Here’s something I didn’t think was possible a month ago: The Denver Broncos have – or will soon have – flexibility at linebacker.

The unit has looked downright terrible at times this season, notably in the Broncos’ losses to the Houston Texans and New England Patriots.  The dismal performances even had me pining for the return of suspended linebacker D.J. Williams, a much-maligned player many thought Denver should have cut ties with before the season.

Denver Broncos LB Wesley Woodyard has earned his starting role. (personal photo)

But after watching the Broncos’ last 90 minutes of football, something changed; there’s been a defensive renaissance – thanks in part to improved play at linebacker, and more specifically, Wesley Woodyard.

At 6-feet and 220 pounds, Woodyard is undersized for an NFL linebacker, but he compensates with instinct and quickness, two attributes often described by football pundits as “uncoachable” traits.  Entering the season, those characteristics were typically limited to special teams where Woodyard has served as team captain since joining the Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2008.

Woodyard has a knack for knowing where to be on the field, and that anticipation shined on Sunday night in the Broncos’ walloping of the New Orleans Saints.  Woodyard’s field presence showed on his stat line: 13 tackles, interception, sack, forced fumble, tackle for loss, and two passes defensed.

Woodyard started seven games last season while Williams’ was injured, but this time around, No. 52 is not about to give up his role.

In training camp, the thinking might have been to merely let Woodyard keep Williams’ seat warm until his return, but not anymore.  He’s made a convincing case to remain Denver’s weak side linebacker.  It seems to be an easy decision for defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio to make, and it’s not just because of Woodyard’s impressive tackle-leading stats.

With Joe Mays now on injured reserve, the Broncos are noticeably thin at middle linebacker.  Williams could likely soon share snaps with veteran Keith Brooking, a decent enough run stopper but a liability in pass coverage – which isn’t so much his fault as a product of being an aging human being. Rookie Steven Johnson is currently second on the depth chart, and he has zero tackles in his young NFL career.  Compare that to weak side linebacker – a position now apparently controlled by University of Kentucky football products (and much to my chagrin) – with Woodyard and rookie Danny Trevathan, who continues to see more playing time.

D.J. Williams, seen here watching practice, returns Nov. 12. (personal photo)

Williams played strong side linebacker early in his Broncos career, but Pro Bowler Von Miller has a stranglehold on that position with Nate Irving as backup.

Another byproduct of Williams’ return is added flexibility for Del Rio.

Let’s assume the Broncos go with Miller, Williams, and Woodyard as the starting strong, middle, and weak side linebackers, respectively. Del Rio has the option of implementing more of a rotation with Brooking, Irving and Trevathan.  Or if Brooking gets the starting nod over Williams, then he comes in later downs.  Maybe the 4-3 base defense gets a wrinkle as the Broncos throw in some occasional 3-4 schemes, or maybe we see Trevathan play more in modified nickel situations just as Woodyard did in previous seasons.

Given Denver’s current trajectory it seems likely this team could once again see the middle-strong offenses that gave the defense fits in the opening weeks (Houston and New England).  The return of Williams, bolstered by the ability to generate even more exotic looks in the box could serve the Broncos well if and when the high profile offenses come calling.

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Denver Broncos place linebacker Joe Mays on injured reserve. (personal photo)

Middle linebacker Joe Mays’ 2012 season is officially over.

The Denver Broncos played Mays (ankle) on season-ending injured reserve Tuesday.  Mays suffered a fracture left fibula just above the ankle on a special teams play in Sunday night’s game against the New Orleans Saints.

Interestingly (at least to me), the Broncos did not promote linebacker Mike Mohamed from the practice squad, instead adding safety Duke Ihenacho to the active roster.

Denver also signed cornerback Mario Butler to the practice squad.  An undrafted free agent from Georgia Tech, Butler was signed by the Dallas Cowboys in 2011, since splitting time between the practice squad and active roster.

Mays is the eighth Broncos player placed on IR this season, joining Jeremy Beal, Philip Blake, Quinton Carter, Mario Fannin, Jason Hunter, J.D. Walton, and Ty Warren.

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Broncos’ Champ Bailey showed full assortment of skills against Saints – Occasionally, Champ Bailey gets asked about moving to safety some day. Some day soon or some day down the road, depending on who asks the question.  His answer usually revolves around when the time is right or when he thinks it would be best. But Sunday night was a quality example of what makes Bailey, at 34 years old, in his 14th NFL season, still among the best at what he does right now.  Read more from the Denver Post >>>>

Broncos’ Joe Mays is out for season because of broken leg - Sometimes bad things happen to good people. And just like the wive’s tale superstition suggests, bad things happened in threes for Joe Mays.  The Broncos middle linebacker will miss the rest of the season after suffering a fractured left tibula near the ankle in the fourth quarter of his team’s 34-14 victory Sunday night against the New Orleans Saints.  Read more from the Denver Post >>>>

Next Day Notebook: Manning’s Hand ‘Fine’ - When it comes to a quarterback’s throwing hand, even the smallest of collisions can often have significant consequences.  That’s why when quarterback Peyton Manning smashed his thumb on the helmet of Saints defensive end Martez Wilson on a 23-yard second-quarter completion to wide receiver Eric Decker, there was momentarily reason to believe that the big gain might have been a costly one.  Read more from Denver Broncos >>>>

‘A Young Man’s Game’ - While a 15-year veteran at quarterback got most of the headlines, a crop of young Broncos made their impact felt all over the field Sunday night.  Running back Ronnie Hillman, linebacker Danny Trevathan and tight end Virgil Green all set new career highs in the 34-14 win against the New Orleans Saints.  Read more from Denver Broncos >>>>

Denver’s All-Around Dominance Leads To Blowout Win, High Grades For Broncos - When the Broncos saw the Saints on their schedule, they made sure not to take New Orleans lightly.  The Saints came into the game at 2-4, but Peyton Manning and his Denver teammates knew they could score early and often. It’s why the Broncos jumped all over New Orleans from the start and never let up, building a 17-7 lead and scoring 27 unanswered points to win 34-7.  Read more from CBS Denver >>>>

Denver Broncos’ Peyton Manning is NFL’s best quarterback - Peyton Manning was again masterful, and at times, magical on Sunday Night Football.  He was patient like usual, picking the checkdown routes at times, but he was also more aggressive, attacking the Saints’ sorry defense deep over and over again. Manning connected with Demaryius Thomas on a 41-yarder and a 30-yarder in the first quarter, and hung in the pocket to take a huge hit and deliver the ball down the sideline to Eric Decker.  Read more from Examiner >>>>

Denver Broncos Prove They Are AFC Contenders with Sunday’s Win over the Saints - With a definitive 34-14 victory that featured highlights on both offense and defense, Denver proved to the rest of the league on Sunday night it is a legitimate contender in the AFC.  Read more from Bleacher Report >>>> 

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Joe Mays has likely played for the final time this season.

The Denver Broncos middle linebacker has a broken left leg.  The injury happened while Mays was blocking a Trindon Holliday punt return in the fourth quarter of Denver’s Sunday night victory against New Orleans.

Denver Broncos LB Joe Mays suffered a broken leg in Sunday’s win against the New Orleans Saints. (personal photo)

Mays was the team’s starting middle linebacker, but had recently been demoted to special teams due to lackluster play.  He also served a one-game suspension for a helmet-to-helmet hit of Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub.

Suspended linebacker D.J. Williams can fully rejoin the Broncos on Nov. 12.  In the meantime, the Broncos could bring up linebacker Mike Mohamed from the practice squad.

Trade deadline pushed back

On Monday, the NFL announced it has moved the trade deadline to Thursday at 4:00 p.m. ET due to Hurricane Sandy.

The original deadline was Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. ET.

Multiple eastern U.S. NFL teams have shut down operations today because of the storm.  The league offices are also closed through at least Tuesday.

This marks the second time the trade deadline has been moved this year. The deadline was earlier pushed back two weeks –  to Oct. 30 from Oct. 6 – following talks with the players’ union.

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The Denver Broncos are 60 minutes away from a bye week…

And perhaps a lead in the AFC West.

The Broncos head to San Diego for a Monday night divisional showdown against the Chargers.  It’s Peyton Manning’s second division game as a Bronco, but the Chargers are an old foe.  During his tenure with the Indianapolis Colts, Manning has produced some non-Manning-like numbers when facing the Chargers, going 1-5 in his last six outings – 1-4 against Norv Turner-led teams.

But something has to give, because Manning’s performance on Monday night is about as opposite as you can get with an 11-4 all-time record, including Week 2’s loss in Atlanta.

When the NFL schedule was released in April, we all knew the Broncos faced a brutal introduction to the 2012 season: Four 2011 playoff teams and two nasty AFC West matchups against teams that Denver just edged for the division title a season ago.

Depending on Monday night’s outcome, the Broncos will enter the bye week 2-4 or 3-3 (barring an unlikely tie).  It goes without saying the Broncos – and fans – would prefer the latter.

Can, or will, the San Diego Chargers execute a hurried, hurry-up offense like New England? (Courtesy Keith Allison)

When San Diego has the ball: There are fewer things in life I enjoy more than seeing Philip Rivers have a bad day.  My dislike of Rivers predates his NFL arrival, thanks to what’s forever known as the “worst sports weekend in my life.”  I’ll spare you the details this time around, but you can read why here.)

Luckily, here in Denver, my thoughts on Rivers are right in sync with the masses.

But for me, at least this time around, the focus isn’t so much on Rivers and company, but rather, how the Broncos defense performs, because last week was downright ugly.

Granted, the San Diego Chargers are not the New England Patriots, but given the Broncos’ third-down defense, it doesn’t necessarily matter.  Denver opponents are converting on 46.7% of third-down situations.  That statistic equals two things: 1) Denver’s defense is spending more time on the field, which also means 2) Peyton Manning is spending less time on the field.

Will the Chargers adopt something similar to the Patriots turbo-speed offense used against Denver to perfection?  Honestly, San Diego lacks the personnel and coaching for anything breakneck speed, but in a copycat league, a “little brother” version wouldn’t surprise me…especially provided what that did for the Patriots running game last week.

The confusing thing about the Denver defense is that it went from a lockdown effort against a talented running back in Darren McFadden to a porous outfit against New England’s committee of decent backs.  The Broncos shut down running games in both this season’s wins.  With a talented back like Ryan Mathews, the Chargers will want to get him running downhill early.  San Diego’s passing game is a threat, but could have problems if Denver’s defense is allowed to play pass for the majority of the second half.

One last tidbit: The Denver Post reports Keith Brooking, who turns 37 later this month, is expected to start at middle linebacker in place of Joe Mays.

When Denver has the ball:  It’s a pretty simple concept: Don’t fumble. The turnover-prone Broncos are minus-6 in turnover differential, ranking 29th in the NFL.  It doesn’t matter how well Manning plays – remember he’s gone 15 quarters sans INT – if his offensive teammates can’t hold onto the ball.

Willis McGahee has rushed for 242 yards in his last two games against San Diego. (personal photo)

In back-to-back games, wide receiver Demaryius Thomas has coughed up the ball in what were high percentage scoring situations.  Veteran running back Willis McGahee fumbled late in the Broncos Week 5 game at New England, squashing all hopes of a comeback.

Now back to the earlier statement of, “It doesn’t matter how well Manning plays…” because the Broncos success doesn’t depend of if Manning plays well. Manning must play well, and thus far in 2012, he has, aside from that three-interception affair in Atlanta in the Broncos’ last Monday night outing. (It’s also worth noting Manning fumbled in the 3rd quarter against New England.)

As I wrote yesterday, Manning’s struggles against San Diego are well documented: 12 touchdowns, 16 interceptions, and a 4-5 overall record, including two playoff losses.  Manning’s minus-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio against San Diego ties with the Cleveland Browns for worst in his career.

With eyes predictably on Manning, the Broncos offense hits full stride with an efficient running game.  In his last two meetings with San Diego, McGahee has rushed for 125 and 117 yards.  Rookie speedster Ronnie Hillman, who played college football at San Diego State, continues to be infused into the Broncos offense, and in time could bring an added dimension to the ground game.

The Chargers defense, however, is only allowing 74.0 rushing yards per game, good for fifth in the league.

Prediction

Denver 28, San Diego 23

Here’s to that .500 record entering the bye.  All things considered, that sounds about right.

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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!

1st Quarter

(3:03 p.m.) Three words: Demaryius Thomas fumble.

For the second straight week, Thomas coughed up the football in the red zone.  By all accounts, his turnover took points off the board.  After a quarter of play, the Broncos are still scoreless.

2nd Quarter

(3:48 p.m.) Where to begin…

This game is moving at breakneck speed, thanks to the Patriots rapid-fire no-huddle offense.  And it’s causing all sorts of problems for the Broncos.  New England is moving down the field with ease, exploiting serious matchup problems.  For instance, linebacker Joe Mays has been burned repeatedly because he simply cannot cover players like Wes Welker or Danny Woodhead.

The Patriots have been feasting on an up-tempo system that’s allowing both running and passing plays to happen, and own a 17-7 lead heading into the half.  If Denver sticks with its man philosophy in the second half, expect the Patriots to keep putting up points.  Elvis Dumervil is a non-factor as a pass-rusher, as is Von Miller although Miller has made some nice plays against the run.  It’s somewhat perplexing why the Broncos feel they need to keep bringing pressure on Tom Brady.  His throws are generally leaving his hand less than two seconds after the snap.  That’s hardly enough time for even an unblocked pass rusher to get to him from the outside.

The Broncos offense has moved the ball relatively well, and if not for the first quarter fumble by Thomas, would likely have more to show on the scoreboard.  The Broncos are a different team this season, but after one half this team looks like it has ignored the main issues that caused big problems against the Patriots last season.

3rd Quarter

(4:47 p.m.)  I was hoping the Broncos would enter the second half with all sorts of defensive adjustments…causing big plays, huge stops, and maybe even a turnover.

I was wrong.

The D did force a three-and-out to start the half, but the highlights ended there.  When the Patriots matched the Denver defensive stance and got the ball back to Brady it looked like Denver was about to get yet another big stop when it forced a 3rd and 17.  Somehow, the Denver front seven managed to let Woodhead – again – slip through them with ease to convert…on a running play.  From that point on it was more of the same futile effort that found Denver defenders being about five steps behind the Patriots offense.

The only saving grace was a late-quarter Broncos touchdown.  There’s still life in this team.

4th Quarter

(5:29 p.m.) Another feverish comeback.  Another feverish comeback that fell short.

Suffice it to say, this was not Willis McGahee’s shining 4th quarter moment.  A dropped pass on fourth down…followed up by a fumble – on New England’s 14-yard line – late in the game.  Two opportunities.  Two misses.

Take away the Broncos’ two costly red zone fumbles, and the outcome could have been different.  Instead, the Denver Broncos lost 31-21, and are sitting at 2-3 with a trip to San Diego looming next week.

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Tuesday Morning QB: Broncos’ Peyton Manning nears Tom Brady territory - At the one-quarter pole, Matt Ryan and Matt Schaub have been the class of the league. But as the NFL gets ready for Brady-Manning XII, guess who had the top two passer ratings in Week 4 until Jay Cutler went off on Monday night?  Read more from the Denver Post >>>>

Inside the game: Broncos offense has to be on point in coming weeks - Fifty-year wins are nice, and that’s what the Broncos constructed Sunday in their biggest blowout of the Raiders since 1962. But those 37 points the Broncos rang up on a sunny afternoon at Sports Authority Field at Mile High will just have to be the rule in the coming weeks rather than the remember-when exception.  Read more from the Denver Post >>>>

Denver Broncos eyeing … the New England Patriots - For the record: New England 2-2, three-way tie for first place in AFC East; Denver 2-2, second place in AFC West  Last game: The Patriots scored 45 second-half points in their 52-28 victory at Buffalo.  Streaking: The Broncos and Patriots both won their last game after two previous losses.  Read more from the Denver Post >>>>

Koppen Brings Experience to Line - Dan Koppen, a 10th-year NFL veteran, will step in at center for the injured J.D. Walton. He brings with him experience as the NFL’s all-time winningest offensive lineman.  Read more from Denver Broncos >>>>

Green Back, Motivated – With his four-game suspension in the past, tight end Virgil Green will no longer be working out at a local fitness center every day.  Read more from Denver Broncos >>>>

Drive for Life XV a Success - Through one community event, thousands of lives were saved on Tuesday.  The 15th annual Drive for Life — a partnership between the Broncos and Bonfils Blood Center — was held at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, and dozens of Broncos players, alumni and cheerleaders headed to the stadium to show their support.  Read more from Denver Broncos >>>>

McDaniels downplays Broncos reunion - Current Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was named the head coach of the Denver Broncos on Jan. 11, 2009, and served in that post for nearly two seasons, totaling a 11-17 record. He’ll face his former team this Sunday, but says there are no special feelings entering the contest.  Read more from ESPN >>>>

Week 4 Nominees Announced: FedEx Air & Ground Players of the Week, Pepsi Max Rookie of the Week, & GMC Never Say Never Moment of the Week - The NFL annouced today the Week 4 nominees for the FedEx Air & Ground Players of the Week, Pepsi Max Rookie of the Week, & GMC Never Say Never Moment of the Week .  Read more from NFL Communications >>>>

Denver Broncos’ Joe Mays won’t change his playing style - Being suspended for one game and fined by the NFL for his hit on Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub isn’t going to make Denver Broncos middle linebacker Joe Mays change his style.  Read more from Associated Press >>>>

Pats ready for the same old Manning in Week 5 - You know how it goes. Just a day after Sunday’s win over the Buffalo Bills, the Patriots have already moved on to their next opponent, the Denver Broncos.  Read more from CSN New England >>>>

Don’t sell Peyton Manning short - This Sunday afternoon, he will lead the Denver Broncos into Gillette Stadium to take on the Patriots for the 20th time in his incomparable career, and we can’t help but wonder: Will this be the last time we see Peyton Williams Manning play in New England?  Read more from BostonHerald.com >>>>

Denver Broncos: Protecting Peyton Manning is the Key - It seems as if everyone has been talking about Peyton Manning since he signed with the Denver Broncos; is he back, what about his arm strength, can he stay healthy and so on. None of those questions are an issue since Manning is healthy and his arm is plenty strong enough. What it comes down to is if the Broncos can protect Manning then he is going to pick any defense apart.  Read more from Rant Sports >>>>

Denver Broncos: Rookie Progress Report Through First 4 Games - We are now one quarter of the way through the regular season. Teams are starting to develop and the top players are starting to show why they are superstars.  The Denver Broncos still have some growing to do. Are they the team that demolished the Raiders in Week 4? Or are they the team that struggled to compete in Week 3 against the Texans?  Read more from Bleacher Report >>>>

2012 Denver Broncos-Week 4 Game Balls - What a way to celebrate a Broncos Stompin’ of the Raiders than to hand out a few Game Balls. It’s been a long time coming, four years to be exact, since the Broncos have beaten the rival Oakland Raiders at Mile High. Talk about Owned. 39-6 doesn’t do justice for those last 4, but it’s a good start.  Read more from Mile High Report >>>>

Denver Broncos’ Special Teamer David Bruton Is A Special Player, Indeed - David Bruton is what’s good about football. In a world of sports athletes doing wrong, Bruton’s done right.  He’s tirelessly worked his entire life to be a professional football player, and he’s finally making waves.  Read more from CBS4 >>>>

5 Denver Bronco Facts - 1. Keith Brooking is old and slow. The suspension of Joe Mays forced Keith Brooking into starting at middle linebacker for the Broncos and he is certainly not the Keith Brooking of old. Lost in the inept Raiders offense was a liability that the Patriots will surely be looking for this weekend. Even with the return of Joe Mays this week, Brooking figures to get some action and if Tom Brady is smart he will use his speedy weapons to take advantage of Brooking who is clearly a liability.  Read more from Examiner >>>>

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Denver Broncos LB Joe Mays is back from suspension. (courtesy Jeffrey Beall)

The Denver Broncos placed starting center J.D. Walton on season-ending injured reserve Monday.  Walton suffered a fractured and dislocated ankle in the second quarter of Denver’s victory against Oakland.

Linebacker Joe Mays takes over Walton’s roster spot.  Mays served a one-game suspension for his helmet-to-hemlet hit of Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub in the team’s Week 3 loss.

The Broncos will likely make another roster move this week to trim.  Second-year tight end Virgil Green is back with the team after serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancement policy.  Green can participate in practice and meetings, though he technically is not on the official 53-man roster.  The roster must be set Saturday.

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Note: DHF is rolling out some changes to the current Denver Dailies: Broncos Roundup format.  On days following the Denver Broncos game, the headlines will arrive midday to include more dissection, breakdown, and of course, the very latest analysis and Denver Broncos news from around the web.

Broncos defense befuddles Raiders with seven defensive backs - If there is safety in numbers, the Broncos decided Sunday to pump up the number of safeties in the defensive formation to find some defensive impact.  Read more from the Denver Post >>>>

Broncos, Peyton Manning rout Raiders in Denver with big offensive day - Peyton Manning lifted the Broncos to a rare home victory against their most detested rival. Now, the Broncos will have to help Manning come through against his personal antagonist.  Read more from the Denver Post >>>>

Mark Kiszla: Denver Broncos can battle Tom Brady much better now - There is a basic reason Peyton Manning is the quarterback of the Broncos and Tim Tebow is not. His name is Tom Brady.  The NFL is a team game in name only. Quarterbacks rule the league.  Read more from the Denver Post >>>>

Notebook: Firing on All Cylinders – The Broncos click on offense, defense and special teams, the team gets the strong start it looked for in practice, and Dan Koppen fills in for center J.D. Walton.  Read more from Denver Broncos >>>>

Rivalry Rout - Through three weeks of the season, the fourth quarter had been the Broncos’ sweet spot, outscoring opponents 45-6 in the frame.  Read more from Denver Broncos >>>>

Defense Delivers - The two aspects that the Denver defense prioritized in preparing for the Oakland Raiders were stopping running back Darren McFadden and getting off the field on third down.  Read more from Denver Broncos >>>>

Joe Mays’ 1-game ban was with pay - Denver Broncos linebacker Joe Mays’ one-game suspension for his helmet-to-helmet hit last week on Texans quarterback Matt Schaub is with pay, which surprised and disappointed NFL executives.  Read more from ESPN >>>>

BroncosRants: Injuries, Suspensions Do Not Stop Denver Broncos - As the injuries begin to mount and players continue to step up in line, the Denver Broncos have been fortunate not to see a drop-off in production on the field.  On this Sunday, it was not meant to be for the Oakland Raiders to come into the home of the Broncos and extend their win streak to five games.  Read more from Rant Sports >>>>

Denver Broncos Proving They Are Better Than Average, Yet Still Not Great - Denver’s 37-6 pummeling of their division foes, the Oakland Raiders, on Sunday proved that they are frontrunners in the AFC West and certainly contenders in the NFL.  Yet, as proven by the previous two weeks, they are still below the elite teams in the league.   Read more from Bleacher Report >>>>

Oakland Raiders vs. Denver Broncos: 10 Things We Learned - The Denver Broncos stomped the Oakland Raiders, 37-6, on Sunday afternoon en route to their second victory of the season.  The Broncos’ 31-point victory over the Raiders marked the second-largest margin of victory over their division rivals since they both started playing each other in 1960. Read more from Bleacher Report >>>>

Manning tosses three touchdowns as Broncos wallop rival Raiders - After throwing yet another touchdown on a play that worked exactly as it was drawn up, Peyton Manning ran to the end zone and head-butted the lucky receiver, running back Lance Ball.  Read more from CBSSports.com >>>> 

Oakland Raiders get pummeled by Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos - The Denver Broncos broke a four-game home losing streak to their AFC West rivals with a 37-6 victory at Sports Authority Field during which they outscored the Raiders 21-0 in the third quarter. Read more from San Jose Mercury News >>>>

Mile High Monday: Denver Broncos Dominate Raiders - The Denver Broncos finally played the complete game fans have been waiting for since Peyton Manning came aboard. From the first drive until the final gun, Denver whipped the Oakland Raiders and showed Broncos Country their true potential in a dominating 37-6 victory.  Read more from Predominantly Orange >>>>

It’s The Little Things For The Denver Broncos - All three phases were right on point for the Denver Broncos who beat up the Oakland Raiders 37-6 in a much needed week four win.  Read more from Predominantly Orange >>>> 

Broncos vs. Patriots 2012: Peyton Manning, Tom Brady battle in New England - The Denver Broncos, fresh off a 37-6 victory over the Oakland Raiders, will travel to New England to face the Patriots during Week 5. Will Peyton Manning come out on top or will Tom Brady have the last laugh?  Read more from SB Nation >>>>

Denver Broncos show they’re AFC’s biggest wild card – The Denver Broncos’ domination of the Oakland Raiders on Sunday did more than move them back to the .500 mark.  It also reaffirmed their status as the AFC’s biggest wild card as the 2012 season begins to take shape.  Read more from NFL.com >>>>

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