***Official Knowmo2724 homer-2000 thread***

[Ebolapox]

Very few non-bronco fans can tolerate him. he creates inane threads that are homeristic in nature (his avatar is very apropos), and nobody loves him (not even his own mother)

'face, this can be the home for all knowmo threads so we aren't treated to the bi-weekly steaming 'presents' left by the front door.

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by Mile High Mania

I wonder if Pat has mixed emotions... great success so far and several players needing new deals.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=090...s&confirm=true

Orton and Dumervil are set to get paid out the yin-yang, as is Brandon Marshall... and they have 2-3 others up for new deals as well. It's going to be interesting to see how Pat handles all of this in the offseason.

I wonder how not having a CBA in place and the upcoming uncapped season will/would affect this?

[Quesadilla Joe]

Originally Posted by vailpass

I wonder how not having a CBA in place and the upcoming uncapped season will/would affect this?

I think I heard if an uncapped season happens each team has an option to use two transition tags and a franchise tag. The transition tag pretty much gives you the right to match any offer a player gets. In a capped year you could only use 1 franchise tag or 1 transition tag, not both.

[Mile High Mania]

Originally Posted by KnowMo2724

I'm not saying he should. That is what I hope. He always talks about being a team first guy, so maybe he will take less money come contract time. Maybe 45-50 mil instead of 60.

Orton doesn't seem to be too concerned with money anyways... He drives a freaking Prius.

I don't care what he drives... this is his job and there's no loyalty from owners in sports, so when it's time he and the rest will get all they can and I don't blame them.

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by Mile High Mania

I don't care what he drives... this is his job and there's no loyalty from owners in sports, so when it's time he and the rest will get all they can and I don't blame them.

Do you think Orton knows what "cakn" means?
God I hope not.

[Quesadilla Joe]

If the #Broncos win Sunday, Josh McDaniels would become the first rookie Head Coach in NFL history to start 7-0.

https://twitter.com/broncotalk/status/5274121232

Jim Caldwell has a chance to do this also if they Colts beat the 49ers.

[Quesadilla Joe]

Broncos rookie RB Knowshon Moreno leads the NFL in fewest percentage of rushes for negative yardage (5.5% / just 6-of-109 runs).

http://twitter.com/psmyth12/status/5393678916

[Mile High Mania]

Originally Posted by KnowMo2724

http://twitter.com/psmyth12/status/5393678916

Enh, that's great and all... but, they need to pick things up a notch with the ground game to open things up on offense.

[Quesadilla Joe]

Don't expect Broncos to start buckling after first loss

It's hard to believe the Broncos team that took the field for Sunday's 30-7 loss at Baltimore was the same one that had dispatched Dallas, New England and San Diego in the previous three games to build a 6-0 record.


WR Eddie Royal and the Broncos got away from their winning formula in Sunday's 30-7 loss to Baltimore.Everything the Broncos had done well — protect the ball, move it efficiently, play strong second-half defense, win the battles on special teams — unraveled over four brutal quarters against the Ravens.

One of the reasons rookie coach Josh McDaniels had such a good start to the season is that he didn't get caught up in the unbeaten record, regarding each victory as just one step toward a bigger goal. Now he'll have the task of making sure Denver's first loss doesn't lead to bigger problems.

"Even the things that you feel like you're doing well, after a loss become more glaring, and you really take the time to evaluate what you're good at and what you're not good at," McDaniels said. "Some of the things that you think you're pretty strong in, you need to address those and become stronger."

So what lessons should Denver have learned from Week 8? Here's what the Broncos, who have a two-game lead over San Diego in the AFC West, need to do to avoid a free fall out of the playoff picture:

1.) Don't take it with you. The Broncos can't afford to hang their heads after the loss because the reigning Super Bowl champion Steelers are coming to Colorado for a Monday night showdown. That's just the start to a daunting second half schedule that includes the Chargers, Giants, Colts and Eagles.

Coming off the loss at Baltimore, it may be in the Broncos' best interest to play an equally tough AFC North opponent rather than face the potential for a letdown against a lesser opponent. Like the Ravens, the Steelers feature a physical 3-4 defense and a versatile offense.

"They're coming off a bye, so they'll be well-prepared," Broncos wide receiver Jabar Gaffney said. "We're coming off a big loss, a very bad loss, and we don't want to feel like this again." Being at home, in front of an electric prime-time crowd, will provide a necessary boost.

2.) Don't go changing. Under McDaniels, the Broncos have stuck with a simple yet effective blueprint to win games. Offensively, it's about balance and ball security. Defensively, they have been able to win the battles up front -- both against the run and the pass.

Despite the lopsided score in Baltimore, some of the formula was executed. The defense did its part, putting up two sacks and holding the Ravens to 3.6 yards per rushing attempt.

The offense was able to slug it out for some tough rushing yards but lacked punch in the passing game. By losing a first quarter fumble and struggling on third down (converting 3-of-13 plays), the offense put too much burden on the defense. The Ravens also used a no-huddle approach to further tire out Denver's D in the second half.

With the Broncos unable to consistently move the chains like they had in previous games, everything was thrown off.

"We have to play complementary football," running back Correll Buckhalter said. "The offense has to help out the defense, and the defense has to help out the offense."

3.) Don't think about last year. Although the Broncos have many holdovers from the 2008 team that tumbled out of the playoffs down the stretch, they had enough of an offseason personnel overhaul to prevent the memory of last year becoming an issue.

Most important, they have a new leadership structure, from McDaniels and defensive coordinator Mike Nolan on the sideline to former Eagles safety Brian Dawkins, the defensive captain, on the field. The individual accountability is there, which will help them regroup as a unit.

"You always hear players say, 'We'll have to look at the film,' but most of us know where he messed up," Dawkins said after the Ravens game. "Now we just go back to practice and work on correcting our mistakes."

NFL Network analyst Matt Millen, who will be part of the broadcast team when Denver hosts the Giants on Thanksgiving night, thinks this version of the Broncos won't meet the fate of the '08 team, which lost its final three games.

"They've created an atmosphere where they believe in each other," Millen said. "The key to a winning season is confidence."

http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/arti...ter-first-loss

[Quesadilla Joe]

Orton's uphill climb to the top
QB may have struggled early in his career, but it was to be expected given his situation


This week's "Monday Night Football" game features a 27-year-old quarterback coming into his own as a professional, one who took over as a rookie and rode an excellent defense to a gaudy record only to come up short in the playoffs. After dealing with some off-the-field issues, he's emerged as the bona fide deal, a legitimately superb quarterback with the ability to carry his team to victory through thick and thin.

Ben Roethlisberger? Yeah, he's good too. We'll take Kyle Orton for $995,000 this year, thanks.

In light of his success as the Denver Broncos' starting quarterback, it's time to re-evaluate Orton. Is he a game manager who relies upon his defense? A journeyman in the right places at the right times? A secretly effective quarterback who just wins? Let's go back to the beginning and give him a fair shake.

Before we start, we'll throw out the unfortunate drinking photos and choices in facial hair. They might have been poor decisions, but they didn't involve breaking the law, and they don't have any impact on his performance nowadays. They've obviously come to form part of Orton's reputation as a somewhat laughable quarterback, but they're irrelevant to his quality of play.

Orton was a Heisman Trophy candidate at Purdue in his senior season before petering out in the second half of the year, thanks to a nagging hip injury that cost him accuracy. Playing mostly out of the shotgun, he put up numbers comparable to those of his Boilermakers predecessor, Drew Brees.

Easy Like Breesy
During their time at Purdue, Orton and Brees put up similar numbers.

Player Cmp Att Cmp % Yds Yds/Att
Brees 990 1,617 61.2 11,394 7.05
Orton 786 1,336 58.8 9,337 6.99


Just like with Brees, questions were raised about Orton's ability to adapt to the pro game coming out of a shotgun-friendly system. Orton's ESPN prospect profile noted:

As was the case with former Purdue star Drew Brees (Chargers), it may take Orton longer to make the transition to the NFL than other quarterbacks that had better experience in a more traditional offense. Orton needs to improve the quickness of his delivery and become much more consistent when put under pressure. Otherwise, Orton has the physical tools and makeup to develop into a solid starter in the NFL. He has the size, arm strength, accuracy and mind that it takes to succeed at the next level.

Of course, the Chicago Bears selected Orton in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL draft, and after starting quarterback Rex Grossman fractured his ankle during the preseason, the 22-year-old Orton was the Bears' Opening Day starter against the Washington Redskins.

Although Chicago went 10-5 with Orton at the helm before he gave way to Grossman, it wasn't a pretty season. He ranked 45th among NFL quarterbacks in defense-adjusted yards above replacement and 41st in defense-adjusted value over average. He also completed only 51.6 percent of his passes and threw more interceptions (13) than touchdowns (nine). (For an explanation of Football Outsiders' advanced metrics, click here.) The 2005 season gave Orton a reputation as being overmatched at the pro level.

It's true, Orton was overmatched. But the reality is that any quarterback of Orton's caliber coming out of the college ranks would have been overmatched. Of the players from the DVOA era (1995 to 2009), Orton is one of only two fourth-round picks to start more than five games as a rookie. The other one was Chris Weinke, who fell that far in the draft only because he was already 29 years old, and Weinke put up numbers comparable to Orton's.

That's not surprising because every other quarterback taken after the first round who started more than five games as a rookie between 1995 and 2009 has been mediocre at best. The list isn't long: second-rounders Tony Banks, Charlie Batch, Quincy Carter and Jake Plummer, third-rounder Trent Edwards and sixth-rounder Bruce Gradkowski. Only Plummer was younger than Orton in his rookie season, and none of them had what would qualify as good seasons. Once you get past the elite quarterbacks taken in the first round, passers simply require an adjustment period.


After two years with Grossman at the helm, Orton became the starter at the beginning of the 2008 season. His first half bore no resemblance to the Orton of old, but after spraining his ankle in a Week 9 game against the Lions, he came back too early and had a frightening second half that depressed his numbers.

Too Much, Too Fast, Too Soon
After being rushed into the lineup, Orton's stats suffered, as they did when he returned too quickly from an ankle injury.

Time Span Cmp Att Cmp Yds Yds/Att TD INT
2005 190 368 51.6 1,869 5.08 9 13
First half of 2008 151 244 61.9 1,777 7.29 10 4
Second half of 2008 121 221 54.8 1,195 5.41 8 8
Actual totals of 2008 272 465 58.5 2,972 6.39 18 12
First half per 16 games 2008 302 488 61.9 3,554 7.29 20 8

Orton's DVOA dropped like a rock; it stood at an impressive 18.5 percent before the injury, but after he returned, he was back at replacement level, down at minus-22.9 percent.

This season, of course, Orton has been fantastic for the Broncos. Although he's at a flukily low interception rate of one in 231 attempts, he's completed nearly 64 percent of his passes while throwing nine scores against that lone pick. His 27.4 percent DVOA compares favorably to Jay Cutler's 22.0 percent DVOA with the same offensive line and receivers in the 2008 season, and at a salary of $995,000, he's been an absolute bargain.

So, consider this alternate scenario for Orton. Throw out the crappy facial hair. Get rid of the rookie season for which every other quarterback of his ilk also would have been overmatched, and turn his sprained ankle into a broken one that cost him the remainder of the season.

What you'd have then is an incredibly promising prospect, a quarterback who struggled to get time behind the overrated Grossman before emerging as a star in a half-season before suffering a fluke ankle injury. After a trade to Denver, he's outperformed the more expensive Cutler, and he'll be entering unrestricted free agency despite being younger than Philip Rivers or Eli Manning.

Maybe Orton isn't as good as we're making him out to be. Chances are, though, he's a better quarterback than a lot of people have given him credit for.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/insid...3fid%3d4629618

Orton the next Brees?!?!

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

You devilish little imp.

[Quesadilla Joe]

Broncos HC Josh McDaniels, T Ryan Clady (consensus) and OLB/DE Elvis Dumervil named to Pro Football Weekly's Midseason All-Pro Team.

http://twitter.com/psmyth12/status/5595095305

[Quesadilla Joe]

There are 3 teams that rank in the top 10 in both sacks and sacks allowed... DEN, IND and CIN... Usually a good playoff indicator

http://twitter.com/MoveTheSticks/status/5592461050

Plenty of teams make the playoffs each year that aren't ranked top 10 in both sacks/sacks allowed...if you are ranked in both almost a lock

http://twitter.com/MoveTheSticks/status/5593093269

[The Bad Guy]

If you are 6-2 and don't make the playoffs, you better never post here again.

[Quesadilla Joe]

From Darnell Dockett's twitter

If I was on the chicago team "JAY CUTLER" is walking his ass home. In his uniform!

http://twitter.com/ddockett/status/5670499746

[BossChief]

I find it funny that this guy used to be swallowing cutlers loads just a few short months ago and now he posts everything bad he can find about the guy.

Its like they got divorced because jay cheated on him and now he is all bitter and ready to **** any guy in town to get back at him.