Broncos saved a few $ on the salary cap by letting go of all-pro kicker Matt prater after his 4-game suspension was up. Replace Prater with McManus. I thought at the time, that was a mistake. At the time, Broncos expressed confidence in McManus... even saying, "we think he's better than Prater". I thought, "WHOA! NOT LIKELY". After missing 4 of his last 8 field goal attempts, Broncos are giving Connor Barth at shot at the job. Broncos.... penny wise, pound foolish.
The Broncos front office made some great moves in the offseason to strengthen their defense. It is hard to believe those same people decided that getting rid of Prater was the right decision to make. When teams go on their Superbowl run they should expect at least one close game where having a decent kicker can be the difference between winning and losing. Despite their recent struggles, I think the Broncos will win it all this year.
Hope you're right, but I doubt it. (I host a Super Bowl party at my house on the "111-inch big screen", so it would be terrific to watch the Broncos win it all.) Rejecting Prater for an untested rookie was likely a BIG mistake. The kickers in the NFL are sooooo good these days... no team can afford to carry a marginal one. The Broncos have a long history of excellent kickers... Fred Steinfort (a personal friend of mine), Rich Karlis (former neighbor), Jason Elam, and then Prater. McManus... despite his excellent college career, apparently not up to the level of his predecessors. (I follow the kickers and punters... I'm a former NFL-class punter myself.)
A 111 inch big screen sounds like quite a man cave setup! Well I've got two "big" screens mounted on the wall to watch multiple games, great for football and march madness. Maybe next year I'll add a third for a true sports bar feel. Good luck with the Broncos! I just don't want to see the Steelers or Patriots to get in from the AFC.
With the apparent parity in the AFC, one of the teams at 7-4 right now wouldn't even get a wild card spot. The Broncos are 8-3, but another loss could put them in danger of missing the playoffs... and they play the Chiefs at Arrowhead this Sunday. Patriots are a game up on the Broncos + the tie breaker... that's almost like 2 games. And if the Broncos did play the Pats again, would be at their home. Pats have looked really tough lately.... not to mention that Brady appears to have Manning's number.
Was in the house when I bought it. (Significant selling point, for sure.) Has hi-end Blu-Ray projector, HD satellite receiver (picture quality is excellent), upscale sound, and comfortable leather couch/recliners seating for 16... + sink, microwave, dishwasher, fridge/freezer. Yeah, quite the plumb! (Dogs love to curl up on the couches...) Prolly cost ~$40K for the people who lived here before.