Broncos’ Ronnie Hillman calls out ‘fake fans’ for Manning criticism

Usually if a team is able to keep winning like that to begin a season, criticisms from the outside world slip away.

Week 2 @ Chiefs: defense produces 5 sacks and 5 turnovers, including game-winning fumble recovery returned for a touchdown with 27 seconds to play.

Harris has been a bit banged up this year, and the team may want to see what Polumbus can do at right tackle.

“We understand teams are going to make plays against us”.

The knock on both the Packers and Broncos, 6-0 teams with byes this weekend before their showdown in Denver on November. 1, is that they’ve fattened up on the league’s bottom-feeders. Nobody doubts the greatness of their defense; in fact, people have been praising it as the best in the league. Perhaps his problems are the product of a new offensive system.

“Peyton Manning” and “disaster” don’t often get placed in the same sentence – at least, not for the last hundred or so seasons he’s been on the field. The Broncos defense is unbelievable, which will provide the opportunity to stay committed to the run game. On Woodson’s second interception, he came from the middle of the field and ran by another Broncos receiver to snare the pass headed for Thomas.

The Broncos became the 17 opponent in the 22-game Pettine regime to rush for at least 100 yards. Chancellor held out until week three of the regular season because he wanted to restructure his contract and receive more money. But Manning and the Broncos are right where they need to be in the title race (and, for Peyton, in the bid for one last shot at a Super Bowl ring).

The combined records of all five unbeaten teams’ opponents are below.

“We’ve got to dig deep”, Dansby said. “A lot of times when we’ve had issues, it’s been on us, whether it was a communication thing, whether it was a technical thing or whether it was an alignment thing”. The Broncos’ rushing attack has been bad because of so many injuries. The verdict is still out on whether or not they can do that.

After the Packers, Denver still has to play a decent Indianapolis Colts team, the powerful Patriots, the competitive San Diego Chargers (twice), and the AFC North’s top two in the Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

And even though the defense knows a few big plays may happen on their watch, they have every belief that they can shut it down again… and when it counts the most. “We know we’ve got a long way to go”.

It’s full circle on the roster, as tight end Richard Gordon is back on the team and running back Kapri Bibbs returns to the practice squad. The Broncos enter the bye week undefeated through six games but with an offense that threatens to submarine their championship ambitions.

The difference was “Tebowmania” took the league by storm while Manning’s struggles have Broncos fans and fantasy football owners befuddled, wondering if age has caught up to the NFL’s 39-year-old icon. Also, with guys like Emmanuel Sanders and DeMarcus Ware banged up, the team needed a break this week. There are no plans to go exclusively to the shotgun because of the potential negative impact on the running game.

Historically, the Browns haven’t been good against the run, but in 2012 and 2013 they finished a respectable 19 (118.6) and 18 (111.3). Despite the inconsistencies in his performance so far this season, head coach Gary Kubiak denies the idea that Brock Osweiler will be getting time under center soon.

It’s their offense that has so many so skeptical. Ronnie Hillman posted his second 100-yard effort of the season against the Browns last weekend. He could have stood tall rocketed a pass to Hartline, who was running open. The Broncos have demonstrated their ability to win, if not thrive, with a diminished version of their Hall of Fame-bound quarterback. That is a testament to their four-game lead in the division and, more importantly, just how truly great their defense is. When you have a defensive unit that can score with guys like Aqib Talib and pressure the quarterback with others like Von Miller, they are going to be able to win you a bevy of games (as they already have done). But it’s certainly not because of the play of the team’s 14-time Pro Bowl quarterback.

“I think that’s the best we’ve played this year up front”, Kubiak said.

Saying that, it is also tough to believe that this team won’t find a way to be more productive on offense. But it will be fascinating to see whether or not Fitzpatrick turns back into the veteran journeyman that distinguished most of the early stages of his career.