OK, it seems like most of our big guns period are hurt.

According to a tweet I got earlier, McD doesn’t think this game will decide the division (he’s right, of course) and the team is preparing that way. I am nervous about that. SURELY they have to be prepared this week. I’m really nervous about this one, and I haven’t heard a ton in the way of dictatorship style hard work speeches coming from McD.

The only consolation is that some of the bolts are hurt, too (not that I like people to be hurt).

Maybe Hillis will get some time to prove he can hold onto the ball.

I am hoping that if Simms does end up starting, he will prove to everyone that he is NOT washed up, and that last week was anomalous, and he was shaking off the rust. I want to see Simms SHRED that sandy defense. I want to see Champ and BDawk get some INTs. I want to see Reid and Doom put Rivers on his butt so many times it makes his face hurt. I want Dawkins to lay sproles out. I want Berger to hang sproles out to dry! I want Royal and Marshall go for a pair of 200 yard, 2 TD days. I want to keep drinking this whiskey! Er… Kool Aid.. LOL
 Oh, is there MHR Radio tonight? I missed it Tuesday!

Looks like San Diego is pretty beat up as well. Doesn’t look like Hardwick is going to make it back for this one.

I love Payton Hillis and hope he can find a way onto the field, but I don’t get why so many Bronco fans are soooo obsessed with 22. He is 1 of our 53 players and as fun as he was to watch last season, he has done little in the NFL to merit the intense adoration from the Bronco faithful.

Every week several someones are writing about Hillis this and Hillis that. It’s weird and I don’t get the fixation.

Chargers have Ogemdi at Ltd. Participation, Acee, the Union Trib hack has him as practicing too.

but the Broncos seem to have the worst of it, especially if Orton can’t go. Anyone know the latest on Buck? It would be good to have him, obviously, too. At least Marshall’s back. And he won’t play this week but I really look forward to having Ryan Harris back, I think the Broncos have really missed him. My guess is he’ll be back for the game after the Giants game. (Since that’s a short week.)

watch him in the return game for the games he was activated: penalties that were called, penalties that could have been called, and just not an all around good effort.

Because of our roster structure, and the number of players at various positions that need to be activated, Hillis needs to excel first and foremost on STs if he is to get activated. There simply isn’t enough room to carry him on a week to week basis without a solid special teams contribution.

Many Iincluding me) felt that the return of Larsen would be a huge help to seeing more Hillis…it appears that the opposite has been true. Larsen provides more STs value, and is as good or a better blocker. Depsite our fond memories of last year, Hillis strength is not his running, but his receiving…as a runner he might help a little with short yardage, but frankly, Moreno is probably better in that category as well, due to his shiftiness. It is hard to warrant his activation when we are already activating numerous receivers, not to mention our DB activation philosophy which takes up ~20% of our weekly roster alone.

Hillis will need to make plays on STs, and THAT consistency will get the team to gameplan for his receiving abilities. Right now, a single injury at some odd point during the week, at any position, could mean the difference between Hillis playing or not. That kind of tentative, precarious position is no place for putting a key part of your gameplan workload, so Hillis isn’t getting anything in the gameplan. That said, I think McDaniel’s really likes Hillis, and just wants to see some consistency before featuring him in the offensive gameplan.

(I would like to add that I have noted only two feature plays for Hillis this year. One was a sideline curl, the other was a screen. They both had moderate success, but I was disappointed both times that Hillis went down to the first tackler. Hopefully the tacklebreaking, sidestepping Hillis we all remember is still in there somewhere, because if those two plays are any indication, Hillis has a long ways to go.)