New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees calls a play in the huddle during the first quarter against the Denver Broncos at Invesco Field on September 21, 2008. The Saints will visit Denver again on October 28, 2012 (Mandatory Credit: Andrew Carpenean-US PRESSWIRE)

In approximately eleven weeks the 2012 NFL season will be upon us.   Considering that it has been 5-1/2 months since the 2011 season came to an end in New England, we are well over the hump and on the very edge of another Bronco season.   To help pass the time between now and the start of the regular season, I am continuing my look back at past Bronco games against teams they will face in 2012.   Next up – the New Orleans Saints.

After getting a week off with their bye in Week Seven, the Broncos will make their second appearance of the season on Sunday Night Football when Drew Brees and the Sean Payton-less New Orleans Saints make their sixth trip in franchise history to Colorado to face the Broncos.   The Broncos have won four of the five contests held in Denver.   Continue reading for a brief synopsis of the five games in Denver.

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I‘m currently hard at work on a new piece about Denver Broncos tight end Joel Dreessen. He was kind enough to give Predominantly Orange an exclusive interview which included a ton of great information and interesting quotes. Look for it next Monday; it is a must read.

In the meantime, here is a reaction piece to the 2011 Hall of Fame special for Shannon Sharpe. It was originally published on August 4th, 2011.

Shannon Sharpe is presented with his bust by brother Sterling Sharpe at the 2010 Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement at Fawcett Stadium. (Credit: Rick Osentoski-US PRESSWIRE)

The Shannon Sharpe Hall of Fame special that aired on NFL Network this week had me absolutely riveted for the entire hour. I’m not going to lie; it got a little dusty in my office towards the end. I love shows like this because it exposes you to the actual person behind the facemask. They become more than just the character you see on the field or read about in the newspaper. Sharpe Focus: A Journey to Canton was not only a chance to reminisce about the good old days of the Denver Broncos franchise, but it gave us an inside look into Sharpe’s journey from a little shack in Georgia all the way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The program followed Shannon Sharpe and his older brother Sterling as they toured their old house in tiny Glennville, Georgia. They also walked around their old high school, talked with old coaches and mentors, and showed old pictures and home videos from his younger days. Shannon and Sterling both talked in great detail and emotion about their grandmother who raised them and a platoon of aunts and uncles with almost no money or the modern day amenities we take for granted now. They also showed clips from his days with the Denver Broncos including some of his biggest plays and best moments. Dan Reeves and John Elway were both interviewed at length and their thoughts were sprinkled throughout the program. In the end, Sharpe’s boyhood home was shown one last time to emphasize the bare bones beginnings from which Sharpe came. Overall, it was an emotional and inspirational program that immediately made me love Shannon more than I already did. It was a great piece of work all the way around, and I give kudos to the NFL Network on this one.

Several things struck me right away. The first was how ridiculously ripped Shannon Sharpe looked. Good Lord! He looks like he could suit up tomorrow and still dominate an unlucky defensive end or outside linebacker. It was especially noticeable next to his brother Sterling who has let himself go a little bit since his playing days.

Secondly, his boyhood home was so small and dilapidated. I could not believe the true depth of the poverty that Sharpe came from. It was a 1,000 square foot shack with no running water, central heating or air, or any modern day features. As many as a dozen family members lived in the house at any time, and if you needed to use the bathroom, you simply took a walk into the neighboring woods. It’s hard for most of us to fathom living like that, especially those of us that grew up in the 1980’s.

I already knew that Shannon was extremely close to his older brother and his grandmother. But the show really exposed just how much they all mean to each other. Shannon Sharpe constantly followed in Sterling’s footsteps when they were growing up, and Sterling’s successes drove Shannon to get better no matter how far he had already come. After Sterling Sharpe’s career was shortened by injury, Shannon gave his first Super Bowl ring to his brother because in his mind Sterling was the reason he had won it. Some of the most poignant moments were when Shannon talked about how hard he would work to keep his grandmother from going back to the life they had when he was young. He was always afraid of losing everything he had worked so hard for, so he was a mainstay in the gym and on the practice field. Because of this, he admittedly had to forego many personal relationships and experiences so that he could maintain his training regimen. This included skipping the trips to the Whitehouse after the Broncos Super Bowl victories. In his own words, “Because some guy in college wanted my job. And if I let up for one second, that was going to give them the opportunity to get my job. Nobody was going to take my job.”

The saddest moment was when Sharpe informed the audience that his grandmother had passed away the night before the interview took place. The sincerity of Shannon’s emotions was enthralling. He came to the conclusion that because she wasn’t physically able to be in Canton with him, that she couldn’t sit in the audience and hear him, her leaving this world was the only way she could be with him and listen to his speech. It was a heartbreaking moment of grief that many of us can relate to.

We also got an in-depth look at the career arc of Sharpe, even though most of us already know it inside and out. After being drafted by the Denver Broncos in the 7^th round of the 1990 NFL Draft, Sharpe would go on to play 12 of his 14 seasons with Denver and he would shatter all the receiving records for tight ends along the way. He would win 3 Super Bowls during his stellar career (2 with the Broncos after the 1997 and 1998 seasons), and he was named to the NFL 1990’s All-Decade team. At retirement, he held league records for a tight end in regards to receptions, yards, touchdowns, receiving yards in a game, receptions in a playoff game, longest touchdown reception in the playoffs, and he still holds the modern NFL record for consecutive playoff games won with 12. That streak went from the start of the 1997 playoffs through a victory in the wild card round while with the Baltimore Ravens in 2002. Think about that for a minute. 12 straight playoff victories; and he was a big part of all of them. There have been thousands of players in NFL history who have failed to win a single playoff game, let alone a Super Bowl. But Sharpe found a way to rise above the rest; something he has been doing his whole life.

The thing that resonated loudest was Sharpe’s fierce competitiveness, unequaled work ethic, and hardened resolve to be better than everyone else. I immediately thought of how much better the NFL would be if all players had a fraction of Sharpe’s attitude. He may have gotten a lot of grief over the years for his mouth and his antics on the sideline, but almost all of it was good natured, and in the end it was his play on the field that spoke the loudest. There also isn’t a critic out there who wouldn’t have drooled at the thought of having Shannon Sharpe play on their favorite team.

In this day and age when the average player stays with a team for such a short time, and many embarrass an organization and their fans rather than give them reason to cheer, it’s important to recognize and celebrate the truly good people who have played this game at the highest level. For that reason, Shannon Sharpe deserves the recognition of the Hall of Fame, and he has made the Denver Broncos community extremely proud.

Make sure to follow @MileHighMonday on Twitter.

Former Denver Bronco wide receiver Rod Smith talks to John Elway on the sidelines during training camp in 2011. (Credit: Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE)

On September 17th, 1995, the Denver Broncos enjoyed another typical Sunday afternoon at Mile High Stadium. Typical, at least, by their standards when John Elway was the quarterback.

A back and forth game full of big swings came to a 31-31 tie with time winding down in the 4th quarter. In classic Elway fashion, the Broncos waited until the very end to take the lead for good. They found themselves at the Washington Redskins’ 43 yard line with time remaining for only a single play. First year Coach Mike Shanahan decided to forgo the long field goal try and instead let Elway heave it to the end zone. As the clock hit triple zeroes, the Elway bomb found its way down the left sideline and into the arms of a leaping Rod Smith who landed in the end zone for the winning score. It was an epic finish and one that all Broncos fans will always remember.

I was lucky enough to be in the stands that day, and I can clearly recall several fans asking who had caught the touchdown after the celebration calmed down. Many people simply didn’t recognize the guy who caught the ball, and who could blame them? That touchdown just happened to be the first pass Rod Smith had ever caught in an NFL game.

It may have been the first time that some Broncos fans took notice of Rod Smith, but he made sure it wouldn’t be the last. He went on to have a long and illustrious career with Denver that included 849 catches, 11,389 yards, 70 total touchdowns, and 2 Super Bowl championships. To top it all off, Broncos’ owner Pat Bowlen announced last week that Rod Smith has been elected to the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame. He will be the 24th member of that prestigious group and he will be inducted during halftime of the game against the Houston Texans on Sunday, September 23rd.

Smith was an undrafted rookie in 1994 out of Missouri Southern. He spent his first season on the Broncos practice squad before his hard work earned him a spot in the lineup during the 1995 campaign. That also happened to be the first season on the sidelines for Head Coach Mike Shanahan, and the timing couldn’t have worked out any better. Smith would become an integral piece of the Shanahan offensive machine and he thrived in that system for his entire 12 year career.

Rod Smith holds almost every single receiving record in franchise history and he’s in the top 25 all-time in receptions and receiving yards. His legacy, however, is more defined by his hard work, attitude, and leadership skills. Smith never took anything for granted after going undrafted and he became the ultimate team-first player in an era that was full of diva wide receivers. He was a perfect fit at the wide receiver position for a Denver offense that included weapons such as Terrell Davis, John Elway, and Shannon Sharpe. Together, that impressive group of talented players would lead the Broncos organization to heights previously unknown.

There are very few players out there like Rod Smith and I am so proud that he played for the Denver Broncos. He is very deserving of the honor and I don’t believe it could be bestowed upon a better person. He will always be remembered as a Broncos legend, and now he takes his rightful place in the Ring of Fame.

Congratulations Rod! Go Broncos!

Make sure to follow @MileHighMonday on Twitter.