FSH: MONDAY MORNING HUDDLE

September 14th, 2009 7:37pm PST

[Evening Edition]

A Wild Week one

The first Sunday of the 2009 NFL season was nothing short of "worth the wait" filled with a miracle finish and plenty of surprises.

For Denver fans week one is going to be one to remember; a miraculous catch and run that not only snatched victory away from the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals, but one that had to leave a bitter taste. The Bengals had just taken the lead with less than a minute to play when the most unlikely occurence happened to seal their fate. With only a wing and a prayer, the Broncos got an improbable tipped pass falling into the arms of Stokley (Mr. Johnny on the spot) who took the pass 87-yards for the winning score. It wasn’t drawn up that way, but it proved to be just as effective and painful for Bengal’s fans.

The Bengals weren't the only team to be surprised on Sunday, ask the Texans and their quarterback Matt Schaub. Rex Ryan and his Jets defense brought a variety of looks and blitzes to confuse and pressure Schaub. On the other side protected with an effective run game (190 yards), rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez played very well making plays with his arm and torching the Texans secondary for 272-yards. In his pro debut Sanchez his Jeyts to an impressive week one 24-7 win over the Texans.

Another week one surprise that actually came on the heels of a surprise announcement leading up to Sunday was the return of Cadillac Williams. Williams is returning from two major knee surgeries in two years. The Bucs running back's return was not just a surprise, but also a success. While the Bucs dropped their opener, Williams ran the ball very well gaining nearly 100 yards on just 13 carries. William's day was highlighted with one-yard touchdown run in the 1st quarter.

With quite a few memorable moments and surprises in week one, we are left with plenty to remember. So what will you recall, here's what I will remember from opening weekend;

What I remember from Week one.

1. Brandon Stokely's memorable game winning touchdown reception in the closing seconds to defeat the Bengals.
2. Adrian Peterson's manly 64-yard touchdown run over the entire Brown's defense.
3. Drew Brees career high six touchdown passes against the lowly Lion's defense.
4. DeSean Jackson's 85-yard punt return for a touichdown to cap off the Eagle's week one rout of the Panthers.
5. Santonio Holmes nine catch, 131-receiving yards, and one touchdown reception performance on Thursday night.
6. Roy William's 66-yard touchdown reception against the Bucs on Sunday. He looked very fast.
7. Matt Hasselbeck's three touchdown pass performance against the Rams. Looks like the back feels fine.
8. Mike Bell's solid performance of 28 carries for 143-yards on the ground.
9. Patrick Willis leading the Niner's defense to a surprise week one upset over the Cardinals. Willis recorded 13 tackles with an interception.
10. For Denver fans, Cutler's four interception performance in his regular season debut with the Bears; not the start he hoped for.


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FSH: SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL NOTES

June 7th, 2009 9:37pm PST

Sunday Night Football Notes

Can Kyle lead the Broncos?

So much has changed from a year ago if you’re a Bronco fans. Last Summer the big concern in Denver was the availability of wide receiver Brandon marshall, who was facing a possible suspension which he did receive.

Nowadays if you’re following the team in Denver, there are even more much larger concerns. With a new head coach, and surprise, surprise Marshall facing the possibility of suspension again (court date set for August), and more importantly a new quarterback (Cutler was traded to Bears earlier in the offseason) the team faces many questions heading into the 2009 season.

It’s not that everyone in Denver has bought into the system, but it appears new head coach Josh McDaniels is a man on a mission and with a purpose. His willingness to take chances, think outside the box, and not be afraid to make tough decisions has brought the team into camp with a plan; but with Kyle Orton as the team’s starting quarterback.

While that decision has not been made official, many believe that Kyle will ultimately win the starting gig over Chris Simms. With Kyle at the helm under center, many fans in Denver will be wondering if he’s the right man for the job. Can he lead the Broncos in 2009?

It would seem that Orton would have the necessary roots to be a star in the NFL, but when he was drafted by the Bears, things just did not seem to pan out how he would have liked. Orton was tagged with the label of “game manager” rather than the playmaker he was at Purdue. Many might argue that it could be more of the product of the system the Bears ran. Well now that he is in Denver, we will surely see.

While Orton may not appear to be the big arm from the Mid-West or the super-star from out West, he’s going to have a lot of support this season to do what many may not be to sure he is capable of. With wideouts Marshall (if he avoids suspension), Royal, Stokley, and Gaffney, Kyle should have plenty of targets to locate in the passing game. He’ll also get a big boost from the backfield with running backs Correll Buckhalter and Lamont Jordan, both equally capable of serving in the short passing game.

Perhaps two of the biggest secrets heading into the 2009 season will be Orton safety valve tight end Tony Scheffler and rookie running back Knowshon Moreno. Many folks are very high on the kid out of Georgia (Moreno), who is not only expected to anchor the running attack, but could also serve as a dual purpose back catching passes out of the backfield.

While in Chicago, Orton became very comfortable connecting with his tight ends, completing over 90 passes. In the new “Patriots West” system, Scheffler is probably not going to see that many passes, but being such a gifted and skilled receiver he’ll get his chances which will aid Orton tremendously.

Orton’s best season in Chicago only saw him throw 465 times in 2008. He’s likely to surpass that number around week 13 or 14 this season. The McDaniel’s offense relies on spreading the field and getting rid of the ball quickly. It’s going to be an adjustment for Kyle to learn the play-calls and formations, but if he can reach back to his Purdue playing days when he averaged 35 passes and 281-yards per game he should do fine.

It’s a stretch to think Kyle Orton can be the next Jay Cutler in Denver, but as McDaniel’s system has apparently shown, he doesn’t need to be. If he can be the next Matt Cassel, that should be enough for Orton and the Broncos to enjoy success in 2009.

By David Ortega

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