Horse Tracks: The toughest games left on Broncos schedule

When the Denver Broncos' 2014 schedule was initially released, the two toughest games were easily thought to be at Seattle and at New England.

One down, one... to breeze through?

Perspectives have changed following Tom Brady and the Patriots' epic crashing-down-to-earth on Monday Night. CBS Denver lists the five toughest games remaining on the Broncos' schedule and puts Denver's Foxboro game as fifth on the list. San Diego's home game later in the year takes the top spot, while this week's tilt against the Cardinals comes in at a respectable #2.

Frankly, I think this list is ridiculously wrong - all of those road games are still going to be tough sledding for the Broncos, and while the Cardinals are good, the Cardinals are in Denver. What does your Toughest Remaining Games list look like?

Broncos vs. Cardinals

Denver Broncos have plenty of hills still to climb - ESPN
"The last three weren’t exactly cupcakes,’’ Broncos coach John Fox said this week when asked about what's coming on the docket. "I think when we looked at the schedule, six out of the first eight were playoff teams from a year ago and the team coming to town [this Sunday] somehow didn’t make the playoffs. Obviously it was the rules but they were 10-6, very, very good football team that’s sitting at 3-0.’’

Ron Jaworski savors play of Terrance Knighton - The Denver Post
"He's an agile, 300-plus guy, and you don't find too many other ones like that," said Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib, who played the past two seasons with the New England Patriots. "I only know one other one: Vincent Wilfork. You get your name mentioned in the same vein as Vince Wilfork, you're on the right path."

Arizona Cardinals hope disguises fool Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning - ESPN
The arduous task of disguising the coverages, blitzes and schemes well enough to fool Manning will be left up to defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, who has coached against the quarterback five times, beating him just once. But Bowles-coached secondaries have figured out something about Manning. They’ve intercepted him seven times while allowing just eight touchdown passes -- never more than two in a game.

Broncos face tough choices in pass defense - Denver Broncos Blog - ESPN
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- For the Denver Broncos, the Arizona Cardinals will present an odd mix in the preparation for Sunday's game in Sports Authority Fie

Arizona Cardinals 3-0 start: By The Numbers
Arizona Cardinals 3-0 start: By The Numbers - Cardinals Stories - Arizona Sports Now on 98.7 FM

Mile High Sports | Murderer’s row schedule a good thing for Broncos
In short, Denver is going to have a long, grueling trek through a veritable murderer’s row to get to the playoffs. And it’s about time.

Early impressions of the Cardinals
Head Coach John Fox and players talk about facing the undefeated Arizona Cardinals.

Denver Broncos will allow Arizona Cardinals to avoid bye-week hangover - ESPN
TEMPE, Ariz. -- This week would be different for the Arizona Cardinals if almost any other team was next up on the schedule. But they’re prepar

Broncos Cheerleaders Japan Travel Journal
Denver Broncos cheerleaders Michelle and Kisa report on their travels to Japan visiting Tokyo and as representatives at a travel conference.

NFL

NFL power rankings, Week 5: Chargers, Lions move up while Panthers, Saints tumble - SBNation.com
The fourth week of the 2014 NFL season featured multiple surprises and a few crazy finishes. SB Nation's weekly power rankings take stock of where things stand at the season's quarter pole.

Brain disease found in 76 of 79 NFL players examined in study - SBNation.com
A study conducted by a well-regarded brain depository found a heavy prevalence of brain disease in deceased former professional players.

AFC West Rundown: Week 5
While the Broncos had their bye week last week, take a look at how their AFC West rivals fared.

Analysis Notebook: Week 4 | ProFootballFocus.com
What is wrong with Tom Brady in 2014? Sam Monson revisits the Top 5 controversy and has a look at what the tape shows.

Week 4 DVOA Ratings | Football Outsiders
Cincinnati remains on top of the Football Outsiders DVOA ratings after taking Week 4 off. In fact, the three teams on top of our ratings all had last week off, but Seattle and Denver closed the gap on the Bengals thanks to the introduction this week of opponent adjustments.

The NFL's dumb rules led to Husain Abdullah being penalized - SBNation.com
The NFL made a mistake and didn't recognize Husain Abdullah was praying. It did so because its rules are unwieldy and judgment is left to humans trying to process a dumb rule in real time.

J.J. Watt wins Hoss of the Week honors - SBNation.com
This week's winner was an easy choice. However, Watt's contributions that didn't show up on the stat sheet are what earned him the coveted Hoss of the Week trophy.

Draft Watch, Week 5: Focused up front
Iowa's Brandon Scherff looks like the best senior offensive lineman in this year's class.