Home Cookin' in Denver

Just when I had decided that I'm not mustering as much hate for Denver - despite last week's result - and that Philip Rivers is so unlikable that I am finally mustering some hate for San Diego, I find myself feeling sorry for our old pal Norv Turner based on a couple of homer calls in Denver that have Shanahan looking more like a rat than ever.

In the first quarter, Denver gets a fumble on a play that pretty clearly showed that Chambers was down. That set up the Broncos deep in San Diego territory for an early touchdown. Norv threw the challenge flag, of course, but after two minutes under the hood, Ed Hochuli returned to explain that the replay equipment was not working, so the play stands as called. Couldn't you call Dick Enberg, Ed?

That was a weird one, but the fourth quarter call was just a bad one. With goal to go from the 1 yard line and down by 7, Cutler dropped back and dropped the ball as he cocked his arm to throw. The ball flew backwards and hit the ground, prompting Hochuli to blow the whistle for an incompletion. So it was wrong on two counts, and upon review, Hochuli agreed that it was a fumble. Trouble is, he had blown his whistle, so Denver keeps the ball.

Of course the Broncos went on to score a TD two downs later and won the game on a "bold" (because it paid off) two-point conversion.

Shanahan!