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Wes Welker suspension factors into possible update to NFL drug policy

By Mike Klis The Denver Post September 5, 2014

The suspension of Broncos receiver has suddenly become a focal point in negotiations between the NFL and players union on a revised drug policy, according to sources on both sides.

The union is working with the NFL on a new drug policy that would allow for testing of HGH and reduced penalties for use of performance enhancing drugs in the offseason, such as amphetamines. Welker was suspended by the NFL this week for four games for violating 's performance-enhancement policy. He tested positive for an amphetamine.

According to sources on both sides, had the league's proposal for a new drug policy been ratified by the union, Welker would not have been issued a four-game suspension.

In return for HGH testing, the league is enticing the union by raising the threshold of marijuana that will trigger a positive test and moving offseason amphetamine or stimulant detection from a violation of the league's performance-enhancement program — which has a zero-tolerance policy that issues a four-game suspension to first-time offenders such as Welker — to a violation in the substance-abuse policy, where a first-time offender would be placed in an NFL program, but not suspended until a second violation.

If an agreement on the new HGH proposal is reached this weekend, it is still improbable Welker would be able to play Sunday night in the Broncos' season opener against . However, there is a chance his suspension could be reduced from four games to one or two, according to sources.

Welker is among 29 players over the past three years who would not have been suspended under the league's new proposal. Welker, an 11-year NFL player who ranks 24th all-time with 841 career catches, tested positive for an amphetamines during the offseason. Multiple sources say Welker tested positive for Adderall, which is commonly used for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. During the season, a positive test for Adderall or other stimulants would fall under the PED policy. It might be no coincidence that since Welker's suspension was announced Tuesday evening, negotiations between the league and union over a new drug policy, and HGH testing, became serious.

One sticking point in negotiations is that the league wants the power to immediately issue a two-game suspension for players arrested on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs. The union wants players to have due process before such a penalty is issued.

Malik Jackson to play with Broncos after attending father's funeral service

By Mike Klis The Denver Post September 5, 2014

Jodie Jackson would have been pleased his son Malik returned to Dove Valley on Friday.

Jodie Jackson was 47 when he died from complications from a stroke. His funeral service was Thursday in Irvington, N.J. Malik Jackson will play defensive line for the Broncos on Sunday night against Indianapolis.

"It's always tough to bury your dad," Malik Jackson said. "It was a nice service. A lot of people showed up. It was good to see family members you haven't seen in forever. We exchanged numbers and we'll try to stay connected."

Jackson practiced Wednesday, flew to New Jersey for the service, and was back practicing Friday. He doesn't always start as a Broncos defensive lineman, but he plays more than some do because of his ability to line up at both end and .

"He would have wanted me to play," Jackson said in front of his locker Friday. "Heck, he would have wanted me to stay here and practice and pass on the funeral. But I don't think I could have done that. He was a great man. I loved him. He taught me the game."

Prater returns home. Because Matt Prater was found in violation of the NFL's substance-abuse program, the Broncos kicker could have served his four-week suspension by working out at the team's Dove Valley's headquarters and hanging out with his teammates.

However, the team gave Prater permission to return to his home in Fort Myers, Fla., where he will spend time his family, work out and try to make positive changes in his life.

Prater's violation was alcohol-related. He will return to the Denver area by Oct. 6, the day after the Broncos play their fourth game against .

Broncos Bowling for Boys and Girls. Left tackle and will host the second annual Orange and Blue Bowling Bash on Monday at the Brunswick Zone XL lanes in Lone Tree.

The event will benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Denver. There will be one session from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and a second from 8:30 to 10:30.

Other Broncos committed to attending the function include , , , Orlando Franklin, , Matt Praradis, T.J Ward, Julius Thomas and Jackson.

For more information, go to www.orangeandbluebowlingbash.com or call 559-241- 4412.

Injury update. Backup guard Ben Garland (high ankle sprain) and starting (fractured left leg) have been officially ruled out of the game Sunday against the Colts. Everybody else is probable.

Scouting report: vs.

By Troy Renck The Denver Post September 5, 2014

Three things to watch

1. Life without Welker

Peyton Manning makes scarecrows into Pro Bowlers, but the loss of Wes Welker stings. Welker is a security blanket on third down. He was targeted 28 times on third down - only 10 fewer than 2013 team leader Demaryius Thomas despite playing only 13 games - and turned 18 into first downs. Manning remains masterful at exploiting mismatches. Will he lean more on or incorporate Jacob Tamme and more?

2. Any Luck up front

Colts summed up the rash of injuries to his offensive line in blunt terms: "It's like a horror movie." So decimated is Indianapolis that A.Q. Shipley, signed off the waiver wire last Sunday, is expected to start at center. He played briefly there for the Colts in 2012. The shuffling of new players at guard and center means the Colts might look to go no-huddle more rather than run Trent Richardson into Terrance Knighton and crew.

3. It's hour

The Colts trumped the Broncos in 's return to Indianapolis last season, in large part because of . He lived in Manning's face, creating relentless pressure. When Manning has to move, he becomes mortal. Mathis is suspended, and the Broncos' offensive line is improved with the return of all-pro left tackle Ryan Clady. If the Colts can't pressure Manning, coach admitted, "He's going to tear you apart.

Game plan

When the Broncos run

Montee Ball looks to build on his second-half push when he averaged 5.88 yards per carry on 65 attempts in November and December. He played only one series in the preseason, so don't be surprised if C.J. Anderson and , if healthy, spell Ball frequently. Rookie provides a new short- yardage weapon. The Colts believe their run is improved, anchored by 6- foot, 340-pound wrecking ball nose tackle . Edge: Colts

When the Colts run

They fashion themselves as a physical team, but the identity is a bit overstated. Even with the addition of Trent Richardson, the Colts did not feature a steamroller attack. Richardson figures to be better, but the offensive line is a mess. Broncos' defensive tackle Terrance Knighton predicts a breakout year for Sylvester Williams. This would be a good time to start. Edge: Broncos

When the Broncos pass

No one throws the ball better than Peyton Manning, who is a maestro at the line of scrimmage, checking into advantageous plays and lofting catchable passes. Wes Welker's absence hurts, but it creates a platform for Emmanuel Sanders to show why he could become the league's best free-agent signing. Without a consistent pass rush, the Colts will struggle to defend Demaryius Thomas and Sanders. Edge: Broncos

When the Colts pass

Andrew Luck is the NFL's most athletic quarterback. He's faster than Johnny Manziel and possesses a better arm than . A healthy and T.Y. Hilton provide a measuring stick for the Broncos' secondary from the first snap. 's ability to handle Wayne in man coverage could free T.J. Ward and Rahim Moore for so lacking last year. Edge: Broncos

Special teams

This wasn't supposed to happen. Nowhere did recent suspensions hurt the Broncos more than on special teams. They lost the league's best kicker Matt Prater and a reliable punt returner in Wes Welker. In their place, Brandon McManus and Isaiah Burse will make their NFL debuts. If the Colts win, it likely will be a close game. No kicker is more trusted in the clutch than . Edge: Colts

Broncos' Ben Garland, Danny Trevathan out for season opener vs. Colts

By Irv Moss The Denver Post September 5, 2014

Broncos coach John Fox covered the last-minute details for Sunday's season- opening game against the Indianapolis Colts after Friday's practice and listed the return of as a major positive.

Harris was out of action late last season with an ACL injury that required surgery. Fox commented on the recovery process.

"It's a long road back," Fox said. "It's very difficult, a lot of pain, a lot of hard work and it didn't shock me at he's worked as hard as anybody I've ever seen."

Fox said it was obvious what the loss of Harris meant to his defense.

"He's a starter, but along with that there's a toughness, a competitiveness that he brings in the huddle and meetings and through the preparation phase as well as on game day."

Fox said the thinking that moved Harris from the nickel to outside was getting his players in the right positions in a team concept.

Fox said he was satisfied with the health of his team going into the first game.

"I don't like talking about it much because of obvious reasons, but we feel good where we are right now," Fox said.

The Broncos' injury report listed linebacker Danny Trevathan (knee) and guard Ben Garland (ankle) as out with injuries for the game.

For Broncos' Ben Garland, a roster spot isn't good enough

By Irv Moss The Denver Post September 5, 2014

When Louis Vasquez is asked to access his teammates on the Broncos' offensive line, he has a special description for Ben Garland.

An appraisal from Vasquez isn't taken lightly. He speaks from the vantage point of a first-team all-pro selection and an appearance in the last season.

"He's a machine," Vasquez said of Garland, who played as a defensive lineman at the Air Force Academy, and just made the Broncos' regular-season roster for the first time in three tries. "We all make fun of him because no matter what, he's always working, as if he's a machine."

Garland knows no other way to play the game. But there's more to Garland's climb. He's had to learn a different part of the game, moving to the offensive line.

"The difference between playing on the defensive line and the offensive line is like night and day," Garland said. "Defense is a lot about reacting. To play on the offensive line, there's a need to understand how the other team's defense works and how the offense works together."

Garland spent last season on the , making the transition to offensive guard.

"In general there isn't anything you do on the offensive line that seems natural," Garland said. "You have to maintain perfect balance, but at the same time be extremely aggressive and powerful, and hit as hard as you can while under complete control. The body control and footwork are extremely different."

Garland credits tips from his teammates and coaches with helping him make the transition.

"Anything that Ben does, doesn't surprise you," Broncos coach John Fox said. "He was trained by the best in the business in our military. He's very smart and very tough. Ben got what he deserved (making the roster) and he worked very hard to get there."

That's not good enough for Garland. "My goal always is to be the best in the league at whatever I do," he said. "Making an NFL roster is extremely tough. It could have gone the other way. I'm so happy the Broncos gave me the opportunity to try another position."

Garland would have gone back into the military if he hadn't made the Broncos roster. He had served in active duty in 2010-11 after graduation from Air Force.

"I always wanted to be an Air Force officer," Garland said. "But I always dreamed of playing in the NFL. It was like weighing one dream against the other. I'm happy with my decision."

Sunday he'll be at Sports Authority Field at Mile High for his first game as an NFL player.

An ankle injury has kept Garland off the practice field this week and will cause him to miss Sunday's game and possibly next week's game. But the Machine wants to get moving.

"I'm ready," Garland said after Thursday's practice. "I'm ready to go."

Manning calm, cool for Colts-Broncos rematch

By Arnie Stapleton September 6, 2014

DENVER (AP) — The last time he faced his former team, Peyton Manning's emotions and the Indianapolis Colts both got the best of him.

Manning shouldn't be nearly as drained or distracted when the Colts visit Denver this weekend.

Jim Irsay isn't getting under his skin with talk about how disappointed he was to win just one ring with Manning. And the five-time MVP doesn't have to trouble himself with a pregame tribute — or Robert Mathis, for that matter.

"Well, I think it was different last year going back to Indianapolis," Manning said coolly.

In speaking with reporters in both Denver and Indianapolis during the week, Manning didn't elaborate on what it will be like facing his old team again. Instead, he segued right into what an honor it is to play in .

"They don't pick bad teams to open up 'NBC Sunday Night Football,' " Manning said. "They're not paying all that money to the NFL to put bad teams on."

No, but they did pick two teams that are dealing with lots of drama.

Injuries have turned the Colts' O-line into a turnstile. Indy is without Mathis, the league's sacks leader last year with 19 1-2, including two of Manning. Mathis was suspended for the first four games for violating the league's performance enhancing drug policy.

"He's in my opinion the best pass rusher in the NFL, and on top of that, a great leader, great teammate, great person," Andrew Luck said.

The Broncos have two prominent players serving four-game banishments: receiver Wes Welker and Pro Bowl kicker Matt Prater, who combined to score 210 points last season.

Prater violated the NFL's substance abuse policy by drinking alcohol in the offseason, forbidden since his 2011 DUI arrest, and Welker reportedly tested positive for amphetamine use in violation of the league's rules forbidding performance-enhancing drugs.

Welker has been the game's top slot receiver for a decade and Prater was the league's top kicker last year when he made all but one of his 26 attempts, including a record-breaking 64-yarder. He also led the league by a wide margin with 81 .

Novice Brandon McManus replaces Prater and the Broncos will likely make up for Welker's absence with a healthy dose of speedy receiver Emmanuel Sanders and backup Jacob Tamme, who restructured his contract Thursday, in the slot. Demaryius Thomas and can also move inside, with Bubba Caldwell running sideline routes.

"Of course we're going to miss him," Sanders said. "He's Wes Welker."

If any team is built to weather a loss such as Welker's, however, it's the Broncos.

"We've got great respect for Wes," Colts coach Chuck Pagano said. "But they've got enough weapons for Peyton."

Keep an eye on these other subplots Sunday night:

SNAP DECISONS: If Khaled Holmes isn't ready, A.Q. Shipley could start against Denver a week after the Colts claimed the center off waivers from .

Holmes returned to practice Wednesday for the first time since spraining his left ankle in the preseason opener. Backup Jonotthan Harrison also practiced after missing all of last week with a right thumb injury.

Left guard Jack Mewhort, promoted to starter when Donald Thomas tore his right quadriceps in training camp, has been dealing with a sore right knee. And two of the Colts' most versatile backups, Xavier Nixon (knee) and Joe Reitz (ankle), also are hurt.

"It does keep happening like a horror movie almost," Luck said.

GETTING DEFENSIVE: After coming up one win short last season, Broncos GM spent more than $100 million on a defensive makeover that includes free agents DeMarcus Ware, T.J. Ward and Aqib Talib.

Plus, Von Miller, , Chris Harris Jr., Rahim Moore and Quinton Carter have returned from injuries that sidelined them at the . "Despite all our offensive productivity and how special our offense is, this town loves our team to play great defense," said coordinator . "And I look forward to us bringing back some of that 'Orange Crush' feel."

Even if they create their own identity on defense, they'll always ride shotgun to Manning, suggested nose tackle Terrance Knighton.

"With his resume, it really doesn't matter how good you are on defense," Knighton said. "It's always going to be about Peyton and that offense putting up NFL records on points and yards. We just want to get off the field, get a rhythm going and feed off of them."

GETTING DEFENSIVE II: In Miller and Ware, the Broncos have one of the game's premier pass-rushing duos.

Ware was cut in a salary cap move by the Cowboys, where he was the franchise leader in sacks. He's teaming up with Miller, who's coming off a trying year that began with a six-game drug suspension and ended with a torn ACL.

Ware is also coming back from an injury-riddled season. Like Miller, he looks primed for a big year.

"He doesn't look like a man that should have been cut," Colts tight end said. "... He's playing at an incredibly high level: very active hands, very active feet, destroys tight ends."

GETTING DEFENSIVE III: The Broncos are smarting over the timing of Welker's suspension, which came down Tuesday night after the Broncos had drawn up their blueprints for the Colts.

"I'm sure not sure they really care what I think, but sure, I would like to know maybe before we pick our roster," coach John Fox said. "Look, we're disappointed in Wes and we respect the league's ruling on suspensions. It happens to a lot of people. But I would have liked a little different kind of timing, but ... we're moving on."

GROUND GAMES: Both teams seek better balance on offense. Second-year bruiser Montee Ball leads a group of running backs in Denver that's never started an NFL game, and the Colts are counting on Trent Richardson to have a bounce-back year.

"I think people are really going to enjoy watching him," Luck said. "I think he feels a lot more comfortable with everything."

Elway wonders about playing now

Associated Press September 6, 2014

John Elway retired from the game at age 38, his body too battered to try to win a third straight Super Bowl title. He looks at how the league has changed and wonders what it would be like playing now.

Peyton Manning (38), (37) and (35) look like they can play into their 40s.

"They're going to play for a long time, yeah, with the way the league is now and they're still playing at such a high level," Elway said. "It's still a rough game and when they do get it, it still hurts to get hit. But obviously they're a little bit more protected than they used to be, but that's OK because they're that important."

Elway wonders if he could have played into his 40s in today's game.

"I don't know," he said, chuckling.

Reminded that the top nowadays command upward of $20 million a year, Elway modified his answer.

"Oh, that's true," Elway said. "Oh, now that you bring it up, maybe ..."

___

BACK TO SCHOOL: NFL players will have the opportunity to attend customized graduate school programs at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business.

The NFL Players Association has arranged for classes that will guide the players from initial career development through professional and certificate programs and ultimately to a Master's of Business Administration degree.

The program will feature in-person and online components.

"We are excited about the new opportunity the Indiana University Kelley School of Business is offering our players," said NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith. "We pride ourselves in helping our members be knowledgeable about the business of football and putting them on the right path to succeed off the field. This relationship will achieve both."

The program includes career coaching and career services. After completion of an initial career development program, players can enroll in online, non-credit classes for personal finance, real estate, wealth management and entrepreneurship. Upon completion of a non-credit professional program, players interested in developing more expertise will be able to enroll in a four-course certificate program. Featured will be courses that put teams of students to work on real-world strategic projects.

___

HOT TICKETS: When it comes to the secondary ticket market, the are still America's Team despite one playoff win in the past 17 seasons.

According to StubHub.com, tickets for Cowboys games are the top sellers heading into the season. The Cowboys are followed by the , who have made it to three straight NFC title games and are moving into a fancy new stadium. Super Bowl champion , and San Diego round out the top five.

The Cowboys are also the top-selling home team, followed by San Francisco and Seattle, while the biggest road draws on StubHub are the 49ers, Packers and Bears.

The top-selling games so far are San Francisco's season opener at Dallas, the 49ers home debut at Levi's Stadium the following week against the Bears, and a - showdown featuring Houston at Dallas on Oct. 5.

___

MULTI-TASKING: Coaches and players will be using tablets on the sideline all season. That pales in comparison to what fans have the capabilities of watching on their devices.

The NFL app for Xbox One and Windows 8 incorporates Microsoft's Snap feature to give viewers in-game video highlights, fantasy scoring and games live at the same time. On the same screen.

Fans that already have NFL Sunday Ticket's Max package can watch live games directly through the app from its various carriers, whether satellite or cable TV. For fantasy players — and who isn't one these days — the app is now connected to websites carrying fantasy league stats.

Real-time scoring updates, standings and scoreboards also are available. So are notifications for in-game video highlights and from around the league.

___

JOHNNY FOOTBALL EVERYWHERE: The NFL's most popular jersey belongs to a guy who had yet to play a real NFL game: Johnny Football, of course. Browns rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel's No. 2 is so outdistancing any other jersey that Dick's Sporting Goods stores reports it has outsold the shirts for Andrew Luck, Peyton Manning and Robert Griffin III combined.

Luck comes in second in the company's Jersey Report, Manning is third, Carolina linebacker is fourth and RG3 fifth.

The Browns and Manziel also have attracted the most interest from football fans throughout the offseason, according to data from the mobile sports app th2eScore. Since the Super Bowl, fans have signed up to receive more notifications about real- time scoring plays and breaking news concerning and the rookie than any other team or player.

Manziel has more than doubled the of fans choosing to follow him since the Super Bowl — an increase of 116 percent.

He still stands only 40th in overall popularity, which Manning leads. So wait until Johnny Football gets into a game or two this season.

The Browns improved their following by 40 percent.

___

CAPTAIN POT ROAST: Terrance Knighton already has one of the coolest nicknames in sports, and now the massive nose tackle affectionately known as "Pot Roast" has a new moniker.

Captain.

His teammates voted Knighton one of their five captains in just his second season in Denver.

Knighton emerged as a team leader late last season after Denver's defense went through an injury epidemic on the road to the Super Bowl.

"Being thrown in the fire last year and just adjusting to things, the team, how things work, coming from a different organization, I had to adjust quickly. But I never backed down from accepting the leadership role," Knighton said. "When we had injuries last year I had to accept that role."

Now, it's official.

It took him by surprise, though.

"I knew I was a leader on the team, but I didn't expect to be captain," Knighton said. "We have a lot of guys that you could've taken on the defense. You have Derek Wolfe, Von Miller, T.J. Ward, Danny Trevathan, Aqib Talib, Chris Harris Jr. — any guy on our defense could've gotten that 'C' on their jersey."

A six-year pro, Knighton hasn't been a captain since his senior year at Temple.

"College was a little different because if you were the most talented guy and you got seniority, you are going to get that," Knighton said. "But in the NFL it's more of a responsibility, means a little bit more, and you represent the Broncos, you are one of the faces of the team and you just have to hold yourself to a higher standard, whether it's in the weight room, the film room, in public, addressing the media."

Von Miller back to his old self on, off the field

By Arnie Stapleton Associated Press September 5, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The cadre of cameras and reporters around his locker started to disperse when Von Miller feigned indignation.

"What? No questions about the chickens?" he asked.

Forget for a moment his return from reconstructive knee surgery. Or playing alongside DeMarcus Ware now. Or facing Andrew Luck in the opener Sunday night.

Miller wanted to talk about his bird business.

It was yet another sign that Miller is back to being his old self, both on and off the football field, after a trying 2013 season that began with a six-game drug suspension and ended with a torn ACL.

The Denver Broncos star linebacker, who studied agriculture and life sciences at Texas A&M, said he's downsized his flock of birds back home in Dallas from 60 to 40. He thinned out his coop with bigger things in mind.

"You get me one of those J.J. Watt deals, and I'll go commercial right now," Miller said. "I'll have chicken stores everywhere. I've got to wait a little bit. When I get a little bit more money, I can do that."

Yes, Miller, whose salary is $3.25 million this season, took note of the six-year, $100 million extension Watt recently signed.

"I thought it should have been more. I think he's still underpaid," Miller said. "He's a once-in-a-lifetime player."

Miller was the second overall pick in 2011, taken nine spots higher than Watt. Asked last month during joint practices with the Texans who was the better player, Miller cracked, "If I had to take my pick, it would be me."

Given what Watt commanded, can Miller expect nine figures the next time he puts his autograph on a contract?

"We've got great guys in the head office. I've got great guys that represent me. I'll let them take care of that," Miller said. "All I can do is just go out there and play." If Miller hadn't run into some trouble last year he might already have his own megadeal in hand.

In the offseason, the Broncos exercised their fifth-year option on Miller, which means he'll make $9.75 million in 2015 if he's on their roster in March.

Miller has looked like his old self this summer, the one who set a franchise record with 18 1/2 sacks in 2012, not the player who was bogged down by extra pounds and the weight of the world last season when he managed just five QB takedowns.

"He came in with a clean mind, just willing to play football and not let everything off the field, whatever it may be, get to him," fellow fourth-year linebacker said. "We're ready to see him back out there in action, sacking quarterbacks and doing funny dances."

So is Jack Del Rio, who could barely contain his excitement this week over the star-studded unit he's about to unleash.

Miller's physique and pass-rushing moves look just like they did in his first two NFL seasons, when he collected 30 sacks.

His playful persona is back, too.

Miller explained that he no longer finishes interviews with "Gig 'em" because of his alma mater's rise following a move to the SEC, for instance.

"I don't have to promote anymore. You saw what we did the other week," Miller said of Aggies sophomore quarterback Kenny Hill shredding No. 9 South Carolina for 511 yards in his first start at Johnny Manziel's successor.

Miller, an Aggie ambassador if ever there was one, no longer considers the University of Texas an arch enemy, either.

"Back four, five, six years ago, you compared yourself to the school across the state," he said. "We don't really have to do that anymore. We're letting our play speak for us."

So, on to the Colts. But if you want to talk contracts or chickens, he's up for that, too.

Notes: DL Malik Jackson returned to practice after attending his father's memorial service in Irvington, New Jersey, on Thursday. ... Peyton Manning liked Tom Brady's "When I suck, I'll retire" quote on a radio show earlier this week. "That's a pretty good rule," Manning said. ... LB Danny Trevathan, who broke his left leg Aug. 12, nearly walked out of the locker room Friday minus his crutches. "I'm ditching them on Monday," he declared. Broncos DE Jackson plays on following dad's death

By Arnie Stapleton Associated Press September 5, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Denver Malik Jackson returned to practice Friday after attending his father's memorial service in New Jersey.

The Broncos backup said he'll be able to play in the opener Sunday night against Indianapolis, albeit with a heavy heart.

"I'll dedicate the game to him but try to go out there and not do anything out of the ordinary," Jackson said. "I'll just try to be where Jack Del Rio puts me and be a playmaker."

Jodie Jackson, 47, died of complications of a stroke last month in North Carolina, his son said.

"It was unexpected," Jackson said. "I'm still trying to get over it, coupled with just trying to be here with my guys."

Jackson is a third-year pro from who's coming off a breakout year. He started the final five games of the regular season and all three playoff games for the injury-riddled Broncos last season.

He was second on the team with six sacks and led Denver with 11 tackles for loss and 15 quarterback hits in the regular season. In the playoffs, he had eight tackles, one sack and a pass breakup.

With Derek Wolfe returning from a spinal cord injury that sidelined him much of last year, Jackson is listed as a backup at left defensive end again this season.

Coach John Fox excused him from Thursday's practice so he could travel to Irvington, New Jersey.

"I was lucky enough the team let me go even in a hectic week like this, the first work week, to kind of go put my father to rest and say my goodbyes and see my family," Jackson said. "And I thank the organization from the bottom of my heart. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else now, and I'm going to show my gratitude on that field on Sunday." Wayne eager to face Manning, Broncos in return

By Michael Marot Associated Press September 5, 2014

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Reggie Wayne never doubted he could get back to being himself on the football field.

Not last October when his right knee gave out late in the Colts' win over Denver. Not when he put in hour after hour strengthening the torn ACL on his own. Not even when the Colts played it safe in the preseason. Nope, Wayne always expected his knee would heal, his speed would return, his cuts would be crisp and the critics who counted him out would be wrong.

All he has to do now is prove he's back. It starts Sunday night against the defending AFC champion Broncos and old friend Peyton Manning.

"I know what I'm capable of doing," Wayne said Friday as he enters the final year of his contract. "When you're rehabbing two or three times a day there's no time for doubt, and if you have doubt, there's no sense in getting up at 5 o'clock in the morning to rehab. It's time to show everyone what four to eight hours a day, every day, away from your family was all about. It's time to show everyone I'm the Reggie of old, if not better."

Wayne needed more than just grit and determination to get through this offseason.

For months, he heard the same critique: 35-year-old receivers don't come back from this sort of injury. He had watched the seemingly invincible , a former teammate, succumb to what was described then as a bruised knee at age 35. Harrison missed the final 11 regular season games in 2007, returned for the playoffs and lost a the first time he was hit. The next season, Harrison finished with 60 catches, 636 yards and five touchdowns, his lowest numbers in a non-injury plagued season during the Manning era, and that's how his career ended.

Those inside the Colts organization never doubted Wayne's comeback would be different.

Instead of giving up on the guy who befriended coach Chuck Pagano at the University of in the late , who gave up money to re-sign with the Colts in 2012 and delivered the season's signature moment with a career-best 212-yard day in an incredible 30-27 comeback victory over Green Bay — days after Pagano left the team to start his battle against leukemia — everyone supported Wayne.

Pagano promised reporters almost immediately that Wayne would defy the odds, and his teammates became believers, too.

"I saw him in the offseason, I kept up with him, texting him and when I saw him run for the first time, I said, 'He's going to shock the world,'" receiver T.Y. Hilton said.

Still, Pagano had to be cautious.

He kept Wayne off to the side or in the background as teammates endured their offseason workouts in April, May and June. At training camp, Wayne was limited to a strict regimen of two practices every three days. And even when Wayne lobbied for more work in the preseason, he got to play in just two series against his hometown team, .

Wayne's first real game in 10 1/2 months is, ironically, against the team he sustained the injury against and against the same quarterback who helped him emerge as one of the NFL's best receivers.

For a handful of hours Sunday, Wayne acknowledges, Manning will be a foe — not a friend — and that Manning will feel the same way about him until it's over. But for the first time since getting hurt, Wayne will be under no restrictions.

"If it's a normal game day and there's 60 plays, I hope it's 60 plays," Wayne said. "If it's 80 plays, that means we're doing a good job, then I hope it's 80 plays."

The only people more eager to see him back on the field are teammates and coaches, who say Wayne's mere presence provides a calming effect on the field.

"I know I sleep a lot better knowing he would suit up and play on Sundays," Pagano said.

Wayne insists this season opener will be just another chapter in a career that has already produced 1,006 receptions, 13,556 yards, 80 touchdowns, six Pro Bowl selections, two AFC titles and one .

As for the ending, he's still plotting it out.

"There are not very many guys who are 35, at receiver and still playing," he said. "So it's time to go out and have some fun. I've been playing a cheerleading role for a long time. It (football) is something I've been doing since I was 7 years old and I still love it." Notes: Starting center Khaled Holmes missed Friday's practice with a sprained right ankle. Backup Jonotthan Harrison, an undrafted rookie, did practice with a right thumb injury. Pagano said he has not decided who to start Sunday. ... Starting linebacker is listed as questionable with an abdomen injury.

Union says NFL wants DUI policy change

By Barry Wilner Associated Press September 5, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — The players' union says the NFL has asked for the right to immediately suspend players who are arrested for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

NFL Players Association executives told The Associated Press on Friday that the league's proposal to increase penalties for DUI offenses includes a provision to suspend or discipline a player before the completion of his legal due process.

"They want to immediately discipline for an arrest," said George Atallah, the NFLPA's assistant executive director of external affairs.

Such a policy change would also go for coaches, owners and league staff.

"We prefer to discuss these issues directly with the union," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said.

Atallah also noted that progress has been made on possible testing for HGH as well as other areas of the drug program. The union historically has not been interested in focusing on one issue, but on the entire drug policy.

That would make erroneous recent reports that the NFLPA was in hurry-up mode to negotiate changes that would help a specific player, such as Wes Welker. The Denver receiver was suspended Tuesday by the league for four games under the performance-enhancing drug policy.

"There is no artificial deadline," Atallah said. "A collectively bargained policy we are negotiating is on behalf of all players to benefit the most possible number of players for generations to come."

But both sides have held intensified talks on a variety of drug policy issues, what long snapper and union executive committee member Zak DeOssie's calls "doing our due diligence."

HGH testing has been the most difficult obstacle, even though the two sides agreed in principle on it when the CBA was reached in 2011. Two plans under discussion center around the parameters of a population study, in which the players could not appeal scientific findings to a neutral arbitrator, or not having a population study, but players have the ability to challenge the science. Both of those scenarios are being discussed, although the league did agree to the appealing process several years ago.

"We are on our way to getting that neutral arbitration and this HGH testing will move forward," DeOssie said. "We want it (done) right, we are in no rush."

Also being discussed is marijuana testing. The union feels the league's threshold for a positive test of 15 nanograms per millileter is too demanding, citing the IOC's threshold of 150 ngs, 10 times as high.

The NFL threshold was collectively bargained. But as NFLPA President Eric Winston noted, anyone within the vicinity of people smoking marijuana without partaking themselves could wind up testing positive at such a low number.

"The (potency) level is so much greater in marijuana now, the second-hand smoke can get a positive test," Winston said. "Just a guy who is around it second hand, then to have to go into the program?

"We don't want false positives, we have to move up the minimum to normal workplace standards."

Preseason was painful for some NFL teams

By Barry Wilner Associated Press September 6, 2014

There is one true objective for 32 clubs during the NFL's preseason: Stay healthy. Quite a few teams fell far too short of that goal.

The Rams lost starting quarterback for what would have been a make-or-break season. He went down along with four other starters in the third preseason game, although the others are not out for as long.

"It's every head coach's and general manager's and player and assistant coach's nightmare," Rams coach says. "In the first half, we had five starters come out of the game and then not return. Very, very difficult experience to go through in the preseason."

The Cowboys went through some bad times even before the games began. Their best defensive player on an already weak unit, linebacker Sean Lee, didn't even make it to training camp. He tore his left ACL in his first offseason workout.

Not to forget Miami (center ), (linebacker , left tackle Sam Baker), Denver (linebacker Danny Trevathan), Buffalo (linebacker Kiko Alonso), Green Bay (DT B.J. Raji), and Arizona (DL Darnell Dockett).

Like Lee, Weatherspoon and Alonso were lost for the season before their teams opened camps this summer.

That doesn't even cover the nicks and pulls that could sideline other key players for a short time. The Giants, for example, barely have had their top draft pick, receiver Odell Beckham Jr., on the field for practice all summer.

Dallas has been hit particularly hard, and these Cowboys hardly are in a position to withstand losing important guys. Their offense could be stout — provided 's back doesn't act up, or DeMarco Murray can stay out of the infirmary and keep his game-breaking running skills in the lineup. As for their defense, well, even some of the youngsters coach Jason Garrett hoped would step in and develop rapidly have gotten hurt. Most notably absent is end DeMarcus Lawrence, the second-round pick who is on short-term injured reserve with a broken right foot and will miss at least half the season. "You want them to have experience playing and for a lot of different reasons we haven't been able to do that," Garrett says. "Guys have been banged up, a couple of other situations that prevented guys from playing a full complement of snaps over the course of the preseason. But you live in the world that you do."

It's a rugged world, pro football. It's even more precarious when the games don't count, yet the starters need some work. All kinds of scenarios unique to exhibition games can present themselves and place significant players in jeopardy.

Perhaps an opponent trying to prove himself is going against a veteran simply looking to get in some work. The level of intensity doesn't match, and injuries sometimes occur.

Inexperienced players often wind up in spots the vets don't expect, particularly in the trenches. That increases the danger.

Conditions, especially the heat, can also play a role.

The NFL might soon consider reducing preseason games. Because of the risk of injury, coaches are reluctant to put stars on the field. Fans at preseason games have a much better chance of seeing Adrian Peterson in a ball cap rather than a helmet.

The NFL, pushed by the players' union, has instituted new rules to decrease the number of workouts and contact allowed in the offseason. The champion Seahawks were just punished for breakings those rules.

It's a slippery slope that leads to this weekend's opening kickoffs. Coaches like four preseason games and six or more weeks of preparation so they can install offensive and defensive schemes; identify potential contributors; familiarize themselves with newcomers, especially rookies; and develop camaraderie along with competition for positions.

But they also dread the possibilities of leaving the field without a Bradford, a Raji, a Dockett.

"He's obviously done for the season but I plan on having him on the sidelines with us all year long because of his spirit and leadership," Arizona coach says of Dockett, who tore up his right knee in an 11-on-11 drill. "It's something we need and don't want to lose."

At least it's something, but hardly as impactful has having a Dockett on the field wreaking havoc.

But that's what happens when the preseason wreaks havoc on a roster. W2W4: Denver Broncos Week 1

By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com September 6, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- It wouldn’t be the first time over the past three seasons that quarterback Peyton Manning has, in just a few words, summed up the Denver Broncos' mindset as an organization.

But this week, Manning likely spoke for all of his teammates, all of his coaches and for most folks in the region when, on the doorstep of the team’s regular-season opener, Manning showed just how ready he is to leave the offseason behind.

"I am tired of talking," Manning said with a sigh. "I am looking forward to playing some real football."

After months of being called soft in the Super Bowl from people far and wide, a major re-tooling of their defense and Manning’s next-level preparation to make another run at a title, the Broncos have their first chance at some of that real football Sunday night against the Indianapolis Colts.

Some things to keep an eye on:

Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio played things so close to the vest in the preseason, the game plan might have actually been inside the vest. If there is something beyond vanilla on the don’t-show-anything scale, that is where Del Rio was. Sunday will be the first showcase of what the defense's new personnel will mean in the big picture, and how Del Rio intends to deploy all of his players. Certainly, the Broncos figure to be far more aggressive overall, especially in pass- rush situations when they now have far more options to vary their fronts and send rushers from anywhere in the front seven or from the secondary.

The Colts will arrive with a battered offensive line -- they have injuries at center and both tackle spots. Their backup left tackle, Joe Reitz will miss several weeks with an ankle injury, their backup right tackle, Xavier Nixon, was placed on injured reserve/designated for return. At center, if Khaled Holmes can't play because of an ankle injury, the Colts' options at the moment are A.Q. Shipley, claimed off waivers this week, and rookie Jonotthan Harrison, who has dealt with a hand injury. That is a lot of uncertainty up front for the Colts, so Indianapolis figures to pound away at the Broncos in the run game out of some heavier formations. That would keep the Broncos in their base defense and keep Del Rio out of some of the more exotic pass-rush looks if the Colts are able to keep manageable down-and-distance situations. The Colts could put quarterback Andrew Luck on the move a bit with a moving pocket to try to keep him out of harm’s way. But if the Colts have to use double teams out wide to slow down DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller, look for Del Rio to send a later rusher or two at the middle of the formation.

The Broncos have said since the opening day of their offseason that Montee Ball is ready for the primary role at . Ball played in just one preseason game because of an appendectomy early in training camp, but has shown he has enough skills in the passing game -- both in pass protection and catching the ball -- to get some three-down work in the offense. There is every chance he’s the team’s first 250-carry back since Reuben Droughns in 2004. The Broncos flashed plenty of two, three and even four-tight end looks in the preseason when they wanted to grind it out a bit. They aren't going to be a run-first team, but they want the option if they need it.

Undrafted rookie Isaiah Burse rallied some in the final preseason game, but overall the Broncos were not consistent in the return game for more of training camp. They bobbled too many, dropped too many, made bad choices, especially when it wasn’t Emmanuel Sanders catching the ball. They would rather not use Sanders, because of his primary role on offense, fielding punts or kickoffs. It is really the only item a deep, talented team with Super Bowl aspirations didn’t nail down in the preseason, and it also happens to be an item that can change games quickly. Irving has given Broncos what they want

By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com September 5, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – When the Denver Broncos opened their offseason program, the middle linebacker spot in their defense was one of the few spots on the depth chart that was considered wide open.

And Nate Irving got the first shot.

All these weeks and months later, the Broncos are just two days out from their regular-season opener against the Indianapolis Colts and Irving is still in there, having done his part to take what was characterized as a competition and turn it into a chorus of crickets.

“Nothing is ever set in stone,’’ Irving said after Friday’s practice. “And this is a production-based job, if I’m not doing it somebody else is going to have to come in and do it. But right now I’m not happy to be here, I’m still going to work, trying to help my team, become a better player overall.’’

This time around Irving seized the opportunity in front of him. Last summer they tried him at middle linebacker as well and while he eventually went on to fill in well for Von Miller at strong-side linebacker, especially following Miller’s Week 16 ACL injury and into the postseason, the middle linebacker thing just didn’t go the way Irving had hoped it would.

The Broncos moved into the middle early in the season and after Woodyard suffered a stinger Oct. 6 against the Dallas Cowboys, the Broncos then put Paris Lenon, who they had signed during training camp, in the middle.

This time Irving has gone in and stayed in.

“For the coaches to have that faith in me, for my teammates to have that faith in me and to have faith in myself was a pretty big deal to me,’’ Irving said. “And I thank them for it.’’

In these current pass-happy times, the middle linebacker in the base defense is essentially a specialty position. But defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio has consistently said the Broncos’ ability to keep opposing offenses in down-and- distance situations that favor the Broncos’ pass rushers, the ones where a defense can get sacks, force turnovers and change games, will be dependent upon standing tall in the base defense. Some scouts said when Irving, a third-round pick in the 2011 draft, entered the league that they weren’t sure Irving could consistently square up blockers in run defense to be in position to shed blockers and make tackles as a middle linebacker without surrendering a running lane, Perhaps he was better suited to play on the outside. And at times, when Irving previously played at middle linebacker, the Broncos wanted more from him in that role.

And they’ve seen it so far.

“I think he’s very familiar with our defense, he has some confidence with the way he played last year when he filled in for Von, he understands what he’s supposed to do, where he’s supposed to be,’’ Del Rio said. “He’s a heavy-handed guy, who’s done a good job in what we’re doing. We like what he’s done.’’

The Broncos, with the Indianapolis Colts’ injury struggles in the offensive line, expect the Colts to pound away out of some heavier formations at times in the run game. That would put the Broncos in their base defense, with Irving in the middle, in position to stop the run, especially early in the game.

“I just think you try, each year, be better than you were at that point last year, that’s the goal,’’ Irving said. “How much have I progressed? From my rookie year until now? Mountains, man. I’ve come a long way, but I haven’t arrived yet, so I still have a long way to go. But I’m excited to have the chance.’’

Union seeks suspension reversals

By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com September 5, 2014

NFLPA chief DeMaurice Smith told a Washington radio station Friday that, in talks with the NFL about a new policy for performance-enhancing drugs, the union will seek to reverse suspensions that occurred this year but are based retroactively to the previous policy.

"We don't want players to suffer because the union and league couldn't get it done before the league year," Smith told 106.7 The Fan, adding that the union would not agree to any policy that punishes players on simply being arrested.

ESPN's and reported Thursday that the NFL is seeking to be able to punish players after an arrest but before the legal process plays out. The negotiations have been described as "fragile."

Two star receivers, Wes Welker of the Denver Broncos and Josh Gordon of the , are under suspension for drug violations -- Welker for four games for amphetamines and Gordon for all of the 2014 season for another positive marijuana test.

Multiple sources told ESPN.com Friday that the Broncos believe if the league and union hammer out a new policy before Welker's suspension is completed, he would be reinstated. Cleveland.com, citing league sources, also reported Gordon might be eligible for reinstatement if a revamped drug policy is approved.

Welker's suspension, though, fell under the league's policy for PEDs. Under the guidelines for PEDs, players are suspended for the first flagged positive test. Broncos sources believe that under the proposed new drug policy, those stimulants would be characterized under the league's policy for substance abuse.

Under those guidelines, a player enters the treatment program with the first positive test. The program includes meeting with counselors, and the player is subject to increased testing each month. It takes multiple positive tests under the substance-abuse policy before the suspension phase is reached.

Welker's suspension was officially announced by the league Tuesday. The Broncos had made their roster cutdown to 53 players over the weekend and were somewhat frustrated with the timing, given the league's transaction report had already been sent out to each team Tuesday before Welker's suspension was announced. "Ideally, me personally, obviously it wasn't great timing because we'd picked our roster," Broncos coach John Fox said this week. " ... I would have preferred maybe it was last week, if you're asking me my preference. But I don't know that that matters too much. It is what it is. We'll move on without him." Broncos in relative good health for opener

By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com September 5, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- After two high-profile player suspensions -- kicker Matt Prater and Wes Welker -- forced some roster changes, the Denver Broncos closed out the bulk of their preparations for Sunday night’s opener against the Indianapolis Colts feeling the rest of the depth chart was in about as good of shape as it could be.

Following Friday’s practice, Broncos head coach John Fox said, “It’s part of the game, [injuries do] happen. I don’t like talking about it much for obvious reasons, but we feel good where we are right now.’’

Linebacker Danny Trevathan, who suffered a fracture on top of his tibia in training camp, will be the only projected starter who will miss Sunday night’s game because of injury. Prater and Welker have been suspended by the NFL for violations of the league’s substance abuse policy and policy on performance enhancing drugs respectively.

Friday afternoon Trevathan said “I feel great, working my way back.’’

Trevathan and guard Ben Garland (ankle) were the only players on the roster formally ruled out Friday for Sunday night’s game. Defensive end Malik Jackson, who was excused from practice Thursday, practiced Friday and will play against the Colts. Broncos vs. Colts preview

By Jeff Legwold & Mike Wells ESPN.com September 5, 2014

The previous time the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos faced each other, the Broncos were rolling along with a 6-0 record, having scored at least 41 points in four of those games and 50 in two. But on Oct. 20, they couldn’t block Indianapolis' Robert Mathis (two sacks and a forced fumble), quarterback Peyton Manning aggravated his ankle injuries, and the Broncos limped away from a 39-33 loss.

This time, the Colts will see a newly minted defense -- just five players remain from the Super Bowl XLVIII roster -- and the Broncos will see a Colts team that has battled injuries throughout the preseason and is without Mathis, who is suspended for the first four games for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.

ESPN.com Colts reporter Mike Wells and Broncos reporter Jeff Legwold discuss Sunday night’s game.

Wells: Not that Manning needs any motivation to get better year to year, but how much did the embarrassing Super Bowl loss fuel him during the offseason and in training camp, especially because the clock is ticking on his career?

Legwold: Mike, as folks in Indianapolis saw for quite some time, Manning is a study in focus and he simply attacked the offseason. He said once he decided he was "all in" for the coming season, and his annual exam on his neck came back with a medical thumbs-up, he went about the business of taking last season apart -- league-record 606 points, Super Bowl blowout and all, pass-by-pass. He looked at his incompletions, interceptions, touchdowns, plays that should have been touchdowns and plays that should have been interceptions. He essentially took his game back to the foundation. Coach John Fox says Manning looks stronger physically than in his previous two seasons in Denver, and wide receiver Demaryius Thomas says Manning has shown more arm strength in workouts. Put it all together and it’s pretty clear Manning is locked in on getting another shot at the trophy.

Keeping with the quarterbacks, where do the Colts believe quarterback Andrew Luck is on his developmental curve? This is decidedly his team, correct?

Wells: I’d say it became Luck’s team once they selected him No. 1 overall in 2012. That is not a bad thing when you take into account Luck has led the Colts to 22 wins, two playoff appearances and an AFC South title in his first two seasons. Did I mention that he is only 24? Not that Luck needs any pats on the back, but you could tell how he is perceived by others when our ESPN.com colleague Mike Sando talked to executives around the league and they said he is top-five quarterback in the league. There is nothing wrong with being voted behind Manning, , Drew Brees and Tom Brady. Those are four future Hall of Fame quarterbacks. The Colts have a chance to beat any team, including the Broncos, as long as No. 12 is taking the snaps for them.

The Colts' issue is whether the defense can play on the same level as Luck and the offense. The Broncos went out and added some substantial pieces to their defense. Can the defense be as good as Manning and the offense?

Legwold: It if it isn’t, it won’t be because the Broncos didn’t make the effort. They made an almost unprecedented dive into free agency for a team coming off a Super Bowl appearance, adding defensive end DeMarcus Ware, safety T.J. Ward and cornerback Aqib Talib. They also used their first-round pick in the May draft on cornerback . All four of those players will get significant snaps against the Colts Sunday night. Executive VP of football operations/general manager John Elway wanted more speed on defense, more attitude. The Broncos, who had five defensive starters on injured reserve by the time they got to the Super Bowl, also have a healthy Von Miller back at linebacker and Chris Harris at cornerback. They have not shown much in the preseason, so the Colts will get the first real look at this unit. But Miller and Ware give them the kind of one-two pairing in the pass rush they had with Miller and in 2012, when this was a top-five defense.

Defensively, Mathis is suspended for the first four games of the season. The previous time these teams played, Mathis was the most disruptive defensive player on the field. What is the Colts’ plan to get to Manning this time around?

Wells: How about we say: What do the Colts hope to do without Mathis? As you pointed out, Mathis was the difference-maker in the game last year. His strip-sack of Manning was a momentum changer because it led to a safety and started a string of 23 straight points for Indy. Bjoern Werner is starting at outside linebacker in place of Mathis. But let’s be real, there is no replacing Mathis' 19.5 sacks from last season. The Colts will attempt to do it by committee. The starting defense accounted for only two sacks in the preseason. That is pretty scary to think about. Manning is the master of picking apart defenses.

I was going to ask you about Wes Welker and his concussion issues. Now the Colts don’t have worry about facing him because he has been suspended for the first four games of the season. How do the Broncos go about replacing Welker in the lineup?

Legwold: Welker’s suspension is the reason the Broncos will have to adjust their rotation at wide receiver Sunday night, but they had put plans in motion long before because of Welker’s concussions. He had two last season and suffered a third in an Aug. 23 preseason game. The Broncos made Emmanuel Sanders a primary target in free agency and used a second-round draft pick on Cody Latimer in May. Sanders, who has shown in the preseason just how big a year he could have in this offense, will get plenty of work in the slot -- he played there during most of his tenure with the Steelers. Tight end Jacob Tamme, who played in the slot a great deal in Manning’s first year in Denver (2012), will also get plenty of snaps. The Broncos will move all of the pass-catchers all over in search of the matchups they like. They have a versatile group of receivers and tight ends who should allow them to overcome four games without Welker.

A different kind of injury issue to be sure, and you have written about it plenty, but how will the Colts adjust things on the offensive line to line up against a re-vamped Broncos defense?

Wells: The offensive line has been an issue for the Colts, going back to when Manning was there. Luck has his best group of offensive weapons to work with since entering the league. But none of that matters if the line can’t do its job. Luck has been sacked 73 times in his first two seasons. The Colts have a rookie -- Jack Mewhort -- starting at one guard, a second-year player -- Hugh Thornton -- at the other guard, and center is up the air. Khaled Holmes, the projected starter, missed four weeks with a sprained ankle, and A.Q. Shipley was claimed off waivers from Baltimore last weekend. Ware and the rest of the Denver defense should be excited about the opportunity to get after Luck.

Prediction: Broncos will beat Colts

By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com September 5, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- This Denver Broncos team, at least on paper, is deeper and more athletic than the 2013 model. And not just by a little bit. It added impact on defense with DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib and T.J. Ward in free agency to go with cornerback Bradley Roby in the draft. It added pop to an already record-setting offense with Emmanuel Sanders.

The Broncos have also listened to an offseason's worth of people calling them soft and saying they were too intimidated to win the Super Bowl last February. Ordinarily that chatter doesn't really mean much after a play or two.

But in this case, it has been a drumbeat that has been ringing in their ears since the 35-point loss to the in the title game. Toss in the injuries in the Indianapolis Colts' offensive line to go with Robert Mathis' suspension, and it would be a stunner if the Broncos didn't open strong and with an emphatic message.

Prediction: Broncos 38, Colts 17.

Manning/Luck each have statistical case

By John Parolin ESPN Stats & Info September 5, 2014

Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck meet for only the 2nd time on Sunday night.

Luck took the first step toward escaping Manning’s shadow by posting a 39-33 win in Week 7 of last year.

Luck also accomplished something in his second season that it took Manning six years to pull off - win a playoff game.

Who will win? Let's take a look at the cases for each quarterback:

Three reasons Manning will win

1. He plays well in openers. Manning has averaged 362.3 yards in his last 4 season openers, throwing 13 touchdowns and one (3-1 record). Manning has an 82.9 QBR in his last four openers, and is 11-4 overall in Week 1.

2. The defense has some new faces. Denver ranked 20th in defensive efficiency last year, and responded by signing three players with Pro Bowl experience. The Broncos signed DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib and T.J. Ward to go with 1st-round cornerback Bradley Roby.

3. The Colts offensive line may be an issue. The Colts lost three linemen who played at least 300 snaps and didn’t sign a free agent. Their only addition was Jack Mewhort, a second-round offensive tackle from State. Ware and teammate Von Miller both rank in the top six in sacks over the last three seasons.

Three reasons Andrew Luck will win Sunday

1. Reggie Wayne is back. Wayne suffered a torn ACL in Week 7 against the Broncos, ending his 2013 season. Wayne led the Colts in targets, receptions and yards through seven weeks last year, and averaged 8.7 yards per target (all other Colts averaged 6.5 yards per target).

2. The Colts' rushing defense quietly upgraded. Former Raven defensive end Arthur Jones signed a five-year deal in the offseason. Whith him on the field last season, the Ravens’ 3.4 yards per rush allowed would have ranked second, but 4.6 yards per rush allowed without Jones would have ranked 29th. The Colts also added veteran linebacker D'Qwell Jackson, who spent his first eight seasons in the league with the Browns. 3. Who will Manning throw to? The Broncos had only four wide receivers catch passes for them last season. Nearly 60 percent of those receptions will not be on the field in Week 1 on Sunday.

Eric Decker signed as a free agent with the Jets, while Wes Welker is serving a four-game suspension.

One receiver who will be on the field is Demaryius Thomas, who caught 4-of-10 targets against the Colts last year, Manning’s second-lowest completion percentage targeting Thomas in a game last year.

Manning will be relying on Thomas and free-agent acquisition Emmanuel Sanders.

Peyton Manning vs. Colts feels different this time

By Lindsay H. Jones USA TODAY Sports September 5, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- The first time is always the hardest, and that was the case for Peyton Manning when he faced his former team, the Indianapolis Colts, for the first time last year.

Just the specter of his return to Indianapolis, combined with bulletin-board-material quotes from Colts owner and the inherent awkwardness of a tribute video to the opposing quarterback, had Manning even more worked up than normal for a game week.

When the adoring crowd at stood and cheered, giving Manning a lengthy standing ovation before kickoff, he was genuinely moved.

Certainly there will be lingering emotions Sunday night, perhaps when he looks across the field to see old friend Reggie Wayne on the opposing sideline at Sports Authority Field at Mile High and sees that familiar blue horseshoe helmet. But 2 1/2 years removed from his divorce from the Colts, Manning is clearly at home in Denver, and his tenure with the Colts is a more distant memory.

"He's much more settled in now; he knows what to expect," Denver Broncos wide receiver Andre Caldwell said. "It was tough going back (to Indianapolis), but I think he's comfortable playing back home in Denver. There's no stress."

At least not when it comes to all those pesky emotions. When it comes to football, the Colts give the Broncos reason to worry.

The Broncos ultimately won the AFC, but few in Denver's locker room have forgotten an October loss in Indianapolis. It was their first loss in a 13-3 season and the first time their offensive players were pushed around.

Colts played tight, physical coverage on the Broncos receivers, while a makeshift Broncos offense line — reshuffled because of multiple injuries — allowed Manning to be sacked four times. Manning came out of the game hobbled by an ankle injury.

"It seemed like they were playing at a different speed than us," said Thursday. "It was a very valuable learning experience." It was the type of defensive game plan that worked against the Broncos several times in 2013 — in a loss at the in November and certainly in a Super Bowl loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

The Colts hardly unveiled anything new, but knowing Manning like they did, they understood the best way to beat him was to hit him.

"I think that's everything," Colts coach Chuck Pagano said. "When he's got time to sit back there, he's going to stretch and tear you apart."

Sure, the Broncos' offseason moves appeared to be most directly a reaction to the Super Bowl blowout, but the memories of that loss to Indianapolis were also a factor. The Broncos also made strategic moves offensively.

"We realized we needed to get stronger, more physical. They brought it to us that game, and it showed on the scoreboard. We hit it hard, got a lot more physical and got more attitude for when we play teams like that," Caldwell said. "We remember that game, and we know what it takes to win this game. They're a physical team; they're fast. But we added key pieces on offense and on defense this year, so they're going to have to match our intensity."

Among the biggest changes to the offense from that 2013 game in Indianapolis is a revamped line that includes the healthy return of star left tackle Ryan Clady and a position switch to guard by former right tackle Orlando Franklin.

It will be a much different look for the Colts, playing without premier pass rusher Robert Mathis, than when they faced a line last year without Clady and Franklin, who sat out while recovering from a knee injury.

"A lot of people in our building have talked about, on paper, we feel way more comfortable going into this game than a year ago," Broncos coach John Fox said.

The Broncos talked during the preseason about that on-paper roster, and no one seems more eager to test it out than Manning.

Even as he dealt with a barrage of questions this week about how he felt about Wes Welker's four-game suspension or what losing one of the NFL's best slot receivers meant for the Broncos offense, Manning, 38, wasn't overly agitated. If anything more than the Colts defense was on his mind, he wasn't showing it.

"I am tired of talking," Manning said. "I'm looking forward to playing some real football."

Denver Broncos defense eager to back up the offseason hype

By Lindsay H. Jones USA TODAY Sports September 5, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – Since the Denver Broncos' defense last played a full game together, free-agent money was invested into three big-time contracts and four starters have returned from injuries. And yet, much of the buzz is still about the Broncos offense.

It's understandable, with proven stars like Peyton Manning and Demaryius Thomas and Ryan Clady across the room, yet the revamped Broncos defense is hoping they'll soon give the NFL reason to talk.

"We just want to match them," safety T.J. Ward told USA TODAY Sports. "We want to be one of the best defenses ever, and we want to have some of the best defensive players ever on this defense," Ward said. "Make this the most complete team ever. We want to be one and one – the [No. 1] offense, [No. 1] defense."

For months, the Broncos' defense was still a hypothetical. Because of the prolonged rehab process for outside linebacker Von Miller and cornerback Chris Harris – both of whom had surgery to repair torn ACLs in early 2014 – and an August knee injury to linebacker Danny Trevathan, Denver has yet to see its ideal on the field together.

"We've had kind of a carousel of guys through the offseason, so it's good to be able say, 'This is who we're going with, this is who we are going to play with.' Those guys have to step up," Ward said.

It'll be close to complete for the first time in Sunday's season opener against Indianapolis – with only Trevathan, expected to miss another month, still sidelined.

Harris, cleared for full practice participation two weeks ago, will play in his first game since suffering the injury in a divisional playoff win against San Diego in January, while Miller will see his first extended action since his Week 16 injury. Both will be paired with a new counterpart – Harris opposite cornerback Aqib Talib, and Miller rushing the quarterback with DeMarcus Ware.

"I'm just excited, ready to play. It feels like it's been forever. I only missed two [games], but it was two of the biggest games," Harris told USA TODAY Sports. "It's like we planned it perfect, planned my return perfectly. I feel good -- the best I've felt. I feel normal."

The result will be a group that looks markedly different than the defense the Colts faced when the Broncos' traveled to Indianapolis last October.

Denver has leaned heavily on tape of that game this week, and it played on a loop on the flat-screen in the Broncos locker room. But looking at the Broncos' on the video and then glancing around the locker room, it's hard to believe that game was less than a year ago. Two of the top three corners and safeties are gone, and so are the middle linebacker and a starting defensive tackle.

Even some of players who remain look different. Defensive end Derek Wolfe was much lighter then, and Miller – in his first game back after a six-game suspension, was heavier.

It's no wonder then that defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio was almost giddy this week as he put his overhauled defense through its first practices of the regular season. Del Rio said he knows that he's coaching a deeper and more talented roster than he had last year, and is excited to actually see it in a real game.

"Coach [John] Fox says it, 'Just show me.' We want to see it. We know that this is a good, talented group," Del Rio said. "But it's about coming together, playing together, playing well, feeding off each other at home getting the crowd into and giving them something to cheer for and despite all our offensive productivity and how special our offense is, this town loves its team to play great defense and I look forward to us bring back some of that Orange Crush feel."

Indeed, Del Rio showed his players a video on Monday of highlights from the Broncos' famed 1970s-80s defense that first earned that Orange Crush nickname. It was part history lesson, part motivational tactic.

"It is about bringing that back and being a really potent defense, talking about it just defensively, and just bringing that tenacity to the field week in and week out," Ware said. "At the end of the day, this is an offensive-minded regime, but we're trying to be the No. 1 defense and we're bringing that Orange Crush back."

Pelissero: NFL with no plans to expand into other days

By Tom Pelissero USA TODAY Sports September 5, 2014

SEATTLE – The NFL has taken over Thursday nights. It's taking back a Saturday with a doubleheader in Week 16 this season, too. But don't expect Tuesday Night Football on your TV in the foreseeable future.

"The reality is, because it's football, there's some natural governors and natural guardrails where we're not going to cross," Brian Rolapp, the NFL's executive vice president of media, told USA TODAY Sports this week.

"You can't play football more than once a week. That doesn't make any sense. Playing on Tuesday doesn't make any sense. Playing on Wednesday doesn't make sense. Our goal is not to play five days a week or seven days a week. That's never been our goal."

The league is finding other ways to give fans more and more to consume, though. Just look at the rollout of NFL NOW, a digital platform that allows fans to access a variety of customized video content through mobile and tablet devices 24/7.

Rolapp acknowledged he is asked a lot about the possibility of oversaturation – Mark Cuban, the outspoken owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, predicted in March the NFL is "10 years away from an implosion" – but the metrics say consumption continues to go up.

No games on Tuesday? Log on to the app, watch all of Sunday's highlights and relive the glory years with old NFL Films. Still can't get enough? Pay the $1.99 monthly subscription fee and gain access to even more.

"It's filling those gaps," Rolapp said. "It wasn't that long ago that talk radio was the only way you could actually interact and hear about your favorite team outside of Sundays. We're way past that. We're decades past that. Digital just fills that demand. In our view, it's all additive. We're feeding this appetite that fans have. And if they don't want it, they won't come to it."

The revival of Saturday football in late December was another example, based on demand for football on TV during the lull before college bowl season. Those Dec. 20 games are part of a new deal with CBS, which will simulcast eight Thursday night games this season as well. The CBS deal has an option for 2015. The rest of the NFL's TV contracts run through 2022. Digital is one of the fastest-growing revenue streams, but innovations such as NFL NOW – like the Thursday night package, which began with eight games on NFL Network in 2006 while the league judged how it worked competitively and in the marketplace – are years in the making.

"Look, we don't do things haphazardly. We think through them. We take years to do it if it makes sense," Rolapp said. "What we've done is created a very efficient content engine to fuel all of these new platforms, and that's really what the investment's been about."

PACK ATTACKED: There's no disputing the Seattle Seahawks offense looked formidable in Thursday's opener, with and spurring the inside-outside attack in a 36-16 victory over the .

But how much of their success was on a Packers defense that looked thoroughly overwhelmed and overmatched as Seahawks offensive coordinator peppered them with one look after another?

One NFL personnel man who saw the game, speaking on condition of anonymity for competitive reasons, told USA TODAY Sports he regards the Packers as the most talented defense in a weak NFC North. But the loss of nose tackle B.J. Raji (torn biceps) may hurt more than many realized.

"I don't think they handled the finesse game real well," the personnel man said, "and I don't think they can handle the power game, because they're not very big up front."

Without Raji (6-2, 337 pounds), the Packers' starting nose tackle was Letroy Guion (6-4, 315), who was most successful in his days with the as a rotational three-technique. The other defensive linemen who played Thursday were Mike Daniels (6-0, 305), (6-4, 285) and Josh Boyd (6-3, 310).

The Seahawks ran for 210 yards on 34 non-kneeldown snaps – a 6.2-yard average – and that can't be pinned on one or two guys, especially when Harvin is doing damage on the edge. Running that effectively sure makes it easier to mitigate the pass rush of the Packers' best defensive player, though.

Clay Matthews never got his hands on Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson on Thursday. (He did draw a holding penalty, tackled for no gain and forced a fumble with a hard hit on Harvin.) In fact, the only sack of Wilson was on a scramble out of bounds for no gain and there was only one QB hit credited.

Take nothing away from the Seahawks offensive line and rookie right tackle , who held his own. Credit also goes to Bevell for trusting the short passing game and finding ways to play Harvin's speed off the power of Lynch, who looks quicker than ever, too.

REPLACING SPROLES: The ' offense has undergone some changes since last season – most notable, the departure of , whose versatile role out of the backfield is expected to be filled in part by rookie first- round draft pick .

But defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux said not much is different about the team that shows up on tape during preparations for Sunday's meeting at the .

"They're still the same," Babineaux told USA TODAY Sports in a phone interview Friday. "They've just got a new guy that fills in for Sproles, what he used to do – a young guy that can really get around on the edge.

"Players will change roles, but the things that they do on offense don't change. They have a lot of weapons and they utilize them in the best way possible. (Coach) has done a wonderful job since he's been in New Orleans, and it shows up on Sundays."

It certainly has shown up against the Falcons, who are 3-13 against the Saints since Payton and quarterback Drew Brees arrived in 2006. Atlanta's only win in the past seven meetings came in 2012 – the season Payton was suspended for his role in the Bountygate scandal.

The Falcons' 4-12 disaster last season began with a 23-17 loss at New Orleans, the first of seven defeats by a or less. This time, the opener between the NFC South rivals is in Atlanta, providing a favorable venue for the Falcons as they try to send a message they're back.

"We're two similar teams," Babineaux said. "It comes down to a play here and there. We've just got to make sure that we're mentally tough when that times come."

SMITH'S STAND: Quarterback made a stand in negotiations with the – not just for himself, but for the next veteran QB who isn't interested in a pay-as-you-go deal like the ones signed in recent months by San Francisco's and 's .

Smith, 30, strongly suggested to USA TODAY Sports during training camp he wouldn't take Dalton's deal. So, the Chiefs had a choice: Commit financially to Smith as their QB for the next three years, or let him play out the last year of his old deal and take their chances. It's not surprising they chose the former course, given supply and demand. The four-year extension Smith signed last week included $30.9 million over the first two years that's fully guaranteed, plus a $14.1 million base salary in 2016 that will become fully guaranteed in March.

If NFL teams had their way, every deal would have just a one-year guarantee. And for players such as Kaepernick and Dalton – second-round picks under a rookie wage scale that made their four-year rookie deals worth about $5 million – cashing in however they can makes sense.

Had Smith taken a similar deal as a nine-year veteran with over $65 million in career earnings, though, it would've signaled something else for quarterbacks going forward. If it's good enough for all these guys, a team might ask the next veteran QB, why isn't it good enough for you?

The list with expiring contracts after the 2015 season is a distinguished one, including the New York Giants' , San Diego's , 's and Arizona's .

THREE AND OUT

-- Like GM Reggie McKenzie and coach Dennis Allen, Oakland Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson was all-in on veteran QB 's revival at the start of training camp. But Olson hinted then that he expected rookie Derek Carr, the second-round pick who ended up beating out Schaub for the job, to show well in preseason. "I'll be shocked if the game is too big for him," Olson told USA TODAY Sports of Carr in July. The traits were there: tremendous arm strength, quick release, good pocket feel, mature presence. The Raiders will find out Sunday against the Jets how quickly those traits can translate once a coach like is game-planning to stop him.

-- The focus will be on the state of Harvin's physical health after his first season in Seattle was lost almost entirely to hip surgery, a subsequent setback and a concussion. But his mental state is just as important, given the way things soured between him and two head coaches in Minnesota. At least for now, everything's in order. "I'm having the time of my life, man," Harvin said after Thursday's win. "My personal life's in order. I'm having a blast with my (1-year-old) son. I'm finally healthy. I'm out here having a blast with all my teammates. Everything's all good with me."

-- If there's one area in which rookie defensive end Michael Sam may feel disappointed with how things played out in St. Louis, it's the lack of opportunities on special teams – a dozen snaps total in the preseason. Then again, that's a common gripe among bubble players, and Rams coach Jeff Fisher was up front that he saw Sam as an end, not a special teamer. The good news for Sam is a practice- squad opportunity materialized with a Cowboys team that's desperate for pass rush. He still has athletic limitations to overcome and there are no guarantees about how long he'll get to develop. But Sam has as good a chance to ascend to the 53-man roster in Dallas as anywhere.

Klee: Stop the NFL violence? Then stop the game

By Paul Klee Colorado Springs Gazette September 5, 2014

ENGLEWOOD — Football, as a whole, is a bad idea.

That is clearest at field level of an NFL game. The size and speed of the players is startling, the violence frightening. You have to see it to believe it, really.

There's T.J. Ward smashing a wide receiver with such ferocity you almost feel his head snap back. There's 335-pound (yeah, right) Terrance Knighton falling onto a tailback's extended arm. There's Wes Welker wobbling to the sideline.

Hey, they signed up for it. It's their bodies and their brains, and the money's sweet.

But we can't be surprised. We can't be surprised when NFL violence extends beyond the sideline, out of the arena and into real life. We can be sickened, not surprised.

The season opened Thursday night in Seattle. Now the headlines can turn back to the scores and highlights and shouting heads and away from arrests, attacks, drug use, alcohol issues and, maybe worst of all, domestic violence.

I'm not surprised any of that stuff happens. I'm surprised there's not more.

When Ray McDonald happened, not long after Ray Rice happened, there was uproar and Internet activism and righteous declarations that this must be stopped!

Well, duh. But as long as there is violence on the field, and there always will be, there's going to be violence off it. For three hours Sunday, NFL players live by a simple motto: Anything goes. Punish the opponent before he punishes you. The harder you hit, the bigger the paycheck. Toss in millions of dollars, empower athletes with fame and entitlement, and what did you expect? Giant men singing hymnals?

When Rice, a Baltimore running back, earned a two-game suspension for beating up his now-wife, NFL commissioner reworked the league's domestic violence policy. Days later, McDonald, a San Francisco defensive tackle, was arrested on domestic violence charges. If that timetable doesn't show that increased penalties can't change a violent culture, I don't know what will. Maybe a 16-game suspension would help. For a second offense, a lifetime ban. I'll sign that petition. Won't you? With domestic violence, there's no such thing as too severe. When football violence continues after the final horn, it's never OK. Not now, not ever.

"Different guys have different situations," Broncos defensive tackle Derek Wolfe told me Wednesday. "I know there have been times with me that my girlfriend has gotten me so angry — not that I wanted to hit her — but I got mad. On the field of play when you get mad, you get better. When you get mad, you get more aggressive.

"I think it's (about) being able to control that. It's not that you have to switch it off and be a better person. It's that you have to control it and use it in a better way. Use your words, not your fists."

Choosing his words thoughtfully, Wolfe agreed with my belief that as long as there is football, there will be violence involving football players off the field.

"You can't be soft and play this game. It's not like (those incidents are) OK. I'm not justifying it in any way," he said. "If you want a violent player, you're going to have a violent person. That's just what it is. Violence is violence.

"It's (about) being able to control that violence off the field and making the right decision instead of acting on instinct."

Words to live by.

Want to stop the violence outside the NFL arena? Stop playing the game. Otherwise, we can't be surprised the next time it happens, and there will always be a next time.

Things from NFL Week 1 that intrigue me: Clowney, flags, Gronk and more

By Pete Prisco CBSSports.com September 6, 2014

1. Texans OLB : Clowney was the top overall pick in the May NFL Draft and will play a key role in the Houston defense along with J.J. Watt. He is making a transition from down end to standup linebacker, which will take some adjusting. But he's such a special athlete that it might not matter. I doubt he will be going backwards all that much. He did have a concussion in the preseason, but he is cleared to go against Washington.

2. Will the flags fly? There were 271 penalties for illegal contact and holding in the secondary called this preseason. That was out of hand, but it was a point of emphasis for league officials. Let's hope it is scaled back in a big way in Week 1 because the pace of play was horrible. Commissioner Roger Goodell hates long games, so I would expect the calls to be cut down a lot.

3. Vikings LT vs. Rams DE Robert Quinn: If you love great individual line battles, this one will be fun to watch. In his third season, Kalil has the look of a player ready to make the Pro Bowl step. Quinn is coming off a 19•-sack season and I think he has a real chance to take down the sack record this season. I love these types of battles.

4. Patriots TE : The Patriots, as is their way, have been coy about Gronkowski's availability against Miami this week with the tight end coming off ACL surgery. But he sounds as if he's ready to go. If he is, the Patriots offense will get a big boost in the middle of the field from the player I think is the best tight end in the game when he's healthy.

5. Eagles GM Howie Roseman vs. Jaguars offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch: OK, so they don't play. Nor will they be matching wits. But it's a cool story that their teams are facing each other. They were once college roommates at Florida who never played football, but dreamed of being in the NFL as a GM and a coach. Now they are. That's pretty amazing, and a tribute to hard work and following a dream.

6. Falcons WR : Jones was on a record-•setting pace last season before he went down with a broken foot in the fifth game. He has looked really sharp in camp this summer, and doesn't appear to have any problems after having a new screw put in his foot. As long as he's on the field, the Falcons will be explosive. The Saints, this week's opponent, better double him. 7. Jaguars QB Chad Henne, Browns QB , Vikings QB : The three veterans were picked as Week 1 starters ahead of three first•-round rookies. All three open their seasons on the road as underdogs. It's worth watching how they play knowing that the kids are waiting behind them to take their jobs.

8. Tony Romo's back: Romo, the Dallas Cowboys' starting quarterback, is coming off back surgery, which is never an easy thing to do. Some have speculated that he hasn't had the same zip on the ball this summer, but you can't really tell until the regular season. He will be facing a San Francisco defense that has lost some key people up front, which might give him some chances down the field.

9. Broncos DE DeMarcus Ware: Ware was one of the NFL's elite pass rushers until last season, when he had just six sacks. The Cowboys let him go and Denver signed him and he has had a good summer. He looks like he has the potential to get 14 or so sacks. His first shot comes against Andrew Luck.

10. Ravens and Bengals in new-•look offenses: The Ravens have a new offensive system with coordinator , while the Bengals have a new coordinator in Hue Jackson. The Ravens will go to more zone-•running schemes, while the Bengals will go to more running period. It will be interesting to see which team gets off to a quick start with their new offensive looks as they meet in Baltimore.

Six for Sunday: Wes Welker big loss for Broncos, Brady's Miami woes

By Pat Kirwan CBSSports.com September 5, 2014

Each week after reviewing all the upcoming matchups I will put a list of the six most intriguing story lines the weekend games have to offer.

1. Denver without Welker

A late surprise that Wes Welker will be serving a four-game suspension will have the Broncos making some adjustments. Keep in mind left in free agency and now Welker and his 135 targets, 91 receptions 11 touchdowns and 56 first downs will also be missing. Decker was targeted 154 times for 95 receptions, 11 touchdowns, and 71 first downs. That is a lot of experience and production missing for the Peyton Manning offense. Emmanuel Sanders will take up some of the slack but someone else like Andre Caldwell or will have to step up. Keep in mind is gone and he handled most of the third down protections and clutch receiving out of the backfield. Also, remember the Colts beat the Broncos last year.

2. Tom Brady in Miami

The Patriots may own the AFC East once again but trips to south Florida haven't exactly been the big success story. In fact, Brady is just 6-6 against the Dolphins on the road. He has been sacked 26 times in those 12 games. Also, Brady has thrown 13 interceptions and lost five . I like the Patriots this year to go to the Super Bowl, but a trip to the Dolphins is no easy start. The Patriots run game in those 12 road games has only produced six touchdowns.

3. Pressure on two groups of quarterbacks

First the young guys. It's only Week 1 but there's a lot riding on the first performance of a number of quarterbacks. A bad opening day and things could get ugly quickly for , EJ Manuel, Robert Griffin III, and . Then there's the older guys with rookies behind them, and if they play poorly the media and fans will be calling for the youngsters. Chad Henne, , Brian Hoyer, and Matt Cassel need to succeed right out of the blocks. When this week end one of the above quarterbacks could be looking at the bench.

4. Two divisions are going head-to-head The NFC South and AFC North aren't wasting any time getting into division games. It is tough to open up the season with key divisional games and the NFC South has all four teams facing each other. Not one team in the South was undefeated in division play last year and the two winners of the Carolina-Tampa Bay and New Orleans-Atlanta matchups pick up a game and a half on the losers. A lot of people feel the Bucs are ready to get back in contention and not many pundits see the Falcons as a contender. Opening the season with a home loss to a division rival will be a major setback.

As for the AFC North it's the same thing with the Browns visiting the Steelers and the Bengals traveling to Baltimore. Big Ben is 9-0 at home vs. the Browns and his no-huddle offense should put a lot of pressure on the Browns defense. The other game could have long-range implications in the playoff hunt. Dalton is 0-3 in Baltimore with 3 touchdowns, eight turnovers and 11 sacks. A.J. Green is the Bengals' big play guy but in five games against the Ravens he only has 2 touchdown catches.

5. How 'bout them Cowboys

Dallas has been an 8-8 team for far too long and there are real questions about this defense once again. said there's no way the defense could be as bad as last year but that might not be true. No DeMarcus Ware, Jason Hatcher, Sean Lee and and the 49ers are coming to town. Dallas is just 9-7 in the Jerry Dome in the last two years so home-field advantage is debatable. A lot is expected of at the '3 technique,' but he hasn't played all preseason, has only three games under his belt since 2012 and doesn't have a sack in his last ten games.

6. Is there an underdog winner out there?

Lots of people believe home-field advantage on opening weekend is a big deal. Over the past two seasons home teams have gone 17-15 on opening day so be careful thinking it's the edge. Is there an underdog poised to win, especially on the road? The three teams I'm watching closely as potential road underdogs this weekend are Tennessee visiting Kansas City, Minnesota visiting Saint Louis and San Diego visiting Arizona.

2014 NFL Viewing Guide

By Richard Deitsch MMQB/SI.com September 5, 2014

At the beginning of any NFL season, whether they’re spinning for public consumption or believing it with fiber and soul, sports network executives will praise the NFL schedule-makers for setting them up with a great slate of games. But give CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus credit: Not only did he praise the league for hooking up CBS this year, but he was effusive about his competitors as well.

“Taking a step back, if I was any of the other broadcast partners I would be pretty satisfied with the schedule,” McManus said. “I think the Fox schedule is really good, and I think the other two primetime schedules are really good. With the extra complication of trying to increase the marquee value of Thursday night, I think the NFL did an amazing job not just for us but for all the broadcast partners.”

We won’t know for months whether the 2014 schedule results in higher viewership, but don’t bet against the NFL. Last year regular season games averaged 17.6 million viewers per telecast, the second most-watched season behind 2010 (17.9 million). Below, The MMQB offers a quick snapshot of what each football-airing network has planned for you this season. (For individual previews of each network, which I’m doing this week and next for SI.com, head over to my archive).

CBS

What’s new: Once upon a time you could count on CBS to be the most conservative of all the football-airing networks. Every year they’d load up and and that was that. But anarchy has arrived in the land of Les Moonves. “I’m not sure we have been as conservative as you imply; we have made a lot of changes throughout the years,” said McManus. “Don’t confuse stability with conservatism.”

Fair enough, but stability passed go at CBS after last season and morphed into significant change. First and foremost, the NFL granted the network a new prime- time package, and so every Thursday night from Sept. 11 to Oct. 23 (as well Dec. 20), NFL games will air on CBS and also be simulcast on NFL Network as part of (Games in Weeks 9-12 and Weeks 14-16 will be televised on NFL Network and will be simulcast on over-the-air stations in the primary markets of the participating teams.) All TNF games (they are all divisional matchups) will kick off at 8:25 p.m. ET, with the exception of the Week 16 Saturday doubleheader, when the NFL Network will air its game at 4:30 p.m. ET with CBS at 8:00 p.m. McManus said CBS will have two players mic’d for every Thursday game and that CBS will have as much equipment for those games as they would for any playoff game other than the Super Bowl. There will also be new graphics, music and images solely for TNF, and CBS is using its “A” broadcasting team of and , as well as its top production talent. also moves from the SEC sidelines to the lead sideline reporter for TNF. “Hopefully, the presentation will be such that people see it is first class,” McManus said.

As for the pregame show leading into TNF, CBS regulars James Brown and will be joined by NFL Network’s for a show beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET on CBS and simulcast on the NFL Network. That group will also do the halftime coverage of each Thursday night game.

As far as CBS game broadcasts are concerned, change is also the buzzword: The announcing team of and has moved up to the No. 2 spot at the network. First-year analyst has been paired with following the retirement of . They’ll serve as the No. 3 unit. stepped down from his NFL on CBS duties and was replaced by , who will team up with on the No. 4 team. The No. 5 team is and (who used to partner with Harlan), and the final team features Andrew Catalon, with and rotating as the analyst. Jenny Dell (for Eagle/Fouts) and Evan Washburn (Gumbel/Green) have been added as sideline reporters. Brian Anderson and Tom McCarthy will serve as backup play-by-play announcers; and will do the same as analysts.

With Wolfson, Dell and Washburn, CBS Sports management has dramatically shifted its philosophy on NFL sideline reporters. This year the network will have full- time sideline reporters for NFL regular season games for the first time since 2006. Last year Wolfson worked select NFL games including the Super Bowl.

“We have had sideline reporters for years at CBS for the playoffs and when we looked at how we will produce Thursday night, we thought we wanted to do this like the playoffs,” McManus said. “We then decided to do the same on Sunday.”

The NFL Today has also gotten a makeover, as and replace and .

What’s underrated: The addition of Gonzalez. He’s bright, opinionated and producers say he’s going to work hard. “CBS hired me to give my opinion, and now I can give my full opinion,” Gonzalez said. “I don’t have to be a jerk about it. There is a constructive way to criticize someone. Before I shied away from that, but this is what I am getting paid to do. I really believe I will be fair. I don’t have an agenda. I am not out to crucify anyone. I’m not the hater type. And I’ll also be someone who said I was wrong about something.”

What’s overrated: Eagle and Fouts were underrated for so long that they have become the most overrated underrated announcing team in the NFL. But they are damn good. No network loves to show shots of NFL owners more than CBS. Here’s hoping they reduce that, along with the bros-will-be-bros laugh track that historically amplifies The NFL Today.

Digital tips: Part of Wolfson’s Thursday night role will include posting to her account from the sideline. The CBS NFL insider to follow is .

Best Games: Steelers at Ravens (Sept.11); Chiefs at Broncos (Sept. 14); Broncos at Seahawks (Sept. 21); Broncos at Patriots (Nov. 2); Patriots at Packers (Nov. 30).

If the network coverage were a current player it would be ….. Aaron Rodgers.

ESPN

What’s new: ESPN will air its first-ever postseason game next January when the usual broadcast team of , and sideline reporter broadcast a wild-card game. The talent remains the same as last year for the Monday night crew, but during the regular season MNF will have an earlier kickoff time (8:15 p.m. ET, starting in Week 2). ESPN said the network will televise the national anthem preceding every MNF game this fall—a first for the show.

On the studio end, the Sunday NFL Countdown crew will broadcast from a new a state-of-the-art 90,000-square foot space inside ESPN’s Digital Center 2 in Bristol, Conn. New talent additions to Countdown include features reporter Michelle Beisner, contributor and former SI writer Jim Trotter, reporter/host and new Washington, D.C.-based bureau reporter Britt McHenry. SportsCenter host will be a reporter on most Sundays. The network’s pregame show will now start at 6:00 p.m. ET.

What’s underrated: ESPN’s NFL features unit. Week in and week out the features group does a remarkable job of producing quality profiles on NFL stories. If you want to see a stark difference in production and philosophy, compare how ESPN approaches an NFL long-form piece journalistically with how does it. The back part of the MNF schedule is potentially loaded.

What’s overrated: Countdown staffers and can be insufferable at times. The network has a habit of bludgeoning every debate topic in the league. So many voices at ESPN want airtime that it often leads to shouting or performing to get your point across.

Digital tips: All of ESPN’s NFL programming, including Monday Night Football, will be accessible via WatchESPN. There are hundreds of solid ESPN-ers you can follow on Twitter for NFL information with Adam Schefter being the most wired of all of them.

Best games Eagles at Colts (Sept. 15); Patriots at Chiefs (Sept. 29); Panthers at Eagles (Nov. 10); Saints at Bears (Dec. 15); Broncos at Bengals (Dec. 22).

If the network coverage were a current player it would be ….. Johnny Manziel.

FOX

What’s new: Talent changes everywhere. In July SI.com broke the story that was being removed from the top announcing team after 19 seasons on the sidelines. Initially Fox management was going to take Oliver off the NFL altogether but eventually conceded to give her one final season. She will work on the No. 2 broadcast team with and John Lynch. has vaulted to the network’s No. 1 NFL sideline reporter, working with announcers and . Veteran returns to call games for the No. 3 team, with analyst and sideline reporter Jennifer Hale. Newcomer David Diehl, a former Giants lineman, debuts as an analyst alongside announcer and sideline reporter Laura Okmin. The former No. 2 team of , Daryl Johnston and has been dropped in the lineup to No. 5. Donovan McNabb, and Kirk Morrison have been added as analysts and will rotate on broadcasts with stalwart play-by-play man . will work as a backup play-by-play voice, and Brendon Ayanbadejo will serve as a backup analyst. Peter Schrager will be a fill-in sideline reporter. , Kris Budden, , Molly McGrath and are off the NFL, with McGrath and Budden moving to for the network.

What’s underrated: Chemistry is vital for a successful studio show, and the long- running dynamic between Bradshaw and Long on Fox NFL Sunday is likely taken for granted by some viewers. It should not be. They’ve been entertaining and thoughtful for their duration at Fox. I still say deserves more love for being an ego-free host. Fox will miss Oliver’s work and contacts when she’s gone.

What’s overrated: Fox management has fallen in love with Andrews as an NFL sideline reporter despite a small body of work to justify that take. She can prove a lot this year by unearthing interesting news in real-time but more importantly by asking questions that occasionally challenge players and coaches. Fox’s affinity for McNabb here and on Fox Sports Live is truly puzzling. Digital Tips: Fox Sports GO is scheduled to live-stream 97 regular-season games and four NFC playoff games. The games will be available on tablets through the Fox Sports GO app and on desktops at FOXSportsGO.com. (Due to league restrictions, NFL games are not available through Fox Sports GO on mobile phones.)

Best games: Bears at Patriots (Oct. 26); Niners at Saints (Nov. 9); Eagles at Packers (Nov 16); Seahawks at Eagles (Dec. 7); Niners at Seahawks (Dec. 14).

If the network coverage were a current player it would be ….. Richard Sherman

NBC

What’s new: The talent and production remain essentially unchanged but it’s a huge year for NBC given that it will air Super Bowl XLIX on Feb. 1, 2015. In all, NBC will broadcast 22 games, including a Thanksgiving night game on Nov. 27, a wild-card playoff game on the weekend of Jan. 3-4, and a divisional playoff game on the Jan. 10-11 weekend. On the technical end, Sunday Night Football producer Fred Gaudelli said the broadcast will mount a real-time weather monitor on a cable cam to give viewers in-depth weather perspectives during game action. NBC has also redesigned its Football Night in America studio set. That pregame show (which employs The MMQB editor-in-chief Peter King) adds onetime SI NFL writer as a features reporter, and reporter .

What’s underrated: FNIA analyst has become a smart and opinionated voice, which I think few would have predicted when he entered broadcasting.

What’s overrated: No one loves a theme song more than NBC’s football execs, and while undoubtedly has star power, SNF’s over the top “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night” plays like a late-night Vegas act. They’d better off conceptually with a new opener each week geared toward the field.

Digital Tips: All SNF games are streamed live online via NBC Sports Live Extra, and NBCSports.com has behind-the-scenes photos and videos of the SNF production team and conversations with SNF and FNIA talent. will provide real- time tweets from the sideline, and the show’s Instagram feed has photos from inside the production trucks, locker rooms and the field.

Best games: Colts at Broncos (Sept. 7); Niners at Broncos (Oct. 19); Patriots at Colts (Nov. 16); Seahawks at Niners (Nov. 27, Thanksgiving Night).

If the network coverage were a current player it would be ….. Peyton Manning.

NFL NETWORK

What’s new: Obviously the Thursday Night partnership with CBS was the major offseason news, but the NFL Network, given its programming needs, makes talent and production moves every year. One major addition is the debut of NFL GameDay Live, which will air Sundays from 1:00-7:30 PM ET and offer highlights and analysis of the 1:00 and 4:00 PM ET games, as well as live fantasy updates and reports, press conferences, interviews and live reports from game sites. The hosts are Kevin Frazier and Dan Hellie. The analysts are Brian Billick, Heath Evans, LaDainian Tomlinson and . and Erin Coscarelli are the new hosts for the daily NFL AM, which has added LaVar Arrington as a full-time analyst. NFL GameDay Morning has added quality reporters in Steve Cyphers, , Mike Silver, and Mark Kreigel.

As for the Thursday night pregame setup, NFL Total Access Kickoff will air Thursday at 6:00 PM ET on NFLN before every Thursday night game. The show features host and analysts , and live on site. Immediately following each TNF game, Eisen, Irvin, Faulk, Mariucci and Sanders will have a player or coach from the winning team on the set.

What’s underrated: The quality of documentary work. The network’s series does not garner the same attention as ESPN’s 30 for 30 but it’s high-quality work worth watching. Eisen remains underrated as a host. He continues to improve in his craft.

What’s overrated: The ability of over-the-top personalities such as and Michael Irvin to deliver for viewers. NFL Network management falls in love with such guys yearly because they falsely believe they move the needle. What they do is move people to purchase Advil.

Digital tips: The network’s news-breakers, from to and draft experts such as Jeremiah are must-follows for a daily NFL diet. As with many of us, Eisen’s Twitter feed is filled with self-promotion, but it also contains plenty of quality information and links. Another worthy follow.

Best Games: Steelers at Ravens (Sept.11); Saints at Panthers (Oct. 30), and Cowboys at Bears (Dec. 14).

If the network coverage were a current player it would be ….. .

Patriots, Broncos are prime-time TV players

By Chad Finn The Boston Globe September 6, 2014

The Patriots play five prime-time games this season. The Denver Broncos, who vanquished the Patriots in the AFC Championship game last season, have six.

Anyone curious about why these teams are featured so prominently on the NFL’s partner networks this season presumably has been on hiatus from American civilization for the last dozen years or so.

One gets the sense the NFL might put these two teams on in prime time every Sunday (or Monday . . . or Thursday) if it could get away with it.

The appeal of the Patriots and Broncos begins with two names, two marquee quarterbacks whose careers have run parallel since 2001 and whose supporters can make a compelling claim that their guy not only is the best of his generation but any generation.

Oh, the Patriots-Broncos rivalry isn’t entirely about Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. It just seems that way sometimes, and for wholly understandable reasons, says .

“With all due respect to everybody else, over more than a decade they are the two premier offensive players in the ,’’ said Costas, the on-site host for NBC’s “Football Night in America” studio program. “Though others have ascended and are certainly superstars, these are the two players I think that the casual fan would most readily identify if you took consensus over the last 10, 12 years.

“People are fascinated by their individual matchups. They’re fascinated about at the end of the day what the consensus will be about who is the best quarterback of the generation — a number of Super Bowls won and appeared in factors into that. So you have all those things happening.”

The Brady-Manning debate/rivalry is one of the most enduring relevant topics in professional sports. They have faced each other 15 times. Brady and the Patriots have won 10 of those games, but Manning has bragging rights to the last victory, a 26-16 triumph in the AFC title game in January, a game that did not feel as close as the score might suggest. Barring catastrophe, the new season will bring at least one more showdown, when the Broncos come to Foxborough Nov. 2. A postseason collision also may be in the cards, though projecting postseason matchups before the regular season has begun can be an effective way to look foolish in retrospect.

The truth is, given their ages (Brady turned 37 in August, Manning is 38) and the unforgiving violence of the sport they play, their final duel may come before we know it.

“They’re not in Derek Jeter territory yet,’’ said Costas, referencing the farewell- touring Yankees great, “but eventually it’s going to get to the point where people say, ‘Is this the last time we’ll see them? Is this the last season we’ll see them?’

“And they want to fix it in their mind’s eye because these guys are special. They’re first-ballot no-questions-about-it Hall of Famers. So we want to show the players and the teams people are most interested in. That’s what is about. We want them on as often as we can.”

Ten Patriots games will air on AFC rights-holder CBS, including Sunday’s opener at Miami and a Thursday night game versus the Jets on Oct. 16 in Foxborough. But they will appear often enough on NBC by “Sunday Night Football” standards, with three scheduled games: vs. the Bengals (Oct. 5), Colts (Nov. 16), and Chargers (Dec. 7).

The Broncos also play three times on “Sunday Night Football,” in Weeks 1 (vs. Colts), 7 (vs. Niners), and 13 (vs. Chiefs). That means that NBC won’t go more than three weeks without featuring either the Patriots or Broncos.

It does not, however, have the game in which the Patriots and Broncos actually play each other. That Nov. 2 heavyweight bout in Foxborough should draw enormous ratings for CBS, which will broadcast it in the late afternoon window that begins at 4:25 p.m.

If all goes according to expectations in the eight weeks before that game, the matchup should begin to provide answers to one of the most compelling questions of the offseason: Which team did a better job of loading up its roster with a very specific opponent apparently in mind?

The Patriots signed premier cornerback to counter Manning and the Broncos’ record-shattering passing game. The Broncos plucked Aqib Talib, no slouch in pass coverage himself, from the Patriots, and also signed defensive end DeMarcus Ware and safety T.J. Ward. and Tony Dungy, analysts on NBC’s “Football Night in America” and rivals when Harrison played for the Patriots and Dungy coached the Colts, agreed that the Broncos and Patriots structured their rosters with the other in mind.

That strategy, Harrison said, is nothing new. He noted that players often play general manager among themselves in conversation, discussing colleagues around the league who could help their particular cause.

“As players, we’d sit back and talk in meeting rooms, we’d talk on the phone, and just casually say, ‘Hey, this guy would really help us out if we can get a nickel back to match up against, say, ,’ ” Harrison said. “I think that’s what we root for, that the coach or GM will recognize what we need and go get it. Both of these teams did.”

Dungy warns that it can be counterproductive for a franchise to focus on one opponent above all others. But having coached during the first incarnation of the Brady-Manning rivalry, he understands why it happens.

“From a coaching standpoint, you know who your competition is, and sure, New England knows they’re going to have to beat Denver and vice versa,’’ Dungy said. “But it is a little dangerous just to focus on one team and structure everything to beat these guys. You want to make your team the best it can be.

“There might be a little bit of, ‘Hey, we’ve got to counteract the Patriots,’ or ‘we’ve got to counteract Denver,’ but I think it’s two very good organizations just trying to make their team as good as it can be.”

The Patriots and Broncos will meet once this season for sure. And if they are as good as they can be, chances are the postseason will provide a rematch. Not to mention one more chapter in the Brady-Manning rivalry, a book no NFL broadcast partner wants to see end.

NFL Week 1 preview: Peyton Manning gets to see some old friends

By Jeffrey Tomik September 6, 2014

Game of the week

Colts at Broncos, 8:30 p.m., Sunday, NBC

Peyton Manning enters this season angry after suffering a 43-8 drubbing by the Seahawks in last year’s Super Bowl. And what better team to take out his anger against than one that gave up on him after 14 years?

Upset Special

Falcons over Saints, 1 p.m., Sunday

New Orleans is one of the best home teams, going 8-0 last season at the Superdome. But the Saints were just 3-8 on the road, including losses to the Rams and Jets. Matt Ryan and the Falcons are ready for a bounce-back year.

Player to watch

LeSean McCoy, Eagles vs. Jaguars, 1 p.m., Sunday

Can LeSean McCoy be the next 2,000-yard rusher? Last year he led the league with 1,607 rushing yards, flourishing in Chip Kelly’s up-tempo offense. McCoy kicks off this season vs. the Jaguars’ lowly defense.

Bold Prediction

Johnny Manziel will play in Week 1

Browns at Steelers, 1 p.m., Sunday

The former Heisman winner lost the starting QB job to Brian Hoyer, who was equally as bad as Johnny Manziel during the preseason. If Hoyer struggles badly in the first half, why not turn to the rookie?

Stat of the week

48.8% — Completion percentage of Giants QB Eli Manning during five preseason games. In a new offensive system, New York set a goal for Manning to complete 70 percent of his passes this season. He was below 60 percent in 2012 and 2013. GUEST COLUMN: Broncos super season march

By Misty Montano KUSA 9News September 5, 2014

43-8. All Denver Broncos fans and their mothers know what those digits mean.

To some fans it should be the title of the next great horror movie. To others, it's a reminder of a surreal nightmare. The reality is, 43-8 represents the final score of Super Bowl XLVIII in which the Seattle Seahawks shredded the Denver Broncos en route to their first Super Bowl victory.

It was the meltdown in New Jersey. From the first disastrous snap of the game that flew over Peyton Manning's head, the Broncos could never recover. It was as if we were all watching them in quicksand. The more the Broncos tried, the more they struggled and the worse it looked.

The city of Denver was left in stunned silence. After a promising season which saw the Broncos offense set numerous records and knock out hated rivals the San Diego Chargers and New England Patriots in the playoffs, the city of Denver was ready for a championship parade. Somebody forgot to tell that to the Seahawks as they displayed why they were the best team in the NFL for much of the season.

43-8 and as painful as it is to still hear that phrase, it's time to use those numbers as a rallying cry. After a long off-season of sifting through the ashes, we have finally reached the dawn of a new season, a new hope and a new mission.

Legendary Quarterback Peyton Manning is not getting any younger and the Broncos know their Super Bowl window is vastly closing. Just look around their own division. Last year the AFC West sent three teams to the playoffs. If it weren't for an unbelievable, historic comeback from the Indianapolis Colts, the AFC West would have had three of the four teams in the 2nd round of the AFC playoffs in the Kansas City Chiefs, Chargers and Broncos. This means that the AFC West division is no longer a pushover and it will be a battle for the Broncos to win their 4th division title in a row. Even if the Broncos can take care of their division, they still need to battle out the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots and others for a top seed and home field advantage in the AFC playoffs. I haven't even started on the powers of the NFC. The defending champion Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints are all Super Bowl contenders. With all of the teams that have been mentioned it's clear that the Broncos have their work cut out for them. Despite the challenges that the Broncos face, all is not lost. In fact, there is much reason for hope that these Broncos will be the chosen ones to finally get over the hump and finally deliver that third Super Bowl championship to the city of Denver. During the off-season, General Manager John Elway wasted little time in upgrading his roster. He added the big three on defense in the likes of Aquib Talib, DeMarcus Ware and T.J. Ward. These are three players that are supposed to add a degree of toughness to the Denver D. Elway is also counting on the return of Von Miller to the levels he played at in 2012. On offense, Elway made sure to add pieces to help Peyton Manning continue to torture defenses. After losing Eric Decker, Elway was quick to replace him with speedy wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders. Montee Ball gets to show off as the replacement of Knowshon Moreno and the offensive line remains largely intact.

Perhaps the most important reason to believe in the Denver Broncos chances, has nothing to do with the added talent. It has all to do with the mindset of this Denver Broncos team. In 2012, year one of the Manning Era, the Broncos suffered one of the most gut-wrenching home playoff losses in Denver history to a team that would go on to win the Super Bowl. Last year the Broncos were determined to avenge that loss and advance to the Super Bowl.

Despite the many off-field challenges (Miller suspension, trouble with team executives, Dumervil fax fiasco) and injuries during the season, the Broncos overcame and not only won their first playoff game but they defeated the hated Patriots to finally reach the Super Bowl in a highly anticipated AFC Championship Game. The Broncos had conquered their demons but they forgot to finish the season off the right way. This year, the Broncos know that the deed is not done until they reach the Super Bowl and win the Super Bowl.

43-8. After this season, these numbers should be the only numbers the Broncos worry about this year. 43-8 represents how close yet how far the Broncos were from winning their third Super Bowl. If these Denver Broncos are focused, strong and ready then 43-8 will be the motivation the Broncos used to win their third Super Bowl title.

It all begins Sunday night.

Kravitz: One year later, Manning will have his revenge

By Bob Kravitz WTHR NBC13 Indianapolis September 6, 2014

DENVER -Peyton Manning remembers. Oh yeah, he remembers. He remembers everything, has a memory longer than his list of quarterbacking accomplishments. He remembers every loss, every slight, every grisly detail.

He remembers what happened in Indianapolis last year, how his former team opened the windows to Lucas Oil Stadium, then stuck like glue to his receivers, notably Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas. He remembers how the Broncos still might have won that game if Ronnie Hillman hadn't fumbled down at the two-yard line with Denver going in for a score.

And he's going to have his giant slice of revenge Sunday night under the bright lights of Mile High and Football Night in America (now available in Indy on DirecTV!!).

Last year the Colts got a victory that will be remembered as a seminal moment in the franchise's new age, assuming they go on to do great things in the near and distant future. But those were different circumstances. The air will be thinner this time. The interior of the Colts offensive line will be greener this time. The left tackle, Ryan Clady, will be back in the Denver lineup. And the Broncos will now be showcasing their new toys on defense, notably newcomers DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib and T.J. Ward. (And by the way, anybody who says altitude isn't a factor has never tried to work out in the mile-high air. Even world-class athletes find they're sucking wind at some point).

I have great faith the Colts will go 12-4 or 11-5 this season, but this game should make Colts' fans shudder. (And the second game against the Eagles at home won't be any walk in the park, either). As much as I like the re-acquisition of center A.Q. Shipley, I'm not yet comfortable with him starting so shortly after arriving back in Indianapolis. Plus, this will be rookie left guard Jack Mewhort's first NFL game. On the other side? Still not quite sold on right guard Hugh Thornton. We saw glimpses of what-might-be in the Saints' preseason game, when New Orleans brought a massive amount of pressure up the middle and did not allow Andrew Luck to step up consistently and make his throws. I fear the same will be the case Sunday night.

I'm also not yet sold on safety , who was let go by the Broncos for a reason. Ryan Grigson had little choice but to say goodbye to and his contract, but wouldn't he look good in a Colts uniform right about now?

And then there's the not-insignificant absence of Robert Mathis, who terrorized Manning last year and is, of course, the team's most dominant pass rusher. It's going to be up to second-year first-round pick Bjoern Werner to make the kinds of flashes he made in the preseason. Count me as skeptical, at least under these circumstances.

You say the Broncos don't have Wes Welker, who was suspended for PED use (something he adamantly denies, naturally)? Here's Manning's numbers when Welker isn't in the lineup: 16 touchdown passes, one interception. The point being, you can put almost anybody out there in the slot and he's going to get his receptions. Manning is the same guy who made Craphonso Thorpe look like a player. And Welker's likely replacement, Emmanuel Sanders, has a pedigree after a number of productive years in Pittsburgh.

A year ago, the Colts beat the Broncos by engaging them in a shootout, a 39-33 game, with Andrew Luck going toe-to-toe with Manning through four quarters. Remember, too, the Colts held on to win that game after losing Reggie Wayne to an injury.

I don't think they can win an up-tempo, high-scoring shootout in Denver Sunday. The only way the Colts have a puncher's chance in this game is to reprise the effort from last year's eye-opening victory in San Francisco. They must do what teams always tried to do against Manning through his time in Indy: Slow the game down, control the ball, run it with consistent success. Last year in San Francisco, it was Ahmad Bradshaw. This game, it's got to be Trent Richardson, who's due for a breakout game as a member of this franchise.

My colleague Woody Paige, the Denver Post columnist and TV luminary, guaranteed the Broncos would pulverize the Colts, predicting a 22-point victory. This made me wonder: If his guarantee is wrong, and Woody, like the rest of us, has a history of being laughably wrong, what will Woody do as penance? Paint a giant horseshoe on his face on Monday's "''? What good is a guarantee unless there's a price to pay for being wrong?

It should be noted that in January 1997, Woody wrote that the Broncos, coming off a 13-3 season, would eviscerate the , an 14-point underdog, in a playoff game at the old Mile High. Woody called Jacksonville's team “the Jagwads,'' and wondered if there wasn't a worthier opponent out there, like maybe a Football League team. He guaranteed that one, too.

The Jags came to Mile High in just the second year of their existence and upset the Broncos, 30-27.

Woody is still not allowed in the Jacksonville city limits, although, if you've ever been to Jacksonville, you know that's not some kind of great loss.

I'll agree with Woodrow here: The Broncos will win this game, but it won't be the kind of blowout he suspects it will be.

Broncos 35, Colts 26.

No guarantees here, but a very strong suspicion. Peyton Manning's Broncos hit bump in road back to Super Bowl

By Judy Battista NFL.com September 5, 2014

For months, we expected the Denver Broncos' regular-season opener against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night to be a referendum on John Elway's offseason efforts to toughen up the Broncos as they try to become the first Super Bowl loser to return to the subsequent championship game since the 1993 .

And this game will still give us a look at Denver's overhauled defense (featuring seven starters who weren't in the lineup for Super Bowl XLVIII) against Indy's Andrew Luck, whose still-suspect offensive line must grapple with the first appearance of the Broncos' new Von Miller-DeMarcus Ware tandem.

But an equally urgent subtext developed Tuesday with the news of Denver receiver Wes Welker's stunning four-game suspension for violating the performance- enhancing drug policy. There had been no guarantee before the news broke that Welker, who suffered a concussion in preseason action, would have been cleared for Week 1 anyway, but the suspension locked Denver in for an extended glimpse of what life without the receiver would be like for Peyton Manning.

Welker's suspension means three of the five players who scored at least 10 touchdowns for the Broncos last season -- running back Knowshon Moreno (now with the ), receiver Eric Decker (now with the ) and Welker -- will not be on the field against the Colts this week. Welker, in particular, has become Manning's security blanket (as the former Patriots pass catcher used to be for Tom Brady), thanks to the timing they've developed and Welker's willingness to go over the middle. It was no accident that Colts coach Chuck Pagano called Welker a "nightmare". The Colts (like the Seahawks, another Denver opponent this year) have physical defensive backs who will try to disrupt Manning's timing with his outside receivers. That's the kind of situation in which Manning needs Welker most.

But the thread that runs through everything the Broncos' offense does is Manning. And the results from 2013, during which Welker missed three games after suffering his second concussion of the season, tell you Welker's absence will not be nearly as crippling to Denver as, say, Rob Gronkowski's was to New England. When Welker was not on the field, Manning threw 16 touchdown passes and one interception -- and when Welker was on the field, Manning threw 39 touchdowns and nine picks. To point this out is not to negate Welker's importance; it's merely to put into perspective Manning's ability to adjust, especially because the Broncos have known for weeks that losing Welker was a distinct possibility.

With Decker heading for New York, the Broncos added Emmanuel Sanders, who caught 67 passes and six touchdowns last year in Pittsburgh, to vacuum up some of the throws Decker used to get. Sanders can play multiple receiver positions, and he could get time in Welker's spot now. The Broncos also drafted receiver Cody Latimer, who figures to get more playing time than initially imagined now that Welker is gone.

In the end, though, the absence that might be most significant for Manning on Sunday will be on the other side of the field. The Colts' Robert Mathis, who led the NFL with 19.5 sacks and eight forced fumbles last season, has also been suspended for the first four games of 2014. Remember that when Manning and the Broncos visited Indy last season, Mathis was a one-man wrecking crew. His strip-sack of Manning led to a safety and jump-started the Colts' upset -- and, for good measure, a Mathis hit aggravated an ankle sprain for Manning.

Manning was matter-of-fact about losing Welker. Of course, knowing that last year, the Broncos went 7-0 without Miller and landed home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs despite losing head coach John Fox in the middle of the season to emergency heart surgery, he has reason to be in early turn-the-page mode.

"You find out a little bit about your team, and can you handle it?" Manning said. "It's easy when everything is going smooth and you don't have any kind of adversity. Hopefully, last year will have prepared us for these types of situations. The third year running, we've had a starting player suspended. That's not something the Broncos want to brag about, but it's the reality. We have been able to win games despite that."

The Colts game will give them an indicator if they can win a lot more without Welker.

Now that the season has officially begun, here are 10 more things to watch as the rest of the Week 1 slate plays out:

1) Who had a worse offseason: the San Francisco 49ers in general or the Dallas Cowboys' defense in particular? The 49ers' vaunted defense will be without NaVorro Bowman (recovering from knee surgery), (torn biceps) and (suspended nine games) -- and possibly Ray McDonald (arrested last weekend for a domestic violence complaint), too. Smith's absence, at least, will be good news for Tony Romo's surgically repaired back. Yes, the Niners were the only NFL team that didn't allow a 100-yard rusher in 2013 and are the only squad to have ranked in the top five defensively each of the past three seasons, but those injuries are a lot to overcome -- especially considering San Francisco's first-team offense generated just six points in the preseason (although that was before star guard Alex Boone ended his holdout). If Colin Kaepernick can't get going against these Cowboys, of course, that'll suggest he has issues far deeper than Boone's participation level. Dallas' defense was easily the NFL's worst last year -- giving up almost 18 yards more per game than the 31st-ranked Vikings -- and it appears to have fallen even further, thanks to a combination of salary-cap-fueled departures (DeMarcus Ware, Jason Hatcher), injuries (Sean Lee, , rookie Demarcus Lawrence) and suspensions (Orlando Scandrick). Those players accounted for 19 sacks, 244 tackles, seven interceptions and 31 quarterback hits in 2013. Keep an eye on third downs when these teams face off Sunday; last season, and Anquan Boldin combined to catch 53 third-down passes for 786 yards, the most by any duo in the NFL.

2) The first installment of what could be Brian Hoyer's very limited engagement as the Browns' starting quarterback. Hoyer will kick off his tenure against a Steelers defense that got younger and faster in the offseason. While the year-long suspension of receiver Josh Gordon means Cleveland probably won't try to go deep anyway, we should point out Hoyer has struggled on throws of at least 10 yards -- he was 3-of-13 (23.1 percent) on such tosses in the preseason, the third-worst mark among quarterbacks with at least 10 attempts. Tight end Jordan Cameron is the only member of the Browns playing in Week 1 who caught more than 15 passes for the team in 2013. More bad news for Hoyer: Linebacker Ryan Shazier is expected to be the first Steelers defender to start the opener as a rookie in 13 years.

3) Can the Giants get their new offense together and stay in what could be a shootout with the Lions? Eli Manning led 17 Giants drives this preseason -- eight of which were three-and-outs -- accounting for just 21 points while completing 48.8 percent of his passes. Something to watch for with respect to Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford: No team threw more passes of 20-plus yards last season than the Ravens, for whom new coach Jim Caldwell was serving as offensive coordinator. Stafford might have to do a lot of that, considering seven of the nine losses the Lions suffered in 2013 came after the team blew a fourth-quarter lead -- that's the highest such mark in the NFL.

4) Welcome to the starting lineup, Derek Carr. Now meet Rex Ryan, who is 7-3 against rookie quarterbacks as the Jets' head coach. Ryan's defense has slipped in the past few years -- it ranked 11th in 2013 -- but New York's front remains the strength of this team, and Ryan is crafty when it comes to disguising coverages and designing blitzes to cause confusion. If Carr can figure out what he's looking at on Sunday, though, he'll have a chance to complete some passes for the Raiders against a secondary in disarray. The corners who are expected to start for the Jets are Darrin Walls and converted safety Antonio Allen, who have four career starts at the position between them, all by Walls. Carr won the Oakland job by leading the team to scores on seven of his 13 preseason drives (excluding kneel-downs). Still, the odds are against the Raiders, who have lost their last 13 1 p.m. starts in the Eastern time zone.

5) Can Robert Griffin III regain his rookie form while getting the first glimpse of the terrifying tandem of J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney? RGIII struggled in the preseason after a putting together a miserable sophomore campaign (12 interceptions in 2013 compared to five as a rookie in 2012). Washington wants Griffin -- another year removed from knee surgery -- to stay in the pocket more. The presence of deep threat DeSean Jackson, signed after being released by the Eagles, should be a boost (and will help open up the running game). Griffin's instinct to run under pressure could be tested by Texans defensive linemen Watt (who has 31 sacks in the past two years) and Clowney (three tackles for loss and one sack in the preseason). Washington tackle will probably face Clowney, but remember that Watt can rush from outside or inside -- and Washington has struggled to protect in the interior.

6) Just how much of a difference can Darrelle Revis make in New England? On Sunday, the Dolphins will be spared having to face him and (who is out with a suspension). But consider this: The Patriots allowed 36 pass plays of at least 25 yards last season, ninth-most in the NFL. Over the past three seasons, the team has given up 118 such plays, the most in the NFL. Revis has never been on a team that allowed as many pass plays of at least 25 yards as the Patriots did in any of the past three seasons. Revis has five career interceptions against Miami (tied for most against any team), but he might not be very busy, anyway. Ryan Tannehill will stand behind an entirely reconstructed Dolphins offensive line after getting sacked 58 times last season. No wonder his completion percentage on passes that traveled at least 20 yards in the air was just 22.4.

7) Has the Atlanta pass rush figured out how to slow the Saints' offense? If not, Drew Brees will torch the Falcons in the Georgia Dome. Since 2006, Brees has completed 44.7 percent of his pass attempts that have traveled at least 20 yards in the air, the highest such percentage in the NFL. Last year, the Saints were the first team ever to have four players with 70-plus receptions in a season. Keep an eye on Brandin Cooks, the electrifying rookie in New Orleans who caught nine passes for 101 yards and a touchdown in the preseason. As for the aforementioned Falcons pass rush, the team ranked 29th in sacks last year and still lacks a premier pass rusher. A bad omen for Atlanta: In 2013, the squad allowed points on 45.1 percent of drives, the third-highest percentage since tracking began in 1993. The Falcons' scoring defense ranked 27th last year. 8) Is anybody going to complete a pass or score when the Bucs face the Panthers? After posting the NFL's worst total and passing offense in 2013, the Bucs used all six of their draft picks on offense and signed Josh McCown to be their starting quarterback -- but didn't exactly see improved results in the preseason, in which they were last in total offense again. Furthermore, Tampa Bay could be without new offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford, who underwent an undisclosed surgical procedure last month, for the opener. The Panthers, meanwhile, aren't in much better shape. Their offense ranked 26th overall and 29th in passing, and they had the fewest plays of at least 20 yards in the league. No receiver who caught a pass for Carolina last year remains on the team, and quarterback is suddenly a game-time decision, recovering from offseason ankle surgery and preseason cracked ribs. Of course, if you like defensive slugfests -- Panthers coach Rivera was 's defensive coordinator in Chicago -- this is the best game of the week. Carolina was second in scoring defense and total defense in 2013, leading the NFL with 60 sacks and allowing 20 points or fewer in 13 of 16 games. The Bucs finished tied for the third most takeaways; it's worth noting Smith's teams have been in the top 10 in takeaways in nine of his 12 seasons as a head coach/defensive coordinator.

9) Can Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith continue his upward trend against the Titans' defense? Smith's numbers improved in the second half of 2013, even though the Chiefs struggled as a team during that stretch. His completion percent from Week 8 through the end of the regular season was 63.2, and he threw 16 touchdowns and three interceptions. Just 8.3 percent of his passes went at least 20 yards in the air, the fourth-lowest percentage in the league. Against the Titans last season, Smith was 20-of-39 passing for 245 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. He will have to do it without Dwayne Bowe, who is suspended for the game, but the Tennessee defense, which ranked 14th last year, is transitioning to a 3-4 -- and is attempting to do so without standout cornerback , who signed with Tampa Bay.

10) How quickly will players and officials adjust to the point of emphasis on rules regarding defensive contact? Throughout August, flags flew for defensive holding and illegal contact at a mind-numbing -- and game-slowing -- rate: This preseason, 172 defensive holding and 98 illegal contact penalties were called, compared to 36 and 18, respectively, last year. The numbers declined as the preseason wore on, though, raising hopes that the first few regular-season games will not be three-and- a-half-hour slogs.

Dean Blandino: NFL to continue to call downfield fouls more closely

By Bill Bradley NFL.com September 6, 2014

NFL vice president of officiating Dean Blandino said Friday the officials will continue to emphasize penalties against clutching and shoving downfield by defensive players as the regular season begins.

Speaking during his first regular-season media officiating video, Blandino showed examples of what the league will call as fouls in the defensive secondary that had been ignored -- mainly outside the 5-yard zone from the line of scrimmage where contact is allowed -- even though such violations are in the rulebook.

"You can jam the receiver within 5 yards," said Blandino, who used examples during the preseason for this week's video. "You can't hold, but you can jam the receiver. We're really looking for an open hand to the chest or shoulders. You've got to stay away from the head, neck area.

"Within 5 yards it's legal ... but when we jam him downfield, it disrupts the timing of the route. That's going to be a foul for illegal contact."

Blandino said he asked NFL officials to make sure any illegal-contact fouls called are well beyond the 5-yard area so the call is clearly a penalty. He said the defenders can re-route receivers with steady body positon without making contact.

He said the league also has talked with referees about incidental contact downfield.

"You can have a touch, you can have a feel, vs. illegal contact where a foul is warranted," Blandino said.

He said another point of emphasis has been against defenders grabbing an opponent's jersey to slow down the receiver.

"Regardless of whether the official thinks that grab impedes the receiver, it's a foul," Blandino said. "Eligible receivers attempting to run a route, you cannot grab (their) jersey prior to the pass being thrown."

Officials also are being told to watch for offensive pass interference, he said, whether the receivers are making contact as the primary target or blocking defenders downfield to make room for a teammate running a route. "The point of emphasis is the contact at the top of the route," Blandino said. "Pushing off to create the separation, that's a foul for OPI."

Week One injury report roundup

By Josh Alper NBC Sports/ProFootballTalk.com September 5, 2014

Over the course of the week, there are a lot of posts about the most prominent injured players but we know that you might not see all of them and that some others may fall through the cracks. As a result, we’ll comb through all the injury reports every Friday afternoon so that there’s one stop for all the news from every team playing on Sunday. So, without further delay, the first injury report roundup of the 2014 season.

Bills at Bears

The Bills should have wide receiver (ribs) and linebacker (knee), but running back Anthony Dixon (hamstring) and cornerback (groin) are both questionable. The Bears ruled out third quarterback David Fales (shoulder), fullback Tony Fiammetta (hamstring) is questionable and the team expects safety (concussion) and center Brian de la Puente (knee) to be in the lineup.

Panthers at Buccaneers

The Panthers have only one man on their injury report, but it is a significant one. Quarterback Cam Newton (ribs) is questionable and the team is expected to make a final decision about his status on Sunday. Defensive end Da’Quan Bowers (abdomen), defensive end William Gholston (shoulder), safety Bradley McDougald (knee), cornerback (ankle) and wide receiver Louis Murphy (back) are all out for Tampa, while running back Mike James (shoulder), cornerback Mike Jenkins (hamstring) and running back Jorvorskie Lane (hand) are listed as probable.

Bengals at Ravens

The Bengals have known for a while that wide receiver Marvin Jones (knee) would miss the game and they’ve also ruled out running back Rex Burkhead (knee). Cornerback (hip) is questionable for what would be his regular season debut and the team expects linebacker (hamstring), tight end (shoulder), running back Cedric Peerman (hip), guard (knee) and tackle (concussion) to play. The Ravens have a shorter list of wounded players. Cornerback (back) is questionable and running back Bernard Pierce (concussion) is probable to start in place of the suspended Ray Rice. Browns at Steelers

The Browns will try to reverse trends at Heinz Field without defensive end John Hughes (hamstring) and guard Paul McQuistan (ankle). Defensive tackle Desmond Bryant (wrist) is doubtful and would be replaced by Armonty Bryant if he’s unable to make it a two Bryant Sunday for Cleveland. Cornerbacks (foot) and (thumb) lead a list of probable players. The home team won’t have wide receiver (groin) or cornerback Brice McCain (groin) and probably won’t have wide receiver (shoulder).

Jaguars at Eagles

Wide receiver Cecil Shorts (hamstring) missed the last two Jaguars practices and drew a questionable tag. Tight end Clay Harbor (calf), running back Storm Johnson (ankle) and tackle Austin Pasztor (hand) are all out, but it looks good for kicker Josh Scobee’s quad injury. The Eagles ruled out wide receiver Josh Huff (shoulder) and tackle Matt Tobin (ankle) and remain undecided on running back Chris Polk (hamstring) and cornerback Jaylen Watkins (hamstring). Wide receivers Riley Cooper (ankle) and Brad Smith (groin) are both probable.

Vikings at Rams

Defensive end Everson Griffen (illness) is questionable, but the Vikings expect him to play. The same is not true of running back Zach Line (ankle), linebacker Michael Mauti (foot) or linebacker Brandon Watts (knee) after all three were ruled out. The Rams won’t have cornerback Trumaine Johnson (knee) and center Barrett Jones (back) and the jury remains out for defensive end Eugene Sims (knee). Tackle (knee) is expected to play his first game since suffering a torn ACL.

Patriots at Dolphins

Two relative unknowns from the Patriots — quarterback Tom Brady (calf) and tight end Rob Gronkowski (knee) — are listed as questionable, but all signs point to them playing. Defensive end Michael Buchanan (ankle) and defensive tackle Chris Jones (ankle) are both out for New England. Linebacker (thumb) won’t go for Miami, which is also waiting for center Mike Pouncey (hip) to get healthy. Guard Billy Turner (foot) is listed as doubtful.

Saints at Falcons

Wide receiver Kenny Stills (quad) is the only question mark for the Saints, who have rule out safety (hamstring) and fullback Erik Lorig (ankle). The Falcons are not feeling many hard knocks on their 53-man roster, with defensive tackle Corey Peters (Achilles) and safety Dezmen Southward (concussion) listed as probable and comprising the entire injury report. Raiders at Jets

The Raiders traveled across country to face the Jets on Thursday and ruled cornerback Chimdi Chekwa (knee) out on Friday. Linebacker Nick Roach (concussion) is questionable and everyone else on the roster is expected to play. In addition to cornerback (ankle), the Jets ruled out safety (quadricep) and defensive end IK Enemkpali (foot). Antonio Allen, who is expected to see a lot of time at cornerback, is probable after a concussion.

49ers at Cowboys

The visitors ruled out tackle Anthony Davis (hamstring) and center Marcus Martin (knee) and they listed wide receiver (calf) as questionable, although Crabtree has said he expects to be on the field when he returns to his home state. As expected, defensive end Anthony Spencer (knee) is out for the Cowboys. So is tackle Darrion Weems (shoulder), while guard (foot), defensive tackle Terrell McClain (ankle) and wide receiver Terrance Williams (back) have all been listed as questionable. Quarterback Tony Romo (back) is probable and expected to play for the first time since Week 16 last year.

Titans at Chiefs

Titans quarterback (hand) is expected to back up Jake Locker and defensive tackle Mike Martin (hamstring) is questionable. Running back De’Anthony Thomas (hamstring) will probably have to wait to make his Chiefs debut after being listed as doubtful. Cornerback Marcus Cooper (ankle) and center Eric Kush (shoulder) are questionable, but linebacker Tamba Hali (knee) and safety (heel) are both expected to play.

Redskins at Texans

It’s a waiting game for linebacker (ankle) and the Redskins, who have already ruled out cornerback (hamstring) and linebacker Akeem Jordan (knee). Tight end Jordan Reed (thumb) is also questionable. Tight end Garrett Graham (back) will be a game-time decision for the Texans and safety (calf) is also questionable. Texans coach Bill O’Brien listed 11 players as probable, perhaps as a nod to his mentor .

Colts at Broncos

Versatile reserve offensive lineman Joe Reitz (ankle) is out and center Khaled Holmes (ankle) is questionable with the arrow pointing the wrong direction, so the Colts will be short at offensive line on Sunday. The defending AFC champs will be without linebacker Danny Trevathan (knee) for a while and guard Ben Garland (ankle) was also ruled out. “Lots of talk” but no resolution yet on drug policy

By NBC Sports/ProFootballTalk.com September 5, 2014

So where do things stand on the possible negotiation of a new comprehensive drug policy that could erase the suspensions imposed on players like Broncos receiver Wes Welker and Browns receiver Josh Gordon?

“Lots of talk,” a league source tells PFT. So far, however, there has been no agreement.

If the player suspensions that under a new policy would become non-suspensions are to be avoided, an agreement needs to be reached very soon. It’s unclear whether an agreement remains close; typically, a deal isn’t done because disagreement remains on one or more key issues.

Here’s hoping they iron those issues out, sooner than later. In the interim, I’ve squatted on Josh Gordon in my fantasy league. Just in case.

Pressure will mount on union to get drug policy done

By Mike Florio NBC Sports/ProFootballTalk.com September 5, 2014

Now that the cat has emerged from the bag regarding the possibility that a comprehensive new drug policy will benefit players suspended in recent weeks and months under the current rules, look for plenty of players to apply plenty of pressure to the NFLPA to get a deal done, ASAFP.

Last night’s report from the Packers-Seahawks pregame mentioned only Broncos receiver Wes Welker and Browns receiver Josh Gordon, but other players also would experience relief if the new policy applies retroactively on subjects like the shifting of offseason stimulant use to the substance-abuse policy and/or the increase of permissible marijuana metabolite concentration from 15 ng/ml to 150 ng/ml.

Players like Cowboys cornerback Orlando Scandrick and Dolphins defensive end Dion Jordan could suddenly find themselves getting a green light to play on Sunday, if a deal can be worked out today. While it’s unclear whether the appropriate i’s can be dotted and t’s can be crossed in an expedited fashion, real progress had been made toward a new drug policy. If both sides are motivated, a deal can get done.

Multiple sources have made it clear that the NFL is ready to get something done; the Commissioner himself said on the record two days ago that he’s been ready for three years. And while the NFLPA may prefer to try to extract a few more concessions, the involvement of specific players with significant dollars and playing time at stake likely will result in the placement of significant pressure on the union to work things out.

Mailbag: Brandon Marshall, O-Line changes, AFC West and more

By Andrew Mason DenverBroncos.com September 5, 2014

Is Brandon Marshall staying on the field in nickel? Realized both our nickel LBs from last year are missing? – Jesse Shaw (@TheBazi6810)

During the preseason, he did. Against the Texans, the Broncos paired him with Nate Irving when they went into their nickel alignment. But Marshall had been working in nickel sub packages before Danny Trevathan's injury. This helped smooth his transition into the every-down role; his communication with fellow first-teamers was already at a high level. realistically do you think we can win week 3 in Seattle without Welker, Trevathan and prater? – David Fleurant (@MrDoctaD)

Realistically, I think you should worry about a Week 1 opponent who went 11-5 last year, won a playoff game and defeated the Broncos last year. And then you should worry about a Week 2 opponent that also went 11-5 last year, was tied with the Broncos for first place heading into Week 13 and came within an end-zone pass deflection of sending their game with Denver last December into overtime. who do you see as the Bronco's biggest threat to defending the division crown this season? – jamieandconnie (@jamieandconnie)

Although Kansas City finished in second place in the AFC West last year, San Diego seems poised to provide the stiffest challenge this year. They built momentum at the end of the season, have already proven that they can play on equal terms with the Broncos -- a regular-season split last year in which the collective score was Broncos 48, Chargers 47 reveals a virtual stalemate -- and in Philip Rivers, they have the crucial component to any viable title shot: an elite quarterback. Rivers is 6-3 as a starter in Denver, including last year's postseason. In head-to-head matchups with Peyton Manning-led teams, the record is split: five wins apiece.

Kansas City also presents some problems. Its pass rush, when at full strength, forces opponents to keep a tight end in to block, and has averaged 106.7 yards per game and 5.66 yards per carry against the Broncos since January 2010.But the short- and long-term results -- along with former Broncos assistant Mike McCoy's insider knowledge of the Broncos' roster and style -- tip the scale toward San Diego. The Chargers also swept the Chiefs last year (although in the second meeting, the Chiefs used backups, having already locked in their playoff position). From what you've seen is Franklin been an upgrade at LG? Has Clark been a downgrade at RT? If so, by how much for each – Jason (@jasonleejason)

It's not whether it "has been" an upgrade; it's whether it "will be." Remember that Franklin is replacing a Pro Bowl left guard (). What you want to see is progress, improvement and adjustment to having contact from an opposing defensive lineman arrive faster than it did at tackle. So far, I've seen that from Franklin, particularly in terms of hand placement. He improved during each game in the preseason, and if that progress continues, he can at least replicate Beadles' work there.

With Clark, it's important to note that this is his first extensive game work at right tackle in college or the pros; he was a left tackle at Southern Missisippi. But there was a clear improvement from game to game this preseason. His strongest work came against Houston in the third week. So his arrow is pointed in the right direction.

Can you fast forward the time to the start of SNF? I don't know what else to do. – Bryan Leeper (@b2theryan)

I can't fast-forward the time. However, I can let you borrow the DeLorean from the garage. But I'm fresh out of plutonium, so you'll have to supply that on your own.

Breaking down the Colts defense

By Andrew Mason DenverBroncos.com September 5, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- When Peyton Manning looks across the line of scrimmage, the Colts defender with whom he is most familiar will be one who has yet to play a regular-season snap with a horseshoe on his helmet.

That's Mike Adams, the former Broncos safety who signed with the Colts three months ago. No defender on the Colts' 53-man roster was with the team when Manning was there, with defensive end Fili Moala on injured reserve and outside linebacker Robert Mathis serving a four-game suspension.

Mathis, wide receiver Reggie Wayne and kicker Adam Vinatieri are the last players remaining from the Colts' 2006 world championship team. All remain among the Colts' elite players, and Mathis' absence fundamentally changes the Colts' defense in the area that allowed them to defuse the Broncos in Week 7 last year: the pass rush.

The best game of Mathis' finest season came at the expense of the Broncos, Manning and an offensive line that was in its maximum state of flux. Left tackle Ryan Clady had been out for a month; then-right tackle Orlando Franklin was injured the previous week against Jacksonville. That forced right guard Louis Vasquez to move to right tackle, and thrust Chris Kuper into the starting lineup at right guard. Cory Redding hit Manning twice, Mathis sacked him twice -- including one that resulted in a fumble and a safety -- and Manning was sacked four times.

"Anytime Clady is in the lineup, I feel really a lot better than I did last year," said Offensive Coordinator Adam Gase.

But Mathis' absence could be massive. He had nearly as many sacks last year (19.5) as the rest of the team combined (22.5). No other Colt had more than 's 5.5.

"We’re trying to get that counterpart with some young guys to step up and get some sacks too, finally," said linebacker Bjoern Werner.

Werner was the Colts' first-round pick last year, and they are counting on him to improve after a ragged rookie season. He'll work on the rush side, with Erik Walden handling the strong side. "It’s a situation where (Werner) has got to grasp the situation," said Colts defensive coordinator Greg Manusky.

Werner will also have some responsibilities in coverage. The Colts will use him to monitor running backs coming out of the backfield, and also dropped him into the secondary. What the Colts need is more consistent tackling. Two weeks ago, he had the chance to blow up a to Saints running back Pierre Thomas three yards behind the line of scrimmage, but he missed from behind. Thomas turned a 3-yard loss into a 26-yard gain, which set up a Saints touchdown four plays later.

With Werner often in coverage, Indianapolis will try to generate pressure with blitzes inside the tackles. During the preseason, the Colts tried to bring pressure from different angles. This worked against the New York Giants, when safety LaRon Landry had a pressure of Eli Manning to force a punt, and linebacker D'Qwell Jackson stunted outside Redding for a sack inside of Giants right tackle .

Jackson was the Colts' big offseason signing. Like Werner, he will be counted on in coverage, as well as the pass rush. In the third preseason game, the New Orleans Saints tested Jackson. They exploited his one-on-one matchup against for a 38-yard gain in which Drew Brees lofted a pass beyond Jackson, who was one step behind the Pro Bowl tight end. Jackson was beaten for a touchdown to end that series when got a free release off the line of scrimmage, working at the hash marks, and easily grabbed a 13-yard touchdown.

However, Jackson also had a strong game against the run that night and finished with six tackles, and showed signs of returning to his pre-2012 form against the run. The Colts' defensive line is better than Cleveland's, and should give him more chances to make plays against the run in space.

PRESSING THE ISSUE

With Mathis out, the pressure to disrupt Denver's passing game will rest on cornerbacks and Greg Toler, and nickel back Darius Butler, who will cover whichever Broncos target fills in for Wes Welker in the slot -- which means Butler has to study a wide array of potential targets.

The Colts might have to be more conservative with their coverage than they were last year, when their cornerbacks were physical at the snap, disrupting the Broncos' routes. The absence of Mathis and the NFL's stated emphasis on illegal-contact calls likely force Indianapolis to adjust from its 2013 tactics.

"I think we got shocked a little bit early because that was the first time we had some difficulty getting open and the pressure got to us a little bit," Gase said of last year's game. "Manusky and (Colts head coach Chuck) Pagano did a great job as far as changing up some things and attacking us a different way than we had been." This week, Gase reflected on that game as a "great learning experience." The Broncos adapted and came back, but got a hint of the kind of disruptive cornerback play they would see in the weeks to come -- and will certainly face this year.

"We learned from that game," said Gase, "and I think this time our guys are ready."

Breaking down the Colts offense

By Andrew Mason DenverBroncos.com September 5, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Other quarterbacks run more than Indianapolis' Andrew Luck. Of the 41 quarterbacks with at least 200 action plays (attempts plus sacks plus rushes) last year, he was 12th in run frequency: one every 10.6 plays.

Other quarterbacks run more dynamically than Luck; he ranked 11th among passers in yardage per carry. But of those 41 quarterbacks, only one with at least 30 runs was more efficient at getting first downs than Luck -- Carolina's Cam Newton. Newton moved the chains on 40.5 percent of his carries; Luck did so on 36.5 percent of his runs.

Luck is 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, but he is light on his feet. He sheds pass rushers. He has the quick side or backstop out of trouble perfected. You think you have him, and then, like Houdini, he escapes, calling to mind another big quarterback whose footwork belies his size.

"I'm treating Andrew Luck like 'Big Ben,'" said cornerback Chris Harris Jr., citing Roethlisberger, the long-time Steelers cornerback he faced in the 2011 playoffs and the 2012 regular-season opener. "When you're playing Roethlisberger, you can't tackle him low. You have to tackle him high, and tackle the ball, because he's so strong.

"So we know with Andrew Luck running around, we've got to plaster -- and 'plaster' means we've got to lock onto our guys immediately when we see him out of the pocket, because it's going to happen."

Added defensive tackle Terrance Knighton: "That makes him more difficult than those scrambling quarterbacks, like, let's say, a (Colin) Kaepernick or Cam (Newton) is that he's a big guy … he's more like a Big Ben-type, a guy that you've got to wrap up and tackle almost like a running back, tight end body type. He steps up in the pocket. He'll take a hit, and when he does step up in the pocket, he steps up to throw it deep, and he steps up to run it."

And this is only the beginning of Luck's attributes. Although he will have to learn to avoid contact better as his career progresses, his improvement at keeping defenses off guard will more than compensate for any reduction in production as a runner. Luck is already one of the league's best at disguising his intent, in forcing safeties and coverage out of position with a look or a pump fake. "He's talented with the way he does things, and the way he operates, and his mannerisms," said safety Rahim Moore. "You look at him on film, and you study his idiosyncrasies, it's impressive. He looks like a guy that's been in the league five, ten years."

It will be crucial for the Broncos to contain Luck, and for the linebackers to remain disciplined, for the edge rushers to not get guided behind Luck. But that will be more difficult this year -- even with the Broncos' upgraded defense -- because of the improvements the Colts have made to achieve more balance.

The Colts expect Trent Richardson to be better than he was last season, but Indianapolis will not achieve offensive balance with an appreciable change in the run-pass ratio. Instead, balance will come by keeping defenses off-balance via a wider array of targets: two improving tight ends in Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener, a healthy Reggie Wayne and free-agent pickup .

"Last year, they had (Darrius) Heyward-Bey, which -- well, he was a speed guy. Now they've got more possessional receivers," said Harris. "Nicks has better hands -- way better hands, of course."

And he might be crucial to the Colts attempting to overcome what appears to be their weak point: the offensive line, particularly up the middle, which has been besieged by injuries.

Guard Donald Thomas re-tore his quadriceps in training camp, suffering the same injury he incurred early last season; he was placed on injured reserve. Hugh Thornton moved from right guard to left guard.

But the focal point is the center, where Khaled Holmes has struggled since injuring his ankle in the preseason opener against the New York Jets. He did not practice Friday after being limited the previous two days and is questionable. If Holmes doesn't play, recent waiver claim A.Q. Shipley -- who started five games in 2012 for the Colts before being traded to Baltimore -- is likely to start, just seven days after re-joining the Colts.

Shipley started nine games for the Ravens last year, all at left guard in place of the injured Kelechi Osemele, and struggled. By this summer, Osemele was back, and Shipley was expendable to the Ravens -- but not to the Colts, to whom he represented a viable option because of his work in relief of then-starting-center Samson Satele in 2012.

"He's just jumped right back in," Luck said. But with rookie Jack Mewhort penciled in at left guard and second-year vet Thornton at right guard, there is no film of this interior trio working together, since Shipley was last a Colt before they arrived.

"You to what they do. I don't really put too much stock into it'," said defensive tackle . "They're going to run the plays that the colts run as an offense so him individually I don't get into that. Everybody's got gray jerseys on to me. It doesn't matter."

Added Knighton: "I's just about who goes out there and executes better. You know, the thing with our defense is that we have certain principles we abide by, so regardless of what they throw at us, we have certain rules we play. Anything we haven't seen that they throw at us, we'll be ready for."

But as is the case with many teams, the game will come down to the quarterback above all, and Luck appears poised to crash the game's elite ranks.

"If we don't come ready to play," said Moore, "it'll be ugly."

Von Miller, Chris Harris Jr. fired up for primetime return

By David DeChant DenverBroncos.com September 5, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Ask any NFL quarterback and they'll tell you Von Miller is a pretty scary dude.

The runner-up Defensive Player of the Year in his second season, Miller hounded opposing signal-callers for 18.5 sacks and six forced fumbles in 2012.

But after a disjointed third season limited by suspension and injury, Miller almost sounded like a rookie when talking about his expected return to the field on Sunday.

"I was super nervous in the preseason game," he said Wednesday. "That’s something I’ve been trying to work on in practice, getting the nerves going and just trying to calm myself down at practice."

"Thinking about the game and trying to put myself in that moment in practice and just trying to come out of it when I’m out there on the field."

The nerves are undoubtedly heightened by the fact that Sunday will be Miller's first extended action since tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in December. And as he points out, he hasn't played in a season opener since the 2012 season after missing last year's game against the Ravens due to suspension.

Add in the amount of work Miller has put in this offseason to work back from the injury, progressing from individual drills to team work and eventually game action, and it's easy to understand why he might have some jitters.

Encouraging for the Broncos, however, is that none of the anxiousness for No. 58 is related to his knee. He says he's had full confidence in the injured leg for some time now.

"I mean I was there in the offseason," he said. "I was there at like 15 weeks."

"I don’t know how many months I am now, but I’m going out there and playing. I can play football. I can do what I do to the best of my ability, with the knee brace or without the knee brace.” Another defensive starter making his return from an ACL injury against the Colts, Chris Harris Jr., doesn't quite know what emotions to expect on game night. But having missed all of the preseason, there's one thing the fourth-year corner is sure of.

"I’m just ready to hit somebody, man," Harris said. " I’ve been waiting to hit somebody and just turn into a monster out there. That’s what I’m waiting for."

Harris had surgery about a month after Miller, but progressed in his recovery fast enough that his timeline nearly caught up to the linebacker's. Despite not playing in the preseason, Harris expects to be fully ready on Sunday, "covering like how I usually cover." When asked about facing Andrew Luck and the Colts in his first game back, Harris didn't exactly sound daunted by Indy's offense.

"I get a warmup game every day with Peyton Manning," Harris said, smiling. "So going against them and [Demaryius Thomas] every day, that’s been great work for me. I feel like if I can cover DT and Emmanuel [Sanders], I can cover these receivers."

The corner's return to the field marks the final puzzle piece of the 2014 Broncos defense, which will be seen in its full construction for the first time this weekend. Even though Miller returned in the preseason, he played just nine snaps against the Texans, while Harris and third corner Kayvon Webster missed the game.

After an offseason of excitement about new defensive additions and hours upon hours of rehab put in by Miller and Harris, Sunday's game should provide the first true impression of this unit as a whole.

'Broncos Country' earns merit with Facebook map

By Scott Ward DenverBroncos.com September 5, 2014

An interesting data map came across the Broncos Social desk earlier this afternoon, and it's one of those things that needs to be shared -- and on more platforms than just Facebook.

Facebook's data team delved into the fandom for all 32 NFL teams and came up with this pretty cool -- and rather Broncos-Orange dominated, no? -- map showcasing where fans live based on which NFL team they "Like" on Facebook.

Every county across the country is color-coded based on which official NFL team page has the most Facebook "likes" from people who live in that county.

Predictability reigned throughout the country, with most teams "owning" their home states and expanding a bit into surrounding areas. The Broncos' and Cowboys' color splotched bleed the most, geographically, of any teams in the NFL, adding to the Broncos Country moniker so often utilzied on social platforms.

Colorado is dominated, of course, by Broncos orange (PMS 1655, if you're wonderig), but the color seeps into Utah, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas.

Florida, with color specks of Dolphins green, Buccaneers red and Jaguars yellow appears the most divided, with Iowa and Kentucky following.

Click to the Broncos' FB page for a high-res version of the map.