DENVER BRONCOS // MLB

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BRONCOS --- AGAINST the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, October 2, 2011, the Denver Broncos showed what it takes to fail. From mid-first quarter on, the Broncos defense spun out flakily and stayed behind the power curve, aggressive and alert only too late as the Packers offense humiliated the Denver franchise, 49-23. Slow to identify and respond to plays connecting Packers QB Aaron Rodgers to his fast receivers, the Denver defense defeated itself. The Packers scored during each Q, and from every which way that a TD can happen---interception, long throw, short pass, handoff, Rodgers as dynamic rush-artist up the middle.

From comparison with the Broncos defense, the Broncos offense played just above the margin, scoring during each Q, completing 165 passing yards and 119 rushing yards. Denver's quarterback Kyle Orton threw for 273 yards and completed 22 of 32 passes, was responsible for three TD’s, one less than Rodgers. From their rushing, the top three Broncos receivers accrued 115 yards, while the Packers top three rushers gained 110, and the Broncos top three pass receivers accumulated 221 yards, close to the Packers top three gaining 232. Also, the Broncos average in yards gained per play was 6.9, just under the Packers 7.3. Another upside is that Orton was sacked only once, clearly an improvement in the pocket over previous weeks.

Still, three interceptions and a fumble have their price, and the Broncos offense paid, unable to offset the weaknesses of the Broncos defense with what makes the difference when the clock signs off---points accumulated from drives across that white line for a TD or field goal: note that the Broncos number of first downs gained was far inferior to that of the Packers, 18 under 26, TD's-in-waiting for the Packers.

Would Coach John Fox placing Tim Tebow back in the game during the last half have made a positive difference? An answer based on recent experiences of Tebow as QB afield would surely be “Probably not,” while an answer built from Tebow’s college football days would lean in the direction of  “Damn right it would have.” But even a jump-up from Tebow wouldn't have overturned the fiasco, for the Broncos defense had unraveled way too far, unable to inflict serious spoilage upon savvy and swift Green Bay receivers of a football hurled speedily and accurately by Rodgers for ever higher numbers.

And so the Broncos are now 1-3, with 3-1 San Diego a pivotal challenge come Sunday, in that a fourth of the NFL season will be over for the Denver team. Unless the Broncos defense can suit up and react smarter and faster, no longer giving away points earned by the Orton-led offense, surely the weeks that follow will be about anchoring for that respectful season finish short of a championship. Should the Broncos defense fail laterally and deep, whether it’s Orton, Quinn or Tebow leading the Broncos offense, well, such won’t matter very much.

MLB --- The Arizona Diamondbacks beat the San Francisco Giants last week, finishing as leader of the NL-West. If they win the NL championship and go to the World Series, it will be a second go at the WS for the DB’s, their first in 2001 when they beat the New York Yankees, 4-3. And should the DB’s win in 2011, excluding the 2001 win they will be the second NL-W team to do so since the L.A. Dodgers won the WS in 1988. They will also be the sixth NL team to win the WS since 2001. 

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