Paige: C.J. Anderson, Bradley Roby

come up big for Broncos in win over

Raiders

By Woody Paige

The Denver Post

November 9, 2014

OAKLAND, calif. —In less than a minute, two yearlings grew into full-fledged

Broncos.

Bradley Roby, 21, and Contrell Javon Anderson, 22, saved what had begun as a

dismal day by the Bay.

With halftime approaching and the discombobulated Broncos trailing the wretched

Raiders 10-7 — "Just win once, baby" — the rookie Roby pulled off an acrobatic

interception at the Denver 47-yard line. Seconds later, Anderson, an afterthought

on a pass play, made a tough catch and broke out of five tackles and zigged,

zagged and zipped for 51 yards and a touchdown that would transform a tense

state of affairs into a stampede.

Wild, wild horses, the Rolling Stones sang.

"That's what I play for, to make the big plays and help us win," Roby said.

The initial guy, C.J., said: "I feel blessed. This is what I've prepared hard for. We all

want to be like Peyton (Manning) and Wes (Welker) some day."

This day.

The first-round cornerback of 2014 and the free agent running back from 2013 —

neither 18 hands high — are now joined at the tip and standing tall.

Manning called Anderson's reception and run "as fine a play as I've seen so far this

season ...It could have easily been a catch for minus-2 yards or something. The

next thing you know he breaks the tackle. I don't know how many guys he made

miss. Truly an incredible effort play."

And Roby's effort on the interception was equally remarkable. The pass from

Oakland's young quarterback was a Carr wreck. Derek's ball fluttered and flapped.

"I don't know if it was tipped or wobbly, but I mistimed my jump and had to try to

stay in the air long enough and reach back past my shoulder. That's a pick I've got

to make," Roby said.

Great hang time, I said.

"Yeah, I like that description. I'm athletic. You have to be an athlete to play in the

secondary."

But cornerbacks would be wide receivers if they could catch the ball better. "Wide

receivers would be cornerbacks if they could defend and tackle," Roby replied. "We

must be better than receivers."

Up until Roby's interception, the Broncos looked as sorry as the Raiders, who

haven't won in their past 15 games. The Broncos were in hangover mode after the

loss at New England.

Roby was beat by his friend and former teammate Brice Butler for a touchdown

early in the second quarter, and the Broncos were behind 10-6. Uh-oh.

But Roby made his third big play of the season. He deflected the pass on the Colts'

final play in the season opener. He intercepted a pass by Tom Brady a week ago.

"The Broncos showed so much faith by drafting me, and I'm doing everything I can

to prove they made the right decision," he said.

Anderson wasn't drafted by anybody last year. He impressed everybody in Denver,

though, in the exhibitions before getting hurt. This year he had virtually fallen off

the radar. He was fourth on the depth chart until injuries to others gave him a

chance.

"I practice every day as if I'm going to get a chance. I thought I might play some

on third down in this game," he said.

For that reason he bought 40 tickets for family and friends in his town of Vallejo,

Calif., 25 miles up I-80. The folks from back home were in for a shock.

Anderson was inserted early and often and finished with 13 carries for 90 yards and

seven catches for 73 yards, including that touchdown you normally only see in high

school highlights.

"I don't have the speed of Ronnie (Hillman) or the size of the other guys, but I

make the best of what I've got," he said.

He runs hard and fast, like a bronco.

On the reception he thought because the linebackers had deepened, Manning might

check down to him, but he hadn't finished his route when the ball was on him like a

mortgage payment. "You're not allowed to miss that one. I couldn't hear the crowd.

I wasn't thinking about anything except just keep running and hang on."

"C.J. was sensational," Roby said.

At the other end of the locker room Anderson said his touchdown "wouldn't have

happened if Bradley hadn't made such a great interception." Reciprocal admiration

from two bright, clever, gifted players.

The Broncos' future was present Sunday.

C.J. and Bradley, Anderson and Roby, are grown-up Broncos now.

Broncos turn slow start into blowout win

vs. Raiders

By Mike Klis

The Denver Post

November 9, 2014

OAKLAND — — John Elway once had a rocket arm, lately has displayed a magic

touch, and is now showing potential as a motivational speaker.

The Broncos' general manager and former quarterback addressed his Broncos in a

full team meeting Wednesday. The gist of his message: You guys are 6-2, but

you're coasting. Elway spoke about how the room was bursting with talent. But

more accountability and discipline would be needed if that talent would be

nourished into a championship.

Boss Elway had spoken. The Broncos then went out and played terrible offensive

football for 27 minutes against the hapless, winless Oakland Raiders.

Hey, if speeches and meetings always worked, they'd have them a couple times a

week.

The Broncos eventually would rally behind some young, unexpected contributors

and whip the Raiders, 41-17 on a spectacularly warm and sunny Sunday afternoon

in November at O.co Coliseum, which is code for The Black Hole.

But any credit going Elway's way should be for his role as football operations

executive, not orator.

With the clock ticking down to the 3-minute mark in the first half, Broncos

quarterback Peyton Manning was struggling. His revamped offensive line was

allowing considerable push in his pocket, the Raiders' linemen were tipping his

passes and Manning threw two interceptions that led to 10 Raiders points.

The inept Raiders were leading 10-6. They had third-and-2 at their 40 with 3:37 left

in the half, a good situation to take control when

Bradley Roby, the Broncos' rookie cornerback whom Elway selected with his first-

round draft pick, stepped in front of a pass thrown by Raiders rookie quarterback

Derek Carr.

It was turning point No. 1. Turning point No. 2 came three plays later. The Broncos

were facing third-and-8 when Manning dumped the ball off to C.J. Anderson, a

seldom-used running back whom the Broncos signed as an undrafted rookie out of

the University of California-Berkeley.

Anderson was hit immediately and punter Britton Colquitt wouldn't have been

blamed if he started running on to the field. Instead, Anderson broke the tackle,

maneuvered his way down the left sideline for a first down, then cut back right and

ran all the way across the field until he reached the far side of the end zone for a

51-yard touchdown catch-and-run. And run and run.

Anderson's incredible individual effort gave the Broncos a 13-10 lead and they

never to trailed again. The Raiders continued on with their 0-9 comedy show while

Manning settled down to lead the rout everyone had expected.

With 1:40 left in the half, Anderson burst through nice holes formed by a revised

line that included new starting center Will Montgomery, and a shift in positions by

Manny Ramirez (from center to right guard) and Louis Vasquez (from right guard to

right tackle).

Anderson gained 17 and 12 yards on his two runs and Manning took it from there.

With 28 seconds left in the half, Manning threw one of his perfect-touch beauties to

Emmanuel Sanders for a 32-yard touchdown play.

Then to start the second half, Carr panicked and dumped a pass to, of all people,

right tackle Khalif Barnes. Reacting as only an offensive lineman can, Barnes

started running with the ball. When he was whacked by Broncos defensive lineman

Malik Jackson, Barnes fumbled and Chris Harris recovered.

It didn't take long for Manning to throw a well-designed 10-yard slant-and-pick

touchdown pass to tight end Julius Thomas. The Broncos were up 27-10.

The Broncos' next drive finished with another touchdown. This time the Broncos

lured the Oakland defense in by going for it on fourth-and-1 from the Raiders' 32. A

play-action left Thomas wide open in the flat to take the pass and ramble in for his

second touchdown in two drives, and NFL-best 12th touchdown of the season.

Manning threw his fifth touchdown pass of the game, second to Sanders, with 1:01

left in the third quarter

In the span of 16 minutes, 43 seconds of game clock, the Broncos outscored the

Raiders, 35-0. That's not coasting. That's pouring it on.

As for Elway's midweek talk, it was clear Denver's defense got the message.

Through three quarters, with the Broncos leading 41-10 and Manning giving way to

Brock Osweiler for some fourth-quarter work, the Raiders had only six first downs

and 113 yards of offense.

Carr has a strong arm and decent mobility, but his inexperienced, quarterback

aptitude left him with no chance against a Broncos defense that matched its talent

with a dominating performance.

Broncos' offensive line shift pays

dividends in victory at Oakland

By Mike Klis

The Denver Post

November 9, 2014

OAKLAND — —At 6-foot-5, 335 pounds, Louis Vasquez doesn't look like a guy who

gets intimidation.

Still, he made a rather frightening move Sunday when he shifted from right guard,

where he was so comfortable he was named All Pro last season, to right tackle, a

position on the edge where it's just him against the opponents' best pass rushers.

"You can't play this game being scared," Vasquez said. "I learned that at an early

age. You play scared you're going to get hurt or not play very well."

The Broncos mixed up their dance partners along their offensive line for their AFC

West game Sunday against the Oakland Raiders. Will Montgomery, a starter the

previous 3 ½ seasons for Mike Shanahan in Washington, became Peyton Manning's

new snapper.

Was Montgomery rusty?

"No, I'm kind of like a bottle of wine," Montgomery said, smiling. "I get better with

time."

As Montgomery went into center, Manny Ramirez moved from center to right guard

and Vasquez went from right guard to right tackle.

Paul Cornick, who started at right tackle the previous three games, did not play

against the Raiders because of a shoulder injury that occurred during the Broncos'

practice Wednesday. The re-alignment up front had taken place during the week of

practice before Cornick suffered his injury.

"Have to do what's best for the team," Vasquez said. "Not even thinking about it.

The coaches made the move that they felt was best for the team and you got to

ride with it."

The Broncos made the move because they had been dissatisfied with their running

game as a whole and right tackle in particular. They entered this game ranked 26th

in the league with 3.7 yards per carry. They were much more efficient Sunday as

backup running back C.J. Anderson ran for 90 yards on 13 carries, a 6.9-yard

average.

"Any time you mix it up it's going to take a while to come together," Vasquez said.

"What's good is that Manny and I are still next to each other. We still play well

together and we added a guy in the middle with experience. We'll get better the

more reps we get."

Briefs: Ben Garland's debut perfect

timing for Broncos

Mike Klis and Troy E. Renck

The Denver Post

November 10, 2014

OAKLAND, Calif. —Peyton Manning threw five more touchdown passes. C.J.

Anderson had a breakout game with a total of 163 yards rushing and receiving. And

backup guard Ben Garland wore the biggest smile in the Broncos' locker room.

As the nation celebrates military veterans this weekend and through Tuesday, it

was fitting that Garland, a former Air Force Academy star, played in his first NFL

game Sunday against the Oakland Raiders.

"That was awesome," Garland said. "That my first game came on service day, that

meant a little more to me."

Garland, 26, graduated in 2010 from the Air Force Academy, where he was a

defensive tackle. He signed with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent, then spent

his next two years serving a military commitment.

He returned to the Broncos in 2012 and spent two years on their practice squad —

one as a defensive lineman, the second as a converted guard on offense.

Garland made the Broncos' season-opening, 53-man roster this year but was

inactive through the first eight games. He played Sunday not because of his military

ties — he continues to serve with the Colorado Air National Guard — but because

the Broncos need him as their lone backup guard and to play on special teams.

In previous games, Will Montgomery was the Broncos' backup center and guard,

but he made a start Sunday.

Osweiler in action. With the Broncos leading 41-10 after the third quarter, Broncos

coach John Fox pulled Manning and let backup QB Brock Osweiler play the fourth

quarter.

Broncos guard Ben Garland will play in

first NFL game on Military Appreciation

Day

By Mike Klis

The Denver Post

November 9, 2014

OAKLAND — As our nation celebrates military veterans this weekend and through

Tuesday, it’s only fitting that former Air Force Academy standout Ben Garland will

dress and play in his first NFL game here Sunday against the Oakland Raiders.

Garland, 26, graduated from Air Force, where he was a defensive tackle, in 2010,

signed with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent, then spent his next two years

serving a military commitment. He returned to the Broncos in 2012 and spent two

years on their practice squad — one as a defensive lineman, the second as a

converted offensive guard.

Garland made the Broncos’ season-opening 53-man roster this year but has been

inactive through the first eight games. He is playing today not because of his

military ties — he continues to serve with the Colorado Air National Guard — but

because the Broncos need him as their lone backup guard and to play special

teams.

In previous games, Will Montgomery was the Broncos’ backup center/guard but he

is starting Sunday. That Garland gets his chance as the NFL celebrates the military

this weekend is a happy coincidence.

Hochman: Peyton Manning gets the last

laugh (sorry, Brock)

By Benjamin Hochman

The Denver Post

November 9, 2014

OAKLAND, Calif. — This was it, the kid's big moment, a chance to play in a real NFL

game! Denver led Oakland 41-10 late in the third quarter Sunday, so backup

quarterback Brock Osweiler scurried to the bench, took off his ball cap and was

about to put on his helmet ... when he spotted Peyton Manning, jogging onto the

field.

Really? Really?

Osweiler was reduced to throwing a hand into the air.

This is how good things had become for Manning — just yearning to get back out

there and keep on stickin' it to Charles Woodson and the Raiders, scoreboard,

schmoreboard. (He'll never say it, but I bet Peyton still holds a grudge against

Woodson for swiping his Heisman Trophy.) In the third quarter, Manning was 11-

for-12 for 131 yards and two touchdowns.

That makes you forget just how spectacularly mortal Manning had looked early in

the game. He looked, dare I say, human. A week ago, Manning threw an untimely

interception against New England but also notched 438 passing yards. After which,

he said he "stunk." Then what was this Sunday's first half? Thunder the horse after

a bucket of beans?

Manning threw two interceptions in the early going, received an intentional

grounding penalty, botched some passes that forced Denver to settle for field goals,

had four passes batted down and most bonkers of all, played so regularly that

Raiders fans actually had reason to cheer.

Should we be worried that Manning actually stunk for a half against a terrible team?

Or is it a testament to Manning and the coaching staff for figuring things out,

finding a rhythm and burying the Raiders in the third quarter? I say the latter. It's

good to grow in moments like these, and Manning, teammates said afterward,

remained even-keeled on the sideline. And the Broncos proved that on the road (I

know it was just the Raiders), they could grind and thrive when Manning was

mediocre.

Oh, and when Denver needed a big play, it didn't have to come from Manning. On

this day, it came from running back C.J. Anderson, who suddenly looked like former

Raider Bo Jackson, running for a 51-yard score while flying past seven Oakland

defenders, three Raiderettes and rapper Too $hort.

"That play really gave us a spark," Manning said after the 41-17 victory against the

winless Raiders. "The whole sideline was fired up."

We know what happened next. Perhaps receiver Emmanuel Sanders said it best:

"We got back to the Broncos' offense that I know. We just made adjustments.

Obviously when you come out, you've got to wait and see what card they're

playing. It took us a little while to see it, and after we started making adjustments,

things started clicking."

So, wait, what were the adjustments?

"Just the play-calling," Sanders said. "I'm not saying he was calling bad plays, but

their defensive coordinator was making some good checks, based off the calls we

were doing. So we had to make an adjustment."

What was happening early? Well, without blocking tight end Virgil Green playing,

Denver was forced to often go with three wideouts. In addition, Manning had three

offensive linemen playing in new spots, and there were numerous false starts. And,

yes, Peyton Williams Manning actually made some poor decisions.

But then, he was back. Peyton's third quarter reminded me of that Doug Williams

second quarter in Super Bowl XXII, when the Washington quarterback essentially

ended the game by halftime. When Manning had tossed his fifth touchdown, this

game was essentially over. But in the most-Peyton Manning thing ever, Peyton

Manning trotted out to get some more snaps, late in the third quarter.

Mercifully, when the third quarter ended, Denver put in the kid.

Julius Thomas back running pass routes,

and catching TDs

By Troy E. Renck

The Denver Post

November 9, 2014

OAKLAND, Calif. — Julius Thomas jogged around the field two hours before the

game Sunday. He looked like a defensive end, and ran like a power forward.

Squinting isn't necessary to understand why teams struggle to cover the Broncos 6-

foot-5, 250-pound tight end.

But for that matchup to be exploited, he needs to actually run pass routes. Broncos

offensive coordinator Adam Gase blamed himself last week for Thomas' mysterious

disappearance against the Patriots. With backup tight end Virgil Green sidelined

with a calf injury, Thomas was employed as a blocker more than a receiver.

It's akin to asking Mick Jagger to play bass guitar.

Back in patterns, Thomas resumed his assault on the record books Sunday. He

hauled in two touchdown passes, giving him 12. If that seems like an unusually

high number, it is. It ties him with five players for the most receiving touchdowns

after nine games. Ever.

Bill Groman first accomplished it in 1961. Randy Moss last pulled it off in 2007 with

the Patriots.

"I wasn't thinking about numbers. We just needed a win," said Thomas, who

finished with 63 yards on six catches. "We know that we will make big plays and

have big wins. We just needed to get back on track."

After Thomas scored his first touchdown, he let loose the "Schmoney" dance, which

includes hand waving and wiggles. Then he jogged over to the corner, the Black

Hole fans lustily booing him, and handed the football to his family. Many made the

trip from Stockton, Sacramento and San Jose. Thomas used to wake up at dawn

and drive from Stockton with his family to Raiders' games. He still remembers

playing catch in the parking lot.

He was open on Sunday, no cars or defenders around. On his 32-yard score, it

looked like the Raiders forgot that Thomas was an eligible receiver. It provided an

easy score, welcomed after his two-catch, two-target, 33-yard performance a week

ago. And there was a back story to that play.

"We have been working on that in practice. I got yelled at because I messed it up

every time," Thomas said. "To execute it the right way in the game was a nice way

to make up for it."

Green hopes to return against the Rams on Sunday. He provides the Broncos even

more balance in blocking, freeing Thomas to go from a decoy to a comforting target

for Peyton Manning.

"He's a tough matchup. There are multiple good offenses in this league that require

those types of talents, and Julius is tremendous," Broncos coach John Fox said.

"Peyton has a lot of confidence in him. He's gifted, a great young man who works

hard at it."

C.J. Anderson's dazzling run propels

Broncos to big win

By Troy E. Renck

The Denver Post

November 9, 2014

OAKLAND, calif — During game week, Broncos coaches arrive at Dove Valley at 5

a.m. They pour over game film, reconfigure lineups, find mismatches.

Here Sunday, on a simple dump pass to an emergency outlet, football provides a

reminder that sudden bursts of improvisation can trump intense preparation.

The play appeared ordinary. On third-and-eight at the 49-yard line, the Broncos'

offense in full hiccup, pressure greeted quarterback Peyton Manning. He flipped the

ball to running back C.J. Anderson, a paint-by-the-numbers checkdown to the left.

Then Anderson began coloring outside the lines.

In 11 seconds, covering 51 yards, he delivered the best play of this season, and,

frankly, of many Broncos' seasons.

"I am not the fastest guy. I am not the best at giving the one,two in the open field

like (Philadelphia's) LeSean McCoy," Anderson said. "I just try to get the most out

of my ability."

An unsettling beginning turned into Manning wearing a baseball cap by the fourth

quarter, a 41-17 thrashing of Oakland defined by Anderson's gallop.

Anderson caught the pass near midfield. He headed downhill, and turned the

Raiders into a slalom course. A first down became a potential touchdown when he

broke Khalil Mack's push tackle at his own 48-yard line and shed Charles Woodson's

flailing arm punch at the 46.

"That boy was hungry," raved Broncos defensive tackle Malik Jackson.

A long gain became breathtaking when Anderson put his foot in the turf at the 34-

yard line. Justin Ellis, Sio Moore and Miles Burris were in pursuit but lost the angle

in the madness. Anderson cut across the field from left to right, spanning more

ground than Derek Jeter fielding and flipping a misguided relay throw to erase

Jeremy Giambi at the plate in a memorable playoff moment in this stadium.

The scene represented a replay of what Broncos insist they see during closed

practices.

"He was balling today. But we know he can do that," cornerback Chris Harris said.

"The thing about C.J. is that it seems like he always makes somebody miss."

As Anderson looped toward the end zone, a convoy of teammates arrived. Linemen

Orlando Franklin and Manny Ramirez and receivers Demaryius Thomas and Wes

Welker shielded defenders as Anderson scooted inside the right pylon.

Anderson provided seven Raiders an opportunity to tackle him. Safety Larry Asante

had the last, best chance, but couldn't manage to even scrape Anderson on the

longest reception by a Broncos running back since Mike Anderson's catch and run in

2005.

"It happened so fast," said Anderson, who kept the football. "It was really special."

Such a run would resonate in the street or the playground. This meant more

because Anderson attended 11 Raiders' games growing up, making the 25-mile trip

from Vallejo, aptly coined "The City of Opportunity." He cheered the likes of Tyrone

Wheatley, Charlie Garner, Tim Brown, Rich Gannon, the names rolling quickly off

his tongue. He went to a Raiders' camp as a kid. When former Raiders punter

Shane Lechler visited Dove Valley with the Houston Texans, he recognized

Anderson from one of those clinics.

Anderson's parabolic run brought him full circle.

"I used to be the one sitting in those stands," Anderson said. "It was so fun and

enjoyable as a kid, hearing everything they were saying and yelling right along. I

was one of them."

What this means for Anderson becomes interesting. When the Broncos needed a

play, with Manning sputtering, Anderson caffeinated the offense. Montee Ball, who

began the season as the starter, is expected to return Sunday against the Rams,

and Ronnie Hillman has been Denver's most consistent performer on the ground.

But Anderson creates pause. The Broncos scored 35 consecutive points, sparked by

his run. By the fourth quarter, Miley Cyrus' "Party in the USA" replaced Black

Sabbath's "Iron Man," the Raiders left comfortably numb and winless.

"When did the momentum shift? It was that swing pass. When that running back

took it the house. Was that (Ronnie) Hillman or another runningback?" said Raiders

defensive end Justin Tuck. "It completely took the wind out of our sails."

Anderson received extra and early reps as Hillman battled a sore right ankle. The

former Cal star finished with 90 yards rushing on 13 carries and also had 73 yards

receiving. He's the seventh Bronco to reach 70 yards rushing and receiving in the

same game.

Anderson, a gregarious personality with a big smile, said the running backs were

challenged to make more plays, to gash the defense. His statistics defined his

effort, but the 51-yard run provided the defining imprint.

"Yeah, that's as fine a play as I have seen so far this season I have to tell you,"

Manning said. "I thought they had pretty good coverage. I didn't want to take a

sack there. It easily could have been a catch for minus two yards. The next thing

you know he breaks a tackle, and starts making guys miss. Truly incredible on his

part."

Broncos vs. Raiders: Highs, lows of

Denver’s Week 10 win

By Troy E. Renck

The Denver Post

November 9, 2014

A bad start to Sunday’s game (see: Peyton Manning’s two interceptions) quickly

turned into a rout, with Manning finishing with five touchdowns and C.J. Anderson

having one of his finest performances to date in a 41-17 Broncos win over the

Raiders. Here were the notable and not-so-notable moments from the Week 10

game in Oakland.

BESTS

C.J. A-OK: C.J. Anderson fought to get a uniform on game day earlier this season.

He delivered a 51-yard touchdown that wasn’t just the best play this season, but of

most Broncos’ seasons. He broke tackles down the sideline and cut back across the

entire field, shoving Denver ahead 13-10.

Running into a wall: The Broncos’ defense held the Raiders to 11 yards rushing in

the first half during a battery of three-and-out drives.

Warm it up Chris: Cornerback Chris Harris continues to show why he’s one of the

Broncos’ best players. He locked down receivers and recovered a fumble.

WORSTS

Line it up: The Broncos used the halfway point of the season and a Paul Cornick

shoulder injury as a reason to reshuffle the offensive line. Will Montgomery started

at center, Manny Ramirez moved from center to right guard and Louis Vasquez

shifted from right guard to right tackle. The running game returned, but the

Broncos’ linemen had four penalties in the red zone.

Manning mortal: For a brief stretch during the first half, Manning made mistakes,

throwing two interceptions and nearly a third, and four of his passes were

deflected.

THUMBS UP, THUMBS DOWN

Offense: A suspect start with two Peyton Manning interceptions changed quickly

because of C.J. Anderson. The backup running back romped and stomped for a 51-

yard score after taking a short pass from Manning. The play siphoned the life out of

a hostile crowd. The Broncos never glanced back, and Manning delivering four more

touchdown passes — two each to Emmanuel Sanders and Julius Thomas — before

exiting after three quarters. Grade: A

Defense: Looking nothing like the confused unit in New England, the Broncos’ D

swarmed the ball, creating turnovers and general havoc. Rookie Bradley Roby

intercepted a pass for the second consecutive game, and Chris Harris recovered a

fumble. Both plays set up quick scores. Grade: A+

Special Teams: Isaiah Burse showed an improved burst playing in front of friends

and family. However, he could have called for a fair catch to create a field goal

chance at the end of the half. Corey Nelson was called for a blocking-in-the-back

penalty. Brandon McManus, with no margin for error at this point, converted two

chip shot field goals. Grade: B

Coaching: The Broncos responded to their worst loss since the Super Bowl with

their most dominant performance this season. It came against a winless team, but

the communication in pass coverage improved, and coordinator Adam Gase wisely

fed Anderson the ball when he started rumbling. Grade: A

GAME BALLS

C.J. Anderson: Turned game with spectacular long TD.

Chris Harris: Plastic coverage and pounced on a turnover.

Julius Thomas: Tight end back on record pace with 12 touchdowns.

Saunders: Broncos' local audience big,

but not NFL's biggest

By Dusty Saunders

The Denver Post

November 10, 2014

A question for fans who have orange and blue wardrobes:

Which NFL city has the largest local audience during games?

For Broncos fans, the answer seems logical. It's Denver by a large margin,

considering all of the local print and electronic coverage the team receives.

Actually, at the midway point of the 2014 season, Denver ranks third behind New

Orleans and Green Bay (Milwaukee), according to Nielsen and NFL Network figures.

The numbers: 45.2 audience rating for New Orleans, 42.8 for Green Bay

(Milwaukee) and 42.1 for Denver. A rating represents a percentage of households in

a given area tuned to a particular program from the total available in the area.

The Broncos have had audience shares of more than 70 percent during the first

eight games, meaning that nearly two-thirds of the local TV households are actually

viewing the games.

Denver has nearly 1.6 million TV homes.

Other national ratings figures in the top five at midseason: Seattle (40.4) and

Pittsburgh (37.6).

Dallas, once the home of "America's team," is in 11th place with a 36.6 audience

rating.

The smallest TV audience? Oakland (9.9 rating).

New York, the nation's largest TV market, has lost faith in the Giants (15.1) and

Jets (12.1) They rank 30th and 31st in the 32-team league, just ahead of the

Raiders.

To answer an often-asked question: Nielsen, with its sophisticated electronic know-

how, has not found a way to provide sports audience ratings in bars, restaurants

and personalized viewing.

Nationally, the NFL, at the half-way point, is en route to its most successful season

ever in audience figures.

Six NFL telecasts have averaged more than 27 million viewers, compared with three

games at this time last season.

The most-watched TV games this season: Cowboys vs. Seahawks on Fox (30

million), followed by Broncos vs. Patriots on CBS (29.1 million).

The Broncos are a big hit nationally, playing in five of the of the 10 most-watched

games.

The other four: Broncos vs. Seahawks on CBS (27.3 million), Broncos vs. Chiefs on

CBS (25 million), Broncos vs. 49ers on NBC (23.8 million) and Broncos vs. Colts on

NBC (23.8 million).

Prime time continues to be fertile NFL territory. NBC's Sunday night schedule shows

an overall 21.4 audience rating, making it the most-viewed series in prime-time

television.

ESPN's "Monday Night Football" has an average audience of 13.9 million viewers,

compared with 13.4 million at the midway point a year ago.

The CBS-NFL Network package led all prime-time programming on Thursday night.

Perhaps the most telling statistic: All NFL games have won their time periods

against all programming.

And here's a reason baseball no longer is America's pastime:

Fox's telecast of World Series Game 7 had 23.7 million viewers in prime time —

fewer than the network's Broncos-Seahawks battle on a Sunday afternoon.

Preview: Broncos shake up O-Line vs.

Raiders; Montee Ball inactive

By Troy E. Renck and Mike Klis

The Denver Post

November 9, 2014

After a tough loss to the Patriots in Week 9, the Broncos (6-2) have decided to

shake up their offensive line for their Week 10 game in Oakland against the Raiders

(0-8).

INACTIVES

Running back Montee Ball will be among the seven players on the Broncos' inactive

list for the game Sunday against the Oakland Raiders.

It will be the fifth game Ball has missed because of a strained groin. Ball opened

the season as the Broncos' starting running back but an appendectomy in training

camp and the strained groin has set him back. He has just 172 yards rushing on

3.1 yards per carry.

There is a decent chance Ball will return to play next week at St. Louis.

Ronnie Hillman will be the Broncos' starting running back against the Raiders. The

question is who will be his primary backup. Juwan Thompson, an undrafted rookie,

has been the Broncos' No. 2 back the previous four games but second-year player

C.J. Anderson was the most effective back last week at New England.

The other six inactives for Denver: right tackle Paul Cornick (shoulder), linebacker

Nate Irving (knee), running back Kapri Bibbs, cornerback Tony Carter, tight end

Virgil Green and tackle Michael Schofield.

Meanwhile, Broncos guard Ben Garland, a former Air Force Academy standout, will

dress and play in his first NFL game Sunday as the nation celebrates military

veterans this weekend and through Tuesday.

In previous games, Will Montgomery was the Broncos' backup center/guard, but he

is starting Sunday.

That Garland gets his chance as the NFL celebrates the military this weekend is a

happy coincidence.

The Oakland Raiders are without three of their top four cornerbacks Sunday.

Starter Carlos Rogers (knee) and backups TJ Carrie (ankle) and Chimdi Chekwa

(hamstring) are all inactive with injuries Sunday. DJ Hayden will likely start

alongside Tarell Brown with Neiko Thorpe and rookie Keith McGill playing as

backups.

The other inactives for Oakland are quarterback Matt McGloin, tight end David

Ausberry and offensive linemen Gabe Jackson and Tony Bergstrom.

LINEUP CHANGES

Will Montgomery and a step to the right.

The Broncos are mixing up their dance partners along their offensive line for their

AFC West game Sunday against the Oakland Raiders.

Montgomery, a starter the previous 3 1/2 seasons for Mike Shanahan in

Washington, will be Peyton Manning's new snapper.

As Montgomery goes in, Manny Ramirez will move from center to right guard and

Louis Vasquez, an all-pro right guard, shifts from right guard to right tackle. Read

more

WHO HAS THE EDGE?

When the Broncos run:

Ronnie Hillman walked out of the tunnel two hours before game time and sprinted

through the cold. It was his only long run against the Patriots, rendered ineffective

by poor blocking. Hillman averaged 94.3 yards in the previous three games. He

finished with 16 last Sunday, meaning another tweak on the offensive line should

not come as a surprise. This becomes an important week to secure the starting job

with Montee Ball's return looming. Edge: Broncos

When the Raiders run:

They rarely run, but when they do, it's not spectacular. They rush 32 percent of the

time, the third lowest percentage in 20 years, according to the Associated Press.

The star formerly known as Darren McFadden has 358 yards rushing. The Broncos'

rush defense should pad its stats in this matchup. Denver did slow the Patriots'

rush attack. Edge: Broncos

When the Broncos pass:

Peyton Manning throwing 50-plus times predicts a loss. The Broncos need chunk

plays, quality over quantity. Oakland's secondary continues to deal with injuries.

Manning will find mismatches, not unlike in the Chargers' game. Demaryius Thomas

and Emmanuel Sanders are twin threats, but the passing game could use more

balance with additional targets for Wes Welker and Julius Thomas. Edge: Broncos

When the Raiders pass:

Raiders coach Tony Sparano says Derek Carr is a franchise quarterback. He throws

rockets and demonstrates a high football IQ. The Raiders, however, do him no

favors by forcing him to throw on nearly every down. Star left tackle Donald Penn

saves Carr from repeated punishment. It would be a surprise if DeMarcus Ware

doesn't register at least two sacks going against the right tackle. Edge: Broncos

Special teams:

Manning's brilliance camouflages weaknesses. He shouldn't have to play well for the

Broncos to win. How about a short field for him once in awhile? Or a clutch kick?

Britton Colquitt continues to perform, his dropped snap last week notwithstanding.

The Broncos need more from punt returner Isaiah Burse, who has been close to

breaking loose. And Brandon McManus treads on a slippery slope, potentially

another miss from becoming an ex-Broncos kicker. He ranks near the bottom in

accuracy. He is six-for-nine, and has yet to make a kick of more than 50 yards.

Edge: Raiders

SCOUTING REPORT

1. Find Julius Thomas

Peyton Manning insisted he 'stunk' against the Patriots. He made a single awful

pass. The Broncos' offense became one-dimensional, and the passing attack

compromised. Julius Thomas needs to be more involved in the aerial attack. It

seems futile to leave him into block when he doesn't do it well enough to warrant

the assignment. Even if Virgil Green doesn't come back, the Broncos should tweak

the formations to get Thomas back in the mix.

2. Create turnovers

The Raiders run the ball less than anyone in the league. The Broncos own the best

run defense. Oakland starts a rookie quarterback. If ever a game set up to blitz and

create takeways, this is it. The secondary seemed so bent on disguising coverages

last Sunday, the players confused themselves. The Broncos need a 7-1 finish. For

that to happen, the defense must turn its swarming nature into turnovers.

3. Explore depth

Good teams win games they are supposed to win. The Broncos should jump out to

an early lead, allowing for important snaps for role players such as linebackers

Steven Johnson, Lamin Barrow, receiver Cody Latimer and possibly Montee Ball,

though it's a push that he will be ready to return. The Broncos were exposed on

special teams because of injuries, but should improve. Kicker Brandon McManus

needs to do better as the ground beneath him is becoming quicksand.

HOW TO WATCH

Date, Time, Location: Sunday, Nov. 9, 2:05 p.m. MT, O.co Coliseum, Oakland,

Calif.

TV: CBS, NFL RedZone

Announcers: Greg Gumbel (play-by-play), Trent Green (color commentary), Evan

Washburn (sideline reporting)

Radio: Denver: 850 AM KOA, 103.5 FM The Fox; Oakland: 95.7 The Game

Online: NFL Game Rewind (not live)

Odds: The Broncos opened as 10.5-point favorites vs. the Raiders, according to

Oddshark

Broncos shake up offensive line for Week

10 game vs. Raiders

By Mike Klis

The Denver Post

November 9, 2014

OAKLAND — Will Montgomery and a step to the right.

The Broncos are mixing up their dance partners along their offensive line for their

AFC West game here Sunday against the Oakland Raiders.

Montgomery, a starter the previous 3 1/2 seasons for Mike Shanahan in

Washington, will be Peyton Manning’s new snapper.

As Montgomery goes in, Manny Ramirez will move from center to right guard and

Louis Vasquez, an all-pro right guard, shifts from right guard to right tackle.

Paul Cornick, who started at right tackle the previous three games, will not play

against the Raiders because of a shoulder injury that occurred during the Broncos’

practice Wednesday. The re-alignment up front had taken place during the week of

practice before Cornick suffered his injury.

Essentially, this new offensive alignment amounts to Montgomery replacing

Cornick. The Broncos have been dissatisfied with their running game as a whole

and right tackle play in particular.

Even with Ronnie Hillman getting two 100-yard rushing games, the Broncos rank

26th in the league with 3.7 yards per carry.

The hope is that Montgomery, 31, can bring a little more agility to the Broncos’

offensive line, particularly in the second level. Once a walk-on defensive tackle at

Virginia Tech, Montgomery was selected in the seventh round of the 2006 draft by

John Fox’s Carolina Panthers.

Montgomery was cut by the Panthers in 2007, then played sparingly with the New

York Jets before catching on with Washington in 2008.

With Montgomery at center, Ramirez will move to his more natural guard position.

Ramirez played center for the first time last year, starting all 19 games including

postseason, for the Broncos in 2013 and the first eight this year.

He was a college teammate of Vasquez and receiver Wes Welker at Texas Tech.

Vasquez is a 6-foot-5, 335-pound guard who played one game at right tackle last

season in place of the injured Orlando Franklin.

By moving Vasquez to right tackle, the Broncos bypassed the options of re-inserting

early season starter Chris Clark, or moving Franklin from left guard back to the

position he played in his first three NFL seasons.

Clark, who played well at left tackle last season, started the Broncos’ first five

games this year at right tackle.

Raiders lose 15th straight game, 41-17

to Broncos

By Josh Dubow

Associated Press

November 9, 2014

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — All the good work the Oakland Raiders did on defense in

the first 26 minutes was erased in an instant when C.J. Anderson broke three

tackles and weaved through the entire unit on the way to a long touchdown.

Peyton Manning followed that score with another four touchdown passes on the

next four drives and the Denver Broncos handed the Raiders their 15th straight

loss, 41-17 on Sunday.

"There seems to be a play every game that happens to us and then everything kind

of snowballs from there," safety Charles Woodson said. "There were a couple

missed tackles, mine included, which I feel like, man, 'I'm part of the play that

really turned the game around.' That's one I'll be thinking about all night."

Manning had looked rather ordinary before that touchdown, throwing two

interceptions and failing to lead Denver (7-2) into the end zone.

But he was his usual self after it, throwing two passes to Julius Thomas and two

more to Emmanuel Sanders as the Broncos rebounded from last week's loss at New

England by beating up on the Raiders (0-9).

Manning threw for 340 yards and extended his record with at least two touchdown

passes to 15 straight games.

"Obviously, he adjusted," Raiders defensive lineman Justin Tuck said. "That's why,

if he is not the best quarterback to ever play this game, he's definitely one of the

best. He adjusted and we weren't able to adjust well enough to keep up."

Anderson, who grew up in nearby Vallejo and attended college at California,

finished with 90 yards rushing and 73 receiving. Demaryius Thomas had 11 catches

for 108 yards.

There was almost nothing positive from the Raiders in their first blowout loss since

interim coach Tony Sparano replaced the fired Dennis Allen after four games.

Derek Carr threw for 192 yards on 47 attempts, most of the production coming on

a meaningless touchdown drive in the closing minutes. He also had two

interceptions. The running game was limited to 30 yards on 15 carries and the

defense was completely overmatched after a spirited start.

"They're looking for the gold at the end of the rainbow and it hasn't been there,"

Sparano said. "We have to stay the course and believe in the things that we're

doing and we're getting better as a football team. I know this is not an indicator of

that."

The game — and season — could be summed up in one play for Oakland early in

the third quarter. Carr was under pressure when he dumped off a pass to offensive

lineman Khalif Barnes. Barnes looked shocked when he caught the ball, but ran

with it despite an ineligible receiver. Malik Jackson knocked the ball loose and Chris

Harris Jr. recovered at the 18.

Carr said he expected running back Darren McFadden to be in that spot so he threw

the ball without looking.

"It's just one of those things, you know where your guy's at, you react," Carr said.

"Everything is happening so fast. It's just one of those things. Obviously, where

we're at right now, it just looks ugly, but it's just one of those things that happens."

That set up a 10-yard touchdown pass to Julius Thomas that put the Broncos up

28-10 and in control.

Manning struggled early, throwing an interception on the second play from

scrimmage to DJ Hayden. That set up a 41-yard field goal by Sebastian Janikowski

that gave the Raiders their first lead against the Broncos since Tim Tebow was the

Denver quarterback in 2011.

The Broncos then got field goals on a pair of drives inside the Oakland 20 as

Manning struggled to get into rhythm. The problems for Manning got worse when

Tuck made an athletic interception, jumping to tip a pass and then catching it

himself to give Oakland the ball at the 12.

Carr capitalized with a 5-yard pass to Brice Butler that put the Raiders up 10-6.

The game quickly changed after Carr was intercepted by Bradley Roby on a poor

pass over the middle.

On third-and-8, Manning threw a short pass to Anderson, who immediately broke a

tackle from Miles Burris. He then ran attempts by Khalil Mack and Woodson on his

way to the end zone.

"Just a truly incredible effort play on his part to take a potentially catch for a loss

and turn it into a 50-something-yard touchdown," Manning said. "That really gave

us a spark."

After a three-and-out by Oakland, Manning added a 32-yard touchdown pass to

Sanders that put Denver up 20-10 at the half.

NOTES: The Raiders failed to gain a first down rushing for the first time since 2006.

... Hayden (groin) and RT Menelik Watson (head) left the game with injuries.

Manning's 5 TDs lead Broncos past

Raiders 41-17

By Josh Dubow

Associated Press

November 9, 2014

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Interceptions, batted passes and a missed open receiver in

the end zone. Peyton Manning looked rather ordinary for the first 26 minutes.

That all changed with one short screen pass to C.J. Anderson that turned into a

spectacular touchdown and helped make the game a rout.

Anderson's 51-yard catch-and-run started a run of five touchdown passes in five

drives for Manning and the Denver Broncos overcame a shaky start to hand the

Oakland Raiders their 15th straight loss, 41-17 on Sunday.

"Just a truly incredible effort play on his part to take a potentially catch for a loss

and turn it into a 50-something-yard touchdown," Manning said. "That really gave

us a spark."

Manning threw a pair of early interceptions that put Denver (7-2) in a hole against

the NFL's only winless team. Anderson got them out of it when he broke three

tackles and weaved through the entire Oakland defense on his touchdown late in

the first half.

"It easily could have been maybe a catch for minus-2 yards," Manning said. "Next

thing you know he breaks a tackle and I don't know how many guys he made

miss."

Manning added two TD passes to Julius Thomas and two more to Emmanuel

Sanders as the Broncos rebounded from last week's loss at New England by beating

up on the Raiders (0-9).

Manning threw for 340 yards and extended his record with at least two touchdown

passes to 15 straight games.

"All week we had a bad taste in our mouths because that Patriots game was

definitely embarrassing," Sanders said. "It was something that we don't want to go

through again, obviously, in the rest of the season."

Anderson, who grew up in nearby Vallejo and attended college at California,

finished with 90 yards rushing and 73 receiving. Demaryius Thomas had 11 catches

for 108 yards.

There was almost nothing positive from the Raiders in their first blowout loss since

interim coach Tony Sparano replaced the fired Dennis Allen after four games.

Derek Carr threw for 192 yards on 47 attempts, most of the production coming on

a meaningless touchdown drive in the closing minutes. He also had two

interceptions. The running game was limited to 30 yards on 15 carries and the

defense was completely overmatched after a spirited start.

"They're looking for the gold at the end of the rainbow and it hasn't been there,"

Sparano said. "We have to stay the course and believe in the things that we're

doing and we're getting better as a football team. I know this is not an indicator of

that."

The game — and season — could be summed up in one play for Oakland early in

the third quarter. Carr was under pressure when he dumped off a pass to offensive

lineman Khalif Barnes. Barnes looked shocked when he caught the ball, but ran

with it despite an ineligible receiver. Malik Jackson knocked the ball loose and Chris

Harris Jr. recovered at the 18.

That set up a 10-yard touchdown pass to Julius Thomas that put the Broncos up

28-10 and in control.

Manning struggled early, throwing an interception on the second play from

scrimmage to DJ Hayden. That set up a 41-yard field goal by Sebastian Janikowski

that gave the Raiders their first lead against the Broncos since Tim Tebow was the

Denver quarterback in 2011.

The Broncos then got field goals on a pair of drives inside the Oakland 20 as

Manning struggled to get into rhythm. The problems for Manning got worse when

defensive end Justin Tuck made an athletic interception, jumping to tip a pass and

then catching it himself to give Oakland the ball at the 12.

Carr capitalized with a 5-yard pass to Brice Butler that put the Raiders up 10-6.

The game quickly changed after Carr was intercepted by Bradley Roby on a poor

pass over the middle.

On third-and-8, Manning threw a short pass to Anderson, who immediately broke a

tackle from Miles Burris. He then ran attempts by Khalil Mack and Charles Woodson

on his way to the end zone.

"There seems to be a play every game that happens to us and then everything kind

of snowballs from there," Woodson said. "There were a couple missed tackles, mine

included, which I feel like, man, 'I'm part of the play that really turned the game

around.' That's one I'll be thinking about all night."

After a three-and-out by Oakland, Manning added a 32-yard touchdown pass to

Sanders that put Denver up 20-10 at the half.

NOTES: Julius Thomas tied Randy Moss (2007) and three others for most

touchdown catches through nine games with 12. He is the first tight end in NFL

history with back-to-back 12-touchdown seasons. ... Hayden (groin) and RT

Menelik Watson (head) left the game with injuries.

CJ Anderson, Fantasy Star

By Eddie Pells

Associated Press

November 9, 2014

C.J. Anderson began the season as Denver's third-string running back.

On Sunday, he turned into a first-string fantasy star for the few who had him in the

lineup. Only 0.6 percent of players in ESPN's leagues had him as a starter.

The second-year player, undrafted last season out of California, returned to the Bay

Area and piled up numbers against the Raiders.

Getting touches while subbing for Ronnie Hillman, who is starting in place of injured

Montee Ball, Anderson had 90 yards rushing , along with 73 yards receiving that

included a screen pass he turned into a 51-yard touchdown.

The TD, on a pass in which Anderson looked trapped a few yards behind the line of

scrimmage, started a five-touchdown barrage by Peyton Manning and the Broncos

offense, and helped turn a 10-6 deficit into a 41-17 rout.

``That really gave us a spark,'' Manning said.

It's better when it takes a village for

victorious Broncos

By Jeff Legwold

ESPN.com

November 9, 2014

OAKLAND, Calif. – In a week that opened with John Elway speaking in a team

meeting and ended with the Denver Broncos thumping the Oakland Raiders 41-17

at O.co Coliseum with a five-touchdown day from quarterback Peyton Manning,

Elway's hope to have a team that doesn't need Manning "to feel like he has to do

everything" was on display.

“I think it’s one of those things when John Elway talks to us, we know he speaks

from experience," said cornerback Chris Harris Jr. “I think he just let us know

where things stand. It was good and bad, not just bad, but we got routed in New

England and we shouldn’t get routed by anybody. [Sunday] we just wanted to get it

all back together."

The Broncos defense held the Raiders to 192 yards, with 97 of those yards coming

on the Raiders' final possession of the game. The Raiders’ three longest plays of the

game came on that drive, and until that possession, the Broncos had allowed just

one play for double-digit yardage – a 10-yard Derek Carr pass to James Jones in

the first quarter.

Rookie cornerback Bradley Roby made his second interception of the year and T.J.

Ward had an interception. The Broncos’ No. 1 run defense feasted on the Raiders’

struggling offense, especially after the Broncos took a 20-10 lead just before

halftime.

The Raiders finished with 30 rushing yards on 15 carries. And with safety Quinton

Carter ’s return, the Broncos were able to use a dime package (six defensive backs)

on long-yardage situations that could muscle up when the Raiders tried to run the

ball against it.

Ward moved down to play what was essentially a weakside linebacker spot, next to

Brandon Marshall, and Carter played at safety deep. Roby played outside and Harris

moved into the slot.

It’s how the Broncos want that grouping to look and how they want it to play.

“We had everybody step up," Miller said. “We didn’t play the way we wanted, the

way we know we can last week. We wanted to get it going again; we want to play

with no drop-off and that takes all the guys -- offense, defense and special teams."

On offense it was running back C.J. Anderson, who has been the No. 3 back at

times this season. With Montee Ball still out and Ronnie Hillman having struggled a

bit and looking a bit dinged early – he was jogging for the Broncos trainers behind

the bench in the first half – Anderson seized opportunity with 163 total yards.

Will Montgomery started his first game at center for the Broncos and Emmanuel

Sanders and Julius Thomas finished with two touchdowns each in the it’s-always-

somebody’s-turn passing attack. Sanders did not have a touchdown catch in the

Broncos’ first five games; he now has had six in the last four games.

Julius Thomas now has as many touchdown catches (12) as he did all of last season

and Demaryius Thomas had his sixth consecutive 100-yard receiving game.

“It takes everybody," Demaryius Thomas said. “We didn’t win last week because we

didn’t get enough from everybody; we didn’t do enough to win that game. That’s

what we know. We need everybody all the time; it could be anybody’s day."

California native C.J. Anderson propels

Broncos to rout

By Jeff Legwold

ESPN.com

November 9, 2014

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The moment C.J. Anderson turned something that looked like it

was going to be bad into something exceptionally good -- something that even had

Peyton Manning shaking his head and smiling -- Anderson knew what he had done

to most of the faithful in O.co Coliseum.

He knew he had broken hearts and crushed spirits in the Denver Broncos' 41-17

win over the Oakland Raiders. Anderson knew because he used to sit in those seats

and scream the same chants. As a native of nearby Vallejo, Anderson resided in

Raider Nation for most of his childhood.

"Just sitting in the stands, like a bunch of the kids, a bunch of the fans [Sunday],"

Anderson said, "when I got to see Tyrone Wheatley make plays, Charlie Garner,

Jerry Rice, Tim Brown, Zack Crockett; [to] be on the same field as they played on

and have a good game was great."

A good game? How about being the player who made the game-saving catch?

Anderson's 51-yard catch-and-run for a second-quarter touchdown now has a spot

at, or near, the top of the list of important plays in whatever becomes of the

regular season for the Broncos. Because until that play the Broncos looked like they

left their offensive mojo in Denver.

Manning had two interceptions, four passes batted down, had been called for an

intentional grounding and the Broncos were losing 10-6 to the winless Raiders.

"That was as fine a play as I’ve seen so far this season, I have to tell you," Manning

said. "Thought they had pretty good coverage on the play across the board … felt

like I was feeling somebody kind of close to me, didn’t want to have a sack

certainly in that situation. It easily could have been a catch for minus-2 yards or

something. Next thing you know he breaks the tackle, I don’t know how many guys

he made miss, but … just truly an incredible effort play on his part."

Rookie cornerback Bradley Roby, who snared an interception with 3 minutes, 30

seconds to go in the first half, shook the Broncos awake a bit, giving Denver the

ball on the Broncos’ 47-yard line. Ronnie Hillman went for 2 yards on first down.

Manning then threw an incompletion.

"Our running backs coach, Coach [Eric] Studesville, said this week, that there are

plays out there for us," Anderson said.

Facing a third-and-8 and under some duress after the snap, Manning turned toward

Anderson, who had not yet finished his route, and lofted what looked to be another

incompletion. But Anderson snatched the ball out of the air with only his right hand.

He tucked it away quickly, making Raiders linebacker Miles Burris miss.

Then Anderson made linebacker Sio Moore miss as he turned up the Raiders'

sideline. Then Charles Woodson arrived slightly too late, sliding down Anderson’s

back. Raiders defensive tackle Justin Ellis was also late to shove him out of bounds.

And as Anderson, who finished with 163 total yards, cut back across the field,

Raiders cornerback Carlos Rogers missed another tackle.

"Third-and-forever and he came out and made a play, took it all the way," Broncos

wide receiver Demaryius Thomas said. "Some people were surprised, he made

about five, six people miss. He tries to tell everybody, I’m never going to go 80, but

I’ll run somebody over … We needed that. Once I saw him cut back … I knew it was

going to be a touchdown."

"Once I saw [Thomas] and Wes [Welker] go flying by me, I was like this has a good

chance, this could happen," Anderson said.

From that point the roof caved in on the Raiders. Justin Tuck said "it took the wind

out of our sails and we weren’t able to get it back." The Broncos scored one more

touchdown before the end of the first half to go with three more in the third quarter

to leave with another rout in hand.

"That play right there, that’s one busts everything out," linebacker Von Miller said.

"We needed a play and C.J., he gave it to us."

Demaryius Thomas doesn't want to know

about streak

By Jeff Legwold

ESPN.com

November 9, 2014

ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Observed and heard in the locker room after the Broncos’ 41-17

victory over Oakland:

Hot receiver: With 108 yards receiving in the win, Broncos wide receiver Demaryius

Thomas has six consecutive 100-yard receiving games. Thomas has 861 yards

receiving during the streak and 1,002 yards for the season. And he apparently

doesn’t want to jinx any of it.

Asked following the game about the streak, Thomas simply smiled and said: “I

don’t think about it, I don’t want to talk about it, I’m just glad we won.’’

Thomas is due to be an unrestricted free agent following the season and appears to

be building leverage week-by-week.

Working nine to five: Quarterback Peyton Manning had his ninth career five-

touchdown game, giving him yet another NFL record. It was his first five-touchdown

game of the season and his third since he signed with the Broncos in 2012 (he had

two last season). Manning also had his 15th consecutive regular-season game with

at least two touchdown passes. He hasn’t been held to just one touchdown pass in

a game since Nov. 17 last season in a win over the Chiefs. And Sunday was

Manning’s 48th consecutive game with a touchdown pass, passing Johnny Unitas

for second-longest streak all-time (Drew Brees has the record with 54 in a row).

“He only wants to win, but every time he plays there is a record he might set,’’

Thomas said.

New look nets TD: Tight end Julius Thomas took a fourth-and-1 pass for 32 yards

and touchdown in the third quarter. The Broncos knew it would be a bit of a

different look for them, but Thomas said it hadn’t gone that well in practice this

past week. But with 6 minutes, 59 seconds left in the third quarter and the Broncos

at the Raiders’ 32-yard line, Manning rushed the offense to the line of scrimmage in

a look where they have often run the ball. Instead, they threw and Thomas was

free.

“Kind of faked the run, Julius did a good job kind of selling the run,’’ Manning said.

“… We were looking for the first down, we didn’t think it would a touchdown.’’

RB carries: The Broncos reported no injuries following the game, but running back

Ronnie Hillman did briefly jog back and forth behind the Broncos’ bench in the

second quarter with the team’s trainers keeping an eye on him. Hillman did return,

but with C.J. Anderson having the hot hand, Hillman carried the ball just twice in

the second half.

Rapid Reaction: Denver Broncos

By Jeff Legwold

ESPN.com

November 9, 2014

OAKLAND, Calif. -- A few thoughts from the Denver Broncos' 41-17 win over the

Oakland Raiders in O.co Coliseum.

What it means: For almost two quarters, the Broncos looked as if the hangover

from the loss to the New England Patriots was still in the offensive huddle. Peyton

Manning threw two early interceptions and had at least four passes batted at the

line of scrimmage to go with an intentional grounding penalty. The Broncos hung in

with defense and finally kick-started things with a 51-yard catch-and-run

touchdown from running back C.J. Anderson. Denver closed the first half with two

touchdowns in the last 2:44 before halftime and won going away, pulling several

starters when the fourth quarter started, to keep a grip on first place in the AFC

West.

Stock watch: The Broncos, in search of more consistency in the run game, have

changed things up on the offensive line and tried a variety of players running the

ball. On Sunday, Anderson tossed his hat in the proverbial ring with a touchdown

that was his career-long play to go with 90 yards rushing. Anderson showed the

kind of physicality and explosiveness the Broncos had been looking for.

Jury is still out: The Broncos made three changes to the offensive line for Sunday’s

game when they moved Louis Vasquez from right guard to right tackle, shifted

Manny Ramirez from center to right guard and put Will Montgomery in at center. A

Raiders defense that was fairly gassed by midway through the third quarter may

not be the best gauge, but the trial run with the new look came with mixed results.

Oakland's pass-rushers got pressure on Manning early on. Manning had four passes

batted down and two interceptions. The starting linemen were flagged four times,

including three false starts, before the fourth quarter was two minutes old.

Game ball: Manning had the ninth five-touchdown game of his career -- and he did

it in three quarters. Demaryius Thomas had his sixth consecutive 100-yard

receiving game and Julius Thomas had a two-touchdown game, but it was Anderson

who made the right-place, right-time play to shake the game loose for the Broncos

as they turned what had the look of a road stumble in the first half into a rout.

What’s next: The Broncos (7-2) will make their third consecutive road trip as they

head to St. Louis to face the Rams in an early game next Sunday. It’s a rare 1 p.m.

ET kickoff for the Broncos (just their second this year), and they haven’t always

looked their best in recent seasons in the early time slot. The Rams, having seen

what the Raiders did against the Broncos' offensive front, figure to aggressively

rush Manning.

Broncos inactives against Raiders

By Jeff Legwold

ESPN.com

November 9, 2014

ALAMEDA, Calif. -- The Denver Broncos' game-day inactives Sunday included

running back Montee Ball and right tackle Paul Cornick.

Ball, who practiced on a limited basis this past week, may have a chance to play

next Sunday against the St. Louis Rams. Cornick practiced only on Wednesday and

he was limited in that practice.

He was held out both Thursday and Friday. The Broncos were slated to move him

out of the starting lineup even if Cornick had not been injured.

Linebacker Nate Irving, who suffered a sprained right MCL against the New England

Patriots last Sunday and expected to miss several weeks, was also among the

inactives.

The rest of the Broncos' inactives against the Raiders are: RB Kapri Bibbs, CB Tony

Carter, TE Virgil Green and T Michael Schofield.

Broncos to hold Montee Ball out

against Raiders

By Jeff Legwold

ESPN.com

November 9, 2014

ALAMEDA, Calif. -- The Denver Broncos like what they saw from running back

Montee Ball this past week, just not enough to put Ball in uniform for Sunday’s

game against the Oakland Raiders.

Ball was slated to be among the Broncos’ seven game-day inactives against the

Raiders. About three hours before kickoff at O.co Coliseum, Ball was running pass

routes for practice squad quarterback Zac Dysert. Dysert routinely goes through a

pre-game workout with quarterbacks coach Gregg Knapp each week.

Ball looking comfortable running and did some cuts as he ran. But this past week

was the first time Ball had practiced with the team since suffering a right groin

injury Oct. 5 against the Arizona Cardinals.

Ball took part in practice on a limited basis Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

After Friday’s practice, Broncos head coach John Fox was asked if he liked what he

saw from Ball during the week and said: “Definitely. I think he reshaped his body a

bit. He did have an earlier issue with an appendectomy. He’s had some time here to

get back to the weight and condition where he wanted to be, and that’s been a

positive."

The Broncos believe if he can practice fully at some point this coming week that Ball

would have a chance to be in uniform for next Sunday’s game against the St. Louis

Rams.

Ball has said when “they clear me to come back, I’m going to be ready to be back

100 percent." Ball also said last week that he’s down from 224 pounds at the time

of his injury to 212 pounds, far closer to the 214 pounds he weighed at the 2013

scouting combine.

“I feel great, feel like I’m quicker to the hole, quicker with the ball," Ball said last

week. Right tackle Paul Cornick, who started the last three games and did not

practice Thursday or Friday because of a shoulder injury, was also expected to be a

game-day active.

Bell: At NFL's command center, reviews

must be right

By Jarrett Bell

USAToday.com

November 10, 2014

NEW YORK – "Fumble!"

The voice, belonging to replay technician Jay Manahan, pierced through the NFL's

command center late Sunday afternoon with the urgency that fit the moment.

Ahmad Brooks had just slapped the football out of Drew Brees' hand at the

Mercedes-Benz Superdome. It was overtime.

The game that might save the San Francisco 49ers season hinged on the call, which

would either confirm the call on the field of a fumble or reverse it. If the video

evidence showed Brees' arm was moving forward with a pass, it would have been

ruled incomplete.

Dean Blandino, the NFL's vice president of officiating, and senior officiating director

Al Riveron rushed over to the bank of monitors carrying the game. Riveron quickly

put on a headset, which allowed instant communication with referee Bill Vinovich

and the replay official at the Dome.

"Let's stop it," Riveron said, flatly.

Then Blandino chimed in, with even more resolve: "Stop the game! Stop the

game!"

While roots of the NFL's use of replay can be traced to 1986, this is the first season

the decisions are being made from a centralized location – as is the case for Major

League Baseball and the National Hockey League -- rather than by the referee at

the stadium.

So as 70,000-plus fans at the Superdome more than 1,300 miles away waited,

along with millions of TV viewers, the supervisors calmly went to work on the fifth

floor of NFL headquarters in midtown Manhattan.

They had shots from four angles that could be reviewed. The images were frozen on

one of the four monitors at the station, the one that displayed the computer

software designed to arrange such options. With a tap of the touchscreen, Riveron

selected the shot chosen for further review.

"Nothing else came in, right?" Blandino asked Manahan, a staffer in the officiating

department.

After getting a clear look at the play in slow motion – ironically, the 49ers lost a

close game at the Superdome last year when a controversial roughing the passer

call on Brooks extended the winning drive – Blandino confirmed the fumble.

"It stands," he said.

Then Riveron informed Vinkovich, via the headset.

"We're going to go with 'stands,' Vinny," Riveron said.

The retired McNally, the former NFL officiating director called the "father of instant

replay" would be proud of the efficiency at work on several instances on Sunday at

the NFL's version of NASA Control.

There's no doubt that a centralized location can work, with the technicians

monitoring the games, flagging the plays and setting up the video clips for Blandino

or Riveron – and in some case both – making the final ruling.

I saw this happen repeatedly on Sunday, and observed a well-oiled machine.

It's no wonder that the games are shorter this season – averaging 3:06:23 through

nine weeks, even with the extra flags from the points of emphasis, compared to

3:08:36 last year – with the supervising officials never more than a few feet away

from seeing a replay.

Heading into Week 10, there were 221 reviews initiated by replay officials and

coaches challenges, plus 54 scoring plays and 66 turnovers reviewed, in 134

games. Those numbers are comparable to the past two seasons, but reversals are

down – 81 through nine weeks, compared to 100 at that point in 2013.

After the call on the Brees fumble, it was striking that Mike Pereira popped up on

the main screen at the back of the room and his voice filtered from the Bose

speakers in the ceiling. Pereira, another former NFL officiating director, is an

analyst for Fox, charged to interpret the key calls.

Asked on-air if the call was correct, Pereira replied, "Absolutely!"

The confirmation from one of their own produced no reaction. There is no emotion

expressed at McNally Central, a sterile place where there are 75 monitors – 53 in

the primary hub and 22 others on a bank on a side wall. Except for intermittent

alerts about situations that prompt movement from Blandino and Riveron

("Touchdown, Seattle") or advise the replay official at the stadium ("New York

confirms"), the darkened room is quiet enough to study for the bar exam.

Blandino, dressed casually in a sweater, corduroy slacks and loafers, typically stood

in the center of the room, watching the largest monitor along the back wall. That

monitor was split to show four games, then later to three games as the late games

on Sunday were played.

The boss also controls the remote, and with a push of a button switched the audio

that was heard softly through the speakers. Occasionally, he switched to hear the

broadcast feed when a situation popped up that involved a call.

The technicians, meanwhile, were locked into their individual games. The software

not only allows them to grab the replays, but to also mark plays that made be

reviewed later in the week for discipline or at some point down the road in

analyzing injuries.

Typically, the techs work in other departments. Austin Moss, who monitored

Broncos-Raiders, works in the player engagement department. Patrick Reynolds,

who worked Giants-Seahawks, comes from the management council. Matt Reinhart

handled Rams-Cardinals, but throughout the week works in the player personnel

department.

Reinhart issued an alert, "Long touchdown in Arizona."

It was Jared Cook's 59-yard romp with a pass from Austin Davis. Blandino quickly

shuffled over and put on a headset.

"Are we sure the ball is over the plane?" he said. "What about his left knee?"

With four replays to choose from, Blandino declared, "Just stop it."

In past years, the NFL monitored games from this room – but not with any

authority to make the calls on replay – with feeds from the TV networks. But unlike

the past when the video came in with a short delay, the video is live from the TV

trucks. Typically, the networks will have at least 10 cameras and for national

broadcasts, up to 30 cameras, at a game. The NFL can grab and examine any video

that passes through the trucks, even that which is not aired by the networks.

On the Cook touchdown – where he crashed into the pylon while falling to the turf –

there is not any evidence to cause Blandino to overturn the ruling on the field. It's

tough to see where Cook's knee and the football are in relation to the goal line.

"We don't have a look down the line," Blandino allowed, speaking into the headset.

There's been much discussion about the NFL placing stationary cameras on the goal

line, to supplement the network angles. On the Cook touchdown, one angle is from

behind the end zone, near the post. Another is from an overhead shot from behind.

There's still some gray area.

"Stands," Blandino rules.

There's a difference when officials announce that a play "stands" or is "confirmed."

When a play "stands," there's no evidence to overturn the ruling on the field.

Blandino would love to have those stationary cameras on the goal lines.

After the Cook score, he said, "That would be a situation where that could have

helped."

It's about making the right call – which still happens over and over with the vast

resources at hand.

Takeaways: What you need to know from

every NFL game

USAToday.com

November 9, 2014

Chicago 14, Green Bay 55

HOW THE PACKERS WON: Aaron Rodgers played at an MVP level, throwing for

touchdowns on each of Green Bay’s first six possessions. He finished the game 18

of 27 for 315 yards, and spent the last 22-plus minutes of the game on the

sidelines. Rodgers brilliance opened space in the running game. The Packers

combined for 132 yards rushing on 32 carries.

WHY THE BEARS LOST: Jay Cutler threw two interceptions, the defense couldn’t

stop Jordy Nelson and coach Marc Trestman didn’t have his team ready for its

biggest rival despite an extra week to prepare. Mel Tucker’s defense failed to get

pressure on Rodgers, who was able to sit in the pocket and pick apart Chicago’s

suspect secondary.

STAT THAT TELLS THE STORY: Rodgers had tied his single-game career high of six

TD passes before halftime.

TURNING POINT: Micah Hyde’s interception in the first quarter that set up Green

Bay’s second TD. The Bears were ineffective in their first series and Cutler was

already looking rattled, nearly getting picked off by Ha Ha Clinton-Dix on the

previous play. Still, they could have rebounded from being down 7-0. But after the

pick and quick score, the Bears were completely unhinged.

KEY PLAYER: Jordy Nelson. It’s no secret he’s Rodgers’ favorite receiver, yet the

Bears left him virtually uncovered. He made them pay with TD catches of 73 and 40

yards.

NEXT FOR THE PACKERS: Green Bay still trails Detroit in the NFC North, and has

games against Philadelphia next week and New England on Nov. 30. But three of its

next four are at home, where the Packers are unbeaten this year.

NEXT FOR THE BEARS: Therapy? Chicago had no excuse to come out of a bye

looking this bad and this rattled. This was already a team with a fragile psyche, and

another bad loss is only going to increase the pressure on Cutler and Trestman.

-From Nancy Armour in Green Bay, Wis.

New York Giants 17, Seattle 38

HOW THE SEAHAWKS WON: By following the same formula that won them a Super

Bowl last season: Riding Marshawn Lynch and the defense to a win. There’s no

reason Lynch should be running this well at this point in his career. He’s taken the

most wear-and-tear of any runner in the league but somehow gets stronger. His

four scores carried the Seahawks offense. Russell Wilson made plays at key points,

but his poor play of late has to worry Seahawks faithful. His wide receivers are

struggling to win on the outside, and Wilson’s lack of patience in the pocket hasn’t

helped. Seattle’s defense isn’t nearly as dangerous as it was last season, but it’s

still plenty good. when they got pressure on Eli Manning, the secondary looked

more like the Legion of Boom we got to know in 2013.

WHY THE GIANTS LOST: The Seahawks tested the discipline of the Giants D

throughout the game, and New York failed the test. When Lynch wasn’t running

over the Giants front seven, Wilson was breaking contain for huge gains. You’re not

going to beat Seattle without stopping the run -- especially at CenturyLink Field --

and the Giants gave up the best rushing performance of the NFL season. When

Seattle finally jumped out to a big lead, and the Giants had to pass to get back in

it, the offensive line couldn’t provide Manning with time.

STAT THAT TELLS THE STORY: The Seahawks ran for 350 yards and five

touchdowns on 45 carries. It was not only the most rushing yards produced by an

NFL team this year, but also a franchise best.

TURNING POINT: This was a close game before the Seahawks blew it open in the

fourth quarter. The game turned at the end of the third quarter when Eli Manning

forced a deep pass that was tipped by Odell Beckham Jr., and intercepted by Earl

Thomas. The big play sparked a 21-0 run for Seattle.

KEY PLAYER: Marshawn Lynch. He laughs in the face of the typical running back

aging curve, eating up 350-carry seasons like Skittles and coming back stronger.

Against the Giants, the indestructible Lynch ran for 140 yards and four

touchdowns..

NEXT FOR THE SEAHAWKS: Seattle travels to Kansas City for an interconference

game against the 6-3 Chiefs

NEXT FOR THE GIANTS: Losers of four-straight, the Giants get another NFC West

opponent with the 49ers coming to MetLife Stadium in Week 11.

St. Louis 14, Arizona 31

HOW ARIZONA WON: Arizona has the best record in football, and it showed why in

a surprisingly difficult win over the Rams. The Rams had the lead in the fourth

quarter, and Carson Palmer was carted off with a knee injury. But the Cardinals’

back-up quarterback and defense stepped up in Palmer’s absence to score three

touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

WHY ST. LOUIS LOST: The team’s inexperience showed in the fourth quarter.

Austin Davis lost the ball three times in the course of losing the game. It didn’t help

him that his line couldn’t stop the Cardinals’ defenders, and he was sacked four

times. It also didn’t help that the Rams’ defense, which was effective against

Carson Palmer, was completely flummoxed by back-up Drew Stanton.

STAT THAT TELLS THE STORY: The Rams had three fourth-quarter turnovers, and

two were returned for touchdowns. St. Louis held their own for most of the game,

even leading the best team in the league for much of the second half. But to hold

on for a tight win, the Rams needed to play perfectly. Giving the ball to the other

team three times is far from perfect.

TURNING POINT: Carson Palmer left the game in the fourth quarter with a knee

injury. The Cardinals were down by four. Drew Stanton, who had to fill in for Palmer

earlier in the season, didn’t need much time to warm up. On his first series, he hit

John Brown for a massive 48-yard touchdown, giving the Cardinals the lead and the

confidence they could go on without Palmer.

KEY PLAYER: Patrick Peterson was called for pass interference midway through the

fourth quarter, giving the Rams a fresh set of downs. He took out his anger on the

next play, picking off the Rams to stop the drive he had just rejuvenated. On the

next Rams series, Peterson picked off Austin Davis and returned it for a touchdown

to seal the win.

NEXT FOR ST. LOUIS: The Rams’ tough stretch continues as they will next face the

Broncos at home.

NEXT FOR ARIZONA: The Cardinals will welcome the NFC North-leading Detroit

Lions next week.

Broncos 41, Oakland 17

HOW THE BRONCOS WON: How they always win. Peyton Manning was far from

perfect -- had threw two interceptions -- but his teammates made him look good.

He completed 31-of-44 passes for 340 yards and five TDs and was done by the end

of the third quarter.

WHY THE RAIDERS LOST: Because they’re the Raiders. They are deficient in every

conceivable way except for having a young QB who appears capable of playing well

at this level. It’s difficult to get an accurate read on Derek carr, though, because

he’s surrounded by such mediocrity.

STAT THAT TELLS THE STORY: There are many to choose from, but first downs are

a good place to start. The Broncos had 25. The Raiders had 10. And remember that

the Broncos sort of stopped trying all the way at the end of the third quarter. Three

of Oakland’s first downs came on a late scoring drive.

TURNING POINT: Oakland appeared poised to take a lead to halftime for the first

time this season. Denver seemed disorganized, still reeling from being pushed

around by the Patriots last week and trailed 10-6. Raiders QB David Carr was

throwing into tight windows and looked confident. He faced a makeable 3rd-and-2

from his own 40 with 3:37 left in the second quarter … and promptly threw and

interception. Denver would lead 20-10, and the game was effectively over.

KEY PLAYER: Just what Peyton Manning needs: Another weapon to emerge.

Second-year running back C.J. Anderson had 13 carries for 90 yards and four

catches for 73 yards and a TD. He came into the game with 17 carries for 82 yards

this year, and four catches for 34 yards.

NEXT FOR THE BRONCOS: Denver goes to St. Louis next week, hosts Miami the

week after then travels to Kansas City for a game against the AFC WEST second-

place Chiefs.

NEXT FOR THE RAIDERS: Bargaining. Depression. Draft planning. A game at San

Diego next week.

San Francisco 27, New Orleans 24

HOW THE 49ERS WON: QB Colin Kaepernick made a classic Kaepernick play, buying

time outside the pocket and throwing a 51-yard strike to WR Michael Crabtree after

things broke down to set up the tying field goal with 44 seconds left in regulation.

CB Perrish Cox sold the offensive pass interference call that wiped out Saints TE

Jimmy Graham’s would-be 47-yard TD catch on a Hail Mary as time expired. And LB

Ahmad Brooks made the play the 49ers needed in overtime, knocking loose the ball

from Saints QB Drew Brees. The 49ers recovered, the call stood upon review and

coach Jim Harbaugh left nothing to chance, immediately bringing on PK Phil Dawson

for the 35-yard winner.

WHY THE SAINTS LOST: They started slow, with QB Drew Brees throwing two ugly

interceptions on the way to a 21-10 halftime hole. They dominated the second half

but had a breakdown in coverage on Kaepernick’s big throw to Crabtree, failing to

protect the lead. And the offense failed twice in overtime, with coach Sean Payton

opting to punt on fourth-and-1 from the San Francisco 43-yard line and Brees

fumbling when they got the ball back.

STAT THAT TELLS THE STORY: The 49ers still haven’t lost three games in a row

under Harbaugh, who had them ready to play in a building where the Saints hadn’t

lost since the 2012 season.

TURNING POINT: The 49ers led 21-10 midway through the third quarter when WR

Anquan Boldin beat coverage deep on third-and-15. Kaepernick’s pass was on

target and Boldin had nothing but open turf in front of him – an 85-yard TD waiting

to happen. But the ball bonked off Boldin’s hands, and the Saints drove for a TD on

their ensuing possession. Instead of an 18-point lead, the 49ers were up just four

and that wasn’t enough to keep the Saints from forcing overtime.

KEY PLAYER: It was fitting Brooks made the play to set up Dawson’s winning field

goal. He was called for a controversial unnecessary roughness penalty in last

season’s meeting with the Saints when he clotheslined Brees, wiping out a fumble

and recovery that could’ve sealed the game for the 49ers.

NEXT FOR THE 49ERS: They’ll try to build on the momentum when they visit the

New York Giants next Sunday.

NEXT FOR THE SAINTS: Their three-game homestand continues against two AFC

North foes: the Cincinnati Bengals next Sunday and then the Baltimore Ravens on

Monday Night Football.

-From Tom Pelissero in New Orleans

Pittsburgh 13, New York Jets 20

HOW THE JETS WON: Just when everyone thought there was no way the Jets could

win this game against the red-hot Steelers team, they did just that.

To pull off the upset, the Jets did four things. They forced turnovers, held onto the

ball when they had it, pressured Ben Roethlisberger and ran effectively.

From start to finish, it was the most complete game New York has played all

season.

WHY THE STEELERS LOST: Pittsburgh seemed like a team that underestimated its

opponent and the start of the game showed that.

The Steelers’ offense gained just five yards in the first quarter, while their defense

allowed the normally-anemic Jets to rack up 164.

Turnovers and missed opportunities widened Pittsburgh’s early deficit, and

Pittsburgh’s offense couldn’t get going until it was too late to make a difference.

STAT THAT TELLS THE STORY: There’s no question, the difference maker in this

one was turnovers. The Jets had entered the game as the team with the worst

turnover margin in the NFL.

Sunday, New York reversed the trend, forcing Pittsburgh into four turnovers, and

didn’t give up the ball once.

TURNING POINT: The jokes wrote themselves on Twitter as many blamed the

Steelers’ slow start on the #Biebercurse, after the pop star visited the franchise

over the weekend.

But the actual turning point came during the week, when Pittsburgh was crafting its

game plan against the Jets.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger played uninspired football and made countless

mistakes. The running game sputtered. The defense allowed New York’s offense to

make too many plays.

KEY PLAYER: Jets fans can officially wonder what might have been had the team

started the season with Michael Vick at quarterback, instead of handing the job to

Geno Smith in a half-hearted quarterback competition.

Vick showed that he can still play at a high level and moved the ball and led scoring

drives. He became the first quarterback in NFL history to surpass 6,000 rushing

yards.

He finished the day with 10-of-18 for 132 yards, two touchdowns and added 39

rushing yards on eight carries.

NEXT FOR THE STEELERS: Pittsburgh gets a chance to watch next Sunday’s slate of

games before traveling to Tennessee to face the Titans on Monday night.

NEXT FOR THE JETS: The Jets finally get a break from their losing streak and get

the bye week to enjoy the victory. The following week, New York faces a divisional

foe in Buffalo.

-From Lorenzo Reyes in East Rutherford, N.J.

Tennessee 7, Baltimore 21

HOW THE RAVENS WON: Baltimore sort of meandered through this game, trusting

that eventually a lousy team led by a rookie QB would muck things up enough. The

Titans obliged. Baltimore’s defense deserves some credit, as it buttoned up after

the first quarter and allowed only 210 yards.A week after falling into last place in

the AFC North the Ravens were helped by their own win and surprising losses by

Pittsburgh (to the Jets!?!) and Cincinnati (to the first-place Browns.)

WHY THE TITANS LOST: Because Shonn Green fumbled when he should have

scored, and this happened on the first drive of the game, and Tennessee is a fragile

team not accustomed to winning but prone to letting something like that set the

tone for an entire game. Zach Mettenberger, the sixth-round pick making his

second career start, looked Tom Brady on the opening drive, which lasted more

than eight minutes. Green ruined it by fumbling on 2nd-and-goal from the 1. Sure,

the Titans still scored the first TD of the game a few minutes later; they just

weren’t nearly as efficient for the rest of the game.

STAT THAT TELLS THE STORY: The Titans gained 142 of their 210 yards in the first

quarter. Ten of their 14 first downs came in the first quarter

TURNING POINT: Tennessee lost tight end Delanie Walker on a harrowing hit over

the middle late in the first half. He’d run a quick post and caught a perfect pass

about 12-yards down field before being smashed by safety Terrence Brooks. He

immediately fumbled and appeared to be unconscious. He sat up a few minutes

later but was ruled out with a concussion. He had already been targeted five times

and made three catches for 37 yards.

KEY PLAYER: Let’s call it a toss up between Ravens receiver Torrey Smith, who’s

been mostly ineffective this year but had 5 catches for 75 yards including a 32-yard

TD that made it 21-7 early in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, middle linebacker C.J.

Mosley continued his campaign for Defensive Rookie of the Year with five tackles

and a pass defense.

NEXT FOR THE RAVENS: Baltimore has a bye and does not return until Monday,

Nov. 24 against the Saints.

NEXT FOR THE TITANS: Tennessee heads home to host Pittsburgh on Monday

night.

Dallas 31, Jacksonville 17

HOW THE COWBOYS WON: The Cowboys team that was getting Super Bowl buzz

just weeks ago showed up again in London. The offensive line dominated a good

Jaguars front seven in both the running and passing games. Tony Romo, coming off

a back injury, was sacked just once on his way to throwing for 247 yards and three

touchdowns. DeMarco Murray chipped in with yet another 100-yard running game.

Dallas’ defense left some plays on the field but were solid for the most part. The

Cowboys sacked Blake Bortles three times, but there were opportunities for

interceptions that the secondary failed to haul in. It’s hard to put too much stock in

this performance, but the fact that Romo looked like himself is encouraging after

two-straight losses.

WHY THE JAGUARS LOST: Jacksonville's young defense has had its ups and downs

throughout this season, and this performance certainly qualifies as a down. The

Jags defensive line, which has been so good in 2014, was overwhelmed by the

Cowboys offensive line, and Romo took advantage of a clean pocket. Poor tackling

was problem for a second-straight week, as was the immense talent gap between

the two units. The Jaguars simply could not contain Dez Bryant, and Murray had no

problem finding running lanes against the Jacksonville front seven. QB Blake Bortles

has handicapped the offense with a mix of poor decision-making and erratic

accuracy, and that was again the case in London. The Cowboys defense bailed him

out a few times by not taking advantage of dangerous throws, but he did manage

to throw his 14th interception. Denard Robinson continues to impress as a running

back -- his 30-yard touchdown run was the highlight of the day for the Jags.

STAT THAT TELLS THE STORY: When the Jaguars D has been good, the defensive

line has been the catalyst. Against the Cowboys, Jacksonville managed only one

sack and three QB hits on 27 dropbacks.

TURNING POINT: The Jaguars led 7-3 early in this game and had forced the

Cowboys offense off the field. But Jacksonville punt returner Ace Sanders muffed

the punt, giving Dallas the ball back six yards away from paydirt. That sparked a

28-0 onslaught for the Cowboys.

KEY PLAYER: The Cowboys offensive line was the key. As it has been all season, the

Cowboys line was dominant. The Cowboys’ skill players will get the headlines, but

the foundation of this offense can be found in the trenches.

NEXT FOR THE COWBOYS: Dallas gets some time to rest after its trip to London.

After a bye week, the Cowboys get back into the division with a Sunday night affair

against the Giants.

NEXT FOR THE JAGUARS: Jacksonville is idle next week before taking on the

division rival Indianapolis Colts.

Kansas City 17, Buffalo 13

HOW KANSAS CITY WON: The Chiefs played a smart game offensively and on

defense, took advantage of Buffalo’s mistakes. Using both Dwayne Bowe and

Jamaal Charles, the Chiefs used their two best weapons to pick up yardage and pick

apart the Bills’ vaunted defense. It didn’t matter that Alex Smith was sacked six

times because of what the other stars on offense could do.

WHY BUFFALO LOST: Quite simply, the Bills offense could not get in the end zone.

They led the Chiefs in overall yardage, and Kyle Orton had a much better game

than Alex Smith. But turnovers at key times stopped the Bills before they could

start.

STAT THAT TELLS THE STORY: Buffalo led on offensive yardage and third-down

efficiency, but turnovers undid every good thing Kyle Orton’s offense did. Bryce

Brown fumbled twice -- once on the way to the end zone -- and Chris Hogan added

another drop. The Bills couldn’t overcome these mistakes.

TURNING POINT: Early in the third quarter, Bryce Brown was on his way to a

touchdown. He was steps away from the end zone, but he lost the ball. It rolled

forward, but no Bills player could get his hands on the ball in the end zone. After it

rolled out the back, the Chiefs were awarded the ball in a touchback. It was the

kind of demoralizing play that said everything about the Bills day -- really good play

undermined by a dumb mistake.

KEY PLAYER: Jamaal Charles had 118 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. The

touchdown was scored on a 39-yard run that showed what the running back is

capable of. He’ll need to have more games like this as the Chiefs push for a wild

card spot in the playoffs.

NEXT FOR KANSAS CITY: The Chiefs have a tough test with the Seattle Seahawks

at home next week.

NEXT FOR BUFFALO: The Bills won’t get much rest as they face the Dolphins on

Thursday night in Miami.

Atlanta 27, Tampa Bay 17

HOW THE FALCONS WON: Matt Bryant kicked four field goals to help an Atlanta

offense that sputtered at times but ultimately was good enough to get past the

Bucs. Matt Ryan completed 20-of-31 passes for 219 yards and a TD. Running back

Steven Jackson showed some of his old burst with 81 yards on 16 carries. Kroy

Biermann and Osi Umenyiora troubled Tampa’s ends all day; each had 1.5 sacks

and 3 QB hits.

WHY THE BUCCANEERS LOST: Tampa Bay was sloppy in many facets of the game.

The Bucs were called for 10 penalties. They gave Atlanta good starting field position

-- their own 49 -- thanks to a 31-yard punt in the fourth quarter. Josh McCown

threw for over 300 yards but also had two interceptions, and there was no support

from the run game; the less-than-nimble McCown led the team with five runs for 39

yards.

STAT THAT TELLS THE STORY: Tampa Bay punter Michael Koenen had three punts

for a total of 91 yards.

TURNING POINT: Oddly, this game seemed to turn in favor of the Falcons on a

Tampa Bay touchdown. Austin Seferian-Jenkins caught the score, then placed the

ball on the ground and put his foot on top of it, apparently mimicking the Capt.

Morgan pose. He was called for a personal foul, and the Falcons would end up

starting their next drive from the 35 and driving for an easy touchdown.

KEY PLAYERS: Julio Jones (8 catches, 119 yards) and Roddy White (6 catches, 72

yards, 1 TD) were actually out-dueled by Tampa’s tandem of Mike Evans (7

catches, 125 yards, 1 TD) and Vincent Jackson (8 catches, 75 yards) but were

dynamic enough to remind you why everybody thought the Falcons could be the

comeback team of the year (and just maybe still could be.)

NEXT FOR THE FALCONS: Atlanta plays at Carolina next weekend and is still,

almost unfathomably, alive in the playoff hunt. The Falcons will be no more than

three games back after this weeks’ games; they play NFC South-leading New

Orleans in Week 16 and Carolina again in Week 17.

NEXT FOR THE BUCCANEERS: Tampa Bay heads to Washington next week.

Miami 16, Detroit 20

HOW THE LIONS WON: It was the kind of game that showed who the Lions really

are. They are a team with a great defense -- Miami had a total of just 222 yards --

a persistent offense -- Detroit scored half of their 20 points in the fourth quarter --

and just enough talent to wipe out mistakes -- Detroit was flagged 10 times for 98

yards.

WHY THE DOLPHINS LOST: The Dolphins made a huge play in the third quarter,

blocking a field goal that set up a touchdown. Then, they made a huge play in the

final minute, as Dion Jordan knocked the ball out of Calvin Johnson’s hands in the

end zone. The problem? The Dolphins couldn’t follow-up one great play with

another good one. Without consistency, the Dolphins aren’t going to get far in the

AFC East.

STAT THAT TELLS THE STORY: The Lions went for it three times on fourth down,

and converted twice. They made the audacious plays to keep drives going -- like a

fake punt in the first half -- which is part of the reason why the Dolphins had such a

hard time putting the Lions away.

TURNING POINT: This game wasn’t decided until the final minute. The Lions were

down a field goal to Miami with less than five minutes left in the game. On his final

drive, Matthew Stafford first tried to connect with Calvin Johnson in the end zone,

but when that didn’t work, he targeted running back Theo Riddick. Considering

Riddick hasn’t been used as a receiver much this season, he was not a sure bet in

the end zone. But with 29 seconds left in the game, Riddick made the catch and the

Lions won the game.

KEY PLAYER: Matthew Stafford threw an interception and was sacked three times.

This is not a game that will go on his highlight reel. But with the game on the line,

Stafford calmly led his team down the field before finding Riddick for the win.

NEXT FOR MIAMI: The Dolphins will host the Bills for an AFC East matchup on

Thursday night.

NEXT FOR DETROIT: Are the Lions for real? Next Sunday’s game in Arizona should

give us a good idea.

Klee: Kicking and yelling, Peyton

Manning and Broncos embarrass Raiders

By Pual Klee

Colorado Springs Gazette

November 10, 2014

OAKLAND, Calif. - Those were seagulls floating above O.co Coliseum, tentative

home of the Raiders. They were not buzzards, but the Raiders are barely bird bait.

For the record, Peyton Manning did not yell at the seagulls. On the NFL's Salute to

Service Day, he did not throw his camouflage hand towel, or throw one of his five

touchdown passes, or any of his 340 passing yards at them. His Broncos won, 41-

17.

It seems Manning has yelled at just about everyone else. Doesn't it? The NFL's

reigning MVP has yelled at Texans safety D.J. Swearinger (earning a taunting

penalty), Julius Thomas (a lot), a scoreboard operator(!), even himself.

"I don't usually stink, but I stunk today," Manning said after last week's loss at New

England.

Do the Broncos get tired of being yelled at all the time?

"He's not doing it just to be a (jerk). He's doing it because he wants to win," wide

receiver Emmanuel Sanders told The Gazette. "So we're going to have some

arguments and things of that sort, but as long as they get corrected and it's not

hurting the team, I think it's all positive."

In most professions an employer might suggest anger-management classes, or a

Boulder yoga session to center his Zen. I don't believe Manning is an angry person,

just an extremely driven one, and I guess he sees a Broncos team that is too gifted

to "stink" up the room like it did at New England - even when it's him who stinks.

Manning stunk for a while again Sunday. He threw six passes into the hands of

Raiders; four were batted to the turf and two were caught for interceptions. The

Raiders actually led the game, 10-6, and a fan chanted, "Let's go, Raiders!"

Then the second quarter unfolded. From there, Oakland's highlights were limited to

Slayer guitarist Kerry King being shown on the JumboTron, and the Jumbotron

blaring this unlikely message: "Broncos and Raiders Fans: Let's All Enjoy This Game

Together."

Three seconds into the fourth quarter, Manning had removed his helmet and let

Brock Osweiler play. Manning had led the Broncos to 35 unanswered points, and

backup running back C.J. Anderson had more total yards (163) than the entire

Raiders team (112). The Raiders eventually totaled 222 yards in all.

Later, that lone Raiders fan chanted, "Let's go, Raiders!" and a response was

hollered across from a nearby section: "They're gone!"

But even on the pivotal play, Manning was ready to yell at someone. Anderson had

sprinted around the left end, an option in the passing game.

"Peyton looked at me to finish my route," Anderson said.

While the play was going on?

"I wasn't even in the middle of my route!" he continued. "That's (No.) 18, though."

Then, Manning hit Anderson, who raced 51 yards for a touchdown. No, really.

"That was as fine a play as I've seen so far this season," Manning said.

Anderson grew up 40 miles away from the Coliseum and played his college ball at

nearby Cal. He was a fan of Raiders like Tyrone Wheatley and Zack Crockett.

Fourteen months ago he blew out a knee in training camp and told The Gazette, "I

cried all night." Sunday, Manning yelled at Anderson until the tailback scored the

key touchdown.

Maybe the Manning Method is finally becoming clear. He yells and demands and

nags until the undrafted guy (Anderson) or the untouchable guy (Demaryius

Thomas) or the big guy (Julius Thomas) or the new guy (Sanders) score

touchdowns. And in a span of 15 minutes, 45 seconds, those guys scored five

touchdowns.

Just like that, the bashing by the Bay went from "Raiders 10, Broncos 6" to

"Broncos 41, Raiders 10."

"He stays pretty even-keeled the whole time," Wes Welker said.

The Broncos own a six-game winning streak over the Raiders, only the second time

that's happened in 54 years of rivalry.

The Raiders were penalized when they threw a red challenge flag on a play that

couldn't be challenged. That was their highlight, since it burned a timeout and

shortened the game. The highlights for the Broncos continued until the seagulls

arrived.

One was Ben Garland, the burly, bearded man from Grand Junction, who was

activated for an NFL game for the first time. In the locker room, Garland beamed.

"It's a dream come true, especially when it's Salute to Service Day and everybody

is respecting the troops," Garland said.

Big Ben is a captain in the Air Force, so Manning can't yell at him. We think.

Broncos vs. Raiders: Quarter by quarter

By Paul Klee

Colorado Springs Gazette

November 9, 2014

The Broncos are still in Foxborough mode. Despite quadrupling the Raiders in total

yards (127 to 31) and first downs (eight to two), the Broncos were tied, 3-3.

What’s the issue? The new-look offensive line suffered a pair of penalties in the red

zone, and, out of character, Peyton Manning missed a couple of passes he usually

completes in his sleep. That’s assuming, of course, that Peyton Manning sleeps. The

Raiders also snagged an interception on the second play from scrimmage. The full-

house home crowd cheered.

Key play: Brandon McManus booted a field goal from 20 yards — a good sign for

the new kicker, a bad sign for the Broncos’ red-zone offense.

Spotted from press box: Exiting the BART train at the Coliseum, I saw a band of

Raiders fans dancing to “Highway to the Danger Zone.” Yep, we’re definitely in

Oakland now.

Tweet of the quarter: Peyton had 16 pass attempts in the first quarter —

@PFF_Steve (Steve Palazzolo, an expert analyist for Pro Football Focus)

Score: Broncos 3, Raiders 3

Second quarter

With an unexpected lift from C.J. Anderson, the Broncos escaped a rough start and

entered halftime with a double-digit lead. Anderson, the undrafted free agent out of

nearby Cal, made a one-handed reception and jived and juked 51 yards for a

scoring play that doubled as a gut punch to the Raiders. Oakland had Denver in a

third-and-long situation before Anderson’s magic. The touchdown seemed to throw

a breath of wind into the Broncos, whose offense was stumbling along before the

critical play.

Key play: Anderson’s, of course. But if there’s another one, it was Bradley Roby’s

interception of Derek Carr. The rookie from Ohio State is gradually coming along.

Spotted from press box: Carr, the rookie quarterback, getting into the face of his

offense on the Raiders sideline. We’ll see if he can withstand the losing, but there’s

no doubt Carr is a spirited leader who has the ear of his teammates.

Tweet of the quarter: C.J. Anderson has 123 yards, 41 more than the Raiders team.

—@TroyRenck (Troy Renck, Broncos beat writer for the Denver Post)

Score: Broncos 20, Raiders 10

Third quarter

What, Peyton Manning worry? This, O.co Coliseum, is where worries go to die. The

Broncos quarterback finished off another memorable day at the home of the

Raiders with a two-quarter stretch that included five touchdown passes. That’s

interesting enough, but then I throw in this nugget: In two quarters here last year,

Manning threw four touchdown passes. (That makes nine touchdown passes against

the Raiders in what would amount to a full game.). Manning exited the game to

close the third quarter.

Key play: T.J. Ward, the big-splash free agent signing from the Browns, intercepted

Derek Carr and gave the Broncos a first down in Raiders territory.

Spotted from press box: A whole bunch of Raiders fans leaving the stadium.

Tweet of the quarter: Under center for the Broncos: Brock Osweiler —

@NFLRedZone

Score: Broncos 41, Raiders 10

Fourth quarter

This game turned so fast, but it’s hard to say a late touchdown made the score

sound closer than the game really was when it was a 41-17 victory. Denver allowed

Oakland to score a late TD for its first points since early in the second quarter.

Denver righted the ship when it was listing early in the second quarter and coasted

to what turned out to be a comfortable AFC West victory. It needs to continue to

cruise through games like this and get fired up for more challenging contests.

Every team should be tougher than the Raiders and capable of beating Denver, just

think back to the second quarter ...

Key play: When quarterback Brock Osweiler was inserted before the quarter, it was

a smart move by the Broncos to preserve Peyton Manning for times that really

count

Tweet of the quarter: w/today’s game, @CjAndersonRB9 is only 6th RB in the NFL

this year w/70+yds rushing & receiving in a game. Only 7th Bronco in club history.

— Patrick Smyth @psmyth12 (Broncos media relations)

Score: Broncos 41, Raiders 17

Klee: Bring back the old Raiders, not the

helpless Raiders

By Paul Klee

Colorado Springs Gazette

November 9, 2014

OAKLAND, Calif. - The Raiders once were a party, a wedding bash with live music

and a top-shelf open bar. Now they are the hangover.

There is a certain curiosity to watching the misery of a hangover, as long as it's

from a distance. Someday it will end; hopefully, at least, since the Broncos and

Raiders should be testy rivals, a twice or thrice annual loathe-fest. It's more fun

that way.

Now the rivalry means more to the fans who wear Raider Hater T-shirts than to the

players who bounce from team to team with the conscience of football mercenaries.

We could say it wasn't that long ago that Raiders Week summoned vitriol into

Colorado, a valid reason to leave Sunday morning church and forget the lessons

you just learned. Now it just summons a win. When the Broncos play the Raiders at

O.co Coliseum on Sunday, Denver will be 11- to 12-point favorites to beat Oakland

for the sixth straight time. In a series that dates to 1960, that's happened only

once.

In Denver, they target a third-straight No. 1 seed in the AFC. In Oakland, they

haven't won three straight games since November 2011.

"We treat every opponent the same, so we'll treat them as if they're 8-0," Terrance

Knighton said.

The Raiders should not be treated the same. They should be loathed; those are the

rules. But it's hard to loathe the helpless.

"I really don't look at their record," Peyton Manning said.

Here it is, then: Finishing 0-16 is a real possibility for the Raiders. Enough time has

passed that some folks might have forgotten the Raiders once were excellent,

excellent enough they own 12 AFC West title's to Denver's 13, and that's without

enjoying a winning season since 2002. That year they appeared in a Super Bowl

with an MVP quarterback, Rich Gannon. Since then they've had 17 starting

quarterbacks, by my count, and if you count Terrelle Pryor. Since then they've had

seven head coaches who weren't tagged with an interim label.

Enough time has passed, again, that Broncos are unsure if it's a rivalry. Imagine

that.

"I don't hear about it much, but I still feel it's a rivalry game, or one of them,"

Demaryius Thomas said. "You don't hear many guys talk about rivalry games."

There's one man who gives this rivalry a chance, an opportunity to become what it

used to be, and he's 23. Oakland quarterback Derek Carr looks like a player. Maybe

just as important he looks confident enough to withstand the losing and not break.

"It doesn't look like it's too big for him, or anything like that," Broncos defensive

coordinator Jack Del Rio said.

"He's one of those quarterbacks where he's more athletic than he looks," DeMarcus

Ware added.

About halfway through his first season, Carr's rating is 79.8, higher than Andrew

Luck's rookie rating of 76.5. That's not to say Carr is superior to Luck, just that he

has a chance. Maybe Carr is the answer to the hangover; hopefully, at least,

because it was more fun when the Raiders were the old Raiders, not the helpless

Raiders.

Brock Osweiler was sad Peyton Manning

stayed in the Broncos game

By Will Brinson

CBSSports.com

November 9, 2014

Brock Osweiler has the easiest job in America. He backs up one of the best

quarterbacks on the planet in Peyton Manning, a guy who only misses time when

he needs multiple neck surgeries.

He rarely has to actually "work." Not that he's trying to avoid it, though. On

Sunday, with the Broncos up 41-10 en route to a 41-17 victory over the Raiders,

Osweiler thought he was going to get some game action in the third quarter.

So with the Broncos offense coming back on the field he gleefully grabbed his

helmet and turned to run on the field ... only to see Manning already sprinting out

to lead the offense.

His reaction was pure gold.

Garafolo: NFLPA to file grievance in

effort to get Peterson reinstated

By Mike Garafolo

CBSSports.com

November 9, 2014

In an attempt to get Adrian Peterson reinstated by next Sunday, the NFL Players

Association is preparing to file an expedited non-injury grievance early this week,

alleging the NFL should have removed Peterson from the commissioner's exempt

list when his legal process wrapped up, sources tell FOX Sports.

The union's move would be in response to a letter the NFL sent the Minnesota

Vikings' running back last week, stating he would remain on the exempt list while

the league reviews his case under the personal-conduct policy. The NFL asked

Peterson to produce documents on his case, told him independent experts would

review his case and informed him he has a right to a hearing with Commissioner

Roger Goodell before discipline is enacted.

A source said the union and Peterson's camp believe the process the league

outlined in the letter to Peterson would take weeks, thus leaving him inactive for

several games. (Peterson has been paid the full installments of his $11.75 million

salary while on the exempt list.)

Based on the language of the collective bargaining agreement, an expedited

grievance is to be held within seven days of its filing, with the sides expected to

"engage in good faith efforts" to wrap up the process by the player's next game.

The Vikings, who are on a bye this week, face the Chicago Bears next Sunday.

Peterson's situation is unique in that the league usually lets the legal process play

out for first-time offenders before taking a player off the field. But Peterson was

part of an handful of off-field situations that developed early in the season and

resulted in public pressure for the league and the team to do something to quell the

controversy. All parties agreed the rarely-used commissioner's exempt list would

allow Peterson and the Carolina Panthers' Greg Hardy to step out of the spotlight

while they handled their legal issues.

The NFLPA and Peterson's camp claim the terms of the agreement stated he would

remain on the exempt list only through the completion of his legal process.

Peterson last week pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of reckless assault

after initially facing felony child-abuse charges.

FOX Sports has reported Peterson's camp and the union informed the NFL a plea

deal was coming and tried to reach an agreement with the league to reinstate him

immediately or at least lay out a process for him to get back on the field in short

order. The NFL rejected those advances.

It's clear the NFL isn't planning to let Peterson back onto the field without some

kind of punishment, though that could bring about another grievance from the

union. A source said the union will argue his being taken off the field at all is a form

of punishment and therefore time served. The league would likely counter that

claim by noting Peterson agreed to go on the exempt list and was paid in full while

on it.

Peyton Manning won't let Brock Osweiler

play

By Jay Busbee

YahooSports.com

November 9, 2014

It's the smile that breaks your heart.

Look at Brock Osweiler, Denver Broncos backup QB, in that video above. He's so

dang excited to be getting into an NFL game he can't stop grinning. IT'S GONNA

HAPPEN, MA! I'M GOING IN THE GAME! But then Peyton Manning does to Osweiler

what Manning does to so many opposing teams' fans: DENIAL.

The backstory: the Broncos were up by more than four scores on the Oakland

Raiders with more than 15 minutes to play. That's the definition of "garbage time."

(And given the occasionally filthy conditions at O.Co Coliseum, a literal definition.)

Osweiler sure seemed like he was prepped to go in and get a few snaps, maybe

impress his lady with a Real Live NFL Touchdown.

Alas, it was not to be. Peyton plays as long as Peyton wants to play. You don't get

to a thousand touchdowns by tapping out early, after all.

Osweiler eventually got into the game, going 2-of-5 for 13 yards. He remains

sports' greatest paradox: the invisible man who is just one bad play away from

being the most watched man in the NFL.

Don't Count Out the Cards

By Peter King

MMQB/SI.com

November 10, 2014

An early Happy Veterans Day to all in uniform, past and present. Thanks to all in

the military who make it possible for us to enjoy the lives we lead and feel safe

while doing it. And congratulations to Air Force Capt. Ben Garland, the 2010 Air

Force Academy grad who worked out seven days a week for two years, chasing his

NFL dream while fulfilling his military service requirement. “The chances of me

making the NFL were tiny. Tiny,” he said in the summer. But Ben Garland made the

Broncos this summer, and on Sunday, the Broncos’ real-life veteran made his NFL

debut, playing five snaps at right guard against the Raiders.

That is a cool story. The rest today pale in comparison. Way to go, Captain.

* * *

Every NFL season has its eccentricities. The Arizona Cardinals own the most in

2014—and we’ll get to the backup quarterback-turned-Sunday-savior who almost

missed his star turn when his overdue wife texted him Sunday morning to say she

hoped the game went fast, because her contractions were coming. We’ve got you

covered, Lions fans, with how Jim Caldwell has turned this team from outlaws to

outliers; these are not the usual find-a-way-to-lose Leos. Jay Cutler’s horrible

history versus Green Bay was highlighted in another Wisconsin nightmare. After

Chicago allowed 106 points the past two games, is Marc Trestman in trouble? After

the Giants allowed 350 rushing yards to the Seahawks, is Tom Coughlin in trouble?

After the Jets bashed Ben Roethlisberger around for three hours and stunned the

Steelers, is Rex Ryan out of trouble?

Ten Uniquely 2014 Things About Week 10

1. Cleveland is in sole possession of first place in the AFC North. Last time that was

the case after 10 weeks: In 1994, when Bill Belichick coached and Vinny Testaverde

quarterbacked.

2. Brian Hoyer’s agent, Joe Linta, told me Sunday he hasn’t had any discussions

about a new contract for the 2015 free-agent-to-be since May. Six months. Hoyer is

the most desirable veteran quarterback among a weak crop. There is time for Hoyer

to fall to earth, of course, but I’ll be amazed if the Browns, seeking a long-term

answer at quarterback since forever, let him walk.

3. Arizona and Detroit meet next Sunday in Glendale. It’s the kind of November

matchup that would usually merit FOX’s sixth crew. These two teams are a

combined 15-3. Joe Buck, anyone?

4. If the season ended this morning, Green Bay (6-3) wouldn’t be in the playoffs.

True fact. Detroit (7-2) has them beat for the division, and Dallas (7-3) and Seattle

(6-3 with the head-to-head tiebreaker over Green Bay) would be wild cards.

5. The Raiders have lost 15 in a row. (You’re right. That’s actually not stunning at

all.)

6. The best team in the NFC South, New Orleans, would be 1.5 games out of last

place in the AFC North.

7. Atlanta has won once in the last 53 days and is a game out of first in the NFC

South.

8. The best rookie in football was the 91st pick by Arizona in the May draft, played

for a college team with the nickname “Gorillas,” and caught the winning touchdown

pass in the last eight minutes against San Diego, Philadelphia, and, on Sunday, St.

Louis. John Brown of Pittsburg (Kans.) State, you’re the man.

9. The Thursday-nighter this week reminds me and my fellow ancients of the old

Runnerup Bowl. The 5-4 Bills are at the 5-4 Dolphins, and the wheat will be

separated from the chaff.

10. As if anyone needed another lesson, gambling on football is fool’s gold; the

Steelers looked like the ’07 Patriots the last two weeks and came to the

Meadowlands to play a team on an eight-game losing streak—and Pittsburgh got

drilled. We wake this morning to learn the 2014 Patriots, nearly flawless the past

five games, are field-goal ‘dogs at Indianapolis Sunday night. Keep your money in

your pocket. I repeat, keep your money in your pocket.

* * *

While Carson Palmer gently weeps.

It seems particularly cruel this morning to write about the team with the best

record in football in a life-goes-on sort of way. Carson Palmer was the quarterback

coach Bruce Arians and GM Steve Keim chose to be their franchise leader when

they got their jobs in January 2013. Palmer finally felt like he was in football

nirvana. He quit football at 31 rather than continue playing for a franchise he didn’t

trust to put a winner on the field, Cincinnati. He was traded to the Raiders, another

pit of despair, and played two years there. Then the Cardinals plucked him away for

a song 19 months ago. “It’s the most important acquisition we made,” Keim said a

couple of weeks ago, and the Cardinals went out and put a backbone to that: On

Friday, Arizona signed Palmer to a three-year contract extension worth $50 million.

On Sunday, against St. Louis, it appeared that Palmer, on a play early in the fourth

quarter, tried to change his protection just before the snap to account for an extra

rusher. As the play progressed, Palmer’s left knee caved in as he tried to avoid the

rush on a sack, and he lay on the field, writhing in agony. Nothing is official, and

Arians told me Sunday night he wasn’t sure of anything, but all signs point to a torn

ACL in Palmer’s left knee, the second time he has suffered that injury, to that knee,

in his career.

“We just did the contract, and everybody was on cloud nine,” Arians said from

Arizona. “Now this.”

Backup Drew Stanton entered the game with 9:45 left and Arizona trailing 14-10.

“Being around Carson now for the last couple of years,” Stanton said Sunday night,

“I knew something was wrong when he stayed down. That is not Carson.”

“We can win the Super Bowl with Drew Stanton,” Arians said. “There is no doubt in

my mind.”

This was the second bit of major drama in Stanton’s day. He and his wife, Kristin,

are expecting a child. She was due last Wednesday. He got a text from her Sunday

morning, when he’d arrived at the stadium for the game. “The text basically said,

Just so you know, you might want to get home pretty quick after the game. She felt

like the contractions were coming,” Stanton said.

This was an hour or so after the game, and Stanton had ducked into a Whole Foods

on his way home, shopping for dinner. And champagne, in case the baby came. As

he checked out and got in his car, Stanton explained the strangeness of the day.

“All week at practice, Carson loved this deep throw to John Brown,” Stanton said.

“We had it in the game plan, and at halftime we said, ‘We want to take our shot

with this play. It’s going to be there.'” Arians is famous for not dumbing-down his

game plan; whoever is in the game is going to run the stuff they planned for the

week. So even though Stanton was shaken to the core by the injury to Palmer, he

listened to Arians before he went out for his first play, first-and-10 at the Arizona

11. We’re gonna stay with what we planned. Just try to put some points on the

board. Nothing different from what Arians would have said to anyone subbing for an

injured player.

I did an interview with Arians for The MMQB that ran last week, and what he said

about dealing with injured players impressed me. He said: “Injuries happen to

everybody. Free-agent losses happen to everybody. I preach and preach and

preach, ‘The most valuable player on the team is not Larry Fitzgerald. It’s who’s

gonna take his place after Larry Fitzgerald gets hurt.’ It happened to me. I was the

next man up. I was the assistant coach in Indianapolis, and 20 hours after Chuck

[Pagano] goes down [with leukemia] I am running the team. I always tell the Wally

Pipp story, even though the players never know who he is, that he’s the guy Lou

Gehrig replaced and Wally Pipp could never get his job back. The worst part? They

don’t know who Lou Gehrig is.”

Stanton came in and found two quick completions to his tight ends, who often are

the forgotten men in the Arizona offense because of the wideout threats the

Cardinals have. On first down from the Rams’ 48, Arians thought he’d get the

single-high safety look the Rams had shown on similar plays at similar points of the

field. He called the play for Brown. In it, the Cards flank Brown and Fitzgerald left.

Fitzgerald takes a corner with him trolling across the field. Brown presses his corner

toward the left corner, then sprints inside toward the post. If he’s right, Brown will

have beaten the corner already, then will outrun the safety on the way to the ball.

That’s exactly what happened.

“I didn’t know if I had enough arm on the throw,” said Stanton. “John’s so fast.”

Stanton definitely had enough arm. For the third time this season, Brown made the

game-winning catch on a fourth-quarter deep ball. Arizona added two late

defensive touchdowns, and this improbable 8-1 team had a muted celebration,

players going into the trainers’ room to pay their respects to Palmer. “You try to be

respectful,” said Stanton. “You know he’s down. It’s so tough to see someone in

pain like that.”

I asked Arians how many more body blows his team could take and still keep

ticking. Daryl Washington and Karlos Dansby at linebacker, gone. Darnell Dockett,

gone. Calais Campbell, missing for a month. Now the quarterback they’d built the

offense around, most likely gone. “It’s not gonna stop,” Arians said. “It’s football.

There’s gonna be another one, I just don’t know who and when. That’s what we

believe. We don’t let up, and we don’t make excuses.”

One more thing.

“We can win the Super Bowl with Drew Stanton,” Arians said. “There is no doubt in

my mind.”

There will be a few people in the Cardinals’ offices today pulling for Kristin Stanton

to have that baby early in the week. Her husband’s got another big job this week.

The football calendar is unforgiving that way.

The Lions don’t make the dumb mistakes anymore.

Detroit has been winning the games they lost a year ago, and Sunday against

Miami was a perfect example.

Tie game, 4:31 to play, Miami ball, third-and-goal at the Detroit two. Ryan

Tannehill slid right, looking for an open receiver in the end zone, and tight end

Charles Clay suddenly clapped his hands. I’m open! Tannehill threw a dart. Clay

caught it—but in flew safety James Ihedigbo, the former Belichick and John

Harbaugh safety, to punch the ball out of Clay’s hands. Miami settled for a field

goal.

Trailing 16-13, Detroit at its 27, second-and-nine. Stafford was at the line for eight,

10, 12 seconds, trying to read the seven men who juked and stopped and started

at the line. The blitz was on. “They had eight up,” Stafford said from Detroit. (I

counted seven, but found out Stafford was right on NFL Game Rewind early this

morning. Safety Reshad Jones left his perch over the right tackle when Stafford

changed the protection, and it turned out five men rushed and two more dropped at

the snap.) “I ended up switching protections three times, and then Golden [Tate]

did a great job beating the coverage over the middle.”

At the two-minute warning, Detroit had advanced to the Miami 38, and Stafford and

offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi met at the sideline. “We’re close, and we’re

almost in field-goal range” Lombardi told him, “but let’s try to go win this thing

now.”

Stafford worked his way down to the Miami 11 with 36 seconds left. If he could, he

was going to try to find a sliver of space to get the ball into Calvin Johnson (who

wouldn’t?). Again, the Dolphins put eight men near the line. This time, they

dropped eight and rushed only three. Off the line, Dion Jordan—who spent some

time actually covering Johnson in this game—was on Johnson here, on the biggest

play of the game, as he left the right flank and began running upfield. Jordan was

joined by a safety. “Looked like a blitz at first, but only three came, and they

doubled Calvin,” said Stafford. “So I had to do something else.”

What followed is not a play many quarterbacks can make. Stafford is a different

breed on the run. He can throw going to his left and his right accurately, on the run

and making sudden stops. “He’s got more ability to throw the ball from different

angles than any quarterback in the league,’’ Dan Fouts said on CBS, and I agree.

This time the rush forced him left. Stafford spied running back Theo Riddick, the

2013 sixth-round back from Notre Dame, with maybe a quarter-step of an edge on

Reshad Jones inside the five-yard line along the left sideline. “Theo’s a confident

kid,’’ Stafford said, “And I can count on him to make the right decision, be in the

right spot. When I start to run around, it becomes a little bit of backyard football,

and I thought I could get the ball into him.”

Stafford, moving laterally left, flicked the ball sidearm. Perfect spiral. Landed right

in a sliding Riddick’s gut five yards into the end zone. Touchdown. Ballgame.

Caldwell would let the players pick the restaurants, then spend hours getting to

know them. “Their favorite movies, their favorite book, their families. I’d ask them,

‘Who’s the best point guard in the NBA?’ ”

For the third straight game, the Lions won a game they’d trailed late in the fourth

quarter. And that, players and staff say, is a direct result of some of the mind

games new coach Jim Caldwell is playing.

Caldwell might be one of those rarities in the NFL—a coach who is better-suited to

be a head coach than a coordinator. He worked to mixed reviews as Baltimore’s

offensive coordinator last year (the Ravens were 25th in the NFL in scoring at a

paltry 20 points per game), but the Lions saw him as the perfect remedy to the up-

and-down, discipline-challenged team that he would inherit. Caldwell can be an

impassioned speaker, but much like one of his career mentors, Tony Dungy, he’s a

flat-liner who doesn’t threaten loudly. If you don’t do things his way, you’ll be

gone—but it will be done civilly.

Detroit led in the fourth quarter of its last seven games last season—and won one.

This year, the Lions are turning it over less (last nine games last year: 26

turnovers; first nine games this year: 12 turnovers) and winning more. They are 7-

2 and heading to the desert this week for a showdown with the 8-1 Cardinals.

“We were frank and honest with the players from the moment we walked in the

door,’’ Caldwell said from his office the other day. “In this league, we see it every

year: Teams lose games in the NFL more than they win them. We brought in

players and coaches from winning backgrounds—James Ihedigbo and Glover Quin

[from Houston], Golden Tate from Seattle, [coordinators] Joe Lombardi from the

Saints and Teryl Austin from the Ravens.”

Caldwell introduced a twice-weekly part of team meetings: The High Cost of Low

Living. Each meeting, he’d have an example, culled from the internet or newspaper

by longtime senior VP of communications Bill Keenist or someone else on staff, of

an athlete or famous person being arrested or doing something stupid publicly.

“Common-sense lessons,” said Caldwell. “Like, ‘Don’t be out after 1 a.m.’ Tony

[Dungy] used to do something like this. He’d say, ‘If you want to stay out of the

USA Today, don’t do this,’ and he’d show guys who made mistakes. They’re all

things that happen that can be avoided. It’s education that helps your players stay

on the field.”

And when they mess up, as defensive tackle C.J. Mosley did in London, reportedly

smoking marijuana on the trip, but absent of a test proving it, Caldwell acted

quickly. He sent Mosley home and benched him for two games.

“I just think discipline is important,” he said. “It shows up in games.”

Caldwell also took all positions groups out to dinner, one a week, during the

offseason. He’d let the players pick the restaurants, then spend two to three hours

getting to know them. “Their favorite movies, their favorite book, their families. I’d

ask them, ‘Who’s the best point guard in the NBA?’ We’d get some great

discussions going. Just to get to know the players as men, as people, is so

important. I read a lot, and I always have believed something General Patton says

is important: ‘Take care of your men.’ ”

Stafford said he feels the respect from Caldwell. “He teaches the important things,”

Stafford said. “Poise and confidence. Those are really important traits to him.”

Those are traits these Lions are playing with now. We’ll see if they last for the long

haul. Last season, Detroit was 6-2 after eight games and it didn’t last. The proof

with Caldwell will be known in a couple of months.

Who is Jaiquawn Jarrett, and why did he dominate Big Ben?

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Jaiquawn Jarrett, a 2011 second-round pick of the

Philadelphia Eagles, couldn’t remember ever playing like this in the pros. The last

time he played as well as he did in the Jets’ 20-13 upset of the Steelers? “Probably

in college,” the Jets safety said. “It was a great feeling to finally get my first NFL

interception.”

Think about that: A defensive back, drafted 54th overall, gets his first pro

interception during his fourth season. Jarrett’s career so far has been a bumpy ride.

He was cut by the Eagles one game into his second season, a humbling fate for a

high draft pick, and spent the rest of the season out of the league. The Jets took a

flier on him. (Sports Quiz: What was Mike Tannenbaum’s last move before he was

fired as Jets’ general manager? Answer: Signing Jarrett to a futures contract days

after the ugly 2012 season ended.) Their evaluation at the time: Good character,

smart, tough, and close friends with Muhammad Wilkerson. Why not?

Sunday’s performance was fueled in part by one of the lowlights of his Eagles

tenure. Jarrett recalled a 2012 preseason game when the Eagles played the

Steelers, and he whiffed on an opportunity to make an impression in the starting

lineup. Missed tackles, poor angles, blown coverages. A few weeks later, he was

cut. “My first time playing (Ben Roethlisberger) in 2012, I didn’t have a great

game,” Jarrett said. “I was going to make sure I came out here and did my job.”

He did more than that. Told on Friday he’d be starting over first-round pick Calvin

Pryor, Jarrett was the main reason the Jets finally secured their second win. He

ended the Steelers’ first drive with a sack of Roethlisberger. He ended their second

possession by recovering receiver Antonio Brown’s fumble on a screen pass. Then

came a pair of interceptions: the first a diving scoop on the ricochet of teammate

Marcus Williams’ batted pass on the goal line, and the second on Roethlisberger’s

overthrow of wideout Markus Wheaton over the middle. Jarrett noticed

Roethlisberger point to Wheaton before he made the throw, so he broke on the ball

with a brisk sprint. “I saw Ben direct him, and when he floated it, I was like, ‘I

gotta come down with it,'” he said.

Jarrett’s takeaway tally yesterday: three. The Jets’ takeaway tally over their first

nine games: three.

With a ring of reporters around Jarrett’s locker after the game, Geno Smith,

another second-round pick who knows what it’s like to be humbled, came over and

slipped in a hug. “Good game, bro,” Smith said. If Jarrett was ever going to make

an impact in the NFL, the time is now. The Jets have been playing musical chairs in

the secondary, looking for someone to emerge among a deficient unit depleted

even further by injuries. “It’s an amazing feeling,” Jarrett said. “You go through a

lot of adversity and you’ve just got to continue to keep your faith.” Obviously,

Jarrett kept his.

* * *

Five quick questions, five quick answers…

With Chris Simms, the former quarterback and NFL quality-control coach, now

analyzing the NFL for Bleacher Report and CBS Sports. I reached out because I’ve

liked his direct, blunt analysis this season. He said, for instance, that the Eagles

may be better off with Mark Sanchez than Nick Foles; and when the Jets’

quarterbacks were struggling mightily, he said he didn’t think his brother, Matt, the

third-stringer with the team, should be playing over Michael Vick. (Seems obvious

after Vick’s play Sunday against Pittsburgh, but it didn’t seem so obvious a couple

of weeks ago, particularly to Matt’s flesh and blood.)

The MMQB: Why the media gig?

Simms: I wanted to get into coaching or get on the track to be a GM. But for the

last three years, I was basically a bitch boy, a quality-control coach and part-time

scouting assistant, working with Josh McDaniels and the Patriots [most recently]. I

loved it, but I couldn’t stomach all the time I’d be away from my family. I’m going

to put all my efforts into being good at this. Like my dad [Phil] told me, “If you’re

going to do this, you can’t fake it.” So I put in the work. I watch the tape. I talk to

people I know in the league. I really work at it.

The MMQB: How did you like working for Bill Belichick?

Simms: Loved it. He’s the smartest person I’ve ever been around. His attention to

detail just blows me away. What I noticed about him is that the grind of coaching is

not a grind to him. He loves it. It’s a way of life.

The MMQB: Best five quarterbacks in the NFL today.

Simms: I hate how everybody just says Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are the

best two quarterbacks in football. They’re not. Are they gonna be 65 years old and

we’ll all be saying, “Brady and Manning are still the best?” Tom Brady’s not in my

top five. I mean, he’s still really good, but I like other guys better. I’d go Aaron

Rodgers one, Andrew Luck two, Ben Roethlisberger three, Russell Wilson four and

Peyton five.

The MMQB: Best player in the league we don’t know yet.

Simms: [Oakland linebacker] Khalil Mack. He’ll be a superstar for a long time. He’s

Von Miller-esque.

The MMQB: Ever wonder what would have happened to you if you didn’t rupture

your spleen in that game? [Simms suffered a rupture spleen in a 2006 game

against Carolina, and started only one game the rest of his career. He retired in

2009, at age 29.]

Simms: Never a week goes by that I don’t wonder about that. The injury ruined my

career.

* * *

Four issues, four quick opinions.

The Bears will not recover this year. The decisiveness of the 55-14 loss in Green

Bay Sunday night said much more about the Bears’ deficiencies than it did about

the Packers’ greatness. The Bears’ secondary was abominable. The only worse thing

in this football weekend was Andy Dalton—and I’m not even certain about that.

NBC had a great graphic during the game that showed how wide open Jordy Nelson

was on one of his long gains. I don’t generally advocate panic moves, but giving up

106 points in two games? This is professional football. Someone has to pay, and I

believe it should be a good man whose players are somnambulant right now,

defensive coordinator Mel Tucker. But make no mistake: GM Phil Emery and coach

Marc Trestman will ultimately be responsible. We’ll see how the season ends (the 3-

6 Bears are paying for pride, and jobs, now), and I doubt Chicago will fire either

man, but that depends how much this team embarrasses the franchise. The level of

humiliation cannot get much worse.

The Niners save their season, and need to play more like Chris Borland. “Just a

little dumb luck,’’ said linebacker Chris Borland, after he recovered a fumble in

overtime and Phil Dawson followed with a game-winning field goal in New Orleans.

There’s some truth to what Borland says, but to see how he attacked the loose ball,

swan-diving in from five feet away, no regard for his own health, is a good lesson

for the seasoned pros on the Niners who might not be playing the same sense of

desperation. “I didn’t give it a lot of thought,’’ Borland said. “I just reacted. That’s

the game right there, that ball on the ground.” San Francisco now faces a clear

path to the playoffs, with games against the Giants, Washington and Seattle

(Thanksgiving Night) in the next 18 days. Pass-rusher Aldon Smith returns from his

suspension Sunday in New Jersey, and his fresh legs are needed.

I think Ray Rice wins his appeal. That doesn’t mean he’ll find a job. I haven’t

spoken to anyone who thinks the NFL will be able to keep Ray Rice suspended; it’s

a clear and elongated version of double-jeopardy, and I presume judge Barbara

Jones will rule thusly in about two weeks. But while it’s tempting to think a thumb-

their-nose-at-the-league team like New Orleans could take a shot at Rice in

December if its backfield is beat up then, I hear nothing reliable about specific

teams intending to try to sign him if the suspension is dropped.

Tony Romo should have played Sunday. It’s not complicated. Players who are

cleared to play by team doctors play. If you want to dispute whether the team

doctors are acting in the players’ best interests in Dallas, that’s fine. But the fact is

you don’t know anything about that and neither do I—at least not enough to

question their care for Romo. Now, having said that, I can be critical of the

Cowboys for two things: Keeping Romo and DeMarco Murray in the game for any

part of Sunday’s fourth quarter with a 24-point lead was unnecessarily risky, and I

think Romo shouldn’t have gone back in the Monday night game two weeks ago.

The Fine Fifteen

1. New England (7-2). Average points per game during current 5-0 streak: 40.3.

Average points per game by Denver in 2013, when the Broncos set the NFL single-

season scoring record: 37.9.

2. Arizona (8-1). Game of Week 11: Detroit (7-2) at Arizona (8-1). Seems the

Cards play one of these prove-it games every two or three weeks. Even without

Carson Palmer, this just looks like Arizona’s year.

3. Denver (7-2). Broncos are now 15-1 in AFC West games with Peyton Manning

behind center. A couple of good tests in division remaining: at Kansas City in Week

13, at San Diego in Week 15.

4. Green Bay (6-3). No words, except for these: The Packers are really good, and

the Bears, who have allowed 106 points in the past two games, ought to be

ashamed of themselves.

5. Philadelphia (6-2). Eagles defensive MVP DeMeco Ryans lost for the year with a

torn Achilles. Casey Matthews, who has been gathering cobwebs much of the past

three years on defense, starts for him tonight against the Panthers. All eyes are on

Matthews holding the point against physical runners.

6. Indianapolis (6-3). Worked out well that the NFL gave the Patriots and Colts the

Week 10 bye and a Week 11 meeting. Competitive fairness.

7. Kansas City (6-3). Four-game winning streak now, and toughest one was Sunday

in Orchard Park. Look for good analysis on this one from The MMQB’s Greg Bedard

later this morning.

8. Detroit (7-2). Lions have won the past three by 1, 1 and 4 points. I say last

year’s Lions would have lost two of those. “We don’t think about that,” Matthew

Stafford told me after the tight win over Miami. I do.

9. Dallas (7-3). There wasn’t too much pressure on Tony Romo to play competently

with two broken bones and screaming pain in his back Sunday at Wembley, was

there?

10. Seattle (6-3). I don’t want to deflate any win by any NFL team, and I don’t

mean to make light of the Giants’ secondary Sunday at Century Link Field, but I do

believe that was Elvis “Toast” Patterson playing nickel for the beleaguered and

beat-up New York secondary.

11. Pittsburgh (6-4). Two things happened in the Meadowlands on Sunday: Steelers

got outplayed. Steelers gave the game away about 13 different ways. Most

misleading quarterback line of the day is Ben Roethlisberger going 30 of 43 for 343

yards.

12. Baltimore (6-4). Biggest event in their week wasn’t the easy win over the

Titans. It was the IR-ing of ace cornerback Jimmy Smith on Friday. That’s a big

blow for a secondary that’s going to have to beat Peyton Manning or Tom Brady or

Ben Roethlisberger, or some of the above or all of the above if the Ravens get to

January.

13. Miami (5-4). Left tackle Branden Albert gone, probably for the season, with a

knee injury. Huge loss. Just a bummer of a day in Detroit.

14. San Francisco (5-4). There are elements to criticize in Colin Kaepernick’s game

Sunday in New Orleans, but he kept the vital play alive at the end of regulation,

saving the season with a 51-yard bomb to Michael Crabtree on fourth-and-10 from

the Niners’ 22. Now the Niners (at New York Giants, Washington at home) can be

relevant for their Thanksgiving Night showdown with Seattle at Levi’s Stadium if

they take care of business in two winnable games.

T-15. Cleveland (6-3). Still not sure the Browns are playoff-worthy, but the

schedule is friendly enough to keep them in the hunt until December. Next three:

Houston (in The Tom Brady Backup Bowl … Brian Hoyer versus Ryan Mallett), at

Atlanta, at Buffalo.

T-15. Buffalo (5-4). The offense is really limiting the growth of this team. Points in

last seven games: 10, 17, 17, 22, 17, 43 (against the Jets) and 13. That’s not

going to get it done.

The Award Section

Offensive Player of the Week

Michael Vick, quarterback, New York Jets. A Jets quarterback, player of the week?

Heresy! Classic Vick game, doing just enough with his legs (39 yards rushing,

including a nifty 18-yarder), an efficient 10 of 18 for 132 and two touchdowns

(including a well-thrown 67-yarder to T.J. Graham). Best things: No interceptions,

no fumbles lost, no fumbles period. The Jets, with that oppressive defense, will

make it very interesting on foes down the stretch.

Marshawn Lynch, running back, Seattle. On a day when the Seahawks shredded the

Giants’ run defense with a franchise-record 350 rushing yards (on 45 carries, a

ridiculous 7.8-yard average), Lynch led the way with 140 yards and four

touchdowns in the 38-17 Seattle victory. Whether Lynch is around in 2015 is

unimportant right now; he’ll be the focus of the Seahawks offense down the stretch

this season.

Defensive Players of the Week

I lied when I promised I’d only give a max of two awards in any category. I cannot

whittle down the defensive men from Week 10.

Jaiquawn Jarrett, safety, New York Jets. The first of the anonymous Defensive

Players of the Week, Jarrett came to the Jets in 2013, originally drafted by the

Eagles in 2011 out of Temple. And Sunday, he had the best game of his short

career—and one of the best games by any defensive player in the league this year.

Ten tackles, a sack of Ben Roethlisberger, two interceptions of Roethlisberger, and

a forced fumble. Jarrett was huge in a game where the Jets needed a great

defensive day.

Ron Parker, cornerback, Kansas City. Two very big reasons I’m giving this to the

unknown cornerback from tiny Newberry (S.C.) College. Buffalo was driving to take

a 17-3 lead on the first series of the third quarter, and Parker forced a Bryce Brown

fumble that bounced out of the end zone for a touchback. Huge play. Also, on the

last Buffalo series of the day, the Bills trailing 17-13, Kyle Orton got the Bills to the

Chiefs’ 15-yard line, with 2:47 to play. Plenty of time. Momentum in Buffalo’s favor.

On first, third and fourth downs, Parker was the man in coverage who prevented a

completion. He had a team-high eight tackles, but those four plays were the biggest

of his day.

Chris Borland, linebacker, San Francisco. Well, he did recover the Ahmad Brooks

strip of Drew Brees in overtime at the Saints’ 17, and the Niners kicked the winning

field goal on the next play. But that was just the cherry on the sundae. Borland had

17 tackles in the 27-24 win over the Saints, on the heels of his 18-tackle day

against St. Louis last week. Not bad for a rookie. Not bad for Niners GM Trent

Baalke, who used the 77th pick in the draft on him last May and is getting one of the

bargain rookies of the season.

Special Teams Player of the Week

Earl Mitchell, defensive tackle, Miami. With the Lions lining up to kick a field goal to

expand their second-half lead to 13-6 over Miami, Mitchell forced his way through

the center-guard gap, stuck his meaty right arm up and blocked the Matt Prater

field-goal try. Dion Jordan picked it up, ran it back inside the Lions’ five, and set up

the go-ahead touchdown for Miami. But, sadly for Dolfans, ultimately not the

winning touchdown for Miami.

Coach of the Week

Kyle Shanahan, offensive coordinator, Cleveland. The Browns have gone 3-0,

averaging 23 points a game over the past three weeks, without their best offensive

weapon, wideout Josh Gordon, and without Pro Bowl center Alex Mack, and, in

Thursday’s game at Cincinnati, without starting tight end Jordan Cameron and

jitterbug wideout Andrew Hawkins—all either hurt or suspended. Shanahan is

playing survival-ball with a cast of low-round picks and training-camp finds, with a

quarterback who may or may not be the answer. It’s a strange brew and Shanahan,

who got run out of Washington with his father last year, is on his way to proving he

can make do with less—which is one way to get a head-coaching job in the NFL.

That’s multiple years down the road, if ever, but this has been a terrific job by the

Cleveland offense, playing competently when almost every week the sum of the

offensive talent is less than the team across the field.

Goat of the Week

Andy Dalton, quarterback, Cincinnati. It was one of the most mind-numbingly awful

performances by a quarterback of this, or any, NFL season. Dalton’s 10-for-33, no-

touchdown, three-interception game Thursday in the 24-3 loss to Cleveland

reinforced the belief among Bengal partisans that Dalton’s not the man to lead the

Bengals out of the football wilderness. The worst eight NFL games Dalton has

played, measured by passer rating, leave no doubt that Thursday night was the

worst performance of his 61-game NFL career:

Career Game No. Result Passer rating

61 L, 24-3 Cleveland 2.0

3 L, 13-8 San Francisco 40.8

34 L, 19-13 Houston (playoffs) 44.7

17 L, 31-10 Houston (playoffs) 51.4

44 L, 20-17 Baltimore 52.2

43 L, 22-20 Miami 55.4

57 L, 27-0 Indianapolis 55.4

24 L, 24-17 Pittsburgh 56.4

Quotes of the Week

I

“It was definitely not a push-off. I’m running down the field telling myself,

‘Whatever you do, don’t push off.’ It’s interesting how guys grab me everywhere on

the field and I put literally two fingers on somebody, and they make that kind of

call.”

—New Orleans tight end Jimmy Graham, on the offensive pass interference call at

the end of the fourth quarter that negated what would have been the winning

touchdown.

I mean, I have great admiration for Graham the player. But that is just crazy.

Graham pushed off, the defender hit the ground, and it enabled him to catch a

touchdown pass that rightfully was flagged and called back.

II

“How ‘bout those Chieeeeeeefs! That was a beautiful thing. You kept pounding and

pounding and pounding!”

—Kansas City coach Andy Reid, to his team in the visitors’ locker room after the 17-

13 win over Buffalo.

III

“This is the most American thing you can do. This is apple pie right here.”

—Steve Shukie, the football coach at Kents Hill School, a prep school in Readfield,

Maine.

Greg Bedard of The MMQB spent three days with the team and wrote this story on

the meaning of football. Our video crew produced this piece on the team.

What’s cool about the Kents Hill team: The four captains are from four different

countries, and in Bedard’s piece and in the video, they speak about how important

football has been in their development and maturation. The story is well worth your

time.

IV

“It’s a bit extreme.”

—Jets quarterback Michael Vick, on the “Fire John Idzik” banner that was flown over

the team’s practice session last Wednesday. Idzik was on the field to see it.

V

“Jets Rebuilding Since 1969.”

—Banner toted by a plane flying over the Meadowlands before the Steelers-Jets

game Sunday

VI

“I have given my heart and soul to the game that I love, and it’s time for me to

move on to the next chapter of my life and help others. I have given every ounce of

my energy toward making a full recovery from my knee injury, and I have made a

lot of progress. Unfortunately, getting my knee fully back to the level the NFL

demands has proven to be insurmountable. I am grateful for the entire 49ers

organization. Their decision to draft me was the realization of a lifelong dream to be

an NFL player, and I cannot thank them enough for believing in me and for doing

everything in their power to assist in my recovery. Though I am proud of what I

have accomplished throughout my football career, I am sincerely disappointed that

it must end, but I trust that God has a great plan for my future. As for what’s next,

I will be returning to the University of South Carolina to complete my degree.”

—From the retirement statement of San Francisco running back Marcus Lattimore,

who suffered a debilitating knee injury as a South Carolina player in 2012 and,

obviously, couldn’t come back from it.

ESPN reported he will be able to collect on a $1.7 million insurance policy that he

bought for around $10-15,000 while at South Carolina. Lattimore was a

tremendous talent. A shame he never got to show that talent in the NFL. In one

training-camp encounter with Lattimore in 2013 and in speaking with 49ers people

over the last couple of years, I think Lattimore’s going to be okay in life. Class guy.

VII

“We gave a game ball to specialist Andrew Martin, who was out at the coin toss and

is certainly serving our country. We gave it to him as a symbolic representation of

all the men and women that serve in the armed forces and he’s going to be

deployed to South Korea. We certainly wanted to give him something to

remember.”

—Lions coach Jim Caldwell, who invited the serviceman into the postgame locker

room, gave him the game ball and made sure he got an ovation from his team,

after Detroit’s 20-16 win over Miami. Sunday was the day the NFL recognized all

branches of the military.

Stat of the Week

I

Prior to the Bears’ eighth game of the season, at New England, Chicago had played

1,313 games in the 95-season history of the franchise.

In game 1,314, against the Patriots last week, the Bears allowed 38 points in the

first half, the most points they’d ever allowed in a first half in their history.

In game 1,315, against the Packers on Sunday night, the Bears allowed 42 points

in the first half, the most points they’d ever allowed in a first half in their history.

II

All four teams in the AFC North have four wins at home, and one loss at home.

Factoid of the Week That May Interest Only Me

Many of you have wondered about the NFL’s love affair for the London games. Not

surprisingly, it has to do with money, and exposure, and a bet on the globalization

of football. There will be three more games at Wembley Stadium next season (Jets-

Dolphins, Lions-Chiefs, Bills-Jaguars), so the experiment clearly is not going away.

The average ticket price of the London games is 80 pounds, the equivalent of $127.

Each of the three games this year, including Cowboys-Jags on Sunday, was a

sellout. Which set up this financial bonanza for the NFL moving three of its 256

regular-season overseas:

Game Attendance Ticket revenue

Miami-Oakland 83,436 $10,596,372

Detroit-Atlanta 83,532 $10,608,564

Dallas-Jacksonville 83,603 $10,617,581

Total 250,571 $31,822,517

The bigger question, probably, is how much more can the Jacksonville Jaguars

make from a home game in London versus a home game in North Florida. Assume

the Jags would have sold out the game Sunday against Dallas—67,297 seats, at an

average ticket price of about $58. The gate at Wembley Stadium would be about

$6.7 million more than the gate they’d have earned if the game was played in

Jacksonville.

Chip Kelly Wisdom of the Week

“I had it all mapped out actually. Seriously. I wrote it down. I said, ‘When I’m the

head coach of the Eagles, I’m going to make sure I get that guy on my team.’ And

then guy next to me was like, ‘You’re only the offensive coordinator at

New Hampshire.’ I said, ‘Don’t worry about it. Minor details. But it’s going to

work.’ ”

—Kelly, the Eagles’ coach, asked prior to Sanchez’s first start under Kelly whether,

a decade ago when he was a college recruiter at New Hampshire, he had any

feeling that he might one day actually coach Sanchez.

Sometimes I wonder about these questions NFL coaches get asked.

Mr. Starwood Preferred Member Travel Note of the Week

I

I had to drive from Manhattan to Boston on Thursday morning for a breakfast

meeting. It’s about 208 miles from point to point. I left Manhattan at 4:50 sharp.

Stopped once, briefly—at a drive-thru Starbucks on the Merritt Parkway in

Woodbridge (near New Haven), and, at that hour, managed to avoid traffic

everywhere for the first 170 miles … and I started imagining: This could be my

first-ever New York-to-Boston drive in less than three hours. I was 33 miles out

when, on the Mass Pike, my dream died. Morning rush into Boston—not good. That

traffic is as soul-sucking as the FDR Drive in the morning. Three hours, 33 minutes.

Bummer.

The only way to break the three-hour barrier, I’m convinced, is to leave at 2:30

a.m. Which is something I’ll probably never do.

II

Not a travel note, but a life one I thought you might enjoy.

Most mornings when I am home, I walk out of my apartment on the east side of

Manhattan and head over to a bodega a block away and buy the New York Post and

New York Daily News. (We get the New York Times and Wall Street Journal home-

delivered.) We are watching daughter Mary Beth’s dog Lucy for a spell, and so this

affords me the chance to take the black lab/shepherd/maybe-a-few-other-

ancestries mix around the block for her morning walk.

The front pages of the papers are always … interesting. None moreso than

Saturday’s Post. I like the Seinfeldian details at the bottom of the story.

Ten Things I Think I Think

1. I think this is what I liked about Week 10:

a. Great coverage by Richard Sherman on Odell Beckham on the goal line, forcing a

deflected interception into the arms of safety Earl Thomas—and a gutsy return by

Thomas. He could have taken a knee eight yards deep in the end zone, but Thomas

had the presence to take it out, and he got it out to the Seattle 42.

b. Receiver Preston Parker of the Giants. A more physical receiver than I’d thought.

c. The three-sack day by Marcell Dareus of the Bills. “If I’m going to take over the

league, then I’m going to do it,” said Dareus. “One of the goals that I wanted to

reach when I came out of college was to be the best player and be the best person

I can possibly be. Why wait until a contract year like most guys do?”

d. Patrick Peterson’s two interceptions in two and a half minutes in the fourth

quarter. If this had been a baseball game, Peterson would have been credited with

a six-out save.

e. The incredible interception, leaping and with one hand, by Miami’s Brent Grimes,

in the end zone at Detroit.

f. The Andy Reid coaching lookalike in the stands in Buffalo. Perfect. But what was

that as his play sheet? Looked like a menu from a Chinese restaurant.

g. The first defensive series for Buffalo: Kyle Williams blowing up Jamaal Charles,

loss of three; Jerry Hughes nabbing Charles behind the line, loss of two. Seven-

yard completion, with a Williams tackle. Dominant start of the game for Buffalo.

h. Dallas kicker Dan Bailey, who is the most efficient kicker of all-time, with a 54-

yard field goal in London.

i. Denard Robinson, with more explosiveness than I thought he had, on a 32-yard

touchdown burst against Dallas.

j. Johnthan Banks with a touchdown-saving pass-breakup for the Bucs on Julio

Jones.

k. Great on-field ceremony remembering the troops on two continents in London.

l. Joique Bell with his shoulder lowered.

m. Are you kidding me with that flip-pass while getting dragged down, Ben

Roethlisberger?

n. Anquan Boldin: best physical receiver in football.

o. Mike Evans: heir to best physical receiver in football.

p. Tremendous significant disruptive play by New Orleans defensive end Tyrunn

Walker, poking the ball out from a scrambling Colin Kaepernick and giving the

Saints a final chance in the first half to whittle down an 11-point deficit. (Which

they didn’t do.)

q. Dan Fouts’ line on Calvin Johnson, who bobbled twice and then caught a pass in

the third quarter under duress. “He’s so good he can catch the ball three times!”

r. Great hold by Andy Lee on the game-tying field goal in New Orleans.

2. I think this is what I didn’t like about Week 10:

a. Every single thing about Andy Dalton’s game Thursday night.

b. Antonio Brown. Two lost fumbles in his prior four-and-a-half NFL seasons. Two

Sunday, helping doom the Steelers.

c. The Giants, on the brink of their fifth playoff-less season in the past six years,

falling to 3-6 with the loss at Seattle. The Giants’ record in the regular season since

2009: 46-43.

d. Come on, Blake Bortles. Ever throw a touch pass?

e. Alex Rodriguez.

f. I know. Alex Rodriguez is a baseball player. Or used to be. I just wanted to

emphasize how much I don’t like him. I also cannot figure out how he can keep

track of so many lies to so many people.

g. Can’t lead with your helmet and try to spear Alex Smith, Aaron Williams. Cost

Buffalo 15 big yards.

h. Shonn Greene, fumbling at the goal line for Tennessee. Absurd turnover. You’ve

got to know foes will be clawing to try to get the ball out, and the Ravens obviously

were.

i. Looked like another rolled ankle for Reggie Bush. Just can’t stay healthy.

j. Terrible non-reversal in the Jets-Steelers game at the two-minute warning of the

first half. Mike Vick fumbled. The ball stayed in bounds. The Steelers recovered.

What’s to dispute?

k. Please, De’Anthony Thomas. You’re good. You’re not Superman. You cannot field

punts at the 2-yard line in the National Football League.

l. Buffalo’s fifth running back, Anthony Dixon, turning the corner and making

positive yards against the Chiefs.

m. The thieves who burglarized the home of Texans linebackers coach Mike Vrabel.

Included in the items stolen from his Houston area home: Vrabel’s three Super

Bowl rings from New England.

3. I think the call of the day belongs to back judge Jim Quirk, in the San Francisco-

New Orleans game. The push-off on Jimmy Graham was real, and should have been

called under any circumstances. The fact that it happened on the last play of the

fourth quarter and led to Graham catching what would have been the game-

winning touchdown pass … meaningless. A penalty is a penalty, and Quirk was

definitive, decisive and correct.

4. I think two very reliable Saints will be kicking themselves this morning, and

maybe all week, for their performances at the end of the first half in the loss to San

Francisco. It was ridiculous for Drew Brees to throw into the middle of three 49ers,

trying to find Jimmy Graham. Chris Culliver picked it off in the end zone. And coach

Sean Payton keeping two timeouts in his pocket, so the Saints couldn’t take full

advantage of having the ball at the Niners’ 42 with 66 seconds left in the half. He

used one of his three timeouts on the drive. Too much wasted time.

5. I think this should be required reading for you this week, whether you love

football unconditionally or whether you are having queasy thoughts about football’s

place in our society. The title of writer Michael Sokolove’s piece is, “Is football the

next tobacco?” Good question, and a thoughtful story.

6. I think Carson Palmer re-signing Friday is a tremendous boost to Brian Hoyer’s

prospective new deal, wherever it ends up being done. There is not a marquee

quarterback (is there ever?) in the 2015 free-agent quarterback pool. The two most

interesting—which could change, depending on how Ryan Mallett does with his

chance in Houston in the last half of the season—are Hoyer and restricted free-

agent Austin Davis of the Rams. How I would rate the top five prospective

quarterback free-agents-to-be, in order:

• Brian Hoyer, Cleveland. Quick release, ability to process info. Has made some big

throws under pressure for the Browns during their surprising 6-3 start, and the

Browns have had zero conversations about a new contract for Hoyer since May,

agent Joe Linta said Sunday. Linta also had Joe Flacco a couple of years ago. Flacco

played out his deal and was rewarded after the Ravens won the Super Bowl. Hoyer

has nowhere near the résumé of Flacco, of course. But he’s got one thing in

common with Flacco. “He’s like Joe,” Linta said. “He’s bet on himself.”

• Mark Sanchez, Philadelphia. Much to see in the next two months, but in the right

system, running a fast-paced offense (more to his liking), I think he has a chance

to compete to be someone’s starter for a few years.

• Austin Davis, St. Louis. He’s restricted, meaning the Rams will have the right to

match any offer he gets. But Davis has been impressive under tough

circumstances, and much more accurate than the Rams had any right to expect.

He’s had 76 percent, 71 percent and 85 percent passing games in the past two

months.

• Drew Stanton, Arizona. Can he take Bruce Arians with him?

• Ryan Mallett, Houston. Just a hunch, because I’ve soured so much on Jake

Locker.

• Jake Locker, Tennessee. Maybe, just maybe, the right coach can work on his

accuracy issues, which are major. I don’t know what anyone can do about his injury

issues, which also are many.

7. I think these would be my questions about the Dallas Cowboys and player usage

Sunday: Why, oh why, is DeMarco Murray in until the end of the third quarter?

Ditto Tony Romo? The Cowboys have talked openly about conserving Murray, and

he’s in the game, running it, with a 33-7 lead in the last minute of the third

quarter? And Romo too? With two broken bones in his back? Get the man out of a

24-point game with 15 minutes left.

8. I think this is the most damning stat coming out of Sunday’s games: As Bears

quarterback, Jay Cutler is 1-10 against the arch-rival Packers, with 22

interceptions. He has never played a game against Green Bay as a Bear without

throwing an interception. This is the quarterback you’re married to for the next six

years, Chicago?

9. I think this was a refreshing take from Tony Romo on the future of football in

London. He loved the week, said he loves London, and said, “As far as a team in

London, I would recommend it for sure. I loved it here.” Music to Roger Goodell’s

ears.

10. I think these are my non-football thoughts of the week:

a. Happy 35th birthday, NPR’s Morning Edition. Can’t say I’ve been with you every

step of the way, but Bob Edwards was my morning companion for many a year.

b. Story of the week: Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel with a few

thousand interesting words on Brett Favre. Said he doesn’t want to do a TV gig, in

part because of the travel and in part because, as he says, “I don’t want to sit

around the set all day and hear Warren Sapp tell stories.”

c. This could be prominent among the Things I’ll Never Figure Out About College

Football: Why, in the midst of the home stretch of the college football season, was

Ole Miss hosting the Presbyterian College Blue Hose (enrollment 1,172)? And why

was Mississippi State hosting the Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks?

d. Another long year for the Devils, eh, Tom Mantzouranis?

e. Do these Navy SEALS take a vow of silence about what they do on their

missions? If so, what kind of people trained to do some of the most important work

our country can do break that vow and go yapping for money, as these apparent

bin Laden triggermen are doing?

f. RIP, Tom Magliozzi, the first man to consistently laugh on NPR. He was half of the

Car Talk brothers, and he died the other day of Alzheimer’s Disease. Amazing that

the duo hadn’t done new shows for the past two years, but the audience kept

coming back for weekly Saturday morning Car Talk re-runs.

g. Funny how Tom Magliozzi came to do this Car Talk show. He explained in the MIT

commencement speech in 1998: “I graduated from here and I went to work as an

engineer. And I will tell you about my defining moment. I was driving—I lived in

Cambridge at the time—I was driving from Cambridge to my job in Foxboro, Mass.,

and I was driving in a little MG. It weighed about 50 pounds and on Route 128 I

was cut off by a semi and I almost, as they say, bought the farm. And as I

continued my drive, I said to myself, if I had in fact bought the farm out there on

Route 128, how ticked off would I be that I spent all my life going to this job, living

a life of quiet desperation. So, I pulled into the parking lot, walked into my boss’s

office and I quit, on the spot. I became a bum. I spent two years sitting in Harvard

Square drinking coffee. I invented the concept of the do-it-yourself auto repair shop

and I met my lovely wife.”

h. Something to be said for being happy in one’s job.

i. Sid Hartman, the prolific columnist for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, celebrated

his 70th anniversary working for the paper this week by … working. His Friday

column discussed the Twins’ free-agent budget this off-season, the Gophers’

biggest game of the season (Saturday, against Iowa), and the fact that Robin Yount

won’t be joining the coaching staff of his buddy and new Twins manager Paul

Molitor. Just your normal 1,221-word day for the 94-year-old Hartman.

j. Never knew this until the weekend: Sid Hartman was a Bernie Madoff ponzi-

scheme victim. That’s the Media Factoid of the Week That May Interest Only Me.

k. Coffeenerdness:

l. Beernerdness: Found a poor man’s Pliny The Elder in a west side bar in

Manhattan on Saturday: Harpoon 100 Barrel series #51, Cambridge Uncommon

Pale Lager. The name is long. The beer is worth it. It’s a cool beer—as the name

implies, a combination of IPA with lager, leaving a bit of pine taste on the pallet.

m. This is not a misprint: Five miles, treadmill, all flat, Saturday, in 39:50.

n. I am finally reaching the limit of what my 57-year-old legs—and my 57-year-old

will—can do. I am pretty pleased about it.

o. Running and writing have something in common. Mark Twain said the best thing

about writing is having written. (Which I agree with.) I also think the best thing

about running is having run.

p. The basketball season is about 314 games long, and people are worried that the

Cavaliers started 1-3? Sheesh.

Who I Like Tonight

Philadelphia 23, Carolina 16. Funny how all the focus in this game is whether Mark

Sanchez can play competently enough for the Eagles to win. I wonder if Cam

Newton (last three games: 48.1 percent completions, one touchdown pass) can.

Carolina needs Newton to form a better bond with Kelvin Benjamin (last three: 23

targets, nine completions). Maybe getting back DeAngelo Williams will help, so the

quarterback doesn’t have to put so much of the run game on his own shoulder

pads.

The Adieu Haiku

The Cards: 8 and 1.

Even with Carson injured,

still NFC’s best.

Peyton Manning throws five TDs in rout

of Raiders

By Dan Hanzus

NFL.com

November 9, 2014

A matchup between the mighty Denver Broncos and the winless Oakland Raiders

ended exactly how you might expect. Our takeaways from a 41-17 Broncos win on

Sunday:

1. Oakland's defense gave Peyton Manning fits early on, forcing the quarterback

into two interceptions that led to 10 Raiders points. Things turned in the second

quarter, when C.J. Anderson hauled in a third-down checkdown pass and made

nearly every Oakland defender miss on a 51-yard touchdown. It was the first of five

touchdown passes for Manning, who now has 29 on the season.

2. The game was over early in the third quarter when Derek Carr panicked in the

face of Denver's pass rush and shoveled a pass to right tackle Khalif Barnes, who

fumbled while attempting to extend the play (which would have been negated by a

penalty for illegal touching). Four plays later, Julius Thomas scored a back-breaking

touchdown to put Denver ahead, 27-10.

3. As you might expect, Derek Carr isn't ready to go toe-to-toe with the great

Manning. The rookie saved his stat line with a long touchdown drive in garbage

time, but lacked accuracy and tossed two interceptions.

4. Justin Tuck has been more active in Subway commercials than on the field this

season, but he made his presence felt early with a deflection and interception of

Manning in the first half. The athletic play summoned memories of Tuck's glory

days in New York. The Raiders expected more of that this season.

5. The depth of the Broncos' passing attack is unreal. Julius Thomas and Emmanuel

Sanders had two touchdowns apiece. Demaryius Thomas had 11 catches for 108

yards. Wes Welker is barely on the radar in this offense, which tells you a lot.

After encouraging start, Raiders

flattened in loss to Broncos

By Vic Tafur

San Francisco Chronicle

November 9, 2014

The Raiders played their best football of the season for the first quarter and a half

Sunday against Denver. Their defense was not only tugging on Peyton Manning’s

cape, but it was deflecting his passes at the line of scrimmage.

When Brice Butler pulled in a Derek Carr touchdown pass, the league’s only winless

team was up 10-6 midway through the second quarter and the Coliseum crowd was

in shock.

What happened next was just fan cruelty. In the time it took one of the Raiders’

faithful to text his friends that that they were ahead, the Broncos scored 14 points

in the last 2:44 of the first half and then the first 21 points of the second half.

The Raiders did score again — they own garbage time with five touchdowns in the

last two minutes of games — and punched out after a 41-17 loss left them 0-9.

They have lost 15 straight games dating to last season after the first blowout loss in

interim head coach Tony Sparano’s five-game span.

The first 2x4 in the Broncos’ 35-point run hurt the most. Cal alum C.J. Anderson

took a short pass on 3rd-and-8 and was about to be tackled for no gain by

linebacker Miles Burris. Burris has been plagued by an inability to get off blocks and

wrap up ball carriers, and he whiffed.

Khalil Mack, who gets a lot of positive attention despite having zero sacks, was next

and the linebacker missed, too. Charles Woodson, Oakland’s leader and second-

best defensive player, also couldn’t get Anderson down on the left sideline. At that

point, Anderson cut across the middle of the field and finished a 51-yard touchdown

reception.

That play was set up by a Carr interception, and after the Raiders went three-and-

out, Manning and the Broncos had the ball back at their 38 with 1:40 left. Anderson

— who finished with 163 yards rushing and receiving — had runs of 17 and 12

yards and then Manning dropped in a perfect 32-yard touchdown pass to Emmanuel

Sanders.

Raiders cornerback DJ Hayden was beaten on the play, and like the Raiders, the

2013 first-round pick overcame a good start to finish badly. He had an interception

on Manning’s second pass of the day, but was beat on the Sanders touchdown and

then on Julius Thomas’ first touchdown catch.

Thomas beat Hayden on a move inside, before Hayden was picked and gave up on

the play that gave Denver a 27-10 lead two minutes into the third quarter. Later,

after he broke up a pass intended for Demaryius Thomas, Hayden left the game

with a groin injury.

He missed the final eight games of last season with a groin injury.

In a season full of horrible plays, the worst might have come at the start of the

third quarter to set up that Thomas touchdown.

Carr was under pressure and decide to throw the ball to Khalif Barnes. First

problem, Barnes is a guard and is not an eligible receiver. Second problem, Barnes

is not Bo Jackson, and he rumbled right into a fumble. Third problem, the rules

don’t matter if a receiver is ineligible if the defense declines the ineligible-receiver

penalty, as the Broncos did. The fumble stood.

Carr finished 30-for-47 for 192 yards and two interceptions, and had no chance to

keep pace with Manning once he got rolling. Carr checks down a lot of passes to

play safe, and the Raiders’ offense is conservative, anyway.

All you have to know is that Oakalnd receiver James Jones had eight catches. For

20 yards.

GUEST COLUMN: Old AFC West rivals

polar opposites

By Ray Roybal

9news.com

November 9, 2014

These days, the only thing the Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders have in

common is being in the AFC West. The Raiders are coming into week 10 win-less at

0-8, where the Broncos are in need of regaining their swagger after being exposed

in multiple areas against New England, but sit at 6-2.

Recent history suggests the Broncos will go into the Oakland Coliseum, do their

business, and leave, having a party on the flight home. Over the past three trips to

the Black Hole, the Broncos have gone 3-0, with an average margin of victory of

15.6 points. And that's including their 2011 victory, coming at the hands of Tim

Tebow. Even Raiders fans know how much of a laugher this game has become.

Every year, since 2011, the attendance has gone down by thousands of fans each

year at the Coliseum. Peyton Manning has much to prove in this game, not only to

the NFL but more importantly to himself. The reigning NFL MVP is harder on himself

than anyone and he knows the window is closing for he and the Broncos. With

many unknowns this coming off-season, he knows it's time to learn from his recent

failures and move on.

The Broncos have made it through the toughest part of their schedule and are

ready to make a strong statement. They need to start off on the right foot this

week, and win out the remainder of their schedule, leaving it up to no one but

themselves to get home-field advantage. Against the Raiders, there is no better

opponent to set that kind of tone and momentum.

The Raiders defense is 25th in the NFL in points allowed per game, with 24.6. When

they play at home, it's even worse, with an average of 30.7 PPG allowed. Not a

good stat, with a hungry Manning coming into town.

Oakland is giving up an average of 132 rushing yards per game. This plays directly

in the Broncos favor. All year, Denver has made a conscious effort to open up the

pass with a consistent running game, and this Sunday will be no different. Virgil

Green being active on Sunday will go a long way toward running the ball effectively,

while Ronnie Hillman and Juwan Thompson must run the ball with power and force

Oakland to have 8 bodies in the box.

Thompson compliments Hillman's quick-cut style of running, although getting

enough touches in a game has been an issue for him. If Thompson can run with

power and tire the Raiders defensive line, the secondary is in for a long day.

Manning will be looking to expose a banged up secondary. Carlos Rodgers, Chimdi

Chekwa and T.J. Carrie are all questionable to play in Sunday's game. Demaryius

Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders both had 100+ yard games against the New

England Patriots, although neither scored. Be prepared for Denver to spread the

field more often on Sunday and make a huge effort to get tight end, Julius Thomas,

in the mix early and often.

For the most part, the brightest point for the Raiders this year has been at

quarterback, with the rookie, Derek Carr. Carr has averaged 213.9 passing yards

per game, with 11 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. His poise and game

management skills have impressed many people throughout the NFL.

Unfortunately for Carr, his play has not propelled the Raiders to a single victory.

Broncos defensive coordinator, Jack Del Rio, needs to take advantage of the

inexperienced rookie and disguise some blitz packages. The lack of a stable,

productive running game, with long time veterans, Maurice Jones-Drew and Darren

McFadden, has caused Oakland to add more pressure to Carr and his receivers.

Oakland's offensive line has had it's fair share of issues this year as well.

Their run schemes and pass protection are both rated among the worst in the NFL.

If the Broncos #1 run defense can force the rookie quarterback to throw more than

he needs to, then their secondary will be in a position to have a massive day.

This game is Denver's to lose, and if they do lose, there are more issues with the

team than just the scoreboard operator at Sports Authority Field. Manning will be

amped up and have the team out for blood on Sunday.

Prediction:

Denver 41

Oakland 17

Peyton surpasses Unitas streak for

games with touchdown pass

By Mike Florio

ProFootballTalk/NBCSports.com

November 9, 2014

Two years ago, Saints quarterback Drew Brees surpassed the longstanding streak

of consecutive games with a touchdown pass. Far more amazing than the record of

47 straight games with at least one touchdown pass was the fact that John Unitas

held it for so long, from late 1960 through 2012.

Since then, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady also has passed the Unitas mark, falling

two games short of Brees’ 54-game record.

On Sunday, Peyton passed Unitas, too, extending Manning’s streak to 48. If he

continues to throw at least one touchdown pass in every game for the rest of the

season, Manning will tie Brees’ record in Week 16 against the Bengals, and he’ll

break it the next week against the Raiders.

Coincidentally, the Bengals stopped Brady’s run at 52 in 2013. They’ll possibly

have a chance to end Peyton’s at 53.

The string began in late 2010, when Manning was with the Colts. After missing all

of 2011 due to multiple neck surgeries, Peyton picked up where he left off in 2012,

and he hasn’t looked back.

Manning’s streak also includes a record run of games with multiple touchdown

passes. It’s 15, and counting.

With five-TD burst, Broncos run away

from Raiders

By Mike Wilkening

ProFootballTalk/NBCSports.com

November 9, 2014

After a sluggish start, the Broncos and quarterback Peyton Manning got down to

business, putting away the pesky-but-winless Raiders with a devastating run en

route to a 41-17 victory Sunday in Oakland.

Trailing 10-6 late in the second quarter, Denver burst away from Oakland thanks to

five Manning TD passes in a 16:43 span, including two late in the first half that

swung the game in the Broncos’ favor.

Denver’s first score in the sequence — a 51-yard reception by tailback by C.J.

Anderson — was a simple third-down check-down under duress by Manning that

turned into something big because of poor Raiders tackling and skilled running by

Anderson. Instead of a short gain and a likely punt, Anderson was off to the races,

and Broncos now had a 13-10 lead.

After an Oakland punt, the Broncos (7-2) struck again with 30 seconds left in the

half, with Manning hitting Emmanuel Sanders for a 32-yard score. On the play,

Sanders ran by two Oakland defensive backs, including cornerback D.J. Hayden,

who would later sustain a groin injury.

Now trailing 20-10, Oakland’s problems began to snowball as the third quarter

began. The Raiders’ first possession ended in disaster after quarterback Derek Carr

threw a pass to offensive tackle Khalif Barnes, who was not an eligible receiver.

Barnes advanced the ball but fumbled, and the Broncos recovered on the Oakland

18. Three plays later, Manning found tight end Julius Thomas for a 10-yard score,

making it 27-10.

The Raiders’ offense couldn’t counter, and soon, the Broncos’ offense would put the

game out of reach. On a 4th-and-1 play at the Oakland 32, Manning hit Thomas

downfield for his second touchdown of the half, making it 34-10.

The fifth and final TD pass came with 1:01 left in the third quarter, with Manning

finding Sanders for a 15-yard score.

Manning would finish with 340 yards on 31-of-44 passing. He would give way to

Brock Osweiler in the final period. Wideout Demaryius Thomas paced Denver with

11 catches for 108 yards, with Sanders adding 5-67-2 and Julius Thomas tallying 5-

63-2.

With Ronnie Hillman (ankle) in-and-out of the lineup, Anderson led the Broncos in

rushing, racking up 90 yards on just 13 carries and adding 4-73-1 receiving.

Carr completed 30-of-47 passes for Oakland, throwing TD passes to Brice Butler

(five yards) and Mychal Rivera (18 yards). However, Carr racked up just 192 yards

passing, and he was picked twice.

The loss pushes the Raiders to 0-9, with two first-half interceptions of Manning and

some spirited early play their only real keepsakes in defeat. Oakland travels to San

Diego next Sunday.

The Broncos, who remain one game ahead of the Chiefs in the AFC West, play at

St. Louis next Sunday.

Report: Broncos talking extension with

Chris Harris

By Josh Alper

ProFootballTalk/NBCSports.com

November 9, 2014

The Broncos have tabled contract talks with wide receiver Demaryius Thomas and

tight end Julius Thomas until after the season, but they are reportedly still open to

talking about new deals during the season.

Mike Klis of the Denver Post reports that the team has started talking about an

extension with cornerback Chris Harris. Harris, who signed with the Broncos as an

undrafted free agent in 2011, is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the

season but says he isn’t focused on that at the moment.

“My focus is on the team and trying to help this team win a Super Bowl,” Harris

said.

Harris tore his ACL last year, but has recovered well enough to play well in eight

starts for Denver this season. Harris has 26 tackles, 11 passes defensed and two

interceptions to rate as one of the Broncos’ leading defensive players so far this

season.

Harris is making $2.187 million after being tendered as a restricted free agent in

the offseason. Whether he signs now or after the season, Harris is in line for a big

raise come 2015.

Bradley Roby, C.J. Anderson help

Broncos do a 180

By Andrew Mason

denverbroncos.com

November 10, 2014

OAKLAND -- As the first half neared completion at O.co Coliseum Sunday, the

Broncos languished. The offense, stuck in neutral, lumbered under the weight of

execution errors. The defense held the Raiders down, only hamstrung by the short

fields that set up two scores.

It felt similar to the situation in which the Broncos found themselves seven days

earlier in New England. But this time, they abruptly reversed course, thanks to a

rookie nickelback and a second-year runner who had just eight carries in the

previous six games.

Together, Bradley Roby's interception and C.J. Anderson's defender-dodging, cross-

field odyssey through the Oakland defense shattered any notions of an upset for

the ages, igniting a 35-0 explosion that restored the Broncos to their usual form in

what ended up being a 41-17 romp.

Others had more big plays. Tight end Julius Thomas scored twice; so did wide

receiver Emmanuel Sanders. Quarterback Peyton Manning threw five touchdown

passes, and seized the league lead with 29 for the season.

But none had the profound impact of what Roby and Anderson accomplished in a

53-second span. On a team with talent in spots it continues to discover, they

pointed the Broncos to a win that restored order after the previous week's

thrashing and the edgy, intense week that followed.

"You need guys to step up and make plays," said wide receiver Wes Welker. "C.J.

made a lot of good plays for us out there. And it's what we needed to really get us

going."

Until that moment, the Broncos' dominance only showed up on the statistical sheet.

Denver had an 11-4 advantage in first downs, a 168-76 edge in yardage gained and

averaged 1.86 more yards on every snap. But Oakland intercepted two passes,

which led to 10 points, which extended the issues of the previous week, in which

New England racked up 24 of 43 points on special teams or short fields set up by

takeaways.

It had been nearly five full, frustrating quarters.

And the Broncos had endured enough. Enough chatter about what the team lost at

New England. Enough self-doubt. Enough reflection, both from themselves and via

a speech from Executive Vice President and General Manager John Elway.

"He challenged the whole team," said cornerback Chris Harris Jr. "He challenged us

to play better and come out and execute better. He knows we didn't execute to our

standards, so we wanted to come out and make [the Raiders] pay."

Finally, with Roby's interception, they did it. Pressure from both edges forced

Oakland quarterback Derek Carr into an errant throw that sailed behind intended

target Mychal Rivera and into Roby's waiting hands.

"Sometimes the offense needs that. We've got to get a turnover to get them

going," Roby said. "Sometimes they need to get jump-started."

And no spark plug fired as explosively as Anderson. Three plays after Roby's

interception, Anderson caught a swing pass from Manning in the left flat, four yards

behind the line of scrimmage.

He did not expect the football.

"[Manning] obviously was in trouble, because I didn't even get a chance to finish

my route," Anderson said. "Next thing you know he threw it and I caught it."

But it looked like other third-down passes destined to fall short of the line to gain.

"It easily could have been, maybe a catch for minus-two yards," said Manning.

Oakland linebacker Miles Burris had missile lock on Anderson, but missed, only

grabbing the running back's waist as he scooted by.

That got Anderson back to the line of scrimmage. Still eight yards to go, and now,

rookie sensation Khalil Mack bore down upon Anderson, having escaped from a duel

with left tackle Ryan Clady. But Anderson threw his right arm at the 252-pound

Mack, and kept him at bay.

He accelerated toward the sideline, trying to avoid Oakland safety Charles

Woodson, a childhood idol he watched when attending Raiders games at the

Coliseum while growing up. Woodson's lunge only got Anderson's midsection as he

sprinted forward.

Three Raiders linchpins, all left grasping. But Anderson was focused ahead, not on

the rabble of silver and black left in his wake.

"When I broke two tackles, I said, 'I've got a chance for the first down,'" Anderson

said. "But when I saw (Demaryius Thomas) and Wes (Welker) screaming down the

field, I was like, 'You know I can cut back.'"

And how.

At the Oakland 32, Anderson cut. Yet another Raiders defender sprawled. He took a

45-degree angle toward the center of the field, then added another 15 degrees to

avoid to Raiders. Thomas got out in front with a block at the Oakland 7. Welker

became his escort.

He crossed the goal line with the 51-yard touchdown, standing 68 yards on a

diagonal angle from where he began. He traversed far more yardage than that.

"That was as fine a play as I’ve seen so far this season, I have to tell you," said

Manning.

And it was the fuel that powered the Broncos. The rest of the game offered little

doubt over whether the Broncos would win; only the degree of the defeat was in

questions. The "self-inflicted wounds" of last week and Sunday in Oakland, as

Manning described them, healed.

The challenge of adversity was met. More will meet the Broncos, of course, and

some of it will be of their own creation; that is inevitable, even for the best of

teams.

But the Broncos have so many players capable of grabbing a game by the throat

and turning it around, as Anderson and Roby did. Neither is officially a starter. But

together, both jump-started a stalled team and guided it back to the road after a

nearly-two-game detour.

Broncos 41, Raiders 17: Three Keys,

Unlocked

By Andrew Mason

denverbroncos.com

November 10, 2014

OAKLAND -- In the wake of Paul Cornick's deactivation because of a shoulder

injury, 60 percent of the Broncos' offensive line changed for Sunday's 41-17 win

over the Oakland Raiders on Sunday.

With Cornick out, right guard Louis Vasquez moved to right tackle, center Manny

Ramirez slid over to right guard and center Will Montgomery made his first Broncos

start at center after backing up for his first eight games after the Broncos signed

him as a free agent from Washington.

For a unit where cohesion is prized above almost all other attributes, a lineup

change this comprehensive is rare at midseason. But if the Broncos were going to

make such a shift, early November is the time to do it. If they stick with it, then the

new quintet can achieve cohesion.

The transition was at times bumpy. The offensive line committed four red-zone

penalties: three false starts and a flag against Montgomery for being illegally

downfield. Two of the penalties forced the Broncos to settle for early field goals that

kept the game close into the second quarter.

But as the game progressed, Montgomery -- who became the third starting center

of the Manning era, joining J.D. Walton, Dan Koppen and Ramirez -- grew

comfortable. His experience ensured that it wouldn't take him long to settle into

rhythm.

"Obviously, I was taking the reps with the ones this week, but over the course of

the year and the offseason, I always take snaps with Peyton a little bit each day,

just in case something ever does happen," said Montgomery. "So it wasn't a shock

or anything too crazy to get done."

And it might be the start of more for Montgomery, whose insertion gave the

Broncos the most experience line quintet available from their roster.

"Yeah, it has been tough the last eight weeks, but this week was fun, and football's

about having fun," he said. "It was a good day today."

And it was a good day because the shuffled line found its form and helped guide the

Broncos out of some early struggles to a comfortable win.

Let's look back at the pre-game three keys to see how they turned out.

1. MAKE DEREK CARR UNCOMFORTABLE.

It took a while, but the Broncos eventually broke down Carr and forced him into a

game he was uncomfortable playing -- one where he had to throw downfield on

third downs. After he completed five of his first seven third-down passes --

converting three of them, including the 5-yard touchdown pass to Brice Butler --

the Broncos held him to two completions in his next nine third-down attempts, two

of which they intercepted.

When Carr completed a 3-yard pass to Mychal Rivera to convert a third-and-1 play

with 4:56 left in the third quarter, the Raiders led 10-6 and had the Broncos off-

balance. By the time the Raiders converted another third down, they trailed 41-10

and just 3:10 remained in regulation.

The Broncos forced Carr out of his rhythm, took away his checkdown options and

made him and the Raiders be more aggressive than they preferred.

2. STABILITY UP FRONT.

Even with the changes and without the inactive Virgil Green, the Broncos' offensive

line had one of its better games in terms of protection and creating lanes for their

running backs. Manny Ramirez was effective pulling from right to left, and helped

spring Anderson for one of his big runs, a 16-yard gain that moved the Broncos into

Oakland territory on their second touchdown drive of the third quarter.

Oakland hit Manning on just two of his 44 pass plays. After some early success with

pressure and rushers that held up to play for a deflection, the Broncos dominated

the late second and third quarters. During their five consecutive scoring drives,

Denver averaged 11.17 yards per play and forced the Raiders' front seven back on

their heels.

3. MONITOR THE MERRY MACK.

Denver neutralized rookie linebacker Khalil Mack, and he finished without a hit on

Manning or a tackle for a loss. The Broncos ran away from him, kept him from

bursting into the backfield, and limited him to one tackle, one pass deflection at the

line of scrimmage and one forced fumble from Juwan Thompson in the fourth

quarter, after the outcome was long decided.

California kids put on show at 'home'

By David DeChant

denverbroncos.com

November 9, 2014

OAKLAND, Calif. -- You can't hold it against C.J. Anderson and Julius Thomas that

they were childhood fans of the Broncos' historic rivals.

Both Northern California natives, Anderson (from Vallejo) and Thomas (Stockton)

grew up attending games at the Coliseum and cheering on the silver and black.

"Some of my earliest memories around the game of football happened there,"

Thomas said during the week leading up to Sunday's game. "Waking up early,

heading out from Stockton before the sun’s up, going to get that spot ready for the

tailgate, spending some time throwing the football around with your brother, dad

and cousins and stuff like that."

"Jeff George, Jeff Hostetler, Rich Gannon, I mean Tim Brown, Jerry Rice...Some

really good guys came through there and it was fun to watch.”

Anderson offered a similar perspective: "Growing up a Raider fan, and sitting in the

stands, just like a bunch of fans today, I got to see Tyrone Wheatley make plays,

Charlie Garner, Rich Gannon, Jerry Rice, Tim Brown."

"Just to get on the same field as them and have a productive game was just

special."

And what a productive game it was for the pair.

In their "home" stadium, Anderson and Thomas went on a spree that quickly

doused the hopes of local fans, collectively racking up 226 total yards and three

touchdowns. The three scores happened in a span of 10:53 between the end of the

first half and the middle of the third quarter, helping pull the Broncos from a 10-6

deficit into a 34-10 lead.

Anderson provided the first and certainly most important touchdown, turning a

rushed dumpoff on third-and-8 into a 51-yard catch-and-run with a tremendous

individual effort. He turned to see the ball coming his way before he "was even

halfway into my route," snagged it with one hand, turned upfield and broke out the

Madden jukestick to leave a number of defenders in his wake. With good downfield

blocking from Demaryius Thomas and Wes Welker, Anderson scooted into the end

zone to give the Broncos' offense the boost it needed. As if that huge play wasn't

enough, Anderson also picked up 90 yards on 13 carries (6.7 average), including

runs of 12, 16, 16 and 17, and added three other catches for 22 yards.

The second-year back guessed there were 40 or more of his friends and family in

the stands to witness what turned into a career day, which undoubtedly made the

experience more special.

"Always," he said with a big smile on his face. "I love playing at home. I love road

games and then I love playing at home so it’s like I got my ice cream and my cake

at the same time."

"I’ve got a bunch of family who wants to see me and who knows how they’re going

to act right now, but I’m just trying to soak this all in.”

After Anderson kickstarted the Broncos' explosive attack, Thomas didn't take long

to start pounding the nails into the Raiders' coffin.

Early in the third quarter, the Broncos faced a third-and-2 from the Oakland 10-

yard line, trying to avoid a third red-zone field goal in as many tries. Peyton

Manning found the big tight end on a quick slant and Thomas used his power to

waltz into the end zone at the south end of the stadium, right in front of the

infamous Black Hole crowd. Thomas revelled in the moment, offering a dance in

front of the jeering fans before finding his family in the corner and giving them the

TD ball.

After a quick three-and-out from the Raiders' offense, Manning and Co. marched

back down the field before encountering a fourth-and-1 from the 32. Hustling to the

line, Manning faked to Ronnie Hillman as Thomas sold the run fake and broke

outside, finding himself wide open and cruising to the end zone behind a block from

Emmanuel Sanders. The score was Thomas' 12th of the year, tying the franchise-

best for a tight end in a single season (which he set last year) with seven games to

go, and also equaling the most receiving touchdowns through nine games by any

player in NFL history.

“It’s unbelievably humbling just to kind of be reminded where you came from,"

Thomas said. "Sitting up there in those stands and watching guys come out here

and have big games, guys you looked up to, and wonder what it’s like to have that

feeling that they had, to take that field."

"[To] kind of get a different angle on it now, and be down there on the field playing

in front of friends and family, it was really humbling. I feel blessed."

While Anderson's and Thomas' performances took center stage, there were other

hometown heroes playing in front of loved ones who had themselves a nice day as

well.

T.J. Ward, who grew up in San Francisco, racked up seven tackles and a

quarterback hit while also nabbing an interception of Derek Carr, which set up the

Broncos' final touchdown of the day and squelched any hopes of a late rally.

Likewise, Modesto, Calif. native Isaiah Burse had a busy day, fielding eight punts,

including four fair catches and four that he returned for 52 yards. He offered up

returns of 14 and 21 yards and also had a 30-yarder wiped out by a penalty. Even

without those 30 yards, the healthy 13.0-yard average and no bobbles or fumbles

is exactly the sort of day coaches hope for from the rookie.

"I was excited all week and to finally get to come out here and see my family

members and hear them cheering for me," Burse said. "...I think the guys were

excited to go out and see their families and we’ve got one more in San Diego, so

we may possibly get to see our families again."

That opportunity would certainly be a welcome one for players, but that each

already came through in front of dozens of relatives sporting their jerseys on

Sunday is plenty rewarding. Though Thomas said he couldn't really soak it in until

after the game, he noted that the experience is one he'll always cherish.

"It’s something, we talk about it, the pleasure you get to go play in front of your

fans where you grew up," Thomas said with a smile. "To make big plays in front of

friends and family, it’s amazing."

Peyton’s Take: Executing after a slow

start

By Lauren Giudice

denverbroncos.com

November 9, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – Two picks, two field goals and two punts.

That’s how the offense’s day began in Oakland.

But a momentum-shifting interception by Bradley Roby with 3:37 left in the half

gave the Broncos the ball near midfield. This play seemed to revitalize the offense

after its uncharacteristically slow start: the Broncos went on to score touchdowns

on their next five drives.

“I’m not sure it was any major adjustments, I just thought we executed a little

better,” Manning said during his postgame press conference. “Obviously not the

way you want to start a game on the second play, having a turnover but we moved

the ball pretty well after that, had a couple of red zone sort of self-inflicted wounds

that cost us some touchdowns and had to settle for field goals… Then we were able

to overcome that finally with some touchdowns finishing in the red zone, which is

something we’ve done a good job of this year.”

Manning threw picks during the Broncos’ first and fourth drives that lead to ten

points for the Raiders.

The Broncos were stopped near the goal line during their third and fourth drives of

the game. These “self-inflicted wounds” cost the offense touchdowns early on as

the Broncos had a first-and-goal at the four, but Manning missed a wide-open

Ronnie Hillman and a Manny Ramirez false start pushed the Broncos back to the 9-

yard line. An Orlando Franklin false start on the following drive backed the Broncos

up once again and Brandon McManus had to step in on both occasions for field

goals.

Manning was confident that the early-game mistakes were correctable and he went

on to throw five touchdown passes in less than 17 minutes. While the execution on

offense dramatically improved, he noted that key defensive stops allowed the

Broncos to start with excellent field position as they got the ball in Oakland territory

on four of their seven second-half possessions.

The Broncos’ offensive line looked vastly different from the one that took the field

against New England as Will Montgomery took over at center, Louis Vasquez played

at right tackle and Ramirez moved to right guard. Manning said he will look at the

tape tomorrow to determine the cause of the procedural penalties but the personnel

shifts on the line didn’t require him to adjust.

“It’s not easy playing a new position, I’m not sure I could really relate to it so I give

credit to all those guys handling the adjustment on the road and playing well,”

Manning said of the offensive line’s performance.

Not only did the line keep Manning on his feet, the Broncos’ run game took steps

forward the team accumulated 118 yards on the ground. C.J. Anderson, who grew

up in nearby Vallejo, Calif., led the Broncos with 90 yards on 13 attempts.

While Anderson’s 90 rushing yards were a career-high, his most impressive play

was a fantastic 51-yard catch and run that he took for a touchdown. In the second

quarter on third-and-eight, Manning connected with Anderson for a short pass and

he immediately broke a tackle by Miles Burris. Anderson would evade three more

tackles while carefully avoiding stepping out of bounds and darted downfield for the

Broncos’ first touchdown of the game and his first of the season.

Manning considers that play one of the best he’s seen this year.

“Easily could have been, maybe a catch for minus-two yards or something and next

thing you know, he breaks the tackle and I don’t know how many guys he made

miss, but it was just an effort play on his part,” Manning said. “Looked like he

picked up some blocks downfield from some guys, which was good to see.

Everybody kept playing but just a truly incredible effort play on his part to take a,

like I said, potentially a catch for a loss and turn it into a 50-something-yard

touchdown and that really gave us a spark offensively and of course the whole

sideline was fired up. C.J. played great today.

“He knows this offense well. He’s on top of everything back there in the backfield. I

have a real comfort with him back there. But that play in particular was very

special.”

Manning said the expectations for the running backs don’t change depending on

who is in the backfield with him and today "today C.J. kind of had the hot hand."

Anderson, who has shown glimpses of excellence all season, became just the fifth

running back in team history to post at least 70 yards rushing and 70 yards

receiving in a single game. In addition to Anderson’s score, Julius Thomas and

Emmanuel Sanders each had two touchdowns receptions.

Manning finished the game 31-of-44 for 340 yards and with his ninth five-

touchdown game of his career, breaking Drew Brees’ previous record of eight.

While the accolades and record-breaking performances seem to keep piling up for

Manning, he doesn’t dwell on them.

“Certainly in the middle of the season, while you’re trying to win games, it’s really

kind of what you focus on, trying to do your job,” Manning said. “This was an

important game for us to respond with a win on the road, going to go on the road

again next week. It was a good division win. That’s all you really think about.

Anything that comes along the way, certainly I have great appreciation for the

history of the game and those types of things. But I thought the most important

thing was to get a good road win today.”