It feels like the longest build up ever. Seriously, ever.

The NFL Draft is almost—finally—upon us.

And despite countless articles and blog posts, sports radio posturing, and endless mock drafts, it seems we can only agree on one thing: We really have no clue what the Denver Broncos will do with the 28th overall pick.

I suppose that uncertainty is a product of a several factors, two of those being:

1. With all due respect to this year’s prospects, 2013 isn’t a particularly notable NFL Draft class—especially at the top. I’ll be completely honest; I haven’t had much desire to even think about this year’s NFL Draft, let alone write about it.
2. The Broncos don’t have any glaring “must draft” needs unlike previous years. (Yes, all NFL teams have needs and wants, but I’ll get into that later. Keep reading…)

Think back two years ago. The Denver Broncos held the No. 2 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. The general consensus, which proved to be correct, was the Carolina Panthers would take Auburn quarterback Cam Newton first overall. That move wouldn’t concern the Broncos too much; Denver’s defense ranked dead last in the league in 2010, and with so many talented defensive prospects available, we knew—even without the team saying as much—that the Broncos would go defense at No. 2. (Hooray for Von Miller!)

Though the Broncos traded out of the first round last year, Denver still opted for defense with its first pick at No. 36 (DT/DE Derek Wolfe). The name may have been surprising, but the position selected was well forecast.

Jump ahead to 2013, however, and it’s unclear which direction the team is leaning. It seems the top contenders are once again on defense, but should the Broncos opt for adding depth and bulk to the front seven or speed in the secondary? Why not go offense and draft a running back?

Remember when ESPN’s Chris Berman predicted a Buffalo Bills – San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl matchup for something like 18 straight years? (Not that long? Felt like it.) Here I go again with the following: I believe the Broncos should draft a defensive lineman in the first round.

Did I just go there again? Yep, three drafts and counting.

Elvis Dumervil’s departure left a void at DE. (personal photo)

Defensive End

The Denver Broncos lost DE Elvis Dumervil to the Baltimore Ravens, and plans to sign free agent Dwight Freeney have seemingly stalled, or at least been delayed for now. Looking at Denver’s current roster, Robert Ayers is the most likely replacement for Dumveril, but Ayers is more of a situational pass-rusher. Does Denver fill Dumveril’s absence by a committee of veterans or should the Broncos address this position first in the NFL Draft?

If the Broncos are looking for a young talent to both rush the passer and plug the ground game, 2013 is the year to jump. This is a deep class at defensive end, so even if Denver passes on a DE in Round 1, there should be plenty of talent still on the board in Rounds 2 and 3.

Deep class? Yes. A lot of question marks? You bet’cha. This class is poised to produce more than its share of NFL busts…or maybe just the opposite. The top talents are either relatively new to football, coming off significant injuries, have limited yet impressive game film, or some combination therein.

Possibilities:

• Tank Carradine, Florida State: He’s been hammered by many Broncos fans on Twitter as a “one-year wonder,” but Carradine also has his supporters, including possibly the Denver Broncos. Carradine had surgery to repair a torn ACL in December, but had a strong showing at his recent personal workout, all but erasing worries about his knee. (The Broncos did attend this workout.) Carradine should be available when Denver drafts at No. 28.
• Margus Hunt, SMU: The former decathlete excelled in the throwing events when he moved from his native Estonia to the United States to train. Hunt stumbled into football, but quickly drew attention because of his freakish athleticism. Hunt will be 26-years-old when he plays his first NFL game, old for a rookie. He’s also still developing as a football player.
• Bjoern Werner, Florida State: Carradine’s teammate is a popular choice in NFL Network’s mock draft for Denver at No. 28. Werner’s stock has fallen recently; at one time, he was projected to be a top-five pick. Some insiders worry the NFL is too big and too fast for Werner’s skill set. Even so, he’ll be tough to pass up if he lingers into the late first round.

Other names: UCLA’s Datone Jones and Texas A&M’s Damontre Moore

Defensive Tackle

This is another deep class, but unlike defensive end, the Broncos have a solid DT corps already in place. Simply put, there are fewer questions for Denver to address at this position than defensive end. That said, the key word for Denver’s interior defensive line is ‘solid’ not ‘stellar.’ I could still see the Broncos drafting a defensive tackle if the best player available at No. 28 is a huge, run-stuffing talent. An impact player in the middle of the trench would absolutely take the Broncos’ defense to a new level.

Possibilities:

• Johnathan Hankins, Ohio State
• John Jenkins, Georgia
• Kawann Short, Purdue
• Jesse Williams, Alabama
• Sylvester Williams, North Carolina

Cornerback

I admit; I’m less sold on Denver drafting a cornerback in Round 1 than many of you. But I also admit I’m often wrong when it comes to prognosticating. If the Broncos are tempted to bolster the secondary—something that’s been a hot topic of discussion this offseason—there are a few dandies likely available as the first round wraps up.

Possibilities:

• D.J. Hayden, Houston: Hayden underwent life-saving heart surgery in November for what’s been described as a fluke hit during a football game. It’s an injury that hasn’t deterred most NFL teams, according to NFL Network’s Mike Mayock, who lists Hayden as his top cornerback prospect. ESPN’s Mel Kiper, Jr. recently projected Denver taking Hayden at No. 28, describing the cornerback as a “good cover guy,” but “not a great tackler.”
• Xavier Rhodes, Florida State: Rhodes is a bit of conundrum. He’s big for a cornerback, yet some teams are underwhelmed by his on-field abilities. Is Rhodes a first round player? Depends on who you ask, but as they say, “You can’t teach size.”
• Desmond Trufant, Washington: Trufant lacks Rhodes’ size, but he’s widely regarded as a better prospect. Trufant is already a nearly complete player, and hasn’t hit his ceiling. A few years learning with Champ Bailey would certainly do Trufant well. Trufant is another trendy draft choice for Denver according to NFL Network’s mock draft pundits.

Other name: Boise State’s Jamar Taylor

The Denver Broncos are doing just fine at cornerback…or so I think. (personal photo)

An additional note on the cornerback discussion…it still feels knee-jerk to me. When Baltimore bounced Denver out of the playoffs with big plays downfield, the secondary rightfully took a lot of blame, including Bailey. If the secondary truly needs fixing, the bad news for Broncos fans is that even if there were a Patrick Peterson in this draft (which there doesn’t appear to be – Dee Milliner is the closest) he’d be long gone by 28 (which Milliner will be). In all likelihood, a cornerback that drops to late first round probably isn’t starting much this season, and so how does that really help? The Broncos still have Bailey, added Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and have depth with Chris Harris and Tony Carter. Let’s not forget the Broncos were credited with the “savvy if he can remain healthy” selection of Omar Bolden last year. Odds are any one of those names would have better odds of making an impact during a given game than a late first/early second round player taken in 2013.

Linebacker and Running Back

I’ve lumped these positions together as the “outsiders” for Denver in the first round. The Broncos’ collection of current middle linebackers is serviceable. Nothing outstanding. Just okay. Sounds a lot like the talent pool in this year’s NFL Draft. In fact, only two inside linebackers are considered first-round talent, and each could be around when Denver drafts at No. 28.

Possibilities:

• Alec Ogletree, Georgia
• Manti Te’o, Notre Dame

Each linebacker has upside, but each also has baggage. We all know about Te’o’s girlfriend-that-wasn’t saga and poor performance in the BCS championship game. Ogletree, meanwhile, has battled some off-the-field issues, ranging from a four-game suspension to a DUI charge (you know, the kind of things that made D.J. Williams not worth the headache). Are those issues enough to steer the Broncos in another direction?

Let me just say this now: I don’t want Denver to draft a running back in the first round, and unless you’re part of the Broncos’ front office, you can’t convince me otherwise. The team has indicated its intent to add a running back, but we expected that to come via free agency. It hasn’t, leaving the NFL Draft as the next best place to add depth.

Possibilities:

• Eddie Lacy, Alabama
• Montee Ball, Wisconsin

If I’m in the Broncos’ war room (which would be awesome, by the way), I cast my vote for waiting until Rounds 2 or 3.

2nd/3rd Round possibilities:

• Le’Veon Bell, Michigan State
• Knile Davis, Arkansas
• Stepfan Taylor, Stanford

The good news is the wait will soon be over. The speculation will end.

And we can finally welcome the newest Broncos to Denver.

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Denver Broncos star linebacker Von Miller was voted as a starter to the Pro Bowl.

But last week, just days before the game, Miller announced he would not be playing. Miller, who’s in New Orleans as part of Super Bowl XLVII festivities, told The Denver Post Wednesday he’s dealing with a minor shoulder injury, and decided it was best to skip the all-star game in Honolulu:

“I feel OK. If this was a Sunday playoff game and we were getting ready to play, I’d be ready to go. I was just being conscious about the offseason, but I’ll be ready to go. I mean, I’m ready to go right now. I’m just trying to do what’s best.”

Miller said he first “tweaked” the left shoulder during his first game of his rookie season, but it wasn’t serious enough to require much medical attention or surgery. He played on with a brace, but decided to get another opinion on the shoulder following the Broncos’ Jan. 12 divisional-round loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

Don’t fret about Von Miller’s shoulder injury; he hasn’t. (personal photo)

Miller said surgery isn’t needed and he expects to participate in the team’s offseason program in April.

Von Miller talks about the importance of nutrition and his first two NFL seasons >>>>

Other headlines:

• Bleacher Report: Free Agents the Denver Broncos Should Avoid at All Costs
• Denver Broncos: Torrey Smith on Champ Bailey
• Denver Broncos: Stokley: ‘I Still Love This Game’
• The Denver Post: Tim Tebow gone, not forgotten: What separates him from quarterback?
• The Denver Post: Broncos’ Ben Garland continues to impress with work ethic, quick feet
• ESPN: Manti Te’o a Bronco? They should hope
• Yahoo! Sports: Offseason Needs: Broncos Need a Big-time RB to Reach the Next Level
• Yahoo! Sports: 7 Reasons the Denver Broncos’ Super Bowl Window Remains Wide Open

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Denver Broncos left tackle Ryan Clady is set to undergo surgery to repair his right shoulder. Clady hurt his shoulder in the team’s regular-season finale, but did play in the Broncos’ divisional-round loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

The Denver Post reports Clady, who was selected to the Pro Bowl and withdrew due to injury, should be okay for the 2013 season, but will likely miss much of the Broncos’ offseason program.

Ryan Clady will undergo surgery on his right shoulder. (courtesy Jeffrey Beall)

Clady is slated to become an unrestricted free agent, though John Elway has said keeping the tackle in Denver is a top offseason priority.

Other Headlines:

• Denver Broncos: 2012 Season Review: First Quarter
• The Denver Post: Brian Xanders, ex-Denver Broncos GM, hired by Detroit Lions
• The Denver Post: Broncos offense under John Fox seldom features fullbacks
• Examiner: Rumor: Denver Broncos John Elway interested in trading for Darrelle Revis
• Mile High Report: 2013 Denver Broncos offseason: Champ Bailey

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On Monday we learned that Zane Beadles and Demaryius Thomas were named as replacements to the 2013 Pro Bowl AFC roster.  They join Champ Bailey, Elvis Dumervil, Von Miller, and Peyton Manning in Hawaii for Sunday’s game. (Ryan Clady was also named, but pulled out due to injury.)

But that’s not all. Denver coaches will lead the AFC, and there’s a Broncos cheerleader representative, who has to learn some 20 routines before the game. Seriously, though, it’s entirely possible she’ll be working harder than many of the players.  Props, Tara.

Other Headlines:

• Associated Press: Todd Helton helping Peyton Manning cope with Broncos’ loss in playoffs
• The Denver Post: Did NFL officials make the grade in Broncos-Ravens game?
• The Denver Post: Aurora home of Derrick Martin, New England Patriots player, robbed while he was on the field
• Rant Sports: Denver Broncos Offseason Analysis: Defensive Line

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It’s Pro Bowl week! Yay?

Two more Denver Broncos got the call and are Hawaii-bound.

Zane Beadles replaces New England’s Logan Mankins on the AFC Pro Bowl roster. Denver Broncos teammate Demaryius Thomas is also going to Hawaii. (courtesy Jeffrey Beall)

Guard Zane Beadles and wide receiver Demaryius Thomas has been added to the AFC’s Pro Bowl roster. They are replacing a pair of New England Patriots – Logan Mankins and Wes Welker – who each withdrew because of injuries.

This will be the first Pro Bowl for both players.

The additions now make it seven Broncos to earn 2013 Pro Bowl honors. Beadles and Thomas join cornerback Champ Bailey, defensive end Elvis Dumervil, linebacker Von Miller, and quarterback Peyton Manning in Hawaii. Tackle Ryan Clady was also named to the roster, but withdrew last week.

Adding even more familiarity, the Broncos coaching staff will be coaching the AFC.

The Pro Bowl is Sunday in Honolulu, and will air at 5 p.m. MST on NBC.

See the updated AFC and NFC Pro Bowl rosters >>>>

Whether you watch the Pro Bowl or not (as of late, I’ll fallen under the category of the latter), being named to the roster is still an honor, so congratulations are in order. I might simply watch this year to see how or if players respond to commissioner Roger Goodell’s criticism that game’s product is substandard.

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Spoiler Alert: If you were expecting, anticipating, or hoping for an admission of game mismanagement, then stop reading. You’ll be sorely disappointed.

Not even 48 hours after one of the most discouraging playoff outcomes in Denver Broncos history, head coach John Fox and vice president John Elway addressed the media in the team’s end-of-season press conference.

The theme: No regrets – at least pertaining to how Fox managed the waning moments of regulation. Fox didn’t hesitate in saying he’d make the same decision all over again:

“It didn’t seem to be the right time to go for the jugular. I’d do that again 10 times out of 10 if faced with that situation.”

The “jugular” would have been Denver’s attempt to score in the last seconds of regulation. With 31 seconds and two timeouts remaining, Fox elected to have quarterback Peyton Manning take a knee and force overtime.

Denver, the AFC’s No. 1 seed, would end up losing to the Baltimore Ravens 38-35 in double overtime. The Ravens now travel to New England to play the Patriots for the right to represent the conference in next month’s Super Bowl.

Both Elway and Fox said the team was “in shock” after Baltimore’s game-tying 70-yard touchdown with under a minute remaining in the 4th quarter. Elway told reporters it was best for the team to “regroup” and head into overtime, adding:

“Mentally, it was a good move.”

A quick aside here, but “in shock” or not, we are talking about professional athletes; however, Elway and Fox know these players. I don’t, but I’m dissatisfied with their explanation. I’m not sure if I’ll ever fully accept it.

Fox also added Saturday’s regulation-ending situation in Denver was not like Sunday’s final moments in Atlanta. The Falcons, down by one with 31 seconds remaining and two timeouts, engineered a game-winning field goal drive in their divisional round game against the Seattle Seahawks.

The press conference’s other theme was looking ahead to next season. Elway and Fox are each optimistic the team will grow from this loss. Players will have extra motivation and return hungrier next season.

Another quick aside here, but Fox talked about the team “learning” from this loss. Yet he says he’d make the same game-ending decision all over again? What did he learn?

In case you missed it, view the full press conference – Part I and Part II.

Other nuggets:

• There are no plans right now to move cornerback Champ Bailey to safety.
• The Broncos plan on picking up Peyton Manning’s contact when the league year ends in February.
• Elway and Fox are pleased with Brock Osweiler’s development, and see him as the Broncos quarterback of the future.

Mike McCoy meets with San Diego Chargers

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports officials with the Chargers arrived in Denver earlier to pick up Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy and take him to San Deigo for an interview.

San Diego fired head coach Norv Turner Dec. 31 and are still looking for his replacement. New general manager Tom Telesco is leading the search. San Diego has also interviewed former Arizona Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt and Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden.

McCoy earlier interviewed with the Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, and Philadelphia Eagles. FOX’s Jay Glazer reports the Cardinals want a second interview with McCoy Tuesday.

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Disappointing: performance, coaching, execution, season.

As Broncos playoff chokes go, this one still probably doesn’t top Jacksonville in 1996, but it’s still a choke, and a big one at that. There’s so much to discuss, and what I don’t want to do is start irrationally calling for anyone’s head or major roster moves, but if anything, this game does leave the Broncos and supporters with a few tough questions.

One overall note on the weather. Yes, it was bitterly cold. It was the same weather for the Baltimore Ravens though. Do the Broncos win in more temperate conditions? Maybe, but maybe not. If any player can’t perform on a cold January evening they’re in the wrong line of work.

Let’s begin with what went well. This won’t take long…unfortunately, and that’s why we’re here.

The highlight: Trindon Holliday

Holliday had a masterful performance. Two returns for touchdowns, one on a punt (90 yards) the other on the kickoff (104 yards) to begin the second half. He was tremendous, and delivered a performance that would have by itself won most games. The problem was his offense missed opportunities, and his defense failed to show up.

Now, to the less appealing: Offense

On the plus side the offense generated 21 points. Not great, but not terrible. Still, we’ve grown accustomed to seeing more. Peyton Manning didn’t have a great game, and his three turnovers serve as a haunting ending to his season. His first interception appeared to be more an instance of Eric Decker having a ball bounce off his hands. (There was contact early on the play that wasn’t called, but regardless, Decker was in position to catch the pass.)

Manning apparently isn’t at the level of Tom Brady in the eyes of this officiating crew as the officials ruled a fumble on basically the same type of tuck play that launched Brady to a Super Bowl. I suppose there are alternate translations of the famous (or infamous) “tuck rule.”

Peyton Manning had three turnovers in the Denver Broncos’ loss to the Baltimore Ravens. (courtesy Jeffrey Beall)

Manning’s final turnover was ugly, and decision he would obviously like to have back – as would we. Decker and Demaryius Thomas either froze in the cold or under the pressure. Neither was particularly impressive, or particularly reliable.

Knowshon Moreno may be a tragic case. Once again, with things moving in the right direction he leaves the game. It’s a really tough thing to say, but are we back to having the conversation about whether he can be a fixture on this roster? To be fair, we don’t know the extent of Moreno’s injury, other than it was a knee. His official status, per the team, was ‘questionable’ for return, but he didn’t. My guess is if Moreno was fine, he would have returned. No offense to Ronnie Hillman, but Moreno brought added dimension to the Broncos offense. He can do more than run; he can pick up blitzes, too. And that was a huge asset for this offense late in the season.

Hillman performed admirably. Lance Ball had no idea what he was doing. Jacob Hester was there, and that’s about it.

The offensive line wasn’t lousy, but wasn’t great. It felt as though the unit played the Ravens’ defensive line to a draw. Didn’t win, didn’t lose. This unit can’t shoulder much blame, but they deserve some. Failing to outright win in the trenches is a recipe for playoff exits.

And now to the ridiculously bad: Defense.

Observation A: The Broncos have yet to develop a top-notch defensive line against the pass. Edge rushers are cool, but how many times did we see the Ravens calmly steer Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller deep into the backfield, allowing Joe Flacco to step up with virtually no one in his face? The line continued to play well against the run.

Observation B: It seems like taboo to say, but the conversation probably needs to be had: Has Champ Bailey reached a point where he’s getting by more on reputation than ability? The Ravens made a mockery of his coverage. It wasn’t even due to double moves or elaborate picks. He straight up could not keep up with Torrey Smith. Bailey is still a talented corner, but if all teams have to do is play an extended version of pitch and catch this defense will look a lot worse. And on that note…

Observation C: Rahim Moore. He put together a great season. I don’t believe he undid it all with one really, really bad play. Moore will be the goat, but in general the Broncos secondary (aside from one nice pass defense by Mike Adams) was abysmal. Moore’s play will be viewed in Baltimore as a miracle of sorts, but it was a game-long failure by this unit.

John Fox = Mr. Conservative. And sometimes that’s not a good thing. (personal photo)

And finally…the sad: Coaching

John Fox. Why? It’s the playoffs. Coming out of the two minute warning the Broncos faced 3rd-and-7 approaching midfield. Fox called the “run the ol’ clock down run” with a predictable result: short. Was this due to Manning’s arm being totally numb? Was Manning suffering from a crippling migraine? No. The coaching staff’s conservative philosophy ultimately paved the way for the Broncos to blow this game.

I’m not going to assess any win probability index of passing in an attempt to convert versus running to drain the clock and then punting. I’ll simply say Fox lacked guts. Sure, the pass could have been incomplete thereby stopping the clock, but a first down seals the game. Fox chickened out. As the Ravens still had to score a touchdown to tie and had no timeouts, the additional 30 seconds are negligible. By that I mean the Ravens are likely throwing the ball on every play regardless of the clock. In that situation it’s more an issue of whether your opponent can hit a few big plays to gain the necessary yardage than whether they have enough time to do it.

Running on 3rd-and-7 signaled Fox hoped the clock, rather than his players, would bail the Broncos out. He was wrong, and deserves every bit the blame Moore may receive.

The silver lining, if there is one, is that this Broncos unit will likely remain mostly intact. They now have the shared experience of understanding the disappointment that comes with failing to execute. Move the officiating and weather aside. The Denver Broncos were the team to decide who won and lost this game. Unfortunately the Broncos did more than enough to lose it themselves. They weren’t overmatched, but rather drastically underperformed. Now they get six months to figure out how to never feel this way again.

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Welcome to Quarter Calls, DHF’s quarter-by-quarter breakdown of each Denver Broncos game. Instead of a live game thread, Quarter Calls is a quick-hit summary of the big story of each quarter. It can be a general mood or theme, play, penalty, injury, whatever.

If you prefer real time analysis and commentary, follow Denver Horse Force on Twitter. As always, I’ll be tweeting throughout the game.

Go Broncos!

Denver Broncos inactives: QB Caleb Hanie, WR Andre Caldwell, CB Tracy Porter, FB Chris Gronkowski, WR Julius Thomas, G C.J. Davis, DT Sealver Siliga

Baltimore Ravens inactives: WR David Reed, S Omar Brown, CB Chris Johnson, OLB Adrian Hamilton, G/T Ramon Harewood, WR Deonte Thompson, DT Bryan Hall

1st Quarter

(3:17 p.m.) Well, that quarter had everything, notably a rowdy crowd at Sports Authority Field at Mile High that went from rowdy to irate in a matter of minutes.

Denver’s highlight was obviously Trindon Holliday’s 90-yard punt return for a touchdown, the longest play in NFL postseason history.

But it seems Holliday’s historical run was overshadowed by a few unfortunate plays, plays that infuriated the home crowd. First, the Ravens were beneficiaries of a pass interference on Tony Carter on third down, a call that extended Baltimore’s drive enough for Torrey Smith to torch Champ Bailey and tie the game. Just seconds later, after some contact involving Eric Decker, Peyton Manning’s pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown.

Tied game at 14. Buckle up, folks, we have three more quarters to go.

2nd Quarter

(4:10 p.m.) What has been the biggest difference so far between this game and the Broncos/Ravens first meeting four weeks ago?

Pass rush, or in this case, lack thereof.

And it’s that lacking pass rush that’s enabled Torrey Smith to have a huge first half.

Smith has two catches for 91 yards and two touchdowns, burning Bailey each time. Bailey was assigned to Smith in Week 15, but was far more effective. Why? Because Flacco was getting pressured early and often and forced throws. Bailey will win that type of one-on-one matchup, but won’t have the same success against a speedy Smith in a set play executed to perfection.

What are the Broncos options? Switch Chris Harris to Smith and give Bailey Anquan Boldin? Maybe the best solution is lighting a fire with your front seven. Flacco will turn over the football, either through throwing interceptions or fumbles.

Your move, Jack Del Rio.

3rd Quarter

(5:13 p.m.) Thank goodness for Trindon Holliday. He’s been the only real spark for Denver. His 104-yard kickoff return gave the Broncos a lead, a lead Denver held until Ray Rice’s 1-yard touchdown run in the quarter’s waning seconds.

The offense hasn’t looked its flashy self. (Insert cold weather excuse here.) The defense recover a fumble but otherwise haven’t looked stellar. (Insert cold weather excuse here.) And the officiating continues to be the big story. This just about says it all…

Look, I’m not one of those blame the refs types, but the officiating crew is too heavily involved in the game. We need less Bill Vinovich…

And while I’m at it, Dan Dierdorf, too.

4th Quarter

 (6:04 p.m.) Rahim Moore, you picked a heckuva time to make a huge mistake – the biggest mistake of your young career.

That’s about all I have to say. This game should be over, and it’s not. I’m stunned, shocked, mad, and nervous.

OVERTIME

(6.49 p.m.) Folks, what we just witnessed was a pathetically terrible way to end a season. There’s so much blame to go around.

Other than Holliday’s two touchdowns, there were no other highlights for the Broncos, and that was the difference maker. The Broncos have been so well balanced this season – in all three phases of the game – so when only one phase is playing well, victory is that much more difficult to come by.

Conservative play calls? Sure. Momentum-changing officiating? Yes. Underwhelming performance by the AFC’s No. 1 seed? Absolutely.

The end result is a bitter taste we’re stuck with until next season.

Final: Baltimore 38, Denver 35

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Cornerback Champ Bailey, left tackle Ryan Clady, defensive end Elvis Dumervil, quarterback Peyton Manning, and outside linebacker Von Miller have been named to the Pro Bowl.

However, if the Denver Broncos play in the Super Bowl, then those guys won’t be making the trip…

Honestly, I prefer the latter, as I’m sure you do as well.

Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas was among the notable snubs.  He’s a first alternate.  Denver’s other alternates are right guard Chris Kuper (second), left guard Zane Beadles (third), special teamer David Bruton (third), and punter Britton Colquitt (third).  Coincidentally, Colquitt’s brother Dustin was named the AFC’s punter.

Um…where’s Wesley Woodyard?  Really!

The Pro Bowl is Jan. 27, 2013 – one week before the Super Bowl.

View the complete rosters here >>>>

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The fan votes are in…

And right now seven Denver Broncos are in line to be 2013 Pro Bowl starters.  Another ten players are within striking distance.

Fan votes count for one-third of Pro Bowl votes, with coaches and players each making up a third.  Broncos players and coaches will vote Thursday.

The 2013 Pro Bowl roster will be announced Wednesday, Dec. 26 on NFL Network.

Leading the fan vote is quarterback Peyton Manning.  Cornerback Champ Bailey and outside linebacker Von Miller are the AFC’s top vote-getters at their respective positions.

Other “fan starters” include outside linebacker Wesley Woodyard, who trails his teammate.  AFC’s No. 2 defensive end is Elvis Dumervil.  Tackle Ryan Clady and guard Zane Beadles are also in second place at their positions.

Here’s the rest of the list:

3rd Place –

• ST David Bruton
• MLB Keith Brooking
• PR/KR Trindon Holliday
• C Dan Koppen

4th Place –

• P Britton Colquitt
• WR Demaryius Thomas

5th Place –

• S Mike Adams
• FB Chris Gronkowski
• FS Rahim Moore
• K Matt Prater

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