Jack Frost nipping at your notes. . . .
Where would the Broncos be without Wesley Woodyard?
Yep, that about sums it up. That tells you just how crazy and mixed up this crazy, mixed-up Broncos season has been.
His bio says Woodyard is an undrafted rookie, but his game says otherwise. Woodyard was credited with eight tackles in Sunday’s victory over Kansas City, giving him an even 50 in his five starts since D.J. Williams’ knee injury.
So who stopped Tyler Thigpen when the Chiefs’ quarterback made a break for the end zone for the potential game-tying touchdown?
“I think it was Wesley Woodyard,” Broncos defensive tackle Kenny Peterson said.
That’s always a good guess these days, even if it was really Dre Bly.
“The guy is a beast,” said Peterson, when asked about Woodyard. “He’s going to be around for a while.”
As a starter in this man’s league?
“Absolutely, absolutely,” Peterson said. “No question about it, no question about it.”
As in, absolutely, absolutely, no question about it, no question about it. Question is, will Woodyard stay in the lineup when Williams returns? For the record, Woodyard isn’t speculating.
“Once we get D.J. back, we’re going to have a lot more playmakers on our team,” Woodyard said. “I’m just trying to earn my respect every week from the guys on the team and the guys in the NFL.” . . .
What a long, strange trip it’s been, this 2008 season. To wit: The Broncos could be on the verge of becoming the first NFL team to allow 400 points and win its division. The 1981 AFC West-winning Chargers allowed 390, the most points ever allowed by a division champion. . . .
Now for the fine print: The Broncos’ defense is playing its best football of the season, allowing three points to the Jets in the second half and shutting out the Chiefs in the final two quarters. Not bad considering the Broncos allowed double digits in the second half in nine of their first 11 games, including 20-plus four times. . . .
The bottom line with the defense? It’s better, but it remains a work in progress. “There’s no such thing as perfect,” Peterson said. “There’s no summit. We’ve got to keep plugging.” …
Woodyard, who led the SEC in tackles as a senior at Kentucky but went undrafted because he was undersized: “I play with about 10 or 20 chips on my shoulder.” . . .
This is a recording: The Chiefs didn’t have a sack Sunday. They’ve had six in 13 games, putting them on pace for the fewest in NFL history. The 1981 Colts own that dubious distinction with 13. . . .
But then, Jay Cutler has been sacked seven times in 13 games – zero in the past three weeks. . . .
He may be as raw as January in Alaska, but Thigpen showed more than a few flashes. Historic factoid regarding Thigpen: He didn’t play quarterback in his senior year of high school in South Carolina. . . .
Cutler got back to the .500 mark, winning his 17th game in 34 NFL starts — 10-8 at Invesco Field, 7-9 on the road. . . .
Go figure. The Chiefs, no thanks to their draft-day failures, are in full-scale rebuilding mode. Three players — Derrick Johnson, Larry Johnson and punter Dustin Colquitt — remain from their 2001-05 drafts. The Broncos are about to win the West, but they, too, have three players remaining from those drafts — D.J. Williams, Ben Hamilton and Karl Paymah. . . .
Nnambi Asomugha, to reporters, on the state of the Raiders: “We’re not close and it’s clear we’re not close. We don’t play good football, we don’t play sound football, and we’ve been undisciplined.” . . .
Yet they beat the Broncos at Invesco Field. Anyone notice that JaMarcus Russell, 10-for-11 vs. the Bronx, completed 10-of-28 a week later vs. the Chiefs? . . .
Jets nose tackle Kris Jenkins, who has been getting some run for the Pro Bowl, telling reporters about being outplayed by Casey Wiegmann: “I can assure you one thing. My feet are back on planet Earth.”
Jim Armstrong: 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com
