DENVER - This week's game prediction is actually a two-fer.
There's no possible way to predict how the Denver Broncos will fare against the San Diego Chargers without fully knowing if Kyle Orton will play on Sunday.
On Wednesday, during the media-viewing portion of practice, Orton was NOT on the field.
That doesn't mean he didn't practice. It could be gamesmanship from Coach Josh McDaniels: not aimed at frustrating us (media/fans), but throwing up a smokescreen to blind the Chargers.
That said, it's still unclear if Orton will play, so here now, two different predictions on the game, based on who quarterbacks.
If Chris Simms is the man, and Orton can't go, this one will be ugly. With all due respect to Simms -who is a stand-up guy- I just don't see how three practices can prepare someone for an NFL game after such extended periods of inactivity.
We saw how fast the game looked to him on Sunday. Is there any reason to think that against a faster Chargers defense it will suddenly slow down? I don't think so. With Simms at the helm, the Broncos would lose a lot of flexibility in their offense. The Chargers would feast off that.
If Kyle Orton is the man, then it's anyone's game.
Orton was en route to having his best day as a Bronco before the ankle injury last Sunday, and if his ankle is healthy, I see no reason why he would suddenly regress against a Chargers team the Broncos thoroughly whipped a month ago.
Orton's brain is in the right spot, he's making the right reads, and he's got a locker room full of teammates supporting him. With Orton at QB, the Broncos have their full playbook at the ready. With him and it, they'll overwhelm the Chargers -maybe not on the scoreboard- but during the game.
Of course, there's also the possibility that Orton starts, but can't finish. That's probably the worst-case scenario, because he would then almost certainly miss the Giants game on Thanksgiving night.
I know...I'm usually more decisive with my predictions. But with so much smoke being blown around, it's impossible to see clearly.
There's no possible way to predict how the Denver Broncos will fare against the San Diego Chargers without fully knowing if Kyle Orton will play on Sunday.
On Wednesday, during the media-viewing portion of practice, Orton was NOT on the field.
That doesn't mean he didn't practice. It could be gamesmanship from Coach Josh McDaniels: not aimed at frustrating us (media/fans), but throwing up a smokescreen to blind the Chargers.
That said, it's still unclear if Orton will play, so here now, two different predictions on the game, based on who quarterbacks.
If Chris Simms is the man, and Orton can't go, this one will be ugly. With all due respect to Simms -who is a stand-up guy- I just don't see how three practices can prepare someone for an NFL game after such extended periods of inactivity.
We saw how fast the game looked to him on Sunday. Is there any reason to think that against a faster Chargers defense it will suddenly slow down? I don't think so. With Simms at the helm, the Broncos would lose a lot of flexibility in their offense. The Chargers would feast off that.
If Kyle Orton is the man, then it's anyone's game.
Orton was en route to having his best day as a Bronco before the ankle injury last Sunday, and if his ankle is healthy, I see no reason why he would suddenly regress against a Chargers team the Broncos thoroughly whipped a month ago.
Orton's brain is in the right spot, he's making the right reads, and he's got a locker room full of teammates supporting him. With Orton at QB, the Broncos have their full playbook at the ready. With him and it, they'll overwhelm the Chargers -maybe not on the scoreboard- but during the game.
Of course, there's also the possibility that Orton starts, but can't finish. That's probably the worst-case scenario, because he would then almost certainly miss the Giants game on Thanksgiving night.
I know...I'm usually more decisive with my predictions. But with so much smoke being blown around, it's impossible to see clearly.
