Horse Tracks - 11/19/08

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DENVER POST

Depending on your point of view, the Broncos are the luckiest team in the NFL or the best team in the league at winning close games.

Denver Post sports writer Mike Klis posts his Broncos Mailbag every Tuesday during the 2008 NFL season on DenverPost.com.

Never discount the feeling of disrespect as a motivator.  It has worked for the Broncos' defense in recent weeks.

As the NFL draft finally reached its sixth round, most people either were nodding off or not paying attention.  Jim Goodman was holding his breath.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS

The Broncos on Sunday will seek to avoid their first three-game losing streak at home since, well, 2006. Where's the home-field domination? Denver has gone 12-9 in games played at Invesco Field at Mile High since '06, with a 43-18 record (including two losses to Oakland) since the stadium opened in 2001. . . .

But it was no small decision in this day and age when concern about injuries overrides many other wants and needs during the week and on game day, a decision born of a slice of necessity with a dash of desperation.

ESPN.COM

The Broncos have taken control of a weak division. Denver will have to collapse to not win the AFC West.

It extends a few more weeks, but early Pro Bowl voting is out. Fan voting accounts for a third of the final tally with players and coaches making up the other two-thirds.

While Denver rookie left tackle Ryan Clady has been getting high praise for his outstanding rookie season, the Broncos other young offensive tackle is playing at a high level as well.

MISCELLANEOUS

When Mike Shanahan's club opened the game without All-Pro cornerback Champ Bailey and minus 100 percent of its opening day starting linebacker corps, fantasy owners of Falcons stars like Roddy White and Michael Turner had to be licking their chops, too.

After rallying the short-handed Denver Broncos to a 24-20 win over the Atlanta Falcons on the road, quarterback Jay Cutler discussed the team's fourth quarter comeback on his CBS4 show Qwest Jay Cutler Live! He also invited newly acquired running back and former Bronco Tatum Bell to be his guest.

The quirkiest story from Sunday's NFL action was the news that Spencer Larsen of the Denver Broncos turned back the clock and started the game on both offense and defense. I'm one of those old-fashioned types who can't get enough NFL Films footage of Chuck Bednarik, so I was curious to see just what kind of player Larsen is.