A Tough Year Winds Down
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
December 26th, 2007 at 8:18 am
I couldnt agree more….to look at Shanahan as the reason for our demise is absurd !
December 26th, 2007 at 10:08 am
I agree that firing Shanahan is stupid. Injuries aside, (which have been way too many to expect a great season), it’s wrong to think that we can put this much young talent together and expect them to do well that quick. The biggest reason for the teams decline this year though has been the defense. I don’t even know what to say about them. Watching the last few games, it’s like they have just quite. Against the Chargers the other night I saw Champ playing ten yards off a nobody receiver on a third and six. This doesn’t make any sense to me. It seems like the entire defense took a stupid pill and they’re just running circles out there. With that said I am optimistic that they will have a better year in 2008. How can anyone watch Cutler play and not feel like this team is finally headed back to the big game multiple times. If he can take the next step in his development and start commanding the offense on the field I think he’ll be better than Brady easily and maybe even Peyton Manning.
December 26th, 2007 at 10:27 am
Mr. rice i agree with some of your points, but you know as well as anybody that football is a business, you dont get passes in business based on what you did in the past. If thats the case why do the tickets keep going up, why is the concession stands more expensive. You cant continue to put a product out thats not doing any good, and at least if you cant go to the super bowl you can at least compete. Our broncos didnt do a very good job of that this year, and given the coaching staff a pass isnt the answer. There our other teams in the league with less talent then we have who are in the playoffs our competing for a playoff spot. Like cleveland and the titans. The problem is letting mike continue to make personnell decisions. He needs to really focus on just coaching.
December 26th, 2007 at 10:46 am
shanny needs to take a hike and take his staff with him
December 26th, 2007 at 11:51 am
i am sick of hearing how great Cutler is. What has he done? How many games did he win as a starter last year? How many games has he won as a starter this year? That’s a total of 7 or 8 wins… that sucks and he is not getting it done! He has talent, but his inability to lead is killing this offense.
December 26th, 2007 at 12:20 pm
I don’t agree with getting rid of Shanhan must yet, but the coack does have to get smarter. Look at the players he released this year and why? Because the defensive scheme sucked and they dumped a dozen D-lineman thinking it was personnel? Now they dump a punter that has been out of football for close to a year, even though he didn’t do that bad last year. Knee jerk reactions for a quick fix does have long term consequences.
December 26th, 2007 at 12:58 pm
FIRE SHANAHAN,
SAME HISTORY THAT GRIESE
December 26th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
bowlen will never fire shanny…..he would have to quit..so shanny…quit….i wished we would have faught harder to keep Kubiak….as we see now he was the brains behind shanny’s offense….just look what the texans off. did to us….
December 26th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
Firing Shanahan is not the answer. I still believe that he is a fantastic head coach. The problem resides in the fact that he is not the only influence on the offensive schematic or the game day play calling. Mike Heimerdinger has got to go. The offense of the Denver Broncos looks just like the Jets when they were losing a few years ago and the Titans when they were a sub .500 team. What do all three of these teams have in common. Mike Heimerdinger was either in charge of the offensive play design or at the very least had a great amount of influence in it. You can see that the players do not have confidence in the offensive set up. It is a mind set that used to make the Broncos so very dangerous when the had teams with far less talent then this years team. Mike Shanahan needs to be the only influence on this teams offense. I know that everyone says that Shanahan has the last word but if you look at this years team; the inconsistency, the trouble in the red zone, and the ability of defenses being able to scheme against it, then you look at the Jets and Titans when Heimendinger was with those two teams you will see exactly what I mean. I want to see one head coach, Shanahan. I want to see one assistant head coach who should be Jim Bates, and that’s it. There are too many people telling these kids, and I use that word specifically, what to do, how to do it, and what their philosophy should be. As the saying goes to many chiefs (not Kansas City though) and not enough braves. I honestly believe that this team had the talent to go to the playoffs and I believe that had we met the New England Patriots a four or five weeks ago they wouldn’t be sitting at 15-0. Shanahan and Bates are cut from the same cloth. Knowing this, what does it say to you that when we have seen the offensive players confused and not playing with the effort every down of every game. I’ve never seen that in a Broncos team but I have seen it this year on a couple of occasions. It is one more indicator to what I’ve been talking about. I know the Broncos have the ability to leave this year on a high note with a victory against the Vikings. Hold Fast, Finish Strong, and Never Quit!
Mike in San Diego
December 26th, 2007 at 5:32 pm
Caballo, that might be the dumbest comment made on this board. Is it Cutler’s “inability to lead the team” that makes the offensive line allow defenders to run by them untouched on a regular basis? Is it Cutler’s “inability to lead the team” that caused hid receiver to let a perfectly thrown ball slip through his fingers on the goal line into the defenders hand? Is it Cutler’s fault that the leagues leading rusher got injured early in the year and made the offense one dimensional? Or maybe it’s his lack of leadership that caused the defense to suck so bad? Anybody who has watched Cutler this year and has any idea what they’re watching sees something special in the making. Sure he has a lot of growing to do, but the potential is there for a future HOFer. Let’s just hope he makes it.
December 27th, 2007 at 6:49 pm
jonroddie…
you are right… many problems with the broncos and Cutler is not to blam. The whole team needs to be held accountable. Cutler does have potential, so does Marshal, so does Champ… but potential does not win games. I see a loser mentality with this team. Losing is contagious just as winning is and right now these broncos seem to embrass losing quicker than winning and some of that comes down to lack of leadership. Cutler lacks the leadership that makes others better. Larry Bird, M. Jordan and other world champion players in every team sport have leadership from key players. Their leadership got other support players to play beyond their potential. I simply do not see that from Cutler or any of the other broncos.