Most Denver Broncos fans are ready to sound the alarm. Push the panic button. Call the season a lost cause. Tune into Denver sports talk and you'll hear any combination of, "McDaniels is an idiot," "I bet they wish they had Brandon Marshall now," "McDaniels has no idea about talent evaluation," and "This just shows that they NEVER should have traded Jay Cutler" Also, there is the continued (and perplexing) fascination with the "loss" of Peyton Hillis (former running back, now on the Browns). I know, you all thought he was the answer. Let it go.
Despite the doom and gloom in Bronco land, there were reasons for both positive and negative outlooks for the season on Sunday. So, whether you are looking for reasons to be excited about the orange and blue, or different ways to say "we're DOOMED," WTP has you covered.
Three reasons to be optimistic
1. This was Jacksonville's Super Bowl. The stadium was sold out, which is, to say the least, a rarity for a franchise that saw multiple games blacked out last year. Tebowmania had taken over with the chosen one coming home, and the Jaguars were, in a sense, playing to try and create some sort of fan base. As a result of this combination of factors, the Jags wanted this game bad. The stats do not necessarily point to an "all-in" effort, but they capitalized on the Broncos' costly penalties and turnovers and got it done. Here's thinking Jaguar fans might be in for a letdown when these factors aren't there to create extra urgency.
2. Kyle Orton legtimately looks good. Some may tire of hearing about Orton's improvement, but he is gradually shedding his previous label of "game manager." Given the proper protection and continued progress in the running game, Orton can be a difference maker and the guy who wins the games. The return of Ryan Harris (RT) will make a big difference.
3. The defense had its moments. Certainly, they did not dominate the game. But they came up with some stops, namely on 4th and inches to set up a 3rd quarter scoring drive for the offense.
People will call me crazy for this one. All I'm saying is that the story might have been different if they hadn't had to defend short fields all game. And they also suffered on one drive because of the actions of one bone-head when Ryan McBean had back to back facemask penalties. It's not as if they got dominated; they surrendered points to an efficient and opportunistic Jaguar offense.
Three reasons to be pessimistic
1. The defense still has no pass rush. There's a reason David Garrard managed a 138.9 QB rating. The Broncos sacked him only once and hardly bothered him the rest of the game. This is a constant issue, and a predictable one given Elvis Dumervil's injury. Those old men in the secondary are pretty darn good, but only if they can get some help from the guys up front. Robert Ayers needs to show his improvement in leaps and bounds to make a difference for this team.
2. Special Teams. A 53 yard kick-off return by Tiquan Underwood to set up a score was the lowlight of a dismal special teams showing. Coach McDaniels emphasized the need for improvement on the coverage teams seemingly throughout the preseason. Clearly, the improvement isn't there yet.
3. No running game. No matter how much Kyle Orton improves, he will never be able to fling it all game with the likes of Drew Brees or Peyton Manning. He will only thrive in an offense where the opponent has to be at least a little bit afraid of the run. Knowshon Moreno continues to be underwhelming, but to be fair, he is still recovering from a knee injury. Coach McDaniels blamed both the backs and the offensive line for some missed opportunities in the running game on Sunday.
The nay-sayers would probably tell me that they could list a lot more than these three reasons for why the Broncos looked like a bad team on Sunday. And they would be right.
But it's only one game, and holding out hope (irrationally or otherwise) that your team can still be great this year is one of the best parts about being a fan. Right?
Other links about the state of the Broncos
http://www.denverpost.com/paige/ci_16059941 Woody Paige says that Denver "passed up" the right call
http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_16068122 Mike Klis reports that the defense wants more turnovers.
http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Deep-Impact/2a2d2f5d-a79d-450d-9036-78fa4b099be2 Gabe Hiatt looks at Brandon Lloyd's big showing in Week 1.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete