Sunday, April 22, 2007

(6) Denver Nuggets vs. (3) San Antonio Spurs

Series tied 0-0 Series Breakdown

Playoff History

1. Sun, Apr 22 – at San Antonio, 7:00 pm EDT (TNT, TSN)

2. Wed, Apr 25 – at San Antonio, 7:00 pm EDT (TNT)

3. Sat, Apr 28 – at Denver, 8:00 pm EDT (ESPN)

4. Mon, Apr 30 – at Denver

5.* Wed, May 2 – at San Antonio

6.* Fri, May 4 – at Denver

7.* Sun, May 6 – at San Antonio

Conference Quarterfinals | Conference Semifinals | Conference Finals | NBA Finals

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

ESPN.com - NBA - Recap - Celtics at Nuggets

ESPN.com - NBA - Recap - Celtics at Nuggets: "Iverson's double-double sparks Nuggets past Celtics"

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

CutWay 99 yard Drive 2

(Dec. 25, 2006) -- Despite their better efforts, the Broncos are most likely
heading to the postseason.

A botched extra point by Cincinnati is what probably catapulted a
mistake-prone Denver team into the playoffs. For one of the AFC's two wild
cards, the Broncos are tied with the Jets have and a one-game lead on four other
teams while being led by a rookie quarterback, two running backs that take turns
not playing -- one of whom has a fumbling problem -- and a defense that is as
schizophrenic as any.

Video highlights

The Broncos defeated the Bengals by forcing four turnovers and making timely plays on offense. 56k 300k Bengals postgame press conference 56k 300k Broncos postgame press conference 56k 300k Denver Broncos to be featured on America's Game. Click here for 1997 Click here for 1998

But wouldn't you know it … all those wins at the beginning of the season paid
off. It didn't pay off for an AFC West title, and now Denver must go on the road
for the next two games -- at San Francisco in Week 17 and then in the first
round of the playoffs, provided the team gets there. If Jay
Cutler hopes to have any first-year success, he better get ready in a
hurry and not act like a first-year guy.

Cutler got away with some rookie mistakes in the first half against the
Bengals, but after a few halftime adjustments, it was only the snow and wind
that was holding him in the 24-23 win over the Bengals. Starting on his own
1-yard line, Cutler led a 14-play, 7:17-long drive that culminated in a 2-yard
Mike
Bell touchdown run to put Denver up for good at 21-17 in the third
quarter. The next drive went 51 yards in nine plays, and Jason
Elam capped it off with a chip-shot field goal.

While Cutler wasn't outplaying his counterpart, Carson
Palmer, he made some plays that would cause you to do a double take.
The Broncos' first touchdown of the game was on a third down and came from an
unlikely source in rookie backup tight end Tony
Scheffler. Cutler rolled to his right and threw a laser that went
right through the DB's hands and into Scheffler's arms. Only the All-Pros and/or
the brave attempt that throw.

Right now we'll just call Cutler brave. If that throw is made 10 more times,
three times it is picked off and taken back for a touchdown, three times it is
knocked down, two times it is dropped by the receiver and one time the throw is
offline. But in this single, solitary instance, Scheffler kept his concentration
and held on for his third score of the season.

This should have been Palmer's game, but the wintery conditions and Denver's
outside pass rush forced him to be too wild with his throws, and they routinely
were high and behind the intended receivers. Four times Palmer had receivers
open for touchdowns and four times bad passes resulted in a lack of points. You
can put a lot of blame on long snapper Brad St.
Louis or holder Kyle
Larson for that last-minute blunder, but Palmer was the goat for not
overcoming the jitters.

Those are jitters he's probably only had twice in the NFL -- his first game
in his rookie season and opening weekend of 2006 after coming back from knee
surgery. Jitters happen to guys like Cutler, who are supposed to have them in a
game of this magnitude.


The Bengals shouldn't be so quick to get away from Rudi Johnson on the ground.

Cincy still has a chance of making
it to the playoffs thanks to heartbreaking losses by Jacksonville and Buffalo. A
victory over the Broncos would have sealed the deal. The team also holds a good
deal of tiebreakers over the three other teams currently at 8-7, and even on the
9-6 Jets, who won in Miami on Monday night. The Jets' win gave New York the
inside track, but a loss in Week 17 and it's a sprint for the finish.

And after eight arrests by players this season, a potentially
career-threatening neck injury to 2005's No. 1 draft pick, and putting a rookie
at left tackle, the Bengals are still in good shape.

Up until now, the biggest Bengals fans in town were the bail bondsmen. Now
the support will be coming from the 65,535 people crammed into Paul Brown
Stadium for next weekend's season finale against Pittsburgh. Winning at home
against the hated Steelers on New Year's Eve will be just like a playoff
victory, even if one isn't in the cards.

But chances are the Bengals are going to have at least one extra game if they
get the job done themselves. And maybe with a little luck they'll get some
revenge on the Broncos a little bit down the road in the postseason. Unlikely,
but not impossible.

In a season where the AFC has show superiority to the NFC, it's interesting
to see a bunch of teams muddled around .500 as the campaign winds down, hoping
for a playoff invitation. If both these teams end up making it to the
postseason, they should be happy to be there. But good enough isn't going to cut
it. The AFC does have a reputation to uphold this year. By
Seth
Polansky
NFL.com

Sunday, December 10, 2006

ESPN Pwer Rankings

14. DenverThe Broncos are somewhere between "not that good" and "we're in denial about how mediocre these guys are." How could they blow that Seattle game? The Seahawks showed up for that one thinking, "let's try for one quarter and see how it goes, and if the wheels come off, we'll mail the rest of the game in," then the Broncos allowed them to hang around and, finally, the Hawks were like, "fine, we'll win the game, have it your way." Terrible loss. It's hard to say who killed their own home-field advantage more with a state-of-the-art stadium: Denver, New England, Pittsburgh or Washington. I think it's a four-way tie.

Bracing for the bolts

Broncos QB Jay Cutler will make his second start on Sunday against the Chargers. But is he ready for the challenge?

Is Jay Cutler, making his second NFL start for the Denver Broncos, going to get his first victory against the San Diego Chargers?
No.
In fact, the Chargers' defensive focus in this game is to try and force Cutler to win the game with his throwing arm. They should be able to do so by shutting down Denver's running game. The Broncos have the fourth-ranked rushing offense in the league, so they are capable of making an impact on the ground. But the Chargers' defensive front, led by spectacular linebacker Shawne Merriman, should be able to blow up most running plays before they get started. As a result, Cutler will often find himself in unfavorable down-and-distance situations. He made several rookie mistakes against Seattle in Week 13, but he does have the arm strength to connect on some big throws if he has the chance.

LaDainian Tomlinson scorched the Broncos with four TDs in Week 11.
In the previous meeting of the teams three weeks ago, the Chargers fell behind by 17 points and seized control of the game on the strength of the NFL's Most Valuable Player, LaDainian Tomlinson, who produced 179 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns. Given the way he has performed in every game since, there is every reason to believe Tomlinson can have another huge game.
The key to Tomlinson's -- and the Chargers' -- success has been their ability to get stronger as the game progresses, allowing them to overcome early deficits and hold off late surges. Unfortunately for the Broncos, their defense has had a tendency to wear down late in games.
NFL.Com

Saturday, December 09, 2006

Eight quarterbacks have started for the Broncos since John Elway retired in 1999. But Jay Culter might be the man to finally replace a legend in Denver.

Full circle?
(Clockwise, from top)
John ElwayGames started: 231 When: 1983-1999 Playoff resume: 22 appearances with a 14-8 record. Elway played in five Super Bowls and ended his career with seven straight playoff wins and two titles.
Brian GrieseGames started: 51When: 1999-2002 Playoff resume: Inactive due to shoulder injury in Denver's 21-3 AFC Wild Card loss to Baltimore in December of 2000.
Chris MillerGames started: 3When: 1999 Playoff resume:No playoff appearances with the Broncos
Gus FrerotteGames started: 7 When: 2000-2001 Playoff resume: Subbing for an injured Brian Griese, Frerotte threw for 124 yards and an interception in 2000 Wild Card loss eventual Super Bowl winners Baltimore Ravens.
Steve BeuerleinGames started: 5 When: 2002-2003 Playoff resume: No playoff appearances with the Broncos
Jarious JacksonGames started: 1 When: 2003 Playoff resume: No playoff appearances with the Broncos
Danny KanellGames started: 2 When: 2003 Playoff resume: No playoff appearances with the Broncos
Jake PlummerGames started: 54 When: 2003-2006 Record: 0-1 Playoff resume:1-3 in playoffs; sacked three times and intercepted twice in AFC title game loss to Steelers last year.
Jay Cutler Games started: 1 When: 2006 Playoff resume: None, the rookie started his first game last week in a 3-point loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

Read the complete story

Pueblo Colorado Sports Blog

Friday, December 08, 2006

Will this be Schottenheimer's year at last?

Mike Shanahan has a 10-9 edge on Schottenheimer, plus a Denver playoff victory in January 1998.

Mike Shanahan has a 10-9 edge on Schottenheimer, plus a
Denver playoff victory in January 1998.

By Gordon Forbes Special to NFL.com
(Dec. 6, 2006) -- This is the week that Marty Schottenheimer and the streaking San Diego Chargers try to attain the unattainable -- a sweep of the Denver Broncos.
The last time the Chargers swept was in 1982, when Philip Rivers was 1-year-old and Schottenheimer was a defensive coordinator in Cleveland, teaching a kid named Clay Matthews the tricks of playing linebacker. Although Schottenheimer won't admit it, at least not until the Chargers take him to his first Super Bowl, this is the best team in his 20-year head-coaching career.

Postseason defeats have haunted Marty Schottenheimer since his days with Cleveland in the 1980s.
"They show a great resiliency," Schottenheimer said. "We still have a considerable journey in front of us. We really haven't done anything yet in terms of what we set out to do, which is to qualify for the playoffs. This thing can change in a heartbeat."
Sure, but the Chargers, now 10-2, have an extremely favorable schedule: three of their last four at home, two against AFC West rivals Denver and Kansas City. And with LaDainian Tomlinson at the top of his running game, Rivers in a special rhythmic passing zone and linebacker Shawne Merriman back from his suspension, the Chargers could sweep and finish 14-2.
Tomlinson's bursts have allowed the Chargers to overcome injuries to defensive end Luis Castillo, linebacker Shaun Phillips and free safety Marlon McCree, and Merriman's four-game drug suspension. After 12 games, Tomlinson has rushed for 1,324 yards and scored 26 touchdowns. He is almost certain to break the NFL record of 28, held by Seattle's Shaun Alexander.
Now they are talking about Tomlinson, tossing around him the names of other great backs. Jim Brown and Emmitt Smith. Barry Sanders and Walter Payton.
"He's the Michael Jordan of the sport right now," said Buffalo defensive coordinator Perry Fewell before Tomlinson ran for 178 yards, veering and exploding in wintry Buffalo during the Chargers' sixth consecutive victory. "He has great vision. He has excellent acceleration. So he can be here and then he can be, like pfftt!, out of the gate."
Tomlinson was taken at the top of a 2001 draft that might be the most influential in San Diego history. Only three draftees made it in the Chargers' wheeler-dealer weekend: Tomlinson; quarterback Drew Brees and linebacker Carlos Polk. Yet, Tomlinson became an instant superstar, and Brees held the Chargers together before jumping to New Orleans in the offseason.
Meanwhile, Rivers was snapped up in a shockingly odd deal early in the 2004 draft. Eli Manning, the No. 1 pick, balked at signing with the Chargers, who were coming off a 4-12 season and had the AFC's worst defense. The Giants, who had drafted Rivers, negotiated a quarterback trade -- Manning for Rivers -- that left Papa Archie Manning beaming.
But now Rivers has emerged as a legitimate playmaker, a fierce competitor with great vision and anticipation and an underrated arm. Of course, Tomlinson attracts a lot of run support in the box, meaning that Rivers can work from his play-action book, creating problems for linebackers and a lot of one-on-one matchups downfield.

Mike Shanahan has a 10-9 edge on Schottenheimer, plus a Denver playoff victory in January 1998.
And if his wideouts are covered, Rivers can feed Antonio Gates, a Pro Bowl tight end who had five second-half catches in the Chargers' rally from a 17-point deficit against the Broncos. In that 35-27 triumph, the Broncos got the ball back at their own 2-yard line with 1:10 left to play. If Schottenheimer had a flashback moment, he wouldn't admit it.
In the 1987 AFC Championship Game, John Elway drove the Broncos 98 yards to tie Schottenheimer's Cleveland Browns. The series, all drama and exhaustion, came to be known as "The Drive." The Broncos won in overtime on another Elway drive.
Two years later, in another shootout for the AFC title, Cleveland's Earnest Byner lost a goal-line handoff as the Browns were about to force another overtime struggle. In Browns lore, that loss is known simply as "The Fumble."
Over the years, Schottenheimer has endured heartbreaking defeats like that, a lot of them against the Broncos. His best team before this one was the 1997 Kansas City Chiefs. Their Derrick Thomas-led defense piled up 54 sacks and 34 turnovers. Their 13-3 record gave the Chiefs the home-field edge in the playoffs. Yet, they were jittery and drab, and lost again to Elway's Broncos, 14-10.
When the Broncos file out of their visitors' dressing room Dec. 10 at Qualcomm Stadium, Schottenheimer won't be thinking back to any of those terrible days. The first sight of those orange and navy blue colors won't mean a thing, except the climactic end of another work week for the coach. The only lapse might be the appearance of Jay Cutler, the Broncos' new quarterback, in a shotgun formation. Maybe Marty might just think back to the Elway years. Just for a fleeting second.
Once, when asked how he learned to deal with the bitter losses, Schottenheimer had a ready answer. "I'll think about the season until the Super Bowl champion is crowned," he said. "Then I'm able to forget it because everybody is 0-0 for next year."
Schottenheimer has won 196 games with the Browns, Chiefs, Redskins (8-8 in a move-in, move-out season in 2001) and Chargers. That's three more than Chuck Noll. Yet, you rarely hear Schottenheimer's name mentioned in any discussion of great head coaches. That's because Marty has never won a Super Bowl; indeed, never been to one.

With LaDainian Tomlinson having a season for the ages, Schottenheimer has his best shot at a Super Bowl.
And that leads us to a game of what-might-have-been. What if Elway had not pulled off "The Drive"? What if Byner hadn't committed "The Fumble"? The Browns could have been in two Super Bowls within three years. Surely Marty Schottenheimer would have stayed in Cleveland. And maybe the Browns would have gotten a new lakefront stadium for their heroics. And maybe the idea of moving would never have entered owner Art Modell's mind.
Modell, however, doesn't believe there would have been a spinoff from any Super Bowl appearance. "Knowing the politics, I don't think it would have made a damn bit of difference," says Modell, now a minority owner in Baltimore. "I remember one day in my office at the old stadium. There was water dripping down on the paper I was writing. I found out it came from the men's room upstairs."
All Schottenheimer knows, or wants to know, is that the 7-4 Broncos are a dangerous team.
"If you sit down and try to match up (the playoff possibilities), you're wasting your time," he said. "With the position we're in, we can't worry about anything down the road. They're going to be a handful. That's all we're interested in. All that other stuff, I don't pay attention to it."
Schottenheimer knows, but won't mention this to his team. Broncos coach Mike Shanahan was Elway's offensive coordinator during "The Drive" and "The Fumble" games.
But now the Chargers are creating those kinds of high-drama finishes in surging to the top of the AFC West. They trailed Cincinnati by 21 points and Denver by 17 points and won both games, back-to-back.
As Schottenheimer says, they are a resilient bunch.
NFL.COM

CB Foxworth a capable sub for Broncos

AP PHOTO/FILE
Denver Broncos defensive back Domonique Foxworth (22) breaks up a pass intended for New England's Troy Brown during their game earlier this season in Foxborough, Mass. Foxworth, a cornerback, will share time at safety against San Diego on Sunday.

By PAT GRAHAMTHE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DENVER - Domonique Foxworth is gladly filling in at safety for the injury-riddled Denver Broncos.
But he still considers himself a cornerback.
With season-ending knee injuries to safeties Nick Ferguson and Sam Brandon, the Broncos decided to pair the second-year cornerback with veteran John Lynch.
‘‘It caught me off guard and I’m more flattered than anything,’’ Foxworth said. ‘‘But I’m a full-time cornerback, part-time safety.’’

BRONCOSat CHARGERSSunday, 2:15 p.m., CBS

Source

Foxworth will split time at safety with Curome Cox on Sunday against San Diego. And while he’d rather be on the field as a cornerback, Foxworth understands these are desperate times for the Broncos, who’ve lost three in a row.
‘‘If you get thin, somebody has to step up and do their job as good as the starters do,’’ Foxworth said. ‘‘That’s what I’m trying to do right now.’’
The Broncos feel Foxworth is their best option.
‘‘It’s a good thing for everybody,’’ defensive coordinator Larry Coyer said. ‘‘I think it’s been a very positive thing that he can move in and out of that position.’’
Denver defensive backs coach Bob Slowik made the call to slide Foxworth to safety. The team wanted to get their best combination of defensive backs on the field, regardless of position.
‘‘We didn’t have much of a discussion on it,’’ Foxworth said with a grin. ‘‘(Slowik) said, ‘You’re going to play safety this week.’ I said, ‘All right.’ ’’
Darrent Williams couldn’t be happier that Denver moved his fellow 2005 draft classmate back to safety.
Better Foxworth than him.
‘‘I like to make my hits off the corner,’’ Williams said. ‘‘Maybe nine or 10 years from now, they can move me back there.’’
Foxworth was thrown to the Seahawks on Sunday night, playing most of the game at strong safety. While he had six tackles, he felt like a cornerback playing safety.
Foxworth gave up a big pass play down the middle of the field to Seattle receiver Darrell Jackson in the fourth quarter that set up the Seahawks’ go-ahead touchdown.
‘‘He misplayed the ball,’’ Coyer said. ‘‘He had it dead, but he over ran it. That’s just learning angles. The skill is there, the intelligence is there and the ability to tackle is there.’’
The Broncos understand the transition will take some time. Denver even signed safety Steve Cargile to its active roster Thursday.
A visit to the equipment room was in order this week as Foxworth needed to switch out shoulder pads. He wore lighter pads against Seattle and paid the price.
‘‘I think he’ll get better and better at the position the more comfortable he feels,’’ coach Mike Shanahan said. ‘‘He’s got great ball skills, and he’s extremely bright.’’
Foxworth has some experience in covering San Diego Pro Bowl tight end Antonio Gates, which will come in handy on Sunday. Gates has 13 catches for 171 yards and two touchdowns the last two games.
‘‘Gates has come on like gangbusters since that game (against Denver),’’ said Coyer, whose defense has never given up a touchdown to Gates. ‘‘He’s lit people up. It’s a challenge.’’
A visit to the equipment room was in order this week as Foxworth needed to switch out shoulder pads. He wore lighter pads against Seattle and paid the price.
‘‘He was sore and bruised up (from all the hitting),’’ Shanahan said.
The biggest adjustment to playing safety, in Foxworth’s estimation, is realizing it’s permissible to attack.
‘‘Corner is more of a passive position, you play the pass and don’t want to be too aggressive,’’ Foxworth said. ‘‘Safety is pretty much all aggression.’’
Ferguson has been mentoring Foxworth. Ferguson, who regularly comes in for rehab on his knee, will sit at a table in the locker room, eat lunch and talk to Foxworth, giving him little pointers. Ferguson was a cornerback at Georgia Tech, but was later converted to safety.
And while Foxworth isn’t big - he’s listed as 5-foot-11, 180 pounds - he makes up for it in smarts. Foxworth graduated from Maryland in 3 years.
‘‘The transition (to safety) is determined not by your athletic ability but by your mentality,’’ Ferguson said. ‘‘It’s the mentality. It’s saying, ‘I’m going to make this tackle.’ Foxy is that same type of guy. The young kid is fearless. If you asked him to play quarterback, he’d do it.’’
Lynch has confidence playing alongside Foxworth. He doesn’t worry about him being a novice at the position.
‘‘I think he’ll continue to grow there as long as ... like he told me, he’ll do it as long as he needs to,’’ Lynch said. ‘‘But then he’ll go back to corner.’’

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Denver Broncos

Broncos' Wilson Questionable For Sunday At San
Diego

Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway passes against the
Pittsburgh
Steelers during the AFC Championship game in this Jan. 11, 1998
file photo at
Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh. The Broncos have been
searching for a
premier passer since Elway hung up his helmet after leading
them to consecutive
championships in the late 1990s and now he is preaching
patience with Jay
Cutler. (AP Photo/Doug Mills, File)

Elway
Talks About
Cutler

Denver's
new
Q Cutler B

Colorado Sports 2007

Sunday, April 22, 2007

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

ESPN.com - NBA - Recap - Celtics at Nuggets