Tuesday Questions and Answers: Because I Love a Good Argument …
Every Wednesday when Parliament is in session in London — and at other times in some other nations of the Commonwealth — noontime begins the Prime Minister’s Questions, when members of the House of Commons can query the nation’s leader about all matters, from the ones that are global in scope to more trivial and local concerns like signage along the M1.
Since Tuesday is the players’ day off here … and since this usually brings some time for me to answer questions … I’m going to bring that tradition over here to the blog. While I’ll answer as much as I can throughout the week in the comments section or on the pregame podcast — available Saturdays on DenverBroncos.com — whatever I can’t get to there, I’ll take here.
So keep your comments rolling on the blog posts, or e-mail me, as we begin another Tuesday question-and-answer session … which I will begin with the return of an old antagonist to our blog sanctum. I’m talking, of course, about LetPlummerPlay:
And since compelling drama requires antagonism … and since I love a good written scrum … I’m only too happy to dive in and respond to this individual:
Wow, it’s been a while since I stopped by old Andrew’s blog. After being reprimanded more than once by Mr. Mason, I just stuck to our infamous letplummerplay.com website.
Three words:
Let.
It.
Go.
For some reason, you still haven’t gotten over the fact that I rapped you on the knuckles for attempting — and failing — to turn a tribute post to Lamar Hunt as he lay on his deathbed into a discussion of the Plummer-Cutler conundrum. (And I loved it how all you did was cut and paste the post from your Web site into the blog comments section instead of bringing something new.) That being said, I didn’t delete your post, I didn’t edit it … I simply asked for a little respect on that one page. You somehow turned my words into a blistering attack on your perspective.
Infeebeled, frail, 95-year-old nuns in Catholic schools put more force into slapping a wayward student’s hand with a ruler than I did in my response to your posts.
Nevertheless, it obviously it left some scars, since nine months later, you’re still harping about it.
I thought after yesterday’s loss and the fact that the Broncos should really be 0-3 right now that some of you would be coming to your senses. Realizing Shanahan maybe made a mistake by deciding to bench a 7-3 Jake Plummer one year after that same Plummer had taken them to the AFC CHAMPIONSHIP … but NO … you still all sit here and think Cutler is the promised one, in fact you go, or Andrew goes so far as to promote the idea that bad headsets caused the problems? WOW!
I didn’t promote that at all. I wrote about Cutler’s problems with the communications, and said he was angrier about them than about the ankle, and how they helped cause the issues that led to the use of two timeouts. In no way did I write that he blamed the headset for losing the game. What he said was simply reiterating the comments of Head Coach Mike Shanahan and players like tight end Nate Jackson.
Cutler was asked about the radio-receiver issue in his brief interview with members of the media, and discussed it. He did not blame the communication for the loss. Watch the press conference and see for yourself.
Come on Andrew, you knew Jake, you know Cutler, you know in your heart where the right decision was.
Yes, I do. The right decision was to put Cutler in there.
Plummer was a 10-year veteran … you knew what he was by that point. Most of a quarterback’s growth comes in his first three years, and while there have been examples of passers unexpectedly finding a late-career renaissance (Steve DeBerg comes to mind). It was time to go to the younger player with greater potential. Back in 1997, Plummer was the beneficiary of it; Kent Graham wasn’t doing badly, but he wasn’t the young stud quarterback, so No. 16 took controls for the Arizona Cardinals. That is the cycle of pro football.
The Broncos were 7-4, not 7-3, when they made the change from Plummer to Cutler. But they had lost four of the previous six games after a 5-1 start. And oh, by the way, in that 5-1 start, Plummer and the offense didn’t score more than 17 points, and for his 11 starts last year, the offense accounted for 17.1 points per game. In Cutler’s eight starts, the offense has increased its per-game scoring by 23.4 percent, to 21.1 points per game. The offense is also averaging more touchdowns (2.1 per game) with Cutler than it did in Plummer’s 11 ‘06 starts (1.8).
You put so much on wins and losses … as though one player’s presence is what singlehandedly carries a team to victory or defeat. There are 45 guys who are active on gamedays, and all of them can make the play that wins or loses the contest. Maybe it’s a block from a guard that springs a tailback free. Maybe it’s a missed tackle on kick coverage by a backup linebacker or tight end. With so many moving parts, there’s only so much that one player can do — even when he happens to be a quarterback. Ask Dan Marino or Dan Fouts about that. Or ask John Elway … as was shown in three Super Bowl losses, he couldn’t carry the entire team on his shoulders, no matter how transcendent a quarterback he was.
The offense has been more productive since Cutler took over. That, he can control. It’s hardly Cutler’s fault that the defense has allowed seven more points per game (22.0-15.0) and 0.8 touchdowns per game (2.1-1.3) in his eight starts than the 11 starts Plummer had in 2006.
There’s issues on this team — to which Shanahan and his players spoke at great length in the last two days. Quarterback is not among them. Not when the guy under center already has five game-tying or -winning drives in the fourth quarter and overtime in eight games as a starter. Not when the key offensive statistical indicators have improved since No. 6 began taking the snaps.
Again, three words:
Let.
It.
Go.
I think my favorite part of your blog has to be your complaint about Plummer’s absence from Madden ‘08. Y’know, Doug Williams is my favorite player (and I know you Broncos fans hate hearing that, but remember, Williams was a Buc before he was a Bronco-flogging-Redskin). But like Plummer, he no longer plays the game. You don’t see me complaining about Williams’ absence from Madden.
In March, Plummer told media that he was retiring. He’s a retired quarterback … just like Williams, just like Roman Gabriel, just like Sammy Baugh, just like Scott Stankavage. So use the create-a-player option, give No. 16 some ridiculous physical attributes, make him the Champ Bailey of quarterbacks and play on.
Based on the pictures on your Web site, Plummer himself has let it go. So why can’t you follow the lead of the man you so admire and do the same?
And as Bryant Gumbel might say, “Let’s move on.”
From Big Sky country, Broncosmontana chimes in:
Wow, I’m bummed to see Ben Hamilton is still on that (inactive) list. The guy has been a real player for us. Obviously, he can’t go until he’s cleared, but the longer he’s out the more concerned I’m getting about how severe his injury is. I heard that the league is placing special emphasis on concussion treatment this year and not rushing guys back out, so I hope they’re just being cautious and he’s recovering okay. Do you think in previous years he would have been back on the field by now?
To be honest, I don’t think he would have been on the field in past years. The Broncos have always been pretty fastidious about clearing players to play with concussions; in my years here, they’ve tended to err more on the side of caution. The dangers of bringing back players too soon are both short- and long-term … and the team wouldn’t want to risk doing something to Hamilton for both his personal long-term future and his future with the team. He’s still just a seventh-year player, which on their offensive line, means he has several good years in front of him if he’s at full health. There’s no reason to rush him back when so much — his career and his long-term health — are at stake and could be jeopardized by playing before he’s fully healed from the concussion. But as Shanahan indicated Monday, this is starting to get to the point of true and unfettered worry about what’s next for No. 50 … but if he’s not 100 percent, it just isn’t worth the risk, for the reasons indicated above. And for more on concussions and why one should be cautious in treatment and recovery, just read this story about Wayne Chrebet. I loved watching that guy play, and it breaks my heart to read about how he’s feeling now.
I am currently watching the Jags & Broncos. I have read that Andre Hall was on the inactive list for the first 3 weeks. Why is he listed as inactive? Does he still have the problem with his hammy from preseason?
Actually, Hall is doing just fine health-wise, and that’s probably due to the fact that he and the Broncos were deliberate and cautious in dealing with his hamstring injury, not bringing him back until the final week of the preseason (even though they needed someone to take some more carries in the preseason loss to the Cleveland Browns five days earlier). He’s the third-team tailback, but with both primary fullbacks (Cecil Sapp and Mike Bell) able to move back to the tailback slot in a pinch, and another fullback in Paul Smith who has played tailback in the NFL, the Broncos have plenty of in-game depth there. Hall’s presence is mainly for developmental purposes, as well as insurance in the event of a long-term injury to Selvin Young and/or Travis Henry. If they go down for a few weeks, Hall will almost certainly see some substantial playing time — particularly in short-yardage and goal-line situations.
What up Drew, what is the deal with (Ryan) Harris? Did they know about his back prior to drafting him? We need him to get up to speed, and soon.
The back spasms really didn’t kick in for Harris until this summer. He was remarkably durable at Notre Dame. It’s a tad ironic how he and Tim Crowder were so durable in their college years, barely missing a snap, and yet they’ve struggled with preseason injuries. But Crowder is back to health now after suffering the ankle sprain and Harris is expected back on the practice field this coming Wednesday.
Can somebody please answer these two questions?
1. Why does Hixon return kickoffs and punts? Put Mike Bell back there.
2. Why does Javon comes out the game all the freaking time? Is he fixing his socks or what?
With Hixon, he’s been pegged as a returner since the Broncos drafted him out of Akron … He has the ball-toting skills that go with being a wide receiver, plus extensive experience on both kickoff and punt returns there, as well as the toughness that goes with spending two years at safety. That multidimensional experience usually serves an NFL returner well. He came pretty close to breaking a couple of returns on Sunday. Personally, I just think he and the special teams need time. They had their most consistent game of the season on Sunday in terms of their own returns, but they struggled for the most part on Jaguars runbacks.
As for Walker, it’s just part of the game plan. Shanahan has always liked to rotate his receivers for different situations. In recent years, Rod Smith has trotted to the sidelines on many an occasion. It’s nothing unusual, and when you’ve got a couple of tight ends who can line up at inside-receiver positions (Nate Jackson, Tony Scheffler), you have the flexibility to put some bigger guys out there who can help with blocking — but also provide legitimate pass-catching threats.
From poorboywilly:
I’ve been wondering ever since Warren was benched in the pre-season what in the world the Broncos were thinking. I’ve always thought, despite how much he gets called disappointment, that he was one of the key players on our defense. If we had Warren and Adams side-by-side, the other team would have a hard time deciding who to double-team. Do you think he really didn’t “fit the scheme” or do you think there were other reasons for his trade? I don’t think it is nearly as bleak as some make it out to be, but I am pretty tired of hearing about “the scheme.”
From my perspective, Warren wasn’t quite the same player he was in ‘06 as he was in ‘05. Much of that was probably due to the toe problems he battled throughout the 2006 campaign, but he also didn’t have much experience in the kind of system that Jim Bates opted to install this summer.
I am new to the board but am a long time, die hard Bronco fan. I can’t decide what I dislike most — losing a game or a bye week because I just have to wait that much longer for a shot to redeem ourselves.
I have one question and hope this is the place to ask it. No offense to Daniel Graham because I respect is ability to play TE, but where why did Tony (Scheffler) not get that call and where has he been this year? He was one of Jay’s primary targets last year and I know he has been hampered by the foot injury, but I am waiting for him to come along and add the missing piece to the explosive offense that I know we have. Any insight?
One of the ways that the Broncos sold Graham on joining their ranks was by giving him more opportunities to catch the football. Up in Boulder, Graham was a fearsome pass-catcher for the Golden Buffaloes of the University of Colorado, winning the John Mackey Award as a senior. So he does have some good receiving credentials on which to build, even though the Patriots used him mainly as a blocker in recent years. At this point, he’s a more complete tight end than Tony Scheffler, who by his own admission this offseason had some work to do on his blocking. The foot injury incurred during OTAs derailed those efforts, and in some ways, he’s still playing catch-up. The Broncos are starting to work Scheffler into the offense a little more, even though he’s still looking for his first reception of 2007, but for now, Graham and Nate Jackson are more complete tight ends — particularly in the blocking — and it might take a while for Scheffler to be able to dislodge either of them. Also, because you have a receiver like Brandon Stokley available to play in the slot, that trims a few more opportunities from Scheffler’s plate, since the tight end did see quite a bit of slot work late last season.
Two questions from left field here but I would like to hear your opinion. With the very sad passing of D-Will who would you say is the Broncos fastest man on the active roster?
That’s a tough one … probably one of the following three guys: Brian Clark, Domonique Foxworth or Champ Bailey. (Although fellow Web guru Kyle Sonneman points out that Karl Paymah beat Clark in a 40-yard dash one day this summer. So we’ll put No. 41 in there, as well.)
Also, I forget how long you said it has been since you started to cover the Broncos but the stadium excitement and overall crowd noise doesn’t seem the same as in the late ’80s and ’90s. I was at the home opener last year against the Chiefs — 14th row, field level, Broncos sideline — and people kept telling me to sit down? Seems like we are slowly turning into a wine and cheese crowd and not the blue-collar, die-hard, bleed-orange-and-blue fans we have always been known for. Your thoughts?
This is my sixth season here, so, unfortunately, I did not have the pleasure of ever attending a game at old Mile High Stadium. Not making it there remains one of my regrets.
I think what has happened around the league is that many of the new stadiums have made fans a little too comfortable. Wider seats, extra legroom, cupholders, massive television screens all over the place … it’s not quite as comfortable as being at home, but it’s not as far removed as it once was, either. Back in the days of narrow aisles, non-existent elbow room and drinks that flew everywhere because standing to cheer meant kicking a cup down (as I experienced at the recent Colorado-Florida State game at Folsom Field), it almost seemed as though it were more comfortable to stand than to sit. I know that even at some Bucs games at old Tampa Stadium — which was little more than a concrete bowl adorned with aluminum benches — I stood at least half the game, if not more, depending on how the action was going. And that was to watch games involving a lousy team … certainly no comparison to the Broncos of those days.
From talking to many Broncos fans in the last few years, it seems like the South Stands used to set the tone for the entire stadium — and it was a frenzied pitch, at that. Standing, cheering, jeering, occasionally hurling projectiles … it was all part of the mayhem at that end of the stadium. With the stands merely being bleachers, it was easier to stay on one’s feet than sit down, since the quarters were so tight. Nowadays, the south end of the stadium features chairs, just like every other part … maybe, just maybe, it would have been better to make that section of the stadium bleacher seating, like the Cleveland Browns did with the “Dawg Pound” end of their eight-year-old place.
(Of course, some terrible teams haven’t helped the atmosphere much. To be perfectly frank, the mood at Cleveland Browns Stadium for the Broncos’ visit last October was as emotionally toxic as any I have ever experienced in the many games I’ve attended in person as either a fan or a reporter.)
All that being said, the crowd was extraordinarily loud at certain points Sunday. Some on the sidelines said it hadn’t been that loud since the Jan. 2006 divisional-playoff win over the Patriots, when you could barely hear someone yelling in your ear. The countertop table at which I write in the INVESCO Field press box vibrated constantly when the Broncos were on defense in the fourth quarter with a six-point deficit. I think crowds in general have gotten louder in my six seasons here, but when I read stories about you being told to sit down … I cringe.
I was going to write some more about the home-field issues, but until I crunch the numbers further, there’s not much more I can add than is already written over at the Mile High Report, and I encourage all of you to click over there and read that entry.
All right, dear readers, I have a simple request.
Any and all of these experiences you have … of people telling you to sit down when you’re rising to support your team … of spectators excoriating you when you cheer too loudly … please post them here in this blog or e-mail them to me. It’s time to re-claim Broncomania for the true fans … the ones who live, die, exhort, cheer — and, yes, constructively criticize — the Broncos. In Kansas City, many fans stand. In Oakland, many fans stand. In Green Bay, in Chicago … same thing. It’s time to get Denver back to that.
And atop the strawberry-bittersweet replies in the above paragraphs, a little dollop of Devonshire cream from SGT_G1983:
Hey Mason! Didn’t know you hailed from England. I was born and raised in Colorado but now stationed in North Yorkshire (U.S. Army). It would be great to chat with all of the Broncos fans that are out here. And of course it would be fun to read what you and Foxy would duel about. Thanks for the great blog.
Well, I was born in Richmond, Va., but my mother is from Bradford, as is the entire maternal side of my family. My father is a former Army sergeant from North Carolina, and met Mom when he was stationed at Menwith Hill back in the 1960s. As I wrote this blog, I called him and he shared his memories of the gorgeous scenery in that part of England. He also wanted me to ask you if you ever get to Harrogate. Thanks for the kind words, and hopefully we can bring a bit more of Broncos Country to Britain when I make it over there.
And as always, keep asking questions, keep posting, and if you’d rather send me an e-mail question, please feel free, and until the next blog entry, vaya con Dios.
September 25th, 2007 at 5:09 pm
The only time I have seen fans stand for most of the game was the playoff game vs the Pats, other than that I notice they only do it on important plays. I did notice this past Sunday in the 4th qtr it did get extremely loud!I cant compare the old stadium because I only went there 2 times (I moved out here in 2001) but I hear great stories about it.
In my opinion I think they ruined the atmosphere at the new stadium with the club seats. Im sure there are a few loud fans there but for over $300 a ticket they pretty much wasted an entire level of crowd noise for extra $$$.
As for letplummerplay:
You have major issues man, you remind me of the stalker on Blades of Glory.
September 25th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
One more thing Andrew….
Have you heard anything back about the public being able to purchase the 27/29 stickers?
Thanks
September 25th, 2007 at 5:19 pm
Awesome Blog Mason. Sometimes we get a little fired up after a big loss but the bottom line is we love our Broncos. Keep up the great job and if amyone else feels that plummer should be behind center instead of Cutler please go back to watching baseball or soccer because you havent got a clue about football. Santa….all I want for christmas is a defense that can stop the run. Please bring me that and you can take the new laptop off my list.
September 25th, 2007 at 5:29 pm
Christmas is too late . . . . make it a “Autumn is here” gift and deliver a run defense this week.
September 25th, 2007 at 6:15 pm
We need DEFENSE!!!!!!!!! Cutler will be fine! We have 6 new starter…They need practice and confidence. Get their ego’s going!!
September 25th, 2007 at 6:29 pm
I dont really know what is up with the play calling latley. But im a Die Hard Bronco fan and remember we lived and died by the RUN! Now not takin anything from Cutler, he’s shown promising talent. HOWEVER! we are the best RUn Team HANDS DOWN! The best offensive line, the best running attack! now there is no reason we are running travis henry for under 20 carries a game! PLZ!! WE have a total of 399yds. Compared to our opponents of 498 yds. Who did we play? marshawn Lynch? Lamont JORDAN! and a combo of maurice and taylor! Still no contest to our running attack! there is no reason for cutler to be taking that many pass attempts over our rushing attack! When we win games why is it? because of our defense and our runnig game! IF we ran like we are suppose to and stop being SOFT and CONSERVATIVE Henry culd easily hit 1,500 this year! EASY! RUN DENVER! Pass a little less and Run down our opponets throats!
September 25th, 2007 at 6:43 pm
i agree we should be taking advantage of our powerfull running game, that is what denver football is all about!!!!!
September 25th, 2007 at 6:52 pm
I’m sorry that you were bombarded with Plummer fans still living in 2005. Plummer was a great quarterback but I agree with you, he was a 10 yr vet, he got us very far, buthe knew what he was at that point, he knew that when the broncos drafted Cutler, that Cutler was the future, and he was ultimately his mentor. I don’t understand why people still question Shanahans move, like you have said Cutler has increased offensive stats in everyway, with new players. Cutler seems to be progressing fine. Look at poor Matt Lienhart he was pulled by the team. What kind of message does that send to their fans, oops we got the wrong guy? We need to drop this issue because its dead. Its over. We need to unite, and address the real problems with the team, which is solely defense. Granted It may take awhile to learn a new system and get use to other starters, but that’s no excuse for so many missed tackles, and allowing every team in the world to run all over us. I think the need for a pass rusher, was a premature judgment, with Al Wilson gone, we have no heart on defense, the fire has been extinguished, and we should have traded up to get a linebacker, which several have already had an immediate impact for the teams they start. Then how in the world can we let a player like Jeremiah Trotter sign with the Bucs, while we sign Simeon Rice. We have Elvis Dummerville who had 8.5 sacks his rookie year, that’s great he’s solid, we did not need to pick up 4 defensive ends we did not address the linebacker position and now it hurts, I just hope the DJ Williams can adjust and make an impact. Bottom line is we need defense and we need it bad, or this will be a long season, and Cutler will take the fall, and it’s not his fault.
September 25th, 2007 at 6:59 pm
First of all, way to back up your own post. Second of all, the situations in the game against the Jags did not allow for as much running as I’m sure Shannahan would have liked, since we were down by a pretty significant amount with very little time left in the first half, and then in the second half we ran out of time outs and needed multiple scores. Remember, after two weeks Henry was the NFLs leading rusher.
September 25th, 2007 at 7:02 pm
Yep Mason, nice closure (hopefully) to the Plummer stalking issue. As far as the now; I’ll trust coach and enjoy watching the team gel as the year progresses. God help us this month!! late
September 25th, 2007 at 7:39 pm
even Jake Plummer decided the “letplummerplay” thing was out of control. He RETIRED.
Get a life; or, at the very least, get some therapy. I’ll chip in $5.00.
September 25th, 2007 at 7:42 pm
Good job on that Plummer loving clown…geeeez get a grip on reality dude. I was at two Bronco games last year, the first one I was sitting next to some of the medical people who work for the Broncos. They asked me once to sit down and later suggested I calm down. I was by no means out of hand I was just unable to sit down when the Broncos were doing well or in a critical situation. The second game I went to was the San Diego game and had no problems at all.
September 25th, 2007 at 7:57 pm
Andrew, we have posted an in-depth, absolutely stunning and in many ways beautiful 3,720 word post over at www.LetPlummerPlay.com entitled “This Is Not Just About Jake.” As we were when you commented on the site today, we would be more than honoured if you’ take 10 more minutes out of your time and read it. It truly expresses all we have ever wanted to say about this sitch, though of course, our admiration for Jake may have gotten in the way at times.
September 25th, 2007 at 8:07 pm
Dude…GET A LIFE, he is DONE. Go to the Tampa Bay Forums and spread your garbage because that is who he belongs to now.
September 25th, 2007 at 8:14 pm
Bronco t, can’t you read? “THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT JAKE” This is us commenting on a team we once loved more than our own mothers! Read the post, and try and tell me we’re wrong.
September 25th, 2007 at 8:25 pm
I dont have to read it, the fact is Denver made a very smart choice last season by putting in Cutler. Plummer fans didnt like it but Plummer was maxed out on his potential. Cutler as a young player is better than Plummer as a veteran. All Cutler can do is get better and he is making LESS bonehead mistakes that Plummer did.
Believe it or not the Broncos are able to rebuild while staying competitive in the NFL. Look at San Fran, Cincy, those are teams that had many years in the doghouse. The Broncos are going to be an excellent team because they have so much youth but yet they are better than many teams. Yea they barely squeaked by Buf and Oak but good teams win and that is what they did. If your going to say that Plummer wouldve beaten Jax then you dont understand the game of football.
Im excited for this team because they are so young and yet theycan compete with the best. Wait 1-2 years and you will see. So like I said, go troll the Tampa By site cuz her is their problem now.
And BTW, if your not a stalker why the photos of his wedding???? We dont care!
September 25th, 2007 at 9:24 pm
Hey Mas! I actually came your BLOG before Foxy’s because you responded to the first question I ever asked you last week. I think you handled “LetPlummerPlay” pretty darn good. I really liked you comment about creating a player on Madden. I am still cracking up about that. Dude did read your comments wrong about Cutler and the headset. I didn’t even have to go back and check. Sounds like dude is really sour on Plummer but Madden 06 still has him on there and he can play with him all the time. I actually still play 06 and I traded Plummer for Quinn Gray (the backup QB from Jacksonville Jaguars). He is more mobile and accurate plus he still plays in the NFL. Enough rambling Mas. I have a question about Al Wilson. It is pretty obvious that his neck was worse than originally thought (by the fans). I thought it was more of the neck myself because as much as a team guy as Al was I just couldn’t believe that he wouldn’t take a cut in pay to stay around. Can you do some digging to find out how he is doing and what he is doing?
September 25th, 2007 at 9:42 pm
To me the Plummer vs. Cutler issues is dead. Anyone who has been watching the games since Cutler took over can see the talent in Cutler and the way he leads the team. The playbook has been opened up by a large margin and the Broncos are moving the ball much more efficiently. The touchdowns will come and we are generating yards. Cutler was absolutely not to blame for the loss on Sunday. He did not fumble the ball twice nor did he let the Jags’ running backs drag him all over the field. Cutler will make his share of mistakes but I’m proud he is my QB and I know he will be for a very long time.
I hate hearing how people complain about the stadium nose not being up to expectations. I absolutely think it is, as I have attended many games at both Mile High and Invesco. Anyone who says we don’t have the Mile High magic anymore wasn’t at the playoff win over the Patriots. It was so loud I couldn’t hear myself think. And I have had the opportunity to see games at other NFL stadiums and I can tell you I have yet to be at a stadium as loud as the Broncos. Its a luxury to have such proud and supportive fans that I think sometimes we take for granted.
About the standing thing, I think it depends on the flow of the game. Stand for a big play or a big drive but don’t just stand to stand. The people behind you paid for their seats too and you have to try to be a little courteous. I am the biggest die hard Broncos fan you’d ever meet and I don’t even stand the whole game. I can cheer just as loud and make noise sitting down so just the mere act of sitting doesn’t mean you are being a poor fan. Sure it would be nice if everyone stood for the whole game but thats not the reality. Stand up when its right to do so.
Ok finally to my question: Why have the Broncos not had any sort of ceremony, dedication or display of remembrance for either D will or Nash? I am disappointed their names were not added somewhere to the stadium or a memorial was added to the outside of the stadium. There wasn’t even a moment of silence for either of them. I’m wondering if there are any plans in the works at all. It just seems odd to publicly ignore the tragedies at the games when we know both men are there with us in spirit.
September 25th, 2007 at 10:24 pm
I think that Cutler has been slighted by the national media. All I hear about now is that Vince Young is a great leader because his teammates voted him captain. Nobody in the national media says that Cutler is a good leader because he too was voted captain by his teammates. I also hear about how Vince just wins and is compared to Elway because he has a lot of comeback wins. SO DOES CUTLER. Cutler has only eight starts while Vince has had 16.
GO BRONCOS!!!
September 25th, 2007 at 10:25 pm
Any thoughts on my opinion, anyone?
September 25th, 2007 at 10:27 pm
Hilarious!!!
I’ve nver seen someone so obsessed with a Bronco QB since…well since I looked in the mirror but whatever…
Jake retired, let it go. He’s happy, be happy for him.
Be happier that Jay Cutler has 2 4th Quarter comebacks in 3 games this year, and Matt Lienart just got BENCHED!!! ha ha haaaa
Be even happier that our situational pass rushing 4th round draft pick who played in less than 1/2 the downs as the highest paid defender in the entire NFL, beat him in QB sacks last year, and is now clearly the better of the two.
4 sacks to zero.
Yeah, I’m talking about Dwight Freeney, the most overhyped/paid DE in the history of the NFL.
ELVIS!!!!!!
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/st…
vs.
Freeney
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/st…
September 25th, 2007 at 11:17 pm
tigervixxxen,
You have got to be kidding. We used to have the loudest stadium hands down (well maybe a tie with the old king dome) I have recently been to fed ex field and arrowhead and those fans DO stand for pretty much the whole game and have much more spirit than we`ve been showing recently, I have loved the broncos for 20 years now and have attended many games at the old mile high and we don`t come close to the spirit we once had. It didn`t need to be a playoff game for our crowd to make a difference. Even in interviews of opposing players and coaches, they say the noise factor is not the same. It is time to bring back BRONCOMANIA!!!! screaming, shouting footstomping roar. All those who can`t get up out of their seat for the broncos please stay at home…..or become a chargers fan
September 26th, 2007 at 2:16 am
I personally think that Bronco public relations could do a better job. I am starting to like they new stadium with every game but some people are just clueless and need Bronco education. The franchise has failed to communicate with the fans over the last 10 years. My thoughts for public relations are as follows.
-Write a bronco fan creed that is placed on each ticket. This should educate fans on how and when to cheer.
-Play that creed on the jumbo tv’s during pregame.
-Don’t be afraid to remind the visiting team what the elavations is as they come on the field.
-Get local news more involved with orange sundays, new stadium traditions, ect.
-Decide if orange is actually a color fans should still wear and let the media know.
-Ignore cow bells that come into the stadium. (beats video cheating)
-Finish the glass extrior of the stadium to force the rocky mountain thunder to amplify inwards rather than outward.(building looks incomplete anyway)
-Dump the band and provide incentives for hard core fans.
-Dump the 12th man flag (we don’t need to be like others)
-Take time at the beginning to speak about our tradition.
-get away from trendy video feeds from movies or poor digital design videos.
-Just because we have a new stadium does not mean we have to give it a new commercial feel.
-Colorado has a lot of people that did not grow up here and its time to educate them on broncomania.
-Hire me to help you bring back broncomania.
-Be willing to admit that the new place needs a boost and let the barrel man or someone simalar address the crowd via video and do more than say this is Broncos country on game day.
September 26th, 2007 at 7:46 am
Andrew,
Thanks so much for the reply and insight. I guess it is a good thing but I feel like, very soon, we will have the same problem the Patriots have - with so many playmakers on the field, who gets the ball? I also did not do my respect for Graham justice in my first post. It was more of a question of why Tony has not been involved more in the passing game and not why Graham got the call on the 4th down play. I know drops are a part of the game, happen to everyone and know he doesn’t drop many. I do love having him on board and think it is a shame that the value he brings to this team does not show up in the stat column, unless you read between the lines and look at team rushing yards and sacks allowed.
Thanks again for the reply.
September 26th, 2007 at 8:15 am
I hope no one jumps on me for my comment. I like both Jay and Jake. Jake is who made me start watching the Broncos and I remained a fan when he left. I think Jay is going to be great and I see how he has definitely helped the offense. However, I’m not a fan of people simplfying it just by saying that the offense averaged 24 points w/ Jay and 17 points w/ Jake last year. Even when shanny made that comment I thought it sounded too simplified. I recently read an article about strength of schedule where the QBs were ranked on how tough their schedule was last year. It was based on the toughness of defenses and many other factors. Jake had the fourth toughest schedule of all QBs and Jay had one of the easiest (about 3rd to last). I reiterate that I don’t think it was a bad move and that Jay definitely has more of a upside and like you said, its a team sport. But I feel like strength of schedule is something that people don’t always factor in. its just my two cents.
September 26th, 2007 at 8:44 am
My family has been going to games for 47 years. My Dad has missed less than a dozen home games in those 47 years. I have missed only 2 games in the past 20 years. He has been to Four Super Bowls, sadly all the ones they lost, and I have been to one. We went to John Elways induction ceremony and when Shannon Sharpe goes in next year, we expect to be there as well. We scream louder and make more noise than nearly anyone around us, and we very much dislike people standing up in front of us all of the time. Standing up to cheer an important play or jumping to cheer a good move is understood and appreciated. But standing up all the time, thus forcing us to also stand is annoying and is NOT a part of Broncomania Tradition.
What frustrates me most is the lack of knowledge about situations that our current home game fans display. Cheering and making noise when the Broncos are on offense is TOTALLY WRONG! Cutler and other players should never, NEVER, have to ask the crowd to quiet down so they can call the play. How embarrassing to see that. This is what you should rail against Andrew, not the fact that we like to sit and cheer as loudly as anyone.
Thanks,
Tristan
September 26th, 2007 at 8:52 am
i picked jake as a good fit for the bronco offense long before the broncos did. guess that made me a fan of his abilities. with that being said, he couldn’t take the pressure as a ten year vet as well as jay handles himself under the same type of situations without even having a year under his belt. culter is the one of the best young qb’s i have ever seen and will surpass jake with ease, he can make all the throws jake could and puts the ball in there on 4th down with the game on the line. sure he’s made a few mistakes but he’s only started a few games and he shows improvement with each game. plummer couldn’t take us to the promised land, cutler can.
great call by coach on 4th down with 4 minutes left. he couldn’t stop the clock and with the way jacksonville had been running the ball, it was all over with a punt. there were two dropped passes in that game that usually would have been caught (by one of the best groups of receivers in the nfl we have here in broncoland) that could have easily changed the outcome of the game. one on 3rd down early helped jacksonville control the tempo of the game. if the offense could have come up with that first down, jacksonville wouldn’t have had the ball for, what, 12 minutes(?) in the first quarter. it happens but that’s why you don’t win every game in a season.
september is the silly season if you ask me. hard to tell the good teams from the no so good. when the season started, i thought if denver went 2-2 in sept. they would be ok. too many new players and coaches to be effective early in the season. i still think this team will be a force to be reckoned with the second half of the season. bronco’s will win the division.
okland will have a winning record this year.
sure glad norv turner got the job in san deigo.
September 26th, 2007 at 10:29 am
One more comment to try to shut up the plummer-loving tunnel-visioned moron. I read your article (are you sure it’s only 3000 words, it took FOREVER) and I’ve got to say you’re an idiot. Your main argument is “it’s not all about Plummer” blaming a lack of supporting personnel for his failures. Then you turn around and use his the win record while he played (as if Plummer had sole control) in the next sentence. You’re completely contradicting yourself.
Plummer had a winning record because we had reliable personnel, and a darn good play calling coach who never put the ball in Plummer’s hands. Anytime it came down to Plummer making a play, he’d do something stupid (remember that unbalanced, left-handed, throw off his back foot for an interception TD?) He was a good scrambler, but he wouldn’t have had to scramble if he could actually throw the ball. He had every opportunity, and every needed supporting role to win a superbowl, and he couldn’t do it. He had maxed out his talent, and was only in it for the paycheck after awhile.
Cutler on the other hand, loves the game and embraces our expectations. Greise and Plummer tried to get out of Elway’s shadow, while Cutler says “Comparisons will be made, why avoid it.” In other words, Cutler is gonna fill that shadow, and maybe even outgrow it. That is a quarterback folks.
So, letplummerplay, PLEASE LET IT GO! You’re wrong, and we all know it. Go find someone else to bother.
September 26th, 2007 at 10:51 am
Questions:
#1 - The defense is obviously a problem this year, and the players are saying that has nothing to do with the coaching change. If this is true, then the only real changes are the loss Gerrard Warren, Al Wilson, and the addition of Dre’ Bly. Do you buy the line that the coach is not the problem?
#2 - The special teams was said to be a problem last year, so they address it with a new coach. The result - the special teams are worse. Was Dominic Hixon ever better than Qunicy Morgan, or was it just an issue of wide receiver roster spots. If it was roster spots couldn’t we drop one of the four tight ends, bring back Morgan or maybe go get Jeremy Bloom?
September 26th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
First of all, I think that we should thank Mr. Mason for being willing enough not only to reply to the initial post for this argument, but for creating a new thread dedicated to it.
Thank you.
To “LetPlummerPlay”…
Thank you as well. Your post of “This Is Not About Jake” was a great introspect of the fan base in Denver and its effects on the constent rotation of personel through the mile high city. I absolutely agree that there will be no replacement for Elway besides Elway. Question… When does his son graduate??? I love Cutler. The kid has so much potential. He has a decent cast around him and he is finding more time in the pocket to set up his reads. Have you seen this kid throw off of his back foot. Sick. His 40 yard tosses rarely get higher than 10 or so feet. Walker, Brandon and Stokley are a great tandem and the running game is good with Henry and Young. The TEs are solid and the O line has only given up 4 sacks. Pretty good. I don’t think that the issue is Shanahan and I say that being completely aware of the fact that he is the only component left that has not been swapped out since “the Glory (Elway) Days. This is why… We couldn’t replace him. The situation would be the same as the one in San Deigo. You can’t replace a great coach with a terrible one. Or even a decent one. If Shanahan is not at the helm, the team crumbles. Not due to lack of talent, but due to lack of hope. The head cannot be removed and allow the body to live on. Great writing, though. If you are looking for staff writers, I would love to have an interview.
To the rest of Broncos Country… You make this place a great one to come to to get pumped up and to vent and to find some lesser known facts and opinions. If you have an opportunity, visit www.LetPlummerPlay.com to see the full story. It’s worth the read.
September 26th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
Thanks Andrew! You have a stellar blog, always full of new information and tremendous insight.
Andrew one question - does Mike (Shanahan) still prescript his first 20 offensive plays (or something like that)?
I can’t blame him for our poor production; I think we only had 4 offensive snaps in the first quarter (one was a punt). It is hard to do anything when the other team doesn’t let you play. Our D was not giving up the big play, which was good, but they couldn’t stop a third down play either.
Thanks and GO BRONCOS!!!
September 26th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
i too believe the Plummer vs Cutler rivalry is dead as well but there is a key point why it keeps being brought up. and its relatively simple.
people just aren’t over john elway, they still want a quarterback of john elways caliber and the fact is it will never happen he was a legend and got us very far.
what we can do is get over it and think to the future, i believe jake plummer had his best team career with the broncos as well i remember seeing a stat of his right before he retired that was like 39 wins 17 loses as the broncos starting quarterback now don’t quote me on that just remembering off the top of my head. but thats a pretty good record for a QB.
that is the reason i was personally upset with the loss of plummer i felt he had at least another year or so but what can you do. what i do know is jay cutler is making a name for himself, now i haven’t been able to see him play personally because the broncos games are never aired in my state but i do know he has been doing quite well, his arm strength is decent and hes making fewer and fewer mistakes but thats only natural. hes just like any second year QB and simply NEEDS TIME to develop.
September 26th, 2007 at 7:14 pm
Its difficult to say based on the limited amount of information available about Ben Hamilton’s continuing symptoms. However, the only symptoms that I have read about (dizziness when working out, difficulty sleeping, difficulty eating) could all be secondary to positional vertigo not a post-concussive symptom complex. As a physician this sounds very suspicious for a dislodged otolith (occuring simultaneously with the concussive head trauma). This is a diagnosis that has occasionally been missed by specialists, especially in the setting of dealing with what everyone believes are post-concussive symptoms. If this is the case it could easily be diagnosed with the Dix-Hallpike maneuver and treated with the Epley maneuver (with symptoms often resolving completely in just minutes). Have the team and physicians considered this possibility yet?
September 26th, 2007 at 7:48 pm
All i have to say to that blog is- putting cutler in was a great idea. i have nothing against jake. love the guy. but its time for the kid to do his thing. he makes me think of elway in away. the kid has a arm on him. a great arm. kid is going to do big things and i can’t wait.
September 26th, 2007 at 9:17 pm
nativefan 76,
I`m with you all the way, a lot of the blame for the decrease in noise and excitement is with the broncos pr. Let me just say I believe we still have great fans and spirit just not as much as we had before and I firmly believe it has a lot to do with our home record as of late. We have to make Invesco very VERY unfriendly to the opposing team and get up off our seats and shout as loud as we can and pump up our D and go crazy when we score, let them know this is MILE HIGH THUNDER BABY!! and there is no way your going to win in our house!!!!!! MUCH LOVE TO EVERYONE ON HERE AND ALL BRONCO FANS WORLDWIDE. GO BRONCOS!!!!!!!!
September 27th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
Bronco T! Dude I was just thinking that as I was reading about LetPlummerPlay!! I was just going to post a comment about him being like that stalker on Blades of Glory. lmao He sounds like he wants to weak Jake Plummer’s skin for a few days.
I am crackin up right now…
September 27th, 2007 at 4:29 pm
I LIKE TO WATCH JAY RUN THE OPTION OFFENSE ;I THINK IT WOULD REALLY HELP US IN THE RED ZONE HE IS A VERY GOOD RUNNER AND PASSER AND HAS ALL THE KEY PLAYERS TO SUPPORT HIM IHOPE WE TRY IT SOMETIME IREALLY THINK IT WOULD BE PRODUCTIVE PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF ANYONE AGREE;S WITH THIS IT WAS JUST A THOUGHT. GO BRONCOS!111
1
September 28th, 2007 at 5:22 am
Love the idea of using PM’s Questions - just so long as we don’t have to do the silly numbers thing first.
Although I will steal something from PMQ’s - and it’s not very contraversial - any chance you could let us into what your “normal” day would be, appointments, tasks, deadlines etc…..
February 10th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
The Importance of Auto Insurance Comparison
Whether you are shopping for Texas auto insurance, New York auto insurance, Arizona auto insurance or anywhere in between, the process is best approached by speaking with several agents and comparing quotes to get the best auto insurance rate available…
August 4th, 2008 at 12:27 am
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