Cincinatti Bengals AJ Green Displays Sneaker Collection

Boys and their toys....

http://www.sneakerwatch.com/article/015562/cincinatti-bengals-aj-green-displays-sneaker-collection/

LB Justin Houston Makes AFC Pro Bowl Roster

Source: wibw.com

By: Stephanie Schultz

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Football League informed the Chiefs on Tuesday that LB Justin Houston has made the AFC Pro Bowl roster, replacing injured Denver LB Von Miller. Houston joins Kansas City's five other Pro Bowl performers from the 2012 season: S Eric Berry, RB Jamaal Charles, P Dustin Colquitt, LB Tamba Hali and LB Derrick Johnson, giving the Chiefs six Pro Bowl attendees, the most Chiefs to go to a Pro Bowl since Kansas City sent six players following the 2005 season.

Houston (6-3, 258) started all 16 games at left outside linebacker for the Chiefs in 2012, one of four Chiefs players on the defensive side of the ball to open all 16 games. He led the team with 10.0 sacks (-69.0 yards). Along with his 10.0 QB takedowns, he registered a team-high 19 QB pressures. He finished third on the team with 66 tackles (53 solo), and tied for the team lead with 13 tackles for loss. He forced one fumble, recovered one fumble and recorded his first career interception, returning it for 32 yards.

The Statesboro, Ga., native has played in 32 games (26 starts) in his two years with Kansas City. He has recorded 136 tackles (116 solo), 15.5 sacks (-96.5 yards), 31 QB pressures, nine passes defensed, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one interception (32 yards). He originally joined the Chiefs as the club's third-round pick (70th overall) in the 2011 NFL Draft.

DE HOWARD AGREES TO TERMS ON NEW DEAL WITH ESKIMOS

New GM Ed Hervey continues to lock up talent for the Edmonton Eskimos, the latest being DE Marcus Howard.

CFL on TSN analyst Dave Naylor reports Howard has agreed to terms to remain in Edmonton. Terms of the deal were not immediately available.

Howard struggled with injuries last season, playing in just six games for the Eskimos and recording six tackles and one sack.

In his rookie year in 2011, the 27-year-old was named a West Division All-Star after recording a team-leading 11 sacks in just 13 games.

Source:  TSN.ca

Geno Atkins in the locker room video

From Cincy Jungle
Video here

Bengals DT Geno Atkins Named To NFL.com All Pro Team

The accolades keep coming for Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins.

On Thursday he was named to the 2012 Pro Football Weekly/Professional Football Writers All-Pro team after generating 12.5 quarterback sacks and a handful of offensive linemen that feared losing their jobs. Or at the very least an epiphany on the ideals of humblism.

NFL.com released their All-Pro team Friday, naming Atkins alongside Vince Wilfork at defensive tackle. Not surprised.

Defensive tackles aren't expected to function as primary pass rushers, but Atkins (12.5 sacks) is changing that perception.

By the time it's all said and done with postseason awards, Atkins may be one of the more celebrated defensive tackles in football.

Source:  Cincy Jungle

Blair Walsh returns to Athens

Dawgpost.com is reporting that Blair Walsh, the former Bulldog kicker will resume a full-time student status at UGA this spring to fulfill final obligations for a degree Speech Communications.

http://georgia.scout.com/2/1256122.html

Champ Bailey, Peyton Manning make history with 12 Pro Bowls

Before Wednesday, only eight players since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 had been named to at least 12 Pro Bowls. That was before the Broncos put two more names on the list.

"And that," said Broncos defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson, "is the Hall of Fame right there. That's the Hall of Fame, no questions asked, about anything. Twelve Pro Bowls, c'mon, that's great year after great year after great year from those two guys."

When the votes were counted the 12-3 Broncos, riding a 10-game winning streak, had five players selected to the NFL's all-star game with quarterback Peyton Manning and cornerback Champ Bailey each selected to their 12th, both a record for quarterbacks and defensive backs respectively in the post-merger era.

Linebacker Von Miller, defensive end Elvis Dumervil and left tackle Ryan Clady were the other Broncos selected. Manning, Bailey and Miller, with his first Pro Bowl selection, were chosen as starters in the game.

Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, who is seventh in the league with 1,312 receiving yards and tied for eighth in touchdowns with eight, was not selected at what is likely the most difficult position to make the cut. Only four receivers are selected for each team — AFC and NFC — and there are 15 receivers in the league with at least 1,000 yards through 15 games and 13 players with at least 80 receptions.

Thomas was chosen as a first alternate, meaning if one AFC wide receiver can not play in the game, Thomas would be added to the roster. Wesley Woodyard,with 110 tackles, 5.5 sacks and three interceptions, was perhaps the biggest snub, given he was not chosen as an alternate.

"There's a lot of guys on our team that deserve to make it," Manning said Wednesday afternoon. "I know that much."

Guard Chris Kuper, who has missed nine games with injuries this season, was chosen as a second alternate while guard Zane Beadles, special teams ace David Bruton and punter Britton Colquitt were named third alternates. Wide receiver Eric Decker, who is tied for third in the league with 11 touchdowns, is a fifth alternate.

Given a choice, however, all Broncos selected would rather be doing something else Jan. 27 when the Pro Bowl is scheduled in Honolulu. Teams participating in the Super Bowl will not send their players to Hawaii and those spots will be filled with alternates.

With his 12th Pro Bowl selection, Manning passes Brett Favre for most selections by a quarterback. Bailey, who already held the record for most selections by a cornerback, has the most Pro Bowl selections by any defensive back since the AFL-NFL merger.

"I do my thing, and I've done my thing over the years, but when you're on a team like this and you play well, people are going to notice," Bailey said in a statement. "It's really just part of my team and what we've done. That's pretty much why I'm in there. It's definitely a team thing. At some point I want to be able to tell the people at the Pro Bowl that I'm not coming because I'm playing in the big game. That's really what my eyes are on, just making sure we keep winning and get to that big game."

It marks the first time teammates have been selected to their 12th Pro Bowls in the same year.

"One of the key components for being successful in this league, no matter what position you play, is consistency," said linebacker Keith Brooking, a 15th-year veteran. "That's not year to year, month to month, it's every day you come to work and have attention to detail in everything that you do, your approach to this game every day.

"And in return what you get with guys that are talented, have the right mind-set and approach things the right way, you get guys like Peyton and Champ. And it doesn't surprise me at all, those two guys are first-ballot Hall of Fame."

San Francisco (10-4-1) had the most players selected, nine, including six from its second-ranked defense, followed by Houston (12-3) with eight, including six players on offense. And in somewhat of an odd twist the 2-13 Chiefs had as many players as the Broncos — five — selected for the game, including running back Jamaal Charles and three players from its defense, safety Eric Berry, outside linebacker Tamba Hali and linebacker Derrick Johnson.

Manning is the fourth Broncos quarterback to be selected for the Pro Bowl, joining John Elway, Brian Griese and Jay Cutler. Bailey has been named to the Pro Bowl eight times in his nine seasons with the Broncos.

Only Elway, with nine Pro Bowls, and safety Steve Atwater have been named to at least eight Pro Bowls with the Broncos.

"I had followed (Bailey and Manning) and watched their careers from afar before I signed here," Brooking said. "But to be here, to see them every day, how they approach things, how they handle their business day in and day out, it's no surprise. You admire them even more, respect them even more because you see that mind-set they have every day."

By: Jeff Legwold

Source:  Denver Post

A.J. Green and Geno Atkins Selected to Start for AFC in Pro Bowl

By Kyle Battle

Source: Bleacher Report

It was announced Wednesday evening that not only will A.J. Green and Geno Atkins be participating in the 2013 Pro Bowl, they'll be starting in it. Both players played college ball at Georgia, and Green spoke about having another Dawg with him in Hawaii.

"It's great to have a fellow teammate and another Georgia Bulldog out there, somebody I can hang out with," he said. "It's good to have him there."

Both Green and Atkins attended the Pro Bowl after last season, but both were in different roles. Atkins was a first alternate and Green was the third AFC receiver.

Regardless of Green's performance on the field, he was prepared to miss the Pro Bowl if he needed to. 

"I told a lot of people there was going to be a boycott if he didn't make it this year because he's playing out of his mind," Green said when asked about Atkins' selection to the Pro Bowl. 

Atkins leads the Bengals with 12.5 sacks on the year. Teammates have nothing but nice things to say about Atkins and the recognition he's receiving. 

"The real story is people turning on the film and see play-in and play-out how he disrupts plays," Bengals OT Andrew Whitworth said. "Sometimes people just look at sacks and say he's disruptive. The truth is far he's more disruptive than just 12 sacks. As good as it is that doesn't even tell the story."

Green's story is just as compelling. Last year he became the first rookie wide receiver to make the Pro Bowl in eight years. This year, he's been just as impressive, leading the NFL in touchdown receptions for much of the season and completing a nine-game streak with at least one.

He currently leads the AFC with 11 touchdown receptions and, with 95 receptions, is only five catches away from being the third receiver in Bengals history to have 100 catches in a season. 

Atkins and Green are preparing to take on the Ravens at home to end the regular season on Sunday. The Ravens beat the Bengals 44-13 in Week 1. The Georgia boys will be looking to lead their respective sides of the ball to a victory over the Ravens as the Bengals seek to end their season at 10-6 despite starting 3-5.

Vikings rookie Blair Walsh sets NFL record by kicking nine FGs of 50 yards or more in a season

By Doug Farrar

Source:  Yahoo Sports

When it comes to rookie kickers, most of the talk has been about Greg "Legatron" Zuerlein of the St. Louis Rams, but there's a better first-year booter who deserves more praise. With 8:20 left in the second quarter of the Vikings' game against the Houston Texas on Sunday, Blair Walsh kicked a 56-yard field goal that put him on the right side of an impressive NFL record.

The Georgia alum became the first kicker in league history to make nine field goals of 50 yards or more in a single season. The boot put the Vikings up, 10-3, and Minnesota surprised the Texans with a 23-6 loss at Houston's Reliant Stadium. The result pushed the Vikings to 9-6, while the Texans dropped to 12-3.

The record of eight such kicks was first held by Morten Andersen of the 1995 Atlanta Falcons, and then was tied by Jason Hanson of the 2008 Detroit Lions. Hanson, of course, remains the only kicker to nail that many long field goals for a team that didn't win a game all season.

More impressively for Walsh? He hasn't missed a single attempt from that distance -- he's 9-of-9 as of that second-quarter kick. Also, his 56-yarder tied the franchise record for field-goal distance, matching Paul Edinger's 56-yarder in 2005.

There's no question that Adrian Peterson is the Vikings' (and perhaps the NFL's) most valuable player, but has anyone else done more to keep the Vikings in the playoff race than Walsh? Through the third quarter of Sunday's game, Walsh was an amazing 32 of 35 in field-goal attempts, and 9 of 11 outdoors -- that last stat was for those who would devalue Walsh's accomplishments based on the fact that the Vikings play in a dome.

"I knew he'd have the leg strength," Vikings special teams coach Mike Priefer said of his main man on Thursday. Accuracy is another issue. Obviously, we worked hard on it since the spring. After I saw the combine workout and then I went down to Georgia  to work him out, I knew he had the leg strength to do that kind of damage as a field-goal kicker. You never know about accuracy until you go out there and do it."

Priefer was asked if there was any distance at which he would be uncomfortable letting Walsh air it out.

"It depends on the time of the game," the coach said. "I think anything inside of 60 [yards] -- 58, maybe, and in, on a normal deal. But again, it's time of the game. How our offense is playing. How the defense is playing. If we miss a 58-yarder, they get the ball at their own 48, and that's a tough deal. It depends on the whole situation."

What if it's at the end of a half, or the end of a game?

"Sixty-five yards, probably. Let him launch it. It would be fun to watch. I would be holding my breath. I normally do, anyway."

Let's make sure to recognize this rookie kicker as well -- after all, with "The Blair Walsh Project," he's got a pretty nifty nickname of his own.

Blair Walsh is the NFC special teams player of the week

By Josh Alper

Greg Zuerlein of the Rams has gotten most of the attention paid to rookie kickers this season, but he's not the only one having a positive impact for their team.

Vikings kicker Blair Walsh has also had an excellent first NFL season and it got a bit better Wednesday when he was named the NFC special teams player of the week. Walsh made all five field goals he attempted while Zuerlein watched from the sideline in a 36-22 victory that moved the Vikings to 8-6 on the season.

Three of Walsh's kicks were from 50 yards or beyond, which makes him 8-for-8 on the season in field goals of that distance. That ties the NFL record for the most in one season previously shared by Morten Andersen and Jason Hanson. Given Walsh's excellent conversion rate and the Vikings' willingness to let him rip from deep, there's a high likelihood that he'll have a chance to take sole possession of the record in the next two weeks.

It's the second time Walsh has been named the conference's special teamer of the week this season. He joins Adrian Peterson and Randy Moss as the only Vikings rookies to pick up weekly honors twice in a season.

Source: nbcsports.com

Knowshon Moreno wins AFC offensive player of week

By Darin Gantt

For a guy in the doghouse earlier this year, Knowshon Moreno has proven he can rebound.

And hurdle.

Leaping over Ravens safety Ed Reed was the highlight reel play, but Moreno made many others last week, and was named AFC offensive player of the week.

The Broncos running back had 22 carries for 118 yards and a touchdown, with 74 yards in the first half as the Broncos pushed to a 17-0 lead.

It was his second straight 100-yard game, and he's turned into a key part of the Broncos postseason push, after falling out of favor because of fumbling problems early in the year.

Since replacing the injured Willis McGahee in Week 12, Moreno's averaging 121.8 yards from scrimmage per game, and Adrian Peterson is the only running back with more during that span.

It's also the seventh player of the week honor for a Bronco this season, a league high.

Source:  nbcsports.com

Lions sign Shaun Chapas from practice squad

By Sean Yuille

The Detroit Lions have made a change to their roster by signing fullback Shaun Chapas from the practice squad and releasing wide receiver Lance Long. The move was announced on Friday evening.

The move to add Chapas was done to give the Lions extra depth at tight end. Although Chapas is a fullback, he can also play tight end if needed, according to Tim Twentyman. With tight end Brandon Pettigrew doubtful for Sunday's game, the Lions were down to Tony Scheffler and Will Heller, so they decided to add Chapas for extra depth.

Long had just re-signed with the Lions last week to take Titus Young's spot on the roster. Long, who spent training camp with the Lions, was inactive for last Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers.

Calvin Johnson, Kris Durham, Mike Thomas and Brian Robiskie served as the active receivers in Green Bay, and they will likely be the same four who are active this week against the Arizona Cardinals.

Source: PrideOfDetroit.com

Kris Durham jumps from practice squad to Lions starter

BY CHRIS MCCOSKY

Green Bay, Wis. — From the practice squad to the starting lineup.

Receiver Kris Durham made that leap Sunday night as he first replaced the injured Ryan Broyles on the 53-man roster and then was named the starter in place of Mike Thomas.

"This is a big opportunity and I worked my butt off to get to this point," Durham said earlier in the week.

Durham is 6-6, 216 pounds and he gives quarterback Matthew Stafford another big target on the outside. He and Stafford played together for three seasons at Georgia.

"We had very good grades on him coming out of college (Georgia) and he ended up going to Seattle," offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said. "When he was available we brought him in knowing that he was going to give us a receiver with size. We got Calvin (Johnson), but to be able have a receiver that's 6-6 on the outside that can build speed down the field, I think gives us another dimension that we haven't had on the field."

Durham is the second player to make the leap from practice squad to starter this season. Safety Ricardo Silva did it in Week 4.

Two defensive starters were inactive for the Lions: safety Louis Delmas and defensive tackle Corey Williams. Both are fighting lingering knee injuries.

Nick Fairley started in place of Williams and Don Carey replaced Delmas.

Also inactive were quarterback Kellen Moore, offensive tackles Jason Fox and Corey Hilliard, receiver Lance Long and defensive end Ronnell Lewis.

The Packers are missing five starters — cornerback Charles Woodson, running back James Starks, linebacker Clay Matthews, defensive end C.J. Wilson and receiver Jordy Nelson.

Michigan State's Jerel Worthy started in place of Wilson.

From The Detroit News

Minnesota Vikings rookie K Blair Walsh passes Randy Moss' record

By Michael Preston

It was a busy day at the Edward Jones Dome for Minnesota Vikings rookie kicker Blair Walsh. He kicked five field goals in the Vikings 36-22 win over the St. Louis Rams, but it was his second one that might have been the most important to him personally. The field goal not only gave the Vikings a 27-7 lead, it pushed Walsh past Randy Moss' rookie record for points scored by a Vikings rookie with 107 points on the year. Walsh ended the day with 116 points for the season.

The sixth round draft pick out of Georgia also tied an NFL record for most 50-plus yard field goals in a season with eight, a mark he shares with Jason Hanson and Morten Anderson.

Wlash will get two chances to continue to add onto his franchise record with the Vikings closing out the season against the Houston Texans and Green Bay Packers in the next two weeks.

Soruce: SBNation.com

Jeff Keppinger finalizes 3-year, $12M deal with White Sox

BY DARYL VAN SCHOUWEN 

The White Sox on Monday announced the signing of infielder Jeff Keppinger, who agreed to a three-year, $12-million contract.

Keppinger will receive $3.5 million in 2013, $4.0 million in 2014 and $4.5 million in 2015.

"Jeff adds a valuable and different type of offensive player to our lineup," White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said. "Combined with his ability to play quality defense at multiple positions as well as his overall approach to the game, we are thrilled to add him to our mix."

Keppinger, 32, batted a career-high .325 with nine home runs and 40 RBI in 115 games for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2012. He started 41 games at third base, where he could be the Sox starter in 2013. He also started 23 at second, 21 at first and 19 as the designated hitter. His .325 average overall would have ranked third in the AL but he fell 84 plate appearances shy of qualifying.

Among active players, he ranks second with an average of 15.64 plate appearances per strikeout.

The Sox agreed to terms with Keppinger during the Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tenn., last week. The deal could not be announced until he passed a physical. Keppinger broke his leg in an accident at his home in November but is expected to be ready by spring training.

Source:  Chicago Sun Times

Jeff Keppinger, White Sox agree to $12-million, three-year deal

Versatile infielder Jeff Keppinger has reached agreement with the Chicago White Sox on a $12-million, three-year contract, said a person familiar with the deal.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday because there was no announcement by the team.

Keppinger, 32, hit .325 with a career-high nine home runs and 40 runs batted in for Tampa Bay last season. Keppinger is known for making contact and has more walks than strikeouts during his eight-year career with the Rays, San Francisco, Houston, Cincinnati, Kansas City and New York Mets.

Keppinger is expected to play third base for the White Sox. Kevin Youkilis finished the season at the position for Chicago last season, then became a free agent.

Source: AP

Cincinnati Bengals’ AJ Green, Geno Atkins Continue to Pursue Franchise Records

By: Cian Fahey

Geno Atkins has recorded 2.5 sacks over the Cincinnati Bengals' past three games. Having somewhat feasted on the relatively weak offensive lines of the Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers, the defensive tackle has another appealing matchup this week in the Dallas Cowboys.

Each time Atkins takes down the opposing team's quarterback, he inches closer to the franchise record. Eddie Edwards, a defensive end, currently holds the franchise record for sacks, dating back to 1983. Edwards managed to get to the quarterback 13 times then, so Atkins needs to four sacks in the final four games to set a new mark.

Having primarily played on the left side of the defense in recent weeks, the 24-year-old is set to go against Mackenzy Bernadeau and Doug Free primarily this week. Bernadeau and Free haven't had good seasons and are coming off of a poor showing against the Philadelphia Eagles. Combined, the duo gave up two sacks, two quarterback hits and four quarterback hurries. At 6-4, 320 pounds, Bernadeau does have the right body size to match up to Atkins, but has no hope of keeping up with him from a technical point of view.

Bernadeau doesn't have the talent to stick with Atkins, but with how the Bengals' defensive line has been performing recently, the Cowboys won't be able to give the right guard help on every snap. Going by their contrasting form, double-teaming Atkins probably wouldn't prevent him from getting to the quarterback either way.

In fact, Atkins' greatest obstacle preventing him from adding to his sack total is likely the creativity and agility of Tony Romo. Romo takes a lot of sacks, but he also avoids many to create big plays down the field. He can shift in the tightest of spaces to avoid pursuing defenders.

With games left against the Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens after this weekend, Atkins has every chance of cracking the franchise record. Especially if he continues in this rich vane of form. A teammate of Atkins, AJ Green, is in exactly the same situation. Green is chasing down the record of Chad Johnson and needs just 333 yards in four games. Johnson's career high was 1,440 yards.

Despite not scoring a touchdown in the past two games, after starting the season with nine touchdowns in 10 games, Green still racked up 18 receptions for 287. If he can keep up that pace for the rest of the season, against what is a more difficult schedule for a wide receiver, then Green would be the franchise leader in receptions after just his second season.

Even challenging for these records at this point in their respective careers is a phenomenal achievement in itself. Both players are just 24 while Green is in his second season and Atkins his third. They are both still on the positive side of their career arcs, so there is plenty of time to set the marks at a later date, but coming so close this season it would be a shame should they fail.

Source://www.rantsports.com

The White Sox to sign Jeff Keppinger to a three-year deal

by Craig Calcaterra

Jeff Keppinger has, in a thin market for infielders, been a hot property this week. Now Jon Heyman reports that the White Sox are going to sign him for three years.  No word yet on the money, though yesterday it was said that he wanted a $12 million deal for three years.

The Yankees were said to be extremely interested in him, but were wary about giving him a contract of any significant length.

Keppinger hit .325/.367/.439 with anine home runs and 40 RBI in 418 plate appearances this past season for Tampa Bay while making appearances at third base, second base, first base and designated hitter.  Even for three years, that's an extremely useful player to have.

Source:  NBC Sports

Detroit Lions sign Kris Durham off practice squad

by Justin Rogers

The Detroit Lions didn't look far to find a replacement for injured wide receiver Ryan Broyles. Instead of signing a free agent off the street, the Lions opted to activate Kris Durham off the practice squad.

The Lions added Durham in September after the 2011 fourth-round draft pick was released by the Seattle Seahawks.

Durham appeared in just three games with Seattle as a rookie, catching three passes for 30 yards. He was placed on injured reserve in November with a torn labrum.

The 6-foot-6, 216-pound receiver played his college ball at Georgia, where he was teammates with Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford.  As a junior in 2008, Stafford's final season at Georgia, Durham caught 13 passes for 199 yards and a touchdown.

Durham missed the 2009 season after tearing his labrum during the spring. He returned for his senior season in 2010, catching 32 passes for 659 yards and three touchdowns. His 20.6 yards per reception was the third best in the NCAA that season.

Source:  mlive.com

Champ Bailey plays pivotal role in Broncos' victory over Buccaneers

By Jeff Legwold

Coming into Sunday's game against the Broncos, Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman had targeted wide receiver Vincent Jackson 95 times this season, or just over 20 more times than any other player in the team's offense.

So, the Broncos did what the Broncos do in those kinds of cases. They asked Champ Bailey to cover somebody who is often bigger and younger to take that option off the quarterback's wish list.

And while Peyton Manning's touchdown passes and Von Miller's quest for the NFL's defensive player of the year award are front and center these days, Bailey's work continues to be the stuff of a team with designs on much more than a division title.

When Bailey was matched up on Jackson in one-on-one situations, which was for most of the game, Jackson had one reception for 12 yards Sunday. And that catch didn't come until the third quarter was drawing to a close.

Jackson had another catch in zone coverage, away from Bailey, and his third and final catch of the game came with Bailey having already been taken out of the game because the Broncos were protecting a two-touchdown lead facing a three-day turnaround to play in Oakland on Thursday night.

"Vincent's one of the toughest matchups because he plays hard all the time," Bailey said. "He's not one of those guys where if he's not getting the ball, he's out there running slower or anything. He's a beast."

Asked if a younger quarterback — Freemen is in his fourth season — gets more frustrated when his favorite option isn't an option any longer, Bailey said:

"Probably, if you don't have your best player involved early it does get a little frustrating, because that's when those guys want to get something going. I don't count on that to help me so much, but that's the goal to take it out early, but I just try, every play, not to let him catch it on that play and then go on to the next one."

The Broncos are currently third in the NFL in total defense (yards allowed per game) and ninth in points allowed. That means statistically the group is not yet the best Manning has played alongside of in his career. The Colts were No. 3 in yards allowed and No. 1 in scoring defense in 2007 to go with No. 11 in yards allowed and No. 2 in scoring defense in 2005.

But the Broncos have the explosiveness in the pass rush to create defensive touchdowns — five this year and counting — and they have Bailey.

And that's the kind of combination Manning has never had.

Source:  Denver Post