Rice Takes

Sometimes you just have to put your foot down. The Broncos did that in Sunday’s 16-13 win over the Buccaneers.

Don’t get me wrong. I love watching shootouts. But there is something to be said for winning a defensive struggle. The Broncos showed they could do that.

I won’t pretend the Buccaneers have an elite offense. The fact remains, however, that they were averaging 350.2 yards per game entering Sunday’s game. They had only 307 against the Broncos.

They were also averaging 22.8 points per game before Sunday. They had just over half that against the Broncos.

The Bucs had allowed just four sacks in the first four games and none in the two games leading up to Sunday’s contest against the Broncos. Denver had three sacks in the 16-13 win.

For as much as the Broncos’ defense struggled early in the season, it toughened up against the Buccaneers. In seven of their 11 possessions, the Buccaneers had the ball for under 2:30. Only four of their possessions netted 37 yards or more. The other seven drives netted nine yards or fewer.

Beyond the stats, the Broncos defense simply stood firm. It didn’t get gashed. The tackling was better. The guys made plays when they needed to make them.

Perhaps most importantly, the Broncos showed they could be physical. They never let Bucs’ running back Ernest Graham get going. They allowed 38 yards to Warrick Dunn on one play; the rest of the game he had 36 yards on 10 carries.

Broncos’ cornerback Champ Bailey knocked Tampa Bay quarterback Brian Griese out of the game with a huge hit near the Bucs’ goal line.

The Broncos defense played tough on Sunday. And so did the offense did. The Broncos knew how good the Buccaneers defense was and is. They knew points would be at a premium.

Yet when Denver had to have a drive, the Broncos delivered. In a 6-6 game in the third quarter, they took advantage of great field position and Cutler found Brandon Stokley on a 10 yard touchdown pass to take the lead for good.

On their next possession, the Broncos went 62 yards in 14 plays, took 6:17 off the clock before Matt Prater hit a 27 yard field goal. Denver converted three third down situations before turning to Prater. The lead was 16-6 and with the defense playing as well as it was, the Broncos were in good shape.

The Broncos still have plenty of work to do. But so do a lot of other teams. Through five games, only one team in the AFC has a better record than the Broncos, and that team is the 5-0 Tennessee Titans.

Moreover, only two others team in the AFC are 4-1, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Buffalo Bills. Most importantly, the Broncos again have a two-game lead over the San Diego Chargers in the AFC West.

It’s never too early to watch the standings. It’s never too early to be at or near the top of the conference. And it’s never a bad thing to win a game because you were just plain tough.

One last note. Congratulations to Broncos’ head coach Mike Shanahan. He became the seventeenth NFL head coach to record 150 wins. Outstanding.

What stood out for you in the Broncos win? I enjoy reading your comments. Thanks for reading and have a great week.

Best,
Mike

Sunday’s game against the Chiefs is a prime example of why staying off the emotional roll-coaster is a wise thing to do. Teams have to remain steady, not getting too high after wins and not getting too low after losses. For the first time this year, the Broncos will have the opportunity to see if they can stay on an even keel after a disappointing loss.

I am still a firm believer in the Broncos’ ability to be a good team this year. But they are still a young team. And young teams go through growing pains. Sunday certainly qualifies as that.

Among the issues:

–TURNOVERS. Going into the game, I found it hard to come up with a scenario in which the Chiefs won without getting at least a couple of turnovers. They came up with four and that was more than enough.

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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.

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Unbelievable. Phenomenal. Mind-boggling.

Pick your word, pick your phrase and it probably applies to what the Broncos pulled off Sunday against the Chargers.

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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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