Week 8

Report Card

Ravens 30, Broncos 7

All right Broncos fans, welcome back to reality. For the first seven weeks of the season, the Broncos were the talk of the league, the next big thing. Now, they are just another good team fighting for a play-off spot. Here is how I graded the Broncos performance on Sunday:

Run Defense: C+

The Broncos run defense may be the only aspect of Sunday's game that wasn't completely exposed. Although they gave up 125 yards on 35 carries for the game, they only gave up 62 yards through the first three and and a half quarters. It wasn't until Baltimore's last drive that the Ravens running game truly asserted itself. With just under eight minutes to go, the Ravens put together a five minute, 63-yard drive consisting of nine straight runs, which doubled their stats for the game. Still, the Broncos defense has to be able to make a play to get off the field in that situation.

Pass Defense: C+

The Broncos pass defense also played well for the majority of the Game. They held Joe Flacco to 167 yards and a touchdown. The problem for the Broncos was that they couldn't get the key stops when they needed them. The Ravens were 11-for-18 on third-down conversions. Also, Elvis Dumervil and the Broncos pass-rush couldn't get to Joe Flacco, which allowed the Ravens just enough time to make plays down the field.

Running Game: D

The Broncos running backs were nearly invisible in Sunday's game. They had a measly 66 yards on 19 carries, which is almost the same yards-per-rush average (3.5) as the Ravens had (3.6), except the Broncos were never able to establish enough on the ground to set up the pass or sustain long drives. They were only 3-for-13 on third down conversions, in large part due to their lack of running success and the Ravens' domination of the line of scrimmage. The Broncos only crossed mid-field three times in the entire game and only entered the red-zone once.

Passing Game: F

Sunday's performance by Kyle Orton and company was the worst I've seen the Broncos' passing attack look since early in the preseason. Orton finished the game with just 134 yards passing. After watching the game, that seems like a lot, considering all I can remember him doing was either getting sacked, throwing the ball away or checking the ball down to his backs. Even worse was the fact that Orton completed only one pass over 20 yards for the entire game. By halftime, Orton had completed 10 passes for only 35 yards (3.5 avg.), a perfect example of the Broncos' inability or unwillingness to throw the ball down the field.

Special Teams: C-

For the most part, the special teams unit did their job. But in a game where big plays were at a premium, starting the second half by allowing a 95 yard kick-off return for a touchdown is simply inexcusable. It was the second time in as many games that the Broncos have allowed a touchdown on a return. For a team that had allowed a combined 10 points in the second half of it's first six games, that touchdown return quickly eliminated any mental edge the Broncos may have had over the Ravens.

Coaching: D

For all of the success that Josh McDaniels and the Broncos coaching staff have had this season, they sure laid an egg this week. Defensively, the game-plan was good, but the Broncos never fully adjusted to Baltimore's no-huddle packages or blocking schemes. Offensively, the Broncos were virtually non-existant. In my opinion, Josh McDaniels' play calling was too conservative and predictable. Rather than trying to keep pace with the Ravens by taking some risks on offense, the Broncos seemed content to continue to lean on the defense, which eventually caved-in.

Key Play: The key play of the game, in my opinion, came on the first play from scrimmage. Kyle Orton was sacked by Jared Johnson of the Ravens for an 8-yard loss, setting the tone for both the Ravens defense and the Broncos offense. The Ravens defense played the rest of the game with confidence and aggression, while the Broncos offense spent the day confused and flustered.

--- SONNY PLATT.