (1969) Starring : John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper Director : Henry Hathaway About: This is the third straight week with a film from Wayne. As you might guess, we're not done. As I've mentioned, he sets a standard for the genre. Here, we seen him bring to life an iconic character. This one is based on a novel, and it has endured. He's great as Rooster Cogburn, so good that he got a sequel in the same character. But this is a later film in his career. This is a different, more grizzled Wayne. He's still quite good and this is a film that really has stood the test of time. It's not the only ve
Read more