Did you watch?

I did, but only a few series; I had other plans. I am glad to have seen Jeff Saturday’s final snap to Peyton Manning.

The NFL Pro Bowl could be on borrowed time. Commissioner Roger Goodell could decide in April to scrap the game altogether. He’s previously expressed his displeasure about how the game is played, or more specifically, the overall lack of effort. Was Sunday’s 62-35 victory by the NFC the final nail in the coffin? We’ll likely find out in a few months.

Pro Bowl Headlines:

Proof I watched the Pro Bowl…or at least had it on my TV long enough to take this photo. (personal photo)

• Denver Broncos: Preview of Fox Wired for Sound
• Denver Broncos: Post Pro Bowl player reaction
• Denver Broncos: 2013 Pro Bowl photos
• Denver Post: Peyton Manning-led AFC no match for NFC in Pro Bowl blowout

Other Headlines:

• Denver Post: Kiszla: It’s time to thank Josh McDaniels for Broncos’ 2010 draft
• Denver Post: John Elway wants youth to be big part of Denver Broncos’ future
• Mile High Report: Denver Broncos 2012 Review: Full Year Rookie Report

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With sufficient time having passed since the final whistle in Foxborough, here are some additional thoughts and reactions I have concerning the Broncos 31-21 loss to the Patriots:

Yes, Willis McGahee’s fumble was costly, but don’t pin the blame all on him. (personal photo)

- Willis McGahee doesn’t deserve scorn.  Yes, the fourth down drop and red zone fumble were huge mistakes.  I’m willing to bet no one needs to remind a veteran like McGahee of this as he’s more upset with himself than any of us could possibly be with him.  McGahee has been a workhorse for this team and just had things go wrong at the wrong time.  The mistakes were costly, but the Broncos were in a likely insurmountable hole before they occurred.

- I’m probably one turnover away from “uh-oh this is a crisis” mode with Demaryius Thomas.  The talented receiver had some big catches on Sunday, but none that overshadow the fact that he’s literally “dropped the ball” on two huge plays in back-to-back weeks.  Given his still formative status in the league, another big faux pas could see his minutes or targets reduced, and that could be damaging to his confidence as a developing player.

- Related…Thomas’ two nice catches near the sideline proved the Broncos’ don’t have to rely on the middle of the field for big completions.  However, for the offense to truly have a downfield threat it’s going to take more than one receiver.  Eric Decker continues to get swallowed along the sidelines.  The long distance strike has to be able to come from either receiver to keep defenses reeling.

- No easy fix for defense.  New England has Denver’s number.  Sunday’s display made it apparent the Patriots’ have no respect for the Broncos’ talent on defense.  The hyper-tempo offense took scheme out of the equation, forcing the Broncos to get by on skill and instinct alone for much of the game.  By the time Jack Del Rio was able to refocus his troops, enough damage had been done.  This defense can probably win games against a fair amount of teams, but still doesn’t appear to have the chops to stand up to the league’s elite offenses.

If I had my druthers, I’d take Peyton Manning. Always. (personal photo)

- Peyton Manning still gets the nod as the best quarterback of his generation in my book.  Sunday’s game was a perfect example.  While Manning kept an overmatched squad competitive, Brady had a full system of weapons and a workmanlike defense to keep everything on schedule.  Not to discount some truly talented Indianapolis Colts’ teams, but this has been the story of Manning and Brady for the past decade.  Both are all-time greats, but one has had the benefit of a superior system throughout his career.

- On a similar note…did anyone else find it irritating that Josh McDaniels received even a glimmer of credit for the New England offense?  How is anyone in the league supposed to keep a straight face while praising that guy?  Outside the New England machine, McDaniels took a near playoff team to 4-12 in less than two years as head coach, and then took his skills to St. Louis where his offensive coordination led the Rams to a dazzling 2-14 record.  Usually it’s an exaggeration when fans say, “I could be just as successful as Coach X with all that talent to work with,” but in the case of McDaniels, don’t you have to think it’s a little true?  Call me bitter, go ahead, but that’s what I think…

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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 participate in August scrimmage at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. (personal photo)

The Denver Broncos don’t hesitate to remind opponents of the home team’s distinct advantage, “Welcome to 5,280 feet above sea level.”  Yet, through the decades it hasn’t been so much the altitude but the attitude that’s made Denver a historically successful franchise.  The Denver Broncos organization, at least since Pat Bowlen acquired it, was consistent in fielding competitive teams.

Was.

Team captain Elvis Dumervil is among the defensive anchors. (personal photo)

Maybe it was a case of job security leading to complacency, or the deep void that follows the retirement of an all-time great that made Mike Shanahan’s “master”mind a mediocre one.  Perhaps (undeserved benefit of the doubt here) Josh McDaniels wasn’t under-qualified, but was saddled with a team that was under-quality (okay, I know…he dismantled a potent office that was gift-wrapped for him…but stay with me here).  For whatever the reasons, and they are numerous, the Denver Broncos have lacked one key piece since John Elway.

No, it’s not just a first ballot Hall of Fame quarterback.  It’s a level playing field.

What will make this season different from the past decade-plus is the guessing game becomes simplified week to week.  For too many years in Denver there have been too many questions: How will the quarterback hold up under pressure?  Does the game plan allow the offense an opportunity to succeed?  Will the defense step up when it matters?  Does the defensive coordinator have the chops to frustrate high-powered offenses?  Who is the defensive coordinator this year anyway?

Now the questions are simple: Can Peyton Manning stay healthy?  Can the Broncos execute?  If you can answer yes to both questions come December…well, Denver will enjoy a playoff atmosphere yet again.

Will we still be discussing Peyton Manning’s neck in December? (personal photo)

Denver’s new quarterback, solid coaching staff, and steadily improved defense should mark an end to second-guessing.  No more complaining about play calls.  Peyton has a say in that; you really gonna argue?  No more discussing blame if the passing game doesn’t click.  Peyton is a legend.  Even when it isn’t the fault of the Broncos’ young receiving tandem, it’ll still be their fault.  No excuses that the running game can’t get going because defenses stack the box.  No claiming the defensive schemes are concoctions of an under-qualified coach.

A refreshing proposition awaits the Denver Broncos.  To win, you just need to execute better than the other guys.  No tricks, no exotic schemes, no gimmicks.  Talent vs. talent for 16 weeks.  The altitude hasn’t changed and finally, for both the team and its fans, the right attitude is back in place as well.

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In Denver, even the Broncos fans who describe themselves as realists will generally go with 10-6 when asked how the Broncos will do in 2012.  Those who say 9-7 generally throw out a caveat of, “They have a very difficult schedule.”  If you hear an 8-8 prediction it will almost certainly be paired with the qualifier of, “I just don’t think Manning will be able to go a full 16 games.”  Then there’s Grantland.com’s Bill Barnwell.

He has Denver going 8-8 and states it will take a vintage performance by Manning just to hit that mark.  In all fairness Barnwell builds his case empirically.  It’s research-based and statistically supported.  The main point of it all is that the Broncos had no business winning as many games as they did last season, and according to several NFL trend-analyses, they should expect reality to catch up this season.  In other words…luck runs out.

Even with Peyton Manning in Denver, some doubt the Denver Broncos will be among the league’s elite. (personal photo)

The potential flaw with Barnwell’s analysis is exactly the thing that makes it a well-supported argument: it’s based on stats.  If there was one phrase that captured the madness of Tebowmania last year it would have to be, “You just can’t explain it.”  From a statistical perspective that holds true.  As Barnwell notes, the Denver Broncos performed well beyond what they should have, notably winning games due to a highly improbable onside kick recovery in Miami, and a truly absurd sequence of events against the Chicago Bears.

The thing is, from both a viewing and data perspective, the 2011 Denver Broncos season was a ludicrous statistical anomaly.  In any type of scientific study the numbers from last season would be thrown out as a sheer fluke.

Just how backward was the 2011 team?  The average NFL team attempted 34 passing plays and 27 running plays during each game last year.  The Denver Broncos were the exact opposite, attempting 27 passes and 34 rushes on average each game.  Just gonna throw this prediction out there…that’s not going to be the case with Peyton Manning as quarterback.  It seems like only a slight difference (7 plays per game), but it greatly reflects the inherent problem of projecting the 2012 team based on 2011 performance.

The Denver offense is certainly the biggest reason why a projection based on 2011 numbers is likely a crapshoot.  However, Barnwell goes a step further in assessing Denver’s defense as average at best, stating Joe Mays, Justin Bannan, and Wesley Woodyard would be situational players on “good teams,” and “the players behind them are even worse.”

Here’s the thing…while Denver may be light on talent at linebacker, the team has made moves during the offseason which at best will be upgrades, or at worst, extend depth.  Even more telling about the Denver defense is that it wasn’t actually that bad last year.  The Broncos defense gave up 24 points per game on average.  That number is of course heavily skewed by three blowouts against the Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, and New England Patriots.  In those games in which the offense sputtered out long before the scoring floodgates opened, the Denver defense gave up 135 points.  Remove those three games, and during the 13 game remainder of the 2011 regular season campaign the Broncos defense averaged 19 points allowed.  The Pittsburgh Steelers led the league with 17.

Now granted that’s kind of saying, “The Broncos defense is fine as long as it’s not playing premier teams,” and this year there is no shortage of good teams on the Denver schedule.  Again though, with an offense that was more comfortable with a halfback dive rather than anything resembling a forward pass on 3rd and 8, the Denver defense performed admirably given minimal help from the other side of the roster.

The Broncos also made defensive moves this offseason…and that could be the ultimate key to the team’s success. (personal photo)

Barnwell notes Denver’s point differential from 2011 of -81 should’ve been that of a team that went 6-10.  Oddly though, the Denver Broncos recently posted similar feats when the team finished with a -89 point differential in 2007 (Cutler’s rookie year) and went 7-9.  The next year, Mike Shanahan’s last, the Broncos finished 8-8 with a -78 point differential.  Barnwell states that teams outperforming expectations based on point differential by two to 2.5 games have declined by roughly two wins in the following season.  Yet Denver improved from 2007 to 2008, and even weirder, held the line at 8-8 in 2009, and even improved its point differential to +2 (despite the league thoroughly unraveling the Josh McDaniels playbook by week seven).

Maybe it’s the altitude.

Bringing it all back around, the general findings of that 8-8 prediction are that Peyton Manning is good, but didn’t necessarily come to a good team.  So then it becomes a question of whether Manning will be good enough to defeat what history says, which is that the Denver Broncos shouldn’t expect to improve upon, or even equal, the success of the past season.

In that respect there are too many new variables, from offensive system, to a refreshed secondary, to the general concept of the Broncos having a much better chance to play with leads, rather than as a team just trying to keep the opposition from building too much of one.  In essence, Peyton Manning won’t need to outplay history, as the myriad differences between the Tebow-led Broncos, and the Manning-led Broncos go far beyond a throwing motion.

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Broncos Mailbag: Denver fans, was pain of McDaniels worth Manning? - Mike, with all the drama the Broncos have gone through since Mike Shanahan’s firing, I think it’s time to re-evaluate the Jay Cutler trade and the impact it’s had on the makeup of this year’s team. I feel we have a better chance to win a Super Bowl now (I’m optimistic about Peyton Manning’s neck), than if we had held on to Cutler. But I’m not sure it was worth three years of pain and mediocrity. Was it? –Nick, Richmond, Va.  Read more from the Denver Post >>>>

Position Preview: Offensive Line - The 2011 Broncos ran the football as well any as unit in team history. Denver rolled up 164.5 rushing yards per game a season ago, easily the best mark in the NFL, behind a young but durable group of offensive linemen that started all 16 games. The group got better as the season progressed, gaining 190.4 yards per game over the final 12 games of the season.  Read more from Denver Broncos >>>>

Q&A with Dave Magazu - During the 2011 season, the Broncos offensive line plowed the way for 2,632 rushing yards — a franchise best.  Leading that unit in his first season with the Broncos was offensive line coach Dave Magazu, who joined the Broncos from Carolina after John Fox was named Denver’s head coach in January.  This year, the offensive line returns all five starters from a year ago, when the group became the only offensive line unit in the league to open every regular-season game with the same five individuals.  Read more from Denver Broncos >>>>

Report: Adams would have given Peyton $25 million – As part of his reporting on the tenuous Drew Brees franchise tag situation with the New Orleans Saints, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen rolled out this little side nugget – that the Titans were willing to give Peyton Manning $25 million per season to come back to Tennessee.  Read more from National Football Post >>>> 

NFL Pick: Denver Broncos 2012 Season Preview and Prediction AFC West - Overview: The Denver Broncos went from being near the top of the order in the NFL draft to winning a first round playoff game but apparently the plan wasn’t moving fast enough for them as they changed courses and are headed in a new direction, a direction that disregards the future in exchange for winning now. Of course the big question in Denver and everywhere else is, can the Broncos win now?  Read more from Sports Chat Place >>>>

AFC injury rehabs loaded with superstars, big unknowns - It is hard to overstate the importance of Peyton Manning’s health to the Denver Broncos.  Right now, Manning’s backups are Caleb Hanie, Brock Osweiler and Adam Weber. Enough said.  The Broncos are gambling they can keep Manning on the field, even though he missed all of the 2011 season following multiple neck surgeries, the most significant being a cervical neck fusion procedure last September. The less Manning gets hit, the more likely he plays 16 games. Take a closer look at the Broncos, and Manning, and you will find several reasons why the Broncos feel comfortable gambling on Manning’s health.  Read more from Sporting News >>>>

Kansas City Chiefs Schedule Preview: Week 12 vs. Denver - The summer walk-through of the Kansas City Chiefs schedule continues today with a look at their Week 12 home game against the Denver Broncos.  Please see the link at the bottom of the page for the previous 11 game previews. Even though this game is on November 25 it will be the first time the Chiefs & Broncos have hooked up in 2012, with the season finale being in Denver. This is a good schedule spot for the Broncos. While they are coming off what’s currently expected to be a nationally televised game against the San Diego Chargers at home, the following week is a home date with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Peyton Manning and his teammates aren’t in the kind of sandwich spot that invites a look-ahead. For their part, while the Chiefs come off a difficult home game with the Cincinnati Bengals, this is the middle round of a three-game home stretch that will likely determine the Kansas City season. It’s unlikely either team will get looking ahead or be out of gas.  Read more from Rant Sports >>>>

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The news that the Broncos parted ways with general manager Brian Xanders seems relevant…I’m just not entirely sure how it’s relevant.

For starters, don’t bank on Denver or Xanders ever publicly recounting the exact circumstances that led to his elimination a year before his contract expired.  Publicly Xanders has said he wants to pursue career advancements that can’t happen with the Broncos.  The obvious translation of that is that he wants Elway’s job, and realizes it would take at least several years of Elway going full on Matt Millen to prompt an ouster.  The Broncos say they’re streamlining now that Elway is acclimated.  Two obvious translations there.  Option one is that Xanders had become marginalized, and option two is that he hadn’t, but Elway wanted to consolidate power in his office which would’ve marginalized Xanders.  That’s relevant, but it’s not new.

The moment Peyton Manning held up his orange 18 it was fully evident this was John Elway’s team.  The VP of football operations didn’t need to axe a GM to prove that point.

Addition by subtraction? (courtesy Rocky Mountain News Photos via Flickr)

Without any clear evidence of a managerial rift, or a daring power grab, this story is basically finished.  Xanders is gone.  Elway is in charge.  While this new twist may not amount to much more than a ripple of news on its own, it is part of a larger story wave: John Elway is putting himself on an island.  That isn’t meant to connote a misstep by Ol’ Number 7.  That’s what a boss usually does; assume more of the risk to garner more of the credit.

Elway has put the Broncos checkbook to work, spending on a gamble that could mean Super Bowls, or super futility should Peyton Manning’s neck not hold up.  Elway opted to pursue an apparent heir for Manning in the second round of the draft rather than select a potential 2012 starter.  Now John Elway has dismissed the man who likely provided the most help reintroducing Elway to the the league, and the workings of a front office.  If the Denver Broncos return to prominence as an AFC power, and sustain that level of competition then Elway is a hero.  If they wallow between average and disappointing seasons then he’s the goat.  There’s no way around it.

As for Xanders…his tenure in Denver certainly had to be interesting.  He joined the team at just about the worst possible time – 2008.  In roughly four years he worked for and with three different head coaches, two of whom were basically allowed to veto any of his personnel work if it didn’t fit their ideologies.  Still, when Xanders was an assistant the Broncos went 8-8.  When he became a quasi-GM Denver produced two losing seasons (not nearly as much his fault as it was Josh McDaniels’).  When he became a real GM the Broncos went 8-8.  His personnel work gave coaches a chance to succeed, but never exceed.

Ultimately, Xanders’ time in Denver was spent bending to the will of someone else.  In the EFX triumverate he played the role of esteemed advisor rather than partial ruler.  If his career aspirations involved more power he wasn’t going to achieve them with this organization.  It’s Elway’s team now as it was during his playing career, but this time he won’t get 14 years to deliver that Super Bowl.

*Because there are too many links to list, visit the team’s official website for all things Broncos and NFL Draft 

Peyton Manning gives Broncos OK on adding QB depth via draft - Conspiracy theorists figured Peyton Manning would have a say in the Broncos’ draft and they were right.  ”On one of the first days after we signed him, he told me after watching what his friends just went through, we have to make sure we get depth at quarterback,” Broncos coach John Fox said.  Read more from the Denver Post >>>>

Wolfe’s decision to wait pays off when Broncos take him in 2nd round - The waiting game during an NFL Draft day can be cruel.  Just ask the Broncos’ first pick, former University of Cincinnati defensive tackle Derek Wolfe who was voted 2011 Big East Conference co-defensive player of the year.  During the months leading to the draft, Wolfe (6-foot-5, 295 pounds) had a lot of contact with Baltimore coaches and management. When the Ravens’ second-round pick came up Friday night, Wolfe was sure his phone would ring and his name would flash on the TV screen.  Read more from the Denver Post >>>>

2012 NFL Draft: Denver Broncos Final Draft Roster and Instant Impressions - Sometimes drafts go like you anticipate. You get big name players at positions of need (Von Miller) or you get big name players at future positions of need (Tim Tebow) or you grab big name players that are “interesting” picks in that they don’t make a whole lot of immediate sense, either at the number they were picked or their position, but you know/hope that they will contribute in some way (maybe Tim Tebow again?).  Read more from Mile High Report >>>>

Broncos’ 4th And 6th Round Picks Close Book On McDaniels Era- Time to balance the ledger.  The books will finally close on the Josh McDaniels era in Broncos’ Country.  McDaniels began his tenure as the head coach of the Denver Broncos in 2009 by inquiring about the availability of Matt Cassel, causing a conflict with then franchise quarterback Jay Cutler to spiral out of control.  The aftermath left the Broncos with Kyle Orton, the Chicago Bears‘ 2009 and 2010 first-round draft picks, and a 2009 third-rounder.  While many lamented the loss of a promising young quarterback, the windfall from the deal was enormous — almost baseball-esque in the way the trade swapped the team’s MVP for a slew of young prospects.  Then the trades began.  Read more from Predominantly Orange >>>>

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The Bronx Zoo: Broncos perhaps starting to recover from McDaniels era - All NFL teams have issues. But good luck finding a team that created more national stories in the past three years than the Broncos. On the flip side, it appears the Broncos are starting to recover from the Josh McDaniels era. NFL reporter Mike Klis offers some of the more bizarre events of the past 38 months (and this list doesn’t even include the Brandon Marshall, Kenny McKinley, Perrish Cox sagas).  Read more from the Denver Post >>>>

Concerns about Tebow’s ability to stay healthy sparked Broncos’ pursuit of Manning and subsequent trade - This may be difficult to digest given Peyton Manning’s highly publicized neck injury, but the Broncos believe he may be less of a health risk as an every-down quarterback than Tim Tebow.  Read more from the Denver Post >>>>

It seems there was never a dull moment during Tim Tebow’s time in Denver - In less than two years, Tim Tebow helped revitalize the Broncos’ fan base, polarized the football world and became a pop-culture icon whose fame transcended football.  Then, just like that, he was gone from Denver.  The Tim Tebow Thing was fun while it lasted.  Read more from the Denver Post >>>>

Tebow’s presence gives Jets’ offense options - Each time Tim Tebow steps on the field for the New York Jets, defenses will know what to expect.  Well, the unexpected, of course.  Read more from the Associated Press >>>>

Working Back to 100 Percent - Peyton Manning said he has ‘work to do’ to get back to where he wants to be health-wise. But he and the Broncos have no doubt he’ll get there.  Read more from Denver Broncos >>>>

Namath on Jets’ Tebow trade: ‘It stinks’ –  New York Jets legend Joe Namath is ripping his old club for trading for Tim Tebow from the Denver Broncos.  ”I think it stinks,” says the Pro Football Hall of Famer in a telephone interview.  Read more from USA Today >>>>

Peyton Manning, The Denver Broncos, And Me – There are so many reasons to be excited about the state of Bronco Nation today that I don’t even know where to start. Oh wait, yes I do: CUT THAT MEAT!! CUT THAT MEAT!!  That’s right folks, Peyton Manning is coming to Denver. And in case you haven’t guessed, I am going all in on Peyton Manning and the 2012 Denver Broncos. All. In.  Read more from Huffington Post >>>>

Elway’s confidence, control brings swagger back to Broncos - Fourteen months ago, amid skepticism over a hire that looked like somebody sticking a shiny hood ornament on a beat-up Fiat, Denver Broncos president Joe Ellis told me that his new executive vice president of football operations, John Elway, carried a ”clear vision of where we need to go.”  Back then, that vision was blurred by the disastrous autumn of 2010 that the once-proud franchise had endured.  This week, it couldn’t have been clearer.  Read more from NFL Network >>>>

Nobody asked me, but … - At what point should Peyton Manning run for President of the United States?  He’s already old enough – you have to be at least 35 – and he’s already insanely popular.  And now, an even larger swath of the country will adore and adopt him.  That’s what happens when you join the Denver Broncos.  There is no team in the country with a larger geographical fan base than Denver. There can’t be.  True, true, there are many teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants, Green Bay Packers, Oakland Raiders, that have fans, lots of fans, all over the United States and the world.  Read more from Miami Herald >>>>

Denver Broncos: Manning Chose the Wrong Division to Want to Make a Comeback – Peyton Manning has been a Denver Bronco for a short period of time now. Seeing so much coverage of the Manning’s decision to finally join a team didn’t surprise me. What did surprise me is all of these NFL analysts—folks who get paid to talk football—saying that he made a phenomenal choice since the AFC West is a weak conference.  Read more from Bleacher Report >>>>

Peyton Manning Will Wear Number 18 In Denver. Why, Exactly, Do We Care? - On the day that Peyton Manning was introduced as the newest quarterback of the Denver Broncos, the buzz about the number Manning would wear for his new team, his familiar 18, seemed to equal that of the signing itself.  You see, Denver had retired number 18 back in 1963, in honor of Frank Tripucka, the franchise’s first quarterback. Tripucka wasn’t necessarily a great player. Some of his statistics, in fact, are pretty awful. He threw 85 interceptions and 51 touchdown passes during his three-plus seasons with the Broncos from 1960-63. His career record in Denver: 13-25-1.  Read more from Time >>>>

Denver Broncos Had To Sign Peyton Manning, Ditch Tim Tebow - The biggest free agent in NFL history now has a home, as a giant week in the league began with Peyton Manning signing with the Denver Broncos.  Read more from Neon Tommy >>>>

Peyton Manning is a Denver Bronco: The Hall of Fame implications - The Denver Broncos announced the signing of a sure-fire, first ballot Hall of Famer Tuesday.  A future Hall of Famer who said he wants to retire a Denver Bronco.  Four-time NFL MVP Peyton Manning will certainly be immortalized in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio one day. His bronze bust will stand in the same room as the man who got him to Denver, John Elway. But will he be enshrined as a Colt, where he spent his first 14 seasons, or as a Bronco?  Read more from Bronco Talk >>>>

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Denver Horse Force wraps up its end-of-season report cards with a look at John Elway.  To see DHF’s evaluation of John Fox and the coordinators, go HERE and HERE.

When former football superstars take front office jobs it seems as though the result is more often cautionary tale than a transference of success.  For each Ozzie Newsome there is a Dan Marino and Matt Millen.  When the reeling Denver Broncos organization announced John Elway as its new executive vice president of football operations there was plenty of skepticism.

Sure, Elway went to five Super Bowls (a feat which has now only been tied by Tom Brady*), but that was as a player.  Of course his resume includes successful turns in the auto and restaurant business, but those aren’t football.  Certainly his arena football team brought home a championship, but in those games you are always working, literally, with a net.  All that sounds good but would it prepare Elway to be star in the odd space where the game of football meets the business of football?

Dear John: Thanks for joining the Broncos' front office.

With a season in the books the answer is a confident yes.  Just take a look at some of the big changes that happened on John Elway’s watch.

• Hired John Fox: One of the biggest problems facing the Broncos after the 2010 season was a crisis in leadership.  Instead of going after a hot coordinator who could very well turn out to be just as bad a motivator as Josh McDaniels, Elway hired a steady hand.

• Kept Brian Xanders: A somewhat controversial move at the time, it appears not only keeping Xanders, but allowing him to actually be a GM is paying dividends.  Elway was savvy enough to realize that cleaning house may have appeased fans in the short term, but wouldn’t have done much else.  Listen to Xanders talk and its apparent he has a great football mind, and now has the power to put it to work.

• Drafted 2.5 starters: Elway can’t take all the credit here, but deserves plenty for assembling his draft team.  Von Miller was a good decision in what amounted to be a very difficult choice.  Orlando Franklin started every game.  Quinton Carter started coming on late in the season with more game experience under his belt.  Put it this way, if Denver can replicate that kind of off-season haul for the next couple years this team could start looking very dangerous.

The Kyle Orton situation could have been handled better. (courtesy Jeffrey Beall)

Of course, the biggest hiccup during the season had to be waiving Kyle Orton.  It’s probably safe to bet that faced with a similar situation in the future, Elway will play that one a bit differently.  There was a high probability Orton was going to end up on the roster of a team the Broncos still had to face.  While waiving Orton was a nice thing to do, it may have not been the right thing to do.  Lesson learned.  Perhaps though, it was that karma that allowed Denver to make the playoffs despite losing to Orton in the season finale.

Final Grade: B+

Not perfect, but even as a player Elway’s was never known for perfect passing.  If his executive tenure follows his playing career, he’ll just be known for being better than the opposition when it counts.

*Expanding on the quick mention of most career Super Bowl starts by a quarterback, doesn’t this stat alone strengthen arguments for Elway in “best ever” discussions?  Elway was on the losing end of three Super Bowls, but those were Dan Reeves seasons.  While an excellent coach, Reeves never had the systems of Bill Walsh or Bill Belichick.  Those Super Bowls were products of solid defense, and a quarterback who could just flat out beat people.

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