On the first play of Denver's Monday Night game against New England, Jay Cutler injured his finger on Vince Wilfork's helmet. This must have messed with Coach Mike Shanahan's usual pre-planned 15-play commencement to every game. Seeing the immediate innaccuracy of Cutler's throwing after the bang-up, more run plays started to get dialed. Since Selvin Young was out of the game, it was 33-year-old back-up Michael Pittman's job to carry the load. Soon thereafter, during the same long drive downfield, Pittman was injured and taken out of the game. Thus third-stringer Andre Hall had to carry the ball. And on his first touch, he fumbled it. The drive was simply doomed from the beginning.
The Patriots would capitalize on that turnover with a field-goal. And then after another Andre Hall fumble on the next drive, the Patriots would get another field goal. And after three more Denver turnovers, the Patriots would roll over the floundering Broncos, 41-7 (the same score as the largest victory the Broncos had all last year, a slaughter of the Chiefs in Week 14).
Continue reading "The AFC West: How the Former Powerhouse Division Fizzled"
