2020 Long Island EFL Week #5 New Orleans Saints (1-3) vs Denver Broncos (2-2)

[Long island EFL]

  (1943-2020)
DENVER STUNNED IN WEEK FIVE UPSET BY SAINTS!

Mile High Stadium was an outdoor multi-purpose stadium located in Denver, Colorado. The stadium was built in 1948 to accommodate the Denver Bears baseball team, which was a member of the Western League during its construction. Originally designed as a baseball venue, the stadium was expanded in later years to accommodate the addition of a professional football team to the city, the Denver Broncos, as well as to improve Denver's hopes of landing a Major League Baseball team. Although the stadium was originally built as a baseball-specific venue, it became more popular as a pro-football stadium despite hosting both sports for a majority of its life.

DENVER BRONCOS: Paddy Brannigan (8-9)

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS: Kevin "MAC" Maloney (7-11)

WEEK#5 THE COUNTDOWN: We take every single game in the Long Island Electric Football seriously, regardless of the team's record, or the coaches skill level. They are treated with respect and professionalism like an organization. 

In today's match-up, Denver Broncos (2-2) Coach Paddy Brannigan (8-9), plays against Kevin "Mac" Maloney's (7-11),  New Orleans Saints (1-3) in a very interesting matchup. These two are best friends until they play electric football. The last three seasons have been very difficult on the Saints because after finishing strong at the end of the season, they are in the doghouse this season, with a horrible schedule that has given them too many setbacks. New Orleans defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week#1 to open the season back in July when we first started the Long Island Electric Football League 2020 season. In that game they won 17-14. New Orleans running back Reggie Bush had 147 yards in kick returns in that game and a 55-yard touchdown catch, and the Saints defense looked outstanding carrying over from 2019. Then the offense disappeared. They lost to Las Vegas 10-3, Green Bay 14-10, and Detroit 21-14, and although they were close games, the Saints have not performed like the franchise New Orleans Saints who won LIEFL-Super Bowl VIII, against Miami in 1991-92, 26-20 in overtime. That was long ago in the league, but the Saints needs to get back to the basics. Reggie Bush has been carrying the team with 735 yards and three touchdowns on 39 carries, but they are playing against a very competitive Denver Broncos defense today. Denver is another team with a great history at 104-62-1, Ranked #3 All-Time in the LIEFL! 

Last year the Broncos played great football and they nearly made the playoffs, but lost in the season finale to the Los Angeles Chargers 14-13! This year running back Terrell Davis has been the most explosive back in the AFC, he's been incredible! He may be the best running back ever for the Broncos, dating back to the great Rob Lytle. Davis has just 32 carries for 1085 yards, with nine touchdowns, and five of those touchdowns were 100-yard kick returns. He has lit it up, especially at Mile High Stadium in Denver, where the Broncos are undefeated this season! 

 

The Broncos front three on the line have been dominant with Paul Smith, Karl Mecklenburg, and Neil Smith. They beat Tennessee 24-21, lost to Pittsburgh 17-14 in a war, beat Tampa Bay 21-14, and then they lost to the New York Jets 24-21 in overtime. They are in the hunt to make the playoffs this season, and they have home field advantage today, and next week. Next week, the Broncos play Buffalo, and then they play the Raiders at Las Vegas in their last game of the season, which may be the determining factor as to whether or not they will be a playoff team in 2020, for the first time since 1991-92.  Denver lost in that 1991-92 season in the AFC Divisional Championship Game to a great offensive Cleveland team, 28-17!

 

The Broncos are a historic team in this league. They are the only Long Island Electric Football League team, other than the Miami Dolphins, to have an undefeated regular season. Their only loss came to Buffalo in the 1982-83 season, in a huge upset in the AFC Divisional Championship Game 28-27! They will have some emotion for the Bills next week because they have never forgotten that loss as a franchise. The same two coaches for Denver and Miami, who were 19 years-old at that time, coach Billy O'C and Paddy Brannigan, still play with the same teams today in 2020! These Broncos are better than that team!

 

"BUYER BEWARE" ... That's Coach Kevin Maloney's logo on his personal game field for his New Orleans Saints. He said, "This game will not be some easy win for Denver. My New Orleans team is a playoff crusher for teams seeking entry into the road less traveled in the league. We are getting better each week, and I am working hard to get this team to the next level." Brannigan loves the Saints so at the end of the year Maloney said, he might cave in and trade both his Saints and Raiders for Brannigan's Seahawks and Steelers, his two favorite teams. 

 

Long Island Sports Hall of Fame Inductee and Game Day Analyst Andrew Slawson of Slawson's Corner said, "The Broncos might get into the playoffs, but it may very well take a victory in Las Vegas to do it. If they do get into the playoffs, they are a dangerous team. It all depends on Terrell Davis' play in the next three games. Teams have collapsed at the end when the pressure builds up. It's all about the coaching, and Brannigan has been great. Just look at what he has done with the LIEFL-Chicago Bears who have made a title wave in the NFC competition pool."

THE PLAY-BY-PLAY: New Orleans Saints (1-3) vs. Denver Broncos (2-2)

On the exciting opening kick return Denver Broncos running back, Terrell Davis took the ball back 54-yards to the New Orleans Saints 46- yard line. On first down Davis gained eight yards on the play, but New Orleans looked to be prepared. On second down the Broncos lost what they gained on first down, forcing a pass play on fourth down, where the New Orleans Saints defense came up huge stopping the Broncos at their own 48-yard line and turning the ball over to these Saints with 8:06 left to go in the half! WOW, the Saints mean business!

It's unbelievable that the Broncos were stopped on fourth down and it puts them in a precarious situation. On first down for the Saints Reggie Bush was dropped behind the line of scrimmage by Karl Mecklenburg the Broncos hard-hitting defensive end. On the very next play Bush exploded around the right side for a 49-yard touchdown run with 4:53 to go in the half, 7-0, New Orleans takes the lead! We watched this game unfold as the New Orleans Saints make a statement. They could potentially destroy Denver's playoff hopes and further, could this be a situation where Denver and Coach Brannigan looked too far ahead? That's something you cannot do in this league.

Terrell Davis returned his second kick return, this one for 61-yards, giving the Broncos great field position! On first down, Davis ran to the right side for a 5-yard pickup with 1:31 left to go in the half. On the next play, Davis exploded around the right side of the Saints defense for a 34-yard touchdown run to tie the score 7-7, with 1:04 left to go in the half on a beautiful play!

 

New Orleans running back, Reggie Bush returned the ball 41-yards for the Saints and he was tackled and Randy Gradishar on a hard hit has the first half came to a close! 

 

To start the second half, on a beautiful run Reggie Bush ran a 24-yard play to the Denver 35-yard line. This Saints team came to play today. That has been the talk of the town about New Orleans. The Saints seem to play great against the great teams, but they have been criticized that they don't play at the same level against the weak teams in the league. They seem to run out of steam and lose those games they should win, but today the Broncos look sloppy and they are a little out of sync.

 

On the next play the Broncos rose to the occasion as Reggie Bush was tackled hard by All-Pro William Roaf, losing a yard. On second down Bush got stuffed again for no yards, bringing up third down with 10:40 left to go in the game. The Broncos had to keep a very close eye on New Orleans tight end, Jeremy Shockey their star receiver. The Saints were not about to back down on third down. Quarterback Drew B r e e s connected on a great pass to Bush, who took it 36-yards down the sideline to score another New Orleans Saints touchdown to make the score 14-7, New Orleans takes the lead with 7:50 left to go in the game!  Again, WOW! Reggie Bush is having a great day as the Saints once again try to become the 2020 season spoilers, but you can bet that the Broncos will play to the last second!

 

On the ensuing kickoff, Terrell Davis exploded for a hundred yard kick return to tie the score at 14-14, with 6:39 left to go in the game and just like that we are tied! What an amazing run by Davis as he ran back his sixth 100-yard kick return of the season!

Suddenly, there was tremendous excitement in the air with the score tied and clock running at 5:47, Reggie Bush set in the end zone with a potential upset in the making! And Bush on the kick return is hit hard by Neil Smith at the 34-yard line with 5:02 left to go in the game.  Coach Maloney was going to try to abuse the clock and that's something that usually causes an uproar in this league so that the Saints can run the time out of Denver. On first down Reggie Bush took off for a 15-yard gain to the Denver 46-yard line and the Broncos were in trouble with 3:06 left to go in the game, with the clock winding down! This will be the biggest win of the year for the Saints if they pull the victory off.  Coach Brannigan will be searching for answers as to what went wrong with the Broncos offensive line who failed to execute.  On first down for the Saints, Rubin Carter tackled Reggie Bush in the backfield for a 6-yard loss. And on the very next play On an amazing catch by Marcus Colston grabbed a gorgeous Drew Brees pass as Coltson ran the ball 42-yards for the first down to the Denver 10 yard line!  That was enough for the field-goal from the 10-yard yard line in a major upset for the New Orleans Saints as they do exactly what they always set out to do, crush the playoff hopes of other teams! Denver collapses! Coach Brannigan is beyond upset as the New Orleans Saints win the game 17-14, and they remain in the fight in the playoff hunt! Anything can happen, especially after watching them dismantle Denver! These NFC teams are powerful!

 

The Denver Broncos (2-3), have to figure out who they want to be after this loss. They are not out of it yet, but they sure did make it very difficult on themselves to climb that Mile High Mountain back into the race for a playoff bid. On a bright note, Terrell Davis totaled 262 yards on 8 carries, with two touchdowns, including his 6th 100-yard kick return for a touchdown.  New Orleans (2-3), is back in business as Reggie Bush exploded for 199 yards, with two touchdowns! Bush was multi-purpose with 36 yards receiving and a touchdown, 75 yards rushing, and 88 yards on kick returns!