TUESDAY (FOOTBALL) TALK
The Broncos appear to be the real Deal
With five wins down it’s hard to deny McDaniels and his boys. Looking back it’s hard to imagine where the Broncos are today, sitting atop the AFC West at 5-0 when you consider everything they endured during the offseason. Even without the miracle tip in week one, it’s hard to escape the fact that this team has not only improved, but they have arrived. With wins over the Cowboys and Patriots the last two weeks they have the look of contender heading toward a clash with their division rivals, the San Diego Chargers. Certainly the Monday night matchup will be considered another large hurdle for this team working hard to earn respect and credibility, but regardless of the outcome McDaniels has him team believing they are for real.
Can anyone stop the Mannings?
After five weeks of action, the Manning brothers are 10-0. While older brother (Peyton) is using a high-powered passing game (330 yards per game) to obliterate the competition (outscored opponents 137-71), little brother (Eli) is using a just as effective balanced attack to subdue his adversaries. Both brothers that are the Mannings are also enjoying great success in the pocket; Peyton has 12 touchdown passes, while Eli has 10. Both quarterbacks are also relying on a common factor this season; the defense. The Giants are suffocating ranked first against the run, while the Colts despite injuries have been solid versus the pass ranked 7th in the league. With a defense to go along with two of the leagues best offenses (Colts are ranked 4th, Giants are ranked 2nd), can anyone stop the Mannings?
Looking under the microscope
Edwards is ready to breakout and soon!
For those of you wondering just what did the Jets see in Braylon Edwards that the Browns could not; the Jets are 3-2 tied for first in their division and the Browns are not. When you are not winning, it’s tough to know what a winner looks like. The Jets didn’t waste anytime putting their new toy to work on Monday night. Edwards quickly made his mark with the team catching five passes for 64 yards and a touchdown. The former Brown’s receiver definitely made a splash Monday night and maybe it was not a huge one, but with 11 passes thrown in his direction you can bet it’s not going to take long!
How bout some Royal with Cheese?
There was a lot of talk earlier in the week leading up to Sunday about Eddie royal’s sub-par numbers this season. Quarterback Kyle Orton was also questioned about his chemistry with Royal. Some experts went as far to say that Royal was not the “Welker” of this “Patriot’s West” offense. We certainly don’t want to be too quick to vindicate Royal after just one game (10 catches for 90 yards, targeted 15 times), but then we shouldn’t be too fast to discount the second year wideout either. With Orton and company starting to look like they could be hitting their stride, we should realize there could be more cheddar coming for Mr. Royal.
More fantasy Notes
The Bronco’s quarterback finally found that passing form many fantasy owners had hoped they see in a McDaniels offense. On Sunday against the Patriots, Orton put the ball in the air 48 times and completed 35 passes for 330 yards and two touchdowns. It was the first game this season that Orton looked Brady-like with the numbers. Could the fantasy sleeper finally be awake?
In Kansas City young Mr. Matt Cassel is slowly beginning to show glimpses of his 2008 form. On Sunday he completed 23 of 41 passes for 253 yards and for the third straight game he tossed two touchdowns. He is also starting to show some chemistry with his big time wideout Dwayne Bowe, who was targeted 10 times.
The St.Louis Rams have had very little to cheer about this season at 0-5. If not for running back Steven Jackson, they might not have any sign of an offense this season either. Last week, wide receiver Donnie Avery and quarterback Marc Bulger tried to spark the passing game. A late insert Bulger come on to complete seven straight passes and found Avery three times including one pass for 27 yards and a score. With Bulger returning to the lineup, it could be a preview of more to come or just something Rams fans would love to see more of.
By David Ortega
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