Denver Broncos News: Horse Tracks - 11/17/10

Q&A: Broncos' Mays likely to get more playing time - The Denver Post
Q: Broncos linebacker Joe Mays looked terrific in the game Sunday. It was great to see No. 51 flying around there. Can you provide some background on Joe, and do you think we will be seeing more of him on Sundays and specifically the Monday night game against the Chargers?

Vick is electrifying, but still hard to cheer for - The Denver Post
Conflicted. That's a good word to describe my feelings about Eagles quarterback Michael Vick.

Broncos Mailbag: "What's with the face-wash thing?" - The Denver Post
Mike - What's with the face-wash thing Brandon Lloyd and Jabar Gaffney do after every catch? It looked just as stupid when Dwayne Bowe did it (mockingly) after he scored and they were only down by three TDs as it did when Lloyd made a big gain against the Raiders down 4 TDs. -- Brandon Lende, Hibbing, Minn.

Broncos' McDaniels, Chiefs' Haley try to play down non-handshake - The Denver Post
Here in Denver and 600 miles away in Kansas City, two NFL head coaches tried to diffuse talk of a feud after a non-handshake following the Broncos' 49-29 victory against the Chiefs on Sunday at Invesco Field at Mile High.

NFL.com Blogs " Blog Archive Vick has played himself into MVP conversation "
After watching Michael Vick on Monday night, if there was ever any doubt that he’s an MVP candidate, it was erased in a hurry.

NFL.com news: Bengals among league's biggest disappointments
After watching the Cincinnati Bengals stumble and bumble yet somehow manage to still be in a game with five turnovers against the Colts -- they eventually lost 23-17 -- all I could think about was how disappointing they are: In the same class as the Cowboys and Vikings to be exact.

NFL.com news: McNabb's deal has out clause, but Redskins unlikely to use it
Very little has been straightforward about Washington Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb this season, including his new five-year, $78 million contract.

NFL.com news: Giants sign WR Hagan, place Barden on injured reserve
The New York Giants have signed wide receiver Derek Hagan and placed Ramses Barden on injured reserve.

NFL.com Blogs " Blog Archive McNabb responded right way to Shanahan "
I trust in Mike Shanahan – his coaching, his system and what he can get out of a quarterback — enough to know that signing Donovan McNabb to an extension was the right move for the Redskins.

Pittsburgh Steelers cut erratic kicker Jeff Reed, sign Shaun Suisham - ESPN
For eight years, the Steelers tolerated Jeff Reed's off-field incidents and had no issues with his platinum-dyed hair and quirkiness. What they couldn't forgive were his misses.

Sources: Union gives 18-game counterproposal - ESPN
Lukewarm to a proposed 18-game regular-season format by NFL owners, the NFL Players Association nevertheless has made what it says is a "good-faith" counterproposal that addresses the player safety risks incumbent with an expanded season.

NFL looking into alleged spitting incident during Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins game - ESPN
The NFL is looking into Eagles center Mike McGlynn's accusation that Redskins safety LaRon Landry spit at him.

Mark Sanchez says calf OK, will play for New York Jets Sunday - ESPN New York
Mark Sanchez's injured right calf didn't keep him off the field against the Cleveland Browns. And the starting quarterback for the New York Jets doesn't expect that to change this Sunday when the Houston Texans invade the Meadowlands to take on Gang Green.

Minnesota Vikings' Pat Williams, 38, hopes to keep playing - ESPN
"Big Pat" says he wants to come back.

NFC East High Energy Player of the Week - NFC East Blog - ESPN
Since I dedicated my column last night to Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick and his remarkable performance against the Washington Redskins, let's go with Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant for our prestigious High Energy Player of the Week.

Coaching session: blitz techniques | National Football Post
Previously, we talked about the techniques required to play man-coverage on Sundays in the NFL. Feet, eyes, route recognition, wide receiver splits, etc. Today, let’s spend some time talking about blitz techniques. Think of players such as the Steelers’ Troy Polamalu or the Packers’ Charles Woodson—defensive backs that get to the quarterback on a regular basis. What are they doing and what can we learn by studying them on tape?

One wild weekend wrap-up | National Football Post
Michael Vick and the Eagles obliterated the Redskins last night 59-28 in front of a national television audience and most of their peers. Along the way, Vick + Co. amassed 592 total yards with the Philly QB accounting for 6 TDs (4 passing and 2 running) and 413 yards of offense. This performance by Vick specifically will reverberate for some time as it is touted as "historic," "mind numbing" or "a game changer." But what we all saw last night, besides more than a little bad defense, was a gifted player who has taken his job seriously as a craft and who is now able to unleash an amazing set of individual talents.

Time away from kickoffs made Devin Hester a better returner | National Football Post
The Chicago Bears turned to their secret weapon this past Sunday in their victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

Donovan's deal: why and why now | National Football Post
When the perennially aggressive Washington Redskins traded for Donovan McNabb on Easter night, my strong expectation was that a new contract for McNabb may have already been negotiated or at least in the works.

How do you stop Vick? | National Football Post
Let’s spend some time talking about Michael Vick this morning after he racked up six total touchdowns in the Eagles’ 59-28 win over the ‘Skins at Fed Ex Field on Monday night—because I want to figure out how to stop him.

49ers looking for a new kicker for the time being | National Football Post
The San Francisco 49ers will sign a kicker this week to take the place of Joe Nedney, who is expected to sit out with what is being called a strain in his right knee, the plant leg for his kicks.

Colts rule out Bob Sanders, re-sign Chip Vaughn | National Football Post
The Indianapolis Colts ruled out defensive back Bob Sanders as he continues to rehabilitate his biceps injury following surgery.

Spanos looking to sell 35 percent of Chargers | National Football Post
San Diego Chargers majority owner Alex Spanos is ailing and has hired Goldman Sachs to unload a minority share of the team.

Browns adding Clifton Smith to roster | National Football Post
The Cleveland Browns signed cornerback Eric King and former Pro Bowl kick returner Clifton Smith, placing offensive lineman Billy Yates on injured reserve with a biceps injury.

NFL playoff picture after Week 10, if playoffs started today - Don Banks - SI.com
You usually have to parse his words in a postgame setting to glean even so much as a nugget of useful information, but leave it to Bill Belichick late Sunday night to offer the only summation that truly fits this most unpredictable of NFL seasons.

New England Patriots' Bill Belichick doing his best coaching job - Dan Shaughnessy - SI.com
Bill Belichick has won three Super Bowls. He coached a team that went 18-0 and came within a couple of minutes of winning a fourth Super Bowl. He has a place in Canton, Ohio, when his coaching days are over.

Philadelphia QB Michael Vick plays watershed role in Eagles' record-breaking night - Jim Trotter - SI.com
On a night when Donovan McNabb signed a potential $78 million extension with the Redskins, Eagles counterpart Michael Vick played like the quarterback more deserving of a megadeal.

Unsure about Jimmy Clausen, Panthers promote QB Brian St. Pierre - NFL - SI.com
nsure of Jimmy Clausen's status because of a concussion, the Carolina Panthers have promoted quarterback Brian St. Pierre from the practice squad.