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If Broncos win coin toss, let Manning come out throwing, right? Wrong!

Mark Kiszla The Post January 11, 2013

Heads? The Broncos win. Tails? loses.

But if Denver wins the coin flip before this AFC playoff game, there is only one choice:

Take the football. Give it to . And let Manning shove it down the throat of and that over-the-hill Baltimore defense.

Nobody asked me but: Deferring is for losers.

If the Broncos have the greatest NFL quarterback of this generation on their side, what sense would it make for them to win the coin flip and kick off?

Well, guys who own way cooler pocket protectors than I do would argue that deferring makes math sense. The stat geeks who ogle advanced metrics the way I drool over a bacon cheeseburger tell me the smart and hip decision is to defer.

During their 11-game winning streak, the Broncos have won the coin toss four times, and each time coach John Fox has elected to defer possession of the ball until the second half.

If his team is on an unbeatable roll, why would Fox mess with success?

And a coach can be just as superstitious as any fan who has been wearing the same ratty, old Broncos T-shirt on game day for 20 years.

Consider this: When Denver began the season with a 2-3 record, the Broncos won the coin flip four times and elected to receive the opening kickoff four times. The results of those four drives: , , punt, . Zero points.

With the Broncos, Manning has grown more dangerous as the game has worn on. During the seven times this season when Denver has taken possession to open the third quarter, Manning has produced four and one field-goal attempt shanked by .

Hey, who was the knucklehead who suggested deferring was for losers?

Certainly not New England coach . Belichick, the great and powerful Oz of NFL coaches, defers every single time. No questions asked. In fact, the last time the Patriots won the toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff was way back in 2008. You might recall the game. Quarterback does. He suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Nevertheless, it makes sense to me to put the football in the hands of your best player from the word “Go!” The way I have it figured, if the Broncos take the opening kickoff, they will never trail against Baltimore.

So what should Fox do if the Broncos win the coin toss?

Whatever Manning tells him to do. Klis: Falcons are trying to go from good to great

Mike Klis The Denver Post January 12, 2013

Sometimes I root for the underdog.

But how did Notre Dame work out for me?

Mostly, I root for greatness. I pulled for Ali, not Frazier. Or Leon Spinks. I'm bummed at Tiger because I wanted it for him.

My most despised world championship team ever was the 1997 Marlins. They decided, just for that one year, to try. They wound up winning it all, beating out the Atlanta Braves, who were the team to beat, year after year after 14 not- quite remarkable years.

Rooting on the favorites, you see, can bring disappointment too. Which brings us to the and their playoff game Sunday against the .

"I feel like the Falcons, their whole narrative of who they are is now at stake," said , an ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback. "There is nothing they can do from September to December that we pay much attention to. They could have gone undefeated and we would have been, 'Oh, all right. That's great. But we want to see you in January.' "

The Falcons' chronicles should focus on the remarkable comeback from their 2007 disasters that were and Bobby Petrino.

"It was my lowest point in the 11 years I was there," said Broncos linebacker , a Falcon from 1998-2008. "At the time, Michael Vick was maybe the face of the entire league and he gets indicted on federal charges. And I don't have a lot of positive things to say about Petrino. You can tell he bailed out on us in Week 4 or 5. You can't fool players. Then he leaves in the middle of the night. The way I found out about it, I was watching a local TV affiliate there and it crawls across the bottom: "Breaking news: Petrino leaves the Falcons for Arkansas." That's how I found out. And then 30 minutes later I see him do the Pig Sooie deal on 'SportsCenter.' "

From that nightmare, the Falcons went 11-5 the next year, then 9-7, 13-3, 10-6 and 13-3. That's a near Bill Belichick- and Tom Brady-like average record of 11-5.

The Falcons should be held up as exemplary to all moribund franchises. If you pick the right coach, even if it's an uninspired candidate like , and correctly, specifically with the No. 3 overall pick in a year when a quarterback like Matt Ryan is available, you too can immediately transform from embarrassingly bad to real good.

Instead, the Falcons are held up as a paradigm to the reality that the gap from good to great often is canyonesque.

The next time the Falcons win a playoff game in the Smith-Ryan era will be their first. When they meet the No. 5-seeded Seahawks at the Georgia Dome on Sunday, it will be the second time in three years the Falcons open their postseason against the NFC's lowest-seeded team.

The first time, in the 2010 season, the Falcons were trounced by and the No. 6-seeded 48-21. The Packers went on to win the .

That followed the Falcons' 2008 playoff opener. They lost to the seemingly ordinary . The Cardinals advanced to the Super Bowl, where they came within 35 seconds of becoming the first 9-7 team to win an NFL title.

Instead, the 2011 became the first 9-7 team to win it all. The Giants opened their playoff run last season with a 24-2 win at Atlanta.

The Falcons have become not Super Bowl contenders but a steppingstone to the Super Bowl.

"Everyone in the has got sudden death, but I think there's more here," Young said. "And maybe more than any other team. More can be gained by the Falcons than anybody else in the playoffs."

Nothing against , the Seahawks' terrific rookie quarterback, but I'll be rooting for Ryan and the Falcons. Then again, like all those good people of Atlanta, I rooted for the Braves to stamp their greatness every postseason.

It's elusive, greatness. Maybe that's why it's worth rooting for.

Spotlight on ... Matt Ryan, QB, Falcons

When: 11 a.m. Sunday vs. the Seattle Seahawks at the Georgia Dome in the NFC semifinals.

What's up: Ryan has five winning seasons in his first five NFL seasons, including four playoff berths. This is Ryan's best season. He has completed 68.6 percent of his passes for 4,719 yards, 32 touchdowns (14 ) and a 99.1 rating. The catch: Ryan never has won a playoff game. Background: Like most who would have been first-round draft picks after their junior year in college, Ryan had a disappointing senior season at Boston College, throwing 19 interceptions. But he was the No. 3 pick for the Falcons in 2008, becoming the face of a franchise that was smeared by back-to-back fiascos involving quarterback Michael Vick and coach Bobby Petrino.

Klis' take: There's no excuse this year. Ryan and the Falcons, the NFC's No. 1 playoff seed with a 13-3 record, can't lose to the No. 5-seeded Seahawks and a rookie QB, even though Russell Wilson is a superb rookie coming off an impressive playoff performance against Washington last weekend and even though the Seahawks have won six in a row by an average margin of 23.8 points. You have to beat somebody good in the playoffs, right? The pressure on Ryan is immense Sunday, but I think he comes through.

John Elway's vision helped restore Broncos' home-field edge, defense

Mike Klis The Denver Post January 11, 2013

"What are some of the emphasis we have? We have to get better on defense — there is no question about that. I think the No. 1 way we do that is we have to get some continuity on the defensive side. We have to get some continuity where guys are under the same system year in and year out and can go out and play. No. 2, we need to win at home. We have lost our home-field advantage, and that is something we need to get back ... to protect our turf up here at 5,280 feet. I am looking forward to the challenge."

— , at his introductory news conference as the new man in charge of the Broncos' football operations, Jan. 5, 2011

***

Two years later, the Broncos have home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs and a defense that ranked No. 2 in the NFL this season.

The priorities set by the Broncos' new front-office boss were not unusual. Play better defense and protect the home turf might have been mentioned at many news conferences that formally presented a coach or executive.

What bounced these words from front stage to back wall at the Broncos' team meeting room was that Elway played quarterback in the NFL. A quarterback who on Day One in Denver was proclaimed a savior, and who by his last day had justified the expectation.

"John's smart enough to know that home-field advantage and a defense that you can pack and go anywhere is the secret in January," said Steve Young, an NFL analyst for ESPN and a former quarterback. "Even John Elway or Peyton Manning can have a bad game in January. And if that comes, and you have a defense that can hand the ball back to you enough, good quarterbacks can stop the bleeding."

When the Broncos meet the on Saturday in an AFC divisional- round playoff game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, the temperature by the 2:30 p.m. kickoff is predicted to be 19 degrees. And fall from there. A cautionary statistic circulating this week: Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is 0-3 in the playoffs when the game-time temperature was less than 40 degrees. Those three games were on the road, of course. Not mentioned is how those games were played before Manning discovered the warming comforts of a gloved throwing hand, as he did in December.

But even if Manning doesn't have one of his typical 300-yard, three- performances, the Broncos have to find a way to win anyway.

"Offensively, you're probably going to have a bad day once in a while," Elway said this week from his upstairs office at the Broncos' Dove Valley headquarters. "But it's just like in when your shots aren't falling. If you play good defense, you can pull it out."

As a quarterback, Elway led the Broncos to five Super Bowls. He finished his 16- year playing career with NFL championships in the 1997 and 1998 seasons. The Broncos haven't played in the Super Bowl since.

Two years ago this week, Elway was back to Day One again. And again he was asked to resurrect a franchise that was about as far from the Super Bowl as the Broncos had been since they started calling it the Super Bowl.

The No. 2 draft pick, after all, is awarded to the NFL team with the second-worst record. And yet as Elway addressed a room full of media and a Rocky Mountain region of Broncos fans, he didn't mention needing a franchise quarterback. He said nothing about improving a meager running game, bringing in a new set of receiver weapons or fortifying the team's offensive line.

The former quarterback wanted a better defense because a better defense is the best way to feed into the monster that is home-field advantage.

"I just remember as a quarterback, how tough it was playing in those loud stadiums at Kansas City and in the playoffs," Elway said.

Silent count speaks volumes

Know where the Broncos' home-field advantage exceeds all others? When they're ahead by two scores in the second half. That's when the altitude really goes to work. That's when Browns all-pro offensive Joe Thomas doesn't quite come off the ball as he did in the first half. That's when the Broncos' secondary becomes amused at how ' Saints receivers rotate out because of fatigue from running route after route after route.

" once said that when the Broncos were losing, no one mentioned the altitude," said Tom Jackson, a star Broncos linebacker during the Orange Crush era and a longtime ESPN analyst. "And as soon as we started winning, people started telling us how hard it was to breathe here."

An offensive touchdown may draw applause. But a defensive sack incites bedlam. The fans are taught, by Manning's down-waving arms, to stay quiet when the offense has the ball. But they are exhorted, by the Denver defenders' up-waving arms, to cut loose when the other team's quarterback is trying to operate.

"They have to use the silent count," said Broncos Elvis Dumervil. "(Offensive) tackles move when they see you move. With the crowd noise, that can be the difference between a quarterback hit and a sack-forced fumble."

Led by Dumervil, and , the Broncos tied for lead with 52 sacks this season.

"I still believe in the end what wins championships is being able to stop people," Jackson said. "But with the rule changes and the evolution of the game to throwing the ball, there is such a lack of defense in this league that you find that the four or five teams that really have one, it's unusual now."

Denver's No. 2 defensive ranking is up 30 spots from where it was when Elway took charge two years ago. The Broncos' 7-1 record at Sports Authority Field this season is their best home performance since 2005.

Fox has a defensive résumé

Note to the NFL teams who are considering for their head coaching job: Elway liked him.

When Elway was about to make his first head coaching hire for the Broncos a week after he took his executive role, he strongly considered hiring his former teammate, now the for the .

Dennison's Texans will play the on Sunday in Fox- borough, Mass., in the other AFC divisional-round game.

But Elway really liked John Fox too. There were many reasons Fox became the choice, perhaps none more than his coaching background was on the defensive side of the ball.

"The lack of consistency we had on the defensive side of the ball was ridiculous," said Elway, referring to the Broncos' annual hiring of a . "We had to go defense with our because, then, even if we did lose a defensive coordinator, Foxy would still be here to keep consistency."

A promise made at the lectern is one thing. See the political campaigns every four years and what these politicians actually get done while in office.

But Elway has walked the walk. The Broncos' head coach for 28 of their previous 30 years had been groomed on the offensive side (Reeves, and Josh McDaniels). The former quarterback turned front- office boss decided it was time to bring in a defensive guy. Then, in Elway's first two drafts, he went defensive player with his first pick in each. Miller was the No. 2 pick in 2011. Wolfe was the No. 36 selection in 2012.

" told me if you want to build a winning team, you need two things," Elway said in reference to his personal mentor as an NFL executive. "One, you had better get a quarterback, and then you had better get a guy who can knock down the quarterback. We got the guy who could knock down the quarterback the first year. And then we got Peyton."

But Elway learned through his experience, just as Manning discovered in the past decade or so, that the Super Bowl can't be won on quarterback play alone. Manning has largely been without equal as an NFL quarterback during his 15-year career. Yet he has won only one Super Bowl.

His previous team, the , tried to get by for many years with a soft defense. Elway set out to give Manning something better.

Broncos QB Peyton Manning stockpiling accomplishments this season

Mike Klis The Denver Post January 11, 2013

Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning put together an MVP-type season after sitting out a year because of four neck surgeries. Here are some of his accomplishments this season:

• Named to his 12th (starter) to represent the most by a quarterback in NFL history.

• Became the first quarterback to make a Pro Bowl after missing the previous year because of an injury, and the first signal caller to make 10 consecutive Pro Bowls in seasons he played.

• Led his team to at least 12 wins for an NFL-record 12th time in his career and the eighth time in his last nine seasons under center.

• Directed Denver to 11 consecutive wins by at least seven points, tying for the second-longest streak all time.

• Passed for the second-most victories by a starting quarterback (154), trailing only in that category.

• Set franchise season records for completions (400), passing yards (4,659), completion percentage (.686), touchdown passes (37) and (105.8).

• Named AFC offensive player of the month for October after completing 77-of-104 passes (.740) for 951 yards with nine touchdowns and just one interception (126.7 rating).

• Threw his 400th touchdown pass in Week 1 to become the fastest player in NFL history to that milestone (209 games).

• Set a Broncos season record with 37 touchdown passes to represent the second- most passing scores in his career.

• Threw at least three touchdown passes in eight games to pass Favre for the most career games (73) with three or more touchdown passes.

• Threw for at least three touchdowns in five consecutive games (Games 4-8) to tie for the third-longest streak in league history. • Threw for at least 300 yards in a team-record nine games to tie a personal best.

• Set a Broncos record with five consecutive 300-yard passing outputs (Games 3- 7).

• Joined Steve Young (1998) as the only players in NFL history to throw for 300 yards and three touchdowns in four consecutive games (Games 5-8).

• Recorded 10 games with a 100-plus passer rating to set a franchise record for one season.

• Owns 13 consecutive games with a 90-plus passer rating to tie for the second- longest streak of all time.

• Completed at least 70 percent of his passes in a team-record nine contests.

• Engineered three game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or to become the NFL's all-time leader in that category with 48.

• Notched his 12th 4,000-yard passing season (most all time) in addition to his 14th 3,000-yard passing season (second all time).

• Passed Marino for the second-most completions (5,082) and the second-most touchdown passes (436) in league history.

Hall of Famers John Elway, a two-man club

Jeff Legwold The Denver Post January 11, 2013

It is a club of two, an exclusive place where the dress code includes a gold jacket.

But when the Broncos and Baltimore Ravens settle things on the field Saturday, they will be the only teams in the league with Hall of Fame players now making the decisions about which players are on the sidelines.

And Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome — Hall of Fame Class of 1999 — is one of the people Broncos executive vice president of football operations John Elway — Class of 2004 — consulted when he began his second NFL career as the Broncos' top football boss two years ago.

"There were people who I talked to, kind of picked their brains, and Ozzie was one of those whenever I had the chance," Elway said.

"I may have talked to others a little more, but I've always respected him as player, how he conducted himself, how he performed as a player and now for how he's done those things as a team executive."

Newsome, former New York Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi and Green Bay Packers general manager were all longtime league executives Elway consulted along the way. The subjects included draft strategy, free agency and any and all matters of team building.

Elway's experiences as a player, as well as his time spent with his father, Jack, a longtime coach and NFL personnel evaluator, can be seen in the Broncos' past two drafts. Elway has said he wants to draft for impact, to find starters, but to not reach or surrender value.

"Just that patience to do what's needed," Elway said. "Ozzie in particular is patient. And when your team is good year after year, you can afford to be patient, you can wait and make the pick that fits your team, or move back if the board dictates you should do that. Those types of things."

Newsome is known for standing pat in the draft and not surrendering future picks. He waited with trades going on all around him and took linebacker with the 10th overall pick of the 2003 draft a year after standing pat at No. 24 in the first round and taking safety . Newsome also selected quarterback and with the 18th and 55th picks in the 2008 draft.

Last spring, the Broncos traded back twice, eventually moving out of the first round when they didn't like the look of the board before selecting defensive lineman Derek Wolfe with the 36th pick overall.

Wolfe started 16 games this season and finished third on the team with six sacks.

"I think there's no question John and the personnel department have done a great job," Broncos coach John Fox said. "I've enjoyed working with him, getting to know him. I knew him as a player and competed against him as a coach, but getting to know him and watching him work in this role has been great to be a part of."

"Your goal is to do what's necessary to make the organization strong over the long haul," Elway said, "to build the where we compete for championships year after year and expectations are high for how we play and how we go about our work." No Broncos have chance for Hall of Fame in 2013

Jeff Legwold The Denver Post January 11, 2013

No Broncos made the list of finalists announced Friday morning for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2013.

Linebacker , running back and safety — all Broncos' Ring of Fame members — had made the list of 25 semifinalists. The list was trimmed by the Hall's Board of Selectors in December and the 15 modern- era finalists were announced Friday.

Those 15 finalists and two Seniors Committee nominees (Curly Culp and Dave Robinson) will now be considered for induction into the Hall of Fame at a Feb. 2 meeting of the Board of Selectors in New Orleans, the day before the Super Bowl.

It is the fifth time Davis has been a semifinalist, but he has yet to be named a finalist. It was the second time Mecklenburg and Atwater have been semifinalists.

Among this years' finalists is a rare group of first-year eligible players. , , and , all in their first year of eligibility, were all among the 15 finalists.

Three wide receivers — , and Tim Brown — were again among the 15 finalists. Also to be considered will be , former 49ers owner Edward DeBartolo Jr., Kevin Greene, , former Browns owner , former Giants/Patriots/Jets coach , and .

The Hall of Fame's Class of 2013 will be announced Feb. 2 at 2:30 p.m. Mountain Time. Must-see TV: The seven biggest non- Super Bowl moments in NFL playoff history

Jeff Legwold The Denver Post January 11, 2013

1. 's block, Dec. 31, 1967

The most famous game ever was not the 1958 NFL championship game or Super Bowl III. It was the Ice Bowl at Green Bay's . The kickoff temperature was minus-13, and the Cowboys led the Packers 17-14 with 16 seconds left. On a third-and-goal play from the 1-yard line, Kramer obliterated ' Jethro Pugh, allowing QB to score. The Packers went on to win Super Bowl II.

2. ' , Dec. 23, 1972

It was 6-0 Steelers when Oakland's Kenny Stabler threw a go-ahead TD pass with 1:17 remaining. The Steelers faced fourth-and-10 with 22 seconds left when threw down the field to Frenchy Fuqua, who got blown up by safety . The ball ricocheted to Harris, who ran 45 yards to the for a stunning 13-7 victory. The Steelers lost the next week to the undefeated Dolphins.

3. by John Elway, Jan. 11, 1987

The Browns were leading 20-13 in the AFC championship game in Cleveland with 5:32 remaining and the Broncos had the ball at their 2-yard line. Elway later faced third- and-18 with 1:47 remaining and completed a 20-yard pass to Mark Jackson. Five plays later, Elway hit Jackson again for a touchdown with 37 seconds left. The Broncos won the game in overtime, then lost Super Bowl XX.

4. The Catch by , Jan. 10, 1982

Danny White had the Cowboys up 27-21 in the NFC championship game. But on third-and-3 from the 6 and less than a minute remaining, 49ers star rolled right and threw high to the back of the end zone. The 6-foot-4 Clark leaped and reached to grab the ball for the winning TD. The 49ers went on to win their first of five Super Bowls.

5. The Ed Podolak game, Christmas Day, 1971 Era to era, this was the greatest single-game playoff performance I ever saw. In a double-overtime, 27-24 loss to the Dolphins, the Chiefs' Podolak had 85 yards rushing, 110 yards receiving, 155 and two touchdowns.

6. The epic in Miami, Jan. 2, 1982

The most vivid image from this AFC playoff game was an exhausted Winslow getting carried off the field after making 13 catches for 166 yards. His Chargers nearly blew a 24-0 lead to the Dolphins, winning 41-38 in overtime.

7. The comeback, Jan. 3, 1993

Warren Moon had the Houston Oilers up 35-3 early in the third quarter at Buffalo. But Frank Reich, subbing for injured Bills quarterback , threw four touchdown passes to tie the score at 35-35. Moon's interception in overtime set up the Bills' winning . The Bills went on to their third of four consecutive Super Bowl losses.

Broncos Q&A: Mitch Unrein

Tom Kensler The Denver Post January 11, 2013

The Broncos' roster includes two Colorado natives. Most fans know about , a former Colorado State standout from Fort Morgan.

But how many are aware that second-year reserve defensive tackle Mitch Unrein hails from Eaton?

Unrein, who played college ball at Wyoming, watched the Broncos when their training camp was in nearby Greeley.

"I was in high school, about 200 pounds then," Unrein said, "and I was like, 'Wow. These dudes are unreal how big they are and how fast they are.'

"You don't really think playing in the NFL is an achievable goal at that time. But as long as you keep working and reach those small little steppingstones, you can achieve your big goal."

Q: What was it like growing up in Eaton?

A: It's a big sports town. Everybody that grows up there plays sports. Baseball is huge up there. And so are pretty much the other sports. That's what parents stress up there. Sports makes you accountable for everything — what you do in school, what you do in life. You have to keep your grades up, so you can participate in sports. And it keeps kids out of trouble.

Q: How big were you when you walked on for football at Wyoming?

A: I was about 220 (pounds). I was a linebacker in high school and Wyoming coaches wanted me to be a defensive end. That's kind of been the name of my career — just gaining weight. It was the same coming out of college and going to the NFL. They said I wasn't quite fast enough to play on the edge, so I had to gain more weight and move inside. You try to do everything you can to achieve your dream.

Q: Did you get any scholarship offers coming out of high school?

A: Just small offers. UNC (Northern Colorado) offered me, and the others were Division II schools. My thought process was, I wanted to try D-I first, to see if I could make it at that level. Then if I couldn't, I could go back down to D-II and play right away. If I went D-II first and then tried to move up to D-I, I'd have to sit out a year (because of NCAA transfer rules). So Wyoming seemed like a good fit.

Q: How does it feel to already be in the record book as the first Broncos defensive lineman in history (1-yarder from Peyton Manning vs. Tampa Bay) to catch a touchdown pass? Are you aiming to become another , the former New England Patriots defensive end and linebacker who caught 10 passes in his NFL career, all for touchdowns?

A: Mike Vrabel? That sounds good to me. As long as I keep catching the ball, they will put some plays in there for me. I remember watching Vrabel. He was unreal. He would find an opening and Tom Brady would get him the ball.

Q: You always have good hands?

A: Actually, growing up, I didn't have good hands. But it's one of those things that, if you have that much pressure on you to catch the ball, you're going to catch the ball. That's why every day in practice, I couldn't let the ball hit the ground. It was that time or never. If I couldn't catch the ball, they were never going to throw it to me.

Q: After being waived by Houston in September 2010, you were signed to Denver's . How did that go?

A: (Broncos coach) John Fox always says the practice squad is really a developmental squad. It's there to get you ready to play on Sundays. That's how I approached it. I had to keep gaining weight. I was about 285 when I got here. I put on some weight, some muscle. And with that experience on the practice squad, the game slows down for you because you're going every day against the No. 1 offense.

Unrein file

Position: Defensive tackle

Height: 6-foot-4

Weight: 305 pounds

Hometown: Eaton

College: Wyoming Path to Broncos: Signed May 7, 2010, with Houston as a college (undrafted) free agent. Waived by Houston before the season opener. Joined the Broncos' practice squad Oct. 20, 2010.

Career stats: Two years, 30 games, no starts, 27 tackles, 17 unassisted, one forced fumble.

Season stats: 16 games, two starts, 20 tackles, eight unassisted, one forced fumble, one reception for 1 yard and a touchdown. Broncos' defense set the tone last month in 34-17 rout of Ravens

Patrick Saunders The Denver Post January 11, 2013

Sure, Peyton Manning has won nine consecutive games against the Baltimore Ravens. And, yes, he had a solid performance when the Broncos beat the Ravens 34-17 on Dec. 16.

But the real key to Denver's first-ever road win against the Ravens? A defense that outmuscled the Ravens and made key plays at key times.

It began early when defensive tackle Justin Bannan, a former Raven, jarred the ball loose from quarterback Joe Flacco on Baltimore's third offensive play of the game. Rahim Moore recovered to set up Matt Prater's 27-yard field goal.

Baltimore threatened to score just before halftime, but Broncos Chris Harris stepped in front of a misguided Flacco pass intended for and returned it 98 yards for a touchdown. Instead of trimming Denver's lead to 10-7, the Ravens fell behind 17-0 and never came close to recovering.

Harris said making plays has been a hallmark of the Broncos' defense all season. He said it will be vital again Saturday when the Broncos host the Ravens in the AFC divisional playoffs.

"We have been doing the same thing all year," Harris said. "It's about winning one- on-one battles. That's the only thing we have to do. Go out there and try to win our one-on-one battles. Have the D-line affect the quarterback with the . It works hand in hand, so we need to work together as a team."

The statistics illustrate Denver's domination of the Ravens on Dec. 16. The Ravens were only 1-for-12 on third down and 0-for-2 on fourth down. Not surprisingly, the Broncos dominated time of possession — 38:34 to 21:26.

The Broncos won the battles up front and held the Ravens to 56 yards rushing on 19 carries, an average of 2.9 yards per carry. The dangerous Ray Rice gained a mere 38 yards on 12 carries.

The Broncos are focused on containing him again.

"One thing we can't do is take our eyes off Ray Rice," cornerback said. "He is one of the best in the game. You have to know where he is, coming out of the backfield, running the ball — it doesn't matter. He is No. 1 because if he gets started, it's a long day for us." The Broncos made it a long day for Flacco too. He completed only 50 percent of his passes (20-for-40) and was sacked three times. He threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes, but only after Denver had a 31-3 lead.

Still, the Broncos say Flacco is a big-time threat.

"He's a great quarterback, probably the strongest arm in the NFL," Bannan said. "Ray Rice and some of the receivers they have, it's very tough to defend."

But if the Broncos' second-ranked defense can contain the Ravens again, Manning and his offense should be able to replicate their Game 14 performance. ran for 118 yards and a third-quarter touchdown. Manning was sacked only twice and completed 17-of-28 passes for 204 yards and a 94.9 passer rating.

Coach John Fox, of course, insists that Denver's lopsided victory in Baltimore is ancient history.

"What happened last game doesn't have anything to do with this game," Fox said. "Each game's different. They take on their own personality. That's not going to change."

Jaguars handed Broncos a painful playoff loss 16 years ago in Denver

Patrick Saunders The Denver Post January 11, 2013

Broncomania is in full bloom. Peyton Manning jerseys are flying off store shelves. Local TV and radio stations are hyping Saturday's AFC divisional playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens as a steppingstone on the road to the Super Bowl. And perhaps you've noticed that sunsets this week have had a distinctive orange- and-blue glow.

With a 13-3 record, 11 consecutive victories and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs, the Broncos' situation looks rosy indeed. But for longtime Broncos fans with sticky memories, one monumental upset lingers. And 16 years later it still casts a gnawing shadow.

It was Jan. 4, 1997, when the , in only their second year of existence, walked into as 14½-point underdogs. They left with a stunning 30-27 victory in the AFC divisional playoffs. Jacksonville rushed for 203 yards that Saturday, led by ' 140 yards. Elusive southpaw quarterback threw for 245 yards and two touchdowns. The Broncos' Super Bowl dreams were crushed.

"I'm just going to go home, sit on my couch and probably cry," Denver tight end said afterward.

Now, with three Super Bowl title rings (two with the Broncos, one with the Ravens) and a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Sharpe can look back at that titanic loss from a different perspective.

"I don't think we were flat that day," Sharpe said this week. "We were just a little off that day and the deeper the Jaguars got into the game, the more confident they became. It wasn't that we weren't focused. But there is a very fine line between playing winning and losing football when you get into the playoffs."

Sharpe, now an NFL analyst for CBS, is not predicting a Ravens upset in Denver on Sat- urday, but he's not ruling out anything.

"Of course, this is a totally different situation," he said. "You look at Jacksonville 16 years ago and they were one year removed from being an expansion team. The Ravens have been to the playoffs five straight years.

"So of course the Ravens can win. This is the NFL and this is the playoffs. So like they say, 'Anything can happen on any given Sunday.' " Or, in this case, on any given Saturday.

Dating to Denver's upset loss in the playoffs of the 1996 season, the top-seeded AFC team has made it to the Super Bowl only six of 16 times. So having time to rest, recover and prepare doesn't always pay off.

But Broncos coach John Fox, whose team lost to the Arizona Cardinals after a week in 2008, said history won't matter come Saturday.

"Forget about rest, forget about seeds, forget about who you play, when, where," he said. "It's going to be who plays the best Saturday afternoon."

Manning also is familiar with the shock of a sudden, stunning defeat. In 2005, his Indianapolis Colts opened the season 13-0, finished 14-2 and held the AFC's top seed entering the playoffs. But the Steelers beat the Colts 21-18 in the divisional round, sacking Manning five times.

The veteran quarterback is confident he knows how the playoffs must be approached.

"I had an old coach that used to say, 'If you have to do something different in the postseason to get ready to play, that means you probably haven't been doing the right things during the regular season to get ready to play,' " Manning said. "I always try to prepare every single week as if it was a playoff game or the Super Bowl. Whatever it is, that's your job as an NFL player. So when you get to the playoffs, that's really the mind-set again." Terrell Davis among four Broncos shut out again from Hall of Fame

Mike Klis The Denver Post January 11, 2013

This was not a good day for former Broncos. Despite having four former Broncos among the 27 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2013, none of them made it to the modern-era finalists list of 15.

The four Broncos who didn’t make the cut: Running back Terrell Davis; defensive lineman/linebacker Karl Mecklenburg and safeties John Lynch and Steve Atwater.

It’s a joke none of those Broncos made it and former Browns/Ravens owner Art Modell did.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee’s 17 finalists (15 modern-era and two senior nominees*) with their positions, teams, and years active follow:

** Larry Allen – Guard/Tackle – 1994-2005 ; 2006-07 49ers

** Jerome Bettis – Running Back – 1993-95 /St. Louis Rams; 1996- 2005

** Tim Brown – /Kick Returner/Punt Returner – 1988-2003 Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders; 2004

** Cris Carter – Wide Receiver – 1987-89 Eagles; 1990-2001 ; 2002

** * – 1968-1974 ; 1974-1980 Houston Oilers; 1980- 81 Lions

** Edward DeBartolo, Jr. – Owner – 1977-2000

** Kevin Greene – Linebacker/Defensive End – 1985-1992 ; 1993-95 Pittsburgh Steelers; 1996, 1998-99 Carolina Panthers; 1997 San Francisco 49ers

** Charles Haley – Defensive End/Linebacker – 1986-1991, 1999 San Francisco 49ers; 1992-96 Dallas Cowboys ** Art Modell – Owner – 1961-1995 ; 1996-2011 Baltimore Ravens

** Jonathan Ogden – Tackle – 1996-2007 Baltimore Ravens

** Bill Parcells – Coach – 1983-1990 New York Giants; 1993-96 New England Patriots; 1997-99 ; 2003-06 Dallas Cowboys

** Andre Reed – Wide Receiver – 1985-1999 ; 2000 Washington Redskins

** Dave Robinson* – 1963-1972 Green Bay Packers; 1973-74 Washington Redskins

** Warren Sapp – Defensive Tackle – 1995-2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers; 2004-07 Oakland Raiders

** Will Shields – Guard – 1993-2006 Kansas City Chiefs

** Michael Strahan – Defensive End – 1993-2007 New York Giants

** Aeneas Williams – Cornerback/Safety – 1991-2000 Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals; 2001-04 St. Louis Rams

Colorado lawmakers root for Broncos

Lynn Bartels The Denver Post January 11, 2013

It was an Orangefest/Blueapalooza at the state Capitol today as lawmakers and others donned Denver Broncos colors in honor of the playoff game Saturday against the Baltimore Ravens.

A few of the lawmakers even wore Broncos jerseys.

In the Senate, Republican Bill Cadman of Colorado Springs and jersey-clad Democrat Mike Johnston of Denver had getting the body to cheer “Broncos!” At the end, orange Broncos towels — no doubt the handiwork of Broncos lobbyist Bill Artist — came flying down from the third-floor gallery into the Senate chamber. Broncos fans say dealing with freezing cold all part of the game plan

Ryan Parker The Denver Post January 11, 2013

When you bleed orange and blue, it doesn't matter if you can't feel your frozen face, as long as the Broncos can hear your cheers. • Saturday is supposed to be cold. Frigid, in fact. But for fans attending the divisional-round playoff matchup between the Broncos and the Baltimore Ravens, icy temperatures are nothing more than a backdrop for a game that brings this town one step closer to the Super Bowl. • In the biggest game yet this season, weather could be a major factor at Sports Authority Field at Mile High for not only fans' enjoyment but their health, as well as player performance and local business.

"Cold weather is the weather football should be played in,"said fan Phil Hahn in a Facebook post. "When it's cold, I cheer louder and have more energy than I would if it was 90 degrees out."

In that case, it's lucky for Hahn that the National Weather Service reports the high Saturday will be 20 degrees, with the low in single digits. So the "heat of the day" should occur around the 2:30 p.m. kickoff time. A chance of snow and wind is forecast for the afternoon.

Peyton Manning — the duly appointed sheriff of Broncos Country — said he wasn't sure how the cold would affect the fans, but they have to make their presence known.

"We're going to need them to be as loud as they possibly can be on Saturday," Manning said.

The seats may not be heated, but the field will be, said Erich Schubert, Broncos spokesman.

Ten inches beneath the turf at Sports Authority Field at Mile High run more than 20 of heat tubing, he said.

"The field heating system keeps the grass living, growing and recuperative, which helps provide a better playing surface in colder weather," said Andy Gorchov, general manager at Sports Authority Field.

The system is heated by water with two boilers powered by natural gas. There is also the ability to tie in a third boiler, if necessary, which provides a safety net of triple redundancy, Schubert said. The field is divided into five heating zones, with two sensors per zone at the 6-inch level, Schubert said.

Regional Transportation District spokesman Scott Reed said the BroncosRide — buses going from 27 park-n-Ride facilities to the stadium — shouldn't be more crowded than normal.

"On average, about 9,000 fans use the service, and that is what we are expecting on Saturday," he said.

Extra light-rail cars are put into use to and from the stadium for games, and 10,000 fans ride on average, Reed said.

"Those numbers are always very steady," he said.

While the stadium will have medical personnel on hand for emergencies, they will not be up-staffing or changing protocols for the anticipated cold, said Cindy Matthews, spokeswoman for Denver Health.

Denver police will be on the lookout for anyone who may have problems because of the weather, said Sonny Jackson, police spokesman.

"If you see someone who is having trouble because of the cold, tell one of us," he said.

Pete Citrano, manager of Denver's REI store, said he is expecting a rush of business before the game, which usually happens when there is a cold-weather game.

"We have moved all the necessary items people will need to the front of the store in anticipation," Citrano said.

It addition, a checklist was created for fans, listing needed items, cross-checked with what is allowed into the stadium, Citrano said.

"Sometimes they don't realize how cold it really is until they are on their way down to the game," he said.

The stadium fan shop will sell hand warmers, Schubert said.

Fans won't be the only ones wearing more clothing because of the cold.

Manning will likely wear long sleeves, a neck warmer and gloves.

The gloves will also help with his grip on the football. "I certainly don't think I would have had to wear the glove had I not been injured last (season)," Manning said. "It's part of my injury, some things that I've had to adjust."

Players will have heaters on the sidelines, along with parkas, Schubert said.

Staff working the game will be prepared for the icy conditions too.

"I have to work the game, and I expect to have at least eight to 10 layers on," said Jess Foulsham, a guest-relations , in a Facebook post.

Hot chocolate and coffee will be sold at concession stands and by staff who walk the aisles, the Broncos' Schubert said.

Make sure you dress for the elements, stressed Dr. Christopher Colwell, director of emergency medicine at Denver Health.

While some brazen attendees may want to make the Barrel Man proud with their lack of attire, Colwell said fans should wear layers of clothes.

When temperatures plummet, and exposure to the elements is for hours at a time, fans need to be aware of how their bodies react, Colwell said.

It takes only a few minutes for exposed skin to become frostbitten if the temperature is below 20 degrees and the wind is blowing at 20 mph, according to Denver Heath information.

"Keep covered, especially your head, and try to keep dry," Colwell said. "Pay attention to any symptoms or changes you may feel from the cold."

And while leaving a toasty car or tailgate party earlier to get into the stadium may not sound appealing, Schubert said, it's the best way to avoid a last-minute bottleneck to get into the stadium.

"Fans are encouraged to arrive to the gates not later than one hour and 15 minutes before the scheduled kickoff time," he said. "Historically, cold- weather games at any venue lead to a late-arriving crowd."

Broncos defensive end Elvis Dumervil said no matter how cold it may be, he challenges fans to generate more noise than ever before on Saturday.

"It's vital," Dumervil said. "The louder you can get, the more it helps us up front." To stay warm during game: Cheer loud, sack your feet and don't drink

Ryan Parker The Denver Post January 11, 2013

From bundling up to special cocktails, fans sent The Denver Post numerous recommendations to keep warm. "Take a large paper sack to put your feet in," said fan Linda Gentry in a Facebook post. "It keeps the cold air from circling around and up your pants legs, it really works."

Fan Anna Dreiling said the goofier you look, the warmer you'll be at the game.

"We end up walking into the stadium looking like we're preparing for an Arctic expedition, but it works," Dreiling said.

The best way to ensure continuous warmth? Cheer loud, cheer often, Dreiling said.

"There's nothing better than cheering with all your might in order to stay warm during the cold games," she said. " We jump up and down and stomp our feet for the characteristic Mile High ."

Fan Kevan Plumb had an unusual practice for cold games.

"I will scream my head off and hopefully the headache will take away the cold," Plumb said on Facebook.

Of all the recommendations fans suggested to keep warm, alcohol was mentioned — often.

And while this may sound like a fine solution to the chilly question, it's not a wise decision, said Dr. Christopher Colwell, director of emergency medicine at Denver Health.

"Alcohol will make you feel warm because it is dilating the blood vessels, so your skin temperature rises," Colwell said, "but your core temperature could be dropping" — a bad combination in dangerously frigid conditions. Denver Post NFL reporter Mike Klis named Colorado sportswriter of year

The Denver Post January 12, 2013

Denver Post NFL reporter Mike Klis was named Colorado sportswriter of the year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. This is the first time Klis has won the award. KCNC-Channel 4's Vic Lombardi was named Colorado sportscaster of the year. It's also Lombardi's first time winning the award. Peter King of was named national sportswriter of the year and Dan Patrick was named national sportscaster of the year. and Mitch Albom will be inducted into the NSSA Hall of Fame. They will be honored at the 54th annual NSSA Awards Weekend, June 8-10 in Salisbury, N.C.

Weather is blustery but focused Broncos aren't

Arnie Stapleton January 11, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Try as they might, the Baltimore Ravens just couldn't get under the skin or into the heads of the Denver Broncos, who were more concerned about talking up their opponents than trash-talking them.

Most of the Ravens were exceedingly complimentary of the Broncos this week, but some spent time excusing their 34-17 home loss to Denver last month with dismissals ranging from the soon-to-retire Ray Lewis and several others being out of the lineup to the Broncos' receivers pushing off too much.

Ravens receiver Anquan Boldin said after Baltimore's emotional wild-card win that the Ravens were glad to get another shot at Denver.

Asked how it will be any different than last time, he declared, "We'll make it different."

"I wanted Denver, because they beat us," said Boldin, who was shut out in the first meeting, a game in which the Broncos breezed to a 31-3 lead and cruised to the finish.

The Broncos, not big on bravado all season, shrugged it all off.

"We beat them, so of course they want to play us again," cornerback Chris Harris said. "We're up for the challenge."

Those were about the brashest statements that came out of the Broncos locker room all week.

Not exactly a Pacquiao-Marquez pre-fight smack down.

"It's going to be a tough game," running back Knowshon Moreno said. "It's not going to be easy."

Fans aren't buying it, and oddsmakers have installed the top-seeded Broncos (13- 3) as more than a touchdown favorite. They haven't lost in three months, are coming off a bye and playing at altitude against a team playing on a short week. Although quarterback Joe Flacco has four road playoff wins on his resume, the Ravens were a mediocre 4-4 this season on the road, where he threw just seven of his 24 touchdown passes.

Then, there's Peyton Manning. Although he's 0-3 lifetime in cold weather in the playoffs — Saturday's high will hover around 20 degrees with some snow expected — he's beaten the Ravens (11-6) nine straight times, including twice in the playoffs.

He's been stellar with that glove on his right hand the last two weeks in preparation for the wintry weather and as a concession to the altered feel of his grip following four neck surgeries. With the glove, his completion percentage has been almost 6 points better and his passer rating almost 20 points higher than without it.

The Broncos aren't taking anything for granted, though. They pointed out all week that the last time they played, the Ravens were without Lewis, safety , guard , linebacker and tight end , all of whom will be available Saturday.

"So, this will be a completely different game, a completely different test," Broncos coach John Fox said.

Manning said he didn't have any reaction to the Ravens saying they were eager for a chance to atone for that lopsided loss.

"I know they have some guys back that did not play in the first game," Manning said, noting this is certainly the time of year you want to be healthy. "... Those guys make a difference for their team. They made a difference for their team on Sunday holding their opponent to zero touchdowns. It's an excellent defense, really no matter who's in there, in my opinion, but certainly when they have all their other guys back, they're extremely tough."

Joining the praise parade, Broncos safety Rahim Moore gushed this week about swapping jerseys with his hero, Baltimore Pro Bowler Ed Reed, after last month's game, and Champ Bailey pumped up Lewis, saying, "I know he's going to miss the game, but I think the game will miss him more because there's nobody like him."

Following a 12-week layoff with a torn right biceps, Lewis led the Ravens with 13 tackles to spark an emotional win over Indianapolis in the final home game of his spectacular 17-year career last week. The 37-year-old middle linebacker intends to retire after Baltimore completes its playoff run.

A marquee at a Denver hotel not far from Sports Authority Field reads: "Join us for Ray Lewis' retirement party at 2 p.m. Saturday."

The Broncos would cringe at such braggadocio. The weather may be blustery but they certainly aren't, pointing out repeatedly that the Ravens are the only NFL team to reach the playoffs in each of the past five seasons, and they've won at least one game in each of those trips. They've also had a month to get used to Jim Caldwell calling offensive plays after his discombobulated debut against Denver on Dec. 16.

Of course, not all the Ravens were boastful or bombastic this week; several had high praise for the Broncos — and the Broncos brushed off those compliments, too, lest they lose their focus.

"I don't really buy into all that mental warfare and all that stuff," linebacker Von Miller said. "I just like to get between the lines and just play football. I think that's where you can settle the score, on the football field."

Notes: Fox said RB Willis McGahee didn't have any setbacks this week. If the Broncos beat Baltimore and he continues to progress next week, he'll be eligible to return for the AFC championship, two months after tearing the medial collateral ligament in his right knee. ... RG Zane Beadles said a big reason for his breakout season was his work with a sports psychologist last spring.

Peyton Manning's failed suitors suffer

Many jobs have been lost for those who tried but failed to attract star QB

Adam Schefter ESPN.com January 11, 2013

Now it's easy to see why reporters, teams and helicopters all chased free-agent quarterback Peyton Manning last offseason. Landing Manning last March was the difference between playing or being unemployed this weekend.

Check out the teams that tried and failed and where they are today.

The Arizona Cardinals, who hosted a visit with Manning but could not sign him, fired head coach and general manager Rod Graves.

The , who could not get so much as a visit with Manning despite their efforts, fired head coach .

The New York Jets, who also could not get so much as a visit with Manning despite their calls, fired general manager Mike Tannenbaum.

The Kansas City Chiefs, who tried but failed to get an audience with Manning, fired head coach and general manager .

The , finalists for Manning before losing out on his services, fired chief operating officer and head of football operations .

The Miami Dolphins, who never advanced very far in their pursuit of Manning, didn't reach the postseason after drafting quarterback with their first- round pick.

Had any one of those teams been the NFL Powerball winner of Manning's services, it would not be hard to imagine it playing this weekend rather than consulting with search firms or conducting job interviews. Any of these teams with Manning would have been transformed overnight, not unlike the Broncos.

Some teams could court Manning, fail to get him, and still advance, most notably San Francisco and Seattle. The 49ers sure seemed to be serious about landing Manning, even though head coach insisted this could not be. Whatever the truth, San Francisco's defense and running game were so strong that the 49ers could withstand the loss of Manning, go away from and to and still land the NFC's No. 2 seed. Seattle actually sent its private plane to Denver unannounced to pick up Manning, though he refused to speak to the Seahawks, and they were turned away. That prompted Seattle to use a third-round pick on quarterback Russell Wilson.

So San Francisco had a superior supporting cast, Seattle landed Wilson, and those teams arrive in this weekend's Elite Eight along with Manning. But the suitors that tried and failed to land Manning struck out in March and then again all season. Their failure to land him will haunt them until they find another strong quarterback.

Sometimes the breathless coverage of a free agent can be as much of a waste as Washington's splurge on . But other times, it is not. The pursuit of Manning turned out to be a big deal.

Just look at the results. Some of those who failed to land Manning are unemployed. The team that landed him is lined up to beat Baltimore and advance to the AFC Championship Game.

On to this week's 10 Spot:

1. Brady-Manning watch: Looming over this entire weekend is the possibility that football could get Tom Brady versus Manning one more time in the AFC Championship Game. But before then, each quarterback is on the verge of making more history this weekend. A Patriots win Sunday would be the 17th of Brady's postseason career, breaking the tie he's in with his boyhood idol, Joe Montana, for most by a starting quarterback in NFL history. And on Saturday, Manning will join Brett Favre as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to start in 12 different postseasons, a fact the Elias Sports Bureau confirmed.

Keep in mind there are some teams that just struggle against certain quarterbacks. Baltimore understands this as well as anyone. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco has won 10 straight against the Cleveland Browns. But on the flip side, the Ravens have lost nine straight against Manning, including the playoffs. Manning has beaten Baltimore almost every which way. But Manning has done that to many teams, especially this season at home, where he has gone 7-1 -- losing only to Houston -- while throwing 22 touchdowns and only three interceptions.

Manning hasn't just helped Denver beat opponents at home. It has obliterated them. In Denver this season, the Broncos' margin of victory has been 19.3 points per win. Baltimore has to overcome a lot Saturday -- otherwise it will be the end of the NFL career of Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and maybe that of safety Ed Reed. These AFC games with their standout quarterbacks set up as an appetizer for what could be the main course next Sunday. Best Record In NFL

Here's how far each team with the best regular-season record advanced in the playoffs since 2004:

Year Team (W-L) Round of loss

2011 Packers (15-1) Divisional

2010 Patriots (14-2) Divisional

2009 Colts (14-2) Super Bowl

2008 Titans (13-3) Divisional

2007 Patriots (16-0) Super Bowl

2006 Chargers (14-2) Divisional

2005 Colts (14-2) Divisional

2004 Steelers (15-1) AFC Champ

2. Mighty have fallen: And then there's this: As the No. 1 seeds with matching 13-3 records, the Broncos and Atlanta Falcons have the home-field advantage. But they also face an unwelcome history that suggests it will be difficult for either team to win a playoff game, let alone the Super Bowl. The team with the best record in the NFL hasn't won the Super Bowl in each of the past eight seasons. Beyond that, in five of the past seven seasons, the team with the best record hasn't even won a playoff game.

So there is a reason to believe for Denver's opponent, Baltimore, and Atlanta's opponent, Seattle. From the 2005 to '11 postseasons, No. 1 seeds are just 6-8 in the divisional round, a far cry from the type of success that the top-seeded home teams used to have routinely in this round. From 1990 through 2004, No. 1 seeds were 25-5 in the divisional round. That home-field advantage has disappeared recently.

3. Kicking themselves: If Saturday night's Packers-49ers game is as close as many expect, Green Bay could be at a disadvantage. The Packers were 1-3 in games decided by three or fewer points this season and, even more troubling, are an NFL-worst 6-15 in such games since 2006. Close games usually are decided by kickers. And for as good as Green Bay and San Francisco have been, their kickers have been off. Packers kicker Mason Crosby missed 12 field goals this season and made many attempts look like adventures. Niners kicker , coming off hernia surgery, was even worse. Akers missed an NFL-high 13 field goals this season, leading San Francisco to sign , the only kicker in the NFL to make a lower percentage of his kicks this season than Akers and Crosby.

Green Bay has struggled in close games, these kickers have struggled in close games, and one more mistake or missed kick could end the season of either team.

4. Green Bay's executive tree: It's clear that Packers general manager Ted Thompson has built an impressive roster and an equally impressive executive tree. The men who have worked under Thompson in Green Bay are sprinkled across the league. Seahawks general manager John Schneider, the man responsible for drafting Wilson and assembling Seattle's roster, worked under Thompson. Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie spent years working with Thompson before leaving to help turn over Oakland's roster last year. And this offseason, Thompson is expected to lose his director of football operations, John Dorsey, a candidate to become the general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs. In what is another sign of a successful organization, Green Bay keeps losing front-office executives and winning games.

5. Two playoff teams, one architect: One man in this year's playoffs, Scot McCloughan, has had a major role in helping build the rosters of the Seahawks and 49ers. McCloughan was the 49ers' vice president of football operations from 2005 to 2007 and their GM from 2008 through 2010 before being dismissed. He surfaced in Seattle as the Seahawks' senior personnel executive.

While in San Francisco, McCloughan helped direct a 2007 draft that netted standout starters such as linebacker , left tackle , defensive tackle Ray McDonald, safety and cornerback . In Seattle, GM Schneider is said to value the voice of McCloughan, who has helped build a sturdy Pacific Northwest version of the roster he once helped assemble in San Francisco.

What McCloughan has done in two cities, on two elite eight teams, should have been enough to warrant at least one interview for a general manager's job. But those high-priced search firms never came up with the name of a man whose fingerprints are all over this weekend's games.

6. Perspective on Ryan: See if this sounds familiar, and see if you can guess which quarterback is being described. Quarterback arrives at a franchise in the gutter, bringing hope. Quarterback shines in regular season but struggles in postseason. Quarterback loses each of his first three playoff games, despite playing with one of the game's top wide receiver tandems. Quarterback faces questions entering his fifth season about whether he will win games that matter. Anyone say Matt Ryan? Good guess, but the correct answer is Peyton Manning, who arrived in Indianapolis when the franchise was struggling, performed well in the regular season, lost his first three postseason games, then faced questions about whether he could win a big game. Ryan's career has resembled Manning's more than most realize. Ryan certainly will have to accomplish plenty to achieve the milestones Manning has. But at this point, his career is precisely where Manning's was at a similar time. If anything, Ryan has been more impressive.

After five seasons, Ryan has completed 62.7 percent of his passes for 18,957 yards, with a 127-60 touchdowns-to-interceptions ratio and a won-loss record of 56-22. Through five seasons, Manning had completed 62 percent of his passes for 20,618 yards, with a 138-100 touchdowns-to-interceptions ratio and a 42-38 record.

When Manning was at that stage of his career, then-Colts coach pulled aside his quarterback and told him how the public once said Michael Jordan couldn't win the big game. A short time later, during the 2003 season, Manning's Colts beat the Broncos 41-10 in a wild-card game. Once Manning had one postseason win, he strung together many, including a victory over the Bears in Super Bowl XLI. His standing was solidified.

Now Ryan is out to silence the skeptics and critics the way Manning once did. He knows the game and appreciates its history the way Manning does. Entering Sunday's divisional playoff showdown versus the Seahawks, Ryan is looking to break through the way Jordan once did, the way Manning once did. If he does, it will help his and his team's confidence. If he doesn't, he will join Y.A. Tittle as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to lose their first four postseason starts, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

7. Seattle's bonus baby: Playoffs are incentive enough, but Seahawks safety already has cashed in. Thomas had a $200,000 Pro Bowl incentive bonus that he earned and another $275,000 incentive bonus that could be earned only with a Pro Bowl berth and a playoff win. So when Seattle beat Washington last Sunday, it meant not only that the Seahawks would advance to Sunday's divisional playoff versus the Falcons, but that Thomas was $275,000 richer.

8. Texans' blueprint: Houston's best hope for Sunday's divisional playoff against the Patriots might just be the New York Jets. Back in the 2010 season, the Jets went into New England on Monday night, Dec. 6, and got blown out against the Patriots 45-3. Then, on Sunday, Jan. 16, in a divisional playoff return to New England, the Jets turned the tables and turned back the Patriots 28-21. Now the Texans are hoping to accomplish the same.

Earlier this season, on Monday night, Dec. 10, the Texans went into New England and got blown out 42-14. Now, on Sunday, Jan. 13, in a divisional playoff return to New England, the Texans are going to hope to accomplish what the Jets did two years ago. If they do, the football world will link the Texans and Jets. The Texans will use that night as added motivation. And it's worth remembering: Each of the Patriots' six postseason losses under Bill Belichick have come in a rematch against a team they played earlier in the season.

9. High praise for Watt: Throughout his coaching career, Texans defensive coordinator has coached some of the greatest defensive players in NFL history. He coached with the Houston Oilers, in Philadelphia and in Buffalo. Phillips believes Texans defensive end J.J. Watt is in the same conversation.

"He is," Phillips said recently. "Obviously, in my opinion, he is. And again, I've had Reggie White and Bruce Smith, two of the all-time Hall of Fame players, along with Elvin Bethea and some other guys I've had, they're in the Hall of Fame. But he's playing at that level. And even more so than those guys, he's knocked down more passes, he had more tackles for loss in the running game. Both of those guys were tremendous players and this guy is playing at that level."

Watt needs to be at, and even above, that level for the Texans to be able to upset the Patriots.

10. Updating their résumés: Assistants in the playoffs can make their cases for head coaching jobs without even interviewing. Teams already have interviewed or contacted Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy, 49ers offensive coordinator , Packers offensive coordinator , Seahawks offensive coordinator , Seahawks defensive coordinator and Texans offensive coordinator Rick Dennison.

There aren't enough head coach openings for all of the candidates, yet some will distinguish themselves this weekend with their body of work. Problem is, winning coordinators sometimes lose out because teams have to wait longer to get them. Losing coordinators are free to be interviewed and hired right away. So for some coordinators this weekend, losing could be winning and winning could be losing.

The Schef's specialties

• Game of the week: Green Bay at San Francisco -- Good enough to be the NFC Championship Game.

• Player of the week: Falcons tight end -- It would be fair and fitting if he won his first NFL playoff game, something he has gone 16 seasons, 253 regular-season games and five postseason games without doing.

• Upset of the week: Houston over New England -- For the first 12 weeks of this season, Houston was the best team in the league. If it can recapture that form, watch out. Denver-bound

Bill Williamson ESPN.com January 11, 2013

I am headed to Denver to cover Saturday’s AFC divisional playoff game between the Broncos and the Ravens.

It is a rematch of Denver’s 34-17 win at Baltimore on Dec. 16. It was Denver’s first win over the Ravens in Baltimore. Denver quarterback Peyton Manning has won nine straight games against the Ravens and is 9-2 against them lifetime.

I think this game can be closer because the Ravens are healthier on defense. Still, I fully expect Denver to be focused on staying on its hot streak.

Please check back later Friday for updates from around the AFC West and please come back Saturday for pre, in and post-game coverage of the Ravens-Broncos game. Final Word: Ravens at Broncos

Bill Williamson ESPN.com January 11, 2013

Five nuggets of knowledge about the Baltimore Ravens-Denver Broncos AFC divisional-round game, which will be played at 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday at Denver's Sports Authority Field:

Justify his glove: A quarterback wearing a glove is a fairly common occurrence. But when a quarterback the caliber of Peyton Manning starts to wear a glove, it’s noticeable. When it happens after Manning missed an entire season because of a neck injury that required four surgeries, it is going to be newsworthy. This week, Manning admitted he is wearing the glove as a result of his surgery. He wore the glove in the past two games -- both at home -- because he has had difficulty gripping the ball in the cold. Snow is a possibility Saturday, and temperatures may dip below 20 degrees at game time. Expect to see the glove make its third appearance. If the first two games are any indication, Denver shouldn’t be worried about the fit: Manning has thrown for 643 yards, six touchdowns and one interception while wearing the glove.

Is Rice suddenly a fumbler? There is a curious trend developing for Baltimore running back Ray Rice. Once the postseason begins, the normally ball-secure Rice becomes vulnerable to fumbling. Rice has seven in 1,527 touches in his regular-season career. But after fumbling twice Sunday against the Colts, Rice has fumbled five times in 152 touches in the playoffs. Nothing can unravel an upset bid on the road in the playoffs like a key fumble. It will be something Rice and the entire Denver crowd will be thinking about Saturday.

Pees has playoff experience against Manning: Baltimore defensive coordinator was an assistant coach in New England from 2004-09 and faced Manning in the postseason twice, winning once and losing once. This week on ESPN’s “NFL Live,” another former Bill Belichick defensive assistant, , said Pees’ time planning for Manning with Belichick's playoff staffs could come in handy. Mangini said there were times when Belichick changed an entire defensive scheme against Manning at halftime to get an edge. Thus, Mangini said, Pees is adept at doing what it takes to try to stop Manning in the playoffs.

Will the Ravens be worn down? Denver will try to strike quickly and set the tone. Expect to see some fast-paced, no-huddle offense against what could be a fatigued Ravens defense. Baltimore had a short week after beating the Colts on Sunday -- after which the Ravens had to travel west into the thin air of Denver. The Colts ran 87 offensive plays and kept the ball for 37 minutes, 32 seconds Sunday. All of these factors could come into play Saturday.

Will Caldwell give different looks? When Denver beat the Ravens 34-17 in Baltimore in Week 15, it was the Ravens’ first game with Jim Caldwell as their offensive coordinator. Manning’s former head coach in Indianapolis was promoted from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator after the firing of Cam Cameron. Caldwell’s offense was anemic against Denver, which took a 31-3 lead into the fourth quarter. The unit has made some strides in the three games since, meaning that Denver should expect to see an improved Baltimore offense. Double Coverage: Ravens at Broncos

Jamison Hensley and Bill Williamson ESPN.com January 11, 2013

This feels like Double Coverage déjà vu. It was only four weeks ago when we were talking about these same two teams. If you don't remember, or you're a Ravens fan trying to forget, the Broncos rolled to a 34-17 win in Baltimore.

Since that time, the Ravens regrouped with a 33-14 win over the Giants and delivered an emotionally charged 24-9 playoff win over the Colts in the wild-card round. Baltimore has now won at least one game in each of the past five postseasons.

The Broncos finished out the regular season with 11 straight wins to capture the top seed in the AFC. In the previous 42 seasons, there have been eight teams to enter the playoffs with an active win streak of at least 10 games, and half of them made the Super Bowl.

AFC West blogger Bill Williamson and AFC North blogger Jamison Hensley discuss whether Saturday's AFC divisional playoff game will be a repeat of the regular- season rout.

Hensley: The Ravens are decided underdogs in this game, and they should be. Baltimore hardly looked like a playoff team in getting beat by 17 points by Denver last month, and Peyton Manning didn't even have a great game. The Ravens believe the outcome will be different because they're healthier. Middle linebacker Ray Lewis and the Ravens' top two tacklers (safety Bernard Pollard and linebacker Dannell Ellerbe) will play this time after missing the last game against the Broncos. The Ravens' best offensive lineman, guard Marshal Yanda, will also be back in the lineup. This, at least, gives the Ravens some hope.

Williamson: There’s no denying this: The Denver Broncos are confident going into this game. They should be. They are 13-3. They have won a league-high 11 straight games. They pounded the Ravens in Baltimore four weeks ago in their best overall game of the season. But be sure of this: Denver respects Baltimore. It is not overlooking this game because of a potential Manning-Tom Brady showdown in the AFC title game. The key to Denver’s winning streak has been its focus on the upcoming game and its ability not to get ahead of itself. As Jamison said, the Ravens are healthier this week than they were in December, and the Broncos know it. They have spoken of that fact all week. This is a good approach for Denver. The Broncos feel good about themselves, but they are focused on the Ravens. Let’s face it, the Broncos should win this game, but an upset is not out of the question. Jamison, what do you think are some keys to this matchup?

Hensley: The biggest matchup is one the Ravens lost badly the first time. It's the Ravens' offensive line against the Broncos' pass rush. Joe Flacco was sacked three times, and he's not the same quarterback when he gets hit early. Pressure on Flacco often results in turnovers. It's kind of a running theme, but the Ravens hope it will be different this time because their line looks different. For the wild-card victory Sunday, the Ravens put Bryant McKinnie at left tackle, moved to right tackle and shifted to left guard. McKinnie allowed one quarterback pressure against the Colts, and the Ravens gave up one sack. As you know, Bill, it's an entirely different challenge with Von Miller and the Broncos. What's the key matchup from the Broncos' standpoint?

Williamson: I think it starts here. I don’t know if the Ravens are going to have an answer for that. Sure, they did some line shuffling last week. But that is a sign of desperation. Denver’s pass rush is top-notch. It was all over Flacco last month. It set the tone for the game. Expect Denver to bring the heat early. The Broncos are well coached, but there isn’t a lot of mystery. They focus on what they do well, so don’t expect any funny business. Denver knows it got to Flacco easily four weeks ago and it will try to do the same thing. Miller is one of the best pass-rushers alive. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Miller had 11.5 of his 18.5 sacks on third downs in 2012. It was the highest total in the NFL in 20 years. But Denver’s pass rush is much more than the menacing Miller. Elvis Dumervil is a standout, and Denver gets great push from the defensive front. According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Denver defense has sacked or put the quarterback under duress on 28 percent of opponent dropbacks this season. It was the highest rate in the NFL. Against Baltimore, Denver put Flacco under duress 33 percent of the time. That is extremely taxing for an offensive line and quarterback. It is something Baltimore will have to account for.

Hensley: Bill, there's no doubt the Ravens have to keep the pressure off Flacco. Baltimore's pass rush, which had its moments against last Sunday, has been hampered by Terrell Suggs. Injuries to his Achilles and biceps this season have kept him from looking like the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Suggs has only two sacks this season and made one tackle against Denver. Paul Kruger has been the Ravens' best pass-rusher this season. He had a career-high nine sacks in the regular season and added 2.5 more in the playoff game. But the biggest pressure on Manning might not involve Suggs or Kruger. Since he won the Super Bowl, Manning has been one-and-done in three of his past four postseasons. Manning has had a reputation of faltering in the playoffs. Now, with the Broncos being the top seed and Manning being an MVP candidate, all of the pressure is on No. 18. Bill, do you see that being a factor?

Williamson: The guy has been so spectacular all season, I don’t see a lot of pressure. I mean, this is a 36-year-old man who missed all of the 2011 season because he had four neck surgeries. His recovery was the story of the NFL offseason. He responded with one of his best NFL seasons in a new setting and he is a top MVP candidate. I think the pressure is off. Now, it's true that he has not been great in the postseason. He is 9-10 in his career. If Denver loses Saturday, it will certainly be a major storyline. But I don’t think there is a lot of worry in Denver about Manning’s playoff history. Maybe because everyone is so confident in how he fits with this team and the supporting cast around him. This is arguably the best team he’s played on.

Hensley: Well, Bill, I'm not breaking new ground by saying this isn't the best defense Lewis has played on. No one will be making any comparisons to the 2000 record-setting defense, but the 2012 defense is better than what people think. The Ravens were the second-best red zone defense in the NFL this year and stopped the Colts on all three trips inside the 20-yard line last Sunday. Over the final six games, Baltimore allowed the NFL's fourth-fewest yards per game. But the best defense against Manning might be the weather. Bill, do I need to bring my snow shovel?

Williamson: You might want to pack an ice scraper, but nothing too serious. The forecast calls for a chance of snow. I think the biggest issue will be the cold. That could help the defense. Interesting that you mention the Ravens’ defensive success in the red zone. There have been times when Denver’s offense has stalled in the red zone. For Baltimore to win this game, it needs to hold Denver to three points more often than not and create big plays on defense. I don’t think it is out of the question that Baltimore wins this game, but the truth is that Denver is balanced and rolling. The Broncos will need to make an unusual amount of mistakes and the Ravens will have to cash in every time. I’m not sure if that will happen. I think this game will be closer than the last meeting, but I still give Denver the edge.

Peek at the Week: Home QBs under pressure to get it done

Clark Judge CBSSports.com January 11, 2013

Game of the week

Green Bay at San Francisco, Saturday, 8 p.m. ET | Preview

The line: 49ers by 3½

The story: So Aaron Rodgers plays in the Bay Area for the first time since the 49ers snubbed him in the 2005 NFL Draft, and what are we talking about? Uh-huh, San Francisco's Colin Kaepernick. He's the quarterback making his first playoff start, and the heat is on. Because if he doesn't win here ... if he doesn't at least push the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game ... there's one head coach under fire.

And that's Jim Harbaugh.

He's the guy who changed from Alex Smith to Kaepernick in midseason because ... well, because Smith suffered a concussion. He was 20-6-1 under Harbaugh. He was the league's most accurate passer. He was third in passer rating. Yet Harbaugh was eager to play his draft pick and make him the starter, mostly because he believes he can do more with Kaepernick than he can with Smith.

Kaepernick is 5-2 as a starter and 3-0 at home. He can run. He can throw. And he can make plays Smith cannot. But he can make mistakes, too, and beware, San Francisco. It was mistakes that cost the 49ers a chance to go to last year's Super Bowl. Kaepernick commits them (see St. Louis), and Smith does not.

Granted, Kaepernick makes big plays, too, but the 49ers' identity seems to have changed since he took over. Where once they were about defense and , now they're about defense and Kaepernick -- and that's a risk when the guy has no playoff experience.

Rodgers does, of course, and has won a Super Bowl. If there's a key to this game it's not Kaepernick but the 49ers' pass rush. If it can get to Rodgers -- and a lot of people have -- it can fluster and frazzle him and force him into the mistakes and mediocre play that sabotaged him and the Packers in last year's playoff loss to New York. If it cannot, it's over. Rodgers will shred San Francisco. I saw it happen with Tom Brady in the second half of the 49ers' defeat of New England last month, and I saw it happen the following week when Russell Wilson and the Seahawks torched these guys. The common thread: In both games, Justin Smith was missing. He was out the second half of the New England game, and he sat out the loss to Seattle. Smith is back, but the question is: How effective can he be?

San Francisco is hoping he can do something, anything, to spring loose . After 19½ sacks with Justin at his side, he had none without him. Rodgers has no rushing attack and his pass protection isn't all that great. But if he has the time he has receivers galore -- and, sorry, but if this comes down to a game of tennis, give me Rodgers over Kaepernick -- in straight sets.

The back story: Since the start of the 2010 season the Packers are 14-5 on the road. Their winning percentage during that time is second only to New England (12- 4).

Three games we will all see

Baltimore at Denver, Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET (CBS) | Preview

The line: Broncos by 9½

The story: This is the second time in a month these two have met, with Denver dropping the hammer 34-17 in Baltimore on Dec. 16. That's not exactly encouraging, and neither is this: It was Peyton Manning's ninth straight defeat of the Ravens, a streak that extends all the way back to 2002.

So Manning has Baltimore's number, he's home and his team is on an 11-game winning binge -- including a lopsided defeat of the Ravens. Question: Is there any reason to play this game?

Well, yeah. First, Baltimore has a more complete defense this time around. Safety Bernard Pollard and linebacker Dannell Ellerbee -- two of the team's leading tacklers -- are back. So is linebacker Ray Lewis, and, OK, so he's not the same. He gives the Ravens something in the huddle and on the field it could have used last month -- and that's leadership. Marshal Yanda is back on a revamped offensive line, too, and just in time: Denver's pass rush is relentless and frazzled Joe Flacco last month.

Then there's this: It will be cold, with temperatures expected to be no higher than 20. I don't know how that affects either side, but I know it has Manning wearing a glove. Manning is 9-10 in the playoffs and seven times has bowed out after only one postseason game, so that should give Baltimore hope. So should Flacco's play last weekend, when he set a franchise record for playoff passer rating. But let's be honest, people. The oddsmakers made this line high for a reason: Denver is a more complete team. In fact, the Broncos are the most complete team out there. Their defense is sound. Their offense is sound. They have a kicker with a strong and accurate leg. And they have Manning. Still, the Ravens kept them close last month until a Flacco interception at the end of the first half clinched the victory, and if you're Baltimore you convince yourself that won't happen again.

And maybe it won't. Flacco hasn't had a turnover his past three games and has gone 92 straight passes without an interception. He must play an error-free game for Baltimore to have a chance. Otherwise we're looking at deja vu all over again.

The back story: Baltimore set a franchise record with 72 plays of 20 or more yards, third best in the NFL. Denver was second (74).

Seattle at Atlanta, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET | Preview

The line: Falcons by 2½

The story: Nobody is under more pressure this weekend than Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons. Granted, they're the NFC's No. 1 seed and are home, where Ryan seldom loses, but tell me where we've heard this before. Oh, yeah, two years ago when they had the exact same record (13-3), clinched home-field advantage and took on a wild-card entrant in the divisional round.

It was Green Bay, and it was a disaster. Ryan stunk, and so did his teammates. But they were worse a year later when they failed to produce one point of offense against the Giants.

Now they're home again, only this time against the team nobody wants to face -- the white-hot Seattle Seahawks, winners of six straight and eight of their past nine -- and tell me people in Atlanta aren't waiting to exhale. It's not just that the Seahawks are winning; it's that they're burying opponents, winning their past six by a combined score of 217-74.

Seattle's hope on defense is to reduce this to a one-dimensional game, forcing Ryan to win through the air. He has decorated receivers like and and Tony Gonzalez, but Seattle has a big, physical and fast secondary that will be difficult to solve. These aren't the Green Bay Packers of 2010; they're better, with Richard Sherman regarded as the next best cornerback to .

On offense, the Seahawks operate everything off running back -- having him hammer the middle of the defense while working an effective passing attack off play-action fakes. Lynch has missed two days of practice this week, but should play. Seattle is turning more and more of its offense over to quarterback Russell Wilson, and the results speak for themselves: The guy has become a giant killer, with 16 touchdowns and two interceptions his past eight starts. Oh, yeah, and four rushing TDs.

The feeling is that Ryan and the Falcons are about to disappoint again, but I would be careful. First, the Seahawks were down 14-0 a week ago and might've lost had they faced a quarterback on two legs. Second, this is their second cross-country trip in a week, and we all know about their troubles on the road. They broke through last week for their first road playoff win since 1983, and that's terrific. Only we're asking them to do it twice in eight days? On the East Coast, no less? And where Ryan and the Falcons are comfortable?

Stay tuned.

The back story: Ryan has 33 games with a passer rating of 100 or better. The Falcons are 32-1 in those contests.

Houston at New England, Sunday 4:30 p.m. ET (CBS) | Preview

The line: Patriots by 9½

The story: If there's anything close to a dead-bolt cinch this weekend, you're looking at it. The Texans were here last month and were destroyed. Tom Brady is home where, since moving into Gillette Stadium, the Patriots are 9-2 in the playoffs and 4-1 in the divisional round. Houston's offense can't find the end zone. New England's offense can't stay out of it. Houston is 1-3 against the Patriots and hasn't won in Foxborough.

I think you get the idea. There's no reason to believe Houston pulls the upset, except ...

Except that the New York Jets went through the same thing two years ago. They were blown out at Gillette Stadium, then returned as a 9½-point underdog for the playoffs. They had a solid rushing attack. Their defense was aggressive and could get to the quarterback. And their quarterback was someone nobody trusted.

Sound familiar?

It should. That's the Houston Texans, and I suggest Kubiak and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips study those 2011 videotapes because the Jets attacked New England the way Houston must -- with defense. They mixed coverages. They disguised blitzes. They did what they could to frazzle Brady, and it worked. He was outplayed by .

Houston will have linebacker Brooks Reed and a healthy for this game, but the Texans need more. They need a new plan, and I suggest Phillips shake up his defense now. Otherwise, Houston gets torched. The back story: In two starts at home vs. Houston, Brady has six touchdowns, zero interceptions and a 118.8 passer rating

Five guys I'd like to be

1. Denver QB Peyton Manning: He's 9-2 in his career vs. Baltimore, with nine straight victories -- including one last month.

2. New England TE : In Week 14 vs. Houston he had eight catches and two TDs.

3. Green Bay LB Clay Matthews: In seven career playoff games, he has 6½ sacks, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.

4. San Francisco QB Colin Kaepernick: He's 3-0 at home, with a passer rating of 100 or better in each of his three starts.

5. Seattle QB Russell Wilson: In his past four games, including the playoffs, he has seven TD passes, one interception and a passer rating of 116.9. He also has four touchdowns rushing.

Five best matchups

1. Green Bay PK Mason Crosby vs. San Francisco PK David Akers: These two teams better hope their game doesn't come down to a last-second field goal because neither has a reliable kicker. Crosby is 11 of 21 on field goals of 40 or more yards, and Akers is 9 for 19. At least Akers has an excuse. He's hurt.

2. New England's offensive line vs. Houston DE J.J. Watt and LB Brooks Reed: Watt and Reed have combined for nine sacks in three playoff games -- 4½ each -- and Watt was this close to getting Tom Brady the last time these two met, with Watt hitting him five times.

3. Atlanta's secondary vs. Seattle QB Russell Wilson in the red zone: Wilson was the league's third-rated quarterback in this department, with 18 touchdowns and no interceptions inside the 20. Only Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers were better.

4. San Francisco QB Colin Kaepernick vs. Green Bay DB : Kaepernick should be wary of all of the Packers' defensive backs -- Shields, , , , you name it -- but Shields has four interceptions in six playoff games, which means I would start by looking for him.

5. Atlanta vs. pressure: We all know the Falcons are desperate to win a playoff game, but if it's close you have to like their chances. Since 2008 Atlanta is 12-6 in games decided by a field goal or less. Five things that may only interest me

1. Since the NFL moved to the 12-team format in 1990, No. 1 seeds in the NFC are 18-4 in the divisional round of the playoffs, with all four losses coming in the past five years. No. 1 seeds in the AFC are 13-9.

2. Denver and New England each have 13-3 home records in the playoffs, which ties for best in the NFL.

3. Baltimore's 7-5 road record in the playoffs is the best winning percentage in the NFL, while Green Bay's 10-12 postseason record makes the Packers second.

4. With 100 yards, Houston's would join Terrell Davis (7), (6) and (4) as the only players in league history to rush for 100 yards in four straight playoff games.

5. With a defeat of Houston, New England's Brady becomes the winningest quarterback in NFL playoff history. He is tied with Joe Montana with 16 wins.

Numbers to remember

0: Tony Gonzalez playoff victories 3: Straight playoff games where Houston has held opponents to 300 or fewer yards in offense 8: Number of first-round byes for San Francisco and New England since 1990, tying them with Pittsburgh for most in the NFL 15: Tramon Williams interceptions since 2010 16: Baltimore turnovers this season, a franchise low 17: Playoff wins for Bill Belichick, tying him with for third most in league history. Only (20) and (19) have more 29: Career playoff touchdown passes by Peyton Manning 29-2: Green Bay's record when Aaron Rodgers starts and produces a passer rating of 115 or better 30-17: Green Bay's playoff record, best in the NFL 38: Career touchdown passes in the playoffs by Tom Brady 55: Atlanta penalties, a single-season NFL low 82-17: New England's record at Gillette Stadium, including the playoffs 110.8: Knowshon Moreno's average in past six starts

Weekend weather

• Denver: Partly cloudy, high of 20 • San Francisco: Partly cloudy, high of 52 • Atlanta: Dome • Foxborough, Mass.: Mostly cloudy, high of 54 Where we will be

• I'll be in Denver to shop my jersey. • Gregg Doyel will be in San Francisco to shop his Alex Smith jersey. • Pete Prisco will be in Atlanta to convince Matt Ryan he can win a playoff game. • Mike Freeman will be in Foxborough to convince the Houston Texans to go home. 3 keys to a Broncos win vs. the Ravens

Matt Rybaltowski CBSSports.com January 11, 2013

3 keys to a Broncos win vs. the Ravens

1. Unleash Von Miller

The Broncos defense is predicated on the outside linebacker's ability to attack the quarterback off the edge. Miller had eight QB pressures in the Broncos' 34-17 win over the Ravens in Week 15. If Ravens RG is unable to play, Baltimore could be in trouble. In last week's win over the Colts, Reid's absence forced the Ravens to move RT Kelechi Osemele to RG and LT Michael Oher to right tackle. With Oher on the right side, Bryant McKinnie started at left tackle. If Reid (toe) is out again, Miller could be lined up primarily against Oher. In the 2011 playoffs, Oher allowed three sacks against the Texans and seven QB hurries against the Patriots.

2. Contain Rice and Boldin

Ravens RB Ray Rice is one of the top receiving backs in the league, but he was a non-factor in the first meeting. Rice had three catches for three yards and rushed for 38 yards on 12 carries. Still, the Broncos have focused on limiting Rice on wheel routes this week in practice. “One thing we can't do is take our eyes off Ray,” CB Champ Bailey said. “He's one of the best in the game -- you gotta know where he is coming out of the backfield, running the ball it doesn't matter.” Bailey is one of the top corners in the league in eliminating the deep ball and could be tested downfield when QB Joe Flacco targets WR Anquan Boldin. In the 24-9 win over the Colts, Boldin stretched the field in finishing with a Ravens' playoff-record 145 receiving yards.

3. Establish a Manning-to-Decker connection

Last spring after QB Peyton Manning signed with the Broncos, the four-time NFL MVP worked relentlessly with WR Eric Decker on fine-tuning his routes during sessions at several Denver-area high schools. The rapport with Decker has been critical in the Broncos' 11-game winning streak. Decker had eight catches for 133 yards in the win over Baltimore several weeks ago. The Broncos could look to exploit the matchup between Decker and if the Ravens present Denver with frequent man coverage. Decker had five catches for 100 yards when he was covered by Williams in December. : NFL divisional round preview

Brian Billick FoxSports.com January 11, 2013

Ravens at Broncos, Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET (CBS)

Last week, the Ravens played with all four of their defensive stars for the first time this season and they, more than possibly any team in the playoffs, are built to win on the road. Even so, Peyton Manning (pictured) and the Broncos are going to get their points, so the key will be for Joe Flacco and the Ravens’ offense to produce at least three touchdowns against the Broncos defense. To do that, they’ll need to find a way to get running backs Ray Rice and going and need another receiver to step up in the way Anquan Boldin did last week. If Manning can stay clean in the pocket, there is no way the Ravens’ corners match up with Eric Decker and on the outside, so look for a variety of blitz packages and pressure schemes to knock Manning off his spot. I’ve long ago learned never to rule out Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, but this is probably the end of the line for Lewis’ prestigious career. Pick: Broncos Peyton Manning and his glove are ready for the Colorado playoff chill

Jay Busbee Shutdown Corner January 11, 2013

Playing in freezing weather is bad enough for any football player, but when you've spent your entire 13-year career playing half your games in a dome, well ... it's a bit of an adjustment. And Peyton Manning is a bit late in his career for adjustments, right?

Maybe not. Maybe the ol' Bronco is learning a new trick. But he'd better hurry.

To start: Manning has never been known as a clutch cold-weather quarterback; according to ESPN stats, he's started three playoff games when the temperature was below 40 degrees, and he's lost all three: twice in New England and once against the Jets. Saturday's temperature in Denver for the Broncos' divisional matchup against the Ravens is forecast at 18 degrees at the 2:30 Mountain Time kickoff.

That wouldn't seem to bode well for Manning, except for the fact that he's had time to get adjusted to the crisp Denver air. And he's done so with the help of a throwing-hand glove, a piece of equipment he's never used before.

Call the glove a happy accident. Manning began wearing it not just because of the cold, but because of his neck injury, which has made it more difficult to grip the ball with his throwing hand. And since below-freezing weather turns the pigskin into a slick, leathery brick, the glove helps Manning keep a secure grip on the ball.

"I certainly don't think I would have had to wear the glove had I not been injured last year," Manning said this week. "It's part of my injury, some things that I've had to adjust."

The glove has helped, or at least not hurt: two weeks ago, Manning threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns against Kansas City. The gametime temperature then was below 30 degrees.

The Ravens, on the other hand, have a bit of familiarity with cold-weather temperatures; they don't get a trip to San Diego every year. Under head coach , the Ravens are 10-7 when the temperature is below 40 degrees at kickoff.

Cold weather or not, oddsmakers are favoring Peyton and the Broncos. The line on this game favors Denver by about 9.5 points, regardless of weather. Divisional round handicapping column

Mike Wilkening Pro Football Weekly January 11, 2013

Here's a fun fact: In the last 20 divisional round games dating back to the 2007 postseason, we've seen as many underdogs as favorites move on to the divisional round. Yes, 10 favorites have fallen hard in these last five postseasons.

Here's a little more about these 10 unfortunate faves:

• Nine favorites were No. 1 or No. 2 seeds playing at home after a bye week. The losing favorites were the 2011 Packers, the 2010 Patriots and Falcons, the 2009 Chargers, the 2008 Titans, Panthers and Giants and the 2007 Colts and Cowboys. The 2011 Saints, the No. 3 seed in the NFC, were the only road favorite of the group; they fell at San Francisco last January.

• Five of these teams were favored by more than a touchdown: the 2011 Packers, the '10 Patriots, the '09 Chargers, '08 Panthers and '07 Colts. What's more, the '07 Cowboys, who lost to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Giants, were favored by 7-to-7½ points in the divisional round, based on various closing lines.

That's right — at least one favorite of more than a touchdown has lost in this round in each of the past five seasons.

With this backdrop, here are my divisional-round picks:

• Baltimore (+9½) can be competitive at Denver on Saturday afternoon. The Ravens' defense did a credible job against Peyton Manning and Co. in Week 15, allowing 350 yards on 75 plays in a 34-17 loss. Seven of those points came on Chris Harris' game-changing interception return in the final moments of the first half — a potential 14-point swing. The Ravens are talented and experienced, and they are a threat to Denver if they play something close to their best. Baltimore is an attractive underdog at this price.

•Likewise, I'm all over Houston (+9½) at New England on Sunday. The Texans hardly could have played much worse in their Week 14 loss against the Patriots. They did not score a single point until the third quarter, and they allowed TDs on the Pats' first three drives. Houston is much better than that. The Texans outgained a good Bengals team by a more than 2:1 margin in the wild-card round and are capable giving New England much more of a test than in the first meeting between these clubs. The Texans' pass rush, pass coverage and running game will be keys.

•In the Saturday-night divisional game, I'll take the Packers (+3) at San Francisco. My rationale is simple: Getting points with an Aaron Rodgers-led offense appeals to me. Green Bay is 2-0 straight-up and against the spread as an underdog in playoff games with Rodgers in the lineup. What's more, I'm just not thrilled with the 49ers' recent form. Only once in the last five games have the 49ers scored more than seven first-half points, with the lone exception their impressive Week 15 win at New England. The 49ers cannot start slowly against Green Bay if they are to move on to the NFC championship game for the second straight season.

•For my final selection, I'll take Atlanta (-2½) over Seattle. I'm well aware of the Falcons' playoff futility. Moreover, they aren't the most imposing 13-3 team I've ever seen. There's a good statistical case for the Seahawks, whom I don't relish picking against, given how well they are playing. Nevertheless, there's much to like about the Falcons. They have a strong passing game, and they come off a week of rest. What's more, I have liked how they have played at home in big games in 2012, with wins vs. the Broncos, Saints and Giants examples of their ability to step up their play when the bright lights are upon them.

Last week: 2-2 Season to date: 38-32-2 Divisional round: Ten thoughts entering my favorite weekend

Michael Lombardi NFL.com January 11, 2013

Divisional-round weekend is my favorite time of the NFL season. We get four quality games featuring eight teams that have been able to stand the test of time. And once the weekend comes to a close, the four survivors will be the mentally toughest teams in the NFL -- a group worthy of examination by the rest of the league. For the remaining 28 teams, finding a commonality among the final four is a critical exercise in terms of their own growth.

Just like the NCAA tournament's Final Four, the NFL's last quartet is significant, and teams that reach Championship Sunday share similar traits. For example, it is hard to be a final-four team with a bad offensive line or a lackluster pass rush -- those two qualities are almost essential for a team to advance to a conference championship. In addition, all final-four teams must have a high degree of mental and physical toughness. But most importantly, they must be able to run the ball when the opponent knows they have to run the ball, throw the ball when the opponent knows they have to throw it. At this point in the season, you can't rely on gimmicks and gadgets. It comes down to execution and fundamentals, along with a hot quarterback. And I cannot wait to see which teams survive.

Ten thoughts on the divisional round

1) The Seattle Seahawks make a living off opponents who come to their stadium and try to run the ball, with crowd noise routinely disrupting opposing ground attacks. The tables are turned this week, as Atlanta Falcons faithful will be ready to disrupt the Seahawks' run game with some noise of their own. And Atlanta needs the Georgia Dome to be as loud as possible, because the Seahawks can run the ball and the Falcons don't defend the run well, home or away. During the regular season, Atlanta gave up 4.8 yards per carry, ranking 29th in the NFL.

2) The last time the Falcons played the Seahawks -- at CenturyLink Field in Week 4 of last season -- Matt Ryan had a solid day, despite having to carry the load offensively with a nonexistent running game. The key in that Atlanta win: Ryan wasn't sacked a single time. If that happens again on Sunday, the Falcons will throw the ball well and advance to the NFC Championship Game.

3) The Green Bay Packers allowed 51 sacks during the regular season -- second- worst in the league. If the offensive line doesn't play its best game against the San Francisco 49ers, it will be hard for Aaron Rodgers to impact the game. On the plus side, DuJuan Harris looks like he can be the running back Green Bay needs to force the Niners' front to respect run. Harris has the open-field ability and burst to create plays. This game cannot come down to Rodgers having to do it all -- and with Harris, that might not be the case.

4) Rodgers has been sacked 34 times on the road this season, but what's amazing is that he actually has a higher passer rating away from Lambeau Field -- as well as more touchdown passes and an average of almost a yard more per attempt. Despite being knocked around more, Rodgers is better on the road than at home.

5) When San Francisco has scored 20-plus points during Jim Harbaugh's first two seasons on the job, the Niners have only lost one game. (They tied the St. Louis Rams 24-24 in Week 10.) They have lost eight games since Harbaugh took over, scoring 19 points or less in seven of them. (The lone exception: A 27-24 overtime loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2 of the 2011 season.) The moral of the story is the 49ers can definitely win a high-scoring game. Remember last season's divisional-round thriller?

6) On paper and based on the 34-17 result in Week 15, this Ravens-Broncos rematch looks like a mismatch. But this is a different Baltimore team. And if the Ravens can limit Denver's offense to 350 total yards, 5-for-16 on third down and 2- for-4 in the red zone -- like they did last month -- they will be in the game until the end. The misconception about the first game was that the Broncos' offense dominated. Not true. Denver's defense won that game.

7) Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco must connect on some deep balls in this game. Flacco is the NFL's new version of , "The Mad Bomber." It is not about completion percentage for Flacco, but rather making big plays down the field. He can be 20-for-40 again in this game, like he was in the Week 15 bout against Denver, but in those 20 completions, he must have five big plays and average more than 7.5 yards per attempt.

8) For the Houston Texans, the most important part of Sunday's game against the New England Patriots will be the first 15 plays on both offense and defense. They must start fast, on both sides of the ball, and build confidence early. Every team talks about the first 15, but in this game, it cannot be just talk for the Texans -- it truly must be their best stuff.

9) The Texans need to find a way to make big plays down the field -- something they failed to do in last month's blowout loss at New England -- and quarterback must average more than 7 yards per attempt in the game. Schaub averaged more than 8 yards per attempt at home during the regular season, and less than 7 on the road. His regular-season passer rating fell from 101 at home to 79.5 on the road.

10) Only Seattle had more rushing attempts than the Patriots this season, with 526 to the New England's 523. Yes, the Pats can throw it all over the field, but they also can run the ball -- and that takes some of the pressure off Tom Brady.

Enjoy the games ... Longwell relishes unexpected chance to rewrite history

Peter King Sports Illustrated January 11, 2013

RENTON, Wash. -- It's so strange to see here, out of retirement, into the NFL's Final Eight. This is the day he should have been doing a light jog, just to stay loose as his final pre-race prep for Sunday's Walt Disney World Marathon, which winds its way through all four Disney parks in Orlando, where Longwell now calls home. It was to be the first marathon of his life.

But that all changed with a crappy field, a Sunday night phone call and a chance to put some ghosts to bed forever. Longwell is happy to have one more chance in the NFL playoffs, to try to make up for a chance he never had that he can never forget

Longwell, 38, who hadn't kicked anywhere since the Vikings cut him in training camp, will be the Seahawks' kicker Sunday in Atlanta. Four years ago, he was a 12- men-in-the-huddle penalty from a field goal that would have put the Vikings, not the Saints, in the Super Bowl against Peyton Manning and the Colts. Imagine if he gets the chance to win a game this month ... and put the Seahawks in the Super Bowl against Peyton Manning and the Broncos

"Every year when the playoffs come around, I think about that day in New Orleans,'' Longwell said at the Seahawks complex. "One of my biggest regrets in football was not having the chance to make that kick.''

Recall the day, Jan. 24, 2010 ... the infamous Brett Favre Bounty Game (or not), the NFC Championship Game. Minnesota and New Orleans were tied at 28, and the Vikes had a third-and-10 at the Saints' 33 with 19 seconds to go. Longwell was on the sidelines, ready to go in to try a field goal of 50 or 51 yards, or maybe a couple of yards shorter, after one more rushing attempt.

Minnesota called a timeout to discuss strategy. In what will go down as an all-time gaffe in Vikings history, two personnel groups were sent back on the field, including one with a fullback. That week, the Vikings tinkered with a safe pass play, removing fullback Naufahu Tahi and inserting wide receiver to make it a three-wide "bunch'' formation on the right side. Only thing wrong was, Tahi -- either sent by a coach or mistakenly thinking he should be on the field instead of Berrian -- ran into the huddle. By the time the Vikings huddled for the play call, Tahi realized he shouldn't be in the game, but it was too late. Flag. Twelve men in the huddle. Five-yard penalty. (The amazing part of the play call, in retrospect: The Vikings called the exact same pass play on third down both before the penalty and after. Though normal wisdom with a gun-slinging quarterback like Favre in the game would call for a safe run to try to get Longwell two yards or so closer, the coaches called for a pass.)

Third-and-15 from the 38 now. A 55-yard try, maybe 56, if the Vikings don't advance the ball on third down.

"I wanted a try,'' Longwell said, leaning up against a wall at the Seahawks' facility. "We gave them [the coaches] the green light. I could make it. I was ready. We were in a dome. No weather. The adrenaline was flowing. I was very confident. I hit the ball really well in pregame. They wanted to try to get closer.''

Then Favre made a play that made Vikings fans sick. He rolled out, and, seeing his safe receiver, Berrian, closely covered by a cornerback, eschewed a run that probably would have netted him six or eight yards. He threw across his body for . He didn't have much juice on the ball. And stepped in front of Rice and picked the ball off.

The Vikings never touched the ball again. New Orleans won on a 40-yard field goal in overtime.

"I still feel in my heart of hearts I could have made the kick,'' Longwell said.

He was sitting on his couch Sunday night when agent Frank Bauer called and told him Seattle kicker Steve Hauschka had gotten hurt that day in Washington. Would he like one more chance? Longwell won a kicking derby on Tuesday and was signed for that one more chance. That's what Longwell hopes for sometime in the next three weeks.

Player You Need to Know This Weekend

Michael Oher, RT, Baltimore (No. 74). He won't have Von Miller rushing against him on every play, but Oher, who moved last week from the left to the right side to accommodate the return of Bryant McKinnie to the Baltimore lineup, will have to keep Miller away from Joe Flacco on at least half of Saturday's snaps. Oher's had an up-and-down year, and I'd look for some help from the Ravens' two tight ends on Miller.

Ten Things I'll Be Watching For This Weekend

1. The end, maybe, for Ray Lewis, 37. Great story from the other day about Lewis. Brandt ran the Playboy All-America team photo shoot for years, and in 1995, Lewis, 20, was about to enter his senior season at Miami, and he was a linebacker on the Playboy team -- and the youngest player gathered at the photo shoot. "He was clearly the leader, which was strange for a guy who was so young,'' said Brandt. But whether it was pickup basketball or going out at night, Lewis was the pied piper. It was sort of a sign of things to come. Saturday afternoon in Denver, Lewis needs a win to come back for more, or else he'll be on the ESPN set that much quicker.

2. The end, maybe, for Tony Gonzalez, 36. I told Seattle safety that he might be covering Gonzalez -- and Chancellor will be one of the prime men shadowing the great Gonzalez Sunday at the Georgia Dome -- in his final NFL game. "Really?'' Chancellor said he didn't know Gonzalez said before the year and again this week that he was 95 percent sure this will be the last season of his career. "He sure can still play,'' Chancellor said.

3. Tom Brady goes for the gold. Brady and Joe Montana are tied for the most career playoff wins (16) in NFL history. The longer he plays, the more idols he leaves behind.

4. Whither ? The Notre Dame coach was at Cincinnati for three years before leaving for Notre Dame. He's been at Notre Dame now for three years. Coincidence? We'll see in the next day or two. Because of recruiting, Kelly can't let the will-he-or-won't-he thing last forever.

5. Anyone want to coach Philadelphia? One former head coach told me Thursday: "Good coaches are scared of Philadelphia.'' The two guys they really liked, and Bill O'Brien, are back at Oregon and Penn State, respectively, and the Eagles are looking for Mr. Goodbar still. I hear they very much want a coach with prior head-coaching experience.

6. Art Modell's back. Notable in the final 15 candidates released this morning for the 2013 Pro Football Hall of Fame class (a maximum of five modern-era candidates can be elected annually) was the return of the late owner of the Browns and Ravens. Should be some lively discussion about him this weekend -- and for the next three weeks, leading up to the Feb. 2 vote.

7. The Broncos look to stay hot. On a very cold day, apparently. With the temperature forecast to be 19 degrees with a chance of flurries at Mile High, Denver looks to win its 12th straight. The Broncos haven't lost since the first weekend of the baseball playoffs. Remember one thing: John Harbaugh has won four road playoff games in four previous seasons.

8. Tebow, eh? Head north, Tim Tebow. To the CFL. Unless a smart quarterback mentor like Mike McCarthy takes you on as a backup to an established starter, Canada is your best chance to do what you want to do, which is to become an every-down NFL starter. "I can't imagine a scenario in which he'll be a Jacksonville Jaguar -- even if he's released,'' new Jags general manager David Caldwell said Thursday.

9. Pressure on David Akers and Mason Crosby. The Niners-Packers game could come down to a late field goal, and both teams have kickers coming off D-minus regular seasons. Akers won a contest with Billy Cundiff this week to kick this weekend, but he knows he can't feel very secure.

10. This just in: NFL teams like offense. in Buffalo, in Cleveland, Andy Reid in K.C., Chip Kelly and Bill O'Brien before they went back to college, maybe Marc Trestman in , maybe Greg Roman in Jacksonville ... get the message? Broncos, Ravens at close to full strength

Lindsay H. Jones USA TODAY Sports January 11, 2013

DENVER, Colo. – The Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens are at nearly full strength for Saturday's divisional playoff game.

Broncos cornerback Tracy Porter will not play because of a concussion, but Porter has played less than a quarter since early October, when pre-seizure symptoms returned. By the time he was cleared to return to practice, Chris Harris was entrenched as the starter.

Ravens guard Jah Reid was ruled out of the game earlier in the week because of a toe injury, and was placed on injured reserve Friday. Reid missed the last seven regular-season games as well as the wild-card win last week over the Indianapolis Colts.

The Ravens activated cornerback to take Reid's spot. Jackson served a four-game suspension for violating the league's policy against performance- enhancing drugs.

All other players listed on the teams' injury reports (seven for Denver, 17 for Baltimore) are listed as probable.

Broncos right guard Chris Kuper (ankle) will return to the for the first time since Dec. 2. Kuper, a team captain who was drafted by the Broncos in 2006, will make his playoff debut, even though he is one of the team's longest- tenured players. Kuper broke his ankle in the 2011 regular season finale and was unable to play in Denver's postseason games last January.

"I think this is huge for him," left guard Zane Beadles said. "I think it's huge for all of us. It's his first playoff game, and obviously he's excited and we're excited for him."

NFL veterans from '90s have knack for wins

Lindsay H. Jones USA TODAY Sports January 11, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- When the Seattle Seahawks signed kicker Ryan Longwell this week, it brought the total number of players in the league who began their careers in the 1990s to 25. A disproportionate 17 of them are on playoff teams.

So what's the reason for this? Coincidence? Difference-making wisdom and leadership? Swan-song cherry-picking?

The Denver Broncos have four players in the '90s club, the most any team. Three of them joined the team this year: quarterback Peyton Manning ('98), middle linebacker Keith Brooking ('98) and wide receiver ('99). The fourth is cornerback Champ Bailey ('99), who is the longest-tenured Bronco after arriving in a trade with the Washington Redskins in 2004. All are starters for the AFC's No. 1 seed.

"I don't think you want your roster full of guys that have played that long, but I think we have a good mixture," Brooking said.

Stokley and Brooking were considering retirement had the right opportunity not come along with the Broncos. For Stokley, Denver was the only team he'd consider because of the chance to reunite with Manning and keep his family in Colorado. For Brooking, the Broncos were the first team to call and invite him to work out in early August.

"It's not that it was any disrespect to the game of football, but I wanted to play for a contender," Brooking said.

Stokley won his first of two Super Bowls with the Baltimore Ravens in 2000, his second year. "It feels like a lifetime ago, it really does," he said.

When Stokley was told the names of some of the other super-veterans in the playoffs, he said he wasn't surprised.

"If you play a long time, there's a reason," Stokley said. "I think you're a good teammate, you know how get the job done, you know how to be a professional. And that comes down to a lot of things — helping the younger guys, being good in the locker room."

Ravens center ('98) had a similiar theory. "Teams that know they're good. They're not trying to rebuild. They're more apt to look for a veteran who might not be able to play full time but might be able to play certain situations. ... Teams who feel like it's their time, their window, they might be good as far as talent goes. They don't need to develop. They can spend a roster spot on an experienced veteran instead of a young player they're going to need to develop."

Time-tested winners

USA TODAY Sports' Nate Davis looks at the players in the postseason whose career's have spanned three decades:

David Akers, 38, San Francisco 49ers: He had an epic 2011, nailing a record 44 field goals while his 166 points set a new mark for pure kickers. But inaccuracy (69% on field-goal tries) and residual issues from offseason double hernia surgery spurred the team to bring in Billy Cundiff as insurance in case Akers falters in the playoffs.

Bailey, 34: His 12 Pro Bowls are a record for a cornerback, and his return trips to are not booked merely on reputation. Bailey seems invigorated by matching wits with Manning in practice. He only surrendered 40 catches and one touchdown this season, according to ProFootballFocus.com.

Birk, 36: He's been the rock of an offensive line that's undergone quite a bit of turnover in the four years Birk has been with the team. But the Ravens have never failed to reach the playoffs since signing him in 2009. The Harvard grad has never missed a start since 2006.

Brooking, 37: The Broncos were wise to sign him in August given their linebacking corps was plagued by suspensions (D.J. Williams and Joe Mays) and injuries (Mays, ). Brooking remains a steadying presence and has been a starter since Oct. 15.

Donald Driver, 37, Green Bay Packers: His production has been sliding since 2006. The wideout caught just eight balls this season. He probably won't be active in postseason unless one of Green Bay's top four receivers can't go, though 's lingering issues could open that door a crack.

Tony Gonzalez, 36, Atlanta Falcons: His claim as the game's greatest tight end is virtually irrefutable. Though he's caught more passes than anyone save , Rice was part of 17 playoff victories — 17 more than Gonzalez has enjoyed. Sunday could provide his last chance at postseason glory if he follows through on plans to retire.

London Fletcher, 37, Washington Redskins: It took a while for the middle linebacker to get recognized, but his Susan Lucci-esque string of Pro Bowl snubs ended in 2009. Fletcher was just as important as Robert Griffin III to the team's successful playoff drive. He earned NFC defensive player of the month honors for December, sacking Dallas Cowboys QB twice in the NFC East -clinching win in Week 17. Ray Lewis, 37, Ravens: He's one of eight defenders to earn Super Bowl MVP honors and he'd love to collect one more before putting a bow on his 17-year career. Say what you want about his deteriorating skills, but the Ravens are 6-1 with Lewis this season and 5-5 when he's on the sideline. His leadership and intangibles haven't waned .

Longwell, 38: He didn't play in the regular season after losing his job to Minnesota Vikings rookie Pro Bowler Blair Walsh in training camp. Longwell is 13th on the all- time scoring list with 1,687 points. He's subbing in for Steven Hauschka, who was placed on injured reserve with a calf strain.

Manning, 36: For all of his records, MVP awards and influence, the one, shall we say, gray mark on Manning's resume is his 9-10 playoff record. But on the heels of the greatest statistical season by a Denver quarterback, he's got an excellent chance to improve to 12-10 if his perfectly balanced team helps him snatch ring No. 2.

Randy Moss, 35, 49ers: He may be older, but he can still do what made him famous: get deep. Moss' 15.5 yards a catch this season was his best since 2005. Some reporters may not love him, but his teammates do. Anticipate his role expanding in light of the season-ending loss of Mario Manningham.

Mike Peterson, 36, Falcons: Try as they might, the Falcons just can't part with Peterson, a man teammates call "Unc." He's returned the past two seasons on one- year contracts essentially as an insurance policy — he hasn't been a regular starter since 2010 — but has shown a team-first attitude by stepping into a special teams role.

Jeff Saturday, 37, Packers: He earned his sixth Pro Bowl trip in his first season with the Packers but stepped aside for younger Evan Dietrich-Smith in Week 16 and hasn't played since. Classy as ever, Saturday accepted the demotion with grace.

Stokley, 36: The man known as the "Slot Machine" continued paying dividends in 2012 with 45 receptions and five TDs, his best season since 2007.

Adam Vinatieri, 40, Indianapolis Colts: He owns four rings and some of the most memorable postseason field goals ever. His 70% conversion rate on field goals in five Super Bowls is subpar, but he connects when it counts.

Antoine Winfield, 35, Minnesota Vikings: Few defensive backs are more fearless than this 5-9, 180-pounder, whose diminutive frame was part of a mind- boggling 100 tackles in 2012, many in run support. Winfield continued suiting up late in the season despite a broken hand, just another reason he's a favorite of coach .

Charles Woodson, 36, Packers: To borrow the chess analogy, Woodson is the "queen on the board." Though he's now a safety in the base defense, he'll play corner in nickel situations and blitzes from anywhere. The Packers are thrilled to have his smarts and command presence back after a broken collarbone cost him nine games.

And the eight golden oldies who missed out? , S, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; , K, Cleveland Browns; , K, ; , QB, Tennessee Titans; , DE, Arizona Cardinals; Patrick Mannelly, LS, ; , K, Bears; , LB, San Diego. KLEE: Psychic says — Ravens scary, but Broncos win Super Bowl

Paul Klee Colorado Springs Gazette January 11, 2013

DENVER — As she swung open the front door, Karen Fox posed a question.

I am skeptical of psychics who ask questions.

"You didn’t have any trouble finding the place?"

How did she know? Four turns, no traffic, the commute was a breeze.

No surprise there — Fox is a psychic. It’s her job to see the future. She does so from the basement of a lovely home in Lakewood, just west of Denver, neighboring the foothills.

Our psychic arrived at the front door just as I had reached the top step. Again, promising. For a columnist in search of a psychic reading on the Broncos playoff season, this was good.

Denver hosts Baltimore in the AFC divisional playoffs at Sports Authority Field on Saturday.

Super Bowl XLVII is in mystic New Orleans.

A psychic prediction made too much sense.

"I'm not that much of a football fan,” Fox revealed.

Perfect! Biases and psychic readings are oil and water, Raiders and winning.

“How many psychics do you know with Ph.D.s?” she asked.

I knew only two psychics, in general. My dog, who predicts exactly which part of the river I’m going to fish, so she plunges into that section. And Chris Harris. The Broncos cornerback, in Week 15, read the mind of Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco.

It’s one way to explain a 98-yard interception return.

“Nah,” Harris said when I inquired. “I wouldn’t say I’m psychic.” Against Baltimore, pundits say Broncos, big. Vegas says Broncos, big. The Ravens seem to think the result three weeks ago — Denver 34, Baltimore 17 — was simply a cloudy vision.

"I was hoping we’d get them,” Ravens wide receiver Anquan Boldin said.

So we sought out the clairvoyant clincher. Only the best for Gazette readers.

Fox — the psychic, not the coach — has psychic friends who predicted a cold, snowy winter. She saw mild. She nailed it, just like when she predicted would win back-to-back presidencies.

"My birds say there’s going to be snow (at Mile High). Usually the birds are better indicators than the forecasters.”

Back to the other birds, the dirty birds, Ray Lewis’ Ravens.

“What colors do they wear?”

Purple and black, with burn marks from losing nine straight to Peyton Manning.

"I see a tight game."

Fret not. It gets better.

"All the psychic friends I know say the Broncos are going to win. What I get is a tough game. ... I think the Ravens have a whole ton of energy. They’re coming in here like bulldozers. I still think the Broncos will win, but it’s going to be tight.”

Long-term predictions, Fox said, are more difficult to accurately detail. Like you, I wanted to know how long the 36-year-old Manning will pitch pizzas and touchdowns in Denver.

"I see two potentials,” said our psychic, who saw someone other than Manning winning the MVP award.

"I see him leaving at 38, possibly. And that surprises me. They just got him. What that would mean is that it’s possible either next year he doesn’t play at all or plays the whole year. The other possibility is (he retires at) 40 or 41.”

Fox has performed psychic readings for over a decade. Like parachute packers, psychics don’t stay in business by getting it wrong.

Our psychic sees positive futures for a pair of former Broncos quarterbacks. She sees winning a Super Bowl. She sees Tim Tebow with "one more big thing” in football — not a Super Bowl — but outside New York. “I still see him on the East Coast, south of New York. It may not be Florida, but it’s still on the East Coast.”

This is the sixth time the Broncos bring the top seed into the AFC playoffs. Four of five times the Broncos went to the Super Bowl.

"Houston isn’t going to make it (to the AFC championship game). Patriots. New England will. Who’s the quarterback?"

Tom Brady. He's so predictable, his hair always perfect, helmet or not. Unfortunately, our psychic said Gisele does not prefer sports columnists.

“His wife told him how to do the hair thing,” Fox said. “She’s given him something that isn’t normal to use for hair product.”

But I was here for one reason. Our psychic already knew that.

Who parties on Bourbon Street as world champs?

"I see the Broncos winning the Super Bowl," she said. “I think their biggest problem is winning this game on Saturday."

Psychic says: To reach their future, the Broncos must see the present. RAMSEY: Playoffs often plunder Manning

David Ramsey Colorado Springs Gazette January 11, 2013

Peyton Manning is the greatest regular-season quarterback in NFL history. Over his past 13 seasons as a starter, he’s averaged 11.6 victories.

Prior to this season, the most popular prediction for Broncos wins was 10. I had to laugh while listening to alleged prophets. Manning usually picks up 10 wins by the 13th game.

The Broncos are the favorites to ride to a Super Bowl title. Their defense is properly violent, and Manning has been magnificent. The Broncos are riding an 11-game win streak.

But here’s the sobering truth for Broncos fans to consider:

Manning is not among the finest playoff quarterbacks in NFL history. He’s not even close. During his career, which began in 1998, Manning has compiled a 9-10 record in the playoffs.

He’s delivered a dazzling season with 4,659 yards, 37 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions, but that’s typical regular-season behavior for Manning. The playoffs have been a much more troubling story. Manning has lost six times – a one-and- done - in his opening playoff game.

He trails , John Unitas, Bart Starr, Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana, Tom Brady and, yes, John Elway on the playoff chart. Elway trotted into the sunset with a 14-7 playoff record.

You can talk for days about Elway’s feats, but his most impressive accomplishment might have been a 5-1 record in the AFC title game, including two wins on the road.

Elway’s playoff record is padded by seven straight wins in his final two seasons. Prior to consecutive Super Bowl titles, Elway collected seven losses and seven wins in the playoffs.

Why?

Mainly because he never competed alongside a dominating running back. When Terrell Davis arrived in Colorado, Elway finally was blessed with the partner he had long needed to rule the football world. I share much of the optimism about the Broncos. For one thing, I don’t see a mighty team on the horizon. The Broncos have selected an ideal season to be powerful. This not a banner season in the NFL.

But Manning is chasing his second Super Bowl title with a battered Willie McGahee and the erratic, undersized Knowshon Moreno as his prime sidekicks.

If this formula for success doesn’t fill with you with at least a touch of doubt, then you aren’t paying enough attention to the past. Manning’s pass-happy offenses have often crashed when it matters most.

Still, there’s strong reason to believe in Manning. A year ago, he was football’s leading question mark after four neck surgeries. Rumors swirled – and were, alas, widely reported – that his right arm had lost almost all its power.

He’s silenced the doubters, and in classic Manning style he’s done the silencing with extreme politeness. These days, the only person who doubts Manning is Manning. His skepticism, and his endless hunger, has fueled one of the most inspiring comebacks in sports history.

But sentiment will not carry the Broncos to victory. The marauding Ravens defense, which enjoys walking the fine line between legitimately violent football and borderline criminal behavior, is seeking to end the season that has so thrilled Colorado fans.

Manning is high on anyone’s list of the best quarterbacks ever. I place him behind Joe Montana, John Unitas and Elway and ever so slightly ahead of Tom Brady.

He has a strong chance to depart the game as the best.

He needs a win Saturday to continue his climb. Broncos head to postseason healthy

Mike Florio Pro Football Talk January 11, 2013

As the Denver Broncos prepare for the first playoff game of the Peyton Manning era, only one player is out due to injury.

Cornerback Tracy Porter has been scratched due to the lingering effects of a concussion he suffered against the Browns on December 23.

Six other Broncos are listed as probable; all participated fully in practice all week.

Porter, who was signed via free agency from the Saints, has been supplanted in the starting lineup by second-year cornerback Chris Harris, who was an undrafted free agent in 2011. David Cutcliffe: Peyton Manning’s recovery a tribute to hard work

Michael David Smith Pro Football Talk January 11, 2013

As Peyton Manning prepares to quarterback the Broncos in the playoffs a year after he sat out his final season with the Colts following multiple neck surgeries, the coach who guided him through his comeback is calling it a tribute to Manning’s hard work.

David Cutcliffe, the Duke head coach who was Manning’s quarterbacks coach in college, supervised Manning’s recovery during his year out of the game. And in a feature that will air Saturday on NFL Network’s NFL GameDay Morning, Cutcliffe details just how hard Manning worked to get to this point. The NFL Network feature includes footage from a simulated game Manning ran at Duke’s football facility in which he made every single throw the same way he had made them in a 2010 playoff win over the Jets, and that’s a “game” Cutcliffe says he remains very proud of “winning.”

“I don’t think I ever won a game that I felt better about what we accomplished than this ballgame that nobody watched,” Cutcliffe said. “It is really a story worth telling about hard work. Everybody says, ‘I’ll do whatever it takes.’ That’s whatever it takes right there.”

Manning, who had four neck procedures in 2011, was far, far away from being able to do that when he and Cutcliffe first began rehabbing together. In fact, Cutcliffe said that Manning sent him video of his workouts shortly after his last neck procedure, and he was struggling to throw passes so much at first that Cutcliffe ordered him not to lift a football for fear he was going to make things work.

“I called him immediately and I said, ‘You need to stop throwing now. You’re getting ready to hurt yourself. You need to focus on getting well, not getting back,’” Cutcliffe recalled.

NFL Network’s segment includes the footage Cutcliffe had the Duke staff shoot of Manning progressing from just lobbing the ball 10 yards to making all the throws he has to make in an NFL game, and it’s an impressive journey. One that Broncos fans can be glad Manning made. What Came First? The Sack

Judy Battista January 11, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Von Miller is happy to show off the shiny, white, personalized high-tops he will wear in Saturday’s playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens. “I’m feeling kind of D. Rose-ish,” he said.

Or to discuss his collection of 32 eyeglass frames, many of which, like the red, square, vintage Persol frames that are a personal favorite, were picked up during two-hour shopping trips to a store in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood.

“Jack Nicholson wears vintage Persols,” Miller noted.

But to get Miller, one of the N.F.L.’s best pass rushers, to talk with the speed and enthusiasm with which he pursues quarterbacks, only one topic will do.

“When it comes to chickens and turkeys,” Miller said, “I could talk all day.”

He could, considering he went from taking one easy class at A&M with the intention of sleeping through the semester to getting a minor in poultry science. More than the 18.5 sacks in his second season in the N.F.L. or the Gumby-like flexibility that helps him evade offensive linemen or even the eyeglasses that have become such a signature that a teammate gave him a carousel last Christmas to store them, it is a passion for poultry that might best represent the goofy, free- spirited nature of the anchor and energizer of the Denver Broncos’ defense. Miller, an outside linebacker, hopes to be the best defensive player in football, and then to become the best chicken farmer he can be.

“I’m the only one that wears glasses and raises chickens and plays football the way I do,” Miller said, without much argument, even from a nearby teammate who was laughing.

It would be a mistake, though, to confuse Miller’s playfulness and exuberance — in a 20-minute conversation, Miller brought up four times how much he loved football and hanging out in the locker room with his teammates — with a lack of seriousness about being one of the N.F.L.’s best defensive players. Miller is one of three second-year pass rushers — Houston’s J. J. Watt and San Francisco’s Aldon Smith are the others — who terrorized quarterbacks this season and whose teams are in the divisional round of the playoffs, which begins Saturday with the Broncos hosting the Ravens.

The Broncos, who allowed the fourth-fewest points during the regular season, chose Miller second over all in the 2011 draft, just after went to Carolina. In a conversation this week, he repeatedly said he wanted to be the player the Broncos brought him in to be.

Miller cannot quite articulate what he thinks that is. But Richard Smith, his , can.

“I think he has the potential to be better,” Smith said. “He can be one of the better players to ever play the game. If he continues to push himself and continues to work hard and if he wants that, he has the athletic ability to achieve that. A lot of his stuff is on natural ability. In 25 years in the N.F.L., he’s the most gifted player I’ve ever been around. He just has freakish athletic ability.”

Smith and Miller have an odd-couple relationship. Miller is the laid-back youngster, and Smith is the gruff, old-school coach who told Miller he should not dance after a sack, until Miller told him that a company donated money to his foundation, Von’s Vision, which provides eye care to underprivileged children. Go ahead and dance, Smith told him.

But Smith has also taken a special interest in Miller, riding him for everything from bringing food into the meeting rooms to plays in which he did not perform well. Smith makes Miller sit next to him during meetings, to keep Miller alert. He will occasionally call Miller into his office to show him the bad plays Miller made, not the “100 plays I could show you that are unbelievably great.” Miller calls Smith’s treatment of him “comical” but also credits him with his success.

While Miller’s natural gift is pass rushing, Smith’s goal is to mold Miller into a more complete player. Progress has been made. Miller can set the edge on offensive linemen on running plays because of his strength, and this season he was used much more often in pass coverage than last season. According to ProFootballFocus.com, Miller was thrown at 24 times this season and allowed 19 receptions, a catch rate of 79.2 percent. He had an interception and broke up another pass. Last year, Miller was thrown at 13 times and allowed 11 receptions, a catch rate of 84.6 percent. He had no interceptions. Still, it is Miller’s ability to effortlessly contort his body that most amazes teammates. Miller says even he cannot fully explain it, except that he is trying to get from Point A to Point B as quickly as possible. But he eschewed most traditional weight training programs last off-season to focus on yoga sessions with the Giants’ Jason Pierre-Paul.

Broncos linebacker Keith Brooking recalled a sack of in Oakland, when Miller, rushing from the left side of the defense, ran at right tackle Khalif Barnes. As he approached, he lowered his right shoulder and then bent his knees, turning the corner with his knees just inches off the ground and his torso almost parallel to the grass.

“You have a big offensive tackle, and he’s running as fast as he can straight up the field, and this guy is trying to push on him,” cornerback Champ Bailey said. “He has the flexibility to get low, run under that and pop back up as if he’s been standing tall the whole time. Nobody can do that. That’s amazing. And how do you pop up? Usually people fall on their face.”

During the lockout two years ago, when lawyers representing the players union chose Miller to be the representative for the incoming rookies in a lawsuit against the league, Miller said he agreed to lend his name to the cause not to put himself in the spotlight, but to be a part of a group that included Mike Vrabel and Peyton Manning. “It’s a great feeling to have that I’m doing something for them,” Miller said at the time. “I enjoy being a great teammate.”

Two years later, with 30 sacks to his name — eliciting comparisons to the former Kansas City Chiefs linebacker — and having established himself as the most important Broncos player other than Manning, Miller said he did not think about what he had accomplished so far.

“That’s just what I do to keep myself grounded and humble, being the Von I’ve always been,” he said. “This is what’s always worked for me. I don’t sit and think about stuff.”

But he has thought about what will come after football. After the professor of that first poultry class warned Miller that he could not coast through and still receive credit, Miller started to pay attention. Surrounded by students who planned to become farmers, he eventually took classes in poultry production and poultry genetics, and another in which students worked at a farm raising chickens. He said he believed that with the connections he made at Texas A&M, he could have a chicken farm up and running within a day, if he wanted.

“It’s an easy lifestyle,” he said. “It’s a billion-dollar industry. Chickens and turkeys are both recession-proof.”

At this, his teammate , sitting nearby and eating Chick-fil-A for lunch, started laughing.

“If you don’t eat chicken tenders, you use chicken broth to make soup,” Miller continued, picking up speed. “It’s a very, very elaborate industry. I enjoy checking on the birds once or twice a day, and just having a tranquil lifestyle.”

There is nothing tranquil about Miller’s current lifestyle, of course. But Miller seems to have found the only job he might love as much as the one he already has.

“Sad part about it — it doesn’t take long,” Miller said. “It’s like six to eight weeks before a chick becomes a chicken tender. We knocked that out in just a semester. The house raises the chicken, the lighting, auto feeding, letting owners know how many dead birds are in the house, the disease and humidity. Really, all you’ve got to do is pick up the dead birds.”

Or the flattened quarterbacks. Knowshon Moreno hurdles back into spotlight with resurgent season for

Denver Broncos

Mike Vorkunov Newark Star-Ledger January 11, 2013

The man who performed one of the most amazing plays of this NFL season still regards it with a nonchalance. Nearly a month ago, Knowshon Moreno jumped over Ed Reed, the 5-foot-11 Ravens safety. He hurdled a human being, whose head bowed in anticipation of a collision he thought was oncoming — because that is how meetings between running backs and would-be-tacklers usually play out.

"It wasn’t anything too crazy," Moreno said by phone this week from Colorado. "It was cool at the time, but it was me trying to make a play and instinct taking over."

The play became a highlight reel staple — and maybe a guide for those who want to engage in extreme hurdling, with obstacles more aggressive than the 42-inch high hurdles Olympic athletes lope over. It also delivered Moreno back into the limelight. The 12th overall pick in 2009, a star at Middletown South High and then the , he had fallen down the Denver Broncos’ depth chart due to injuries and ineffectiveness, missing eight straight games on the inactive list.

But Moreno has galloped back into a prominent role as the Broncos claimed the AFC’s top seed during the final third of the season. After a season-ending injury to Willis McGahee gave him a chance, Moreno rushed for 510 yards over the Broncos’ final six regular-season games — all victories.

And while his signature play exhilarated many, his high school coach’s reaction to it goes to show that Moreno has the talent to make his resurgence last beyond this weekend in Denver, when the Broncos will host Reed and the Ravens in the divisional round of the playoffs.

"I’ve seen that before," Steve Antonucci said with a chuckle. "I saw it here in high school when he did it to a kid in Neptune. I saw it when he did it at Georgia."

Moreno seemed to have a fast track to stardom. He dominated for Antonucci and then at Georgia, leaving the school after three seasons to become a first-round pick in 2009. In his rookie season, Moreno was 53 yards shy of a 1,000-yard season.

It was a steep career arc that hit a snag his second year when he rushed for 779 yards and missed three games. The 2011 season brought a nightmarish six months. A torn ACL cut his season short after just seven games. And last February, he was charged with driving under the influence. (He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge — driving while ability impaired — and was sentenced to a suspended 30-day jail term and one year of probation.)

If the 2012 season could offer him any redemption, that chance seemed to be whisked away in the second game of the season after he fumbled and did not play again for two months.

"I think, for the first time in his life, somebody took something away from him that he was so good at," Antonucci said. "Everybody just gave him everything — not that they gave him, he earned a lot of it — but there was so much stuff that he was so good at and all of a sudden the Broncos said, ‘Know what, we’re going to take this away from you for a while and see what happens.’ That had to be the most humbling experience of his life to this point."

Moreno maintained that his perspective never changed nor did his confidence waver. Even as he as forced to watch games from the sideline, he was the straight line as circumstances changed around him. Antonucci, who said he speaks with Moreno on a regular basis, says Moreno even thought about approaching the special teams coach to play on that unit so he could get on the field.

While reticent to talk about himself, Moreno admitted that his success over the last two months have been redemptive after what preceded it.

"It’s a journey," he said. "Just basically getting back to work with the number ones. I’ve been working the whole season to keep myself prepared, keeping my wind up, things like that, so when I get the opportunity to come in and help us out and not have any issues."

The key for him has been maturity — as a person and as a running back. On the field he has become more patient, waiting for plays and holes to develop. As a person, Antonucci says, he has moved on from further trappings of success attained so quickly an early age.

"I think now, honestly, talking to him in the last two months or so," Antonucci said, "he’s done so much maturing and I think the game has slowed down for him and gotten to the point where he can be himself." AFC Divisional Playoffs Playbook: Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos look to send Ray Lewis into retirement

Featured matchups: Ravens RBs Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce vs. Broncos MLB Keith Brooking; Broncos QB Manning vs. Ravens S Ed Reed

Hank Gola New York Daily News January 11, 2013

RAVENS VS. BRONCOS AT SPORTS AUTHORITY FIELD AT MILE HIGH

THE LINE: Broncos by 8 1/2

TIME: 4:30 p.m.

TV: Ch. 2 (, )

RADIO: WFAN-660 AM and 101.9 FM (Kevin Kugler, )

FORECAST: Temperatures from 16-19 degrees with 8 mph winds and a possible snow shower.

INJURY IMPACT:

Broncos CB Tracy Porter hasn't practiced since he sustained a concussion in the regular season finale. OG Chris Kuper (ankle, forearm) is expected to start for the first time since Dec. 2. Iron man LT (ankle) was held out of practice during the bye week but will start again in this one. The Ravens could be without OG Jah Reid (toe). Ravens FB (knee, ankle) and RB Bernard Pierce (knee) are banged up but expected to play.

FEATURED MATCHUPS:

Ravens RBs Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce vs. Broncos MLB Keith Brooking: Brooking's smarts in the middle, combined with the speed of Wesley and Von Miller to get to the perimeters, have given the Broncos one of the best run defenses in the league. They allowed only one team to rush for over 100 yards against them in the last 11 games. Rice, who may be wearindown, and the speedier Pierce have to set the tone for the game or Joe Flacco will be under siege from Miller and Elvis Dumervil. Rice's two fumbles last week are not a good omen.

Broncos QB Peyton Manning vs. Ravens S Ed Reed: These two have hooked up many times and it's always been kind of a chess game with Manning trying to look him off and Reed trying to bait him. Manning seems to have a little more game left in him than Reed, who has lost a step. But in big games like this, big players like Reed step up.

SCOUT SAYS:

"Anquan Boldin is coming off a big game against the Colts but this is a different deal. The Ravens wide receivers really struggled against press man coverage in the first game and if Flacco has to hold onto the ball that much longer, which he tends to do, he's going to be in trouble against this pass rush. I'd look for the Ravens to try to involve the Broncos in pass coverage, using tight ends or Ray Rice out of the backfield. It's not their strong suit. Denver's pass rush will have mismatches coming off the edge, although Michael Oher was better back on the right side. Peyton is really good at targeting your wink link. That's why Eric Decker had such a big game the last time."

INTANGIBLES:

The Ravens could be sapped by an emotionally-charged win and they're playing on a short week in high altitude after a long trip. They are, however, the more playoff- seasoned of the two teams, except for Manning, and can easily recall how close they came to reaching the Super Bowl a year ago. Rested and ready, the Broncos won their last 11 games, including a win in Baltimore in Week 7, although Ray Lewis is just one of four starters on defense who missed that game. The frigid conditions shouldn't be a help to either team. Manning, who has won his last nine starts against the Ravens, played in a dome all those years with the Colts and is 1- 3 in cold weather playoff games. He'll wear a glove for the first time in his career.

PREDICTION:

BRONCOS, 27-21: They just have too much balance. Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning dominated regular-season news, but retirement of Baltimore Ravens veteran Ray Lewis is talk of playoffs

Although the Broncos battered the Ravens, 34-17, a month ago in Baltimore, part of their 11-game season-ending winning streak, Lewis and a host of other defensive players weren’t on the field

Hank Gola New York Daily News January 11, 2013

DENVER — The two most enduring faces of the NFL will look into each other’s eyes one last time Saturday — unless one day their busts are opposite each other in Canton.

Just as Peyton Manning’s comeback dominated the news when the season ended, Ray Lewis’ retirement is the talk of the playoffs. And unless Lewis can halt his nine- game losing streak against Manning in Saturday’s AFC divisional playoff game, it will be the last game of his 17-year Ravens career. The way Manning has played for the Broncos, the end of the QB’s career is nowhere in sight.

“It’s those classic memories that you reminisce about when the game is over,” Lewis said this week. “The warrior side of me remembers all those times being a heck of a battle. But it’s a whole new game now. The only thing that matters right now is if we win this week.”

Although the Broncos battered the Ravens, 34-17, a month ago in Baltimore, part of their 11-game season-ending winning streak, Lewis and a host of other defensive players weren’t on the field. Lewis’ return to the lineup after a 10-week absence in last week’s wild-card game was an emotional happening that lifted the entire Ravens defense. Lewis had 13 tackles in the win over Manning’s old team, the Colts, as Baltimore dominated the line of scrimmage against Manning’s successor, rookie Andrew Luck.

“I’m sure you guys have lots of old notes from all the times I played against the Ravens and my feelings on Ray Lewis,” Manning said. “You definitely can just see from watching the TV . . . that he brought a boost to that team now that he’s back.”

Manning didn’t elaborate or get sappy. He said he planned to deliver his feelings directly to Lewis at some point Saturday. But the mutual respect is evident. As soon as he took off his cleats after last week’s win, Lewis reportedly handed his iPad to a staff member and asked for tapes on Manning and the Broncos. “It’s just two people that understand the game very well,” Lewis said. “Offensively, he understands what things he wants to see and defensively we understand what things we don’t want him to see. That’s where the chess match comes in.”

Manning, meanwhile, recalled a game when Lewis beat him to his pre-snap read — Peyton’s specialty. “You can hear him calling the plays out,” Manning said. “He was going ‘watch the screen, watch the screen!’ I had to burn a timeout.”

But the chess match has gone Manning’s way ever since he lost his first two games against Lewis’ Ravens in his third and fourth seasons. It includes two playoff wins.

Manning was 30-of-44 for 246 yards when the Colts beat the Ravens, 20-3, in the ’09 playoffs, when Lewis had eight tackles. In the ’06 playoffs, Lewis had the upper hand but the Colts still won, 15-6. Lewis had 15 tackles and Manning was intercepted twice. That’s the game that still sticks with the linebacker.

“We gave up five field goals to him and they went on to win the Super Bowl,” Lewis said. “That hurts to lose to somebody you thought you had beat.”

Lewis gets another shot on Saturday, his last one.

When the Temperature Dips, So Does Manning's Game

Jared Diamond January 11, 2013

Peyton Manning has led the Denver Broncos to 11 consecutive wins and the AFC's No. 1 seed. But the Baltimore Ravens have one important factor on their side: Mother Nature.

The high temperature in Denver for Saturday's playoff game is expected to be about 20 degrees, dipping into the single-digits by game's end. Manning, for all his greatness, hasn't had much experience in that sort of weather. He spent most of his career playing home games indoors in Indianapolis. And when faced with the cold, he hasn't performed up to his typical standards.

Manning has started eight games when the temperature was 32 degrees or below at kickoff, all on the road. His quarterback rating in those games is 70.9, compared with a 92.7 rating on the road overall. He has completed just 59.4% of his passes, compared with 65% in other road games. He has thrown nine interceptions against six touchdowns—numbers that are decidedly un-Manning like.

In the playoffs, Manning has fared even worse. He's lost his only two cold postseason games, both against New England, throwing one touchdown and five interceptions. Broncos QB Peyton Manning wrote the book on speed reading

Manning's mastery of no-huddle offense, his ability to decipher and break down a defense, is a big reason Denver won AFC West and he could win a fifth MVP award.

Sam Farmer The January 11, 2013

Peyton Manning flaps his arms, stamps his foot and plays traffic cop, sending Denver Broncos teammates this way and that. All the while, the play clock is winding down.

Manning isn't just playing quarterback. He's playing chicken with the defense, baiting it to reveal strategy. His success before the snap is a reason he is counted among the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, and it's a tactic he will use Saturday in a divisional playoff game against Baltimore at Sports Authority Field.

"I'm betting that 90% of the time before he gets the ball, he knows where he's going with the ball," said Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway, the Broncos' top football executive. "That helps with getting rid of it, and it also helps with his accuracy, because if he knows where he's going with it, it's a hell of a lot easier to get the feet set and get it going to the right spot."

Manning, the league's only four-time most valuable player, is a leading candidate to pick up his fifth award. In his first season with the Broncos, he led the NFL with a 68.6 completion percentage, was second with a 105.8 passer rating, third with 37 passing touchdowns and sixth with 4,659 passing yards.

To get as long a look at the defense as possible, Manning frequently runs a no- huddle offense. He never has to turn his back to the opposition. The Broncos have become increasingly effective in that mode, and their style of no-huddle differs from that of other NFL teams'.

For example, while the New England Patriots with Tom Brady are adept at changing tempos, shifting in and out of the no-huddle in a flash, and giving opposing defenses precious little time to make personnel changes, the Broncos tend to take their time and use the scheme so that Manning can take a long look at what he's facing on a particular play.

"What really changed the no-huddle — and Peyton was probably the first guy to master it — was the dummy snap count," said former NFL quarterback , now an ESPN analyst. "It used to be, 'Set HUT!' and the ball was snapped. Or 'Set HUT-HUT' and the ball was going to be snapped. Now quarterbacks get up there in the no-huddle and go, 'Set HUT-UT-UT!' and it's a dummy. And then the defense resets, you know what they're going to do, and you go, 'Set HUT-UT-UT!' And it's a dummy too. And now the defense is just sitting there in their stance, because they have to be ready for it.

"They let the quarterback read their mail. The quarterback has already opened the envelope and read the mail. Now they go, 'OK, now that I've read your mail, we're going to do A, B and C to get in the best play possible . . . 'SET-HUT!' and the ball is snapped."

Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, who was Manning's first quarterbacks coach in the NFL, said the Broncos star simply outlasts an opposing defense, waiting until it no longer has time to disguise its strategy, then quickly dials into the ideal play.

"Teams defensively are getting taught so well they'll wait till the [play] clock hits nine, some wait till eight, to leave their last disguise," Arians said. "Then, as an offense, you have to have code words that are fast enough to get the right play and the snap count off in basically six seconds."

That means one-word plays and hand signals that get all the offensive players on the same page.

"Peyton's the master," Arians said. "I don't think too many people can do that. Brady's doing a hell of a job with it too. They have a great hand-signal system. They can go fastbreak. It's real good when the rest of your guys can handle it."

In the NFL, an offense has 40 seconds from the end of a given play to get the ball snapped on the next play, or 25 seconds after the ball is spotted after an administrative stoppage such as a penalty, timeout or end of a quarter. Manning tries to vary the pace of the offense, although he seldom goes at the full-throttle speed that Brady uses with the Patriots.

"The key is how fast you're going," Manning said. "Some teams go no-huddle, but it's simply not huddling, it's not really fast-paced. I think you want to constantly look at that. The faster we go, the better we can be.

"And the more we see how people play us, how they defend us in certain situations, how they react to things we do, the better it will be, the better we can prepare for how we want to handle things."

There's a more patient, cerebral feel to the no-huddle now than there was two decades ago, when Jim Kelly was running the fast-paced "K-Gun" offense for the Buffalo Bills. "We did it because that's the pace we felt comfortable with, and also it tired the defensive linemen out," Kelly recalled. "Our offensive linemen were in such great shape that there were times if I would slow the pace down some, [center] Kent Hull would say, 'Come on, man, pick it up! Pick it up!'

"We didn't want those big guys on the other side to get an extra breath, or be able to continue to substitute back and forth. There wasn't a lot of disguising coverages, because defenses really didn't have time to do that."

There were times, Kelly said, when defenses actually would beg the Bills to take their foot off the gas.

"Ask about that," he said, referring to the great Raiders defensive lineman. "I remember we played them in the AFC championship game [in 1991] and he yelled at me. He was like, 'Come on, Kelly! Slow this down, man! Slow it down!' I just started laughing."

As for Manning, he's more of a patient professor.

"Peyton is a pioneer when it comes to a no-huddle that isn't necessarily a fastbreak," Elway said. "It's more, let's just get them to the line of scrimmage and make them commit."

In some circles, Manning's nickname is "Perfect Peyton," and there's no question he's a perfectionist in most aspects of his life. But Hall of Fame coach turned broadcaster , who is close friends with Manning, said the quarterback isn't necessarily trying to get into the perfect play when he's at the line of scrimmage.

"His whole philosophy is to stay out of a bad play," Madden said. "It's not necessarily to get into the best play where you're going to get the defense every play, obviously you're not. He wants to get into a play that has a chance."

From a defensive perspective, Madden said, there's no surefire way to beat Manning.

"There's no answer to a great quarterback," he said. "There's no, do you blitz them or not, do you zone them or not, do you press him? The only thing you can do with him is disguise, and keep him from knowing what you're doing as long as you can.

"But eventually, you're going to do it and he's going to see it. Whatever you're doing to disguise, you'd better change because he's going to figure you out."

Damage Control: the playoffs, round two: Denver Broncos vs. Baltimore Ravens

Mackie Shilstone New Orleans Times-Picayune January 11, 2013

Before I get to my analysis of the divisional playoff game between the Denver Broncos and the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday at 3:30 pm in Denver, I must digress for a moment to a comment I made in my column last week - “based on their (the player’s) respective prior injury history, use their greatest strength against them – the athletic mindset of pushing beyond the limits of human performance to win - even to the point of sacrificing one’s body for the team.”

I was referring to the fact that even if a highly competitive athlete has a recent injury, he will, if you let him, hurt himself again trying to return to action to win for his team.

Such was the case last Sunday with Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, who put aside his previous injury (lateral collateral ligament – LCL - sprain on his right knee sustained in a Dec. 9 Redskins win over Baltimore), and played hurt against the Seahawks in Washington’s loss last Sunday. Sure enough, his season ended in the fourth quarter with a second knee injury.

USA Today sports reporter Jarrett Bell had these comments in his Monday column: “In the end, Robert Griffin III gave it all he had. But, his right knee had nothing left. It buckled in the middle of the fourth quarter. He was done. Finished.”

Griffin commented after the 24-14 loss, “I’m the quarterback, the leader of this team. If you can play, you play.” My words were proven beyond a shadow of a doubt in this tragic example of a very competitive player (Griffin) trying to win at all cost.

But there is more to this story that must be put on the table before we move on. It has to do with a “he said, he said” dispute between Washington’s orthopedic surgeon, James Andrews, and Redskins Coach Mile Shanahan, as to who will take ownership of the decision to allow Griffin not only to go back into the Dec. 9 game, when he sustained the LCL sprain, but then also being allowed to play against the Seahawks last Sunday.

According to the USA Today report, “Andrews never cleared Griffin to return to the Dec. 9 game…. despite Shanahan’s contention that Andrews had given the OK.” Andrews went on to say that he never cleared Griffin to go back in the game against the Ravens because, “he never examined him. Griffin did not even let us look at him.” Andrews commented that “he was scared to death” about Griffin playing again last Sunday.

Griffin told Shanahan last Sunday during a halftime discussion, “Coach, there’s a difference between being injured and hurt. I can guarantee that I’m hurt right now (he got up limping after throwing a first-and-goal incompletion in the first half), but give me a chance to win this football game, because I guarantee that I’m not injured.”

Last Monday, The New York Times reported, “Shanahan revealed that Griffin, who played nearly all of Sunday’s game with an injured right knee, would be examined Tuesday by Dr. Andrews.” Griffin previously tore his ACL in the right knee in 2009, while he was playing at Baylor. The fear would be if he sustained a similar injury, which could jeopardize his 2013 season.

On Wednesday, , citing a source familiar with Griffin’s condition, reported, "Robert Griffin III has a torn lateral collateral ligament (LCL was sprained in Dec. 9 game) in his right knee and will undergo surgery today (Wednesday in Pensacola by Dr. Andrews).”

According to Tim Finney, orthopedic surgeon and former Saints’ team physician, “it appears Griffin will require multiple ligament repair/reconstruction – LCL repair and ACL reconstruction. You won’t know the condition of the ACL, until you get in there and see if it is a partial versus full thickness tear.”

Rehabilitation, Finney said, “could take anywhere from 6-12 months, depending on the severity of the injury.”

Surgery to Griffin’s injured right knee Wednesday confirmed Finney’s conclusion – repair of LCL and reconstruction of ACL by Andrews.

Now to the game at hand – Denver hosting Baltimore – which carries with it the emotions of Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis’ last stand before he retires at the end of the NFL playoffs, and the amazing comeback this season by Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning from a year out of the game (2011 season) with multiple cervical (neck) surgeries under his belt.

So far in his career, Manning has nine consecutive victories, including playoffs, against the Ravens. The last Baltimore victory came back on Dec. 2, 2001 in Baltimore.

Baltimore, knowing Manning’s famed ability to pick apart a defensive secondary, must find a way to penetrate the Broncos' offensive line and force Manning to hold the ball beyond the recommended three seconds - a recommendation which came from to me in a previous column. Denver’s Achilles heel is its turn over differential (-1) during the regular season. The Ravens in comparison are plus nine. Denver, on the other hand, must continue to put points up early and put the Ravens in a comeback mode. So far this season, Denver has only needed two fourth-quarter comebacks during their 11-game winning streak, in which they have won each game by seven points or more.

This game may come down to two seasoned veterans – Lewis vs. Manning - as to who will outsmart the other. Lewis was quoted as saying, "at the end of the day, it is not about me or Peyton. It’s about their team against our team. I love our team right now.”

Taking a look back at 18 weeks of the Ravens' weekly injury reports, this team has had its share of bumps and bruises but still is playing very physical football. For instance, last week going into the playoff game against the Colts, the Ravens had 22 injury notations, including wide receiver Anquan Bolden (shoulder), which did not keep him out of practice, much less effect him grabbing five passes for 145 yards - all in the second quarter with one for a TD. In three postseason games over the last two years, Boldin has 15 catches for 319 yards and two touchdowns.

Only in weeks 5 against the Chiefs and 6 against the Cowboys did the Ravens register just two injury notations. Otherwise, it was a packed house for most weeks in the training room.

Coming off their bye week at Week 8, the Ravens listed 19 injury notations going into the Week 9 game against the Browns. The Week 7 game against the Texans must have been one heck of a physical battle.

It just goes to show you that you can play hurt but not injured, as Griffin did for the Redskins last Sunday.

Speaking of playing hurt, Peyton Manning, with his previous four neck surgeries in 2011, has been sporting a glove on his throwing hand the last two games of the regular season to increase his grip strength – something that can potentially be weakened initially after his type of surgery. While the temperature Saturday afternoon in Denver is expected to be 22 degrees with a low of 10, the glove may help with more than just protecting against the cold.

Manning was quoted in The New York Times on Wednesday saying, “I certainly don’t think I would’ve had to wear the glove had I not been injured last year. It’s part of my injury.” Manning made it clear that, “I’m in a different body. Things are different for me. And I’ve had to adjust.”

And I am sure that Ray Lewis and company are going to do everything in their power to make Manning do just that – adjust. However, with a week off, while the Ravens were beating up on the Colts, Manning’s former team, and the thin air in Denver’, the advantage tips to the Broncos to be victorious over the Ravens.

The Broncos on Tuesday welcomed back to practice running back Willis McGahee, who had been sidelined with a knee injury since Week 11 against the San Diego Chargers. McGahee will be ineligible to play until the AFC championship game, if the Broncos prevail Saturday in Denver, as a result of being placed on the injured reserve with a designation to return last November.

Wednesday, the Broncos and Ravens provided their weekly injury reports after their respective practices. The Ravens noted 16 injury notations with four who did not practice (Vonta Leach, knee and ankle; Bernard Pierce, knee; Jah Reid, toe; and Dannell Ellerbe, ankle), while the Broncos had eight injury notations and only one did not practice (Tracy Porter, concussion). All the remaining players on both teams with an injury citation were at a full practice participation status.

By Thursday both head coaches - Denver’s John Fox and Baltimore’s John Harbaugh – were pleased with their respective team’s health. Harbaugh said, "It’s encouraging to have all our guys … we aren’t anticipating anybody missing this game," while Fox said he was pleased with his team’s health going into Saturday’s game.

In the final analysis, it will come down to whether Peyton Manning can get a firm grip on the ball, so he can get a grip on the game. Or, if Ray Lewis can breakthrough the Broncos' front line and open gaping holes for his fellow teammates to flood the backfield, while the Raven manhandle the Bronco receivers at the line of scrimmage, then the game will not be a blowout.

Let’s wait and see. Martinez: Why Broncos-Ravens will be closer than you think

Raul Martinez KDVR.com January 11, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Ravens are driving down the field. Joe Flacco has his team at Denver’s 4-yard line. Thirty seconds left until halftime. Baltimore, despite a horrific first half, only trailed the Broncos 10-0.

A touchdown cuts it to three, and the Ravens get the ball in the third quarter. Flacco throws Anquan Boldin’s way and cornerback Chris Harris reads it like a book and takes it all the way for a touchdown.

Instead of 10-7 at the half, it’s 17-0.

The route was on. That was the difference maker. The Broncos won in Baltimore 34-17.

I know Denver’s coaches and veterans are reminding everyone that it wasn’t as big of a blowout as it said on the scoreboard. Baltimore is also a lot healthier this time around. Linebackers Ray Lewis and Dannell Ellerbe, safety Bernard Pollard, right guard Marshall Yanda and tight end Ed Dickson all return to the field.

“You know they want to come back and get payback,” said Harris. “They are eager to come up here and play us. We’re hungry, too. We haven’t reached any goals just by being the No. 1 seed. We’re still hungry and we’re excited to play them too.”

The weather is going to be a factor. It’s going to be cold. The game time temperatures is expected to be 18 degrees. (Is that a sign?) Hopefully there won’t be any snow or wind because that will slow down the pass game from No. 18, Peyton Manning.

Right now the Broncos are favored to win by 9. I haven’t seen one expert pick the Ravens.

I just don’t see Denver winning by that much.

I have the Broncos winning this game, but it’s going to be closer. With all the factors I mentioned above, I can see this being a defensive battle and that’s where the home team has the advantage. The Broncos defense is just better than the Ravens and I think they will focus on shutting down Ray Rice and dare Flacco to throw on them. I think Flacco is a good quarterback; not elite. If he wants that status, he has to be perfect at Mile High.

I see a lot of field goals and Manning having one or two key drives to put them in the AFC Championship, where they will host the Patriots.

Here are my predictions for the Broncos-Ravens contest tomorrow, as well as all of the NFL’s Divisional playoff games:

Broncos 23, Ravens 18: It will be close, but the Broncos have been a great second half team and their defense will make sure to give Manning opportunities. No. 18 will capitalize.

Patriots 34, Texans 20: Houston got it done against Cincinnati last week, but they did not look very good. I’m pretty sure any other playoff team would have beat them that day. I am not a believer in Matt Schaub. He makes too many mistakes and if running back Arian Foster can’t get going from the start, it will be even uglier. One guy I do trust? Tom Brady. He’s so good in the playoffs and I see him throwing three or four touchdowns — even against a pretty good Houston defense.

Packers 31, 49ers 28: This should be the best game of the divisional round and it’s my only upset pick. These two met in week 1 and San Francisco won 30-22. The reason I like Green Bay to win has to do with the quarterbacks. Aaron Rodgers is red hot and Colin Kaepernick is too inconsistent. Rodgers has been here before and the 49ers have a great defense, but I see Green Bay’s quarterback coming up clutch late. I see Kaepernick making a big mistake in the second half.

Falcons 24, Seahawks 20: Seattle is on fire. They were unstoppable at home this season, and they are proving they can win big games on the road, as well. They proved it last week against the Redskins. Saying all that, I still like Atlanta to win. The Falcons are due. Quarterback Matt Ryan is the difference maker here, and his playoff losing streak is coming to an end. Even though Russell Wilson isn’t playing like a rookie, I don’t trust first-year players this far in the playoffs. Let the Games Begin!

The journey to a championship starts here

Dan Mohrmann Mile High Sports January 11, 2013

It felt like a forgone conclusion in 1996. The Denver Broncos steamrolled their way through the entire regular season, earning the AFC's top seed in the playoffs. There wasn't a team left in the field that could take them down. After three previous attempts, Broncos fans were going to be able to celebrate a Super Bowl victory for John Elway.

But instead, there was heartbreak. The Jacksonville Jaguars ruined the celebration planned for Elway and forced Denver to wait for another opportunity. They seized that opportunity in 1997, despite not being the dominant regular season team they had been the year before.

The following season, 1998, came and with it, that similar feeling of forgone conclusion. Terrell Davis was rushing for 2,000 yards and the Broncos looked unstoppable. By the time Elway took the field in the divisional round of the playoffs, it felt like city planners had already determined the Super Bowl parade route.

This time, the Broncos would not fail. The perceived best team in the NFL earned that moniker and hoisted the Trophy a second time.

Since that three-year span in the late '90s the Broncos have not been the dominant football team in the NFL. 2005 proved to be a memorable season, but even as the playoffs rolled around, there was never that confident feeling. There was no thought of pre-determined victory.

As the Broncos prepare for their 2013 playoff debut, that feeling has returned to the Rocky Mountains. With Peyton Manning taking the snaps and calling the shots on defense, the Broncos look and feel like Super Bowl champions. Going into this weekend, it's tough to imagine this team not winning - at a minimum - the AFC championship and going to New Orleans.

We've all heard the naysayers. They'll point to the Broncos' schedule, specifically the back end, and cite the lack of tough competition. They'll claim the Ravens were banged up the last time the two teams met and that's why this one will be different. They think Manning is a bust in the playoffs. They don't buy into the hype.

As much as they love to point out the Broncos' "flaws," the fact remains that this team has taken care of business this season. Their three losses were to teams who are playing in this week's divisional round, a fact no other team in the playoffs can match. When the Broncos have played inferior teams, they have won; and more often than not, they have won handily.

They have overcome adversity (being down 24-0 at halftime against San Diego on the road) and battled through a key injuries (Chris Kuper, Willis McGahee). Since the second half of week six, there has not been a better team in the NFL. The Broncos have been efficient on offense and menacing on defense. As the playoffs drew closer, they stomped on their opponents, outscoring the last four (including the Baltimore Ravens) by a total of 87 points.

Their playoff seed also indicates their figurative ranking within the conference. This is the best team in football by leaps and bounds. They are better than their 1996 counterparts and more complete than the 1998 world champions.

I'm not to the point of planning the parade route quite yet, but fans should be prepared for the Broncos to do great things in these playoffs. It's been a long time since this city has had a championship within reach. As long as Manning can keep his teammates focused and the Broncos continue to go about their business the same way they have since week six, it's going to be a heck of ride.

The Denver Broncos will not share the fate of the 1996 team; that, I can all but promise you. The only question that remains is if they can match the glory of the 1998 champions.

I think they can do it. I think they will do it. When the opening kick is launched into the air tomorrow, the Denver Broncos will make their march to a Super Bowl title, and they will not be stopped. NFL Network Looks at Manning's Recovery

Gray Caldwell DenverBroncos.com January 11, 2013

Saturday morning, NFL Network will air a feature on quarterback Peyton Manning's road to recovery.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- This Saturday, the Broncos will take on the Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional Round of the AFC playoffs. It's one more checkpoint in Manning's comeback season.

The first steps in that comeback began with his old quarterbacks coach from the , David Cutcliffe.

Manning and Cutcliffe worked together at the University of Duke as the the quarterback rehabbed his way back to form. While very few people knew the work was going on, cameras were rolling the entire time.

Saturday morning, NFL Network will air a feature on Manning's Road to Recovery featuring some of that footage for the first time on television.

It includes a look at Manning's play-by-play reenactment of the 2009 AFC Championship Game, featuring help from teammate Brandon Stokley.

A preview is available to watch now on DenverBroncos.com. The full feature is scheduled to air at 10 a.m. MST on NFL Network's Gameday Morning. Broncos vs. Ravens: Final Preview

Sam Davis DenverBroncos.com January 11, 2013

DenverBroncos.com takes one last look at the Divisional Round game between the Broncos and Ravens.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. - The AFC No. 1 seed Denver Broncos (13-3) will host the No. 4 seed Baltimore Ravens (10-6) on Saturday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Kickoff is set for 2:35 p.m. MST. Below is a preview of the Divisional Round contest, including matchups on each side of the ball, links to coverage leading up the contest and a key to victory for the Broncos.

WHEN THE BRONCOS HAVE THE BALL

The Ravens defense is a different unit from when the clubs last squared off in Week 15, thanks to the return of a few key players.

Safety Bernard Pollard and linebackers Danelle Ellerbee and Ray Lewis are three players that will most likely start on Saturday that didn't play in the Broncos' win at Baltimore in December.

Pollard and Ellerbee are the team's two leading tacklers. Lewis, a 12-time Pro Bowler, is the emotional and experienced leader of the group.

"They missed a couple pieces of their defense," wideout Eric Decker recalled. "Having those guys back, especially (No.) 52, he's an emotional leader. He's a guy that everyone kind of rallies around. We know it's going to be a challenge and things are going to be different. You can't compare anything to last game."

Before the postseason began, Lewis announced 2012 would be his "last ride." That only adds fuel to the fire of a spirited Baltimore defense, which kept Indianapolis from reaching paydirt last week in Lewis' first game back since injuring his triceps in Week 6.

In his return, he led the Ravens with 13 tackles and played in all 90 defensive snaps.

"Being a leader of my defense, me coming back and doing what I did, that's where I should be," Lewis said in a conference call with Denver media. "And that's where I'm supposed to be. This week is always going to get better." Denver's offense is well-rested, with 13 days between games. The Ravens are traveling across the country to play in Denver's high altitude on less than a week's rest after the defense was on the field for 90 plays in their last game.

But the Broncos aren't counting on any of that being a factor. With or without Lewis, Denver's offensive unit believes Baltimore's defense is one of the most physical in the league.

They know they must match the aggressiveness of Baltimore from the first down to the last.

"They play this game right, physical," Decker said. "It's such an emotional team and they feed off each other. It's how you play the game. We just have to meet their intensity."

WHEN THE RAVENS HAVE THE BALL

The Denver defense isn't dwelling on its stellar performance against the Ravens in Week 15, when it held running back Ray Rice to 38 rushing yards and shut out the team's leading receiver, Anquan Boldin. That win is in the past.

"We had a plan, went up there and we played pretty well," Defensive Coordinator Jack Del Rio said. "Now that's behind us, as are a lot of other games. Each week we start fresh and talk to our guys about the things that they're good at, the things we need be able to limit, slow down, some of their capabilities."

Del Rio knows Saturday will be a completely new ball game, but if his unit can slow down the same parts of the Ravens offense it did four weeks ago, the Broncos will be okay.

Rice is a catalyst of the Ravens offensive attack. With more than 1,600 all-purpose yards, the fifth-year back is a dual-threat. The Broncos figured out a recipe to stop him last time. It's still a priority in the Divisional Round.

"One thing we can't do is take our eyes off Ray Rice," cornerback Champ Bailey said. "He is one of the best in the game. You have to know where he is, coming out of the backfield, running the ball-it doesn't matter. He is No. 1 because if he gets started, it's a long day for us."

It will likely be a group effort by the Broncos secondary to keep Boldin quiet for a second straight time. The receiver exploded in last week's Wild Card Round with five grabs for 145 yards and a touchdown.

Cornerback Chris Harris is one of the players that will match up with Boldin on the outside. He comes into the game with high confidence after helping to shut down Boldin in Week 15 and also picking off Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco before halftime for a 98-yard interception return touchdown. "It's about winning one-on-one battles," Harris said. "I definitely have a lot of confidence, based off how we played last time. I'm just trying to go out there and duplicate the same thing. I know I'm going to play my game and whatever they have new, whatever they do, we'll be ready for it. We're prepared."

KEY TO THE GAME: Match the Intensity, Control the Emotions

The Ravens will come out fired up and looking for revenge. A key for the Broncos is to match that fire, but still stay within themselves and play just like they have for 11 straight weeks.

"We've talked about it," veteran linebacker Keith Brooking said. "But at the end of the day, it's football. We have to line up and play, and play responsibility defense, do our job. There will be more emotion in that. More intensity. That's what it's all about. That's no pressure at all. You relish in that. That's what you live for."

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Television: The game will be televised on KCNC-TV CBS4, with Greg Gumbel (play-by-play) and Dan Dierdorf (color commentary) calling the game.

Local Radio: KOA (850 AM) will feature Dave Logan (play-by-play) and Ed McCaffrey (color commentary) with Andy Lindahl reporting from the sidelines.

Local Spanish Radio: KMXA (1090 AM) / KJMN (92.1 FM): Luis Canela (play-by- play), Rafael Medina and Javier Olivas (color commentary) will call the game.

National Radio: Dial Global Radio Sports: Kevin Kugler (play-by-play) and Mark Malone (color commentary) will call the game with Scott Kaplan reporting from the sidelines. Broncos vs. Ravens: What to Watch For

Sam Davis DenverBroncos.com January 11, 2013

Go inside the numbers for Denver's Divisional Round matchup against Baltimore.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- The AFC's top-seeded Denver Broncos (13-3) look to begin a playoff run as they host the No. 4 seed Baltimore Ravens at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on Saturday. Below is a look inside the numbers of the team's Divisional Round game.

SERIES HISTORY

• The two teams faced off roughly one month ago, with the Broncos earning a 34-17 Week 15 win at M&T Bank Stadium. • The teams have only played in the postseason once, a Wild Card game in 2000 in which Baltimore defeated Denver 21-3. • In the all-time series, the Ravens hold a 5-4 advantage. • When hosting the Ravens, Denver holds a 3-1 advantage.

NOTABLE BRONCOS PERFORMANCES VS. BALTIMORE

• Defensive ends Elvis Dumervil, Robert Ayers and Derek Wolfe each sacked Joe Flacco in the clubs' Week 15 matchup. • Wideout Eric Decker led the team with 133 yards and a touchdown on eight catches when the teams faced off in December. • Cornerback Chris Harris provided a huge momentum swing near the end of the first half of that game with a 98-yard interception return for a touchdown, which represented the longest pick-six in team history. • Running back Knowshon Moreno paced the Broncos offense with 118 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries on Dec. 16 at Baltimore. • For linebacker Keith Brooking, his two-sack performance against Baltimore in 1999 still stands as his career high. • Cornerback Champ Bailey owns two interceptions, eight passes defensed and a forced fumble in four wins and two losses against the Ravens. • Quarterback Peyton Manning is 9-0 in his last nine games against the Ravens. He hasn't lost to the team since 2001. In that streak, he has topped a passer rating of 90 six times, with 15 touchdowns and six interceptions.

HOW THEY MATCH UP • The Broncos are the only team in the NFL that finished the regular season ranked in the top five in total offense and total defense. • They ranked fourth in offense (397.9 yards per game) and second in defense (290.8 yards per game). • Denver also scored 30.1 points per game (2nd) and allowed only 18.1 points per game (4th). • The Ravens ranked 10th in scoring offense with 24.9 points per game and T- 12th in scoring defense, surrendering 21.5 points per game. • Offensively, the Broncos ranked sixth in yards per play (5.8), while Baltimore was 25th at 5.4 yards per play. • Each team threw 11 interceptions in 2012. • The Broncos lost 14 fumbles on the year while the Ravens lost five. • The Broncos passed for nearly 50 more yards per game than the Ravens (283.4 - 233.7) during the regular season. • Denver holds the edge in third down offense (45.1%, 3rd) and red zone offense (59.1%, 7th), as the Ravens ranked outside the top 10 in both of those categories. • The Ravens hold the advantage in total giveaways. They tied for the second fewest in the league in 2012 with 16 and tied for eighth with a +9 turnover differential, while the Broncos turned the ball over 25 times and finished with a -1 turnover differential. • Defensively, the Broncos not only ranked second in the league in total defense but also finished first in yards per play (4.58). • The Ravens defense allowed 60.1 more yards per game than the Broncos. • Baltimore allowed its opponents to rush for 122.8 yards per game, 20th in the league, while the Denver defense ranked third in the league allowing 91.1 rushing yards per game. • Both teams stand out in third-down defense, as the Broncos led the NFL (30.6%) and the Ravens finished seventh (35.8%). • The Ravens were stout in the red zone, finishing second in the league (43.4%) while the Broncos ranked 28th (58.5%).

ANY-MINUTE MILESTONES

• If the Broncos beat the Ravens on Saturday, they will become the fifth team in NFL history to win their final 11 regular-season games in addition to winning at least one playoff game. • With 16 pass attempts and seven completions on Saturday, Manning will tie Joe Montana (734 attempts, 460 completions) for the third-most all-time in the postseason in both categories. • With a touchdown pass, Manning will have 30 career TD passes in the postseason and will tie Terry Bradshaw for the sixth-most all-time in that category. • Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas has 10 catches and 297 yards in his postseason career. He is four receptions shy of capturing tenth place for the most postseason receptions in franchise history. • Thomas also needs 18 receiving yards to capture eighth place in postseason receiving yards in team history.

FAMILIAR FACES

• Defensive tackle Justin Bannan played in 63 games and started 19 contests for Baltimore from 2006-2009. • Safety Jim Leonhard spent the 2008 season as a Raven, finishing the year with 85 tackles, a sack and a pick-six. • Wideout Brandon Stokley played for the Ravens for four years from 1999- 2002 and was a part of the Super Bowl XXV championship. • Defensive Coordinator Jack Del Rio coached Baltimore's linebackers for three years (1999-2001) and won a title with the club in 2000. Divisional Round Advisory

Tyler Everett DenverBroncos.com January 11, 2013

Fans are asked to plan to get to the stadium early due to an expected sellout crowd.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- The Broncos are anticipating a sellout crowd for Saturday's Divisional Round opener against the Baltimore Ravens.

With that in mind, the team is advising fans to plan to arrive at the gates to Sports Authority Field at Mile High at least an hour before kickoff.

The stadium's early tailgating spaces will open at 8 a.m., with the rest of the parking lots opening at 9 a.m. At 10:30 a.m., fans will be able to enter the Mountain Village through Gate 4, and at 11 a.m., the United Club & Suites will be available through Gates 2 & 7. The rest of the stadium gates are going to be open at noon, with kickoff set for 2:30 p.m.

Temperatures during the game are expected to be in the low 20s, so fans are urged to dress as warmly as possible. To store extra layers and blankets, small bags (12" x 12" x 12" or smaller) will be permitted, as will hand warmers, which will be available for purchase at all merchandise kiosks on concourse levels. Heated jackets, thermoses or other hard-sided containers, however, will not be allowed inside the stadium. Elway on Divisional Round Showdown

Tyler Everett DenverBroncos.com January 11, 2013

This week, Chris Hall of DenverBroncos.com discussed the Broncos’ upcoming playoff opener against Baltimore with Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway in the latest installment of Elway Access.

The Broncos finished the season on an 11-game winning streak for a 13-3 record and the No. 1 seed in the AFC going into the playoffs. It was a year that ranked among the best regular seasons in franchise history, but those accomplishments will mean little if they are not followed by a strong postseason run. The players’ incentive for all their hard work throughout the year boils down to what happens over the next few weeks.

“Playoff football is exciting, that’s what you play for,” Elway said. “That’s what you start working out in March for and go through training camp to get in the position that we are right now.”

One of the biggest factors in the team’s success has been quarterback Peyton Manning’s record-setting regular season. With that portion of the year complete, Elway said that looking back, he’s been thrilled to see Manning perform so well after missing 2011 due to injury.

“No. 1, I’m happy for Peyton Manning, with the career that he’s had in the NFL and what he’s done for this game, for him to be able to bounce back like he has, I’m happy for him that he’s reached the level that he has again,” Elway said. “He’s pretty close to the Peyton of old. No. 2, I’m thrilled for us, the Broncos, the fact that he’s playing that well because we’re back in that No. 1 seed, back as one of the elite teams in this league. We’re able to go out and start the playoffs this week and compete for a Super Bowl championship. That’s why we play the game and why we work at this game.”

Denver is set for a rematch with the Ravens Saturday at 2:30 p.m. MST at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. In the first meeting of the season between the teams, the Broncos led 31-3 entering the fourth quarter and defeated Baltimore by a final score of 34-17. A key difference going into Saturday’s game is the health of the Ravens defense, which has welcomed back a trio of key contributors who were injured and inactive in Week 15.

“They’re a lot healthier now than they were when we played them,” Elway said. “(Linebacker) Ray Lewis was down, (Dannell) Ellerbe, their other inside linebacker, was down. So they were really banged up the last time we played them. They’re going to be at full strength, or close to full strength, this time.” The return of those players has made one of Baltimore’s strengths throughout the season – the team’s red-zone defense – even more formidable. The Ravens’ playoff-opening win over Indianapolis in the Wild Card Round was highlighted by a bend-but-don’t-break defensive effort that yielded 25 first downs and 419 yards of total offense but only nine points.

“One thing that they are, and you noticed it last week also, was the fact that down in the red zone, they’re as good as anybody in the league,” Elway said. “I think they’re top 5, if not the best red-zone defense in the league. Last week they gave up three field goals to Indianapolis even though Indianapolis had the ball for 37 minutes. That’s why it’s going to be important for us to not only be good between the 20s, but when you get down in the red zone, we have to get it into the end zone.”

Another significant difference between Saturday’s game and the Week 15 matchup in Baltimore is the venue. Denver will have the advantage of playing in front of a home crowd that helped the Broncos win seven of their eight home games during the regular season.

“It will be great that we’re playing at Sports Authority Field at Mile High with the fans behind us,” Elway said. “It will bring back that great playoff atmosphere, which is great for the fans. We’ve played better at home. We did a better job this year, we’re 7-1 at home. We’re comfortable there and the fans have been great the whole year. But this is a different atmosphere and they’re going to be a big part of it, especially when (the Ravens are) on offense.” Cheerleader and Teacher Inspired by Students

Cheerleaders DenverBroncos.com January 11, 2013

What a HUGE start of the week it has been! The hype of the Broncos playoff game is in the air, the BCS game, premiere of the new Bachelor, Justin Bieber was in town, and I started back to school for the new year! Ok, maybe the last one isn’t as exciting for the rest of you, but it is for me.

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Heather and this is my third season as a DBC. When I’m not cheering on our beloved Broncos to the Super Bowl, I am in the classroom cheering on my students. I am a special education teacher in Denver and I’m convinced that I have the two best jobs in town.

When I became a teacher, I had hopes that I would make a difference in my students’ lives, not realizing what a difference they would be making in mine. My students are my biggest fans! They think what I do as a cheerleader is so cool, and let’s be honest, it is really cool! They wish me good luck on the weekends and get so excited Monday mornings to talk football and Broncos with me. They shout down the hallway (even when they’re not supposed to) “Go Broncos!” or “We saw you on TV!” I get pictures, cards, handmade Broncos gifts, etc. In fact, one of my favorite gifts that I’ve received is a sketched Broncos head by one of my 5th grade students.

I absolutely love my job as a Broncos Cheerleader, but knowing how much my students love it gives it a whole new meaning for me. See, I work at a low-income, low-performing school where some of our student’s stories would bring tears to your eyes. Sometimes all my students need is a hug and something hopeful to talk about, like the Broncos! My students are incredible and have touched my heart in so many ways. I just hope that I have inspired them to one day go after their dreams just like I went after mine.

I absolutely love what I do, both on and off the field, and cannot wait to take my passion for kids to Hawaii during Pro Bowl week, to represent the Broncos, and put on cheer clinics for kids all over the beautiful Hawaiian Islands. What an amazing opportunity! Didn’t I say I have the two best jobs!?

Thank you Broncos fans for your continued support and tuning in to our weekly blog! Saturday can’t come soon enough! GO BRONCOS!!

Heather