


Obviously, few in Broncos Country were proud of that ugly, barely passable win over the Chiefs. Some people have said it's cause for alarm. The Broncos agree they have to work on a few things; others believe it was all an aberration. Does history show us that Super Bowl teams beat the snot out of 1-10 teams? Or have there been plenty of examples of squeaking by?
-- Tobin Spratte, Denver

The 2011 Super Bowl champion New York Giants lost twice to the otherwise 3-11 Washington Redskins last season. It happens between division rivals. The 2010 Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers lost to the otherwise 5-10 Redskins and 5-10 Detroit Lions.

Here's one: the 2007 Super Bowl champion Giants only defeated the 1-15 Miami Dolphins by three points, 13-10.

All that matters from here on out, Tobin, is whether the Broncos win their first playoff game at home. They're in the playoffs. That's a done deal. It's important they continue to win so they can get the No. 2 playoff seed, which means a first-round playoff bye and second-round playoff game at home.

But how they win or how they play in the remaining five regular-season games really doesn't matter. All that really, really matters is they win that first home playoff game.

The Broncos were playing terribly heading into the playoffs last year, and they still beat Pittsburgh in the first round. Green Bay was 15-1 last year, and it still lost its first playoff game.

Come Jan. 6, should the Broncos be playing the Indianapolis Colts in a first-round playoff game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, it won't matter that Denver only beat Kansas City 17-9 on Nov. 25.

Do the Broncos envision Ronnie Hillman being an every-down back some day? If they don't, then he was a wasted third-round pick.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Brady Quinn tries to watch the result of his pass after getting knocked to the turf Sunday. Quinn completed 13-of-25 passes
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Brady Quinn tries to watch the result of his pass after getting knocked to the turf Sunday. Quinn completed 13-of-25 passes for 126 yards and an interception against his former team, for which he never threw a pass in two seasons as a backup to Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)
I understand he's young and they don't trust him to be able to pick up the blitz, but I expected more than three carries from him a week after the starter goes down for the rest of the season. The kid can play, and until he proves he is a liability, they should let him get the bulk of the carries.
-- MJ, Arizona

MJ - In fairness, the Broncos drafted Hillman with the idea he would be their version of Darren Sproles or Dexter McCluster. Neither of those guys is an every-down back. Right now, Hillman at 200 pounds is too small to become an every-down back in the NFL.

But the kid also just turned 21 years old. He's been advertised as the youngest player in the league. It might be season three or four before we see Hillman reach his potential. Sproles, by the way, had eight carries and three catches through his first two seasons (he missed his entire second season with an injury). He didn't break any returns.

Sproles was a fourth-round draft pick. The Broncos do think Hillman is a better pure rusher than Sproles, so they got him in the third round. The biggest difference between the two is Hillman is not a returner. Still, the little guys take a bit.

Hey, Mike. I like the ugly win, but even with Knowshon Moreno running well, we're short on power in the running game. Without an effective smashmouth runner, I don't want any part of the Pats or Ravens on the road in January. I'd rather see the No. 1 seed Texans, where Peyton Manning can go to work in a dome.

-- Eric, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Thoughts. I have a few. First, I think the Broncos will eventually use newly signed back Jacob Hester for those "smashmouth" situations of which you speak. My second thought is Moreno, Hester and Hillman can be just as effective as a healthy Willis McGahee and Hillman.

My third thought is, you're right, Eric, the Broncos will struggle to run in New England or Baltimore in January, which is why getting the No. 2 seed is so crucial. And my fourth thought is, of the AFC's top 4, Houston is the most vulnerable not because of where it plays but because of its significant injuries to linebackers Brian Cushing and Brooks Reed.

Mike - The sloppy play of the Broncos against the Chiefs concerns me. Do you this is an indication of an oncoming late-season slump that has plagued the Broncos in many seasons past?
-- Laton, Grand Forks, N.D.

Remember, Laton, it's hard to play when you're laughing. If you catch my drift. I'm sure the Broncos' first-year strength and conditioning coach Luke Richesson is both sweating it out, and excited about, the prospects of how the team plays in its five December games.

December has been killing this team for a decade. But I think the primary difference this year is the Broncos will finish up their regular-season schedule by playing Cleveland and Kansas City at home. And this is also the first year the Broncos have Peyton Manning at quarterback.

Why is Manning the only player at the press conference after games? Can the media request other players? If so, please do so. Manning is a great player but boring when it comes to answering questions. Variety please!
-- Timothy

You made me chuckle. All teams parade their head coaches and quarterbacks in front of the podium. They're the faces of the franchise. I know after years of having the reluctant Jake Plummer, Jay Cutler and Kyle Orton represent the Broncos' shield, the franchise is ecstatic to have such a statesman as Manning up there.

Yeah, Manning gives his share of boring answers. But if you're the Broncos, you have to be careful you don't have the likes of Brandon Marshall up there ripping the fans. I encourage you to read The Denver Post, Timothy. We provide postgame reaction from the likes of Champ Bailey, Ryan Clady, Von Miller, Kevin Vickerson and Elvis Dumervil as they stand in front of their lockers.

I've been a Broncos fan since the late '70s. I can't understand for the life of me why the original No. 80 Rick Upchurch is not in the Broncos Ring of Fame. Man had just as much to do with the success of the Bronco teams of the late '70s as anyone.
-- Donny Henry, Aurora

I agree. It's not an oversight by the Ring of Fame committee that consists of Pat Bowlen, John Beake, Larry Zimmer and Joe Collier. Because they have considered Upchurch in the past. They've just deemed him unworthy. It's unfortunate.

I know that while attending high school in the Chicago area during the mid- to late 1970s, Upchurch was one of the few players I knew among Broncos and one of the few players we emulated in our backfield pick-up games. If that's not an endorsement for the Ring of Fame, Donny, I don't know what is.

Before I allow Von Miller to put a permanent bounce in my Broncos step, I need to know: Is he as good as we think? How much of our love is orange-tainted?
-- Craig B., Lehi, Utah

I think the people wearing powder blue in San Diego, silver and black in Oakland, and all red in Kansas City can also see Von Miller is the real deal.

There have been "speed" rushers to come and go, Craig, perhaps none more so than the Broncos' Mike Croel from the early 1990s. What makes Miller exceptional, though, is the gymnastic-like flexibility he has in his body which helps him shed blocks; a willingness to rush from any area along the defensive line and not just from the left side or right side; a willingness to be coached; and a desire to be great.

See, it's never one thing with the greats. It's always many things.

In other sports such as basketball, really important players are rested when leads blow out and the game is settled. Why not insert Brock Osweiler when the game is settled? This decreases Manning's chance of being injured and gives Brock valuable experience.
-- Larry Woldenberg, Sydney, Australia

Larry - You are referring to three games: a 37-6 win against Oakland in Game 4; a 34-14 win against New Orleans in Game 6 and 36-14 win at Carolina in Game 8.

I'll give you a couple reasons why head coach John Fox doesn't like to sub out Manning to the extent you mentioned. One, generally only seven offensive linemen and four receivers dress for a game. So three starting linemen and two starting receivers have to continue playing out the game, why not the quarterback? There is an all-for-one, one-for-all mentality in football.

Two, Fox and his staff preach from the first film session on Monday to the late-evening meeting on Saturday that they have to bring it for 60 minutes. The message loses something if the quarterback only plays for 55 minutes.

Three, it's easier to pass down the field in a short amount of time, or pick up an interference penalty, in today's game. Teams are better at recovering onside kicks. Two-point conversions are an option.

Blowouts just aren't what they used to be. From a coach's perspective, blowouts don't begin until there's a 25-point cushion and about seven minutes left in the fourth quarter. Which brings up a fourth reason: At that point, what good would it do Osweiler to play, anyway? All he would do is hand off and maybe throw a conservative pass or two.

It's something. It might help some. But not much.

Hey, Mike. Peyton Manning's body language this season tells me that he's not at all responsible for his interceptions. Am I reading him wrong? Thanks.
-- Scott R., Denver

Manning sure is an expressive one, isn't he? You hit on a flaw, Scott, with perfectionists. They're not easy to please. On the pick-six he threw in San Diego to Quintin Jammer, receiver Matt Willis ran a route Manning wasn't anticipating.

But Manning was careful not to react on that one. I think most of the time Manning is exasperated with himself. He's not showing up his teammates. It might look that way sometimes but usually he's perturbed at himself. I know in the postgame press conferences, he has always taken full blame for his interceptions. But at the same time, receivers like Brandon Stokley and Eric Decker have said it was their fault for running a pour route.

All I know for sure is it's the quarterback who gets the interception on his stat line.
