Rice Takes

The 2007 season is in the books. It wasn’t the kind of year the Broncos wanted, and one can safely predict there will be changes.

It will be interesting to see what changes are made. Assuming there are some, one would expect the first ones would come to the coaching staff. Then beginning with free agency, the roster will be subject to microscopic evaluation.

I wish I could predict what will happen to the coaching staff. But I just don’t know what Coach Shanahan might or might not do. When a defense gives up 409 points, tied for the fourth most in Broncos’ history, it doesn’t take a genius to say that something has to get better.

At the same time, for as well as the Broncos moved the football, they didn’t do as well scoring points. So clearly the offense needs to make more strides, too.

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Sometimes there just isn’t much to say. After Monday night’s loss to the Chargers, I couldn’t do much except shrug my shoulders and say that 2007 has just not been the Broncos year. Profound, I know.

Signs pointed to this long before the loss to the Chargers. Signs pointed in that direction even before the Broncos officially fell out of playoff contention the Sunday after they lost to the Texans.

I’ll offer no excuses. The Broncos have been inconsistent much of the year and they simply haven’t played well enough to win. The standard they set and articulate at the beginning of every year is to make a run at the Super Bowl title. That’s not my message, it’s theirs.

We all know that in today’s NFL it is easier to say that than to do it. That’s no knock against the Broncos, it’s just a reflection on the relative strength of the league. The fact is that teams typically go through down years or even cycles. There was a time not that long ago that the Patriots weren’t too good.

For those who call themselves Broncos fans, the lean years have been few and far between since Mike Shanahan became head coach. I know, the naysayers will point to one playoff win since John Elway retired and use that as evidence that the Broncos need a new head coach. To that I say, “Come let us reason together.”

The bottom line is that the Broncos have been more than competitive in most years. Obviously this season has been an exception to that. But this marks just the second time in Coach Shanahan’s 13 seasons as head coach that the team will finish under .500. I’ll take that any time and anyone who wouldn’t should have his head examined.

Even when the Broncos win games, I hear the calls for Coach Shanahan to be replaced. I know that’s part of the territory and he does, too. But I must be honest and tell you how tired I am of that.

Not everything he does works out perfectly. Then again, I make plenty of mistakes on my job, as does everyone.

Do the Broncos have things to fix? Of course they do. And let’s hope they can do what is necessary to get a better result in 2008.

I guess what I’m getting at is the importance of perspective. While stumbling this year, the Broncos have given us quite a bit of good football over the last 10-15 years. Somewhere, somehow that should be acknowledged even in the midst of a frustrating season.

As always, thank you for reading. I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas.

Best,
Mike

I know there are two games left and the Broncos need to try to win them. But I’m taking a deep breath after the loss to Houston and starting to think about next year.

The Broncos aren’t mathematically eliminated from the playoffs but the way they are playing, and have played this year, they have showed they are not a playoff team.

But they have pieces in place that, to me, show they could be a playoff team again as early as next year.

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There’s nothing quite like a blowout when you’re on the plus side of it. The Broncos needed such a game — and they got one Sunday against the Chiefs.

I know, it was “only” against the Chiefs, who are certainly on the south side of decent during a recent losing streak. But still, the Broncos went out and dominated a team that they should dominate.

I was really impressed with quarterback Jay Cutler. I’ve been saying it for awhile, but he continues to get better. There weren’t any red-zone issues against Kansas City. The Broncos offense flat-out did a lot of good things against the Chiefs and Cutler was in complete control. I still find it amazing that he has made only 18 career starts in the NFL.

How good did Brandon Marshall look? Holy guacamole, this young man can play. He is becoming a terrific receiver right before our eyes. The way he gains yards after the catch, the way he has improved as a blocker … it’s impressive, to say the least.

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Let there be no debate: There are no excuses in the NFL. It is a bottom-line league. Teams must win or coaches and players lose their jobs.

At the same time, stating certain facts doesn’t excuse the reality of a situation. Through twelve games this year, the Broncos have been inconsistent and they have not won as many games as they believed they would.

After watching the Broncos lose to the Raiders 34-20 on Sunday, I took a moment to reflect on the season at the three-quarters mark.

I have come to see that the Broncos are a team in transition. And this has undoubtedly affected their 5-7 record.

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Games like these are like an unexpected punch to the midsection. You’re left doubling over wondering what in the world hit you.

The Broncos had everything going their way against the Bears. They led 34-20 with 10:38 left in the fourth quarter. Then things caved in.

A special teams unit that had been steadily improving fell apart. A defense that had shut down the Bears’ offense suddenly allowed a bevy of big plays.

Inconsistency reared its ugly head again and the Broncos are left to think about what could have been.

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It’s called a season for a reason. All 16 games count. And the Broncos have to be glad for that.

With the win over the Titans on Monday night, the Broncos accomplished their first task of getting back to .500. Now, they have to keep it going.

One reason to think the Broncos can and will is the play of their defense. They have changed things up, they have made adjustments, and they have received more from young players who are developing.

While Vince Young isn’t the best quarterback in the NFL, he is dangerous. The Broncos didn’t let Young take over the game. They kept him and the Titans’ offense pretty well in check.

Another reason to think the Broncos can continue to play well is the emergence of the big play. For the first time in franchise history, the Broncos had four touchdowns of over 40 yards in one game.

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This is why one shouldn’t panic. There is a lot of football left.

Please don’t get me wrong. One win against Kansas City does not make the Broncos a great team. It simply makes them 4-5.

But a win against the Chiefs certainly shows the Broncos can be a better team than the one that lost big to San Diego and Detroit.

The bottom line is that the Broncos regrouped, refocused and picked themselves off the carpet and went to Kansas City, made plays and won the game. Whenever one gets humiliated, it is easy to close up shop and pack it in. I give the Broncos credit for choosing to battle, choosing to overcome and executing well enough to win in a place where they hadn’t won since 2002.

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Undoubtedly, it didn’t happen for the Broncos on Sunday in Detroit. “It” is anything positive. It was a game to forget in every respect. It was a game in which everything that has been a problem for the Broncos was exposed in a huge way.

Head Coach Mike Shanahan and the players have repeatedly said that injuries are not an excuse. I agree with that. The bottom line in the NFL is winning and losing. It really doesn’t matter how a team wins. I’m not sure, for example, the Packers have looked great in every game this year. But they’re 7-1.

I’m also not sure how good the Broncos were before the injuries started hitting. And let’s remember the list is long: Javon Walker, Travis Henry, Nate Jackson, Tom Nalen, Ben Hamilton, Jay Cutler, Ebenezer Ekuban, Jarvis Moss, John Lynch, Rod Smith, Stephen Alexander, and Tony Scheffler. Those are just the guys I can think of off the top of my head.

Everyone can agree that it would be hard for any team to overcome that many injuries in one season, even though some, like Scheffler, eventually returned to action.

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The Broncos can exhale again. A win enables a team to do that.

Shaking off their three-game losing streak, the Broncos flat-out got it done Sunday night against the Steelers.

It wasn’t a work of art by any means, but it was a win. And that is exactly what the Broncos needed.

Let me summarize all the qualifiers by simply saying the Broncos still have work to do. They still need to improve. But the fact is they played well enough to beat a very good Pittsburgh team.

More than anything, the Broncos played with passion. From their first drive when they answered Pittsburgh’s touchdown with one of their own, the Broncos showed life and energy and toughness that seemed to lack during the three-game losing streak.

Hats off to the Broncos defense. That unit made adjustments during the bye week and it showed.

The Broncos’ eight-man front seemed to be effective. They forced three turnovers, sacked Ben Roethlisberger four times and scored a touchdown. In addition, the Broncos held the vaunted Steelers’ rushing attack to 119 yards. And let’s not forget Champ Bailey didn’t even play.

On offense, touchdowns were the order of the evening in the red zone. That was a big-time step forward. Instead of settling for field goals, the Broncos kept the pressure on the Steelers all night by getting into the end zone.

And how impressive was Jay Cutler in the clutch again? When Denver had to have a drive at the end of the game, he delivered. I know, he’s still young, still learning and at times makes mistake but Cutler embraces the crucial moments and has shown an incredible ability to make plays with the game on the line. That is something you can’t teach.

The Broncos gave people reason to feel better. Now we’ll see if they can keep it up against the Packers.

What pleased you most about the Broncos win? I’d love to get your thoughts.

Thanks for reading!

Best,
Mike