Zac Dysert of Miami (Ohio) visiting with Broncos as possible backup QB - Expected to pick up their third-string quarterback from the crop of rookie prospects, the Broncos are visiting Monday with Miami (Ohio) quarterback Zac Dysert at the team’s Dove Valley headquarters, according to an NFL source. Read more from the Denver Post >>>>

Ball Signs Free-Agent Tender - Broncos running back Lance Ball officially signed his restricted free-agent tender, the team announced on Monday. Ball enters his fifth NFL season in 2013 and has totaled 192 carries for 801 yards (4.2 avg.) with two touchdowns to go with 27 catches for 230 yards and two touchdowns in 42 career regular-season games. Ball has also carried 17 times for 55 yards with one reception for six yards in two career postseason appearances. Read more from Denver Broncos >>>>

Mannings Donate $500,000 to Summitt Foundation - More than a decade has passed since he last played in Neyland Stadium, but Peyton Manning hasn’t forgotten his University of Tennessee roots. On Monday, it was announced that Manning — an advisory board honoorary co-chair — and his wife Ashley have donated $500,000 to The Pat Summitt Foundation. Read more from Denver Broncos >>>>

Saints, Jim Leonhard agree to deal - Veteran safety Jim Leonhard agreed to terms with the New Orleans Saints on Monday, the team announced. The 30-year-old Leonhard played last season for the Denver Broncos after spending the three previous seasons with the New York Jets. Read more from ESPN >>>>

Grading the Denver Broncos’ Offseason Moves - The Denver Broncos’ offseason makeover is more than halfway complete. The free-agent market has been open for a month now, and the goods have been pretty much picked over. As a result, NFL franchises and their fans have shifted their focus to the upcoming draft, which will be upon us in a little more than 2 weeks. Read more from Yahoo! Sports >>>>

Broncos Six-Pack: Is Brian Urlacher a fit for the Denver Broncos? - Too often in sports media we highlight the bad news and players’ run-ins with the law. Let’s take a few minutes to highlight some of the good news the Denver Broncos are bringing off the field. Read more from Mile High Sports >>>>

Assigning Odds to Every Potential Denver Broncos First-Round Pick - The 2013 NFL draft is a little more than two weeks away, and the Denver Broncos are scheduled to select 28th in the first round. Denver has a host of options, with team needs ranging from running back, defensive end, cornerback and middle linebacker to safety, defensive tackle and wide receiver. My seven-round mock draft for the team can be viewed here, but this piece will focus on the first round. Read more from Bleacher Report >>>>

Bronco at ABQ school to talk money - A player with the Denver Broncos stopped by Albuquerque High School Monday to talk to students about how to prepare for their financial future. Read more from KRQE >>>>

NFL Mock Draft 2013: Broncos select Damontre Moore and address other needs - In SB Nation’s three-round mock draft written by Matthew Fairburn, the Denver Broncos did well for themselves, filling a trio of needs. In order, the Broncos selected defensive end Damontre Moore of the Texas A&M Aggies, UCLA Bruins running back Jonathan Franklin and San Diego State corner Leon McFadden. Read more from SB Nation >>>>

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NFL free agency officially begins March 12. Here’s a list of the Denver Broncos free agents, according to DenverBroncos.com. DHF will be updating the offseason signings, so check back often.

Unrestricted Free Agents:

CB Tracy Porter is an unrestricted free agent. (personal photo)

• DT Justin Bannan
• LB Keith Brooking
•  S David Bruton
•  T Ryan Clady
•  C Dan Koppen
•  S Jim Leonhard
• CB Tracy Porter
• WR Brandon Stokley
• DT Kevin Vickerson
• WR Matthew Willis

*Unrestricted free agents can speak with and sign with any NFL team.

Restricted Free Agents:

• RB Lance Ball
•  T Chris Clark
•  P Britton Colquitt
• FB Chris Gronkowski

*Denver has the right to match any offer given to restricted free agents.

Exclusive-Rights Free Agents:

• CB Tony Carter
• DT Mitch Unrein

*Exclusive-rights free agents may only sign with the Broncos.

 “Futures” Contracts:

•  G Justin Boren
•  T Paul Cornick
• DT Ben Garland
•  S Blake Gideon
•  S Duke Ihenacho
• RB Jeremiah Johnson
• WR Gerell Robinson
•  G Quentin Saulsberry

*”Futures”players can participate in Broncos’ offseason programs and are also invited to training camp.

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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!

Pregame: Denver Broncos inactives: Lance Ball, Bubba Caldwell, Caleb Hanie, Chris Kuper, Tracy Porter, Sealver Siliga, and Julius Thomas

Baltimore Ravens inactives: Ed Dickson, Dannell Ellerbe, Ramon Harewood, Jameel McClain, Bernard Pollard, Deonte Thompson, and Marshal Yanda

1st Quarter

(11:40 a.m.) How the Broncos are only up by three points is beyond me.

Seriously, the Denver defense has looked amazing, already forcing one Joe Flacco fumble in addition to series after series of stalled drives.

So how is it the Broncos have only mustered a field goal?  The offense has benefited from excellent field position and are facing a Ravens defense decimated by injuries.

One thing is for sure; depleted or not, Baltimore boasts the league’s best red zone defense.  The Ravens somehow find a way to ratchet things up a notch when the opponent is driving.

I have liked Peyton Manning throwing downfield.  I’ll like those play calls even better once Denver actually connects on one.  Attempts are one thing. Completions are another.

Best play of the quarter honors go to Knowhon Moreno for his hurdling prowess.  What makes it even sweeter is that he cleared Ed Reed.

2nd Quarter

 (12:22 p.m.) Thank you, Chris Harris, for making the play of the game.

How huge was his 98-yard interception return for a touchdown?  Aside from being the longest in franchise history for the regular season, Harris’ play was a huge point swing.

The Ravens’ offense, which had struggled for most of the first half, suddenly assembled a solid drive, and were just yards away from making a 10-0 game a 10-7 game in the half’s closing seconds.  Instead, because of Harris, the Broncos are now leading 17-0.

So firing Cam Cameron has paid dividends for the Ravens so far, no?  Actually, no, not at all.   Jim Caldwell seems to be a nice guy, but does he really strike anyone as a significant upgrade?

3rd Quarter

(1:19 p.m.)  Total domination.

The Broncos are showing why they are the superior team.  The offensive scored two touchdowns, while the defense continues to wreak all sorts of havoc on Flacco’s offense.  Perhaps surprisingly, the Broncos have yet to register a sack, but the effective pass rush has disrupted the quarterback all game long.

Score: 31-3

4th Quarter

(2:06 p.m.) With the game out of hand, there wasn’t much of interest in the 4th quarter…

Other than the Denver Broncos earning their ninth-straight win of the 2012 season, a longest active win streak in the league.

It took until late in the 4th quarter, but Denver finally got its first sack of the game, courtesy rookie DT Derek Wolfe.  Robert Ayers and Elvis Dumervil also registered back-to-back sacks in the game’s final two plays.  The offense took a few shots downfield, but mainly was impressive in its ability to kill clock through a sustained running game.  A few lapses in concentration allowed the Ravens two touchdowns, but it hardly mattered as the Broncos wrapped this one up midway through the third quarter.

The Broncos head home with their first victory against the Ravens in Baltimore.  Denver also is finished with road games this season, going 6-2.  The Broncos conclude the regular season against the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs.

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There is no such thing as a guaranteed win in the NFL.

But this game – at least on paper – suggests the Denver Broncos should handily defeat the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.

The Chiefs are 1-9 with their lone win coming in September.  Kansas City is the NFL’s lowest scoring team and the highest turnover team.  Meanwhile the Broncos have scored at least 30 points in each game during a five-game win streak, and boast a suddenly frightening, game-changing defense.

Records aside: The Broncos and Chiefs have split the series eight of the last nine seasons.  Kansas City has won 12 of the last 17 games at Arrowhead against Denver.

Jamaal Charles leads the Kansas City Chiefs rushing attack, ranked fourth in the NFL. (courtesy Jeffrey Beall)

When the Chiefs have the ball: Kansas City head coach Romeo Crennel named ex-Broncos quarterback Brady Quinn as the starter Sunday.  Quinn spent two seasons with Denver and never played, backing up the media circus that ultimately surrounded Kyle Orton vs. Tim Tebow.

If the Chiefs are to reverse their losing ways, running backs Jamaal Charles and company will collectively need a huge game.  As bad as Kansas City is offensively – both in terms of scoring and turnovers – the team ranks fourth in the NFL with 145.4 rushing yards a game, best in the AFC.  And let’s not forget Kansas City has made it a habit as of late to beat Denver teams with superior records by running the ball:

2008: 213 yards (Chiefs record that season was 2-14)

2009: 317 yards (Chiefs record season was 4-12)

Charles rushed for a career-high 259 yards against a porous Broncos’ defense in January 2010.  Something tells me Denver’s talented linebackers will have none of that in 2012.  The Broncos’ rush defense allows an average of 93.8 yards per game, good for sixth in the NFL.  Von Miller is now seriously in the discussion for Defensive Player of the Year with 13 sacks, 45 tackles, and four forced fumbles so far this season.  Linebacker teammate Wesley Woodyard leads the team with 88 tackles.  D.J. Williams, who returned to action last week following suspension, had four tackles against the San Diego Chargers.

Remember, the Chiefs lead the league in turnovers this season, so expect Denver’s defense to capitalize at least once.  Woodyard leads the Broncos with three interceptions and defensive end Elvis Dumervil has six forced fumbles in 2012.

Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe is slated to play, but is recovering from a neck injury that limited his practice earlier this week.

When Denver has the ball: Perhaps curiously, the Chiefs have allowed just one 300-yard passing game this season, and that wasn’t against Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, or even Philip Rivers.  It was Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman.

It seems opposing quarterbacks are struggling at times against the Chiefs’ bread and butter of zone coverage schemes and four-man pressure formations.  And with nothing to lose this season other than fan frustration, don’t be surprised if Kansas City puts the pressure on Peyton Manning early and often.

Denver Broncos RB Knowshon Moreno, who’s been inactive for eight games this season, will likely be activated Sunday. (personal photo)

With leading rusher Willis McGahee out until late in the playoffs, assuming Denver makes it that far, the Broncos will rely Sunday on Lance Ball, Ronnie Hillman, and Knowshon Moreno.  Though McGahee was the alpha running back, he was also responsible for five fumbles (four lost) this season, and fumbling has been the Broncos’ ongoing nemesis this season.

Maybe Denver curtails those turnovers in McGahee’s absence, but will in all likelihood sacrifice rushing yards…

Which brings us back to applying the pressure on Manning.  Kansas City’s best hope of winning is keeping the Broncos offense from hanging its typical 30 points a game, thus easing the scoring burden on an anemic Chiefs offense.  Kansas City must knock Manning around, or at least force him into ill-timed passes to stall drives or create turnovers.

Denver is a pass-oriented offense and shouldn’t miss a step with McGahee sidelined, but still needs some production from its committee of running backs. If not, the Chiefs will predictably expect pass, pass, and some more pass, and close up whatever space would otherwise be around wide receivers Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, Brandon Stokley and Denver’s tight end tandem of Joel Dreessen and Jacob Tamme.

Denver’s passing attack is among the best in the NFL, averaging 289 yards a game.  Manning has 2,975 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in his 2012 comeback season.

Prediction

Denver 33, Kansas City 17

The Broncos should leave Kansas City still unblemished within the division and riding a six-game win streak for the second straight year.

Follow Denver Horse Force on Twitter at @DENHorseForce and Facebook at www.facebook.com/denverhorseforce.

It seems the Denver Broncos are content with the ground game effort of Lance Ball, Ronnie Hillman, and Knowshon Moreno.

The team released practice squad running back Jeremiah Johnson Friday, a move the Denver Post calls “procedural,” since the intent is to re-sign Johnson early next week.  As for Hillman, the rookie anticipates additional snaps Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, and he’s looking forward to the chance:

 ”I’m very excited.  It’s just another opportunity to play ball and I’m looking forward to going out there to play.”

Video Links:

• NFL Films previews: Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs
• Friday press conference: John Fox

Other Headlines:

• Associated Press: Why the Broncos are confident they’ll avoid the late-season wear down.
• Bleacher Report: Peyton Manning makes a case for league MVP.
• CBS Denver: Broncos at Chiefs game preview
• ESPN: The league’s elite teams know how to finish the strong.
• Rant Sports: Broncos at Chiefs game preview

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Note: DHF kinda sorta forgot to post this earlier in the week. Oops.  Blame college basketball for distracting me.  Better late than never.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Now that the Denver Broncos’ latest victory has sunken in, here are a few more thoughts and observations on Sunday’s game against San Diego Chargers before we turn the focus to the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Denver Broncos defense is sizzling this season. (personal photo)

Role reversal – Be honest, if someone had told you that ten games into the 2012 season, the most entertaining, dominant dimension of the Denver Broncos would be the team’s defense you probably wouldn’t have believed said soothsayer.  Yet, this Broncos defense is making big plays so regularly it is starting to become exciting to see them get back onto the field.  Peyton Manning throws a touchdown – great, now the defense gets another shot at a turnover.  Broncos stall and punt – no big deal, the defense will either stonewall or take the ball away.  I know the Houston Texans’ J.J. Watt is having a dominant season at a position that often doesn’t impact the game, but at this point linebacker Von Miller has to at least give voters serious pause in the Defensive Player of the Year selection.

Burden of expectation – Can we appreciate how delightfully odd it is that we have a collective feeling the Denver offense is underperforming?  The Broncos again put 30 points on the scoreboard on Sunday, and yet, did it in a way that seemed underwhelming.  The criticism comes from the fact that the Broncos point production wasn’t so much the product of long, sustained drives, but rather the defense and special teams setting the offense up in excellent positions.  It’s a valid critique, and we’d certainly like to see Manning and Company return to those 80-yard onslaughts soon, but hey, you take the field position your teammates give you, and the resulting points.  With this defense, 30 points should be enough to win most any game.

Weak of the week – Or possibly the past few weeks.  The Broncos’ running game remains the most concerning aspect of the team, despite a cumulative performance that went for more than 100 yards against the Chargers.  For comparison sake, remember several weeks ago the talk was how Denver’s crop of linebackers was going to be a liability for this team.  Even before the return of D.J. Williams, that position group evolved into a dynamic unit.  The point is adjustments get made and schemes get adapted.  The absence of Willis McGahee will have an impact on this unit.  There’s still time for Denver to bring its ground game up to snuff, and if Ronnie Hillman, Lance Ball, and maybe Knowshon Moreno make even measured improvements in yardage and ball security, the offense will be hard for anyone to contain.

Deep division - No, the AFC West is not in itself deep, but there appears to be a giant chasm between the Broncos and everyone else.  Remember, Sunday’s game was an all-in, do or die, backs to the wall, playing for jobs affair for San Diego.  The final score showed the Chargers came up a touchdown short, but San Diego delivered a vintage 2011 Broncos performance – absent for three quarters, manic for one.  With all that motivation the Chargers still appeared unable to compete with Denver…and San Diego is the next best team in the division.  This Sunday, Denver can mathematically eliminate the Chiefs from winning the division, and put Oakland on the brink of the same fate…all before December.

Willis McGahee is out for at least eight weeks. (personal photo)

More McGahee – With the news that Willis McGahee is unavailable for the foreseeable future comes a few issues.  Even more than ground production is McGahee’s blocking ability within the offense.  It is crucial the backs called into service understand their roles in the passing game as protecting Peyton is job one.  That said, this may allow Manning and offensive coordinator Mike McCoy to revisit the playbook and develop some new schemes suited to the skill sets of Hillman – and possibly Moreno.  Another tactic could be more two-back sets with tight end Virgil Green (who has lined up lately in the fullback position) or fullback Chris Gronkowski inserted for extra protection which can also be adapted to new passing concepts.  McGahee’s injury is a setback, but one the Broncos can also hopefully turn into an opportunity.

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Two days after John Fox said running back Willis McGahee would not be placed on Injured Reserve, the Denver Broncos have had a change of heart.

McGahee, who suffered a torn MCL and compression fracture of the right knee, has been placed on IR, but with the “Designated for Return” label, meaning he can return to practice after six weeks and game action two weeks later.

Count ahead, and eight weeks just happens to be the AFC Championship game, assuming Denver makes it that far in the playoffs.

McGahee suffered the injuries in the second quarter of Denver’s 30-23 win against the San Diego Chargers when he was hit by cornerback Quentin Jammer.

Placing McGahee on IR does free up a roster spot for Denver.  Right now it’s unclear if the team would promote practice squad RB Jeremiah Johnson from the practice squad or sign a free agent, such as Steve Slaton, who worked out for the Broncos earlier this week.

Ex-Bronco QB Brady Quinn will start for the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday. (personal photo)

Denver’s current running backs are Lance Ball, rookie speedster Ronnie Hillman, and Knowshon Moreno, who’s been inactive eight games this season.

Brady Quinn gets the nod

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Romeo Crennel has named quarterback Brady Quinn the starter in Sunday’s game against Denver at Arrowhead.

Quinn spent two seasons with the Broncos – on the sidelines as backup to Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow.  He signed with Kansas City in the offseason, and got his first start since 2009 when Matt Cassel was sidelined with a concussion in Week 6.  Quinn suffered a concussion in his second start of the season, and was replaced by a now healthy Cassel, who was benched last week for Quinn because of poor play.

The Chiefs are 1-9 this season.

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First, the not-so-good news…

As you likely know by now, Denver Broncos running back Willis McGahee is out at least six weeks with an MCL tear and compression fracture.  It doesn’t seem that surgery is required, and there are no plans to place McGahee on IR.  The injury means more playing time for Denver’s other backs – Lance Ball, Ronnie Hillman, and even Knowshon Moreno, who’s been inactive for the past eight games.  (Jeremiah Johnson is on the practice squad and could also get called up.)

Here’s a question: Are people in Denver nicer when the Broncos are winning?

According to a highly unscientific poll by the Denver Post’s Adrian Dater, yes:

You know what’s great about the Broncos’ five-game winning streak and 7-3 record? It’s great because it’s nice to get treated well at the grocery store, or at the bank, or on the highway or anywhere else one goes in Denver these days.

My own little unscientific analysis, since moving to Denver in 1991 from back east, is that when the Broncos are winning, all else is forgiven.

Too bad Dater had the nerve to admit he’s a Patriots fan…

Now back to Sunday’s game…

• Denver Broncos: There are always things to improve on.
• Denver Post: Broncos extend lead in AFC West.

Other Headlines:

• Bleacher Report: Is Von Miller now the favorite for Defensive Player of the Year?
• Denver Post: Speaking of Miller, he’s drawing comparisons to the late Derrick Thomas, but what about Lawrence Taylor?
• Denver Broncos: Don’t forget Elvis Dumervil, who’s making big plays when it counts.

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Denver Broncos leading rusher Willis McGahee is sidelined until the postseason.

The MRI exam on the running back’s right knee shows a torn MCL, and possibly (I only say possibly because the team has yet to confirm this) a lower right leg fracture.  McGahee will be out six to eight weeks.

Denver Broncos RB Willis McGahee is out six to eight weeks, putting his earliest return in the postseason. (courtesy Jeffrey Beall)

Head coach John Fox says surgery is not necessary and McGahee will not be placed on IR.  Each NFL team can put one player on IR with the ‘Designated for Return’ label.  The Broncos have not used that designation this season.

McGahee was hurt in the second quarter of Sunday’s 30-23 win against the San Deigo Chargers when cornerback Quentin Jammer hit McGahee’s knee.

Lance Ball and rookie Ronnie Hillman are expected to see increased playing time in McGahee’s absence.  Knowshon Moreno, who has only 15 rushing yards this season, may also see more action.  He has been inactive for most of Denver’s games this season.

Another option is calling up Jeremiah Johnson from the practice squad.

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