As a baseball fan, I'm partial to that game's terminology.  That said, our Broncos just played a perfect game.  Playing the final game of the NFL's opening week, Denver put on a show and established themselves as a legitimate threat in an uncharacteristically woobly AFC.  Here at MHR, our community is blessed with members that possess a far greater grasp of the technical attributes of football, but our team's sterling performance tonight has inspired me to write my own FanPost comprised largely of a more shallow (perhaps emotional) analysis.  If you care to read something along those lines, follow me below the fold.

Coming Out Party!

With the national spotlight on his team, QB Jay Cutler displayed all the reasons why we've always believed he would be the NFL's next great franchise player.  He has all the tools imaginable and displayed the capability to make the most of them.  Not only does he have a cannon of an arm and the plus accuracy to go along with it, he has the awareness to best use those assests to pick apart pass defenses.  Moreover, he increases the pressure on the opposition with enough mobility to strain their coverages and augment the aforementioned physical gifts.  He is the complete package and, when he's on, is practically unstoppable.  We've known this all along and some in the media expected this developement, but even his detractors had to be swayed by his performance tonight.

Who Is This Guy?

When the Broncos selected Eddie Royal with the 42nd overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, he was a bit of an unknown commodity.  His most compelling attribute was his prowess in the return game and some believed he'd eventually develope into a solid slot receiver.  Very few (hat tip to Zappa and his fellow Royal fans) thought he'd be a legit #2 WR before long, but no one could have foreseen his meteoric rise through the ranks in Denver.  Without our budding superstar at the position, Eddie was asked to carry the load on the outside and he did just that with incredible ease.  He is the final piece in our offensive puzzle; for years to come, we will have a dynamic and young core on that side of the ball and the rest of the league better take heed.

Playoffs?!  You Talking About Playoffs?!?!?!

The self-described "residents of La-La Land" filled the Reloading Season with nearly boundless optimism.  13-3 was their rallying call and, along the way, they called out the favored Chargers, Patriots and the rest of the AFC's established order.  Cautious people such as my self called for restraint and expected only some forward progress in our franchises developement.  Tonight, we are all La-La Landers!  San Diego stumbled out of the gate on Sunday, Oakland and Kansas City have looked predictably weak and the rest of the conference seems devoid of impressive powers.  Perhaps this is the year we step up and the same old teams step aside.  It's only been one game, but now more than ever, we have reason to believe.  Go Broncos!