Brian Shaw Must Overcome Several Obstacles To Overcome Critics

Coaches don't make marketing plans.  Coaches do their best to justify them.  7 games into the season, the Denver Nuggets had only captured one win, but answered a million questions.

Strength In Numbers?  Give us a break.

Number one.  Scrap the stupid marketing plan because the only strength in numbers this season comes from the numbers on Coach Brian Shaw's eye test as he will need the eyesight to see through the forest of options and find the correct 6-8 players on any given night and insure they get proper playing time.  While actually playing legit defense, every NBA team could stand to go 10 deep, so long as those 4-5 backups realize they are serving a unique purpose.  For this rendition of the Denver Nuggets, the 4 totally realize their role, but it's the 6 that can't seem to get it together.

After receiving loss number 7 to the Cleveland Cavaliers- another game that we could have won- I started to realize why the wheels on this car struggled with traction early on.  The 4 are better than the 6.  Watching this team play this season has been an interesting adventure, but watching who doesn't play at the end of games is beyond an adventure, it is a prelude to what every basketball player should respect most about the game of basketball.

The short jump shot has returned in the Nuggets draftee Erick Green

Basketball is not about starting, it is about the players who are on the court to finish the game. Despite the resurgence from the Bird/Magic-MIKE heyday of the 80's and 90's, smart basketball fans still do not stress themselves on the first 3 quarters of an NBA game because these quarter are inconsequential and often played that way. Coaches will start just about anybody with a team uniform, but only certain players will ever be trusted to handle the delicate duties of end game execution.  Alonzo Gee- one of the Denver Nuggets new Fantastic Four- has been closing out games from day one so we will leave his bio until the end.  Jusuf Nurkic, the second of  the noteworthy backups, began the season as the first off of the bench but earned an opportunity to close out a game against LeBron and the Cleveland Cavaliers before Timofey Mosgov, Javale McGee forced him back into hiding.  It may take another injury or a trade before we Nurkic returns to action, but he will return because Nurkic showed some things.

The best player Tom Izzo ever coached?

Nurkic needed the minutes and the opportunity to win the confidence of his coach while the Nuggets needed to figure out exactly what they have invested in as Nurkic is essentially the player who should have been Doug McDermott, the much applauded draft that Denver acquired for the Chicago Bulls.  Rookie guard Erick Green, the third fabulous backup, quickly won the confidence of his coach and should have also closed against the Cavs, but Brian Shaw played it safe by reinserting Aaron Afflalo to finish the game.  Inserting Afflalo to close took the ball out of the hands of a hot player with a solid short jump shot, and it probably cost the Nuggets a win that night.  In the end, it also exposed everyone to the skill set of a couple of strong draft pickups.

By "everyone" I mean the players who are playing in front of these up and coming stars.  Randy Foye showed up big during the losing stretch, especially given the slow start of Ty Lawson, but he is a strong player that remains a backup at the shooting guard and a double backup at point so long as Nate Robinson remains an unusual Nugget to figure out.

Will Jusuf Nurkic make Nuggets fans forget Doug McDermott?

Robinson could be a good addition to any game at a moment suited for his specialized skills, but playing for any team that needs ball movement or focused leadership is half of the challenge for Robinson, recovering from injuries has been the rest. Early injuries- both physical and perhaps mental- left Ty Lawson as a super no-show, so super backup guard Foye proved long term value, even if it didn't translate into victories.  Injuries and various suspensions  have actually been good for this team because Shaw needed to be able to retain his job by limiting public criticism and not simply justify marketing. No matter how perfectly he is executing the front office expectations, fans of this team are still sore over the firing of George Karl, whose 50 game regular season win standard has cast a shadow over everything considered a defiance to the Karl era.

The next generation of Nuggets don't actually need much skill development, they only need minutes.  Gary Harris and Erick Green already have more offensive courage than Lawson, who has to be constantly reminded to force his will, and his game, upon the competition.  When Lawson is right, he is an extra special player.  When Lawson is wrong- again, he makes the Nuggets coaching staff realize that Nuggets basketball will not work without an engine to drive the car. But does the front office share this assessment?

Aaron Aaflalo could prove to be a positive re-acquisition, but he is not quite as young as he used to be, so his vaunted defense is not aided by youthful legs like the players that are threatening to steal his minutes.  Aaflao's scoring behavior remains limited by an erratic and flat jumper or the hope of a sleeping defense that will let him finish at the rim.  He refuses to shoot the pull-up jumper because his shot is way too flat for consistent success at that range, so driving and passing is the only choice his game offers him. Erick Green plays a lot like coach  Shaw played on offense, with a deadly short jump shot that makes room for every other aspect of his offensive attack. Gary Harris is described by Tom Izzo, his former Michigan State coach, as "the best player he ever coached", and both his offensive and defensive intensity explains why.  Wilson Chandler and Aaron Aaflalo have suddenly started to play better and it seems to have coincided with the unveiling of their potential replacements, Green and Harris.

Coach Shaw could do his best impersonation of Aaron Rogers or LeBron James and tell Denver fans to relax, but without consistency at point guard- and the lingering need to discover if Danilo Galinari will ever live up to the promise- Shaw can't do much relaxing himself.  The miserable starting team consistently gives Shaw justification to sit a couple of those deadbeats at the end of the games in exchange for smarter defenders or more confident players.  Having capable backups has forced the entire team to play smarter, harder and with more confidence which has turned the tide for Denver, but how long can you execute a plan in which your best players are held to the final moments of the game while your starters dig a hole for their backups to fix?

In reality, nothing replaces a hearty appetite and some of the Nuggets simply haven't played hungry for a while.  Alonzo Gee is a journeyman who saw his chance to eat and gobbled up a job for himself. Jusuf Nurkic, Erick Green and Gary Harris are young, hungry and capable of pushing the starters to do number 2 or be number 2.  What concerns me is whether the concerned starters can remain focused on the mission without letting concern for their jobs be the key motivation.  Gee forced Quincy Miller out the door simply because he is hungry and he can defend anybody. Shaw consistently calls on Gee for tough defensive assignments and end game defensive pressure. If the Nuggets are succeeding it is because the heat is on the starters and the newbies are ready to eat.

Hungry players must be fed while the well fed must be reminded of what it means to be hungry. As for the marketing plan?  "Strength In Numbers" sounds like a great marketing plan, but it is likely an advertisement of players whose days in the Nugget uniform will be dictated by how well the coach inspires and markets the talent.

If Shaw can groom the future, groom and prepare the excess cattle for market and actually win enough games to justify his understanding of winning in the NBA, he will have accomplished a lot for Denver and for the future hopes of winning a crown.  If he finally silences the Karl loving critics of his, he will surely be the last man standing, smiling on the stage with the crown in hand.

Coach Fox and Coach Manning Confess Their Faults. Is Father John Watching?

Analyzing coach speak is an art of a particular kind.  Sometimes you are forced to digest the bits and pieces of crumbs that come from the tight fisted, poker players like Belichick in New England or like John Fox used to be before last weeks butt kicking by the Patriots.

When you do a proper assessment of the Broncos, you have to listen closely to all of the coaches because they don't actually share a unified voice out in dove valley.  Their head coach and dude in charge, #18, has loads of NFL records including being the quarterback to run for the fewest yards in the history of earth.  He may seem unflappable at times, but he uses his distinguished accomplishments to snub his nose at the critics.  My point is not to deny Peyton Manning the right to snub his nose at me or anybody who denies his greatness.  My assessment of this coach is that, good or bad, he is listening to everything that is being said about him.

What does that mean?

"Running the ball is football religion.  Nothing is more
powerful than something you can not stop." - Elwayian Proverb

If Manning has decided to NEVER run the ball HIMSELF, it is a conscious snub for certain.  Had Manning NEVER won a Superbowl like his coach John Fox, he might be compelled to listen to him. He does not.

Or maybe he does, in which case Fox is overriding Adam Gase, the Offensive Coordinator who notoriously met Manning out on field several weeks ago because he kept emptying the backfield and  declaring the run game...or the lack thereof.  The humility to run the ball week in and week out will be the most uncomfortable career experience that Manning shall endure on his way to a championship season.  He can endure a game or two of ball control offense, but under stress (ie., any game against the Patriots/Belichick/Brady) Manning reverts to his comfort zone.

Gase has finally introduced himself recently in the nature of the running attack that started to become the buzz of the NFL up until last week.  Coach Manning and Coach Fox both quickly took ownership for their failure to execute the age old formula for winning tough games on the road; run the ball and control the clock.  Coach Gase seems to be in good graces\ with the doctrine of John (Elway), so he is the only voice in the news this week that's is blaming poor execution on the field and not himself like the other two coaches have suddenly begun doing.

Few should have expected the Broncos to go on the road and win that game, but the surety of the run attack that they had developed in the previous games was reminiscent of high level little league football with the 3 or 4 teams that have a quarterback that can pass.  The teams that pass too much rarely win the Superbowl, even in little league, while teams that never pass seem to get shocked by a timely passes in here and there.  Whether little league or NFL, balance is the key to the chess match, and the chess match is the key to the crown.

No matter how ugly the page, every team has to be on the same sheet of paper to truly be successful.  Elway wrote the script for championship journey's at the latter stages of one's quarterbacking career. His doctrine is law and he is not leaving it to chance that EVERYONE, including coaches, recognizes the plan.  Paying for one high profile defensive player is a nice addition- adding three is a definitive statement to the entire league.  Emmanuel Sanders might prove to be the best free agent acquisition, but he was a less expensive swap that happened to work out.  This team was built to play defense and defensive approaches begin with  the run game.

The Broncos had better return to a run-first, defensive approach or Coach Fox and Coach Manning will be sounding more and more like they are preaching the Gospel of John.  Elway is a "no excuse" kind of person and the compulsion to take ownership for your own crap is Elwayian for certain.  The more Manning and Fox face the music says they've spent time in Father John's confessional box.  And what did Father John prescribe for his flag football loving quarterback and the coach who allows it?

Tell the world how bad you played in the game, even though you produced nearly 500 yards, and tell assistant coach Fox to review the Seattle Superbowl tapes in which his team didn't even step off of the plane, and then both of you take ownership for fixing the problems instead of doing your customary asshole interviews.

If this team needs a divine intervention to make it all the way, father John is going to do his part. To that I say, Amen.

Hickenlooper Wins? Maybe There Is Hope For Mankind Afterall

I'll admit it.  I've been in a state of blogging depression for some time now (see; writers block).

Not that I haven't had anything to say, but nothing new to say, especially in a country that has decided to do a time warp on political issues that make me cry when I think about how regressive we've become.  I say regressive in the hopeful mindset of believing that we had actually progressed beyond the debate on abortion.  I know we are working our way through this homosexuality concern that some have described as  America's contribution to the apocalypse, but nothing, and I sincerely mean nothing, makes me more sad than the idea that we would discourage any person from voting in America.

Several weeks ago, when my sadness reached its precipice, Ohioan's were learning that they would not have the additional week or the extra time after work to cast their votes since a ruling had been approved to close the ballots by 6pm in Ohio, a state notorious for congestion at the polls. The rise in the use of mail ballots is working to eliminate those who would care to curtail the vote, but Georgia mysteriously lost over 50,000 registrations that were pulled due to "discrepancies".

Gerrymandering (re-drawing voting districts) used to be the only certain method that was being used to distort the environment of political competition (and both parties play that game), so learning about voter suppression left me perplexed about the America I was taught in the school books that we read.

I'll admit even more.  I was a lazy student that didn't always pay attention (especially in algebra) so I could have missed something in History class regarding federal voting laws.  Who knew that voter suppression efforts never actually died but sat patiently waiting for statutes of limitations to run out and were thus being thwarted by ongoing federal counter measures. I know that we've been told that voting matters, but I never quite realized that our actual right to vote would, once again, be at stake.

Regressive behavior towards human sexuality is sad, and rehashed abortion debates are odd, but voter suppression is infuriating to me in a way that I can not actually put into words; partially because there is little to be said about the preservation behaviors of people with power, but mostly because nobody gives a damn about voting anyway.  To argue for the right to vote is to argue for millions who have no clue what they are being asked to participate in.  Some of those people are young folks who simply don't care to stop and listen to a bunch of blow hards tell you why the other blow hard sucks more than they do....so vote for me; but some of those folks are old timers who realize that the guy you vote for today might close a bridge in retribution tomorrow.

Its simply depressing to watch 85% of Ireland participate in their monumental election (in which they voted to remain a part of the UK), but it only served as a reminder of how sad I already had become, and why I deserved to be even sadder if I wanted.  I could have written some eloquent argument for the necessity of voting, or an even better one for the depravity of suppressing democracy, but I would have been arguing on behalf of no one and towards the ear of the wind.  Those who might have read it (or will read this) already vote, and those who do not care have a litany of legitimate reasons that even I can no longer challenge.

I have always been politically engaged, but my children have never been forced to do the same.  Some of them have found their way into political action while others will ask me who is who and what do they stand for? When I am truly challenged to deliver on that loaded question, I realize that I am ill-equipped to tell them what any person we send to congress stands for.  I can tell you what the party they claim stands for, but whether or not that person you waste time going to the polls to elect will do the job that you elect them to do is now totally a wait and see proposition.

Republicans who seem enthused with the outcomes of yesterdays elections should remember that this type of wave was as predictable this time around as it will be in two years when loads of Republican seats come under the same "every two year" heat that history has always placed on members of congress. The fact that it took so much Koch for republicans to keep history from taking a dramatic u-turn is a bigger story to those who understand the dynamics of mid-term elections.  Moreover, politicians often fail to realize that a political wave mandate washes away the excuses against doing the job you were hired to perform.

President Obama, who is just as conservative as the congressional republicans that won during yesterdays wave election, just spilled some drool on his tan suit coat at the notion of getting those bleeding heart liberals out of his way so that he can finish the TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership) that he started some time ago.  He will have to give in on the pipeline deal, but he has only been using that as a negotiating tool in the first place.  His aversion to expanding the Alaskan pipeline has always been the political detriment that it would cause within his own party, but lame ducks that don't even get to quack for prospective democrats during mid-term elections no longer need to uphold an allegiance, even to those he shares a party label with.

In an odd twist of irony, Mitch McConnell survived a hearty challenge against his long held congressional seat and will now become the majority leader in the house.  The man who declared his plan to make Obama a one-term president will now have to resist the urge to repeal Obama's signature healthcare law and/or impeach the bum altogether.  Such efforts will shut down the progress that could, and should be made over the next two years, especially if republicans hope to minimize the damage from the 2016 tsunami headed their way.

Republican committee chairperson Reince Preibus seemed to believe that their ground game did what their ground game was supposed to do.  He even went as far as to credit former White House press secretary Robert Gibbs (now an MSNBC analyst) for the ground attack that he, and the Obama campaign team, turned into a model for political guerilla marketing.  Before Preibus gets too excited, he should compare yesterdays turnout to that of the past elections and he might just save those Koch cats a lot of loot in 2016.

People who don't know or didn't care still don't know or care.  Some people care but stay home because they got locked up once and no longer deserve a voice. We are happy to tax them just like we tax everybody else, but any former felon who runs a business does not get to impact who represents them in congress.  The felons that we reject from voting are probably the only ones who have a legitimate opinion on all of those judges that nobody has a clue about, one way or the other, yet every two years even active voters are asked to decide which judge keeps a job or not?

When my daughter, who doesn't vote in odd elections, explained that she doesn't care to make a mistake with an uneducated selection, I immediately reminded myself of all of those judges that I never have the time to research individually.  If I can give myself a pass for not doing my due diligence regarding that civic duty, why beat up people who have no clue about which congressman to choose when the only impression they ever get is the negative attack ads that are used to garner votes?  Was Mark Udall really against the pipeline expansion or was he simply supporting the president who had chosen to make it into a political pawn?  Did Cory Gardner really want to lock up people who have abortions?  If not, why did Colorado have a bill that tried to do such a thing?

It all came to a destructive head for me when I had to accept that nobody (or at least half of the American electorate) really cares about voting like that, and those who care have a millions reasons why they could stop caring at the drop of a hat.  We are jaded by the whole thing and nothing to date has given us a reason to believe that anything will get better, except one thing.

Hickenlooper won.

Of all of the things that happened last night, nearly all could have been predicted. A few races had some questionable polls, but Vegas odds would have leaned towards the exact results that we all woke up to see.  The pundits figured that the overdose of Koch would leave everyone wide awake last night waiting on results that the Koch machine was designed to force into the favor of republicans.  When it was all said and done, the only seat that got sticky from Koch was John Hickenloopers governor seat.  By winning the republican senatorial seat back from democrats, republicans in Colorado accomplished something that has been 12 years in the waiting.  Such a feat had to give them high hopes as 80% of the precincts had been counted and their guy, Bob Beauprez, had a 48% to 47% lead.

As it turned out, those final 20% were mostly Hicklenloopers peeps who didn't need to get to know who he was nor figure out what he stands for.  John Hickenlooper is the guy who, in 2014, still refuses to run attack ads.  His opponent used that as an opportunity to attack him with impunity.  They even attacked him for not attacking, but quickly changed that line of attack as it sounded kind of tacky every time the ad ran on television or radio. Sitting and watching republicans win all over the country and realizing that my guy, the last politician with integrity, had to fight for his political life, was about to be the final straw on the weight of depression I've been feeling towards this country where no one seems to care anymore.

And then I woke up to the announcement that Hickenlooper had come from behind to win the Colorado governorship. Without being negative or focusing on anything but his own agenda for our state, Hickenlooper defied the pundits and pulled me out of my depression all at the same time.  Democrat voting patterns were predictably dismal, but if 20% of votes came in for Hickenlooper late in the night, why didn't those votes help Udall much?

The great takeaway is that the voice of the people will always be heard in the end.  Passing any federal legislation over the next two years will demand bi-partisan efforts and the acceptance that president Obama will walk away with the credit for whatever positive ideas we enact under his leadership.  After the pipeline moves forward, the immigration/minimum wage/marriage equality/ felon reinstatement issues carry massive support nationwide while expanded abortion restrictions do not. More than anything, WE still value, reward and come out to support integrity.

I had grown so disillusioned with the lack of voting (that keeps allowing suppression measures) that I forgot to remember that not voting is a vote of another kind.  It is not our job to figure out which judge deserves to keep their job, its their job to not give cause to vote them out.   Every statistical analysis of post election results says that there should be a new governor in Colorado, but elections are not as haphazard as our low turnout makes it feel at times.  People respond to the things that matter to them, and while right to lifers might have thought they could take advantage of low democrat turnout patterns to try and criminalize abortion in Colorado, the measure failed resoundingly and Hickenlooper survived their best punch.

I know that Colorado is God's country so I shouldn't need another reason to love the state that I live.  Just when I was about to wash my hands of apathetic citizens, I was reminded to never mistake tired for lazy.

Way to go Colorado.  You make me proud.

Before Iggy Azalea There Was Teena Marie. What Is Black Music Anyway?

She might need a little Proactiv,
but who doesn't
 love a fresh faced girl?

These days its easy to turn on the radio and get confused about the voices you hear on the airwaves.  Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran, Justin Timberlake, Robin Thicke.  Any one of these artist has the ability to make you think you are listening to black people music.  Yeah, I know.  Music has no color, so the whole conversation should be moot.  But it isn't.

For some reason, Iggy Azalea has to apologize for sounding like she's straight outa Compton when in fact she is a born and raised Australian with a significant accent.  Now, this brother will admit that I was shocked to hear her voice for the first time in interviews, but not to the extent that it was some extreme novelty.  I'm talkin' SquareBiz to yo' ass because Teena Marie told me to.  The Vanilla Child was more black to us than Sammy Davis Jr., and today she is as iconic in the black community as she is across the world.

The original pic that started this mess

Speaking of the world, I am a little disgusted with how late we Americans are when it comes to good music anyway.  Obviously "Good" is a very subjective thing, but the wave of studio DJ's like David Guetta or Calvin Harris who collaborate with pop stars is totally European.  Despite our decade long resistance towards electronic/house music (not you Chicago), its roots and branches have an evolution similar to rap music. House party music is America's creation yet we are late to the electronic dance party trying so hard to force feed American hip-hop upon every artist that allows 16 bars on their song.

Both house music and rap music are birthed out of R&B, aka.,black culture and Iggy had better recognize.  That's not exactly my position on the matter, but Azealia Banks, the British rap phenom who went in on Iggy long before Snoop compared her to a black albino brother just for taking a photo without her makeup seems to have similar feelings towards raps new princess.


In the grand scheme of things, Iggy needs to accept this bold departure from her original introduction to the world as par for the course.  When she gets big enough to have a VH1 roast like Snoop double G had once he blew all the way up, she better expect that makeup free photos will add some heat to that occasion. At the end of her career she can look back and ask herself if she would have rather been the roasted rap princess or another forgotten rap artist.

Snoop tries to clean up the mess from his Iggy rant.

That being said, Iggy is the recipient of more than a simple roasting; she is an unfortunate victim of that nigga shit. This black man can't quite understand blacks who demand respect but get upset with the greatest form of flattery.  Who cares if the Beastie Boys were making fun of black people and not actually rapping about anything in particular.  The Beastie's have a place in the pantheon of rap music.  They (and a Run DMC/ Aerosmith collab') allowed for rap to go mainstream.

Is Nicki Minaj way harder on the mic than Iggy?  She is to me, but some people are a little too afraid of black women owning their sexuality in such a way.  If Iggy makes Nicki more palatable to the racist and the chauvinist who don't realize that women have taken over the rap game, then she furthers a bigger cause.  Azealia Banks seemed to have a problem with Iggy copying the sexually explicit female rap thing that launched her unto the scene, but this is a formula that many female rappers will do in order to shock their way into an almost exclusively male world that insists upon a substantive diversion..

AZEALIA BANKS - 212 (explicit lyrics)

Rap has represented the voice of black culture for so long, we think we own it in some bizarre way; as if poetry should belong to England because Shakespeare was so dope. Black men with bedroom studios fight every day to make rap music remain the voice of the city people.  Male rappers have relinquished some control to black women who have carved a larger stake for themselves within all of black culture, but a white chick rappin'?...and ballin' at it?

That 's a bitter pill  to swallow and a painful one when its shoved down your throat like the ladies, including Iggy, continue to do in the hip-hop world.  I wish Iggy would have treated Snoop's stupidity like a roasting, but she's kinda new to this nigga shit (she's still perfecting her ebonics).  Every hip-hop artist, even Macklemore, serves the greater good of keeping the art form relevant.  Instead of honoring her for her role in the struggle, the haters do what they do.  Iggy may be able to sound blackish when she raps (is there any other way to rap?) but she will never quite understand the self-destructive compulsion that is called nigga shit.  That comes from a place beyond the understanding of most who suffer from this ailment.

Since they say you never have haters if your not doing anything, Iggy should be proud of her progression.  She's moved from Azealia Banks, who very few have heard of, to the original Snoop Double G.  Next up?  The White House....while you still can get an invite.

Denver Broncos Defense Making A Name With No Name Players

We spent a full season slobbering over the other worldly exploits of the Manning they call Peyton

When Manning is long gone..I'll be stuck on the Broncos

, but remain curious as to whether he will shake the label that keeps his little brother (and dad) in the debate as the greatest Manning quarterback of all time.  So long as that debate rages on, this Bronco fan is focusing on the team that I will love and support long after Peyton decides to poop or get off the pot. That being said, it is time that we share some of the same adoration saliva that we spilled on Manning and lather it all over our defense.

Ready for some drooling?

The Denver defense is proving to me that they are the best in the league.  Yeah, I said it!  The best in the league.

You need proof?  Well, I don't have the actual film review that play graders use when evaluating performance, but trust me when I tell you that I watch the game VERY closely.  My expertise may be in basketball, but my passion is the Broncos from as far back as I can remember.  In my own football humility, I sat quietly in the background over the years that the great "shut down" cornerbacks like Deion Sanders and Darrell Green ruled the roost. There became a great debate over who dictates QB pressure, the pass rush or the cover corners who buy time for the rush?  By the time the debate came to an exhausted conclusion, it became clear that no one had a definitive answer for why great pass rushers can create pressure or why great cover guys force QB's to only see half of the field.

Bradley Roby made the grade...and Kayvon Webster into a forgotten backup

This fly on that proverbial wall did not leave that conversation without taking notes about football, and for years I have been imagining the team that could do both.  Yeah, I know you think Seattle has that team, but they don't.  These guys are stout up front and mean in the secondary, but they can be burned in one-on-one coverage, and the film has forced every team towards that approach when playing the Seahawks (who fell to the Dallas Cowboys yesterday).

Do you remember a Bronco named Kayvon Webster?
 If you forgot about this guy, who played well for the Broncos in the Superbowl last year, it is because of another cat that we are getting to know, despite rarely getting to hear his name.  Bradley Roby could be exactly what we thought we drafted, and it might have already clicked in for this dominant, starting rookie.  If Roby is good than Chris Harris Jr. is great, and his stature among DB's in the league says that Denver already has a top 5 cornerback.  Aqib Talib and TJ Ward are footnotes in this paragraph because of the dominance of my first two examples, but I guarantee you that both New England  and Cleveland are sad when they witness what their former players are now doing in Denver.

Who is Quanterus Smith, and is he the reason Vonn Miller is back already?

The secondary will only get better, but they are not nearly as dominant as the front four is right now, so forget about those guys for now.

Demarcus Ware and Vonn Miller?!  Nuff said.  Terrance Knighton will go to the Pro Bowl because NO ONE can run against the Broncos.  He might take Derek Wolfe with him after yesterday because there was a definite Wolfe sighting in New York.

But forget about those guys too.

Who is this Smith dude that had to come into the game when Vonn Miller got his bell rung?  When I witnessed Vonn falling a try to stay up, I was curious about who would fill that spot, and if the Jets would instantly attack the Broncos with Miller missing.  The very next play after Vonn went  out resulted in a Demarcus Ware sack.  Ware got credit for the sack, but Mr. Smith created the pressure that forced it to happen.

By the time I Googled to find the name Quanterus Smith connected to #93 of the Broncos, I started to shake my head at the embarrassment of riches.  Quanterus Smith is the easiest explanation to why Vonn Miller got his game back so quickly, and why he tried to stay in the game when he got his bell rung.  This unknown dude can play and seems more powerful than Miller, which allows him to create pressure without compromising his lane assignment.  The New York Jets defense was rather impressive as well, but they seemed emboldened by the exploits of the best defensive coach in the game with Rex Ryan.  Any time you make it tough to score, you  indirectly make it easier for your offense to score by giving the ball back to them over and over again.  Sometimes good defenses will stifle scoring, other times it forces frenetic scoring patterns like it did in New York against the Jets.

What separates the good defenses from the great ones is the ability to take the ball away, and that has yet to become a trademark of Denver's D.  In New England, they teach this skill to a level that nearly neutralizes their defensive weaknesses, but gamblers always crap out eventually. If Denver never improves in this area, it will only matter if we continue to put the ball on the ground while trying to develop a solid run game.  The turnover battle does not really have to be won, it simply cannot be lost.

After 6 weeks of football, it might be a bit early to determine who the best defense in the league really is, but thus far, I will take the Denver defense over any of them for both current performance and immense upside.    The better your defense performs, the more likely any coach is to honor their efforts with a solid run game.  Since the Broncos finally got a 100+ yard rushing performance, Fox will have to finally honor to the new MVP of Denver and give them the respect, and consistent run support that great defenses demand.

Broncos Star QB Must Recognize Denver's Defense As The MVP

What's up with Peyton's fourth quarter production.

Every attempt that we keep making to answer the question about Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos seems to leave us more clarified about the competition and not the home team or its leader.

Much like the first two weeks, Manning has finished a really close game with no reason for anyone to believe that he is the game closer that will be necessary for the final climb to the top.  This Superbowl rematch started out eerily similar to the original game.  Much like the Superbowl, Denver's improved defense gave Peyton time to decide if he wanted to show up or not.  Another fumble on our opening offensive play shut down Denver's confidence in Montee' Ball and running the ball with Ball.  In a wild stroke of luck, Ronnie Hilman actually resurfaced early in the game, even though he was inserted to give Peyton another passing weapon (screen out of the backfield) and not a reliable running attack.

By games end, the Broncos had settled on 20 running plays versus the 47 running plays that San Diego used a week prior to upset the Superbowl champs.  Granted, the Chargers were lucky enough to do it on home turf, but their blueprint was never designed to yield humongous yards on the ground.  No self respecting defense would ever give up too many yards on the ground anyway.  The commitment to running is like making slow love.  It may take a while to yield the benefits, but its well worth the patience shown.  Three years and three weeks into the Manning experiment, and the Broncos are still full of quick triggered, youthful exuberance, but lack the wisdom of experience.  Their defensive effort in last nights game was similar to that of the Superbowl, but failed offensive series after failed offensive series is likely to run any defense into the ground, even an improved one.

Three weeks into the season and John Fox is also continuing to use the same 'tired' excuse as an explanation for shoddy play down the stretch.  Fox has yet to explain the lack of offensive execution late in games that has made the first three games such an adventure, or assign his QB's fourth quarter departures as the reason for the dilapidated defense in Denver that he  does keep referring to.  Its likely that Fox is just another well paid talking head who understands football, gains the love and respect of his players with a jovial, laid back personality, but can not hold the leader of his team to the highest level of expectation- which Manning is so apt to do when other players fail to execute.  Is there no one in the Bronco organization to tell the quarterback to step your end game production up?

At the conclusion of last nights defeat in Seattle, Denver cornerback Chris Harris Jr. tweeted a comment that Russell Wilson is better than Luck, referring to Andrew Luck of the Indianapolis Colts.  If Harris Jr. had the courage to tweet such a comment about two up and coming QB's in the league, what do you think he feels about the old guy he has on own team?  Both Luck and Wilson show late game execution that Manning lacks since so many defenses are certain that he will ONLY sit in the pocket and pass when the game is on the line.  Harris Jr. might be right about his evaluation of Wilson, but he might also be admitting what is starting to become clear about Manning.

The Broncos would love to win it all on the backs of their best player, but they simply have overestimated how good he actually is.  Manning will always be knowledgeable enough of the game to make average teams pay dearly, but against the best of the best, Manning becomes mortal.  In fact, he is pretty average. If you can remember the last time he ran for a first down against pocket pressure you might have witnessed the first time as well.  In some ways, it is remarkable how well the Broncos perform on offense given the fact that they can be forced into predictability so easily. .

Harris Jr. wasn't out of bounds with his comment.  Wilson is special, and capable of winning it all once again.  It is not as though he has skills that are beyond that of most QB's in the league (although his ball fakes are legendary).  In fact, his lack of physical stature actually leaves him at a disadvantage compared to the average NFL QB.  Wilson makes up for every shortcoming in his game, and in his team, by squeezing the life out of his own potential.  When you watch Wilson make plays, it makes you wonder why he doesn't do more of the same throughout the course of the game.  Why doesn't he ignore the run game and Marshawn Lynch?  Lynch performed well last night, but was held below his normal production by a stingy Broncos run defense. Lynch finished the game with only 88 yards on 26 carries, or 3.38 yards per carry, but scored the game clinching touchdown in overtime.

Wilson only passed for 255 yards on 35 attempts, yet the formula for a Seahawk's victory will rarely include 300+ passing yards when balance and patience are their agenda.  Denver did acquit themselves better in the final scoring, but they did not show themselves truly competitive throughout the game, except on defense. If  Wilson is better than Luck then he probably is more capable than Manning too at this point in each players career.  No matter how you size up these players in a head to head comparison, Wilson is not the MVP of the Seahawks team, just as Manning isn't that for Denver.

For both of these Superbowl contenders, the collective defense is the MVP of each team, and it will be the team that relies on its defense the most that will win the next match up, which most expect to be for all the marbles.  When the game mattered most, Wilson grabbed the reigns and kept his defense from being needed,  however, it was his reliance on them throughout the game that made it possible.  Denver was an overtime away from a 3-0 start to a season in which their star quarterback has yet to outplay his competition.  Scoring is down in Denver, offensive production is sporadic, and the Broncos still appear to be the team most likely to take on Seattle in the end.

WHY?

If the current signs are legitimate, Denver has fielded the most impressive defense in its storied history and very few people are talking about them as the real hope that the Broncos have to capture the crown.  Manning has to see how impressive his defense has performed, but, thus far, seems to be the most unaware Bronco in the stable. The defense might be growing weary late in games, but to these tired eyes, it is totally on Manning whose style of play says that he still thinks of himself as the primary key to victory.

Mayweather Must Lose If He Wants To Win The Hearts Of Fans

I'm not really interested in spending money on boxing matches that get replayed for free in a week, but this one might be worth peeking through my neighbors window to see.

Floyd Mayweather against Marcos Maidana in a rematch that is becoming the last best hope to bring a defeat to the only undefeated champion history has produced.  As impressive as an undefeated champion sounds on paper, Mayweather has just as many critics as he does fans. He practically markets for opposition, as if too many people on his side would harm the Vegas betting that makes every Mayweather fight a worldwide revenue stream. Love him or hate him, he has everyone's attention because at this point in his illustrious career, no one wants to be the fight fan who missed it when Floyd got beat.

Hands down, Mayweather is the hardest fighter to hit that ever accomplished so much.  Witnessing 17 years of no one laying a solid glove on a fighter is the stuff of legend, but the outcome of his fights has become quite predictable.  Every Mayweather fight looks basically the same.  His opponents chase and miss while Floyd feathers them with punches for their troubles.

Let Maidana tell it, feathers are all that Floyd is bringing to the fight, because he claims to have zero fear of Mayweather's punching power.  Many people have claimed the same thing about Floyd's lack of power, but the knock out is simply a boxing bonus. Three judges are paid during every sanctioned fight and their services are usually needed more than they are not.  Floyd could finish his career as the greatest boxer of all time without being the games greatest knockout artist, but will he even earn the respect that he already deserves if he does not lose a fight or two?

Among the many opponents that Money Mayweather has had to overcome in his career, his own greatness stands in his path as the greatest challenger of them all.  Continuing to be the hardest guy there ever was to hit will secure his record, but it is no longer doing a thing for his legacy.  As contradictory as it sounds, Mayweather probably needs to lose if he plans to win the heart of his critics. But does he know this?  His words say one thing, but his fighting style lately tells an entirely different tale. The tendency he has shown to to stand and be hit lately either says that Mayweather's is actually listening to his own critics, or he's just losing legs from too much sex.

I was watching the Showtime pre-fight preview special a few hours ago in which Mayweather makes it clear that he doesn't care about those who criticize him because he is going to live his life as he pleases.  While he's saying this, a beautiful blond Latina sits at his side as a video adornment for Mayweather's portion of the preview special.  Apparently, Mayweather is running with lots of ladies in his midst, none does he claim as a wife or girlfriend, but all appear to be lovers.  People like Mayweather (and Hugh Hefner) might claim to not care about public opinion, but their attempts to stimulate public opinion contradict their every word.

Everything about Mayweather is a contradiction of imagination.  It doesn't seem possible that a fighter who no one believes can hit hard, has never been beaten as a pro.  It is odd that he trains so intensely hard, but has his people bringing him McDonald's in the middle of a yoga workout.  When most fighters shun sex during their fight preparation, Floyd seems to be taking those workout hormones and letting them have free reign.  Old school fighters used to believe that "saving your mojo" instead of losing it in the throes of passion made you sharper in the ring.  Maybe blissfully wobbly knees only effect guys who don't beat the heavy bag for 45 minutes straight like Mayweather does?  

With the size of a Showtime undercard, Mayweather is probably in his dressing room right at this moment resisting the urge (or not) to get a little pre-fight fellatio just because he's Floyd, and he can do that.  Up until now, no one has been able to argue with his methods because he has an unblemished  record.  Before the last fight with Maidana, Mayweather had an unblemished face, but Maidana cut Floyd and gave him the toughest fight of his career, This time around, Maidana has even less to lose than he did in the first go round.  Simply looking good in the ring against this legend is the only expectation anymore; knocking him out and winning will be one of those things that happens when we all least expect it.

On that day when Floyd feels that first defeat, despite a long career of nothing but success, his story finally begins.