Transition Time
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.
They have transitioned to new coaches. I don’t care how good players are; it takes some time for new systems and terminology to become second nature. Yes, I’m guessing it can even take longer than a year.
On offense, the Broncos have transitioned to a new quarterback. I don’t care what anyone says about expectations. They are only as realistic as the talent and experience of the core players who have to turn those expectations into reality.
The fact is that Jay Cutler has started 17 games in his NFL career. That’s not very many. When looking at things from that perspective, I think he’s right on track to be an excellent NFL quarterback.
There have been numerous other changes on offense. The Broncos have been playing several new offensive linemen, running backs and more.
On defense, the Broncos have had to learn the system of new defensive coordinator Jim Bates. They have had to learn which players fit into that system and which positions they need to shore up.
Injuries have played a role, too. They have forced the Broncos to rely on players that they normally wouldn’t rely on to this degree. They have decided to play a greater number of younger players than usual. Young players tend to be inconsistent and they tend to need some time to develop.
The fact is that the Broncos are 5-7. I believe it’s also a fact that the Broncos are a team in transition. Most NFL teams go through times like this. While painful in the short run, I think over time the transition will be well worth it.
With the many changes this year for the Broncos, which area do you think has improved the most this year? I always enjoy reading your thoughts.
Thanks for reading,
Mike
December 3rd, 2007 at 8:42 am
We had a great defense last year and we decided to go through and make all these changes. We used our first two draft picks on defensive ends, even though Dumervil and Engleberger seem to do a good job just the two of them. We need to look at safety this year. Lynch and Ferguson are not getting any younger. Sam Brandon would have made a logical choice, but he is no longer with us. Abdullah is doing a great job holding down the strong safety spot. I hope to see him claim it one day when Nick and John are gone. With Travis Henry possibly being suspended, they should look at a good “power back” replacement. Lamont Jordan may be out as Fargas and Rhodes have stepped up. Another guy could be Samkon Gado as the Texans are already loaded with running backs (or maybe we can weasel Dayne back).
December 3rd, 2007 at 9:15 am
how bout a middle linebacker and move DJ back to his natural strong side position. safties can be subpar if you have a good front seven
December 3rd, 2007 at 9:28 am
Draft a MLB, move DJ back to weak side, and get a strong side LB in Free-agency.
December 3rd, 2007 at 9:40 am
Rice ~ Do you think Bates will be back next year? I think all Bronco fans are spoiled, myself included. Imagine being a Saints fan where losing and inept decisions are the norm. Pat Bowlen and Mike have always put a quality product on the field and I trust them completly, he will make the right decisions this offseason.
December 3rd, 2007 at 9:45 am
Gado is in Miami not in HOuston….eithe ways, we need another DE to go on opposite of dumervil…the pass rush was horrible and non existent yesterday….
i’m sick of Travis Henry..get rid of his sorry A$$…..his 2 fumbles cost us that game…
we need to win out to have a chance at the playoffs…i won’t lose hope until we are mathmatically eliminated….
December 3rd, 2007 at 10:04 am
Special Teams!!!!!!!!!We need some solid kick returns and coverage….. Can’t keep starting at our own ten.
December 3rd, 2007 at 10:24 am
There is no way win in the NFL when you routinely allow 34+ points, this defense needs an overhaul. The Broncos have always lacked in special teams so it’s hard to claim that as a primary problem. In this game we completely lacked offense, we had more of our “star” players on the field than usual and ended up scoring less than usual. Most important, you cannot win games with this kind of turnover ratio. It is easy to just call this a “transition” season but that suggests improvements will be forthcoming, I hope that is true. Losses like this are demoralizing (to us as fans and clearly to the players as well) mostly because we are used to winning, so lets hope for a brighter rest of season. GO BRONCOS
December 3rd, 2007 at 10:40 am
Brandon Marshall is a STUD! Anyone who disagrees is blind and ignorant. Did you see how many tackles this guy broke? He fights for those extra yards like his life depends on it.
December 3rd, 2007 at 11:26 am
I think the most improved part of our team has been the play of the D-line against the pass….these young guys have been getting the pressure we’ve needed in the past, Dumervil has been the best young player on the D-line since Trevor Pryce, even last season in limited playing time he tor it up. What a steal in the 4th round!
December 3rd, 2007 at 11:26 am
Enough of this bates stuff. FIRE HIM. he sucks he has been let go everywhere he has been for a reason. put a pink slip in his stocking
December 3rd, 2007 at 11:27 am
I think the most improved part of our team has been the play of the D-line against the PASS….these young guys have been getting after the opposing QBs and adding the pressure we’ve needed and hoped for in the past, Dumervil, hands down has been the best young player on the D-line since Trevor Pryce, even last season in limited playing time he tore it up. What a steal in the 4th round!
December 3rd, 2007 at 11:39 am
Great job Shanahan. how is posible loss in Raiders?
fireeeeeeee bates ,
fireeeeeeee bill jhonson
fireeeeeeee jreremy bates
Fireeeeeeee staff
December 3rd, 2007 at 11:44 am
A few random thoughts—
B Marsh is awesome. YAC are huge, I hope we are paying him his money.
Selving Young Blanc ™ and Andre Hall would be fine replacements for the obviously expendible running back position, should T Hen find himself in any trouble.
Cutler is a gamer, he gives us a chance to win in every game. I have confidence in him.
I live in Indy so I’ve seen Stoke do his thing for years, only now that he’s a Bronco it doesn’t piss me off.
Because of Bates past successes I prefer to give the D scheme more time to stew before I start the heads rolling, these are real people after all.
I admit more excitement with football when I am concerned with who we’ll play as opposed to mathematical elimination scenarios.
The team reads some of this crap so I wish it were more positive and supportive if not diluted. Although a bit stubborn, I think that Shanny and crew are more aware of the team issues than some of us couch warriors and if he could wave his magic wand to make it all better, he would.
Win or lose I put my Broncos shirt on and support these guys because support gets us closer to winning than bashing.
Rod Smith for president.
Go Broncos.
December 3rd, 2007 at 11:48 am
This season has been a major disappointment to many fans as out expectations are always set extremely high. The truth of the matter is our defense has been unable to stop anyone from running on us and that has opened up the offenses of almost every team we have played to run play action and have receivers wide open … case in point the first play in OT last week … first play in ot with Green Bay. The broncos inability to stop the run has doomed our defense and unless this problem gets addressed on a much more serious note then it is now, these problems will continue into the future.
December 3rd, 2007 at 12:09 pm
Bring Wilson back. Bad neck and all he still makes a better MLB than DJ run over Williams. Yes I like DJ but at his normal position. I used to play OLB and moved to MLB. It is quite a change, now instead of having one or two linemen coming at you, you have the whole line coming at you. Some people make the transition beter than others.
Special Teams - Why do we never have anyone that can return a punt more than 8 yards. Why do we year in and year out have someone run batch a punt. Why God please tell me.
Tank
December 3rd, 2007 at 12:14 pm
Sorry forgot to mention FIRE BATES. His “system” may have worked in Miami, but at the same time they had some real studs on their defense. We don’t have a Zac Thomas, we have DJ. He’s not there, yet. We also don’t have a Jason Taylor, Elvis is in the building. He’s good, just not tall enough, when the offesive lineman towers over him its tough to bat down passes. We have better corners and safeties that Miami but they can’t do it all.
December 3rd, 2007 at 12:34 pm
The defense has been a real disappointment this year and regardless of what some think, last years defense was not that bad. As for which area has improved the most, I would say the recieving corp. Marshall is only getting better; Stokely was a nice addition; Jevon when healthy is scary; and we have tight ends that all can catch the ball. Offensively I hope Mike Shannahan leaves alone as I think in another year, they will be very competive. We need linebackers, another safety and the DE needs help still.
December 3rd, 2007 at 12:42 pm
This is a team in transition! Anyone who didn’t see that during the pre-season wasn’t paying attention.
In the end, these guys are professionals. They get paid a lot of money to do what they do. To simply state fire this guy or that is way too simplistic. The players have to be accountable! Besides, if you suggest fire so and so who do you suggest we get and how. We have run enough D-coordinators out of here (5) in recent years because of impatience. Bates system has worked everywhere he has gone. Why wouldn’t it work here?
This is a team that has, for the past 4 or 5 years, brought in a lot of guys and sent a lot of guys home. We have had fewer draft picks from 98-04. A lot of those guys didnt stick or were traded. We have been good for so long and not had a high draft pick. It only makes sense that things would change. The NFL changed and the Broncos didnt catch up. A lot of teams got away from “grooming” a player 2-3 seasons before starting him. We were still trying to do that and found we were falling behind the rest of the league.
The silver (bad word to use after yesterday) lining in all of this is we have had some very strong drafts recently. We have a lot of young talent on both sides of the ball. This team is 2 seasons away from being “elite” again.
I am thankful that we have the BEST OWNER in all of pro sports. We have been to the Super Bowl in every decade from the 70’s when others havent sniffed the playoffs in 20 years.
GO BRONCOS!
December 3rd, 2007 at 12:43 pm
Give Bates a chance.
Faith in your team is what matters.
Shannahan has gotten us 2 championships and more than 2 Superbowl appearances so just trust in him.
I think injuries has beaten us badly but as much as i hate 2 say it, there is another season. Hell, this season isn’t even over for us.
Ever heard of miracles? (It won’t happen without us fans so show support and don’t quit)
December 3rd, 2007 at 12:46 pm
By the way….time for the cream puff training camps to disappear! How come nobody questions that? We have had soft camps from our SB teams (to protect the older vets) on. For the last several seasons the “injury bug” seems to get us worse than others! Do you think they are related? I do! Time for a physical camp. If a player is going to get hurt it would be better (lack of a better word) in camp than early in the season like a lot of our injuries were.
The Steeler’s cried about their tough camp but they are all the better for it!
December 3rd, 2007 at 12:47 pm
Ruc:
Besides our 2 SB’s what other SB did Shanny take us too?
December 3rd, 2007 at 12:49 pm
suzukilc, i agree with you to leave offense alone, because im looking at next year with a healthy javon walker and b-marsh on other side and hopefully bring back stokley in slot with daniel graham and tony scheffler is a good looking offense, i just wish we would use more 4 wr sets to open it up once in a while..always using strong formations i formations once in a while 3 wr sets…javon walker was looked at like twice yesterday…defense is a problem, but i think with jarvis moss back next year alon with elvis is a great duo, and i love marcus thomas, staying out of trouble and he will be a great dt….get rid of fatty sam adams, leave the corners alone, and i dont like d-fox at safety, hes a way better corner, and karl pamah is getting better…need a lb and safety because lynch has very little time left to play, body can only take so much.hamza abdullah is going to be a greatplayer in this league, hes fast and hits like lynch…and need a kr, pr, because its been like 5 years since ive seen a return for a td from the broncos except for martinez….need someone like d hester…..
December 3rd, 2007 at 12:53 pm
boy do i miss steve atwater, and those days of the broncos…remember that hit that atwater put on christian okoye….just wanted to reminise about the old days…..
December 3rd, 2007 at 12:59 pm
I think the offense is where it needs to be when we get back Nalen and Javon is healthy. Scheffler needs to be a starter all 16 games next year. Defense needs linemen and linebackers and we ABSOLUTELY need to resign Foxworth. If this team were injury free we would probably 8-4 not 5-7. FIRE THE ENTIRE TRAINING STAFF!!!!! Bring in some people that can keep our players healthy.
December 3rd, 2007 at 1:00 pm
jhildebrand, you act like Super Bowls are easy to come by. Be realistic, no team every year are going to be in contention to make the Super Bowl, why you ask? Injuries, retirement, trades, and many many more things come into play. Those two super bowls are the best, if you want more super bowls, go join the steelers and 49ers fan club. Yes we want more super bowls, but there are 31 more teams in the NFL who want it too, we won’t be able to make it every year and you have to realize that. Just be grateful that we have two super bowls, some franchises out there don’t even have one, and probably won’t see one in their lifetime.
Be grateful…….
December 3rd, 2007 at 1:03 pm
Re-sign foxworth?!?! Sorry, but that’s not going to happen, you can say good bye to his blog entries. according to some denver sources, Foxworth wants more money and if he doesn’t get what he wants, he will be traded or released. He thinks he can start corner for other teams in the league, oh boy oh boy, it’ll be sweet when he faces cruel reality.
December 3rd, 2007 at 1:28 pm
Since we are in a transition, here is a idea! We need to place DJ back to his natural position. Move Elvis to middle linebacker, he has the natural ability to succeed at the position. In the offseason we need to examine the trenches on both sides of the ball. Remember Vince Lombardi said that’s where games are won and lost!
December 3rd, 2007 at 1:59 pm
The Broncos need to do just one thing. No more turnover in the roster. We dont need to move anyone around to this posistion or that. We have the young players in place on offense with Cutler,Marshall,& Sheffler, who look like they have chemistry and we need them to continue to grow. On defense we might need to draft a safety or we do the same thing to Foxworth as we did to Braxton and put him at safety. You keep playing the young guys on defense and stop bringing in old guys and rejects. I like are drafts picks the past couple of years and we need to continue in that success. Look at the Colts and see why they are so good, because they draft great players. You build through the draft. Keep your head up Baby Broncos,you guys will break through.
December 3rd, 2007 at 2:06 pm
I of all people know our draft this year needs to be heavy on the defensive side but take a look at this guy in this year’s Gator Bowl against UVA. If you ever wanted to see a sleeper/playmaker in the draft, I feel this is the one. Fits the mold of a Stokely quite well and even though we may seem strong at receiver, I think a go to guy like this would be a tremendous benefit to Cutler’s arsenal next year. They guy is small for a receiver, but so is Wes Welker for New England.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=160411
December 3rd, 2007 at 3:03 pm
Beast:
Uhhhhhh…..did you read my post or were you replying to someone else’s post and mistook my name?
Where in any of my posts did I state that SB’s are easy to come by. In fact, i think I state the opposite. In my first post I agree with Mr. Rice that this is a team in transition and give some of the reasons why you could see this coming. In fact, I think it is pretty clear I like this team and owner and current staff. I cant stand the fire this person and that person that goies on here without any support, facts, and solutions i.e. hire this person or that. I mention that we are spoiled and contend every year!
My second post is a solution to the “injury bug” excuse. Face it, every team in the nfl has injuries. We had them during our SB years. If you remember Elway was out for 4 games because of his biceps. It wasnt an excuse then and it shouldnt be now. My solution is to toughen our camps up a bit. These teams struggle late in games, have trouble with the more physical teams, and are hit by injuries early in the season. It is my opinion that the above mentioned afflictions could be a byproduct of a soft camp and toughening it up a bit could be good especially for the young players.
Finally, my last post was a question to another poster who said Shanny has taken us to what sounded like more than two SB’s and I dont remember that.
So I would love to hear how out of any of that I act like SB’s are easy to come by especially when I stated: “I am thankful that we have the BEST OWNER in all of pro sports. We have been to the Super Bowl in every decade from the 70’s when others havent sniffed the playoffs in 20 years.”
I think too many are spoiled by that and should take that last comment to heart!
GO BRONCOS!
December 3rd, 2007 at 3:06 pm
I think Foxworth is a decent player at best. Sign him to trade him or find a way to trade him. In the end, I will take Paymah over Fox. I dont feel he is all that aggressive in coverage. The trade off is he doesnt give up the big plays but gets beat often and usually for a 1st down.
December 3rd, 2007 at 6:37 pm
Instead of worring about the draft, I’m going to worry about KC. I know it seams like a hard battle but this division title is within reach. We can win out (we have to), and if the Titians or Lions (all it will take is one) can beat SD in the next two weeks after we beat them BAM!!!! first place again. I know it is much easier said than done but we can do this, I SAY WE SHOCK THE WORLD!
December 3rd, 2007 at 6:41 pm
I can see why people are upset. I think our offence is ok our D is still good. People we our in a rebuilding year. I know people don’t like hear that but it’s the truth. The guys on D our learning a new system and a new coach. There lots of blame to go around. We are lucky to have the record we have. I think our real problem is on special teams. We don’t get any yards on kickoff or punt returns. We also have a huge case of fumbleitas
this year, during our loses this year we have had lots of turnovers. Just like in the Raiders loss we gave up twenty four points on turnovers. No team can win like that. I think next year that should be one of the points of interest. All i have to say is i still love the broncos and i still injoy watching the team GO BRONCOS
December 3rd, 2007 at 11:51 pm
Yes, we’re implementing new systems and players must acclimate themselves. It sucks to lose, but with Jay Cutler as our quarterback, the future is bright and we’re not really bad this season. It’s just hard for young teams to win. We’re much like the Packers were last season. The Broncos and the Redskins are two teams who will be much better next season as a consequence of the lumps taken in 2007. Thus, let’s all be true fans and cheer for the Broncos until the end of this campaign as I know ‘08 will be much better.
December 4th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
We DID NOT have a great defense last year. We couldn’t stop the run or the pass see the last game of the year against the 49ers. We were lucky to beat the Bengals the week before. We played well at the beginning against cupcakes then petered out. We still lack a pass rush and we need defensive tackles. Hopefully, Thomas continues to develop and we pick up a few free agents like Albert Haynesworth.
December 4th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
i completely agree with salut5280.. its so easy for us to sit here frustrated and pointing fingers.. im sure its ten times harder for the guys in the locker room..
honestly i think our running game as been on the weak side since anderson was shipped off to baltimore.. i know mike is known around the league for producing great rb but i dont see it as much anymore (DT wanna come out of retirement??).. i think hall is doing a great job i cant believe T henry saw as much play as he did.. he honestly cost us the game..
On the bright side i am blown away by the passing game.. marshall and stokley not excluding sheffler make a hell of a trio!!! and cutler is our next elway .. its a bold statement but he has shown the signs.. his just new and needs time.. get off his back ppl despite.. his two INT last weekk….
nothing worse then losing to the raiders but will get them next time!
Keep up the good work guys u keep a lot of us entertained on sundays.. thats all we can ask for! win or loss we feel them too and i know i got ur back till the very end..
go get them chiefs!
December 4th, 2007 at 1:27 pm
I cannot say it much better than Salude 5280. I read alot of these fan postings and wonder if you all are bronco haters or lovers. I believe the talent level is high this year. But there are a ton of new people in new places along with a new defensive system. This year there has been all new RB’s, nearly an entirely new offensive line, new and/or inexperience WR’s, a very inexperience QB, new and/or inexperience defensive line, and a new MLB. Good young talent has been developed in at safety, the offensive line, the defensive line, running back, wide receive, quarterback and middle linebacker.
If these young players will continue to strive for perfection, even if there is no chance for the playoffs, then next year will be the start of something great. Maybe this year, a year of sacrifice and growth (as painful as it has been) will be the launch pad to many championships to come.
December 4th, 2007 at 4:14 pm
c
December 4th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
In many ways I have to agree with many of my Bronco brethren on many of their points. I am still wondering to this day what the logic was in hiring Bates. The majority of his career he’s been a defensive POSITION coach, not a DC. His longest DC stint was, of course, in Miami, but it’s fair to say that they didn’t quite turn into a great D overnight and because they had offensive problems, it never mattered anyways. Too, he only lasted one year in Green Bay and I get the feeling he just happened to have the players he needed to run his ever-so-unique D scheme. OR…since they’re still playing good D without him now, perhaps he just managed an already good thing. Bottom line, we had much better defenses the last couple of years (even though I couldn’t stand Larry Coyer’s “scheme’s are overrated” mentality) with the players we started off with this season, and now we have a D-schemer but everyone is still hinting at the system not taking effect yet. Come on! These aren’t all rookies out there so why is this particular scheme so difficult to adjust to? And the DT carousel that has been going on since the offseason speaks to the system again. We still don’t seem to have the “correct” players for the D-line. It’s kinda like fantasy football: “If only I had that guy and that guy…” Geez, isn’t the coaches job to teach these guys to play and improve at their respective positions? But noooooooo, we just keep going on a search for the holy grail of players. As well, I hate to say it, but it’s time to admit what hasn’t been admitted all season long: Al Wilson was a HUGE loss for us. I love DJ and perhaps he may finally develop into a great MLB but for now it just ain’t so. I’m wondering why they haven’t just made a logical adjustment by switching DJ back to SLB and putting Nate Webster–a MLB all of his career–back to the middle. What’s the worst that can happen that isn’t already happening? They can always switch back. And yes, I think a safety for next years draft is due–especially if Bates stays on. My guess is that in his system, he requires the safeties to cover more so the Broncs will need a guy who can run out there and make plays in passing situations and not just come up and hit.
As far as special teams goes, I again wonder about the coaching. In regards to the Chicago game: Why would you EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER kick to Devin Hester? Especially after he returned one on you, why do it again? Poor coaching. All this poor special teams play after we went out of our way to specifically pick up guys who were known for special teams play (i.e. [always inactive] Paul Smith, Jordan Beck, Jamie Winborn).
Finally, I’m not so disappointed with the offense as much as I am with (once again) the coaching job done with Jay Cutler. I’ve said this several times before on other posts: When Jay gets rattled, Jay is rattled for 1 or 2 series after that, which affects the teams momentum. That is the coaches responsibility to keep his head in the game and to call plays that will help him to snap back from an interception or fumble or poor throws. I just don’t see that and I wonder if Gary Kubiak were still around if it would be different. Oh well, water under the bridge I guess.
If they don’t have a strong finish here, I have to wonder how long it will be before the Bronco faithful start faithfully calling for Shanahan’s head. I can’t ever conceive of it because I think he’s tops as a coach, but his decisions as of late have not been tops.
December 4th, 2007 at 5:43 pm
Just in case no one has gotten it yet there I will point it out plainly for you
PROBLEM = JIM BATES
The dude is an idiot, my grandma could have a better defensive scheme than him!
For those of you just joining our program the Broncos have given up 38, 41, 28, 44, 37 & 34 points (the last of which came to the Raiders for goodness sakes! OMG it’s Josh McCown be scared!!!) For a grand total of 27.41 points a game — that’s a ‘good’ coordinator? I mean I don’t expect him to be Buddy Ryan, but for the love, look man, you don’t know how to coach defense… it’s alright, you can admit it, we all have our strong points yours just happens to be letting other teams score… a lot… because well maybe you chose the wrong carrer path. It’s not to late, with the money you make you could always go back to college, and maybe be good at I dunno being a chef, or trading stocks or… you know just something that doesn’t make defenses in the NFL horrible.
All I know is this is Mike has enough logic he will fire the man this offseason, we have basically the same defensive talent as last year (Champ Bailey, check. John Lynch, check. Nick Fergie, check. Dre Bly (who is comparable to Darrent, but still not as good, check. DJ Williams, check (who is put in the wrong spot BY JIM BATES!). Ian Gold, check. Admitatly we need someone to come in like Al Wilson to shore up the LB spot . Mediocre at best D-line. check — and possibly improved. SEE — SAME DEFENSE THAT GAVE UP A (as in the number 1) TOUCHDOWN though the FIRST 7 GAMES LAST YEAR!
Short Logical Solution: Get rid of Bates — And if you need a replacement, heck my grandma is probably availible… oh and I promise she’d give up less touchdowns with her sheme… =)
December 5th, 2007 at 10:09 pm
All of you that are down on DJ Williams in his first year at MLB, go look were he stands in tackles in the league. You can find it at NFL.com. He is tide for second. Before you complain about a guy, do your homework. Wilson is gone, get over it!
December 6th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
Let’s talk about the real problems on our team.
Defense and special teams is where I would like us to focus. We have one of the best secondaries in the league with Bailey, Bly, Lynch, and Ferguson, but we still struggle stopping the pass. Don’t let the rankings fool you. We are currently ranked 9th in the league in passing yards allowed/game with around 228.6 yards. That sounds good, but it’s not. The only reason that number isn’t higher is because every team is able to run on us. Running controls the clock and tires the defense. We are 31st in the leauge in run defense, giving up almost 150 yards/game. That is horrible. No wonder teams run it a lot against us.
Our opponents are having a lot of success passing when they choose to. Look at Chicago and Oakland as the most recent success stories. They both are a run first teams. We did OK stopping them at first, but when they needed to pass, they did it with ease. Chicago had no choice to pass with less than 5 minutes in the game. Our defense made Rex Grossman look like John Elway (not quite). We did the same with Oakland’s QB.
So why do we struggle against the pass? Simple. Bottom line, we have one of the worst defensive lines in the league. We could clone 4 Champ Baileys and still not be able to stop a good passing attack because we don’t put pressure on QBs. YOU CANNOT GIVE THE WORST QB ALL DAY TO PASS. The difference between Peyton Manning and Eli Manning would greatly diminish if Eli had Peyton’s offensive line. IF YOU CANNOT GET PREASURE ON THE QB, YOU WILL HAVE A HARD TIME WINNING.
Why do you think the Colts destroy us every time we play a meaningful game with them? It is pretty simple. Our corners can only cover people for so long. Their O-line is so superior to our D-line that we have no chance of winning. The advantage always belongs the the WR the longer you give a QB to pass.
Look around the league right now. Who are the premier teams? Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Dallas, New England, and the Giants. What do they have in common. They all have good to great defensive lines. They all pressure the QB. Their secondaries aren’t even comparable to ours, but they have more success because their D-lines take control. I’ll admit that New England’s line is OK, but their schemes make up for it. They have less talent on defense, but they always have more success than us. These teams understand the importance of pressuring the QB. It is the single most important phase of the game. If you have a poor O-line, you won’t win. If you have a poor D-line, you won’t win.
I’ll admit that we haven’t had a premier line in the last 10 years. However, we had success because we could at least stop the run almost as good as any team. That is just gone now. We can’t stop the run and we can’t pressure the QB. Until both or one of these areas significantly improve, we will continue being a mid-pack team. We have a good offense, that may develop into a great offense. We have good linebackers and great players in the secondary (even though I have to admit the Bly has struggled this year).
We have potential, but we are both too young and too out of shape on the D-line. However, Sam Adams was released the other day, so we are now just mostly too young.
Bottom line is this. If we do not significantly improve our rush defense by getting better play from our D-line, we will continue losing. We will never win consistently if our D-line is overpowered game in and game out. Improving our rush defense would make us playoff contenders.
However, if we don’t also get better at pressuring the QB, we will never be an elite team. We can do one or the other and win in this league. BUT, WE WILL NEVER BEAT INDY OR ANY OTHER TEAM WITH A POWERFUL OFFENSE UNTIL WE CAN STOP THE RUN AND PRESSURE THE QB. Even a great offense can’t make up for this huge gap.
December 6th, 2007 at 2:31 pm
Let’s talk about the real problems on our team.
Defense and special teams is where I would like us to focus. We have one of the best secondaries in the league with Bailey, Bly, Lynch, and Ferguson, but we still struggle stopping the pass. Don’t let the rankings fool you. We are currently ranked 9th in the league in passing yards allowed/game with around 228.6 yards. That sounds good, but it’s not. The only reason that number isn’t higher is because every team is able to run on us. Running controls the clock and tires the defense. We are 31st in the leauge in run defense, giving up almost 150 yards/game. That is horrible. No wonder teams run it a lot against us.
Our opponents are having a lot of success passing when they choose to. Look at Chicago and Oakland as the most recent success stories. They both are a run first teams. We did OK stopping them at first, but when they needed to pass, they did it with ease. Chicago had no choice to pass with less than 5 minutes in the game. Our defense made Rex Grossman look like John Elway (not quite). We did the same with Oakland’s QB.
We need to improve, and that will take time.
December 6th, 2007 at 2:32 pm
So why do we struggle against the pass? Simple. Bottom line, we have one of the worst defensive lines in the league. We could clone 4 Champ Baileys and still not be able to stop a good passing attack because we don’t put pressure on QBs. YOU CANNOT GIVE THE WORST QB ALL DAY TO PASS. The difference between Peyton Manning and Eli Manning would greatly diminish if Eli had Peyton’s offensive line. IF YOU CANNOT GET PREASURE ON THE QB, YOU WILL HAVE A HARD TIME WINNING.
Why do you think the Colts destroy us every time we play a meaningful game with them? It is pretty simple. Our corners can only cover people for so long. Their O-line is so superior to our D-line that we have no chance of winning. The advantage always belongs the the WR the longer you give a QB to pass.
Look around the league right now. Who are the premier teams? Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Dallas, New England, and the Giants. What do they have in common. They all have good to great defensive lines. They all pressure the QB. Their secondaries aren’t even comparable to ours, but they have more success because their D-lines take control. I’ll admit that New England’s line is OK, but their schemes make up for it. They have less talent on defense, but they always have more success than us. These teams understand the importance of pressuring the QB. It is the single most important phase of the game. If you have a poor O-line, you won’t win. If you have a poor D-line, you won’t win.
I’ll admit that we haven’t had a premier line in the last 10 years. However, we had success because we could at least stop the run almost as good as any team. That is just gone now. We can’t stop the run and we can’t pressure the QB. Until both or one of these areas significantly improve, we will continue being a mid-pack team. We have a good offense, that may develop into a great offense. We have good linebackers and great players in the secondary (even though I have to admit the Bly has struggled this year).
We have potential, but we are both too young and too out of shape on the D-line. However, Sam Adams was released the other day, so we are now just mostly too young.
Bottom line is this. If we do not significantly improve our rush defense by getting better play from our D-line, we will continue losing. We will never win consistently if our D-line is overpowered game in and game out. Improving our rush defense would make us playoff contenders.
However, if we don’t also get better at pressuring the QB, we will never be an elite team. We can do one or the other and win in this league. BUT, WE WILL NEVER BEAT INDY OR ANY OTHER TEAM WITH A POWERFUL OFFENSE UNTIL WE CAN STOP THE RUN AND PRESSURE THE QB. Even a great offense can’t make up for this huge gap.
December 8th, 2007 at 11:24 pm
You are a team that has been in transition going on 9 seasons now since Elway left, floundering at best under the post Elway rule of Shanahan. 1 division win and 1 playoff win hardly amounts to much going on 9 seasons now. Locked in by contract, Shanahan has nowhere else to go but keep on trying…for his 14th season…the longest tenure of any Bronco HC. It is no longer a guessing game after what amounts to a meager post season display going 1-4 in 9 seasons without Elway. Barring some miracle happening in 08, Shanahan is washed up for good. Next season He will be on his 10th life which is his final push to make some sort of significant impact while on his way out the door. Significant at this point would simply be to make it a winning season in 08 and take it from there. If they keep him around after 08 and he never makes it to the playoffs, it would be the same as the Chargers hiring Norv Turner as their HC. Why keep someone around if they cannot get you anywhere in the post season, especially someone who has 10 seasons with only 1 playoff win and 1 division win.
Most NFL teams don’t go through this with a 2 time SB HC who stays around after his franchise QB leaves and for 8 seasons going on 9 he can only manage 1 playoff win and 1 division win.
December 10th, 2007 at 2:48 pm
I think we should draft Q Graves from Auburn and let him play the middle..he has the speed and tuffness of a Pat Willis who is playing great for a rookie and has since training camp!! I love Dj in the middle and i heard he was up there in tackles with #54 but hey..swop em do what ever but GOLD,DJ,GRAVES with this up and coming d-line we would cause sum ruckus
February 6th, 2008 at 9:54 am
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