Sadaraine's Thoughts on the Game

First off, how do you like 4 - 0 Bronco fans!?  That was the greatest ending of a game I've seen in a long long time.  The offense (Beast) comes up big and then our Defense shows everyone why they are the best in the league right now (sorry, but scoring is much more important than yards, so if any of you want to be nit-picky and point out that I'm technically wrong you now know why you can bite).  Now for more pleasant thoughts and some insights to game 4 of our season, check me after the jump.

Special Teams: (yeah, let's start with the un-sung heroes)

• These guys are still going solid...you don't really notice them that much and that is a Good Thing (tm)
• Prater is kicking off out of his mind at home (which is what we should expect for a leg like his)...splitting the uprights on a kick-off!?  That was crazy!
• Kern is punting some bombs that are hanging great.  If he doesn't kick them that way, our guys can't cover as well.
• One return was blocked sloppy and they got to eat up a bunch of free yards on us, but the team did good getting angles to cut off the run back

Defense:

• Let me point out right now that our Linebackers are the key to this defense.  Our linemen are chewing up blockers well, but without superb line-backer play this defense DOES NOT WORK.  I'm no coach, but I bet a dime to a dollar that HT will back me up on this.
  
• Dumerville (in case you didn't already know), is pretty friggin good.  DOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!
• I can't put my finger on it, but I was feeling uneasy about our D-Line getting pushed around.  Now part of me doesn't think that is a big deal (the Cowboys O-Line is really REALLY good), but we didn't seem to do enough pushing the line back
• There is a friggin reason people haven't thrown Bailey's side of the field for years...I know that teams will keep testing him every year, but I sure love yelling "YOU CAN'T THROW AT BAILEY" at my TV when they do!  2/3 of the Earth is covered by water...the other 1/3 is covered by Champ Bailey!
• Enough can NOT be said of our run D this game...the Cowboys have a grade A running game and we straight up shut it down!  Even with Jones being out, Choice and Barber are two superbly talented backs that I would LOVE to see in Orange and Blue.  We played them very VERY well.
• That Dawkins train wreck was just plain SICK!  I think I could have ran through a wall after he made that play!  It needs to be said that plays like that enliven the rest of the team and the emotional impact showed with how we played from then on.the key
• Dawkins saved the TD on that big 4th down pass from Romo to Hurd at the end -- they will be showing that play for many MANY defensive backs as an example of how to take an angle on a runner.

Offense:

• Orton's lack of accuracy in the 1st half worries me, but until his hand is healed and that glove is off, I'm withholding a negative judgement...he is winning us games and I am loving the 0 turnovers.
• The running game was solid and a bit under-used to my taste.  Dallas never scared me with how they played the run and I think we could have done a bit better with more runs.
• Daniel Graham needs some special props today...he was making plays in the passing game, blocking Ware solo, blocking for B. Marsh on the last play...the man is a football player and I love the guy to death.  I'd take him over Tony Gonzales, Witten, or Gates every day of the week all day long.
• This offense is still very young...they are going to be SUPER scary when they get a better feel for each other in the passing game.  Right now, the short stuff is dialed in, but the medium and long stuff still needs some work.  For those of you knocking Orton, give him time to heal and some more weeks practicing with his receivers.
• Love seeing Moreno keep plugging after the fumble (which was stupid by the way...he will be called out when they review film on how NOT to switch hands in traffic...that fumble should never happen in the NFL).  This guy is gong to be good for a long time.
• Brandon's TD was just sick and wrong.  He made those D-Backs look like foolish children.  Super play from a very talented receiver...loved seeing him hug McDaniels in the presser afterwords.

Refs:

I don't like to beat on these guys usually because it homerish and so easy sometimes, but seriously!?  There were 2 plays today that Royal was hit early very clearly and they didn't call it.  Pathetic.  Also...the PI on Scheffler was absolutley redonkulous.  Some other people spotted it as well, but there were three times that they spotted the ball a yard in Dallas' favor (2 when we had the ball, 1 that they had it) that I saw.  It was absolutely horrid performance for the striped ones this game.  I sure hope our team sends in some review footage for the league to look at on these guys.

To the referee's credit, our guys played very sloppy football.  They earned a heck of a lot of penalties (Hillis for instance...stupid STUPID block in the back on ST) that will cost them games if they keep doing it.

So what did you guys think?  Add your thoughts, counter-points, etc below.  Let's talk some Broncos!