I am so glad to see Bell back in a Broncos uniform. Two years ago, he had over 1,000 yards rushing. He was traded to the Lions at the end of the 2006 season in exchange for Dre Bly. Personally, I wanted the team to keep Bell at the time despite his fumble issue, but the organization wanted to move on.  They moved on to a drug dealing baby making punk in Travis Henry.

Bell actually made headlines at the beginning of September when he was released from the Lions. He allegedly stole another player’s bag when he left the team’s facility. Since then, Bell has been working at a cellphone store in a local mall. That is until he got a call from the Broncos wanting him to workout on Tuesday. Bell has said that he’s a new man and working a 9 to 5 job has humbled him.

I expect big things from Bell. He’s a fresh set of legs that knows the Broncos system. The running game has hit a low point, and he may be just the guy to revive it or at least give Jay Cutler some more room to work.

 What do you think? Is Tatum Bell a good addition to the team at this point in the season? Leave a comment below.

It’s a good thing that many players from the Broncos wanted to play two days after the last loss to Miami to get the sour taste out of their mouths. They get the chance to take the field again on Thursday against the Cleveland Browns (3-5). I am not too comfortable with the fact that Denver has defeated Cleveland in seven straight contests, nor am I satisfied with a 16-5 overall record against the Browns. We know the team is struggling right now with turnovers, defensive collapses, and injuries, so anything is possible. The Browns are also struggling as they just benched Derek Anderson after their last loss to Baltimore and proclaimed Notre Dame star, Brady Quinn, the starter against the Broncos. Despite these teams falling short of spectacular, Thursday night’s contest will be a battle on the NFL’s center stage. The Browns need a win to stay in Wildcard contention. Because the Chargers will most likely beat the Chiefs on Sunday, the Broncos need this to stay atop the AFC West. My Prediction: Broncos 19 Browns 16. 

Offense

Broncos - It’s official. The offense of old has left the building and the area around Invesco can now be call Dis-graceland. With injuries forcing Michael Pittman and Andre Hall out for the season, and a questionable Selvin Young, more pressure is put on rookie Ryan Torain. I nominate Eddie Royal to handle a few carries. Anyone second that? He’s speedy, holds onto the ball, and he’s the only consistent scoring threat on offense. Because of the dinged up running unit, Jay Cutler will have more opportunities to either score or throw interceptions. It’s his call. The Browns have 9 INTs on the season which ranks right up there with the Steelers defense. They are much better at stopping the pass than stopping the run. Getting Brandon Marshall involved early on is a must. As we saw against Miami, he let things frustrate him and never got his head back in the game. I’m now a big proponent of using Peyton Hillis more for short drop off passes. He can catch, elude defenders, and he’s got the size to plow through them too.  The offensive line continues to do a fine job protecting Cutler. The team will need their stability to bye Cutler enough time to thread the needle through the Browns feisty secondary.              

Browns- Chants of Brad-y, Brad-y from Browns fans put the QB in the limelight and he will now try to bring the 27th ranked offense back to life. Derek Anderson’s 68.9 QB rating, 7 INTs and 7 fumbles were just not cutting it. Quinn played in 4 preseason games and played in 1 series against the 49ers in a regular season game last year. Jamal Lewis leads the team in rushing with 3 TDs and averaging 3.6 yards per carry. With the Broncos defensive woes this season, this could be just the game for him to break out. Braylon Edwards is always a threat when he’s not dropping the ball. He leads the Browns’ receiving corp. with 26 receptions for 457 yards and 3 TDs. The Broncos’ defense also has their hands full with Kellen Winslow. The offense has all the talent in the world, but they do lack leadership. For this offense, it’s sink or swim, kick or drown, fight or flight. This change at quarterback will no doubt determine which direction this offense is headed.    

Defense

Broncos - They’re without Champ and Boss Bailey, D.J. Williams, and safety Marlon McCree. The defense performed well last week holding the Dolphins to 16 points through three quarters, but big 3rd down conversions in the fourth quarter allowed to the Dolphins to clinch the game. The Broncos are short on linebackers so look for Kellen Winslow to take advantage of the mid-field game. I say stick to the 4-3 alignment. It’s what they know and it’s what worked against Miami. As far as the secondary goes, the Dre Bly and Karl Paymah have got to do a better job on the receivers. Paymah got torched by Greg Camarillo last week, so they need to play heads up against Braylon Edwards. The run defense is improving, but Jamal Lewis will be a test for them. Brady Quinn is probably thanking his lucky stars for making his debut against a defense that’s ranked 28th in the league. Elvis Dumervil and others will absolutely need to ruffle this youngster’s feathers. 

Browns - Ranked 20th in total defense, but as I said before, they have trouble stopping the run. Ryan Torain should be able to gain more than a yard on this defense. Shaun Rogers has 5 sacks on the season and D’Qwell Jackson is one of the top 15 tacklers in the league with 47 solo. Eric Wright and Mike Adams may be Cutler killers in the secondary as they have 3 and 2 INTs, respectively. This season the Browns have allowed the Ravens to score 37 and 28 points, yet they’ve held teams like the Giants and Steelers to 14 and 10 points, respectively. It’s safe to say that like the Broncos defense, the Browns put forth a great effort one game and then forget how to do it again by the next game. This defense can come up with turnovers, so Cutler has got to be extremely careful when throwing the deep ball. All give Cutler 2 picks if no one else has any turnovers, and the Broncos can still win this game. Any more than 2, and we’re doomed. 

Special Teams  

Broncos - Eddie Royal had a 95- yard kick return last week and he is 2nd in the league in punt returns. I know I’m on the edge of my seat whenever he’s waiting to return a kick. This could be the week that Royal breaks completely free and scores a touchdown. Matt Prater missed his second field goal of the season, but he is still doing a great job. The Broncos kickoff coverage is spotty at best, but they’ve got to be on their toes against the Browns.  

Browns- Last week, Josh Cribbs scored a touchdown on a 92 yard kick return. He’s third in kickoff returns, and he’s 13th in punt returns. Dude’s dangerous for sure. Kicker Phil Dawson has hit a 54 yarder this year and he’s 14 for 16 overall. The Browns’ special teams covers kickoffs nicely, but with a guy like Royal, who knows what will happen.   

Coaching

Broncos - Mike Shanahan is 20-20 over the last 40 games. That says a lot about an organization that prides itself on a winning tradition. With the possibility of losing 4 in a row, Shanahan will pull out all the stops to get this win. He’s got to since the next 3 of 4 games are on the road, and the Chargers are breathing down the Broncos’ necks. Shanahan will do everything in his power to pressure Quinn as he knows all to well what bothers a young QB.  

Browns - Romeo Crennel is not giving up on the Browns season despite his decision to bench Derek Anderson. He hopes to turn things around starting with the Broncos game. He says that the Browns are going to beat the Broncos. That’s what a new QB and a home game will do to you. Add to the fact that you’re playing a 4-4 team that’s lost the last three games, and you have enough confidence to predict the win.  

I hope the Broncos got enough R&R to finish the rest of the season on a strong note. Thankfully, the Fat Lady has not sung her tune yet, but she sure was warming up during that Monday night game in New England. This week, the Dolphins cruise on up to Denver to try to become the second Florida team to beat the Broncos this season. A 2-1 record against Florida teams would be a thin layer of frosting on this dinged up Broncos cake. The Broncos cannot take the Dolphins lightly. That can of tuna that stunk up South Beach last season is a thing of the past. The Phins’ are 3-4, and they’ve beat New England, San Diego, and Buffalo. The Broncos have a solid record (15-4) in the weeks after a bye week. However, the team stands 3-10 in the regular season against the Phins’. The Broncos have been reaching for that 400th total win since week 6, and should they come up with it on Sunday, that would give them a comfortable lead over the Chargers. My Prediction: Broncos 30 Dolphins 23. 

Offense

Broncos - With their legs under them again, the offense should come out roaring. Jay Cutler claims that his finger is fine, and Tony Scheffler may return from a groin injury. Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal will line up in the receiver slots, and Brandon Stokley is expected to play after sustaining a concussion against the Jaguars. The offense is still 12th in the league despite averaging 15 points per contest in the last four games. As usual, turnovers will play the biggest role in the Broncos outcome. They go up against a tough defense that has Joey Porter leading the league in sacks. They forced 4 turnovers against the Bills last week to secure a win. The O-line has done an incredible job this season protecting Cutler, so they may be able to contain Porter better than most teams. Rookie left tackle Ryan Clady has not allowed a sack this year and his true test comes against Porter. Before the season, Clady said that he was most looking forward to facing Shawne Merriman, but since the linebacker is out for the season, Clady’s ultimate rookie challenge comes in the form of Porter. Holding onto the ball and picking up first downs is exactly what this team needs to do in order to keep the Phins’ offense off the field and give the defense a rest.              

Dolphins- Don’t tell Chad Pennington that the Jets don’t miss him. I’m sure he doesn’t care. He may not even care that he is currently playing for a team that utilizes the Wildcat offense. The Dolphins don’t have many outside receiving threats so they are choosing to run this offense to confuse the defense. You might as well put the defense in a dark room, spin them around 25 times, and then ask them to do a 500 piece puzzle as quickly as possible. Basically, the QB lines up at wide receiver, the halfback lines up at QB, and the fullback is in motion before the play begins. Ronnie Brown has been very successful running this crazy concoction because teams don’t know if he’ll pass it, toss it to another back, or just run it himself. Brown has thrown for a TD, and he’s run for 7 without losing the ball. Pennington has thrown for 1710 yards and 7 TDs with 3 INTs. Ricky Williams is second on the team in rushing with 71 carries for 267 yards and 2 TDs. Williams also has a tendency to fumble the ball. He’s lost it 4 times, but only once has it been recovered by the other team. The Broncos will get to see the #1 overall pick, Jake Long. More specifically, Elvis Dumervil will get to see a lot of Jake Long. He’s improved the O-line drastically. The team allowed 42 sacks last season, and so far, they’ve allowed 13. While the receiving corp. has not been especially productive this season, Ted Ginn Jr. finally showed up to play last week with 7 catches for 175 yards. Great…What a week to be without Champ Bailey!       

Defense

Broncos - Now for your favorite topic and mine…defense. Who knows what this team will do. The Wildcat offense may be the only offense that they are capable of stopping. I wouldn’t put it past them. They confuse themselves with their own defense that maybe the chaos will confuse the Dolphins as well. Look for the Broncos to go back to the 4-3 instead of throwing in the 3-4 in with it. Boss Bailey is out for the season so using four defensive linemen instead of four linebackers will help offset his absence. Losing Champ Bailey is tough considering the safeties are having such a difficult time. Karl Paymah will replace Bailey. Another problem for the Broncos comes in the form of stopping the run. They just can’t do it, which makes me nervous for Brown and Williams to take the field. Ultimately, the Broncos offense really needs to keep the defense off the field since the Phins’ offense is clicking, and they have a short week to prepare for a game in Cleveland on Thursday night.

Dolphins - As I said before, Joey Porter is the real deal. He’s got 10.5 sacks on the season and looks like that same young lad that played for Pittsburgh. The Phins’ switched to the 4-3 alignment this season, and they hope to put pressure on Cutler in a way that he’s never seen before. The Broncos have allowed just five sacks on the season and the Dolphins are looking to raise that total considerably. The Dolphins defense is ranked 12th overall and they are fairly successful at stopping the run. However, they have trouble stopping the pass. Marshall and Royal could have a big day or at least allow Stokley to take advantage of the Dolphins weak secondary. Yeremiah Bell and Channing Crowder are among the top tacklers in the league so look for Michael Pittman et al. to have a bruising day on the ground. The Phins’ defense was very successful against the Bills, and if momentum carries over, then the Broncos high turnover rate could become an issue.   

Special Teams  

Broncos - The only consistency the Broncos have comes from the legs of their kickers. Matt Prater is 13 for 14 on field goals and 4 for 4 from kicks 50 yards or longer. Brett Kern has done a great job punting the ball landing the ball inside the 20 yard line 5 times on 23 punts. Kickoff coverage has been a different story as the Broncos are second worst in the league for yards allowed. Eddie Royal continues to do a fine job returning punts as he is 3rd in the league in returns. Field position could play a major role in this game, so special teams will need to be especially focused.   

Dolphins- Dan Carpenter is 8 for 10 on the year in field goals and he nailed three important ones to help the Phins’ comeback and beat the Bills. As far as kick returns, Davone Bess is nothing to write home about. Miami is last in the league in returns, but any athlete at this level is capable of making big plays.   

Coaching

Broncos - Mike Shanahan’s head is never on the chopping block in Pat Bowlen’s eyes, but some fans have expressed a different viewpoint of the coach. Shanahan needs this win to show that his team can start strong and finish strong unlike the past few seasons where a strong start led to a disastrous finish. The team has the pieces in place to score 30 plus points, and now Shanahan needs to find and stick to a defensive scheme that works. If the game is close, Shanahan has the experience and knowledge to out coach Miami’s rookie head coach.   

Dolphins - To bring this team from a 1-15 record last year to 3-4 this year is unbelievable. Maybe Tony Sparano should run for President and clean up the mess that George W. created. He brought back the Wildcat and has made Chad Pennington look like Dan Marino (almost). Players believe in him and his intentions for this team. Should the Dolphins make the playoffs, he’s a shoe in for coach of the year.