Denver Broncos work out 11 potential 'futures' Tuesday: Horse Tracks

What is the best Christmas movie?

It is really hard to whittle down the Christmas movies into a list of the 3 Best Christmas movies.

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) December 2, 2014

I posed the question on Twitter, to which I received the type of varied responses one might assume for any Top Anything list. People responded to one another, telling each other their picks were terrible. People suggested movies that I hadn't really considered to be Christmas movies, like Lethal Weapon and Gremlins.

Probably the most consistently-responded favorite Christmas movie was National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. That was the one holiday classic where most people seemed to reach a consensus of agreed awesomeness.

@MileHighReport No it isn't. Just watch Christmas Vacation three times!

— Ed Hannan (@ehannan73) December 2, 2014

Confession: I have never seen National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

I know; I know. How can anyone make a list of the best anything when they haven't seen perhaps the best thing? In my defense, everyone has a handful of awesome movies everyone else has seen that they have never taken the time or opportunity to see, for one reason or another. For me, one of those is Christmas Vacation. I've seen plenty of the other Griswold adventures - some of them more than once. I've seen plenty of Christmas movies, many of them more than once (A Christmas Story never gets old, despite TBS' Christmas-day attempts to make it so). But for one reason or another, I've never seen Christmas Vacation. Thanks to Twitter, that's a lapse I plan to rectify in the very near future.

In the meantime, my list of The 3 Best Christmas movies (and the fact that I haven't seen CV should not mean you take this list lightly) is:

3. It's a Wonderful Life
2. Die Hard
1. A Christmas Story

Give me your list in the comments!

Merry Christmas, everyone! RT @boltfanindenver: pic.twitter.com/GT1xrNwzcc

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) December 2, 2014

Tuesday at Dove Valley

A little crowded at Dove Valley today as #Broncos took a look at potential "futures'' signees for later -- 7 DBs, 2 LBs, 1 DT and 1 DE

— Jeff Legwold (@Jeff_Legwold) December 2, 2014

Anyone else curious about the fact that seven of these guys are defensive backs? Are the Broncos looking for the next Chris Harris Jr. in advance of his free agency?

I have a better idea, Denver: sign Chris Harris Jr.

Trolling Kyle Orton

Kyle Orton: The Greatest Quarterback That No One Wants - WSJ
Among quarterbacks that have started for five or more teams, Kyle Orton’s numbers are near the top.

Bills QB Kyle Orton not greatly responsible for Sunday win : Fantasy News
Orton finished 17 of 31 for 190 yards and a 3-yard touchdown pass off a rollout right to tight end Chris Hogan midway through the third quarter that was set up by a 34-yard strike to a tightly covered Robert Woods. But Orton also tossed two incerceptions, including one in the end zone with the Bills six yards from paydirt and another on a silly throw to a blanketed Sammy Watkins early in the third.

Kyle Orton is coming to Denver. Let's rank the Broncos' top* QBs - The Denver Post
The Broncos and Peyton Manning are in prime position for a playoff run. But Kyle Orton is standing in Denver's way.

Horse Tracks

I joined Brandon Spano on Mile High Sports radio in Denver again this week, talking about the Broncos "on cloud nine." Check out Spano's podcasts page for interviews with C.J. Anderson and Harris Jr.

We all know the Broncos have a renewed commitment to the ground game over the past few weeks. Cecil Lammey really slams it home in his latest.

Good things can from a loss, like a commitment to the run game (via @cecillammey) #Broncos http://t.co/yb4QxHC002 pic.twitter.com/jKDCIJqB0V

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) December 3, 2014

Broncos' Chris Harris says defense came together against Chiefs - The Denver Post
"Last night was the first time we really showed that as a team," Harris said.

Denver Broncos hoping to finish season with a flurry - ESPN
"This was our best game on defense, maybe other than the San Francisco game (a 42-17 Broncos win in October)," defensive end DeMarcus Ware said. "And overall, offense, defense, the special teams, it showed what we can do across the board, how we need to play. Now it's on us not to do it once and leave it at that. We have to do it every week."

Upon Further Review: Broncos-Chiefs
David Bruton's fake punt and some well-timed blitzes highlight the look back at a resounding Broncos win.

Denver Broncos film review: Defense and special teams - ESPN
The Chiefs clearly believed if a play worked once in Missouri against the Broncos, it could work again. When quarterback Alex Smith tried to hit Donnie Avery on a deep ball down the middle on Kansas City’s first play from scrimmage, it was a direct match to the play the St. Louis Rams ran two games earlier for a 63-yard touchdown pass from Shaun Hill to Kenny Britt. The Chiefs broke the huddle with Dwayne Bowe moving to join Avery on the offensive right of the formation with De'Anthony Thomas lined up wide left. But as they lined up Bowe quickly moved to left side of the formation, leaving Avery solo right. But Harris, who matched up with Bowe for the remainder of the game, did not go with Bowe, staying with Avery instead. Thomas went in motion before the snap and Avery ran the same route Britt did before, but Harris ran stride for stride on the incompletion. "I had Bowe and he went to the left and I stayed," Harris Jr. said. "I tried to go over there, but I didn’t have enough time and that kind of messed them up."

QB snapshot: Denver Broncos Peyton Manning - ESPN
And the combination of 45 rushing attempts as compared to Manning’s 34 pass attempts Sunday night is well worth attention. In Manning’s tenure, the Broncos’ commitment to the run game, because of what the scoreboard said or the team’s supreme confidence in its historical gifts in the passing game, has wavered between ornamental at times to cursory in others.

As defense returns to form, Knighton's play key
After some recent road woes and slow starts, the defense got back to their normal selves, helped by some significant plays from Terrance Knighton.

Bonus: Knighton free-styles during Derek Wolfe's mic'ed up

Video: Broncos Done Good, Done Bad: Week 13 - Denver - Scout
Brandon Perna is back with SFW goodness. "You can say Connor Barth done good... but I could have made 4 of the field goals he made."

Asked about Florida, Josh McDaniels is on to San Diego | ProFootballTalk
(Nearly a moot point now, but...) The University of Florida may be interested in Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, or they may not be. Either way, he's on to San Diego. According to Phil Perry of CSNNE.