I was just trying to come up with a good idea for a post name, and i'm kind of wishing I could have saved it for myself; it would have made a cool sounding nickname.. As much as I do hate the so called "analysts" preying on today's fans, I just don't think I could live up to it. I'm way too lazy to do enough research that'll give them their own "shut-down corner".

INJURIES - They're everybody's problem.

They may not always be the problem, but they surely are a problem. For every Team in the League. But before we get into it, let me originate you to my problem: Fox Sport's Special "The Top Ten most injured teams" of 2008. In which our beloved Bronco's somehow didn't make the cut with SEVEN running backs on IR at the end of the season and numerous key player's injured for multiple games during the season. Via NFL.com here are a few examples:

Tom Nalen C - 14 + Season's experience and long time Starting Center, who undoubtedly had the most veteran experience of our starting O-line, a sure bet to lead the newbs: Ryan Clady and Ryan Harris.
Selvin Young RB - Our dominant rushing back early on (note also his the claim for a massive record breaking season before the opening game) was sidelined  for the majority of the season.
Tony Scheffler TE  - Our dominant receiving tight end, one of the essential targets needed to keep Cutler's field spread since he rarely threw to anyone else but BMarsh, Royal, and an occasional 3rd down to Stokley. Had a groin issue that kept him sidelined for more than 1 game and less than 100% for remainder of the season.
Brandon Stokley  WR - Was having some issues at the same time as Schef, leaving us down to two Cutler targets for a while.
Josh Shaw DT - He wasn't a star play maker, but his injury was the first in a shock wave that started from the D-line, ripped through our starting LBer's including Nate Webster and D.J. Williams, then rippled on into our defensive backs: Marlon McCree, Karl Paymah, Dre Bly, and of course:
Champ Bailey CB - Who pulled his groin mid-season and wasn't even close to 100% for the rest of the year.
To top it all off, as this wave of injuries to our starters was terrorizing the defense, our Running Back Core was getting its limbs hacked off almost every week to include a final Injured squad of: Ryan Torrain, Michael Pittman, Selvin Young, Andre Hall, Anthony Aldridge, P.J. Pope, and our beloved diamond in the rough:
Peyton Hillis FB - I put the position in Italics just for humor-sake. This surprise all star shifted over to HB so we wouldn't have to slam shut half of our playbook for the rest of the season. He came smashing into the scene against Miami with 116 rushing yards, and gave Atlanta and the Jets Defenses a trampling before he was injured on a career-highlight catch against KC. Leaving us cut off at the knees for the remaining three games, where we had to reach down into the practice squad and pray that our unfailing ZB scheme will hold out until the end of the year.

These players mentioned weren't even CLOSE to all our injuries for the year, but they were our biggest losses, either by total time sidelined, freak-timing, or less than 100% for the remainder of the season. Yet the Mile High City didn't make the cut for most injured team.

 I know you're curious, you might have even looked up the article before you could finish reading this one, so here was the final cut and their key injuries:

10 - GREEN BAY 
QB Aaron Rodgers, RB Ryan Grant, WR James Jones, CB Al Harris, SS Atari Bigby (his parents must be gamers... ) and RDE Cullen Jenkins.
9 - CLEVELAND
TE Kellen Winslow, WR Dante Stallworth, and WR Joe Jurevicious missed 12 games combined. (I know that's an offensive hit, but are you kidding me? That's not an injured team, that's an injured offense... LAME.)
8 - SAN DIEGO
OLB Shawn Merriman (yeah that was rough, but that's what second string is for!)LT Marcus McNeill, WR Chris Chambers, C Nick Hardwick, LB James Tucker; each missing a couple games each with minor injuries (Heck I didn't even list the Denverplayers with minor injuries!) Of course there is RB L. T. and Anotonio Gates who both struggled throughout the season, but the Chargers managed to fire off on all cylinders with outstanding play by their bumblebee Sproles, and great receiving by Vincent Jackson (one of the biggest out-of-the-limelight recievers in the league IMHO)
7 - JACKSONVILLE 
WR Jerry Porter Porter missed the first three weeks following hamstring surgery and has yet to make an impact in the four games following his return. A rash of major injuries along the interior offensive line, including the loss of starting guards Vince Manuwai and Maurice Williams in Week 1, has helped knock the NFL's second-ranked rushing attack last season down to No. 14 in 2008. (Still I laugh, are you kidding me??)
6 - PITTSBURGH
"You know your team is jinxed when two specialists (LS Greg Warren and P Daniel Sepulveda) go down with season-ending injuries. Eight Steelers are on injured reserve, including rookie RB Rashard Mendenhall and right guard Kendall Simmons. Pittsburgh has lost the services of RB Willie Parker (pictured), NT Casey Hampton and LT Marvel Smith for extended periods. It's miraculous that QB Ben Roethlisberger (shoulder) hasn't joined those players on the sideline with the beating he has taken this season."
(It is also miraculous that they were able to win the Superbowl with all these injuries, but seriously Pittsburgh??? Are you serious??? They won the freaking Superbowl. They should get demoted 4 spots for that reason alone. Its all great depth by good drafting. Which is something I am GLAD we're FINALLY doing here in Denver under the McAwesome)
5 - INDIANAPOLIS
"After missing all of training camp following multiple knee surgeries, QB Peyton Manning opened the regular season rusty playing behind a patchwork offensive line. As Manning and WR Marvin Harrison (knee) struggled to get in sync, SS Bob Sanders  -- the 2007 NFL Defensive Player of the Year -- went down with a shoulder injury. That has severely hurt the Colts' run defense, which surrendered three rushing scores in Monday night's 31-21 loss to Tennessee." (I'd have to give credit for a good call here putting Indy at #5. You're talking about Peyton here, HE runs that offense, and Bob Sanders is practically the QB of the defense. Indy had a rough year for sure.)
4 - KANSAS CITY
"The Chiefs were supposed to use a rebuilding season to determine whether Brodie Croyle was their 'quarterback of the future.' The evaluation period lasted less than four quarters because of shoulder and knee injuries. Backup QB Damon Huard (thumb) then followed Croyle to injured reserve, forcing the Chiefs to start overmatched third-stringer Tyler Thigpen. With so many doubts remaining about Croyle's upside, expect the Chiefs to pursue a new starter during the off-season." (Okay now I just want to cry. How can you put KC on this list, AT #4 NO LESS for two quarterbacks going down, when Thigpen played better than most any QB has since Montana's stint there. Boo. I think they got in because of their horrific record. ....umm... hello??? Was anyone actually expecting them to win a game last year?)
3 - SEATTLE
"The back ailment that has sidelined QB Matt Hasselbeck for three games is the team's biggest woe. But overall offensively, the injury issues date back to last season's playoff loss to Green Bay when Deion Branch suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Fellow wide receivers Bobby Engram, Nate Burleson, Ben Obomanu and Logan Payne have subsequently gone down as well, leaving the entire offense in disarray. The defense hasn't been good enough to compensate, ruining Mike Holmgren's final season as Seahawks head coach." (I think Seattle definately deserved to be high on this list, they had as tough a year as any and their injuries sprinkled most positions on the field.)
2 - DALLAS
"As if head coach Wade Phillips didn't have enough headaches from a suspended cornerback (Adam 'Pacman' Jones), eccentric wide receiver (Terrell Owens) and domineering team owner (Jerry Jones). QB Tony Romo's broken pinkie will keep him out of a third consecutive start Sunday against the New York Giants. The secondary is an even bigger mess with two 2007 Pro Bowl selections -- cornerback (Terrence Newman, pictured) and safety (Roy Williams) -- missing action. The loss of solid contributors like RB/returner Felix Jones, P Mat McBriar, LG Kyle Kosier and OLB Anthony Spencer has compounded the problem." (America's Team... yeah, we get it, they get most of the spotlight. *clears throat* Sorry. I didn't mean to be sarcastic on this one, that actually is a lot of injuries, and this team has been on the downhill slope ever since the millenium change. 'Wait a minute... that feels oddly familiar.... Nope, nevermind; that was the PAST speaking. Muahahaha! Denver's coming back baby! ...and maybe Dallas will too, now that T.O. is outta there.)
Next up, who do you think it is? Come on, i'll give you one guess...
1 - TEAM BRADY... wait... I mean. The uhhh.. the:
PATRIOTS! feat. TOM BRADY! (or not for this season eh?)
"The Patriots are without their team leaders on offense QB Tom Brady,  and defense SS Rodney Harrison. As if losing the NFL's reigning Most Valuable Player to a season-ending knee injury in the first quarter of the first game wasn't devastating enough, Harrison suffered what is likely a career-ending quadriceps tear against Denver. Combined with the significant injuries suffered at running back and along the offensive line, it's a testament to Bill Belichick's coaching prowess that New England has fared so well." (Don't they mean a testament to McDaniels Offensive Coordinating that New England has fared so well? No? Well okay, that's still what my hear tells me. You know, the one bleeding Orange. Oh yeah! Kaching!)

Well there's all the info Folks. I'm not going to brainwash you (although... I would like to!) but I think you can see my point. There are some valid claims here, but I don't think hardly anyone had the woe's like Mile High did. It just goes to show that Analysts just don't truely analyze at all. I take it all with a grain of salt.

Hope you enjoyed it, and I hope to get another side-story post up with something a little different. (Though ALL my posts will be stuffed with Bronco Dreams... so if you can't take it, then well... READ IT ANYWAYS! Cause you need it most!)