NFL: BRONCOS BEAT CHARGERS // NBA LOCKOUT, IT’S OVER // COLLEGE FOOTBALL, BRIEFS  

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            UNTIL AFTER THE CURRENT NFL SEASON, “SPORTS NOTEBOOK” WILL POST NEW EVERY MONDAY INSTEAD OF ON TUESDAY, continuing with a new post every Friday.  Editor, Marvin Leibstone. Comments to: mlresources1@aol.com

NFL ---   THE San Diego Chargers are now 4-7, and the Denver Broncos, 6-5, from a 16-13 Denver win on Sunday that pitted the Chargers mostly "passing attempt game" against the Broncos "attempted running game," though each team had to convert often from one mode to the other. The Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers attempted 36 passes, completing 19 for 188 yards, while Denver QB Tim Tebow attempted 18 passes and completed nine for 143 yards. Rivers eeked out one yard rushing solo, though at the end of the game the Chargers had completed 148 rushing yards, the Broncos having completed 146 rushing yards, however, Tebow completing 67 of that total.

Yet both teams played conservatively when nearing the other’s end zone, accruing points that put one ahead of the other via field goals instead of taking third and fourth down risks going for the TD even when close enough for a TD rush. Denver’s winning points were during overtime from a Matt Prater 37 yard FG.

Impressive were deep drives from both San Diego and Denver, more so from Denver’s QB throwing to wide receiver Eric Decker, plus short passes and handoffs to running back Willis McGahee, Tebow showing remarkable improvement as a passer over the last two weeks. Teamwork seemed to be the key expression for the Denver offense, demonstrated by the superb pass protection that Tebow has needed for sighting the right throw or handoff option, or, if need be, Tebow rushing solo.

When rushing solo, Tebow appeared, as in games prior, to be transitioning instantly into a superior running back. Maybe the 11 sacks that he suffered during his early starts this year became “never again, no mas” moments for Tebow, a QB praying for better protection. It seems that he got that prayer answered on Sunday. Tebow prays a lot, found doing so by TV cameras. If more of his game-related prayers are being answered, those answers have names: Decker, McGahee, Prater and Tebow’s protectors in the pocket.

The Broncos defense? Were it not for a first half lapse, during which the Chargers got their only TD, when it seemed that the Broncos defense units were out to lunch, and that the Chargers were able to drive close enough to the Broncos end zone for field goals in the first and third quarters, well, an argument could be made that the Broncos defense was mostly impenetrable, a good thing with kudos to Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller for the pressure they put on QB Rivers. Such lapses might not hurt the Broncos too much next week when the Denver team faces the 2-9 Minnesota Vikings, but they could cause serious trouble in following games vs. Chicago, New England and Buffalo, against which Tebow and the Denver offense could have a difficult time putting up many points.

Right now, the Broncos are in second place of the NFL’s American Conference-West, behind the 7-4 Oakland Raiders. The seamless defense that the Broncos are capable of fielding can keep the Denver team in that position as long as Tebow and the Denver offense capabilities maintain. Of course, important for Tebow and the Broncos head coach and offense coordinator to query is that in the first quarter vs. San Diego, Tebow and his offense rushed for 52 yards, which was the most Broncos rushing yards during any of the four quarters, meanwhile the Broncos accruing zero, zip, nada passing yards, putting the Broncos behind as the second quarter began. Also to be thought through for future Broncos games will be how to sustain repeats of the pass protection that Tebow was blessed with vs. San Diego.

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NBA   ---   AFTER 25 bargaining sessions across 149 days, which amounted to 184 negotiating hours, the National Basketball Association’s franchise owners and players reached an agreement allowing a 2011/12 season of 66 games to begin on Christmas Day with a triple header to be shown on ABC-TV, with some luck the third outing finishing before a nighttime Green Bay Packers/Chicago Bears match as the NFL post season competitions begin to swell.

What was the deal that ended the deadlock? Players and owners settled on a 50-50 revenue share, players giving up around $3.0 billion compared with a previous agreement, a proposition that can last from six to 10 years.

Then let the games begin after an agreed-upon December 9 date for NBA training camps to kick in. But---what are the lasting downsides? Mostly with those franchises that have had players sign with foreign teams under contracts preventing them from returning to the NBA in time for a near-term season. Also disturbing are financial losses incurred by small market regions and their less than super-funded franchises, for instance, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Too, a 66 game season means revenue lost to all teams from what would have been an 82 game season.

For sure, the first 20 or so NBA games starting XMAS Day will tell us which are the more effective team coaches, for most of the NBA franchises will include untested rosters as regards the teamwork needed for setting up plays and the coordination needed to complete them, moreover for passing, assists, rebounding and blocking. It will take fine and intense coaching to put it all together. We will also know which players kept practicing and working out during the five month lockout, and which did not.

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL  ---  SLOW-starting Air Force clobbered Colorado State 45-21, now “bowl eligible” in addition to having won the Commander-in-chief trophy this season after beating Army and Navy. CSU therefore experienced its seventh straight loss, now 3-8 and facing a second consecutive 3-9 finish if it loses to Wyoming during its last game of the season. Last week, the now 7-5 Air Force trounced the University of Las Vegas similarly, 45-17, accruing its points steadily, but on Saturday it was a second quarter surge that pushed the Falcons far ahead, 31 points accumulated.

During the 1988 college football season, Barry Sanders, playing for Oklahoma State, made NCAA history by scoring 39 TD’s. This weekend, playing for Wisconsin against Penn State, Montee Ball completed four TD’s, giving him second best in the NCAA with 34 TD’s. Those four TD’s contributed to a 45-7 win over Penn State.

Number one college team LSU is still year-2011 perfect, 12-0, after beating Arkansas 41-17. Other teams among the top 25 that, in addition to LSU and Wisconsin, won this weekend by scoring more than 36 points, are Alabama vs. Auburn, 42-14; Virginia Tech vs. Va., 38-0; Boise State against Wyoming, 36-14; Houston against Tulsa, 48-16; Oregon U. against Oregon State, 49-21; Michigan vs. Ohio State.  

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