good read, but who is antonio smith? lol

Antonio smith showed why the Broncos rated him as a high first-rounder. the line was stout, the defense aggressive and the outcome bore a strange sense of inevitability.

They still haven’t taken their respect. I was watching an interview and they were talking about how Cincy looked terrible against the horrible Denver defense.

In the same presentation they gave Denver’s offense the benefit of the doubt because they felt Cincy’s defense was much better than anyone knows.

I guess they are just going to have to go put on more performances like this one.

Tery Bradshaw was about the person that picked Denver to win. During the game the announcers were blaming Cincy for not trying to win. As if Denvers D had nothing to do with it. Afterwards, people claimed that Cincy lost the game rather than Denver win. The giecko play of the day wasn’t Stokley’s touchdown but a average touchdown thrown by the Jets Sanchez. Chris Collingsworth claimed beforehand Denver wasn’t a very good team afterwards he blamed the loss on some Cincy curse.

 The point Denver still has a way to go to get respect.

Thanks for this piece, Bear. Any chance there’s a link to the pre-game pep talk BDawk gave to the troops before yesterday’s game? I heard it was chilling!

Always enjoy your articles Bear, and the times when you point to the heart of the team like this. One of your articles was the first I ever read on MHR and it drew me into this place: a collection of brilliant minds. Great work again, and to all the MHR writers out there: Love and appreciate the thought and effort in everything you guys do for us.

Thanks again!

One question though — wasn’t that actually Cortez who burned his ships so his men wouldn’t try to escape to Cuba?

great read. Just wasted the BDawk video – CHILLS.

In Detroit, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Oakland, et al.

Outrnaysayers and doubters will not begin to change their minds until we beat a real contender. Truth be told, they have every reason to withhold their respect. Who have we beaten? The 4-11-1/0-1 Bungles…next on the docket, the 4-12/0-1 Browns, then the 5-11 faders who will likely also be 0-1 after tonight.

I am pumped because we have beaten a team we should have beaten if we have any hopes for making the playoffs. The real test will arrive in Week 4. The Cowboys are nationally recognized as a “powerhouse” team. Personally, I think they are relatively weak and around about 6-7th best in the NFC, BUT a victory over them will show the mainstream media there is more to the Broncos than beating up on perennial losers…….

Go Broncos!

He seemed to be ascending under his own spell the more he went on (notice the way he flexes his arms). And it says something about him that people can watch him do that from beyond a computer screen and still feel that energy.

I’m not much of a gloater, but I couldn’t resist showing it to my Eagles-supporting little brother, and he immediately lamented the loss of Weapon X. One game in and I’m already sold that bringing him here was one of the best free agency moves McX made.

as i know what bears do in the woods ( or in Green Bay, phew )

(see what i did there ? )

It is journalism like this (thx BroncoBear) that makes MHR not just the best resource for the Denver Broncos on the internet, but maybe the best resource for football fans on the internet.

highly rec’d

To Ocho’s ‘surprise’ yesterday? Or was it when he tweeted ‘WE WON! WAIT…OMG BRANDON STOKELEY JUST RAN 87 YARDS AND WE LOST!’

I was going to try to create a new post for this and expound upon it but since your takes generally good readership I will leech on with a semi-related topic.

The Broncos were always the team picking up loose balls, even dropped/incomplete passes. The coaching staff has programmed the players through the camps that all balls are live, to the point they are doing it in games, with non-live balls. This speaks of just one level of coaching that the team is getting and the reinforcement they must have had in camp that it still carries over on game day.

I love it.

That is one of the best essays I have read in 50 years as an unofficial critic. As the son of an English teacher who himself had strong interest in both literature and philosophy (I inherited over 3000 books on philosophy alone), I just wish he was still here to share the experience. Thank you. Inspiring, literate, and with the ring of the deeper truth that we all know is in this game, but is so rarely expressed as potently, this one is going into my long term collection. Thanks again, and of course, Rec’d.

Bear, have you ever considered a career in motivational speaking?

Great read!

Question for you, I have been looking to buy an inspirational book from an athletes perspective(biography, autobiography, or whatever) Which one would suggest first, any recommendations are appreciated.

I’m richer for the read.

the Bengals go on to win 13 games….for our sake.

You’ve outdone yourself. This was absolutely incredible! The ability to meld the inspiring words of Robert Browning with the inspiring performance in Cincinnati was extraordinary. You, sir, are a wordsmith.

Thank you very much!

Great take, great viewpoint. You sure you didn’t steal all that feel good stuff from Woody Paige or Dave Krieger? YEAH RIGHT!

Dawkins leap int the air like a leopard taking down a gazelle, jumping onto the back of the running back and pile-driving him into the turf

I was saying the same thing to my brother after the game. He is an amazing player, he soars through the air to tackle people. So happy he is on our team, for both his leadership and play. I’m ready to headbutt my computer after watching the video. If that doesn’t get you fired up as a player, I don’t know what will.

Great job as always Bear. Rec’d.

The staff loves to have the challenge of putting together content that matches the knowledge of the members. Glad that folks liked this, though, and thank you again.

It’s not a bad thing to remind people that success in the NFL, as in much of life, isn’t predicated on people giving you respect, but in you being willing to step up to the challenges of earning it. I was truly impressed with the Broncos ability to keep fighting on both sides of the ball. Everyone is great when the job is easy. When it’s a struggle, what’s inside a person tends to come out. We won. Congratulations to the team on a hard-fought victory

Sorry I don´t get to these as fast as everyone else (my job takes me away from the Broncos every day unfortunately), but I want you to know this is one of your better ones.

This is just great reading, after a great game (despite what Dan Patrick says).

Bodhi, aka Patrick Swayze.

I really REALLY enjoyed that game Sunday as well. Nice to see our defense play so well!!! Very nice.

At this point I’ll refrain from any negativity.

This is the way we NEEDED to start this season if this new era is going to be successful. Now let’s build on this and see what happens!
Go Broncos!!

Great Post BB

too, but yeah the Raiders are playing pretty well tonight. Better than they looked on MNF 1st game last year. ;-) They also got totally jobbed on that ruling near end of 1st half.

And did anyone just see a typical Rivers move there just now? Taunting a Raider, what a little {expletive deleted}. Glad to see him get penalized for that.

So, yeah, I don’t know what this game means or proves but a tie would be nice.

I’m stealing that from you, Bear. Wow, what a piece!! If you aren’t a writer by trade, then you had better be awfully good at what you are doing because, if not, you are missing your callilng.

Your words took me back to some potent pregames by an eloquent coach I had the fortune to play for in high school…you are so right about the intangibles…those things that begin to happen because a group of people begin to believe and SEE there belief become faith…it is a beautiful thing to be a part of as a player, a coach (coached hs football for 12 seasons as well) and as the fan of a great and unique franchise like the Broncos and much like being on a team no one knows outside the Bronco Legion what is actually going on…as a Coach later myself I was always tireless at making the team understand that it matters NONE what anyone else outside the locker room doors thinks about you…in good times and bad…they (naysayers or backpatters) really don’t know. I know we as Bronco faithful all saw this new atttitude coming but we were all a little gunshy to step forward I feel…it’s simple; the pieces are there…just needs time…Bear your words are inspring….please keep it up!!!

Can’t go without saying thank you to Rod Smith and Shannon Sharpe for taking it upon themselves to make sure that “little brother Brandon” understands the golden ticket he holds…that was the first sign to me that things are heading to positive karma

wrap-up. Everyone in America outside of Denver saw the “immaculate deflection” as a purely lucky play. Lucky play, true, but Bronco fans should appreciate what it took to get there and make that play matter. The D won a game for us for the first time in the 21st Century, when the offense had a terrible day. Championship teams have one unit that steps up when the others struggle. It’s a long road ahead, but McD’s already showing results – obviously with props to Nolan for resurrecting a demoralized and lost defense.

I should just add that, while Esiason and Shannon were vamping on the Bungles and the Immaculate Deflection, Bill Cowher simply praised outstanding play of the Denver defense, save for the final drive. Given his attitude toward football, I thought it was high praise indeed.

I’m glad to hear that from Cowher – and unsurprised. The man who led the Steelers isn’t easily swayed, so praise from him means more to me than all the petty mutterings of half the rest of the pundits. There are some good ones, to be sure: the others just sit like mocking birds in the eucalyptus, mimicking each other and praising their own babbling. But they make a living at it and I don’t, so in that it’s easy for me to talk. I don’t have any boss to please but my conscience and the membership, so it’s an easy job. I’m very glad that folks are getting something out of it – thank you.

Thanks, Bear. Once again another outstanding article. I love the enthusiasm and optimism on this site. I don’t know how I would’ve made it through the offseason without you guys, and only being able to base my opinions on what those in the MSM say.

Here’s to a great play, lucky or not, and to many more this season. Go Broncos.

LOVED watching Dawks pump up the D like that! Even if he didn’t take down receivers like a lion on a gazelle, his leadership alone is worth the salary! This is a 100% different defense than took the field last year. And watching that video…this is actually just a completely different team. And not just schemes and personnel…the whole culture and attitude is completely different than last year. It’s little things like Bucks wanting to win especially for Josh….the fundamentals that are now always being considered by our guys (Stoks running the clock before stepping home, Orton and the others trying not to celebrate too much so there wouldn’t be a penalty, winning the turn-over margin), and the very end of that post game video Coach and Dawks in a bearhug – that was just fun to see. This is a team again.

..but I was giving a pep talk to our team (losing at half time). We weren’t used to going into a half losing, and I was suprised at how badly the guys seemed to be taking it. I told them that being “tough” doesn’t mean you never get knocked down, it means you keep getting up and you keep swinging at the other guy (I’m sure my language was more course than that though).

But it is the same point. Good teams don’t stop fighting because of a bad play or a bad score. Good teams keep fighting for the win from start to finish. There were plenty of things to be critical of in this game, but I liked the attitude of the players and the effort. Those are things that I haven’t seen for awhile from this team.

I thought it was obvious that Brady is guarding the knee to the detriment of his mechanics. There were lots of other problems – as I said, many of the teams are sloppy at this time of year – but Brady seemed to be one of the worst. His line wasn’t bvery good last season and it hasn’t started out well, either. It’s got to make TB nervous

Watching the chiefs game with the Ravens had me thinking if the Ravens are so great on defense then why did they give up 24 points to the so called lowly chiefs? If we are that bad and we a played a team who is as bad or worse, then we as a team are in deep caca. Which is it I ask? Are we that bad to be lucky enough to hold off a terrible cincy offense for 55 minutes without a score??? I’m confused. So with all that said, then the Ravens must really stink to give up 24 points to the dismal chiefs.

Two of the KC scores were due to turnovers. You give them the ball and good enough field position, and like an NFL team, they can still score