Marshall again had a school yard day, racking up 166 yards and a touchdown. But this week, the Donkeys at least attempted to feature the running game, as Sevlin Young, Andre Hall and Michael Pittman collectively saw more carries than they had in the two previous games. Yet on two occassions, the rushing attempts were so blatantly obvious that the Saints were on them like fungus on sweat socks. After a goal line stand, the Broncos took over at the 1 yard line, but Andre Hall was instantly tackled four yards deep in the end zone for a safety. In the fourth quarter, while trying to run out the clock, Michael Pittman was stuffed on a 3rd and 1 play.

For the second straight week, the Broncos appeard to be on their way to a rout. Nate Webster returned a fumble for a touchdown and it looked like a homecoming game with the score sitting at 21-3 i the second quarter. The Saints and Drew Brees rallied, storming back to pull within five points by halftime. With the Broncos' current defense, no lead is safe. To win the game, they had to rely on a little luck as Saints kicker Martin Grammatica missed a 41 yard field goal in the final minutes. Nate Webster was responsible for the goal line stop, while Boss Bailey was essential to stopping Michael Pierre to set up Grammatica's ill-fated attempt. Every team needs a little luck in stitching together a successful season, but the Broncos' penchant of allowing teams to amass enormous yardage and easily move the ball down the field is more disturbing than a 75 year old geezer in a cheerleading outfit.

Had the two teams locked horns early, trading touchdowns and completions in the first quarter, this game would've been characterized as a non-stop shootout. Blowing a 21-3 lead for the second week in a row takes away some of the euphoria of the Broncos wearing out the Invesco Field turf with their offense. An encouraging sign is that they were able to overcome two turnovers (a Cutler interception and a Tony Scheffler fumble) and still win the game without the help of a referee.

That's not to take anything away from Drew Brees and his crew. The FOX broadcast crew made sure to tell us that Brees had racked up some gaudy numbers in back-to-back seasons. To someone unfamiliar with the Saints, like myself, I was wondering when this former Chargers cast-off suddenly became Dan Marino. Brees was sacked on the opening series, but afterwards he displayed a quick release and an ability to make excellent decisions to find the open receiver. A quick check tells me that Brees has already rushed for over 400 yards in his career... which makes a Marino comparison inaccurate. Brees appears to some form of mobility to go with his arm.

Overall, it was another entertaining weekend for the Donkeys and their fans. To paraphrase the football adage, it was only a "halfway ugly win". The only real ugliness would be the BRIGHT alternate orange jerseys that the Donkeys sported. If I remember correctly, the Broncos have been less than fortunate while wearing their orange jerseys in the past. I'm remembering a snowstorm loss to the Raiders, circa 2004 and an 84 yard fieldgoal loss to the Colts, circa 2003. Has it really been that long since they wore these ugly Arena Football-looking things? But you can't complain (too much) about the 3-0 record. That's pretty.

Chop Blocks
..||.. I swear, I will pistol whip the next person who refers to these orange jerseys as "throwbacks" or "retro uniforms"! They are not the old, pre-1997, orange jerseys! Besides, the old hue was more of a Pantone 164 C, these new jerseys are more like a Pantone 171 C. Duh.

..||.. News: Brian Griese leads the Bucs over the Bears. Views: wow, the Bears must really suck.

..||.. I think it's an HD TV ad, but it shows the Vikings and Adrian Peterson in their home jerseys, running out to cheerleaders and fireworks....in an OPEN AIR STADIUM. Last I checked, the Vikings still play in the Metrodome. Continuity, people!

..||.. More reasons to like Terry Bradshaw: he's contributing to a documentary on a football team affected by Hurricane Katrina. Read more at Yahoo! Sports. I need to find my 7th birthday picture, where I'm wearing a pseudo #12 Bradshaw jersey. I know people think he's a chucklehead, but I think that guy's great.

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