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		<description>RUWT? News for Denver Broncos</description>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:14:09 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Orton misses 3rd practice with ankle injury]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[ENGLEWOOD, Colo.(AP) -- Kyle Orton missed a third consecutive
practice Friday because of a sprained left ankle and has only an
outside chance of playing Sunday when the Denver Broncos and San
Diego Chargers meet with first place in the AFC West on the
line.

Broncos backup Chris Simms again took first-team practice
repetitions, as he has all week in the absence of Orton, who was
injured during last week's 27-17 loss at Washington.

Simms is in line to make his first start since September 2006,
when he suffered a life-threatening spleen injury while with
Tampa Bay.

Listed as questionable, Orton will be put through a workout
before Sunday's game and how he performs will determine whether
he plays, coach Josh McDaniels said Friday.

"If Kyle is completely able to do what we're going to ask him to
do in the game plan, and can do it at a level that allows us to
be successful, then we could give him an opportunity to play,"
McDaniels said. "If he's not capable of playing at that level,
or doing some of the things that we need him to be able to do,
then you go with the guy who practiced."

McDaniels said Orton "absolutely" still has a chance to play,
though he conceded playing him without the benefit of any
practice during the week was much less than ideal.

In a somewhat similar scenario a week ago, Simms was thrust into
the lineup in relief of the injured Orton with little or no
preparation. The backup had a rough go, completing 3 of 13
passes for 13 yards and an interception. In the case of Simms,
though, it was his first significant action since undergoing
emergency surgery more than three years ago to remove a ruptured
spleen.

Simms said Friday he was approaching the game as if he was going
to start and he felt better prepared to play at a high level
after a week's worth of practice.

"If needed, I'll be ready," Simms said. "I know I haven't had a
great deal of playing time the last few years but I think a lot
of guys saw what I did in training camp and the snaps I got in
the preseason, and hopefully they are as confident in me as I am
in myself."

McDaniels said he and the rest of the team have a great deal of
faith in Simms, who worked through a long, difficult
rehabilitation to restore his health to where he could play
again.

"I think it's hard not to have a great deal of respect and
appreciation for what he's been able to overcome," McDaniels
said. "We have a lot of confidence in him and I know the
coaching staff does and the players have practiced that way this
week. We expect to play well if he's playing. I think the team
feels the same way about him, and we'll embrace that situation
if that's what we're doing."

Tight end Daniel Graham said it's not like he and his teammates
are starting from scratch with Simms because they got a chance
to work with him extensively during training camp. That's
allowed them to quickly make adjustments to his style this week,
including getting used to catching balls with the differing spin
of a left-hander.

"We've had a good week of practice with Chris in there," Graham
said. "He's been doing a good job of leading this team and
continuing where Kyle left off. We've all had the chance to
catch balls from Chris this week, and if he gets to go on
Sunday, we'll all be ready."

For his part, Simms would like nothing better than to put an
exclamation point on his comeback.

"I've been through a lot," he said. "I've always loved the game
of football a great deal and to have it almost taken away from
me, and then to be back kind of in the mix of things, it's a
special time for me and my whole family. I'm excited."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/135692-Orton-misses-3rd-practice-with-ankle-injury</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/135692-Orton-misses-3rd-practice-with-ankle-injury</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:20:40 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Chargers erase big deficit to Broncos]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ARNIE STAPLETON
AP Sports Writer

DENVER(AP) -- The San Diego Chargers have already outdone
themselves. Or is it the Broncos who have?

Last year, the Chargers became the first NFL team to overcome a
three-game deficit in their division with three weeks to go when
they caught Denver on the final day of the season. That vaulted
them into the playoffs and sent the bruised Broncos into an
offseason makeover that started with a coaching change.

Josh McDaniels, hired after team owner Pat Bowlen revoked Mike
Shanahan's "Coach for Life" title, led the Broncos to a
surprising 6-0 start this season, punctuated with a 34-23 win at
San Diego last month that put Denver 3 1/2 games ahead of the
Chargers in the AFC West.

The Broncos may have been feeling good about themselves, but
they didn't celebrate prematurely.

"We've been here before," tight end Daniel Graham cautioned
then. "And we all know what happened to us last time."

And it's happened again.

The Broncos haven't won since that Monday night in San Diego;
the Chargers haven't lost again.

After whittling away their deficit with a month's worth of
impressive wins, the Chargers bring an identical 6-3 record to
Denver on Sunday for their showdown at Invesco Field.

"They've become a more improved team over the course of a month
and obviously we've lost three straight, so we've got a lot of
work to do to get back up to that level," Broncos cornerback
Champ Bailey said.

This deja vu comes with a caveat, though.

"Last year everything was on the line," Chargers tight end
Antonio Gates said. "That was for the championship of the AFC
West, for the playoffs. This is just for the lead. This is for
who will be in first place at the halfway mark of the season."

And this time, the loser will have a chance to recover.

The Broncos stunned the NFL by winning their first six games and
looking like they, and not the Chargers - seemingly everybody's
preseason pick - would coast through the watered-down AFC West.

But after losses to Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Washington in the
last three weeks, maybe it's fair to say, with apologies to
Dennis Green, "They are who we thought they were."

Broncos safety Brian Dawkins suggested it was a good thing for
people to start doubting Denver again.

"I love being put in a situation where people don't expect you
to do something, or they think you can't do it. I love that. I
relish that. I feed off of that," Dawkins said. "These are the
type of games that should just get your blood pumping and get
your heart beating fast, get you breathing hard, like I'm doing
right now in anticipation of the game."

There's no denying, however, the Chargers are playing their best
ball right now while the Broncos are at their worst, a reversal
of the season's first month.

"They are playing with a different fire, with a different zest
that you can see on film," Dawkins said. "You just go into this
game expecting their best, and then you put up your best and see
whose best is the best."

Oddsmakers won't put a line on this one because of the Broncos'
unsettled quarterback situation.

Kyle Orton has a sprained left ankle and might have to give way
to backup Chris Simms, who hasn't started a game since Sept. 24,
2006, when he played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Simms was
battered so badly by the Carolina Panthers that he had to
undergo emergency surgery to remove his spleen after that game.

"My life was definitely in danger. I lost nine pints of blood;
you've only got 14 in your body. If the doctor didn't say let's
go to the hospital and maybe I hung around the locker room and
tried to go home, I don't know if I would have made it. That's
what they told me," Simms said.

Simms tried to gut it out after getting hurt on that fateful day
three years ago.

"Definitely. You never think of internal injuries in football,"
he said. "It was a really hot day there. I took a tough hit. I
thought maybe I broke a rib. I could never really catch my
breath. It was really uncomfortable. As the game went on I got
worse and worse and, to make a long story short, at the end of
the fourth quarter, it seriously went through my brain for the
first time that I may have something seriously wrong with me."

After five days in intensive care, Simms spent a long, arduous
road to recovery. He finally feels like himself again, and
McDaniels admires him for his perseverance in overcoming what
many thought was a career-ending injury.

"I think you gain a great deal of respect from your coaches and
your peers by how you work and how you handle yourself. I don't
know that anybody does that better than he does," McDaniels
said.

Chargers outside linebacker Shaun Phillips and not Shawne
Merriman, who's starting to pile up sacks again, would have the
blind side if the left-handed Simms gets the nod. Phillips will
be facing right tackle Tyler Polumbus, who's filling in for
starter Ryan Harris (toes).

"I love having the blind side," Phillips said. "I don't get that
too much. But it's not about me, it's about us. As long as we
continue to focus on us and have that attitude we'll be fine."

Phillips said it matters - a little - who starts because Orton
is right-handed and Simms a southpaw. The defensive game plan
will have to be tweaked depending on who's under center.

The Broncos, though, aren't coming up with different game plans
for each QB.

"Both quarterbacks are here because they can function in our
system," McDaniels said. "So, we're not going to mess around and
try to create some magical game plan for Chris and have one in
the hole for Kyle or vice versa. The game plan is the game plan.
I don't think you can do that to your other players. They have
to practice and they have to study one type of plan and you have
to make it go with whomever is in there."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/135491-Chargers-erase-big-deficit-to-Broncos</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/135491-Chargers-erase-big-deficit-to-Broncos</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:11:43 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Chargers-Broncos Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MATT BEARDMORE
STATS Writer

San Diego's chances for a fourth consecutive AFC West title
looked slim, at best, following its home loss to Denver last
month.

However, the Chargers are undefeated since then and back in the
hunt for the divisional crown while the Broncos are falling fast
since their 6-0 start.

San Diego looks to win its fifth straight and move into sole
possession of first place in the West on Sunday when it faces a
slumping Denver team that could be without its starting
quarterback.

With a 34-23 loss to the visiting Broncos on Oct. 19, the
three-time defending AFC West champion Chargers (6-3) fell 3 1/2
games behind Denver for the division lead.

San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers acknowledged it would be
tough to catch up, but the Chargers have done so remarkably
quickly. They've beaten Kansas City, Oakland, the New York
Giants and Philadelphia over the last month to move into a
first-place tie with Denver (6-3).

"We didn't know it would happen like this, or this fast, that we
would be sitting here with the same record, but we believed we
could get ourselves back in it because we were talking about 11
more ballgames," Rivers said after completing 20 of 25 passes
for 231 yards and two touchdowns in last Sunday's 31-23 victory
over the Eagles.

The Chargers' last four-game winning streak was over the final
four games of last season, which they finished 8-8. San Diego
became the first team to go from 4-8 to the playoffs with a
52-21 victory over Denver in the regular-season finale.

The Broncos lost their final three games in 2008, becoming the
first team since divisional play started in 1967 to fail to make
the playoffs after holding a three-game lead with three games
left.

With a fourth straight defeat Sunday, Denver would drop in the
division standings and move closer to missing the playoffs for
the fourth straight season. Only two teams in the Super Bowl era
have failed to advance to the postseason after opening 6-0.

"Crisis? No. Tough spot? Absolutely," Broncos safety Brian
Dawkins said after Sunday's 27-17 loss at Washington. "You can't
sit there and dwell on the piddly-poo of tears and worry about
the last game. You have to move forward and that's what we're
going to do."

The Broncos, though, may have to push ahead without starting
quarterback Kyle Orton, who left Sunday's game at the end of the
first half with a sprained left ankle.

"I was hoping to come back out and I just wasn't able to," said
Orton, who completed 11 of 18 passes for 193 yards and two TDs
to Brandon Marshall. "So hopefully I'll be able to go next
week."

Backup Chris Simms, however, took the snaps during practice
Wednesday and Thursday, making it increasingly likely he'll
start. Making his first appearance of the season after Orton got
hurt Sunday, Simms was 3 of 13 for 13 yards with an
interception.

Simms hasn't started since Sept. 24, 2006, when he played for
Tampa Bay and was battered so badly by Carolina that he needed
emergency surgery to remove his spleen.

"His outlook, I'm sure, was probably affected by that, and I
think he enjoys every day that he's here and he takes advantage
of it," coach Josh McDaniels said. "That's why our team embraces
him in his role and would embrace him in whatever role he would
serve for us."

While Denver looks to improve an offense that had just 36
second-half yards last Sunday, the Broncos might also need to
work on defending the run.

After Denver allowed 79.7 rushing yards per game during its 6-0
start, opponents are averaging 157.3 yards on the ground versus
the Broncos in the last three weeks.

That could be good news for Chargers running back LaDainian
Tomlinson, who rushed for a season-high 96 yards and two TDs
last week.

After learning before the game that his wife LaTorsha was
pregnant with the couple's first child, Tomlinson moved into
12th-place all-time with 12,145 rushing yards and third all-time
with 146 touchdowns, trailing Hall-of-Famers Jerry Rice and
Emmitt Smith.

"I grew up watching all those guys," said Tomlinson, who carried
18 times for 70 yards last month versus Denver. "It's
mind-boggling that I am third all-time."

Sunday marks San Diego's first visit to Denver since a
controversial 39-38 loss on Sept.14, 2008. Two plays after
referee Ed Hochuli incorrectly ruled Jay Cutler's lost fumble
was an incompletion, the former Broncos quarterback found wide
receiver Eddie Royal for a four-yard TD on fourth down with 24
seconds left. Royal caught the ensuing two-point conversion.

In last month's victory in San Diego, Royal became the first
Bronco to return a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown in the
same game.

Chargers running back Darren Sproles returned a punt 77 yards
for a score in that contest.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/135195-Chargers-Broncos-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/135195-Chargers-Broncos-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:15:12 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Simms gets the reps, Orton sits out practice]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ARNIE STAPLETON
AP Sports Writer

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.(AP) -- The ligaments in Kyle Orton's left ankle
are torn. He certainly isn't.

Orton adamantly wants to start Sunday against San Diego and help
the Denver Broncos snap out of a monthlong funk that has wiped
out their 3 1/2-game cushion over the Chargers in the AFC West.

Plus, how can he convince the front office that he should be in
the team's long-term plans if he's standing on the sideline
sending in signals instead of running Josh McDaniels' offense?

Orton, in the final year of a contract that pays him a
relatively paltry $1 million, has played through enough leg
injuries to know it's not wise to rush back into action before
he's healthy.

He just wasn't the same quarterback in Chicago after spraining
his other ankle midway through last season. His interceptions
piled up, his passer ratings plummeted and he never rediscovered
the touch he had early in the season after he was carted off the
field with a sprained ankle against Detroit on Nov. 2.

Eventually, the Bears soured on Orton and sent him and a bevy of
draft picks to Denver for Jay Cutler.

Still, his defiance was palpable Wednesday before he sat out
practice.

"I came back last year as soon as I could and I'll do the same
thing this year," Orton said.

He acknowledged, however, that he rushed back into action last
season after sitting out one game. He suffered through a 37-3
loss at Green Bay upon his hasty return, commencing a spiral
that ended his tenure in Chicago.

"I wasn't even close for the Green Bay game," Orton admitted.
"That's just how it is. I don't know if anybody is feeling 100
percent right now on our team. It's been a physical season and
I'm no different."

So, his mindset is he's the starter unless and until McDaniels
decides by week's end that Simms is.

"I'll come back as fast as I can and try to lead the football
team and try to be in the huddle just like everybody else,"
Orton said. "In this sport you've got to play when you are
dinged up and the quarterback is no different."

Besides, Orton said, this injury isn't anything like the one he
had a year ago with the Bears.

"A different foot and a different deal. So, it's different," he
insisted. "It's not the same foot or the same type of thing. I
played with leg injuries in the past. I hope I can do it this
time.

"You know, last year was so tough because it was pushing off and
that was my back leg, so that was tough. This will present a
different challenge, I'm sure, but we'll see if I can play
through it."

The Broncos, trying to avoid becoming just the third team in the
Super Bowl era to miss the playoffs after winning its first six
games, will either send out a quarterback with a puffy ankle to
face an improved Chargers pass-rush or one who hasn't started a
game since 2006.

Backup Chris Simms, a left-hander, unlike Orton, took the snaps
with the starters at practice Wednesday.

Simms is the quarterback best known for having his spleen
removed after taking a beating in a loss to Carolina on Sept.
24, 2006, while he was playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He hasn't started a game since that day, although he did start
the second half at Washington last week after Orton was hurt on
the Broncos' final play from scrimmage before halftime.

Simms was rusty, completing just three passes for 13 yards in 13
attempts in his first extended action since undergoing emergency
surgery to remove his spleen three years ago.

"I'm sure that if you look at career statistics of guys coming
in the middle of the game as the backup quarterback, I'm sure
they're not through the roof," Simms said.

Some snaps with the starters will get his rhythm back, suggested
Simms, who has started 16 games in six seasons.

"A few reps will definitely help things out," he said.

Against the Redskins, Simms either fired passes over the heads
of his flustered wide receivers Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal
and Jabar Gaffney or bounced balls at their feet.

"I think the biggest thing is getting my eyes right and really
just getting timing and rhythm down with the guys," Simms said.
"I will get as greased up as I can, and if Kyle is ready to go
then it will be all for naught."

Marshall also missed practice Wednesday. The team said he had a
neck injury.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/135108-Simms-gets-the-reps-Orton-sits-out-practice</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/135108-Simms-gets-the-reps-Orton-sits-out-practice</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:00:52 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Broncos playing wait-and-see game with Orton]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ARNIE STAPLETON
AP Sports Writer

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.(AP) -- The unraveling Denver Broncos haven't won
a game in a month and they've lost their starting quarterback
for who knows how long.

Coach Josh McDaniels said Monday that he didn't know if Kyle
Orton's sprained left ankle would prevent him from playing in
Sunday's showdown with the San Diego Chargers, who have whittled
away Denver's 3 1/2-game lead in the AFC West and are now tied
with the Broncos at 6-3.

Orton was injured just before halftime of Denver's third
straight loss, 27-17 at Washington on Sunday, after throwing for
nearly 200 yards and connecting with Brandon Marshall on two
long scores.

He was replaced by Chris Simms, who wasn't able to shake off 3
1/2 years of rust.

McDaniels said the team will monitor Orton's progress throughout
the week and Simms will be drilled in the offense in case he has
to make his first start since 2006.

"We'll have to see if and when Kyle is ready to go. Whether
that's Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or none at all," McDaniels
said.

No matter who's under center, the Broncos will have a makeshift
pocket of protection with Tyler Polumbus at right tackle in
place of Ryan Harris, who will miss his third straight game with
two dislocated toes. Plus, Russ Hochstein will likely start at
left guard again after supplanting Ben Hamilton, the longest
tenured Broncos player, last week.

Simms had a solid preseason before being sidelined by a high
ankle sprain.

"We have a good feel for him," receiver Brandon Stokley said of
Simms. "Chris is one of the hardest workers on this team. If he
has to play, I feel very confident in his abilities."

With the exception of rookie running back Knowshon Moreno,
nobody on offense played particularly well after Orton went down
on the Broncos' final play from scrimmage in the first half, and
Simms was downright dreadful, sailing long passes over
receivers' heads or entombing short throws at their feet.

"I would have loved for him to have played better, but I think
there's some other things that happened in the course of the
second half that affected his play or would have affected Kyle's
play," McDaniels said. "We got into some long yardage
situations. We obviously had two two-minute drives there at the
end, we're behind and we had to throw and they know it and
they're pass-rushing us.

"The game plan was not necessarily designed to have a bunch of
dropback passes where we just stand there in the gun like a
sitting duck and let them come after us. We knew they had a good
front, a good rush and that proved to be true in the second half
more than it did in the first half."

The blame didn't stop with Simms, although he came in and
struggled just when the offense had discovered a downfield
component to their risk-averse offense - Orton having hooked up
with Marshall for TD tosses of 40 and 75 yards before getting
hurt.

The Broncos' slide from 6-0 to 6-3 has been thorough.

Their special teams have been atrocious, allowing two TD returns
and culminating Sunday when the Washington Redskins telegraphed
a fake punt and still scored the game-changing touchdown that
led to a 27-17 win over the bumbling Broncos.

And their defense has gone from dominant during their six-game
winning streak to dismal during their three-game skid.

Completing the collapse: McDaniels' Midas touch during the first
six weeks has disappeared.

Halftime adjustments that worked wonders when they were
outscoring their opponents by a combined 76-10 in the second
half while going 6-0 are all backfiring now as they've been
outscored 58-14 after halftime during their three-game slide,
including 13-0 on Sunday.

About the only positive on Sunday was a breakout game for
Moreno, who struggled through the first half of the season
before running for 97 yards on 18 carries against the Redskins.

Now that they've finally found a ground game to take some
pressure off the passing attack, the Broncos need their defense
to start stopping the run again.

Safety Brian Dawkins said the Broncos won't wallow in their
failures as they try to fix things.

"You can't sit there and dwell on the 'piddly-poo' of tears and
worry about the last game," Dawkins said. "You have to move
forward and that's what we're going to do."

No matter who's leading the way on offense.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/134502-Broncos-playing-wait-and-see-game-with-Orton</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/134502-Broncos-playing-wait-and-see-game-with-Orton</guid>
				<pubDate>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 02:21:05 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Bizarre fake FG spurs Redskins past Broncos 27-17]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JOSEPH WHITE
AP Sports Writer

LANDOVER, Md.(AP) -- The Washington Redskins did everything except
hold a big neon sign to let the world know that a trick play was
in the works.

The Denver Broncos still couldn't stop it. Life was so much
easier when they were 6-0.

Energized by the odd sequence that somehow resulted in a
first-half touchdown, the Redskins kept the momentum the rest of
the game and beat the Broncos' 27-17 Sunday, ending Washington's
losing streak at four and extending Denver's skid to three.

"The way we play as a team these days, with these close games,
you really need momentum-builders and things like that," said
holder and punter Hunter Smith, who cranked up his rusty
throwing arm and launched the 35-yard touchdown pass to Mike
Sellers. "I thought it was the right call."

Of course he did. He's a punter getting to throw a pass.

But it was fourth-and-20 at the 35, and the Redskins had already
showed fake by splitting tight end Todd Yoder wide as a receiver
in field goal formation. The attempt was initially aborted when
coach Jim Zorn had to call timeout because Washington had only
10 men on the field.

Then, even though the Broncos were on notice, even though there
were 20 yards to go, the Redskins still ran the fake.

Yoder split out and went in motion. Smith took the snap, rolled
right and lobbed the ball deep - and back across the field - to
Sellers for the touchdown that tied the score at 14.

Two hours later, the Broncos were still trying to figure out
what happened.

"They were setting up something - we knew it," defensive lineman
Vonnie Holliday said. "They came back, and I think they may have
even yelled out on their sideline, 'Let's just punt it. Let's
just punt it.' And I guess we just bought into it, because we
didn't lock in on the play and what was going on. It seems like
it took forever to unfold. You've got to know coming into a game
like this, with a team like this, to expect it."

The fans that had booed the Redskins all season - and were
booing earlier in the first half when Denver's Brandon Marshall
was wide open for two long touchdown passes - cheered the
trickery with one of the biggest ovations of the season.

"They definitely got the momentum," Holliday said, "and, from
there on, it seems like we never got the momentum back."

The ramifications for the Broncos (6-3) were huge, and rookie
coach Josh McDaniels now has his first genuine rough patch.
Three weeks ago, they had a 3 1/2 game lead over the San Diego
Chargers. While it was hardly an embarrassment to lose to
Baltimore and Pittsburgh, the loss to the Redskins (3-6) helped
the Chargers tie Denver for the division lead when they beat
Philadelphia later Sunday.

"Crisis? No. Tough spot? Absolutely," safety Brian Dawkins said.
"There's not going to be too many teams that's going to have a
straight shot and not go through some adversity. ... You can't
sit there and dwell on the piddly-poo of tears and worry about
the last game. You have to move forward and that's what we're
going to do."

Compounding matters, the Broncos had to play the second half
without Kyle Orton, who limped to the locker room after hurting
his left ankle during a third-down scramble on his team's final
offensive play of the first half. Chris Simms, seeing his first
action of the season, completed 3 of 13 for 13 yards with an
interception, and Denver had only 36 yards of total offense
after halftime.

"It's a tough sport and it happens," said Orton, who went 11 for
18 for 193 yards with touchdown passes of 40 and 75 yards to
Marshall. "You've got to try to play through it. I was hoping to
come back out and I just wasn't able to. So hopefully I'll be
able to go next week."

Washington's Ladell Betts scored the go-ahead touchdown on a
1-yard run with 2:44 to play. With Clinton Portis sidelined
after suffering a concussion in last week's loss at Atlanta,
Betts made his first start since 2006 and ran for 114 yards on
26 carries, including 91 yards in the second half, better
numbers than Portis had in any game this season.

Jason Campbell completed 17 of 26 passes - and was 9 for 9 in
the second half - for 193 yards for the Redskins, who broke the
17-point barrier for the first time this season. In fact, the
27-point outburst was their greatest since Week 2 of last
season.

"We've had a desert experience - very arid, if you will - for
the last few weeks," Zorn said, "so to be able to come out with
a win, you almost don't know how to feel."

NOTES: Smith now has two big plays on fakes this year. He ran
for an 8-yard score against the New York Giants in the opener.
... Washington CB Carlos Rogers was benched after getting beat
on the first TD pass to Marshall. ... Redskins DT Albert
Haynesworth sprained his left ankle in the second half but said
it "should be all right."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/134245-Bizarre-fake-FG-spurs-Redskins-past-Broncos-27-17</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/134245-Bizarre-fake-FG-spurs-Redskins-past-Broncos-27-17</guid>
				<pubDate>Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:23:42 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Broncos QB Orton misses 2nd half with ankle injury]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By HOWARD FENDRICH
AP Sports Writer

LANDOVER, Md.(AP) -- Quarterback Kyle Orton sat out the second
half of the Denver Broncos' 27-17 loss to the Washington
Redskins on Sunday with an injured left ankle and wasn't sure
whether he'll be able to play next week.

Orton came up hobbling after being tackled on a third-down
scramble right before halftime. He was on the sideline during
the second half, his ankle heavily taped.

"I was hoping to come back out, and I just wasn't able to," said
Orton, who was 11 for 18 for 193 yards and two long touchdown
passes to Brandon Marshall.

Coming out of halftime, Orton said he tried a few practice
throws but then told coach Josh McDaniels he wouldn't be able to
play.

Orton said after the game it was too soon to say whether he
would be able to play against the San Diego Chargers next
Sunday.

"I'm not going to sit here and talk about it," he said.

Backup Chris Simms played the second half against Washington,
his first action this season. And the rust showed: Simms
completed 3 of 13 passes for 13 yards and an interception, which
translates to a passer rating of 7.5.

For comparison's sake, Orton's passer rating against Washington
was 134.7.

"We'll see what happens with Kyle. If I get a full week of reps
in practice under my belt, I'll be able to go next Sunday,"
Simms said.

While Simms said he didn't know how bad Orton's injury is, he
also said, "As of right now, I'm anticipating" playing against
San Diego. Simms threw two passes all of last season, when he
was with the Tennessee Titans.

What was McDaniels saying to Simms during Sunday's rough second
half?

"Josh is pretty even-keel, no matter what the situation is,"
Simms said. "He just said: 'I'm going to call the same things I
would always call.' And I said, 'Good."'

After getting off to a 6-0 start, the Broncos have lost three
consecutive games to fall to 6-3.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/134222-Broncos-QB-Orton-misses-2nd-half-with-ankle-injury</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/134222-Broncos-QB-Orton-misses-2nd-half-with-ankle-injury</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:55:44 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Portis' start streak ends for Redskins vs Broncos]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[LANDOVER, Md.(AP) -- Washington Redskins running back Clinton
Portis' streak of 40 consecutive starts came to an end when he
was inactive against the Denver Broncos because of a concussion.

Portis held the longest active streak among NFL running backs.
He was injured in last week's game at Atlanta.

Ladell Betts, who had been questionable with a sprained ankle,
was active for Sunday's game and was expected to start in
Portis' spot.

Also among the inactives for the Redskins were tight end Chris
Cooley and offensive lineman Mike Williams. Both have ankle
injuries.

Denver's inactive list included defensive lineman Ryan McBean
(knee), safety Josh Barrett (hamstring) and right tackle Ryan
Harris (toe).]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/134197-Portis-start-streak-ends-for-Redskins-vs-Broncos</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/134197-Portis-start-streak-ends-for-Redskins-vs-Broncos</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:24:20 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[McBean, Barrett to miss Broncos' game vs. Redskins]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[ENGLEWOOD, Colo.(AP) -- Denver defensive lineman Ryan McBean and
safety Josh Barrett will miss the Broncos' game at Washington.

Denver announced the moves on Saturday.

McBean had been listed as questionable with a knee injury. He'll
miss his second straight game on Sunday.

Barrett has a hamstring injury. He also had been listed as
doubtful.

The Broncos will also be without right tackle Ryan Harris
(toes).]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133969-McBean-Barrett-to-miss-Broncos-game-vs-Redskins</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133969-McBean-Barrett-to-miss-Broncos-game-vs-Redskins</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:06:10 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[McDaniels' 6-2 in Denver echoes Zorn with Redskins]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JOSEPH WHITE
AP Sports Writer

LANDOVER, Md.(AP) -- A fresh, new NFL head coach has his team off
to a 6-2 start. Sure, there have been some bumps along the way,
but most everyone is pleasantly surprised with a record that's
better than anyone would have predicted.

Sound familiar, Jim Zorn?

"We were 6-2 last year at our start, and yet it's very
difficult," Zorn said. "It's hard to win in the NFL."

It's been hard to win for a full year for the Washington
Redskins, who are 4-12 since Zorn's "Hip, Hip, Hooray!" run that
had him looking like a coach of the year candidate in his rookie
season on the job. Since then, of course, all the flaws that
were easy to overlook during eight weeks of success have been
exposed for all the league to see, and Zorn isn't expected to
make it to a third season.

Which takes us to Josh McDaniels, this year's new kid on the
block who could do no wrong. He has the Denver Broncos at 6-2,
but the two losses have come in the last two games. Has the
league started to figure him out? Are the Broncos' flaws greater
than they appeared at 6-0? Will he meet the same fate as Zorn?

Or is this just a blip on the radar screen of a promising
coaching career?

"It's a little bit of who we played," Broncos cornerback Champ
Bailey said, "and a little bit of what we didn't do in the
games."

Indeed, it's no embarrassment to lose on the road to Baltimore
or at home to Pittsburgh, but the offense didn't do much either
week and the losses allowed San Diego to move within a game of
first place in the AFC West. The truest test yet as to whether
the Broncos are trending downward comes Sunday when they visit
the Redskins (2-6), a team that has dropped four straight and
practically owns the downward arrow.

"You're happy to start with wins, and we were, but certainly not
content," McDaniels said. "We haven't accomplished anything, and
we're certainly not satisfied with the way we've played the last
two weeks."

Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell didn't throw a single
interception during the Redskins' 6-2 start last year, so it's
an interesting parallel that Kyle Orton had only one during
Denver's 6-0 binge. The luck ran out last week against the
Steelers, when Orton was picked three times.

Big plays have also noticeably missing from the
close-to-the-vest Denver attack. Orton's longest completion the
last two weeks has been 23 yards. Rookie Knowshon Moreno leads
the team with 423 yards rushing, but his longest run on the
season is a mere 17 yards. The offense accounted for only one
touchdown in the two losses.

A popular topic in Denver this week was whether Orton needs to
take more shots downfield, or at least hit a home run once in a
while to get a confidence boost.

McDaniels' response: "If you need that and if you're looking for
that, you're in trouble."

Regardless, the big downfield throw might not be the best
strategy against the Redskins, ranked No. 1 in the league in
pass defense. That statistic is somewhat misleading, however,
because a run defense ranked No. 25 gives offenses less reason
to pass. Also, teams usually have a lead against Washington, so
the fourth quarter is spent running the ball to use up the
clock.

The Broncos are also coming off a short week of practice, having
played Monday night, but Atlanta faced the same hurdle last week
before dismantling the Redskins 31-17.

That 17 number has been a barrier for Washington all season -
the team has yet to score more - and the odds don't look good
this week. Zorn's offense will be using its fifth different
starting offensive line because of injuries and lack of
performance. Campbell has been sacked 11 times in the last two
weeks.

Denver's defense is stout, and it has extra motivation. Mike
Nolan, who is among the many players and coaches who have had a
less-than-harmonious departure from the Redskins during a decade
of Dan Snyder's ownership, is now Broncos defensive coordinator.
Bailey is also on that list, having left Washington in a 2004
trade after Snyder balked at the Pro Bowl player's asking price
for a new contract.

This is Bailey's first game in Washington since the trade for
running back Clinton Portis, so he wants to have a good game.
But he'll settle for putting his young coach back in the win
column.

"We need to win. Get this bad taste of our mouth," Bailey said.
"It's tough losing two in a row after winning six."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133699-McDaniels-6-2-in-Denver-echoes-Zorn-with-Redskins</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133699-McDaniels-6-2-in-Denver-echoes-Zorn-with-Redskins</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 14 Nov 2009 05:01:31 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Broncos-Redskins Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MATT BECKER
STATS Senior Writer

The Denver Broncos were the NFL's most pleasant surprise through
the first two months of the season, but back-to-back blowout
losses suddenly have them looking quite vulnerable.

A game against the slumping Washington Redskins might be what
they need to bounce back.

The Broncos hope Kyle Orton and their offense can get back in
gear and their once-formidable defense can return to form Sunday
when they visit a Redskins team looking to avoid losing five
consecutive games for the first time in eight years.

Denver (6-2) opened with six straight victories under first-year
coach Josh McDaniels, but very little has gone right since. The
Broncos averaged 22.2 points and allowed an average of 11.0
during the winning streak, but have been outscored 58-17 in
losses to Baltimore and Pittsburgh with the offense reaching the
end zone just once.

"Well, we've got to score points," Orton said after Monday's
28-10 loss to the Steelers. "So, we're moving on from the last
couple of weeks. We've got plenty of areas to improve on."

Orton threw nine touchdowns and one interception in the six
victories but is beginning to look quite ordinary. After passing
for a season-low 152 yards in a 30-7 loss to the Ravens on Nov.
1, Orton threw three interceptions Monday.

"They are two good defenses," Orton, who shaved his trademark
beard this week in hopes of changing the team's luck, said of
Baltimore and Pittsburgh. "When you play those guys, the margin
for error is very small ... As a quarterback, I put it on
myself. It is my offense, and I will get it back on track."

Denver's ground game has been virtually nonexistent the past two
weeks with veteran running back Correll Buckhalter and rookie
Knowshon Moreno combining for 82 yards on 32 carries. The
Broncos averaged 132.7 rushing yards during the winning streak.

The Broncos appear to have a good chance to re-establish their
ground game against a Washington team that allowed a season-high
181 rushing yards last week. The Redskins defense has given up a
new season high in points two weeks running, following a 27-17
loss to Philadelphia with a 31-17 defeat at Atlanta last Sunday.

Still, an anemic offense remains the biggest concern for
Washington (2-6).

The Redskins, who haven't dropped five straight games since
opening the 2001 season 0-5, have yet to exceed 17 points in a
game as quarterback Jason Campbell continues to take a beating
behind a makeshift line. He has been sacked 25 times -
third-most in the NFL - and will face a Denver defense that
ranks third in the league with 26 sacks.

Making matters worse, Washington will be without starting
running back Clinton Portis, who suffered a concussion in the
first quarter against the Falcons.

Ladell Betts, who rushed for 70 yards and a touchdown on 15
carries last week despite nursing a sprained ankle, likely will
get his first start since the 2006 season finale.

Portis, who ranks eighth in the NFC with 494 rushing yards, was
traded to the Redskins from Denver for Champ Bailey and a
second-round draft pick prior to the 2004 season. This will be
the first time Bailey, an eight-time Pro Bowl cornerback, has
faced his former club.

It's also the first meeting between the teams since the Broncos
won 21-19 at home Oct. 9, 2005. Portis ran for 103 yards in a
losing effort for Washington, while Bailey missed the game due
to a hamstring injury.

Current Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall was involved in a
bizarre episode last week.

After Washington safety LaRon Landry's late hit on Falcons
quarterback Matt Ryan, Hall jumped into the middle of things,
surrounded by a horde of Atlanta players and coach Mike Smith.
Hall said he would file a complaint with NFL commissioner Roger
Goodell, accusing the Falcons of losing their cool.

The incident is the latest in an incredible run of Redskins news
that has made the team's actual on-field performance almost an
afterthought. In the last month, owner Dan Snyder and team
management have stripped Zorn of play-calling duties, issued an
apology of sorts for the team's play and had an assistant coach
lash out at Hall of Fame running back John Riggins for claiming
Snyder is someone whose "heart is dark."

Amidst all the turmoil, Washington must try to stay motivated
through the final eight weeks.

"It's your job. You've got to have pride," Redskins running back
Rock Cartwright said.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133100-Broncos-Redskins-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133100-Broncos-Redskins-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:14:43 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[No answer for no-huddle puts Broncos in a bind]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By PAT GRAHAM
AP Sports Writer

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.(AP) -- No longer is the Denver Broncos defense so
mystifying. The code has been cracked.

By turning to a version of the no-huddle in the second half,
Baltimore and Pittsburgh each have gashed the Broncos for big
plays and turned close games into runaways.

The approach also has provided a blueprint on how to solve one
of the top defenses in the league. The Broncos (6-2) are
expecting to see plenty of no-huddle situations Sunday at
Washington.

"Let them keep trying," Champ Bailey said Thursday. "It's not
going to work every week."

The Broncos are going to have to show they can stop it before
opponents abandon the no-huddle.

A disaster of a defense the last few seasons, the Broncos were
well on their way to shedding that reputation as they rounded
into an elite unit with a new crew and scheme. They had allowed
just 10 combined points in the second half during a six-game
winning streak to begin Josh McDaniels' tenure.

Now, the Broncos are struggling, allowing 45 points after
halftime in those back-to-back losses.

A cause for concern?

Not to safety Brian Dawkins.

"If I walk around panicking and pouting, that's what I'm going
to preach to others," the 14-year veteran said. "If I'm working,
diligent in my study, busting my hump in practice, that's
something I'm also going to preach. There's not too much that
needs to be said. We know what we need to do."

Like keeping the quarterback contained. The Broncos did just
that with Ben Roethlisberger in the first half, limiting Big Ben
and the Steelers efficient offense to just three first downs.

In the second half, Roethlisberger broke containment and threw
three touchdown passes in the 28-10 win.

"You've got to pay closer attention to the detail, because it's
really probably what got us hurt," defensive coordinator Mike
Nolan explained. "When we shifted gears in the second half, we
weren't as detailed and (Roethlisberger) got out of the pocket a
couple of times, and one of them he scored a touchdown on ...
Had we kept him in the pocket, it wouldn't have looked much
different than it did in the first half."

As for Baltimore and Pittsburgh employing more of a no-huddle
strategy, Nolan didn't think that was necessarily the issue.
That style of play is nothing the team hasn't already seen.

"We practice that frequently. Our disappointment is not so much
in what our opponent did, but just in the way we played some
things," Nolan said. "It wasn't like we had to get out of our
game. It was that we had to shift gears and when we did we just
didn't handle it as well."

What burned the Broncos the last two weeks were opponents
running the ball out of three-receiver sets against Denver's
nickel defense. The Steelers gained 150 yards on the ground in
the second half Monday night, much of that against smaller
defenders, turning a tight game at halftime into a rout.

"That's something that teams are going to do. We just have to
prepare for it and stop it," Dawkins said. "Every individual has
to do their job, regardless. The personnel on the field, we
still have the talent to be sound in our jobs to get off the
field. We've done it before. Why, all of the sudden, is this a
problem now? We're not going to make excuses. We have to make
sure we detail our work, period."

The Broncos have been extremely detail oriented all season.
That's why they've turned this once shaky defense into a
top-notch unit.

"We got tired of hearing about the Denver defenses of the past,
the last couple of years or whatever," linebacker Andra Davis
said. "We wanted to go out there and prove everybody wrong. Just
go out there and try to get it done. We've got a lot of veteran
players, who've experienced some success."

And some valleys along the way, which is coming in handy right
now.

"I'm not going to panic," Bailey said. "We hit a few bumps. I
think we need to stay the course, keep believing in what we're
doing, improving every week and we'll be fine."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133328-No-answer-for-no-huddle-puts-Broncos-in-a-bind</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133328-No-answer-for-no-huddle-puts-Broncos-in-a-bind</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:49:28 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[McDaniels' 6-2 in Denver echoes Zorn with Redskins]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JOSEPH WHITE
AP Sports Writer

LANDOVER, Md.(AP) -- A fresh, new NFL head coach has his team off
to a 6-2 start. Sure, there have been some bumps along the way,
but most everyone is pleasantly surprised with a record that's
better than anyone would have predicted.

Sound familiar, Jim Zorn?

"We were 6-2 last year at our start, and yet it's very
difficult," Zorn said. "It's hard to win in the NFL."

It's been hard to win for a full year for the Washington
Redskins, who are 4-12 since Zorn's "Hip, Hip, Hooray!" run that
had him looking like a coach of the year candidate in his rookie
season on the job. Since then, of course, all the flaws that
were easy to overlook during eight weeks of success have been
exposed for all the league to see, and Zorn isn't expected to
make it to a third season.

Which takes us to Josh McDaniels, this year's new kid on the
block who could do no wrong. He has the Denver Broncos at 6-2,
but the two losses have come in the last two games. Has the
league started to figure him out? Are the Broncos' flaws greater
than they appeared at 6-0? Will he meet the same fate as Zorn?

Or is this just a blip on the radar screen of a promising
coaching career?

"It's a little bit of who we played," Broncos cornerback Champ
Bailey said, "and a little bit of what we didn't do in the
games."

Indeed, it's no embarrassment to lose on the road to Baltimore
or at home to Pittsburgh, but the offense didn't do much either
week and the losses allowed San Diego to move within a game of
first place in the AFC West. The truest test yet as to whether
the Broncos are trending downward comes Sunday when they visit
the Redskins (2-6), a team that has dropped four straight and
practically owns the downward arrow.

"You're happy to start with wins, and we were, but certainly not
content," McDaniels said. "We haven't accomplished anything, and
we're certainly not satisfied with the way we've played the last
two weeks."

Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell didn't throw a single
interception during the Redskins' 6-2 start last year, so it's
an interesting parallel that Kyle Orton had only one during
Denver's 6-0 binge. The luck ran out last week against the
Steelers, when Orton was picked three times.

Big plays have also noticeably missing from the
close-to-the-vest Denver attack. Orton's longest completion the
last two weeks has been 23 yards. Rookie Knowshon Moreno leads
the team with 423 yards rushing, but his longest run on the
season is a mere 17 yards. The offense accounted for only one
touchdown in the two losses.

A popular topic in Denver this week was whether Orton needs to
take more shots downfield, or at least hit a home run once in a
while to get a confidence boost.

McDaniels' response: "If you need that and if you're looking for
that, you're in trouble."

Regardless, the big downfield throw might not be the best
strategy against the Redskins, ranked No. 1 in the league in
pass defense. That statistic is somewhat misleading, however,
because a run defense ranked No. 25 gives offenses less reason
to pass. Also, teams usually have a lead against Washington, so
the fourth quarter is spent running the ball to use up the
clock.

The Broncos are also coming off a short week of practice, having
played Monday night, but Atlanta faced the same hurdle last week
before dismantling the Redskins 31-17.

That 17 number has been a barrier for Washington all season -
the team has yet to score more - and the odds don't look good
this week. Zorn's offense will be using its fifth different
starting offensive line because of injuries and lack of
performance. Campbell has been sacked 11 times in the last two
weeks.

Denver's defense is stout, and it has extra motivation. Mike
Nolan, who is among the many players and coaches who have had a
less-than-harmonious departure from the Redskins during a decade
of Dan Snyder's ownership, is now Broncos defensive coordinator.
Bailey is also on that list, having left Washington in a 2004
trade after Snyder balked at the Pro Bowl player's asking price
for a new contract.

This is Bailey's first game in Washington since the trade for
running back Clinton Portis, so he wants to have a good game.
But he'll settle for putting his young coach back in the win
column.

"We need to win. Get this bad taste of our mouth," Bailey said.
"It's tough losing two in a row after winning six."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133283-McDaniels-6-2-in-Denver-echoes-Zorn-with-Redskins</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133283-McDaniels-6-2-in-Denver-echoes-Zorn-with-Redskins</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:11:34 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[With guarded optimism, Broncos switch to Hochstein]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By PAT GRAHAM
AP Sports Writer

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.(AP) -- A struggling Denver Broncos offense will
start Russ Hochstein at left guard on Sunday at Washington in
place of longtime veteran Ben Hamilton.

The move was made as the Broncos try to ignite a stagnant
offense, which has scored just one touchdown in back-to-back
losses to Baltimore and Pittsburgh.

"We'll always evaluate everybody," coach Josh McDaniels said
Thursday. "If there's something we feel may give us a better
opportunity to have success - wherever it may be - then we would
not be opposed to doing anything. We're going to see how that
goes, evaluate it ongoing."

Hochstein has shown his versatility since being acquired in an
August trade from New England. He's filled in at right guard
when Chris Kuper hurt his ankle and on the left side when
Hamilton was out with a hamstring injury against Dallas.
Hochstein also began the Pittsburgh game at tight end and has
lined up in the backfield in short-yardage situations.

"Whenever I'm called upon, I try to work as hard as I can," he
said. "I'm eager to help any way I can."

Hochstein's flexibility was one of the reasons he was brought
in, along with his familiarity with McDaniels' style of offense
dating back to their days together with the Patriots.

"We feel like he'll be competitive in there and we'll see how it
goes," McDaniels said.

Hochstein will have his hands full Sunday when he sees a steady
dose of Albert Haynesworth, the enormous anchor of the Redskins'
defensive front.

"Whew, the guy's a great player," said Hochstein, a ninth-year
player out of the University of Nebraska. "A very physical
presence."

Outside of missing the 2007 season with concussion symptoms,
Hamilton has started every game - when healthy - with Denver
since 2002. He came out of the Oakland game on Sept. 27 with a
hamstring injury and then sat out the following week, Hochstein
stepping in on each occasion.

Hamilton is a holdover from the old regime, when the team ran a
zone-blocking scheme under then-coach Mike Shanahan.

Still, Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy thought Hamilton
and the other linemen who were groomed on that way of blocking
were making a quick transition.

"I think they've done a great job up front, adapting to what we
do," McCoy said. "We have plenty of things in there that they've
done in the past. We've put a few different types of plays in
there, scheme plays, maybe they haven't run as much. But they've
bought into what we're doing and done a nice job."

Lately, the Broncos have been struggling in the running game.
Correll Buckhalter and rookie Knowshon Moreno combined to gain
just 27 yards on 14 carries against Pittsburgh on Monday.

In the wake of that, Hochstein is replacing Hamilton.

"This is not an anointment of anybody or anything tremendously
negative about Ben Hamilton," McDaniels said. "We're just going
to see if this makes the situation any better. If it does,
great. We'll always do what's best for our team. If this can
help us, we'll be happy with it."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133228-With-guarded-optimism-Broncos-switch-to-Hochstein</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133228-With-guarded-optimism-Broncos-switch-to-Hochstein</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:35:43 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Broncos sign Moulton to practice squad]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[DENVER(AP) -- The Denver Broncos have signed cornerback Rashod
Moulton to their practice squad.

He takes the spot that opened when the New York Giants signed
cornerback D.J. Johnson to their active roster from Denver's
practice squad Wednesday.

Moulton was on the Broncos' practice squad for the last half of
last season. He was waived Sept. 4.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133106-Broncos-sign-Moulton-to-practice-squad</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133106-Broncos-sign-Moulton-to-practice-squad</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:16:52 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Denver Broncos' low-risk offense stuck in low gear]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ARNIE STAPLETON
AP Sports Writer

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.(AP) -- Kyle Orton showed up at Dove Valley
clean-shaven, his splotchy beard and mangy mustache having
swirled down the drain much like the Denver Broncos' offense the
last two weeks.

He didn't go with the clean look just to finally comply with his
wife's wishes, either.

"No, lost two games in a row," the superstitious quarterback
explained Wednesday. "Might as well change something up."

Orton and the Broncos (6-2) need to change a lot more than just
his ragged appearance if they're going to bounce back from
back-to-back blowout losses to Baltimore and Pittsburgh in which
the offense reached the end zone just once.

"Well, we've got to score points," Orton said. "So, we're moving
on from the last couple of weeks. We've got plenty of areas to
improve on."

Since starting off 6-0 before their bye, the Broncos have seen
their low-risk offense stuck in low gear, their ground game
screech to a halt and Orton return from outstanding to ordinary.

With defenders who are unconcerned about a vertical passing game
clogging the intermediate lanes, the Broncos' dink-and-dunk
offense has been exploited. It sure doesn't figure to get any
easier Sunday at Washington, where the Redskins (2-6) sport the
league's top-ranked pass defense.

Also, the Broncos' leading receiver, Brandon Marshall, is
dealing with a bad back that kept him out of practice Wednesday.

One way or another, Orton said the Broncos have to "find some
ways to make some bigger plays."

"It's tough to always rely on eight-, 10-play drives to score
points. So, it would be great to find ways to score on three- or
four-play drives," he said.

Some deep passes might do the trick.

"Yeah, you've got to take shots (but) you don't want to force
the ball," Orton said. "We're not looking to force the ball.
We've got plenty of weapons. We've got plenty of ways to move
the ball down the field to not have to force things. But
certainly when they're there, we'd like to be able to take
them."

The deep ball has been nonexistent in Denver's offense all
season.

"Everybody wants to say, 'Throw the ball 50 yards downfield.'
Well, that's all great, you can say that, but there's a lot of
things that go into that: coverage, you've got to have time to
throw it downfield, you've got to have the run hopefully to set
up the coverage that you want to throw it against," Orton said.
"We had a couple called, we didn't get the looks that we wanted
and we didn't throw them."

And coach Josh McDaniels isn't going to call long pass plays
just to get the scuffling offense a confidence boost.

"If you need that and if you're looking for that, you're in
trouble. Because those plays are few and far between a lot of
times in this league and if you're sitting there trying to play
offense hoping for one big play, you're going to have a long
day," McDaniels said. "You'd better be able to execute against
good defenses. These teams know what they want to try to take
away and when they try to take those things away and you try to
force the ball in spots, you could end up turning it over four,
five, six times in a game."

The Ravens and Steelers sport two of the best defenses in the
NFL, so some of the Broncos' troubles can be attributed to a
very difficult schedule as much as to opponents finally catching
up to them.

Orton figures the Broncos themselves have had as much to do with
their stumbles as Ed Reed or Troy Polamalu have.

"You've got to look at what they've done to us and also we've
got to look at what we've done to ourselves," Orton said. "We've
played two good teams, two good defenses, and I think they've
done some good things against us. But really, the most important
thing for us is to look at the things that we've done to
ourselves and try to correct those as fast as possible."

Penalties, wrong reads, poor routes, bad blocking.

Orton said one way to jump-start the passing game is to get the
ground game going again. The Broncos have managed just 93 yards
on 33 carries since their bye week, and if you take out an
11-yard scamper by Orton, the running backs are averaging just
2.5 yards a carry.

Correll Buckhalter and rookie Knowshon Moreno combined to gain
just 27 yards on 14 carries in Denver's 28-10 loss to Pittsburgh
on Monday night.

The Broncos' run game should get a boost this week with the
return of fullback Peyton Hillis, who sat out Monday following
the death of his grandmother.

"It's tough listening to the game on the radio," he said.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133053-Denver-Broncos-low-risk-offense-stuck-in-low-gear</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133053-Denver-Broncos-low-risk-offense-stuck-in-low-gear</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:34:23 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Chargers close gap in AFC West on sliding Broncos]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By PAT GRAHAM
AP Sports Writer

DENVER(AP) -- Josh McDaniels had the Midas touch at the start of
the season, his every move paying off as the Denver Broncos
shocked the NFL with a 6-0 start.

Then, the first-year head coach started fiddling with his roster
during the bye week.

So much for the age-old axiom - if it's not broke ...

The Broncos (6-2) have suddenly hit the skids since coming off a
break, dropping their second straight with a 28-10 loss to
Pittsburgh on Monday. Denver's rushing attack was nonexistent
against the Steelers, Kyle Orton threw three interceptions and a
dependable defense wore down over the final quarter.

A once flourishing team is now floundering.

Don't look now, but the surging San Diego Chargers (5-3) are
closing ground in a hurry in the AFC West. Denver's once 3
1/2-game lead has been whittled to one.

"There is no panic here," defensive back Andre' Goodman said.
"We just have to get back to the drawing board."

Might more moves be on the horizon?

Before the Broncos lost their first game of the season against
Baltimore, McDaniels made his first in-season roster move by
releasing punter Brett Kern, who signed with the Tennessee
Titans. Kern's decent averages have been replaced by 16-year
veteran Mitch Berger's adventures as he's alternated between
shanks and short punts. Berger's gross average (38.5) ranks at
the bottom of the AFC.

Not that McDaniels is fretting over his punter's inconsistency -
at least not yet.

"We'll take a look at the film and see if there is anything,"
McDaniels said after the game. "I know there were a couple of
short punts there. I know he did good things tonight, too."

After Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco exploited some shortcomings
in the secondary, McDaniels retooled the roster again. The
Broncos brought in Pro Bowl cornerback Ty Law and let go of the
younger Jack Williams, a second-year pro who was quickly
snatched up on waivers by Detroit.

Although not fully up to speed, Law was thrust into action
against Pittsburgh in passing situations. Law spent time helping
shadow Hines Ward, who had a pair of 3-yard touchdown
receptions.

"Once I knock this rust off, I know I'll be able to help the
team and hopefully be a bigger factor," said Law, who came out
of "semiretirement" to join the squad. "We just didn't play well
in the second half as a team, and they did."

Part of that had to do with Ben Roethlisberger finding his
rhythm. Bottled up much of the first half, Big Ben caught fire
in the second, throwing three touchdown passes to turn a close
contest into a rout.

The Steelers went to a no-huddle look in the second half,
catching the Broncos off guard.

"We really didn't have an answer for them," linebacker Andra
Davis explained.

That's perplexing because halftime adjustments were the Broncos'
forte, something they could always count on to bail them out.
Denver had a 76-10 scoring differential during its fast 6-0
start.

Not so lately.

The Broncos have been outscored 45-14 in the second halves of
their last two games, blowout losses to Baltimore and
Pittsburgh.

"Kind of disheartening," Goodman said. "Both losses were big
losses to the same division, and the same type of team. Both
were playoff teams from last year. If we're going to compete
with those types of teams, we're going to have to play better."

Through six weeks, the Broncos offense had a methodical,
no-mistake approach that served them well. Orton was the game
manager, counted on to keep things running efficiently.

But like Baltimore the week before, the Steelers applied plenty
of pressure on Orton and forced him to make quick decisions.
Orton threw three interceptions against Pittsburgh after
allowing just one - to New England's Randy Moss at the end of a
half - in the first seven games.

Denver's ground game also was neutralized as Correll Buckhalter
and Knowshon Moreno were kept in check, rushing for just 27
yards on 14 carries. The week before the tandem managed only 55
yards on 18 attempts.

Have the Ravens and Steelers exposed Denver's deficiencies,
possibly even provided a blueprint for the rest of the league to
follow?

"They are two good defenses," Orton said. "When you play those
guys, the margin for error is very small ... As a quarterback, I
put it on myself. It is my offense, and I will get it back on
track."

As for the Broncos' missing swagger, Davis has a pretty good
idea on how to recapture it.

"Win," he said. "Simple as that."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/132819-Chargers-close-gap-in-AFC-West-on-sliding-Broncos</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/132819-Chargers-close-gap-in-AFC-West-on-sliding-Broncos</guid>
				<pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:43:45 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Carter fills in for Clark, sparks Pittsburgh]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ARNIE STAPLETON
AP Sports Writer

DENVER(AP) -- Safety Ryan Clark got his wish: replacement Tyrone
Carter took one to the house and Clark got to fly home with his
teammates this time.

Carter started in place of Clark as a precaution Monday night
and made the big play that sparked the Steelers to their fifth
straight win, taking the first of his two interceptions 48 yards
for a touchdown in Pittsburgh's 28-10 win over the Denver
Broncos.

Clark nearly died following a game in Denver two years ago
because of a rare blood disorder that is aggravated by playing
in high altitude, so Steelers coach Mike Tomlin decided to hold
him out of the game.

He said he didn't want to risk Clark's health or burden his
teammates and family members with worry.

"Ryan likes to play. He's probably hacked off at me that I
didn't play him," Tomlin said. "But he will get over it."

He already is, apparently.

"My goal for this trip was to go back with the team on the
plane," Clark said. "Last time I came out, I didn't make it back
with them."

Clark was hospitalized in Denver in October 2007 when
complications from sickle-cell trait prevented oxygen from
flowing into his spleen. He later needed operations to remove
his spleen and gall bladder, and he lost more than 30 pounds
before he finally began feeling better more than two months
later.

He missed the second half of that season, but recovered and
resumed his career last season, when the Steelers won the Super
Bowl.

Carter capped his night with his second interception with 15
seconds left, and Clark, dressed in charcoal sweats and a smile
on the sideline, jumped up and down in celebration, then clicked
the heels of his tennis shoes as he exited the field.

"I was excited for him," Clark said. "It was a big win. He did
an awesome job. His first interception really put us in the
game."

"I might be like Wally Pipp," he added with a chuckle. "I'd
better get back fast."

Hines Ward caught two short touchdown passes from Ben
Roethlisberger, including one in which he hauled in a pass in
the flat and hurdled cornerback Champ Bailey on his way into the
end zone, a final indignity for Denver that capped the scoring
with 1:22 remaining and emptied the stadium.

Rashard Mendenhall rumbled over the Broncos for 155 yards on 22
carries as the Steelers (6-2) handed Denver its second straight
loss after the Broncos opened the season 6-0 under rookie coach
Josh McDaniels.

Carter's first interception return gave Pittsburgh a 7-3
halftime lead even though the Steelers had generated just three
first downs and were outgained 183-54 in the first half.

An ecstatic Clark was among the first players to swarm Carter,
the first defender to pick off a Kyle Orton pass all season. His
only interception before throwing three Monday night was a Hail
Mary that Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss pulled down in a
game last month.

"I'll tell you, Ryan is like a brother to me. We've been in this
thing together for a long time," Carter said. "The bond is so
tight between all of us. But to know that he can't play today
and knowing that he wanted to be out there, I just wanted to
make sure that I went out there and played for him, and let him
know I'm there for him, that we were still going to be all
right."

With the Steelers clinging to a 14-10 lead in the fourth
quarter, safety Troy Polamalu snared another Orton pass, this
one at the Broncos 25-yard line, leading to Roethlisberger's
25-yard TD toss to rookie Mike Wallace.

Denver scored on its opening drive for the first time this
season. But the Broncos had to settle for Matt Prater's 40-yard
field goal after cornerback William Gay broke up a pass at the
10 to Eddie Royal, who had three receptions for 47 yards on the
56-yard drive.

The Broncos' defense retaliated for Carter's pick-six on the
opening drive of the second half when Kenny Peterson swooped in
and punctuated his first sack of the season by punching the ball
out of Roethlisberger's hands. Rookie linebacker Robert Ayers
scooped it up and rumbled 54 yards for a touchdown that gave
Denver a 10-7 lead.

It didn't last long.

Roethlisberger, who was 21 for 29 for 233 yards, drove the
Steelers 80 yards in four plays, hitting Ward with a 3-yard
strike over the outstretched right arm of linebacker D.J.
Williams to put Pittsburgh ahead for good, 14-10.

Roethlisberger drove the Steelers to the Denver 15 on the
Steelers' next possession, but he threw behind Ward in the end
zone and cornerback Andre' Goodman picked it off - Big Ben's
first red-zone interception since 2007.

The Steelers dominated the second half by going no-huddle with
three-wide receiver sets, which kept Elvis Dumervil, the NFL
co-leader with 10 1/2 sacks, on the sideline much of the time.

"We didn't stop anybody once they started going no-huddle,"
McDaniels said.

Clark was one of three Steelers defensive starters sitting out,
joining defensive end Travis Kirschke (calf) and linebacker
Lawrence Timmons (ankle). It hardly mattered as Denver managed
just 59 yards on six second-half drives.

As Denver self-destructed in the second half for the second
straight week, Invesco Field became a sea of yellow Terrible
Towels and thousands of empty blue seats, orange giveaway
pom-pons littering the aisles.

NOTES: Orton was 7 for 17 for 58 yards after halftime after
going 16 for 21 for 163 yards in the first half. ... 35-year-old
CB Ty Law made his debut for Denver two days after signing with
the Broncos.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/132660-Carter-fills-in-for-Clark-sparks-Pittsburgh</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/132660-Carter-fills-in-for-Clark-sparks-Pittsburgh</guid>
				<pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:16:18 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Steelers lead Broncos 14-10 after three quarters]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By PAT GRAHAM
AP Sports Writer

DENVER(AP) -- Hines Ward grabbed a 3-yard TD pass from Ben
Roethlisberger to give the turnover-prone Pittsburgh Steelers a
14-10 lead over the Denver Broncos through three quarters Monday
night.

The Steelers had two big drives thwarted by turnovers.

With Pittsburgh at the Broncos 15 late in the third,
Roethlisberger was intercepted in the end zone by Andre' Goodman
on a pass intended Ward.

Earlier, Roethlisberger was hit from behind by Kenny Peterson,
the ball flying free. Broncos rookie Robert Ayers scooped it up
off the turf and ran 54 yards for a score.

It was the longest scoring fumble return by a Broncos rookie in
team history.

The Steelers surged right back, finding an offensive rhythm that
was lacking in the first half when they had only 54 total yards.
Roethlisberger led the team on a four-play, 80-yard scoring
drive that culminated with Ward's catch in the back of the end
zone. It was his third touchdown of the season.

Pittsburgh scored a defensive touchdown in the second quarter
when Tyrone Carter intercepted a Kyle Orton pass and raced 48
yards for the score.

Carter was filling in for safety Ryan Clark after the team
elected to hold Clark out rather than take a risk with his
health.

Clark nearly died after a game in the Mile High City two years
ago because of a rare blood disorder that is aggravated by
playing in high altitude. Clark had his spleen and gall bladder
removed in separate operations following the Steelers' loss in
Denver in 2007.

Orton tried to avoid the Steelers rush early in the second
quarter and deliver a pass to rookie running back Knowshon
Moreno over the middle. But the ball sailed high and Carter
caught it in stride, no one touching him on his way to the end
zone.

One of the first players to greet Carter on the sideline after
the play was Clark, who celebrated with his replacement.

This was Orton's first interception by a defender all season. He
was picked off once before, but it was by wide receiver Randy
Moss at the end of the first half against New England on Oct.
11.

Following the turnover for a touchdown, the Broncos regrouped
and drove down the field. Facing fourth-and-5 at the Pittsburgh
39, Denver converted when Brandon Stokley hauled in an 8-yard
pass.

But left guard Ben Hamilton was flagged for holding James
Harrison, negating the play.

Instead, the Broncos had to punt.

The Broncos' defense held up their end in the first half,
bottling up the Steelers' offense. Pittsburgh managed just three
first downs.

Matt Prater connected on a 40-yard field goal on Denver's
opening drive, giving the Broncos a 3-0 lead.

It was the first time this season that Denver has come away with
points on its first possession.

Brandon Marshall made a colorful appearance as he wore neon
orange cleats. Marshall has nine catches for 97 yards through
three quarters.

The Broncos moved the ball down the field via the air on their
opening drive. Eddie Royal was the beneficiary as he caught
three passes for 47 yards.

Pittsburgh's opening drive stalled when Roethlisberger was
sacked by Elvis Dumervil and Darrell Reid on a third-and-4 play
at the Steelers 37.

Dumervil has 10 1/2 sacks this season.

Under first-year coach Josh McDaniels, the Broncos (6-1) are one
of the surprises of the league so far this season. They're
coming off a loss at Baltimore last weekend. Pittsburgh (5-2)
has reeled off four straight wins since starting the season 1-2.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/132643-Steelers-lead-Broncos-14-10-after-three-quarters</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/132643-Steelers-lead-Broncos-14-10-after-three-quarters</guid>
				<pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:56:40 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Steelers missing 3 defensive starters]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[DENVER(AP) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are missing three defensive
starters for their game against Denver.

Defensive end Travis Kirschke (calf), safety Ryan Clark
(illness) and linebacker Lawrence Timmons (ankle) all were
inactive.

Clark is being held out as a precaution. The eight-year veteran
nearly died after a game in the Mile High City two years ago
because of a rare blood disorder that is aggravated by playing
in high altitude.

The Broncos were without starting right tackle Ryan Harris (toe)
and defensive lineman Ryan McBean (knee). Running back Peyton
Hillis also was inactive after missing most of the week of
practice for personal reasons.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/132630-Steelers-missing-3-defensive-starters</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/132630-Steelers-missing-3-defensive-starters</guid>
				<pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:46:07 GMT</pubDate>
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