The Broncos are 3-0 for the first time since 2003. Is it just me or does it seem longer than that?
A fresh breeze is blowing through Invesco Field at Mile High these days. That’s what happens when a team scores 38 points per game and moves the ball seemingly at will for much of the time.
I’m not sure how long the offense will continue to produce at this pace but I am enjoying it to the fullest. One would think that with a young Jay Cutler at the helm, this could go on for awhile. But one never knows what will happen, and I’m inhaling the prolific offense deeply right now.
At the same time, I’m not that worried about the defense. There is no doubt it again gave up some big plays against New Orleans. But one can’t minimize the fact that the defense also made huge plays when it had to against the Saints.
Nate Webster returned a fumble for a touchdown. The Broncos cracked an Orange Crush and stuffed the Saints on fourth-and-goal from inside the one yard line. D.J. Williams stopped a critical third-and-short to set up Martin Grammatica’s missed 43 yard field goal with 1:55 left in the game.
Everyone, including the defensive players themselves, knows the D has to get better. I believe it will, to what degree is the big question.
Last year, the Broncos grinded their way to a 7-9 season. This year, they are bolting out in front and playing just poorly enough in stretches to keep the games in doubt and leave us all with fingernails to grow each week.
I love the high-scoring, what-will-happen-this-week nature of this team. Would I like to see the Broncos finish off a blowout every week as they did against the Raiders in the season opener? Of course. But that isn’t yet this team’s identity. I’m not only o.k. with that, I like that they are making it interesting, dramatic and, ultimately, successful.
It’s not that I don’t want the Broncos to dominate, it’s that I really like how much fun the first three games have been. I know, tell me about the “what if’s.” The fact is that the “what if’s” have gone the Broncos way.
I’m not exactly sure what will happen next Sunday in Kansas City. If I had to guess, I would say the Broncos will win by a substantial margin. But with this team, you just don’t know. That makes finding out so much more fun.
And it’s been awhile since the Broncos have provided this much fun.
What have you enjoyed most about the Broncos so far this year? I’d love to get your responses.
Thanks for reading and here’s to another Sunday of enjoying the Great Adventure.
Best,
Mike
Tags: 2008, Denver Broncos, Jay Cutler, Offense
Why do we play so far off the line? When will we get a pass rush? What’s with the secondary? I love you Broncos but the defense needs to earn there Monday off!
I have very much enjoyed the offense but we definitley need another pass rusher on the other side Dumerville. We need a guy who can stuff the run and be a pass threat. I think the guy that would be perfect would be DE Vanderbosch from the Titans. He works on that side of the line anyway and he can do both very well.
I’d like to see some of those extra draft picks we recently picked up used to get some help either on the D-Line or in the Secondary.
this years draft coming up were def going to go huge on defense….we got to
even though we are 3 and 0 im not completely convinced that the broncos can make it far in the playoffs the offense is spectacular but the defense is looking bad in comparison blowing a second straight 21 3 lead and almost losing to sorry saints whats gonna happen when they face a team that does not let them get an early lead the defense is going to have to play solid the whole game and not just at the end. i would like to see alot more blitzing like the eagles and the steelers do we have the secondary to go man to man with any recievers lets utilize the talent the bend but dont break method is not working so well were getting the W’s but sooner or later the luck is going to run out. I have confidence that shanahan and the other coaches will fix the problem before the team gets to their tough midseason stretch of good teams.
p.s. Broncos rock keep it up.
I think the Real cause of the Broncos almost failures is the lack of time of possession, from the lack of running the ball between the tackles, and to much shotgun formations. Not the defensive line. Come on 3-7 in The red zone and Shotgun formation after a Beautiful drive?
The Bronco’s offense right now is a well oiled machine. The defense on the other hand has some gears grinding, primarily in the secondary. Manual got burned yesterday and Bly still has his good and bad moments. Champ I still think is playing well. But the defense as a unit seems to not be on the same page all the time.
our defense is not bad but can improve..i seen an improvment in our rush defense but the pass is still a issue…i want to see more blitzin so the qb can make mistakes n show that we have the best corner tandemn in the league..bly and champ need some more piccs but how will they get them when the QB has all the time in the world to throw…..i say blitz more…..Broncos all the way baby!!!!!!!!!!!
Well… that game was certainly another on-the-edge-of-your-seat experience AGAIN!!! Like Mike said, I’m also enjoying the unpredictable things this team is pulling off. And really that is and should be to our advantage because when teams we play agianst go to watch film on us they see this play that we did and all they can do is wonder, will that happen when we play them? We don’t even know ourselves if we’ll fake them out with a certain play. I honestly love that about this team and that they’ve figured it out – FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!
We do, however, need some major fixing to do on the D. We were good but even the man in the moon knows we need to be GREAT. Yeah, our D came through for us when they needed to BUT they should have been there just as much when we were just letting the Saints offense get by and score on us again and again. That frustrated me to no end. That has really got to stop. Our offense was pretty good, much better than the D.
When we go to KC, we better kick their butts BIG TIME!!!! They have become so bad, they’ve gone through all 3 of their QB’s and they still can’t win a game. But again, we can’t let their lack of talent to play football get to our heads. They actually could surprise us and everyone else. I hate saying that just as much as the next person around here but no one knows what will happen. They are, however, very very vulnerable and we need to take advantage of that and bury them in the ground. To make a long story short, their offense SUCKS!!! – And obviously their D is the same way as they can’t seem to stop their opponent.
Plus we better win, because then that will give me some MAJOR bragging rights here in KC. Yes, I live in that dreadful city but when the Chiefs lose and especially when they lose to us – all is VERY good. I get all sorts of evil looks and it really makes my Monday’s worth getting up for. All I can say is I hope we step it up a few levels and completely take over the Chiefs and their pitiful playground they call a “stadium”. I know we can totally pummel them and I highly suggest we do. It would be awesome if we could score 50 points against them – I’d be laughing so hard, I’d fall over. I can’t wait for Sunday!!!
GO BRONCOS!!!!!!!!!
How about we stick with the orange jerseys all the time. It was nice to see them finally win in the orange jerseys. What bothers me about the defense is that we take off on these teams offensively and slowly but surely we let the other team back in the game. Is this a lack of execution or maybe poor game planning? None-the-less I LOVE to see the Broncos continue to win!!!
I believe it is now time for the defense to start taking chances here and there during the game. If teams are going to score 30+ points on a regular bases then it really won’t matter, will it? Blitz on a semi-regular bases (not just on the expected 3rd down and long). Take the Eagles approach, make them wonder have a series of bliz packages and if it succedes on one down then don’t rest on its success and do it agian!
I could go on for a while about the defense. But right now, as long as opposing defenses are struggling to stop our offense, it is almost tolerable. My one peeve so far is how little we have run the ball. If we don’t want our defense on the field, maybe we should try running a little more, eating up the clock. I guess it kinda hurts with the 3 running back tandem that no one guy will get the bulk of carries. I guess when you have a passing game as strong as ours, it’s hard to establish the run. Especially in a shootout. I won’t complain about the points we’re giving up. I just hope by the end of the game, we still have more than the other guys. Next week should be a lot less stressful…knock on wood. If we don’t get a handful of sacks, THEN we should be worried.
I’m still glad we’re 3-0…
I’m not bashing on the Defense…they came up with alot of BIG plays….HUGE PLAYS….but still gave up huge ones too…but thats jst what you’d expect when you go up against Breese and his spread offense….
we did see some changes in the defense… there was a time when we had a little bit of 3-4…a lot of zone all to thow off the saints who were expecting a lot of man….that was the problem last year…teams expected the same plays over and over…good improvement form last year,,more to come this year
i agree, we’ll see the team be aggressive nxt offseason in acquiring defenders…..
Denver is 2nd in Offense in the NFL (behind the Cowboys), and 29th in Defense (behind, well, almost everyone.) Think of how dominating we could be even if we had a middle teir defense.
The Broncos are 3-0. With our schedule this team is assured to start 4-0. After that we are in for some tough teams. Our offense is not perfect, however is flying high right now. The Defense did make some crucial plays when it counted so give them their due respect. I just cannot stand watching every team in the league put on a passing clinic against defense. It doesn’t matter who plays defensive back, if there is no pass rush then forget it. The opposing teams will have success all day long. Our offense is awesome, but the defense needs to fight to protect the early lead. It’s sad that the offense goes out in the first and second quarter and scores enough points to win, then the second half comes and holy poop, The game is on the line. When teams are being beaten like Denver has done in the first halves of these last three games, they should be demoralized, they should be set up for the knock-out punch and yet we allow them to hang in there till the end. Luck has played some role in the last two wins, however the offense is not luck it’s all talent and skill.
Defense wins championships! Down the stretch, when everyone is playing well the offense will have an off day and the defense will need to stand in and save the offense. Not sure that I would bet on it. I know one thing, the defense will be the focus in the off season, the only weak link on this team D line. Everyone else stays, D-line goes, except Ekuban & Dumerville.
Hopefully the offense can just outscore everyone, cause they are for real!!
Go Broncos!!!!!!! Glad your 3-0. A win is a win, no matter how ugly it is.
I think some of you guys have your heads in the clouds. Yes, the offense is good, but careless at times; especially Cutler. He’s been forcing too many balls in to Marshall and Co., and sooner or later, he’s gonna get picked off. Also, I think Cutler should run the ball much more (outside of the pocket). Remember how Elway did it? I think that, along with more running from the backfield, would help in keeping the opponents guessing; especially where everyone knows Denver is going to pass. Some screens probably wouldn’t hurt either.
I’m hoping the defense will come together at KC, and pummel the Chiefs. If they can figure it out against a fairly weak team, they just might turn it around as a unit for the rest of the year.
It’s important to remember that the Chargers and Saints are both explosive and we’ve made plays whenever we’ve had to. Still, I’d be much more comfortable with everything if we had more solid defensive play. Kansas City’s offense is the pits, so we should dominate them. Meanwhile, the offense will remain solid. I’m with 57Yellow T-Bird, the Chiefs’ pathetic offense is just what the Broncos’ D needs.
My 2 cents worth for the defense is this: Get rid of the 3-4 defense! Crowd the line and pressure the QB, don’t let him breath or have time to look for a receiver. Make him fear for his life every time he touches the ball. We have the fastest linebacker corp in the league and the best cover corners in the league. Let them use their talents to defend their territory. Have at least 4 down linemen on every play and after reading the offense, blitz 1, 2 or 3 defenders from different positions on every anticipated pass play. Put the QB in the position where he knows it’s coming, just not from which direction or how many. The mental pressure and physical abuse will wear any QB down and pretty soon he’ll start making mistakes and bad throws and that’s when the defense starts taking control.
The team is letting other QB’s pick the defense apart. If there are this many changes going on in the defensive back field during the season, its obvious that next years draft needs to heavy on defense.
Well, I’ve enjoyed the W’s most of all this season. But, I have to say, I’m sick of winning and there being some question as to if the Broncos deserve it. What I mean by that is vs. San Diego there was the fumble call………….vs. New Orleans there was the question as to DJ being in the neutral zone on that one play. So, eventhough the Broncos are 3 and 0, we still have to listen to the nay-sayers that want to believe that Denver isn’t that good of a team. I hope the Broncos absolutely CRUSH the Cheifs in Arrowhead………NO MERCY. I just want them to play 60 minutes……not jump out fast and then have a quarter where they don’t play good and let the other team get some momentum.
Mike, you ask what have we (I) enjoyed the most of Broncos so far this season ? I would have to say the “feeling of optimism”, and knowing that our Team is back! We have a great offense, no doubt. Cutler is now a “premier QB in the NFL”. That will lead to many victories for our Team. The comraderie this Team has, is something special and it will take us far !! Does this mean we’ll make the Super Bowl ? Only time will tell, but I like our chances so far. Yes, we all know the defense needs work, but that is a work in progress, and they will only get better as the season progresses. Let’s not get carried away separating the offense vs. defense thing… this is a TEAM effort ! The coaches and players on Defense know we have something special brewing the the rocky mtns this year. Patience baby – Rome wasn’t built in a day!
I have not had this much fun watching the Broncos since the Elway years. The offense is high powered in many ways. Culter looks like Elway but with better offensive scheme. As for the D, where is Greg Robinson? I miss the D that we used to play under his blitz from all sides scheme. When was the last time we brought both the safeties up right down the middle. That D was fun to watch. GREG ROBINSON WHERE ARE YOU? It would be a dream to have that D scheme with the talent we have right now. We would be looking at the Super Bowl for sure.
Hey spartan74 that is what the 3-4 defense does. 3 line men rushing with option on any one or two or three linebackers blitzing from any side. 4-3 is more of a run stopping defense and predictable pass rushing. If you have a dominate D-line, you play the 4-3 defense like the Giants, Titans, and the Jaguars. If you have fast and talented LBs, 3-4 is a good D to play. Look at the Ravens, Charger, Bears, and the Steelers now and in the past. I think the 3-4 is a good D for us if we mix it with the 4-3 D. Situational D would be very important because we do have Dummervil and Moss that are in between a End and a Linebacker. Lets look to the New England D from last couple years.
i have really enjoyed our offense go to work. The only thing that i would want to happen is that maybe put the youngster Royal on kickoffs, with his speed and elusive ability, it could really help the special teams.
I’m with you. I love the fact our games are reminding people why it is they watch football. Its the last minute, don’t know whats going to happen, comes down to the last second suspense that has made so many people, including myself, fall in love with this sport.
I don’t care if Champ and Dre are handcuffed to the receiver. Only rushing 3 or 4 and giving the QB 5-6 seconds to find someone makes it impossible to hold coverage that long. Notice Champ and Dre haven’t been thrown on too often but the younger DB’s need some help from the rush ie. Paymah. Last year with Bates we saw the same frustrating front we’ve had this season. With some of the fastest LBs in the league, unleash them and see what happens. Stick Niko, Winborn, Larson etc. in there at once and let the Corners earn their money. I would guess 1 to 2 picks a game if this happens.
I agree that we have started with a bunch of “what ifs”. The fact of the matter is the ball is bouncing our way this season unlike last. They have found a way to win and it’s great. I disagree Rice, I want a blowout every game.
Keep Winning!
I’m sick of hearing about how bad the Defense is I think the D did just fine. They held NO to 3 points in the 1st qtr., scored a TD in the second qtr, they shut down the 3rd NO drive with a goalline stand! before the half,(despite the 2 time outs Shannahan called, when we had the lead) Then held them off, thank Gramatica for missing. Thats just the first half. They held NO 3 & out in thier first drive of 3rd qtr., NO had a great drive defense gave up 6 but played Great and refused to give up 2, then after Schef’s fumble the D held back another Great drive by NO and Gramatica missed again.
To me it seems The D played Great to hold off an explosive team like New Orleans they will get thier points. Fans and the media seem to forget the interseption, the fumble, the 3 & out to start the third qtr. Not to mention the Safety! & the two time outs the team called in the 2nd qtr. when we had the lead.
I personally see other factors which contribute that the fans who wear orange sun glasses dont seem to see, 20 first downs but 17 passes on first down! Time of possession should be in our favor if we score 30 points! Shotgun in the red zone? REALLY!
I was born and raised a true Bronco Fan, and I’m not trying to get Shannahan fired or anyone else. This Team has allot of talent on it and I want all the other Orange & Blue fans, media, and Coaches to stop blameing the D every chance they get, and get on with the Great season we are destined to have. I would like to see more pich outs to selvin, go inside the tackles with Pitman, more play action inside the the red zone and no more shotgun in the red zone, TIME OF POSSESSION keep the other taem off the field !