After giving Game Balls to Denver Broncos Quarterback Tim Tebow and Wide Receiver Demaryius Thomas on Sunday for their standout play in the Wildcard upset victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Overtime, I told you that I wasn't finished with the accolades. Head coach John Fox beat me to it saying "everybody that was here tonight, gets a Game Ball", so that just leaves me Tossing Horseshoes. A Leaner is still worth one point, right?
OFFENSE
Besides Tebow and Thomas, Wide Receiver Eddie Royal had a hand in the outcome of Sunday's contest, scoring the first Denver points in the game. In the 2nd Quarter, the Broncos drove down to the Steeler 30-yard line. On a 2nd and 9 play, Tim Tebow took the snap out of the Shotgun and fired a pass deep right to Royal for a Touchdown to take the lead 7-6. The Broncos piled on another 13 points to take a 20-6 margin into the locker room at the half. Eddie finished the day with 3 catches for 49 yards and the touchdowns. He also returned 3 punts for a 9-yard average.
Tight End Daniel Fells had two catches for 57 yards on Sunday. Right now you're probably saying, "yeah KK, big deal." Well, they both went for 1st downs and they were the only times he was targeted. With the issues surrounding the Broncos passing Offense in 2011, that is a small victory in itself. Daniel made a 17-yard catch in the 4th Quarter for a first down on a clock eating, but wasted drive. The other catch occurred in the 2nd Quarter with 4:31 left. Tim Tebow launched a perfect pass deep over the middle to Fells for 40 yards. That led to Matt Prater's 28 yard field goal with a minute left in the opening half.
DEFENSE
If anyone deserves a Game Ball on Defense, it has to be Defensive End Elvis Dumervil. Doom had 2 Tackles, one Sack, one Tackle For a Loss and a Forced Fumble that helped the Broncos Defense prevent the Steelers from kicking the game winner. In the 4th Quarter, the Steelers were at the Denver 45 yard line and driving for the win. Ben Roethlisberger took the snap from the shotgun on 1st and 10 with 29 seconds remaining in a 23-23 Tie game. Elvis Sacked the Pittsburgh Quarterback for an 11-yard loss and Forcing a Fumble, which Big Ben was able to cover up. Three plays later, Robert Ayers got his second Sack of the game to force Overtime. Eleven seconds after that, the Broncos grabbed the quickest Overtime victory in NFL playoff history.
Defensive End Robert Ayers had arguably one of his best games this season, with 3 Tackles (2 for a Loss), 2 Sacks and 3 Quarterback Hits. He had 3 Sacks for the regular season, doubling up from the previous year. So to get 2 in the playoffs is a statement, especially for a guy that whose primary role is to set the edge and stop the run. Robert's 2nd Sack was good for 15 yards and forced the Overtime. Way to show up for the big game Mr. Ayers!
Safety Quinton Carter had the most memorable game of his Rookie campaign with 5 Tackles, one Pass Break Up and his first career Interception. Not to mention the valuable postseason playing time not many 1st year players get to experience. The Interception came in the 2nd Quarter on a 3rd and 13 with the Steelers on their own 14 yard line. Pittsburgh Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger took a shotgun snap and intended to pass to Tight End Heath Miller, but Carter caught it in the bread basket and returned the ball 9 yards to the 18. The Broncos stalled at the 2 yard line and had to settle for a Matt Prater 20-yard Field Goal, but that extended Denver's lead to 17-6 and kept the momentum in their favor.
Honorable Mentions go out to Safety David Bruton, who became the 11th player to lead the Broncos with 8 Tackles and one Pass Break Up---Cornerback Champ Bailey, who had 3 Tackles and 3 Pass Break Ups covering Mike Wallace most of the afternoon, including a critical break up in the End Zone that he should have picked----Linebacker Von Miller, who contributed 3 Tackles (2 For a Loss), a Sack and a Quarterback Hit, all with a cast protecting a broken right thumb---and Defensive Tackle Broderick Bunkley, who has shown to be the Broncos best Free Agent pickup Trade acquisition on Defense with 43 Tackles this year. Bunkley had 2 Tackles (one For a Loss), a 6 yard Sack in the 4th Quarter and one Quarterback Hit in Sunday's game.
SPECIAL TEAMS
This one is simple. Kicker Matt Prater and Punter Britton Colquitt. Matthew Willis made the only other plays on Special Teams for the Broncos, with a 19-yard Kick Return and downing a punt Inside the 20, but it was Denver's two Kickers that did not allow the Pittsburgh a single return, effectively taking out the 8th ranked Kick Return and 13th ranked Punt Return Units for 60 minutes. Britton Colquitt punted 4 times and Steelers return man Antonio Brown to signal for a Fair Catch three times. Matthew Willis downed the other punt at the 12-yard line. Colquitt's longest punt of the afternoon was a 50-yarder on his second punt of the 1st Quarter. Britton finished with a gross and Net average of 41 yards. Matt Prater Kicked off 6 times, resulting in 6 touchbacks. He added Field Goals of 20, 28 and 35 yards as well as 2 Extra Points. The Denver Special Teams Unit has struggled recently, but they were excellent when it mattered most.
All in all, it was a great team win. Great for the franchise, the city of Denver and most of all, the fans in Broncos Country. I'd like to see an encore performance this Saturday afternoon.
Go Broncos!
"Everyone in this locker room today gets a game ball"
I couldn’t agree more!
GO BRONCOS!
Broncs55 - January 10, 2012
Good writeup
One thing to note, Bunkley wasn’t a free agent pickup. He was the best offseason move though by the Broncos.
Lock that guy up!
nacaboose - January 10, 2012
It's rare that the Eagles, and Andy Reid get the worse end of a trade, but
whatever conditional pick they get from us for Bunkley it is going to be hard to get a player with more value than Bunkley currently has for the Broncos.
DE_BroncoFan - January 10, 2012
As much as I can't wait til our next ball game
I still wonder how much better our defense will be with Ty Warren?
That question will be answered next year, so I’ll relish in our accomplishments this year!
Broncs55 - January 10, 2012
I think he's done
Too many injuries, too old.
Dude’s missed the last two seasons.
NYCBronx - January 10, 2012
possibly
we’ll find out :)
He’s 30 years of age – he’s got a few years left IMO.
Broncs55 - January 10, 2012
I wonder the same thing
I think they might end up cutting ties with him unless he restructures. He’s owed 4 million next year and that money needs to go to Bunk and Thomas.
He is getting old, but the thing about defensive tackles though is that they can still play when they’re older. If he were to restructure for about 1 million next year I would be on board. Hopefully he does.
Can’t forget that Big Vick is coming back next year too.
nacaboose - January 10, 2012
I forgot about big Vick
Broncs55 - January 10, 2012
Thanks nacaboose
I will fix it.
KaptainKirk - January 10, 2012
Maybe a stupid question
But are the O-Linemen not alliwed to recieve gameballs? The men who plow holes for the best rushingattack in NFL. And how long time did they give Tebow to throw for the winning play? And NO sacks. I think they should at least get mentioned…
Anders Teig - January 10, 2012 via iPhone app
they got game balls per Coach Fox
but apparently they are not deserving enough to receive a horseshoe lol
Broncs55 - January 10, 2012
You are right Anders
They have done very well this year and I think a lot of the success is because of them. I definitely give those guys a lot of love and praise when I see them at Training Camp. They like the attention too.
KaptainKirk - January 10, 2012
I don't remember a game like that by any OL in NFL in the last decade!
Fabio Broncos - January 10, 2012
That last drive in regulation was getting scary until Doom and then Ayers came up so big
Is it just me, or is that an insanely high number of leading tacklers?
Rodney A - January 10, 2012
It tells me that people are stepping up every week
and not relying on our marquee players to carry them. I think its a great thing.
KaptainKirk - January 10, 2012
Fells Sighting
You are astute to mention Fells. I nearly fell out of my chair both times he caught a ball. He had 11 catches from Orton through the end of the first San Diego game. Only caught 9 more the rest of the regular season from Tebow. Green and Rosario had even fewer catches. Seeing the tight end involved was an important progression in the evolution of the Broncos offense. It adds another dimension that will make Tebow that much more effective.
Here’s to more use of the TE against NE.
Iguck! - January 10, 2012
and less use of the TE on the NE side of things
trumanj - January 10, 2012
I like Fells, but still need a more athletic TE.
tiderfootball09 - January 10, 2012
I guess I’m not pro-Fells so much as I am simply in favor of actually utilizing tight ends as pass catchers. Might as well make a defense have to scheme against one more element. Seems to me the Broncos play calling had been unnecessarily handcuffed by not including basic elements like the QB sneak, bootlegs, and throwing to the tight ends.
Then again, perhaps the last three regular season games of sucking were all part of master plan… :)
Iguck! - January 10, 2012
Just love this series
Thanks Kirk.
Fabio Broncos - January 10, 2012
I loved the work by the OLine as well...
bfree2bronc - January 10, 2012
Please excuse my ignorance...
Does a sack count in the tackles for loss or are they a separate running play only stat?
j-mac31 - January 10, 2012
Yes they count as a TFL
Good observation and one I could have explained.
KaptainKirk - January 10, 2012
Thanks for that.
I’ve wondered that for a while, not sure why I didn’t ask earlier.
j-mac31 - January 10, 2012
Lovin this series Kap'n
Agreed on all fronts, so happy to see Ayers step up as big as he did last weekend.
Thanks for all of the work you put into this site.
How these bad boys don’t get rec’d higher is beyond me.
Matt In Canada - January 10, 2012
Leaners are 3
Ringers are 5, and closest to the pin is 1.
Texas forever.
Trapped in O.C. - January 11, 2012 via Android app
Lol. Ok.
I haven’t played in years. Thanks for setting me straight TOC.
KaptainKirk - January 11, 2012
leaners are 3
where the hell did you learn horseshoes? Leaners are one, whithin one horseshoe to the pin is one,and ringers are 3
if opposing players have shoes within point range the closest shoe gets the point
turnertwo2003 - January 11, 2012
You must Login with your SB Nation account and be a member of Mile High Report to post a comment.