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Courtland Sutton Jersey , Colo. (AP) — John Elway has a good feeling that Pat Bowlen will join him in the Hall of Fame this weekend.“He’s right on the doorstep,” the Hall of Fame quarterback-turned-executive said. “He’s very deserving. We’re excited about the fact that he’s gotten this far. We feel great about where he is.”The Denver Broncos owner is a contributor finalist along with former Dallas Cowboys executive Gil Brandt. This year’s modern-era finalists include Champ Bailey, Steve Atwater and John Lynch, all of whom played for Bowlen’s Broncos.The 2019 class will be announced at the NFL Honors Saturday night in Atlanta with enshrinement in Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 3.Several of Bowlen’s children are in Atlanta for what would be a bittersweet celebration. Bowlen didn’t make the trip. He’s made no major public appearances since Alzheimer’s forced him to step down from his daily duties running the team in 2013.“It would be a great moment and a nice moment for him. It’ll certainly be nice for his family,” said team president Joe Ellis, who has run the team since Bowlen stepped away.“I’ll tell you what, if someone else could sneak in there with him, that would make him really happy, especially if it was Steve Atwater or Champ Bailey, two of his favorite players. That would mean a lot to him.”Ellis delivered the Lombardi Trophy to Bowlen at his home in Denver in the days following the Broncos’ win over Carolina in Super Bowl 50 three years ago, after which, Elway shouted, “This one’s for Pat!”Elway’s shoutout was payback for the man who declared, “This one’s for John!” while jabbing the Lombardi Trophy in the air following Denver’s first Super Bowl win, over the Green Bay Packers 21 years ago in San Diego after Elway helicoptered into NFL immortality in his fourth shot at winning a title for Bowlen.“That was the highlight of my career,” Elway said of Bowlen’s four-word salute.And the highlight of his time leading the front office came when he was able to return the favor.Under Bowlen’s 35-year leadership, the Broncos have reached the playoffs 18 times and won 13 AFC West crowns, seven conference championships and three Super Bowl titles.Bowlen, who turns 75 this month, is the first owner in pro football history to win 300 games in three decades and he was the fastest (581 games) to 350 overall wins. Since buying the team in 1984, Bowlen has as many Super Bowl appearances as losing seasons, and the Broncos’ .598 winning percentage is third in the league.Bowlen wasn’t only devoted to his Broncos but to the NFL, Ellis said, “and the testimony to that is all the committees he served on and the sounding boards (he was) for the commissioners he worked under.”Bowlen served on 15 different NFL committees, including as co-chair of the league’s Management Council Executive Committee, and he was a key figure in securing the NFL’s labor and TV contracts.Bowlen comes up for enshrinement with his franchise at a crossroads, mired in mediocrity and a family feud over his succession plan.Elway’s Midas touch — two Super Bowls in his first five seasons — has vaporized during a three-year playoff drought fueled by failed hires, futile signings, fruitless drafts and plain, bad luck.He’s been unable to find a worthy successor to quarterback Peyton Manning and the Broncos have posted back-to-back seasons of double-digit losses for the first time since the 1960s. That led to Elway firing Vance Joseph after two years and hiring Vic Fangio , his fourth head coach in six seasons.A rift over Bowlen’s succession plan is percolating as the league contemplates arbitration to settle the matter. Ownership of the franchise is held in a trust Bowlen set up more than a decade ago designed to have one of his seven children one day run the team.Bowlen’s brother, Bill, last year asked a Colorado District Court to remove the three members of the trust running the franchise. The team wants the matter resolved through the league’s arbitration process instead.“It’s sad when disputes like this occur. It’s not something I think Pat Bowlen, who I knew very well, would have wanted,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said. “The Broncos meant a great deal to him and his family. I think this week, the best thing we can do is to focus on Pat and his contributions and his viability to become a new member of the Hall of Fame.”Bill Bowlen concurred, saying, “This weekend is about Pat’s contribution to the NFL. It’s a time for his family to hopefully celebrate his accomplishments.” Last week was another good week. As the season goes on, certain games get easier to predict. But I must say
Courtland Sutton Jersey , calling my shot at the Rams finally losing was the crown jewel on last week’s prediction. Last Week: 10-3Overall: 81-50-2Carolina Panthers (6-2) at Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2-1) 6:20pm FOX/NFLN TNFThis is a great game in the making. Two hot teams going head to head. I’m not sure if the Panthers have enough to steal a victory, but I’m not sure the Steelers have enough to pull this one out. If I’m Vegas I’m calling it a push. Too bad I’m not Vegas. Prediction: Panthers 26, Steelers 27Detroit Lions (3-5) at Chicago Bears (5-3) 11:00amThis is an easy one. The Lions are 3-5 and the Bears are putting up points in bunches. Prediction: Lions 17, Bears 30New Orleans Saints (7-1) at Cincinnati Bengals (5-3) 11:00amI believe the Saints are the hottest team in football, having won seven in a row. However, theBengals are no slouches. I wonder what impact signing Dez Bryant will have on them and if he’ll even play. He could be a big body in the end zone for Drew Brees. Prediction: Saints 34, Bengals 27Atlanta Falcons (4-4) at Cleveland Browns (2-6-1) 11:00amThe Falcons SHOULD win this game running away. But is that the kiss of death for them and we’ll see Cleveland pull it out? Prediction: Falcons 31, Browns 24Jacksonville Jaguars (3-5) at Indianapolis Colts (3-5) 11:00amThis will be a better game than their records say. Either the Jags have figured things out over the break or they get steamrolled. For all the nonsense their defense talked about being the all time best, they sure look like pushovers. Andrew Luck should be a week healthier and fresher and primed to take it to the Jags at home. Prediction: Jaguars 23, Colts 30Arizona Cardinals (2-6) at Kansas City Chiefs (8-1) 11:00amOh boy. If the Broncos whooped the Cards’ ass, what in the world will KC do at home? I suggest the NFL employ the “mercy rule” like pee wee football has and allow this game to be called off as a Chiefs victory after they get up 30+ points. Or as I like to call it, “before halftime.” Prediction: Cardinals 13, Chiefs 63Buffalo Bills (2-7) at New York Jets (3-6) 11:00amEek. This game is gonna be ugly. The Jets should win, and in all honesty, at this point, all Broncos fans should be paying attention to bottom dwelling teams winning because it affects our draft. However these two already have their QBs, so who really cares? Prediction: Bills 17, Jets 19Washington Redskins (5-3) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-5) 11:00amAfter getting smoked last week, the Redskins are going to need to pull this one out to stave off the Eagles. The Bucs rack up the losses, but they’ve proven they can put up points, which makes them scary. Prediction: Redskins 24, Bucs 27New England Patriots (7-2) at Tennessee Titans (4-4) 11:00amThe Pats never need an excuse to win games, but they need to keep pace with KC and not drop any games. This would be one of those games that could give them fits, but they’ll be focused and motivated heading into Nashville. Prediction: Patriots 31, Titans 20Los Angeles Chargers (6-2) at Oakland Raiders (1-7) 2:05pmThe Chargers may not have many fans who care, but they sure are putting it on their opponents. This is one of those games where they could rest half their team and still win by double digits as the Raiders look to secure the #1 overall pick. Prediction: Chargers 35, Raiders 6Miami Dolphins (5-4) at Green Bay Packers (3-4-1) 2:25pmThe Packers should win, straight up. But when I see that they have the same amount of wins as the Broncos but with a QB named Aaron Rogers on their team, I just shake my head at what must be going on. Oh, and the Dolphins are also participants. Prediction: Dolphins 23, Packers 31Seattle Seahawks (4-4) at Los Angeles Rams (8-1) 2:25pmThe Rams and Seahawks always play each other tough, but the Rams are going to want to get that taste of defeat out of their mouths pronto. And the Seahawks are starting to get use to how it feels to lose. Prediction: Seahawks 24, Rams 34Dallas Cowboys (3-5) at Philadelphia Eagles (4-4) 6:20pm SNFThis divisional game is always tough, so it’s pretty difficult to say with any certainty what will happen. But technically the Eagles are better, and they’re at home, and they don’t have all this drama playing out in the media. So I’ll go with them. Prediction: Cowboys 17, Eagles 27New York Giants (1-7) at San Francisco 49ers (2-7) 6:15pm MNFThe “we’re not tanking but we’re tanking” Giants will do whatever it takes to lose this game. And lose this game they shall do. Prediction: Giants 16, Niners 20Bye Week: Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens, Minnesota Vikings, Houston Texans
