Did Angels Assist With Broncos Win Over Raiders?
By Mark Schiff
The Broncos are traveling to Cleveland this week, which means it's a great time to take a few minutes and revisit this clip of 'The Drive', undoubtedly one of the top five greatest moments in franchise history. But it's not just that iconic series (or Denver's superior use of the color orange) that vexes Browns fans: The Broncos are 19-5 all-time against Cleveland, a team they haven't lost to since December of 1991. In the 11 games at Cleveland since then, Denver is 9-2.
This is all a long way of saying that you can expect the Dawg Pound to be absolutely rabid on Sunday. Here are your other Week 6 team headlines.
Kubes takes the blame for poor offensive start
In case you're just joining us, Denver's 30th-ranked offense has been off to a rough start this season. Peyton Manning has thrown more interceptions (7) than touchdowns (6), the offensive line has already surrendered a dozen sacks and the running game is absolutely miserable. As far as the offense is concerned, so is Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak, who accepted much of the blame for their struggles moving the ball at his press conference on Wednesday.
"I see us as a group just having to play more consistent and better and I'm going to go back, I tell you guys all time: I look at one guy, I look at myself," Kubiak told reporters. "We're out there battling. Guys are playing hard. It's my job as a coach to make sure that everybody on this team is in the best position they can be to be successful.
"So, when that's not going on at one spot or another, you look at yourself and say, 'what can we do to help this guy?'" Kubiak continued. "I know as a group we can play better. [Manning] is battling his tail off. Some of the plays that he's made have been tremendous and there're some plays we can help him make. I'm always looking at the big picture. It's not about one guy, it's about the football team."
Going up against the league's 30th-ranked defense should provide an opportunity for Kubiak to get the Broncos offense back on track Sunday.
Denver still searching for depth at tight end
After cutting fullback/tight end James Casey last week to make room for the return of defensive end Derek Wolfe off of suspension, the Broncos made another change at the position on Wednesday when they waived rookie Mitchell Henry - who never saw playing time - and signed fullback/tight end Richard Gordon. The five-year veteran was drafted by the Oakland Raiders and spent last season playing for the Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs.
Did the Blue Angels assist with Harris' pick-6?
Following cornerback Chris Harris' crucial fourth quarter interception and touchdown against the Raiders, there was an interesting theory floating around the internet that the pick-6 was the result of angels. Blue ones, to be exact.
It turns out that at the precise moment Raiders quarterback Derek Carr launched his ill-fated pass, the Blue Angels flight team - in town for the Bay Area's Fleet Week - decided to pull an impromptu fly over at O.co Coliseum, causing the turnover. This video posted to Twitter (a delicious serving of schadenfreude for Broncos fans) makes a fairly convincing case, although it's also possible that Raiders fans desperately need a scapegoat on which to pin the team's eighth straight loss to Denver.
In related news, expect Cleveland to fly jets over FirstEnergy Stadium on all of Denver's fourth quarter drives. Find out if our theory proves true when the Broncos take on the Browns at 11 a.m. MST Sunday, right here on CBS4.
Mark Schiff is a freelance writer and music journalist for AXS.com. In 2013, his coverage of the Seattle Seahawks ended in heartbreak when they defeated the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl. Now covering his beloved hometown team, his knowledge and passion for pro football has resulted in multiple fantasy football championships. Find him on Twitter at @mihilites.
