Broncos’ Peyton Manning sharp vs. 49ers in final warm-up in Denver - There still was time left in the first quarter when Peyton Manning took off his helmet and put on a white Broncos visor.  The change in headgear no doubt brought groans from the people who paid an average of $98.79 for the right to sit and watch the meaningless preseason game between the Broncos and San Francisco 49ers on a hot Sunday afternoon at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.  Read more from the Denver Post >>>>

Did the Broncos meet their goals in key preseason test vs. 49ers? – How the Broncos fared against the San Francisco 49ers on five goals…  Read more from the Denver Post >>>> 

Manning staying in the moment with Broncos - Peyton Manning admits he really isn’t thinking about his long-term legacy with the Denver Broncos, so much as he is thinking about the 2012 season.  He even admits there is a chance it could be the only one he has with the Broncos, given that he must pass a physical in 2013 to guarantee two more years of the five-year deal he signed in this off-season.  Read more from National Football Post >>>>

Film Room — Broncos Win Madden Super Bowl - In the spirit of Madden 13 ratings and Super Bowl buzz, below is a look at the Denver Broncos celebrating a 27-23 SB XLVII victory over the New Orleans Saints in EA Sports’ 2012 version of Madden.  Read more from BroncoTalk >>>>

Peyton Manning: Why Broncos’ QB’s Poor Preseason Is Overblown - In two preseason games, Denver Broncos’ quarterback Peyton Manning hasn’t looked great with underwhelming production and stats. While some are making a big deal of Manning’s poor preseason, this notion is overblown. It’s preseason and Manning is coming off a year without throwing a football.  If one were to just look at the stats, it would paint an awful picture. Manning has completed 20 of 30 passes for 221 yards with zero touchdowns and three interceptions.   Read more from Bleacher Report >>>>

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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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Peyton Manning mask is added to The Denver Hospice fundraiser - Denver Broncos quarterbackPeyton Manning went to Coors Field on April 29 to cheer on his buddy, Todd Helton, when the Colorado Rockies went up against the New York Mets.  Read more from the Denver Post >>>>

Broncos: One big question - Did the Broncos improve enough on defense?  Yes, it’s all about Peyton Manning in Denver. If the quarterback is healthy, the Broncos should score a lot of points and be in position to win a lot of games.  But if the Broncos are going to be to a true contender in the AFC, they must improve on defense. Denver made solid strides last season on defense — it went from No. 32 to No. 20 in total defense. Still, improvements are needed heading into 2012.  Read more from ESPN >>>>

Head coach power rankings - Let me start by stressing the fact that these rankings are merely a jumping-off point for a regular feature that we’ll be running during the 2012 season.  Many of you will find arguments for why certain head coaches deserve to be ranked higher while others should be slotted lower. This is expected and, in fact, encouraged. I’ve taken various bits of criteria into account for what you’re about to read, but keep in mind that these are power rankings.  Read more from National Football Post >>>>

Broncos want another RB regardless of Knowshon Moreno’s condition - Today’s question about the Broncos comes from Bobby Heidrich: Q: I think a quiet player so far in the headlines has been Knowshon Moreno. Are (the Broncos) going to continue with him or draft a running back? A: Bobby, part of that is by design given that Moreno did make one set of headlines this offseason the team wasn’t all that thrilled about.  Read more from the Denver Post >>>>

Tight ends could be a hot commodity in the upcoming NFL draft - Trying to find the “next” anything can be both a risky business as well as a maddening one.  But with the constant ebb and flow between offenses and defenses in the NFL, tight end has become the battleground position. So much so that the Broncos spent a significant portion of their non-Peyton Manning budget in free agency on the position, signing Joel Dreessen and Jacob Tamme.  Read more from the Denver Post >>>>

Brown’s Speed Sets Him Apart - North Carolina linebacker Zach Brown’s college career was defined by his speed.  As a true freshman, he made an immediate impact on special teams, and chipped in as a reserve linebacker on defense.  As a sophomore, that speed was more quantifiable — he set the school record in the indoor 60-meter dash with a time of 6.72 as a member of the UNC track team.  Read more from Denver Broncos >>>>

A Physical Mindset - Trent Richardson and Mark Ingram formed one of the most feared running back tandems in college football for two seasons, and the Alabama Crimson Tide took home the 2010 BCS National Championship.  Read more from Denver Broncos >>>>

Broncos Draft History: Running Backs - As we wrap up our week’s preview of the running backs available in the 2012 NFL Draft, let’s take a look back at who the Broncos have drafted at those positions.  Read more from Denver Broncos >>>>

The rebirth of John Elway – It was midday on the Saturday of the NFL combine in February. The cavernous media room was bustling with activity when a trendy, middle-aged man walked briskly through. Wearing designer jeans, a leather jacket and looking like he just walked out of a Beverly Hills hair salon, John Elway smiled winningly, shaking hands and offering quick quips as he breezed through. In the often stodgy world of the NFL, Elway was working the combine his own way. NFL front-office leaders are usually not the leather-jacket-and-$100-dollar-haircut types. Neither are they Super Bowl winning, Hall of Fame quarterbacks.  Read more from ESPN >>>>

Nick Fairley a good fit in Denver? – In our AFC West chat earlier Thursday, I was flooded with questions about the possibility of Denver pursuing Detroit defensive tackle Nick Fairley in a trade.  I can see why the question was asked.  Read more from ESPN >>>>

Denver Broncos: Free Agent Tackles Are Still Available - The Denver Broncos are sorely needing in the defensive tackle department.  After a season where the interior run defense was poor even with the impressive play of linebacker Joe Mays and defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley against opposing runners, Denver needs to address the position if the defense is to improve heading into the 2012 NFL season.  Read more from Bleacher Report >>>>

Denver Broncos: How the New-Look Broncos Can Tear Through the AFC Next Season - After the Denver Broncos signed free-agent quarterback Peyton Manning and traded away fellow signal-caller Tim Tebow to the New York Jets, the Broncos displayed their win-now attitude in the most dramatic fashion.  It’s Super Bowl or bust for the Broncos, who are considered a top three team in the AFC. Denver is in position to take the NFL by storm, but they have to get there through three significant steps. But hey, it’s possible.  Read more from Bleacher Report >>>>

How free agency affected Super Bowl odds - It’s hard to forget the public’s reaction to the Philadelphia Eagles’ free agent spending spree last summer.  Sitting on the board at 12/1 in July, the Eagles quickly became a Vegas favorite to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy after shelling out big-time bucks to acquire cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, defensive end Jason Babin and a host of other high-profile athletes. But as is often the case in the NFL, spending money off the field doesn’t always translate to success on it.  Read more from National Football Post >>>>

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Ingram finds kindred spirit in Broncos’ Von Miller - One of the most athletic pass rushers at this year’s NFL scouting combine is hoping some of Broncos linebacker Von Miller’s success as a rookie rubs off on him.South Carolina defensive end Melvin Ingram has been working alongside Miller at a training center in California in recent weeks. Miller, who was one of the stars of last year’s combine, went on to be named defensive rookie of the year in his first NFL season with the Broncos.  Read more from The Denver Post >>>>

Broncos officials join NFL ritual of grilling draft prospects - There’s a large area inside a hotel just down the block from Lucas Oil Stadium that the NFL insiders call “the train station.” Each evening of the NFL combine here, hundreds of NFL prospects pass through the train station, chased by scouts from each NFL team. Once caught, the player is brought over to a table to meet with NFL position coaches and personnel officials.  Read more from The Denver Post >>>>

Broncos should concentrate on NFL free agency - Once they’re through watching flabby guys jiggle through the standing long jump and skinny guys grunt through the 225-pound bench press at the combine, the Broncos can get serious about filling their roster with greater talent.  Read more from The Denver Post >>>>

Secondary Market - On Oct. 1, 2011, Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick was fired up.  As it turned out, too fired up.  The No. 3 Crimson Tide was set to take on the rival, No. 12 Florida Gators. On the first play of the game, Florida redshirt sophomore receiver Andre Debose ran a fade route for a 65-yard touchdown past Kirkpatrick.  Read more from Denver Broncos >>>>

2012 NFL Scouting Combine: Day Four - It’s day four at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, which is the last day of media availability. Defensive backs are scheduled to talk to the press throughout the day, along with some players from other positions that didn’t have a chance to go on their assigned days. Read more from Denver Broncos >>>>

Dawkins wants to return, but only for Broncos - Brian Dawkins is not yet ready to call it a career.  Despite missing all or parts of five games last season with a neck injury, Dawkins says he feels good now and hopes to return for another season with the Denver Broncos.  Read more from CSN Philly >>>>

Broncos offense will still be catered toward Tim Tebow - The Denver Broncos have already changed their offense to cater to Tim Tebow’s strengths.  John Elway, the Broncos vice president, said Friday at the NFL Combine that the club will stick with that type of offense, but hopes to add more to it as Tebow develops as a passer.  Read more from National Football Post >>>>>

2012 NFL Draft: Why Janoris Jenkins Is First-Round Answer for Denver Broncos - The Denver front office is looking at its current roster, and it doesn’t look too shabby. There’s plenty of reason why the Broncos did so well last season, but there are also several reasons why the team was blown out by the New England Patriots in what turned out to be Denver’s last game of the season.  Read more from Bleacher Report >>>>

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List of Denver Broncos’ comeback wins worthy of closer look –  John Fox was shown the list that was stunning in its length.  The list was the Broncos’ comeback victories since their 1-4 start.  Read more from The Denver Post >>>>

Overtime loss to Denver Broncos is still stinging Chicago Bears - A tough loss lingered for the Chicago Bears on Monday and coach Lovie Smith called the 13-10 overtime defeat in Denver one of the most difficult he has ever experienced.  Read more from The Denver Post >>>>

Broncos Help Out in Holiday Shopping Trip - “Victory Monday” is a term used to describe the off-day players receive after a win Sunday.  Read more from DenverBroncos.com >>>>

Woodyard’s Toy Drive - A three-time captain, Wesley Woodyard is a revered leader in the Broncos locker room.  He’s also a leader in the community.  On Monday a large group of teammates showed their support for Woodyard’s 16Ways Foundation, taking part in the non-profit organization’s second annual toy drive at the Downtown Aquarium.  Read more from DenverBroncos.com >>>>

Denver, Tebow wearing teams down - God, at 6:48 p.m. ET on Sunday: “Can you cherubim and seraphim hold it down over there? I’m trying to watch the Broncos game.”  Read more from ESPN.com >>>>

Don’t underestimate Denver - Welcome to our weekly Q and A, with fans reflecting on the Patriots’ win over the Redskins on Sunday. Join my weekly chat every Monday at 11 a.m. ET to have your question considered. Here we go …  Read more from ESPN Boston >>>>

New ‘Tebowing’ Fathead released - The NFL isn’t the only thing Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow is taking by storm this football season. He’s got the Fathead market pretty well-cornered, too.  Read more from FS Florida >>>>

Broncos move to 22-1 to win Super Bowl at BetOnline.com - It may be hard to remember, but it was only nine weeks ago that the Denver Broncos were coming off a 29-24 home loss to the San Diego Chargers. Kyle Orton was the starting quarterback, the franchise had a record of 1-4 and no team in the NFL had worse odds to win the Super Bowl (150-1).  Read more from National Football Post >>>>

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What a weekend!

I’m still beaming over my basketball Hoosiers’ amazing last-second win Saturday against No. 1 Kentucky.  My alma mater will certainly return to a place it hasn’t been in nearly four years: nationally ranked.

How sweet it is.  Seriously, it’s the happiest I’ve been over a sports victory in ages.  Yes, ages.  You can’t take the Indiana out of the girl.  Moving on, since I know not everyone echoes my Indiana-love sentiment…

Want a great follow up?  How about the Denver Broncos –  now 8-5 for the season.  It’s a truly remarkable season, and while I don’t want to jinx the team, there’s increasing hope of the p*******.

So, if you’re like me and on a sports cloud nine, the fact that it’s Monday isn’t so bad after all.  Now here are you headlines…

Krieger: With Tim Tebow, is there ever any doubt in Broncos? - Was there ever any doubt?  Dead in the water, scoreless through three and a half quarters, the Broncos trailed the Bears 10-0.  Read more from The Denver Post >>>>

Champ Bailey, Tim Tebow talk about believing in Broncos to win - What players and coaches were saying after the Denver Broncos’ 13-10 overtime victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday, after which they took over the AFC West division lead.  Read more from The Denver Post >>>>

Fox’s Postgame Address - Go inside the locker room immediately following the team’s 13-10 overtime win against the Bears.  More from DenverBroncos.com >>>>

Josh McDaniels Rumors Rise Once Again With KC Chiefs’ Head Coach Todd Haley Potentially On Hot Seat - Is former Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels in play for the Kansas City Chiefs should head coach Todd Haley be dismissed at the end of the season? That is the speculation right now, according to Dan Pompei of the National Football Post.  Read more from SB Nation >>>>

A holy appropriate subject - Tim Tebow is making a lot of sports fans uneasy, some of us angry, others even defiant. The 24-year-old Denver Broncos quarterback figures he has God on his side, and he’s fairly matter-of-fact about it.   Read more from The Boston Globe >>>>

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The Denver Post: Mike Klis ranks the NFL’s quarterbacks through Week 9.

The Denver Post: In case you can’t get enough insight on Tim Tebow’s progress.

DenverBroncos.com: Missed Tuesday’s edition of Elway Live?  Here’s a link to the podcast.

Sports Chat Place: Looking ahead to Sunday’s game in Kansas City.

Yahoo! Sports: With the NBA lockout, there are players with nothing to do.  How about play football?

Orlando Sentinel: There’s at least one NFL coach (assistant) who believes a college-style offense will work in the league.

National Football Post: NFL Power Rankings after nine weeks.

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Helloooooooo weekend.

After what NFL fans endured this week, it’s much deserved.

Today’s Broncos headline roundup features multiple contributions from The Denver Post:

1. Meet the Broncos’ new director of player development
2.  Mark Kiszla writes an opinion piece about Brian Dawkins’ salary
3. Players continue grueling workouts in offseason

A furniture company makes a big donation to the Tim Tebow Foundation.

Does John Fox see Jake Delhomme in Tim Tebow.  It’s a question Gack Sports tries to answer.

It’s another round of Kyle Orton to Miami speculation, this courtesy Miami Herald.

The Columbus Dispatch joins the Orton vs. Tim Tebow discussion.

There’s a battle brewing between a former Bronco and Vikings punter Chris Kluwe.  National Football Post has more.

ESPN has this update on the NFL lockout, which stretches into another day.

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