Author: Bob Morris

I'm a sports writer in real life, though I've always focused on smaller communities, but that hasn't stopped me from learning more about some of the ins and outs of the NFL. You can follow me on Twitter @BobMorrisSports if you can put up with updates on the high school sports teams I cover.

Gut Reaction: Broncos 4-0 And We Are Loving It

So the Broncos are 4-0 to start the season.

Sure, we can point out the deficiencies in each game. We know the offense has been merely adequate, that Peyton Manning is living life too dangerously and it’s costing him plenty of times (as was the case today on those two interceptions), and that it would be nice to see the Broncos regularly churn out rushing yards throughout the game.

And we could point out that Josh McDaniels did the same thing in his first season in Denver — heck, he went 6-0 — then things unraveled. And the Broncos schedule won’t get easier.

But this team looks different from that McDaniels team. This year’s defense is vastly better. Peyton may not be what he was in his prime, but he’s smart enough to know he can’t rest on his laurels. And the offensive line is getting better, rather than regressing like it did under McD.

Yes, I think this team has a much better chance of following up a 6-0 start with a good finish, even if it’s not 10-0. It doesn’t need to be, though. All it needs to be is enough games to win the division, maybe get a first-round bye, and then turn them loose in the postseason.
Continue reading Gut Reaction: Broncos 4-0 And We Are Loving It

Andrew Luck: Will He Start Sunday?

Barry Petchesky of Deadspin has several observations about Indianapolis Colts QB Andrew Luck, whose status for Sunday remains uncertain. The image of Luck wincing when backup QB Matt Hasselbeck taps him on the chest is telling. So is the Colts’ recent move to sign QB Josh Johnson.

If Luck can’t go Sunday, the 40-year-old Hasselbeck will start behind one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. Yes, the Broncos have their O-line issues, but they look trivial compared to the Colts, who have addressed their offensive line under Ryan Grigson thusly:
Continue reading Andrew Luck: Will He Start Sunday?

Sambrailo Out, Harris To LT, Schofield To Start

We shall see how the offensive line holds up. If there is any bright side, it’s that the Broncos aren’t giving up on Schofield yet. But Sunday’s game will certainly be where we’ll find out if he’s up to the task.

FB James Casey and LB Todd David are questionable for Sunday’s game. Meanwhile, Evan Mathis practiced Friday and he and Louis Vasquez are on track to start.

Barnwell: Worst Plays In NFL History

Bill Barnwell had a fun column about the worst plays in NFL history, spurred by a Twitter question he posted yesterday.

Those of you who know your football history should nod your heads about the play he ranked number one. But this one is probably most fun for Broncos fans to talk about.

Or there was that time Philip Rivers was kneeling to set up what would have been a game-winning field goal against the Chiefs on Monday Night Football in 2011 and fumbled the snap away. That was the year Tim Tebow’s Broncos won the division on a tiebreaker at 8-8, so it’s fair to say this was probably the power of Tebow striking when we all least expected:

OK, so it helped fuel Tebowmania, but of course we have to joke about Phillip Rivers, right?

Drew Magary Describes Daily Fantasy Football

A couple weeks ago, Nick talked about the NFL’s inconsistency when it comes to frowning upon sports gambling while allowing daily fantasy football ads to dominate NFL programming.

Now along comes Drew Magary, who talks about his experience playing one of the daily fantasy sites. Drew brings up criticisms similar to Nick’s.

The NFL’s massive popularity long been tied to gambling, in the form of straight-up wagers and season-long fantasy football. And the League has done a masterful job of keeping their ties to gambling at arm’s length by avoiding the mention of betting lines and positing regular fantasy football as a fun activity that requires no wagering of any kind—the thrill of trading and drafting and being a virtual GM for the length of a season. But there’s no disguising what daily fantasy really is, and if more fans make the transition from standard leagues to the fantasy casinos, it’s gonna make the coverage a lot more awkward. In fact, it already has. It’s really fucking awkward, because all of the NFL’s media people are now bought and paid for, and they now spend the bulk of their time on the air trying to sell you on a game that is fast, engaging, and set up to rob you blind.

As Nick said, there’s nothing wrong with FanDuel or DraftKings operating the way they wish. Drew even brings up other online gambling sites that have since been banned and indicates he has no problem with it. And I’ve engaged in gambling before, so it’s not something I think should be outlawed — in fact, I think some states are too restrictive with their laws regarding gambling.

But it’s the NFL’s inconsistency with its message about sports gambling that is troubling, especially with some NFL pundits having to tout the daily fantasy sites in certain segments — even if those segments are about fantasy sports.

ADDENDUM (Nick): Scott Van Pelt recently issued a monologue on this subject, and it’s so excellent and succinct that it deserves a mention in the main post.

Broncos Sign OT Tyler Polumbus

The signing comes at a time in which Ty Sambrailo’s status for Sunday is in doubt.

If Sambrailo can’t go, it’s likely Ryan Harris moves to the left side. While it’s true Harris struggled against Kansas City (largely because the Chiefs often lined up Justin Houston against him), he fared well against Detroit. And keep in mind, Harris is going to have to contend with a good pass rusher regardless of what side he lines up on.

The question is who would line up on the right side. It’s possible either Max Garcia or Michael Schofield goes into the lineup.

ETA: S Josh Bush was released to make room for Polumbus.

ETA2: Rather than start a new thread, I’ll add the link to Andrew Mason’s update on who practiced for the Broncos Thursday. To sum up:

* Ty Sambrailo and Evan Mathis did not practice. Mathis was limited Wednesday because of a hamstring injury.
* Louis Vasquez was a full participant in practice. Mason reports Vasquez was given the day off Wednesday, although he appeared on Wednesday’s report with a knee injury.
* Owen Daniels and James Casey were given a veteran’s day off.

No Practice Wednesday For Ty Sambrailo

If you’ll recall, Sambrailo was holding his wrist late in the game against the Detroit Lions. If Sambrailo can’t go, Michael Schofield will likely get the start.

Sambrailo’s injury might explain why the Broncos added Anthony Johnson to the practice squad.
Continue reading No Practice Wednesday For Ty Sambrailo

Midweek Musings: The Vikings And Other Issues

One may quibble with how the Broncos won the first three games of the season, but nobody is ever going to be unhappy starting the NFL season 3-0. Thus far, the Broncos have established themselves as the team to beat in the AFC West and are in good position to enter the Week 7 bye with a 6-0 record.

By no means will it be an easy task, but the next three matchups favor the Broncos on paper. The Broncos are ranked ahead of the Vikings, Raiders and Browns in Football Outsiders’ DVOA rankings, in the Pro Football Reference Simple Rankings System and in the Pro Football Focus power rankings. One may debate the criteria each site uses to determine rankings, but three sites that seek to go beyond the usual stats people trot out consider the Broncos to be better than the opposition the next three weeks.

I’ll also throw in Andrew Mason’s power rankings, in which the result is the same: The Broncos outrank their next three opponents.
Continue reading Midweek Musings: The Vikings And Other Issues

Oh When The Saints Mess With Their Cap…

The New Orleans Saints restructured the contract of Drew Brees, deferring $2.6M in cap charges to next season.

As Jason Fitzgerald notes, the Saints’ cap situation is terrible, as they were pushing against the limit this year and will be close to that next year. The Saints continue to believe they are just a few players from a Super Bowl when they are not.

Brees’ 2016 salary becomes fully guaranteed in February, meaning the Saints will have to make a quick decision on his future. If they finish 5-11 or worse, the best thing would be to find somebody willing to trade for Brees, and failing that, they need to cut him.

Either way, the Saints are very much like the Broncos in 2008 when Mike Shanahan’s bad personnel decisions caught up with him. I may talk more about how the teams compare later on.

UPDATE: Shanahan’s final season with the Broncos was 2008, not 2007. I have corrected that.