Coach Shurmur, GM Heckert will know their fate shortly after conclusion of regular season.
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Housecleaning coming in Cleveland? (National Football Post)
Trent Richardson doesn’t think Nick Saban will follow him from Alabama to the Cleveland Browns.
Joe Flacco has fumbled three times and thrown three interceptions in his last three games, each of which the Baltimore Ravens have lost.
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Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens quarterback, says he deserves blame for team’s 3-game slide
Under normal circumstances, Seattle’s CenturyLink Field rocks from the noise of the 12th Man.
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Niners-Seahawks a late-season classic (The Associated Press)
NEW YORK (AP) — The Penn State child sex abuse scandal was selected as the sports story of the year by U.S. editors and news directors in an annual vote conducted by The Associated Press.
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Penn State voted AP sports story of year again (The Associated Press)
Mike Sando’s weekly MVP Watch post has Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning atop the rankings. I agree with Sando’s assessment, and yes, I’m well…
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MVP Watch: What about Adrian Peterson?
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) – Eric Decker was the first of Peyton Manning ‘s workout buddies, sneaking onto high school football fields in the spring to work on his rhythm and rapport with his new quarterback. The sessions helped Manning regain his arm strength and rediscover his old form after a series of neck operations that sidelined him all of last season and led to his departure from Indianapolis. They were just as helpful for Decker, recovering from a sprained left knee he hurt in the playoffs. All those hours together are paying off. Decker leads the Denver Broncos (11-3) with nine touchdown grabs and he’s 77 yards shy of joining fellow third-year receiver Demaryius Thomas with his first 1,000-yard season. No Denver duo has accomplished that feat since 2004. Decker and Thomas both have hit their stride this season after dealing with injuries much of their first two years with the Broncos. And patiently playing in Tim Tebow’s option-read offense a year ago. Thomas was recovering from left-thumb surgery when Manning signed in March, so it was up to Decker to get the four-time MVP acclimated to the Mile High City. With 1,210 yards on 78 receptions – six more than Decker – Thomas has emerged as the Broncos’ biggest downfield threat. But Decker’s no slouch. Decker was so productive earlier in the year that defensive coordinators started to key on him more. The result: a monthlong lull in which he totaled just 10 catches and one TD before putting up consecutive eight-catch performances the last two weeks. “The defense does dictate a little bit of what you do in a lot of different ways,” coach John Fox said. “It just works out that way. I think we’ve got a quarterback where he’s going to take what the defense gives him. He can sort those things out pretty well, as good as probably anybody.” Manning doesn’t force throws to a go-to receiver. This season, he’s completed passes to 15 players, including a touchdown to defensive tackle Mitch Unrein . And with tight ends Joel Dreessen and Jacob Tamme , he has four big targets, all 6-foot-3 or taller and packing an average of 232 pounds. Complaining isn’t in Decker’s DNA. The affable receiver isn’t a prima donna who goes public with his desire for more touches. He never griped last year when he caught just 14 passes after the Broncos dusted off the old read-option to fit Tebow’s unusual skill set, and he’s not about to complain by lobbying for more action while playing with an all-time great QB. “You never know when your number is going to be called and we all continue to work hard and try to get better, and he’s done that and it showed,” teammate Brandon Stokley said. “Next week, it might be Demaryius getting a lot of balls thrown his way. But the last few weeks, Decker stepped his game up and had the opportunities and made the most of it.” Decker has tied his career high with eight catches in each of the last two games, totaling 221 yards. His 51-yard touchdown turned Denver’s showdown at Baltimore last weekend into a rout and caused Ravens safety Ed Reed to rip off his helmet in disgust as he stormed to the sideline. “My mindset doesn’t change at all,” Decker said. “I come to practice and work hard every day and expect to be the best and I expect the best out of myself. In certain games, obviously defenses allow different guys to be open with coverages, different schemes.” Decker’s team-high nine TDs, one more than Thomas, are a career best and give him 18 for his career, the most by a Bronco in his first three seasons. “I like a lot of things. I like touchdowns. I like wins. I like catches. It’s all fun,” Decker said. “When you’re winning ballgames, it doesn’t matter how many yards you got, how many catches you got, as long as you’re doing your piece to win the ballgame, that’s what it comes down to.” Decker and Thomas have been the biggest beneficiaries of the pinpoint passing Manning brought to the Broncos. His 67.9 completion percentage is second highest in his career. Tebow, on the other hand, completed just 46 percent of his passes a year ago and 40 percent in the playoffs. Decker also is benefiting from his first full training camp last summer. There was the lockout in 2011 and he was on the mend in 2010 after missing the last half of his senior season at Minnesota with a foot injury. There have been some hiccups along the way. Decker has dropped seven passes so far; Thomas has eight. So, it’s not quite the chemistry Manning built up with Reggie Wayne or Marvin Harrison in Indianapolis – or the comfort zone he maintains with Stokley, a former teammate of his with the Colts – but it’s getting there. As Manning says, it’s a crash course and everybody’s been cramming. Decker and Thomas are taking turns as teacher’s pet. “I like young players that really want to get better, and those guys have done that,” Manning said. “Our timing has improved throughout the season. It’s not what it would be had we played together for five years.” Decker, though, sees it getting better, from way back in March to this week as they iron out wrinkles in preparing for the Cleveland Browns (5-9) – and then the playoffs. “I think in any relationship, whether it’s a significant other or a teammate,” Decker said, “the more time you get, the better it always develops.” By ARNIE STAPLETON, AP Pro Football Writer (© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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Decker A Different Receiver With Manning Around
By Rich Kurtzman In the NFL, when a team is going good, it’s never as good as it seems. Denver is riding a Rocky Mountain High of a nine-game winning streak, and yet games are “boring” because there’s not enough drama for fans that lived on the edge every single week last season. Yes, we all remember the “Year of Tebow” that will live on in lore and likely gave many Broncos fans heart attacks. Tebow led his team to six straight victories—four of them fourth quarter or overtime comebacks, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. That team was nowhere near as amazing as this year’s, but some believe Tebow’s team was more fun to watch because of the late-game hysteria, even if they backed into the playoffs with three straight losses. The memory of those losses was erased by the playoff win over Pittsburgh and the joy that came with it. (Credit, Garrett W. Ellwood/Getty Images) Peyton Manning’s Broncos haven’t just won by narrowly escaping defeat, they’ve overshadowed opponents in all three phases of the game. Trindon Holliday has sparked the special teams with his remarkable returns while David Bruton has been beastly in his coverage and effort on block attempts. Denver’s defense has been domineering and downright scary for opposing teams, bringing constant pressure and blanketing receivers with a skilled secondary. Von Miller is a candidate for defensive player of the year and his pass-rushing mate Elvis Dumervil has performed well too, but it’s players like Tony Carter and Chris Harris —the lesser known playmakers—that have made the defense special. Of course, Manning’s impact hasn’t gone unnoticed, but it’s not been fully appreciated, either. He’s led the offense to heights not seen since the glory days of John Elway and Terrell Davis, implementing his own style through thoughtful teaching and leadership. He does all the little things correctly, like calling an audible at just the right time only to see it pay off for a big play because he studies the game like a grad student. His sense of the team aspect is astute, like when he consciously made an effort to get Knowshon Moreno going early in the Chiefs game. Moreno’s proved very valuable the last four games. He’s also passed the ball with precision, playing one of the best seasons of his storied career. All after more than a year away from the game, changing teams and hometowns. Manning’s Broncos won’t back into the playoffs, they won the AFC West in mid-November. If everything goes right, they’ll finish the regular season with 11 straight wins, the No. 2 seed, home field advantage and a first round bye. Heck, the Broncos could even end up as the AFC’s top team, though Houston would have to lose out as well. Still, this team is one of the very best Broncos teams not only in recent memory, but of all time. Their current nine-game winning streak is the longest since the 13-0 start in 1998—the second of back-to-back Super Bowl victories—and only the fourth time a streak that long has been reached in franchise history. They’re the only team in the NFL that’s currently top-five in both offense and defense, at No. 2 in scoring (409 points) and No. 5 in points allowed (274). That +125 point differential is massive, and the only other times Denver has done this well they’ve made the Super Bowl. There’s even a hint that the team is continuing to improve. Last week’s win in Baltimore was the franchise’s first against the Ravens, and it was their first game without a turnover all season. Although Manning threw for a season-low 204 yards, it resulted in the Broncos’ most balanced attack of the year. Winning football is fun football to watch, and if Denver can find a way to win four more games, they’ll be back at the Super Bowl for the team’s lucky seventh time. So sit back and enjoy the ride Broncos fans, seasons like this one only come around once in a football generation. For more Local Football Bloggers and the latest Broncos news, see CBS Sports Denver . Rich Kurtzman is a Denver native, Colorado State University alumnus, sports nerd, athletics enthusiast, and competition junkie. Currently writing for a multitude of websites while working on books, one on the history of the Denver Broncos and Mile High Stadium. Find more of Rich’s Denver Broncos pieces on Examiner.com .
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Denver Broncos Fans Should Enjoy The Ride
In the end, the Tim Tebow era in New York will be remembered for his shirtless jog in the rain.
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Column: Tebow Time clocks out in the Big Apple (The Associated Press)
ENGLEWOOD — Beware the unbeaten run of success. The Broncos are the 16th team in the past decade to string together nine consecutive wins.
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Broncos’ last two games crucial