


By my calculation, if the Broncos make it deep into the playoffs, Willis McGahee could be back as early as the AFC championship game. Will John Fox use both backs, Knowshon Moreno and McGahee? M&M?
---Mike K., Orange County, Calif.

McGahee, who suffered a torn MCL and compression fracture in his knee on Nov. 18 in game 10 against San Diego, will return to practice next week. And he would be eligible to play in the AFC championship game.

Providing the Broncos get that far, Fox would use both backs. Who plays how much probably determines on how McGahee looks during his three weeks of postseason practice. My guess would be Moreno remains the starter in the AFC championship game with McGahee getting spot work. And then with two more weeks of practice until the Super Bowl, there would be a chance McGahee could become the starter again.

Although to reiterate, just because a running back is back from injury doesn't mean he'll return to form.

Three teams next week will have a shot at snagging the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Two of those teams, the Texans and Patriots, play earlier than the third team, Denver. If the Texans were to win (securing the No. 1 seed) and New England were to lose (dropping out of the race for both Nos. 1 and 2), how likely would it be to see John Fox pull Peyton Manning out early in the first quarter against Kansas City?
---Dallin, Afghanistan

Peyton Manning hands off to Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno. But who will the QB be giving the ball to come playoff time? More photos and video.

Actually, the Patriots' game against Miami had its kick off backed up to 2:25 p.m. MST, which is the same start time as the Broncos-Chiefs matchup.

Even if the Texans win their earlier game at Indy and the Broncos are eliminated from the No. 1 seed, the greatest advantage difference is between the No. 2 and No. 3 seed. The No. 2 seed, like the No. 1 seed, automatically wins the first round. But he No. 3 seed has to play to win its first-round game.

The No. 2 seed, like the No. 1 seed, is guaranteed to play its second-round game at home. But the No. 3 seed is guaranteed to play its second-round game on the road.

Given what's at stake Sunday for the Broncos, there is no chance Peyton Manning will be pulled in the first half. Keep in mind, in today's NFL teams can make up 16 points in the final 3 minutes. It's highly unlikely the Chiefs can score that many that fast, but unless the Broncos are up four touchdowns by halftime, I wouldn't anticipate a quick hook for Manning.

We hear so much about home-field advantage and the Broncos are within grasp of such with a win and a Texans loss. Which team, do you feel has the best home field advantage because there are factors such as climate (Green Bay and New England), location (Denver), fans (Seattle) and venue (Texas or Atlanta).
Sports pundits always point to Green Bay and the frozen tundra or to the raucous fans at Seattle or the domes or the altitude adjustment at Denver.

What are the difference makers to having a true home field advantage?
--G. Pen, Plainfield, Ill.

Plainfield, Ill. Former Little Seven Conference rival of the Oswego Panthers. Plainfield was a rural town of about 3,000 back in the '70s. I see it has 39,581 now, according to the Village of Plainfield website. Suburban sprawl. Can't stop it.

Anyway, most players and coaches dismiss "home field advantage'' by saying the toughest places to play are where the home team is real good.

But there are distinguishable features about a place that are worth some points to the home team. In basketball, for instance, those cramped pits where the fans are close to the floor are tough on visitors. Some gyms/arenas have funky shooting backgrounds.

In football, I've seen the heat and humidity in Miami wilt the Broncos in the 2005 opener. Your question, Pen, also had a lot of built-in answers. I've said this all year: The toughest team in the NFL is Seattle at home.

But I think the greatest home-field advantage factor is right here in Colorado: Altitude.

Breathing is important to sports performance. Lack of air is tough on visitors. I heard Dan Fouts say during the telecast Sunday that when he would lead his SanDiego Chargers to Denver, the altitude would zap his offensive linemen about five plays into a series. Those front five heavies aren't exactly cardio buffs.

Tell me, Mike, is it possible to keep our two coordinators? I know the talk is out there that they may be offered jobs elsewhere. But "can" Pat Bowlen offer them enough money to get them to stay around?
---Bryan Birch, Price, Utah

Sure, there's a chance Mike McCoy and Jack Del Rio are back with the Broncos next year. First, head coaching vacancies are hard to come by. Perhaps as many as 11 head coaches will get their pink slips next week. While that's way more than usual, that's still only 11 top jobs and a lot of tough assistant coaches who want them.

Secondly, in a perverted sense, the coaching candidacies of McCoy and Del Rio may be hurt by a deep Broncos run through the playoffs. Most of those head vacancies will be filled within a week or two. McCoy and Del Rio can interview during the bye week, but then not again until after the conference championship.

But money will not be a factor here, Bryan. The gap between the highest-paid coordinators (roughly $1 million a year) and lowest-paid head coaches (roughly $2.5 million a year) is substantial.

And especially for a coordinator like McCoy, who has never been a head coach before, it's more about the opportunity than money. I have written this before: McCoy should top every head coaching candidate list. A division title and playoff win with Tim Tebow one year and the chance to successfully work with Peyton Manning the next? No other resume can top that.

Plus, McCoy walks, talks and acts like a head coach.

What Del Rio offers is first, head coaching experience, and second, an incredible accomplishment as a defensive coordinator. Think about it, he's been a defensive coordinator twice, for a total of two seasons.

The first time, in 2002, the John Fox-Jack Del Rio Carolina Panther reach the Super Bowl. And Del Rio's second season as D-coordinator is this year, for a Broncos unit that ranks No. 3 in total defense and No. 5 in scoring defense.

And as head coach at Jacksonville, he went 12-4 in 2005 and 11-5 in 2007.

Do you think the Broncos have the front four to defeat the elite teams such as the Texans, Patriots, Falcons or 49ers? I love the Broncos now and always, but I just don't think our defensive front is good enough. The fact that our best pass rusher is our OLB Von Miller, I think speaks for itself.
---Dustin Rojas, Aurora

To clarify, when Miller is rushing the passer, he is really a defensive end. The front four against the elite teams? What we know is, it was good enough in the first game against Jamaal Charles and the Chiefs, who just rushed for 352 yards against Indy. The front four was good enough to stop Ray Rice and the Ravens.

The Falcons didn't run the ball against the Broncos. Broncos defensive tackles Justin Bannan and Kevin Vickerson have been unsung contributors this year. But I think the primary reason why Denver's D ranks third against the run is the improved play by Miller and Elvis Dumervil on the edges.

Every team has come in with the same game plan: Run at Dumervil and Miller. That plan hasn't worked this year. Those two have done a much better job of standing up to the run, and Del Rio has done a good job of scheming support for them, primarily with linebacker Wesley Woodyard and safety Mike Adams.

This may be a little late in the season to ask, but with the speed of both Ronnie Hillman and Trindon Holliday, I am curious why the Broncos have never even attempted to use them to run the end around. It seems like that would be a perfect change-of-pace run play for either one of them and could lead to huge yardage.
---Lisa M., Albuquerque

For me, Holliday is too much of a fumble risk to use him as a running back or receiver. An exciting returner, no doubt. But there's a reason why guys that small are the exception rather than the rule on NFL rosters.

Hillman is used on quick pitches and sweeps. The end around? I like it. The risk of second-and-17, though, is why you don't see more of it. Peyton Manning-quarterbacked offenses usually don't need trick plays to move the ball.

But maybe when they need it most, Lisa, and when you least expect it, they may run it. Say, on the Superdome turf in New Orleans.

OK, say we get past New England and Houston in the playoffs. The chances seem pretty high that a Broncos-Super Bowl matchup could be a Super Bowl rematch, with all six previous opponents in playoff contention. Who should we fear the most coming out of the NFC? Pack? Niners? Falcons?
---Matt, Austin, Texas

The toughest NFC opponents would be either the Packers or Falcons. The Pack because they have the NFL's best quarterback in Aaron Rodgers. Then again, I don't see how the Pack blocks the Broncos' pass rush and there's no way Green Bay defensive coordinator Dom Capers outschemes Manning.

I do think the Falcons and Broncos have the most complete teams. Atlanta's defense coordinated by Mike Nolan has impressed me with the way it's played against the elite teams. The Falcons have the playoff yips, but that's going into the tournament. If they make it to the Super Bowl, it means they will have put that playoff monkey to rest.

The 49ers? The whole Colin Kaepernick factor has me not knowing what to think about the 49ers. He could either be Denver D kryptonite or a five turnover Super Bowl fiasco.

With the Tim Tebow era seemingly coming to a merciful end in New York after the season, what's John Elway's potential interest bringing him back to Denver to be the big bruising tailback we need to complement Knowshon Moreno, Ronnie Hillman, and Lance Ball? I believe he would be a tremendous upgrade over Willis McGahee. He would have to be honest with himself and admit he's not an NFL QB, but Denver fans would welcome him back with open arms as one of our running backs.
---Jimmie, Highlands Ranch

No on Tebow. He would not be a good NFL running back. Take away the quarterback-throw threat and he's not fast enough to be an effective NFL back.

Tebow is only beneficial to a team if he's the starting quarterback. Evidence shows he can win as a starter. Evidence also shows he brings too much negative distraction as a backup. Kyle Orton and Mark Sanchez both lost confidence and morphed into bottom-tier quarterbacks as the Tebow pressure mounted.

With all the talk of Denver possibly hosting a Super Bowl in the future, I was wondering if any team has played the Super Bowl in its home stadium.
---Bill Morris, Great Falls, Mont.

Super Bowl XL in Detroit following the 2005 season was like a home stadium for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Certainly the Seahawks got 'homered' by the refs. I was there and I'm not exaggerating when I say Ford Field was 95 percent Steelers fans.

Otherwise, the closest it ever got was Super Bowl XIV (14) at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. where the Los Angeles Rams lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 31-19. The Rams home stadium during the regular season, though, was the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

The first years the Broncos can host the Super Bowl, by the way, are 2018, 2019, 2020 -- when Peyton Manning will be 41, 42 and 43 and presumably enjoying retirement. If the Broncos do play at home in a Super Bowl, it will likely be Brock Osweiler who leads them.
