Broncos

Could the quarterback drama get any bigger in Denver? Maybe so. According to the Denver Post, Peyton Manning was on his way Friday to that city in a Broncos plane, along with team executives John Elway and Brian Xanders, and Coach John Fox . The newspaper confirmed that Elway, Fox and Xanders flew to Stillwater, Okla., to watch the Oklahoma State pro day that included quarterback Brandon Weeden . While they...

Peyton Manning is serious about putting in work during the off-season. In fact, he's already got new teammate and former Patriots receiver Wes Welker running pass routes at Duke with teammates Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker, according to NFL.com . As a 12-time Pro Bowl quarterback and Super Bowl XLI MVP, Manning knows a thing or two about getting ready for the regular season. But what you can't tell from his illustrious career achievements is that he's also got jokes. Everything appeared to be good between the Denver players; Manning even told ESPN that the work ethic of his teammates was motivating.

It's usually just the visiting teams that have to adjust to Denver's altitude. Now, the whole football world has to adjust to the notion that the 6-1 Broncos -- whose early demise was widely predicted before the season began -- are breathing the rarefied air of the NFL elite. But to be considered a legitimately outstanding team, you have to be able to beat the best from time to time. The Broncos have that chance tonight when they play host to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the defending Super Bowl champions who followed a 1-2 start by winning their last four games.

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Cal Poly Pomona suffered a season-ending 67-54 loss to Seattle Pacific on Monday afternoon in an NCAA Division II second-round playoff game. With DeRonn Scott out because of a foot injury, Pomona made only three of 16 three-point shots. Mitchel Anderson led the Broncos with 12 points and Jordan Faison scored 10. "I'm very proud of our team," Broncos Coach Greg Kamansky said. "These guys represent our university in the best way and we certainly battled out there today.

Tonight's game NEW YORK JETS (5-4) AT DENVER (4-5) TV: NFL Network, 5 p.m. Line: Jets by 6 Over/under: 40 Lowdown: After getting a good look at the Broncos running their read-option offense for the last two weeks — and with Knowshon Moreno out — the defense-minded Jets have to be ready, right? Sam Farmer's pick: Jets 23, Broncos 20

Broncos clearly are excited about Peyton Manning choosing Denver as his next team. Many of them have reacted on Twitter to the news. Among their tweets: "Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" -- Tackle Ryan Clady. "Bronco Country, is it true? I'm 1000's of miles away but I'm hoping it's not a rumor. " -- Linebacker D.J. Williams. "Hearing great new not only motivates, but puts a lil pep in ya step! We gonna run 5 WR & wild cat!!!! Go Broncos... " -- Williams "We have a ton of work to do but boy we going to have some fun grinding!

DENVER (9-3) AT OAKLAND (3-9) TV: NFL Network, 5:15. Line: Broncos by 10. Over/Under: 48. Sam Farmer's pick: Two teams heading in opposite directions. Broncos are riding their longest winning streak in 14 years. Among their many problems, Raiders rank last in scoring defense. Broncos 31, Raiders 17.

Denver (2-3) at San Diego (3-2) Time: 5:30. TV: ESPN. Story line: San Diego would like to take a two-game AFC West lead (and 3-0 division record) into its bye next week while the Broncos will work to claim a share of the lead through a grueling opening schedule. Chargers QB Philip Rivers is 9-3 against Denver. The Chargers have been tough on Peyton Manning, twice eliminating him from the playoffs as a Colt, ending an unbeaten season another time, and recording six- and four-interception games.

The New York Jets traded for Denver quarterback Tim Tebow on Wednesday, but the unexpected transaction looked for much of the day like an embarrassing fumble. New York agreed to deal for the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, but the trade nearly fell through because the Jets didn't realize they would need to reimburse the Broncos for $5.1 million in advance salaries paid to Tebow for the 2012, 2013 and 2014 seasons. That problem reportedly has been resolved, with the Jets agreeing to pay half of the compensation back to the Broncos.

Cal Poly Pomona wasn't ready to make the long flight home just yet. The Broncos are on a mission to win an NCAA Division II national championship, and they moved within 40 minutes of that goal with a 71-63 victory over Bentley in a riveting national semifinal at the MassMutual Center late Thursday night. Cal Poly (27-6) will play No. 2 Indiana (Pa.) in the championship game at 10 a.m PDT Saturday. It will be televised live on CBS. The unranked Broncos will be gunning for their first national title.

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - With All-CCAA guard DeRonn Scott out because of a foot injury, the call came from the Cal Poly Pomona coaches for someone to step up. Terrence Drisdom answered the call and scored a career-high 26 points Friday, leading the Broncos to a 69-61 first-round NCAA Division II victory over Chico State. Chico State took an early 17-9 lead, but Cal Poly Pomona closed out the first half on a 20-4 run. "This just shows how tough we are," Drisdom said "When we're down like that, we don't hang our heads and go through the motions, we just try to keep playing tough.

Time really is money. Nobody knows that better than Elvis Dumervil and the Denver Broncos. Dumervil found himself out of a job and the Broncos were without their best defensive end Friday afternoon after they reached an agreement on a new contract but saw it all come undone when tardy filing of the paperwork forced Denver to release him. A person familiar with the negotiations gave the Associated Press details about the confusion. The person did not want to be identified because the negotiations were not public.

If the Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball team has a home away from home, it is Bellingham, Wash. Since Greg Kamansky became Cal Poly's coach, the Broncos have won all eight games they have played at Sam Carver Gymnasium on the campus of Western Washington University. Cal Poly would like to extend that streak by three games at the NCAA Division II West Regional. The Broncos, 27-2 and regular-season and tournament champions of the California Collegiate Athletic Assn., are seeded No. 2 in the regional.

Wes Welker is saying goodbye to Tom Brady and hello to Peyton Manning. After spending six years with Brady in New England, the Pro Bowl receiver agreed to a two-year deal worth a reported $12 million Wednesday to team up with Manning in Denver. The Welker signing was the highlight of a big day for the Broncos, who once again made a major splash in free agency. Denver also came to terms on a two-year deal with defensive tackle Terrance Knighton, formerly of Jacksonville, and a one-year contract with linebacker Stewart Bradley, who played with the Arizona Cardinals the last two seasons.

Wes Welker, an undersized receiver who gained prominence as Tom Brady's go-to guy with the New England Patriots, will begin catching passes from Peyton Manning after he signs a two-year contract with the Denver Broncos. John Elway, the Broncos' executive vice president of football operations, tweeted that Welker has agreed to the terms of a deal. Said Elway via Twitter:  "Agreed to terms on a 2-yr deal with Wes Welker. Excited to have Wes join the Broncos. His production & toughness will be a great asset!"

Mike McCoy has agreed in principle to become the next head coach of the San Diego Chargers, the Associated Press is reporting. [Updated at 1 p.m.: The Chargers have scheduled a news conference at 2 p.m. PST Tuesday to introduce McCoy as their new head coach, according to the Associated Press. ] McCoy spent the last four seasons as offensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos, who ranked No. 4 in total offense and No. 5 in passing offense this season. That should come as good news to Chargers fans, whose team finished 31st in total offense and 24th in passing.

Nine months after losing to Baltimore in the AFC playoffs, the Broncos couldn't prove their New Year's Eve flop was an aberration, losing to the Ravens, 20-13, in the regular-season rematch Sunday. The Ravens (2-1), who beat Denver, 21-3, on their way to last season's Super Bowl championship, limited Denver to 228 yards in total offense and forced three turnovers to rebound from a surprising loss the Cincinnati Bengals last week.

Now that one shoe has dropped with Peyton Manning choosing the Broncos, some of the focus shifts to the other -- what happens to Tim Tebow? It's likely that Denver will trade Tebow as soon as possible, and in fact that might have been one of Manning's stipulations for picking the Broncos. After all, considering Tebow's popularity, Manning wouldn't want the distraction of a segment of the fan base pushing for a quarterback change after a bad game. So where is Tebow most marketable?

Peter Tebow has more than 14,700 Twitter followers. Wait, don't go anywhere. I know it seems as if the fact that a guy best known for being Tim Tebow's brother has a following might seem as if it's news in itself, but there's more. After the Denver Broncos were defeated by the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs, Peter Tebow tweeted: "Am I the only one in Denver who's happy right now?" But hold on. Didn't the Broncos lose in the same round last year?

SAN FRANCISCO - So much for momentum. Green Bay had it, having throttled Minnesota in the first round of the NFL playoffs. But the Packers were turned back by a San Francisco team that was two weeks removed from its worst loss of the season. The Denver Broncos had momentum too, riding an 11-game winning streak into the postseason. They lost at home to the Baltimore Ravens, who had lost four of their last five regular-season games. Also rolling were the Seattle Seahawks, who had won six in a row, counting their playoff victory at Washington.