Tony Romo to the Denver Broncos in 2017?

I know many people will scoff at this thought, but...
I really want to see Tony Romo be the #Broncos QB in 2017. Yes I said it, Tony Romo would be a great fit here with this team and the #Broncos would instantly be a Super Bowl favorite as a result.

Also, the idea isn't far fetched and is actually pretty plausible. With Romo now healthy and serving as a back-up to Dak Prescott, his future with the Cowboys is all but over. He will most likely redo his contract and be traded in the offseason. At this point in his career, he will only want to play for a true SB contender.

There is also history there between Romo & the #Broncos. Back in 2003 then Head Coach Mike Shanahan pursued Romo heavily to sign with the #Broncos. Tony's decision to sign as an undrafted free agent came down to the Cowboys & the Broncos. He ultimately chose the Cowboys who had the better team at the time, but it was so close.

Unless, and only if, Siemian can win SB51 for this team the #Broncos would be more than open for another Manning/Osweiler situation going forward having Romo/Lynch for 2-4 years to come and being perennial contenders.

Tony Romo just about owns every passing record for the Cowboys and has had a great career. Let's address the two biggest criticisms.

1) His playoff record: As we found out with Peyton Manning, winning in the playoffs and the Super Bowl are a team accomplishment no matter how good you are as a QB. Most of those chances were thwarted because frankly Jerry Jones was an awful GM and put together subpar teams to compete against the best the NFL had to offer in playoff situations.

2) He is made of glass: Yes, he has gotten hurt a lot lately. But, in Denver and their offensive philosophy he wouldn't have to carry the load the way he has had to in Dallas. Plus, I truly believe the #Broncos will prioritize beefing up the offensive line in the off season. Specially if they thought they could get a Tony Romo at the QB position. Not to mention you would have Siemian and Lynch behind him incase of injuries(both players cost almost nothing in NFL terms next season), not a bad position to be in!

Here are Tony's career stats after 11 season in the NFL:

. 65.3% completion percentage (2,826 comp/4,331 atts)
. 34,154 Yards
. 247 TDs 117 INTs
. And a solid 97.1 QBR rating
. Four Pro-bowl seasons in 2006, 07, 09 and 2014.
. Since 2006, Romo has a higher passer rating in the 4th quarter than any other NFL quarterback, including Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.
. The NFC passing yards leader in 2009
. The NFC Passer Rating leader and the NFL Completion Percentage leader in 2014
. 3× FedEx Air Player of the Week (Week 1, 2007, Week 13, 2007, Week 5, 2013) and 2× NFC Offensive Player of the Month awards

NFL Records:

. Most passing attempts through 100 starts in the NFL
. Most consecutive road games with at least one touchdown pass: 41 (2009 – present) in the NFL
. Highest QB Rating in month of December (133.7) in the NFL
. Highest QB Rating in 4th quarter in the NFL
. Most games with 135+ passer rating in a season (6) in the NFL

Dallas Cowboys Records:

. Dallas Cowboys career leader in passing TDs and yards
. Games with 3+ touchdown passes: 40; previously held by Danny White (20)
. Games with 300+ yards passing: 46; previously held by Troy Aikman (13)
. Career passing yards: 33,626, previously held by Aikman (32,942)
. Lowest career interception percentage: 2.6% (minimum 16 starts; previously held by Aikman with 3.0)
. Touchdown passes: 245 (previously held by Aikman with 165)
. Most 4th Quarter Comebacks/Game-winning drives (28) -(Previously held by Roger Staubach with 23)
. Consecutive games with a TD pass: 38 (2012–2014); previously held by Himself (20, 2010–11)

What say you?

By Michael Salavati
#MichaelSalavati

Thoughts on the Denver Broncos options in light of the CJ Anderson knee injury

Some early thoughts and speculation regarding the Denver #Broncos possible course of action in light of the CJ Anderson knee injury:

First of all as of this morning, CJ had his procedure last night and is optimistic about his recovery. No timetable has officially been set as to when he can return. The #Broncos brass are meeting in Dove Valley as we speak to determine his status for the rest of the season and their consequent move(s) accordingly.

The overall secrecy regarding an otherwise common meniscus injury in the #NFL, makes me uneasy about the prospect of having CJ back at all the rest of the season. Best case scenario he comes back in 4 weeks. Worst case he's done this season, period. Or he's put on IR and returns in 8 weeks. All of those scenarios are still possible until Gary Kubiak updates everyone about their decision. However, for the sake of this post, let's assume CJ is done long term this season.

I think for this week, they should do nothing. Go into the Chargers game with Booker and Bibbs, keep Juwan Thompson in the practice squad. Re-evaluate the situation come Monday morning.

Come Monday, there are tough decisions to make. Do you bring up Thompson and call it a day? Do you sign a free agent RB like C.J. Spiller? Do you trade for a veteran RB like Forsett or Morris? Any of these options would be on the table. But with the NFL trade deadline looming at 2pm on Tuesday, the stakes are higher in this decision, because once that deadline passes you cannot trade for another player the rest of the season.

It is because of the deadline that I propose perhaps a totally different direction the #Broncos should take. The more I think about it, specially if Booker shows well this Sunday in his ability to carry the load, the more I am convinced the #Broncos should not promote Thompson nor should they sign another RB at all. They should use the roster spot instead on one of 3 potential need positions: 1) Defensive End, 2) Middle LineBacker(currently starter Shaq Barrett is dealing with a hamstring injury) or 3) An offensive lineman.

Any of those 3 spots are a potential need for the final stretch of this season and could impact the team's ability to compete for another Championship. And all 3 positions can only be best upgraded via trade.  Trades are a rarity in the NFL but John Elway has proven he is not afraid to take chances to make the team better.

Some intriguing, somewhat plausible trade possibilities I would be high on are: 49ers Left Tackle Joe Staley, Jets Defensive End Sheldon Richardson, former Bronco and now Charger OL Orlando Franklin, Cowboys RB Darren Mcfadden, Eagles DE Connor Barwin, Lions OL Laken Tomlinson, Packers RT Bryan Bulaga, Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart and Saints MLB Stephone Anthony. One of these players in the O-line, D-line or LB positions, even if CJ Anderson returns in 4 weeks, would be a great addition to this team for a Playoff push regardless. I'd be willing to cut an often inactive player on Sundays, for example TE Jeff Heuerman, to make room on the 53 man roster.

Whatever happens, it's lots of fun for fans to speculate about the possibilities of a roster move. Let the speculation begin! Let's Go #Broncos

By Michael Salavati

Some morning after thoughts and news on the Denver #Broncos:

The Denver #Broncos fell for a 2nd straight week in a road loss to the San Diego Chargers on #TNF. Here are some thoughts and updates:
 
- Let me get this out of the way first, I hate Thursday Night Football! It's just not a good idea. It's terrible for the players health. It's unfair to the road team to be ready in 3 days. Many fans work on weekday evenings. I could keep going. The #NFL is much better sticking with Sundays and Monday nights IMO. They are also reaching a saturation point to certain fans with over exposure. From games on Twitter, to replays on NFL Network all week and so on. It's like that song you love that's only 1 minute 35 seconds long and you can't buy it because it's unavailable for purchase, you crave it more often! It's like OMG my song is on, I've been waiting for days to hear it!!! As opposed to the song you really like too but it's an ungodly 12 minutes long with the same repeated pattern and it's like .79 cents to own, after a couple listens you just fast forward. But I digress. As for the #Broncos, let's go:

- The #Broncos defense is still a very good unit, a top 5 ranking defense. But it’s not 2015 good. That defense was a #1 rated defense in just about every major category including the overall ranking. Passing both the eye test and statistically. It was a once-in-a-lifetime defense. Perhaps no other stat describes this point better than the following:

Through 6 games this year, the #Broncos defense has allowed 41 1st quarter points. Last year, through 6 games, the #Broncos had allowed 0 points in the 1st quarter! Which brings me to a related thought: Interim HC, Joe DeCamillis, said Kubiak and staff have talked about decision to defer possession after winning the coin toss. My view is with 2015’s defensive version I would keep doing it but with this 2016’s version, until further review, I would stop that practice ASAP! Why? 2 long opening drives resulting in TDs by the opponent in last two games after deferring each won coin toss.

- Both LT Russell Okung and WR Cody Latimer are in the NFL concussion protocol. One would have to wonder if #Okung was not right physically in the 2nd half? He had two uncharacteristic holding penalties in the 4th quarter costing the Broncos a safety for 2 points and a called back CJ Anderson TD for a total of 8 to potentially 10 points. In a game they lost by 8 points, those two calls are the difference between winning and losing this game. Very out of character for Okung, he’s been so solid in prior 5 games. I expect him to get back on track.

- #Broncos snapped their NFL best 15-game Divisional road win streak as well as their 5 straight wins vs the Chargers.

- Trevor Siemian had 50 pass attempts last night. Fifty! In comparison, Philip Rivers had 29. No QB in the NFL should be throwing 50 times in a game. That stat usually translates to a loss. Play calling and imaginative offensive looks were not very good in this game and Kubiak's absence loomed large.

- Broncos’ players are off for 3-days. Will all be back to the grind on Monday, including coach #Kubiak for preparation on a suddenly very important matchup vs Billy & the Texans on #MNF in 10 days.

- There is a possibility that DeMarcus Ware makes his return vs the Texans. We'll see.

- Emmanuel Sanders suffered a hip bruise in the game that gave him a lot of discomfort late in the game. Should be good to go with 11 days of rest though.

- In the last 2 games, it's been quite apparent that the #Broncos really do miss both Malik Jackson & Danny Trevathan on the inside of that defense. Offensively speaking the speed of RB Ronnie Hillman, specially in these types of regular season games, is missed big time. Kapri Bibbs has been a solely special teams guy, which is why they kept him. But I feel like Hillman's change of pace speed, which they currently lack completely, came in huge during the season last year. His lack of size rendered him mostly useless in playoff situations. However, I said it then and I'll say it now, I would've kept him over Bibbs easily.

- The Broncos are still a very good team. They are a top 3 team in the AFC. I feel most of their problems in the last 2 games are fixable with coaching, repetition, time and more familiarity with the offense, coaches and each other as players. It's a painful process to watch though! We will persevere. It will be interesting to see if John Elway makes any minor personnel moves, specially on the offensive line, before the NFL trade deadline as he has either done so or tried to pull off in each of the last 2 years.

Let's go #Broncos

By Michael Salavati

#BroncosCountry
#DENvsSD
#TNF

Breaking down Broncos rookie QB Paxton Lynch by the numbers

Paxton Lynch by the numbers:

I wanted to break down the stats of the 1st ever #NFL Regular Season starts of some current and soon to be Hall of Fame quarterbacks as compared to #Broncos rookie QB Paxton Lynch's 1st career start last Sunday. These are the 4 guys I chose, you may have heard of them! 1) Peyton Manning, 2) Joe Montana, 3) Tom Brady and 4) John Elway. Let's go:

1) Here are Peyton's stats from his first NFL game on week 1 in 1998 as a rookie at 22 years old:

21/37 for 302 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs 4 sacks and a 58.6 QB rating in a 24-15 loss to the Dolphins at home in Indy.

2) Here are Joe Montana's stats from his 1st ever partial start in week 14 of the 1979 season on the road vs the Rams:

5/12 for 36 yards 0 TDs and 0 INTs 0 sacks for a 49.3 QB rating! In a 13-10 loss. Ouch.

He did not start for a full game until his 2nd season in 1980. Here are those stats in week 6 of the 1980 season at home once more against the Rams:

21/37 for 252 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs and a 73.3 QB rating in a 31-17 loss.

3) Tom Brady sat behind Drew Bledsoe his entire rookie season in 2000 without a start. In 2001 he got his first start in week 2 of that season after being inserted in a game the prior week with an injury to Bledsoe. The rest is history and you know the story.

Here are Brady's numbers in that first start at home vs the Colts:

13/23 for 168 yards 0 TDs, 0 INTs 1 sack and a 79.6 QB rating.
Note: The Patriots as a team won that game 44-13 by a dominant performance by their defense and running game, rushing for 39 times 177 yards and 3 TDs add to that 2 defensive TDs and they carried the wide-eyed 1st time starter to a win. Brady just stayed out of the way!

4) John Elway's stats in his first full game start in the NFL on week 3 of the 1983 season:

18/33 193 yards 1 TD, 2 INTs 3 sacks and a 58.6 QB rating in a 13-10 loss to the Eagles at home.

5) Paxton Lynch's stats for his 1st NFL full game start as a rookie in week 5 of the 2016 season:

23/35 223 yards 1 TD, 1 INT 6 sacks and an 81.1 QB rating in a 23-16 loss to the Falcons at home.

The kid is right inline with 4 of the greatest QBs in League history. He has all the raw talent and physical attributes to be a franchise QB for the #Broncos for the next 10+ years. He is just not yet ready, needs time and will be soon.

Let's Go #Broncos!
#PaxtonLynch
#JohnElway
#PeytonManning
#JoeMontana
#TomBrady
#BroncosCountry
#RookieQBStarts

By Michael Salavati

#MichaelSalavati

NFL Week 3 matchup of the Denver #Broncos vs the Cincinnati Bengals by the numbers

Hey #BroncosCountry, my weekly #Broncos #FootballFridays game breakdowns are back! Here we go...

Denver #Broncos vs the Cincinnati Bengals by the numbers:

The Denver #Broncos have played the Bengals 29 times since 1968. The #Broncos lead the series with 20 wins to 9 losses.

The #Broncos have played the Bengals 15 times at home in Denver and lead that series with 13 wins and 2 losses. On the road however the series is tied at 7 wins a piece.

As an assistant coach for the #Broncos, Gary Kubiak has faced the Bengals 6 times and has a winning record of 4-2.

As the head coach of the Houston Texans, Gary Kubiak faced the Bengals 5 times and never lost going 5-0 in that span. As the Head Coach of the #Broncos, Kubiak is 1-0 against the Bengals beating them last year. As the OC for the Ravens, Baltimore faced the Bengals twice in 2014 losing both games. That brings coach Kubiak’s total coaching record vs the Bengals to 9-4 since 1995.

Gary Kubiak's record vs the Bengals as a Head Coach is 6-0

Wade Phillips, as a coach for the #Broncos, is 3-0 vs the Bengals. Overall he has faced the Bengals 5 times as a coach with the #Broncos, Cowboys and Bills and is 5-0 against them lifetime.

As the head coach of the Bengals since 2003, Marvin Lewis has faced the #Broncos 8 times and has a losing record of 2-6 in that span. As an assistant coach with the Ravens he faced the #Broncos 3 times and is 2-1 bringing his overall lifetime coaching record vs the #Broncos to 4-7.

The QB’s stats:

- Bengals Andy Dalton: In 2 games this year he has thrown for 54 CMP in 84 ATT for 732 YDS, 2 TDs 1 INT with a 64.3 completion % and a 94.9 QBR. he's been sacked a whopping 8 times already. His Yds per attempt are at 8.7 yards with a 54 yard longest play.

- Broncos Trevor Siemian: In 2 games he has thrown for 40 CMP in 59 ATT for 444 YDS and 1 TD to 3 INTs with a 67.8 completion % and an 74.4 QBR. he's only been sacked 3 times in comparison with a 7.5 yards per attempt average and a 44 yard longest play.

The Denver #Broncos are currently ranked #5 in overall defense in the NFL in this young season while the Bengals are the 14th ranked overall defense. The #Broncos defense is ranked #22 against the Rush (in yards per game) and 3rd vs the pass. The Bengals are ranked #32 vs Rush, #11 vs Pass. The #Broncos should have an edge going against a team that could be exploited in the running game, playing to the strength of the offense.

The Bengals rushing offense is the 31st ranked in the NFL boding well for the #Broncos defense who's shown an early small chink in the armor against the run without Malik Jackson in the middle of the D-line unit.

The #Broncos as a team have rushed for 282 yards in 2 games, the Bengals have 103 rushing yards in that span. Offensively, the #Broncos have passed for 425 yards & the Bengals for 690 yards. The #Broncos defense has produced 8 sacks while the O-line has allowed 3 to the Bengals 2 defensive sacks while their O-line has allowed 8 sacks on Andy Dalton.

The #Broncos hold the edge in time of possession at 29:11 avg per game, to the Bengals at 26:06. The #Broncos have scored 6 TDs as a team, the Bengals have 3 TDs. Both teams have had one missed FG in the last two games with the #Broncos going 4/5 and the Bengals 6/7 in FG attempts.

3rd down conversions: The #Broncos hold the edge significantly in this department and are 10/21 for 48% and the Bengals are 7/27 for an anemic 26% in 3rd down conversions.

Offensively the Bengals are ranked 11th and the #Broncos 17th. That is a huge improvement for the #Broncos since last year where they found themselves at the bottom of the NFL in offensive output most of the regular season. #Broncos 5th overall rushing offense ranking pits strength vs weakness against the Bengals. While the 26th ranked passing attack presents the reverse matchup. This is not the game to let Trevor loose! DeMaryius & Emmanuel need to wait another week in their demands for the ball more often, if they want the team to win.

The #Broncos offense will need to play smart, patient football & needs to match the physicality of the defense to win this game on the road against a tough and hungry opponent coming from a physical beat down at the hands of the Steelers in week 2.

The offensive gameplan becomes pretty clear looking at the above stats. A run heavy steady dose of CJ Anderson and Booker on the road to silence the home crowd, keep the defense fresh and keep offense on the field taking advantage of the weakest link on the Bengals defensive unit. Throw in the occasional bootleg, taking advantage of the handful of passing plays when they present themselves, as well as a mistake free, low scoring game where the #Broncos dictate the pace both offensively and defensively is the remedy to this 2016 early version of the Bengals. Of course it also helps to have a Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator who are 6-0 & 5-0 respectively vs this opponent.

Let’s bring it and let’s win this thing. Let’s Go #Broncos!

#DENvsCIN

- Michael Salavati
#MichaelSalavati
#DenverBroncos
#BeatTheBengals

Further making the argument as to why Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen deserved the NFL Hall Of Fame nod over Jerry Jones

In honor of Pat Bowlen and the latest NFL HOF snubbing I wrote about earlier today, here's a post I had written last year with updated stats to support my argument on why he deserved to be in the Hall of Fame now and before Jerry Jones:

                                           “This One’s for Pat”
                                           By Michael Salavati

Here is a condensed list of accomplishments demonstrating his greatness not only to the Denver #Broncos organization and fans, but also to the #NFL. Mr. Bowlen, the owner of our beloved #Broncos for 32 Years & counting is battling Alzheimer’s disease. After a triumphant #SB50 victory and sending off the great Peyton Manning into retirement as a Champion it is more than curious why the urgency in the timing of voting Jerry Jones, who has time to be honored, to the #HOF ahead of Mr. Bowlen? It would've been far more fitting and certainly a greater more compelling story to instead honor the man known to us as Mr. "B".

Here is a list of some of the accomplishments that make Mr. #Bowlen a truly special owner not just in the NFL but in all of sports:

1. In 32 years of owning the Denver #Broncos, he has overseen 7 Super Bowl appearances. No other single NFL owner has more #SuperBowl  appearances. His 3 Super Bowl Championships make the #Broncos only one of nine elite teams in the NFL with at least 3 Super Bowl victories.

2. As mentioned above, Mr. Bowlen has an unprecedented 7 SB appearances by his teams. But what makes that even more extraordinary is the fact that he has 2 more SB appearances than losing seasons in that span! Only 5 losing seasons in 3 decades compared to 7 SBs is yet another #NFL standalone accomplishment. In contrast Jerry Jones has had 9 losing seasons in a 5 year shorter span of time owning the Cowboys.

3. His teams have qualified for the Playoffs 18 times.

4. Ever since he bought the Denver #Broncos in 1984, His winning percentage is an incredible .614

5. His 313 wins to 197 losses and 1 tie in that span is an NFL best. No other owner of a team in the 300 plus club has a better win percentage than Pat Bowlen.

6. Only two major American Professional sports teams have a better winning percentage in that span: the San Antonio Spurs at .632 and the Los Angeles Lakers at .621

7. The #Broncos during Pat Bowlen's ownership boast an NFL best home-field-advantage winning record of 187-69.

8. Perhaps even more impressive an accomplishment when one considers that the #Broncos team record prior to the arrival of Pat Bowlen was a losing record of 143-189-9. In contrast Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones who got the nod before Pat Bowlen inherited a Cowboys team already known as "America's Team" boasting a winning record of 250-162-6 prior to his ownership. Infact the Cowboys' record during Jerry Jones' ownership has less wins and more losses than prior to him at 230-202-0. One can also argue that Jones' world famous ego broke apart a dynasty in the 90's which saw head coach Jimmy Johnson leave the team at the height of their success due to Jerry Jones' inability to set aside his inflated ego of himself as a talent evaluator in the NFL!

9. All of the above stats would be enough to see why he has been so special. However his true greatness and what makes him so unique is the combination of what he has meant to the  #Broncos  and his immense contributions and what he has meant to the #NFL and its current status as the undisputed king of all American sports.

10. Aided by his vision and fresh perspective, the NFL added FOX to its TV line-up and forever changed the TV revenue intake into the stratosphere. The NFL TV revenue in 1989 was $473 Million. In 2015, that number stood at an astounding $5 Billion per year!

11. He also had a huge hand in the boom of new NFL stadium venues including the #Broncos own new stadium, named Invesco Field at Mile High at the time, unveiled in 2001. This too represents a large increase to the overall revenue for the league.

12. He also is credited with a hands-on role in building a relationship of trust and respect between NFL owners and the Players union back at a time when that relationship was cold & broken.

13. Last but not least he also played a big role in the attempt of globalization of the NFL. Those of us who have been fans of the #Broncos for a long time all remember the multiple pre-season games played by the #Broncos abroad. None more memorable than the one in Tokyo which gave birth to the legend of RB Terrell Davis. Do you remember that hit he put on a special teams play that put him on the map?

These are some of the reasons why this man should be and belongs in the NFL #HOF. On November 1st 2015 during the half time of the #SNF matchup between the Denver #Broncos and the Green Bay #Packers, he was inducted into the #Broncos Ring of Fame in an emotional ceremony during which the 1997 Super Bowl winning team was also honored. Many of the players and coaches of that team, including Mike Shanahan, were present.
Let’s go #Broncos.

- Michael Salavati

#NFLHallofFame
#BroncosCountry
#DenverBroncosAficionado
#PatBowlen

The NFL Hall of Fame selection committee gets it wrong again

I'm a day late but I needed a day to cool off from the anger I felt at the Pro Football Hall of Fame for once again snubbing the Denver #Broncos organization in their ridiculous selection process. For me, yesterday was the final straw in a series of inexplicable snubs by the NFL #HOF selection committee. Yesterday they chose to select the Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones over the greatest #Broncos of all, owner #PatBowlen as the latest inductee for this year's #HOF class. I can't put into words the absolute disgust I feel regarding this sham of a process.

Let me be clear, it's not that I don't feel Jerry Jones does not deserve the nod, it's that he does not deserve it before Pat Bowlen does. There are no stats written or unwritten anyone can drum up that justify #Jones over #Bowlen. period. Even stats aside, when you consider both men's contributions to the well being and success of the NFL, Pat Bowlen stands tall easily side by side with Jerry Jones in being instrumental in many league accomplishments. When you add to that their individual stats regarding the successes of their respective teams and also add the timing of this vote, then this selection really makes no sense at all.

Let's discuss timing:

The #Broncos just won the symbolic #SB50 with one of the most memorable and all time defensive performances and with one of the most recognizable icons in #NFL history, Peyton Manning, riding into the sunset retiring as a Champion. Additionally Pat Bowlen suffers from Alzheimer's disease and in contrast Jerry Jones has time to receive this honor next year or further down the line in his lifetime, so why the urgency for him to get in now?

We have witnessed in any other circle, such as Hollywood for example, the timing and surroundings regarding such a lifetime achievement award would take paramount consideration in the selection voting, except apparently to these handful of morons in charge of voting for the HOF who clearly are incapable of seeing the forest through the trees. They just can't get past their East-Coast big name teams bias. To them apparently the only teams in the NFL are the Cowboys, Steelers, Giants, Packers and the like! They should all be damn ashamed of themselves, the rest of us sure are ashamed of and embarrassed for them.

- Michael Salavati
#MichaelSalavati