Tebow-led comeback falls short; Chargers edge Broncos 33-28 - The Denver Post
Needing defeat to secure the No. 2 overall draft pick, the Broncos found a game in which they could come through.
The worst is over: Broncos' comeback comes up short in season finale - The Denver Post
Here's hoping this terrible Broncos season is a memory that never repeats itself. It will go down as the worst in franchise history, with a combination of dreadful play on the field — the team lost 12 games for the first time — and plenty of embarrassment off it.
Paige: Broncos can't forget why they fell - The Denver Post
"Disappointment," said Joe Ellis, who has been the frontman for Bowlen and the Broncos during the turbulent times of the past 12 months. "Pat and I feel disappointed not only about the 4-12 record, but about everything that's happened on and off the field. We've got to clean it up. But everybody in the organization will work to restore the Broncos to where the franchise belongs."
Kiszla: New coach must learn to wear Tebow ties - The Denver Post
Can anyone say with 100 percent certainty Tebow has any better shot of leading the Broncos to the Super Bowl than Brian Griese, Jake Plummer or Jay Cutler, who all fell short of the only football goal that really matters in Colorado?
John Elway to scout Stanford's Jim Harbaugh at Orange Bowl? - The Denver Post
Elway, who will be announced Wednesday as the new boss of the Broncos' football operations, will attend the Orange Bowl game tonight.
Broncomaniacs keep the faith even in hard times - The Denver Post
Excitement about young quarterback Tim Tebow, the upcoming hiring of a new head coach and John Elway's addition as a club executive "has us believing we're going to see a powerful organization again," Larry Hudson of Lyons said. "I haven't been this excited since John Elway (joined the franchise in 1983). We watch him from Day One to his last day, and I want to do the same with Tim Tebow.
Analysis: Broncos' season turned on defense - The Denver Post
Sunday, the Broncos concluded their 12th season since their last NFL title and finished with the 32-team league's 32nd-ranked defense in yards allowed. The Broncos also were 32nd in points allowed, 32nd in sacks and tied for 30th in interceptions.
Bailey's future unsettled entering crucial offseason - The Denver Post
hey could always franchise Champ Bailey. It would cost the Broncos at least $15 million for the 2011 season — 20 percent on top of the $12.5 million he made this year, not including his workout bonus.
Philip Rivers confident Chargers can win the AFC West next season - The Denver Post
With their 33-28 victory over the Broncos on Sunday at Invesco Field at Mile High, the Chargers finished the season with the top-rated offense and defense in the NFL.
What they said: Studesville bids fond farewell to Broncos - The Denver Post
"I love these guys in that locker room... That group in there, this is probably the last time we're together." —Broncos coach Eric Studesville on the season finale.
Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos to get top 2 picks in NFL draft - ESPN
The Carolina Panthers will have the top pick of the NFL draft after losing their season finale Sunday to the Atlanta Falcons.
The Ravens' palatable playoff draw, coaching ins & outs, more Snaps - Don Banks - SI.com
Musings, observations and the occasional insight as we take in a 16-game NFL Sunday in which 16 teams entered game No. 16 with their Super Bowl chances still alive ...
NFL playoff field, draft order set; coaching carousel begins to spin - Peter King - SI.com
On the day Brett Favre said goodbye (again, and this time he won't be coming back), it was such a back-burner story. That's because we realize how good the National Football League is at creating new stories. Maybe that's why we never get sick of the NFL. It's never boring. This is what was created, and the people you have to know now, in the final week of the NFL's 91st season:
Behind the Mic presented by Allstate - SI.com
Howie Long on Tim Tebow
Packers, Falcons reflect before moving forward - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
Charles Woodson(notes) had just helped push the Green Bay Packers into the postseason, sending them headlong into a confrontation with a monster they helped create. He couldn’t help but laugh at the surreal symmetry of it all.
Seattle is first division champ with losing record - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
Leave it to Pete Carroll to find a connection between the BCS and the NFL’s playoff structure.
John Clayton examines the AFC playoff picture - ESPN
Their untimely, 31-10 loss to the Oakland Raiders may have made their first trip to the playoffs since 2006 that much tougher. The Chiefs, the No. 4 seed, host the Baltimore Ravens at 1 p.m. ET next Sunday, a tougher matchup than if Kansas City ended up as the No. 3 seed and hosted the New York Jets.
Tennessee Titans players want Jeff Fisher to return; coach wants to stay - ESPN
Tennessee's players want Jeff Fisher to remain their coach, and Fisher wants to finish his career with the Titans.
Tom Cable unlikely to return to Oakland Raiders in 2011, sources say - ESPN
Tom Cable is unlikely to return as the Oakland Raiders' head coach in 2011, league sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
Sources: Marvin Lewis of Cincinnati Bengals wants changes to stay - ESPN
People who have spoken to Marvin Lewis say that, as much as he'd like to stay in Cincinnati as the Bengals' coach, he believes it's time to move on from his current job -- unless the team makes changes it has been unwilling to make for years.
Updated first-round draft order - NFL Nation Blog - ESPN
Updated NFL Draft Order