The NFL has handed out its weekly fines, and two Denver Broncos made the dubious list.

Linebacker Von Miller has been fined $21,000 for a hit on Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton.  Miller was penalized for roughing the passer on the play for hitting Newton below the knees.  Miller plans to appeal, telling the Denver Post:

“How am I supposed to know if he threw the ball or not?  I was down on the ground — actually the guard facemasked me and threw me into the quarterback. I’m supposed to what? Stand straight up and continue with the tackle?”

Defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson was fined $15,000 for a horsecollar penalty on Newton.

Now back to the field…a focus for the Broncos this week in practice has been ball security.  Running back Willis McGahee has five fumbles though nine games this season – tying a career high for an entire season.  (McGahee has lost four of those fumbles.)

Get a grip, Willis, and we all mean that in the most loving way possible:

McGahee’s are especially troubling, given it hasn’t been a problem previously in his career and he is the team’s primary back, the kind of player the Broncos would like to power a big part of the offense down the stretch, to protect leads and run the clock.

But those plans come with a warning label if McGahee can’t tighten his grip. He’s lost four fumbles in 160 carries this season — one for every 40 carries.

That total would be slightly worse had McGahee been unable to scramble his way on a second fumble he had lost against the Panthers this past Sunday.

Other Headlines:

• Bleacher Report: Tim Tebow’s ex-teammate Brian Dawkins comes to his defense.
• Denver Broncos: The Broncos expect the Chargers to give them their best shot in Sunday’s rematch.
• Denver Broncos: Safety David Bruton, linebacker Von Miller and tight end Jacob Tamme go one-on-one with fans.
• Denver Post: More history for Peyton Manning?  It’s possible.
• ESPN: Can the Broncos represent the AFC in the Super Bowl?

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