The notes of Christmas past …
Darrent Williams didn’t go Joe Namath on Saturday. He didn’t guarantee a victory in the Broncos’ first playoff game. But he did guarantee that he’ll be ready to play.
Williams was concerned his strained groin muscle might have kept him out of the lineup if the Broncos didn’t get a first-round playoff bye. But after their win over the Raiders clinched the bye, he assured everyone within earshot that he’ll be ready to go for the playoff opener.
“I was kind of hoping we could get that extra week,” Williams said. “Now I know for sure, with that extra week, that I’ll be ready. You can count me in for that game.” …
Talk about your dilemmas. Former Bronco Reuben Droughns bought diamond watches for his linemen in Cleveland after he reached the 1,000-yard mark. Now it’s Mike Anderson‘s turn. Trouble is, Anderson, who went over 1,000 on Saturday, makes the veteran minimum of about $800,000. That’s considerably less than any of the Broncos’ starting linemen. What to do? “We’ll get to that,” Anderson said. …
Trevor Pryce: “The bye week is the best thing that’s come out of all this, because you get to watch the first round of games. Plus, if we play Saturday and the team we play played Sunday, we have even that much more of a leg up on them. That’s what I’m excited about.” …
No, that wasn’t Clinton Portis, ever the clotheshorse, in the Broncos locker room. It was Pryce sporting a plaid lid that looked like a cross between a fedora and a houndstooth hat. Said Pryce, “It’s my ode to Tom Landry.” …
How much of a roll is Chiefs tailback Larry Johnson on? He has gained 1,150 yards since Nov. 1. The Broncos have run for 1,016 since then. …
What to get for Christmas for the NFL fan who has everything? How about the Colts and Patriots in one second-round playoff game and the Broncos and Bengals in another. Don’t look now, but that’s the way it’s shaping up. …
By the numbers: Champ Bailey recently ran off a streak of five interceptions in five games. The Raiders have intercepted five passes all season. …
And let the record show the fifth was a gift from Rod Smith. Raiders safety Stuart Schweigert was minding his own business in the middle of the field in the second quarter when Smith tipped the ball into his hands. …
Just wondering: How could Randy Moss, maybe the most physically gifted receiver that ever was, go into the game with 48 catches, ranking him 50th in the league? …
You already know how good the Chiefs are at home in December. The Broncos? They haven’t lost at home in December in the 21st century. They’re 18-2 at home during December in the Mike Shanahan era. …
Random thought du jour: What will Kerry Collins be doing next season after the Raiders dump him? I’m thinking he’d make a great meat cutter in Peyton Manning‘s next commercial. …
Raider Nation? Heck, they can’t even fill the upper deck. They’ve had three home crowds of fewer than 50,000, including a season-low 41,862 last week for Cleveland. …
Those early-season reports of Jason Elam‘s demise were premature, not to mention stupid. Elam began the year 6-for-11 but was on an 18-of-19 run before missing a 52-yarder in the third quarter. …
The Raiders are riding a five-game losing streak. Or should I say a five-game losing streak is riding them? Anyway, the last time the Broncos lost five straight was in 1990. The Raiders since then have had five streaks of five or more losses. …
Several players were wearing caps and T-shirts commemorating the Broncos’ first AFC West championship since 1998. Cornerback Domonique Foxworth scribbled “25, Pro Bowl” on the back of his cap in honor of safety Nick Ferguson. “He got snubbed,” Foxworth said. “He’s got five picks and a bunch of tackles. He should have made it.” …
Didja know? The Raiders in 1965 drafted a quarterback from Cal named Craig Morton. Twelve years later, Morton led the Broncos to an AFC championship game win over Oakland. …
Jerry Porter at Invesco Field last season: six catches, 135 yards, three touchdowns. Porter on Saturday: four catches, 29 yards, no touchdowns. …
My positive Raiders note of the day, because it’s Christmas: They’re the only NFL team to have played in Super Bowls in four decades – the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 2000s. …
What’s that? Yeah, yeah, I know. Stats like that and a half-a-buck will get you a phone call.
Catch Jim Armstrong from 6-9 a.m. during “The Press Box” on ESPN 560 AM. He can be reached at 303-820-5452 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com.
