They came. They fell behind. They battled back to win. They sustained another tough injury. And No. 6 came up absolutely huge. It was just another Sunday at the office for the Broncos.
But as is usually the case in the NFL, those are just the superfluous details decorating Sunday’s bottom line, which was a win over the Chiefs, 24-17.
By now, the Broncos have long since buckled the seat belt to the roller coaster ride that is the 2008 season. Wherever and whenever the ride ends, one has to admire the way this team continues to battle, continues to gut it out, continues to overcome itself and continues to insert obscurity into its lineup and win.
Running back Peyton Hillis was the latest impact player to succumb to injury, hurting his hamstring in the second half. Head coach Mike Shanahan told 850 KOA after the game that things didn’t look good for the rookie out of Arkansas, who might miss several weeks. We should know more early this week.
No matter. Tatum Bell, while hardly unstoppable, was effective enough to keep the Chiefs’ defense honest to pay a degree of attention to the Broncos’ running game.
More importantly, quarterback Jay Cutler engineered three scoring drives of 80 yards or more. The final one was a 12 play, 95 yard gem that consumed 6:07 and resulted in the go-ahead touchdown on a six yard pass to Brandon Marshall with 10:10 left in the game.
Cutler again showed that the Broncos are his team and it is on his shoulders that the Broncos’ playoff fate rests. The cynics will say he inherited this role by process of elimination; the rest of us know better. The young man from Santa Claus, Indiana has a big bag of responsibility on his sleigh and at least as much confidence in his ability to drive it to the Promised Land, or somewhere pretty close.
After Maurice Leggett returned an interception 27 yards for a touchdown to give the Chiefs a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, Cutler got serious. He put together touchdown drives of 11 plays, 80 yards in 5:27. Hillis’ 18 yard touchdown run was the capper and brought the Broncos back to within 10-7.
In the second quarter, Cutler found Marshall from 12 yards out to bring Denver back to 17-14. That drive was 80 yards in 14 plays and lasted 6:57. And when the Broncos had to have a first down late in the fourth quarter, Cutler delivered a 19 yard strike to Marshall on third-and-10 from the Denver one yard line. The completion moved the chains and allowed the Broncos to run out the clock. No big deal.
When all was said and done, Cutler completed 32-of-40 passes for 286 yards and two touchdowns. He was a huge reason the Broncos possessed the football for 36:38.
Cutler can seemingly turn it on at will. Oh, he’ll make some mistakes and go through his funks. But he’ll also overcome the loss of six running backs during the course of the season (Selvin Young, Andre Hall, Michael Pittman, Ryan Torain, Anthony Alridge and Peyton Hillis), bail out an inconsistent defense and gladly be the unquestioned centerpiece to a team that is 8-5, has won four of its last five games, is playing good football late in the season, and is one win (or a San Diego loss) away from winning the AFC West.
And he is only going to get better.
Aside from Cutler, which Broncos mean the most to this team why? I’d love to read your thoughts.
Thanks for checking in and for sharing your posts. Have a great week.
Best,
Mike
Tags: 2008, Denver Broncos, Jay Cutler, Kansas City Chiefs
Jay was Great, this was a very good team win, Awesome stop Bly
MIKE,
I think the front five have been the biggest key to the Broncos success, openning the holes for all the backs, and protecting thier General. Also the O Coaches in creating a more ballanced game plan in the second half of the season. Running the ball on first down more has helped the whole TEAM, by controlling the clock and allowing the D a) to rest b) to communicate whats going on on the field c) to adjust when they go back on the field. Instead of being on the field most of the game. If the O puts the D on the field over & over you can’t expect them to shut anyone down. I’ve said it over and over TIME OF POSSESSION is the key to all wins!
My hat’s off to the O Coaches for more Ballance.
TIME OF POSSESSION! ! !
GO BRONCOS! ! !
Jay is a beast and so is Brandon, what a great duo!!
This looked like a true rivalry game and both teams played like it. Regardless of each teams record this game looked like a playoff game. The suspense killed me, I mean it really shaved about 5 years off my life, on that last play by Thigpen. I am impressed they way everyone has stepped up and played some great football, especially the young guys. I was disappointed to watch Hillis go done though. What is the deal this season at the HB spot. I don’t know if anyone is going to want to play that position because it leads to injury. Hillis seems like a tough guy so I hope it is not too serious and hope to see him back sooner than later.
Hopefully this week we can extend our road winning streak and take care of business against Carolina. If we play like we have been doing the last couple of weeks I see another win. Hopefully we’ll be getting some guys back that are healthy.
I know this is a little early to speak of but I’m going to ask it anyway. Next season when we have all of our backs healthy what will the depth chart look like? We’ll have Torrain, Young, Hall, Alridge, Pittman, Bell, and converted Hillis. I don’t know what these guy’s contracts look like so maybe they might not be around but what do you do with a stable of good productive backs. I know a lot of teams are going to kind of a one:two punch type of thing but the Broncos haven’t really ever been that kind of team. I’m thinking back to previous backs, Davis, Portis, Anderson, Droughns, these guys were feature backs and the depth was at most probably 2 deep. Just curious of any thoughts on this.
Go Broncos!!!!! I so want that football that B. Marshall gave to that fan.
I think besides Cutler you’ve got to look at Clady man he has gone up against some the games greatest pass rushers and he’s only let up what? 1 sack all year. My hats off to him and the rest of that O line. They’re OUTSTANDING!!
I REALLY REALLY hope Hillis will be back for the playoffs we’re gonna need him to give us balance on offense and TIME OF POSSESSION!
GET WELL SOON Peyton! you’re the MAN.
I’d say its gotta be one of the rookies. Clady is important, but I feel like Eddie Royal’s effort and explosiveness is a catalyst for the team. I think watching him play is inspiring to the team, and his play means alot
.5 SACKS
.5 Sacks for R. Harris as well!
Ever since Champ went down I think Dre Bly has been a strong candidate for this team’s MVP. I believe it’s time people stop giving him so much grief all the time. In the four games we’ve won without Champ, Dre has made some incredible plays to give the defense a lift. I’m just glad that even without guys like Champ and DJ in the lineup we still have a guy like Bly on the defense to lead by example on the field.
But anyway, it was a great win yesterday and I think it helped solidify Denver as a consistent threat in the AFC.
Jay was just awesome yesterday… that’s my man!!!! He is our future and yesterday explained why. He’s always going to have some mistakes in every game but he’s doing what any player should be doing – learning from his mistakes. He’s getting better and better with every game – the guy deserves some respect and recognition for what he’s done with this team. We couldn’t have asked for a better leader and someone to take charge and let everyone know he’s putting this entire team on his shoulders. Keep it up #6!!
As for other important players – do you have time? Clady has been HUGE, I mean what an incredible draft pick we got out of him. He’s given Cutler the protection he needs which allows Cutler to just sit in that pocket till he finds the guy he wants to throw to. He gives Cutler ALL DAY to do whatever he needs to do. Hillis is another HUGE pick we got. It absolutely killed me when I saw him go down yesterday but look at what he’s done for us – there are no words that would do him justice!!! I hope he gets better, its going to be another big test to see what we can do without another strong player like him. We’ve already lost 5 RBs and now he makes 6… I hope Tatum can really step up.
I think Clady and Hillis are the two that have stood out the most. Of course, I’m gonna say I love the whole team and its almost impossible for me to just pick only a few that I think stand out more but Clady and Hillis have done wonders for this team. And the best part – their Rookies!!! What the two of them have done as rookies is just incredible!! Keep it up guys – take us ALL THE WAY!!!
And I just got to say, that was one AWESOME game yesterday!!! The Chiefs’ losing streak at Invesco continues on…
Keep the faith Broncos Country…
GO BRONCOS!!!!!
ITS THE ROOKIES! This is without a doubt, the greatest draftclass in Denver history. Call it luck, timing, good fortune, whatever you wish. But, you can for sure call it the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time).
I had many of our players graded much higher than CFA, or 6th/7th rounders. Additionally, you have to love the odds of Carlton Powell having an impact, if for no other reason than seeing what every draftee has done…It’s just unbelievable…
At this current rate of draft proficiency, a team could completely rebuild itself in 2 drafts. That’s just unimaginable..isnt it?
Sunday nights game was friggin awesome!!! Great poise by the team to come back in the 2nd half to take ownership of the West.
Culter – He was great! He showed excellent escapability and pocket presence it was a beautiful thing. Bar the pick-6 which was a minor setback, he had time to throw those passes which his receiver core took advantage of.
Hillis – Damn this guy has shown he is the goods!! Its almost like he’s been the no1 RB all season!! Only casualty, but it was great to see some glimpses of Bell.. hope to see more!
Clady – This kid is GOLD!!!!! and with Harris coming to fruition that O-Line is proving to be an iron curtain.. I think Harris & Clady have allowed 1 sack between the 2 of them prior to the Jets game.. Regardless its great for Cutler and the team!!
Marshall – DAMN!! Good to see THE BEAST getting back into the game.. last couple of games haven’t been great which possibly could have been due to a niggly injury but 91yds on a pair was awesome to watch!!!
Royal – Can anyone say ROOKIE OF THE YEAR????
I don’t want to get too excited just yet.. but one more game and the West is ALL OURS!!!!! PANTHERS are going DONW BABY!!!!!!
Its official – Peyton Hillis out for the year.
I can’t believe the injury problems we have at RB. But I guess if there was one team that could adapt the easiest it would be the Broncos (we are used to it). A great win for us though cause we needed to win a home game. I think its funny how the press completely ignores the Denver Broncos. All they talk about is the NFC East and the AFC East. I think it is good that we are flying under the radar. All we can do is regroup and get another RB going and press on. I like the way Tatum Bell is playing right now (very inspired) and I think that we should promote Cory Boyd to the team. I watched him play alot at South Carolina and he plays with alot of intensity. A tough runner with kind of a chip on his shoulder about the way he was perceived as not one of the best RBs in the SEC (cause of McFadden,Jones,Hester etc.
Ahh thats DOWN..
I agree with your assessment of Cutler. He has been very clutch for the Broncos. His success I think is due in large part to the protection he gets from his two tackles, which leads to your question of other major contributors.
I also think the Woodyard has been a huge contributor considering the resurgence of the defense during the abscenses of all 3 linebackers and Champ Bailey.
Peyton Hillis has been a huge contributor for the last 4 games as well. His power running and spectacular hands will be missed I’m sure.
Not only is Clady being a stud in protecting Cutler, he’s making some big key blocks on those outside runs. I’ve never said this about any Offensive Linemen but Ryan Clady is fun to watch lol
Great posts one and all! I think that Mr. Rice asks a very difficult question. If we were to look at it from a chronological standpoint then I would have to say that the most important center piece, besides Jay Cutler, is this years entire draft class. I know that Clady is the best rookie LT in the game and is certainly in the top 5 for the entire NFL. Eddie Royal is the unquestioned Rookie MVP this year. I know that the knuckleheads around the league will say that it is Ryan but the simple fact of the matter is the quarterback of any team in the league is so dependant on so many other facets of the offensive and defensive units. He doesn’t catch the ball, block the defensive line, run the ball, play defense, or make yards after the catch. Yes I know that he has to make all the reads and, when given the chance, he must deliver the ball on target. But when you look at Royal you see a young man who is singularly responsible for his YAC, his running ability, his ability to catch the ball from a cannon armed QB, as well as being responsible for making the correct reads on his own option routes which, by the way, must coincide with the reads that his QB is making. This does not include the fact that, as a rule, Rookie wide receivers simply do not make the impact that Royal has. He single handedly dealt CB Andre Hall such a devastating blow that Hall (who was mistakenly mentioned in the same breath with the likes of Bailey and Bly not a week before their game with the Broncos at the beginning of the season) was released by the middle of the season. Ryan Torain is still an unproven quantity but what I have seen, I have liked. He hits the hole hard, gains yards after contact and was showing improvements on every play before he was injured against the Browns. OG/C Kory Lichtensteiger is gritty and hard nosed while proving that he could start for a lot of clubs around the NFL at guard or center. Jack Williams is very intriguing and has shown glimpses of great ability. He’s very fast and plays much bigger than his size would indicate. He may take another year to fully round out but I think he will make a great corner. Carlton Powell has been on IR all year but was being raved about by all of the coaches. No one was questioning whether his run stopping abilities were going to translate to the NFL or not. Spencer Larsen is a fine FB but I think he has proven himself as a middle linebacker. No, he’s not the fastest guy on the field but he plays with great intensity, shows a knack for attacking with the right angles, and is always around the ball. Josh Barrett is nearly 6’3”, runs a legitimate 4.34 40 and survived being manned up against future hall of famer Tony Gonzales. Need I say more? Then there is Payton Hillis who was drafted a whopping 25 spots before Mr. Irrelevant. He was given the opportunity to run with the ball and showed that he is quick through the hole, runs with authority, can get the short yardage on 3rd downs and in the red zone, and was; without question, the most devastating power back in the NFL when he was playing. Lets not forget that he also had a great set of hands. All in all I would say that Denver not only had the best team draft of all time but may have pulled off a draft that will be measured against those that included the Stealer’s drafting of guys like Swan, and Lambert. With out any one of the draft picks that are or have played for this team this year I’m not sure that the Bronco’s aren’t sitting at 5-8 instead of 8-5. The key to this years draft is the fact that Denver’s scouting personnel went looking for, and found football players. Guys who would feel comfortable playing with the likes of the Monster Meck, Simon Fletcher, Zimmerman, Schlereth, Atwater, or Elway. My hats off to them as the have laid down a young foundation as good as any in this entire league.
Mike in San Diego
Mike,
I like to watch college football, and I’ll never forget a game a few years back between the Tennessee Volunteers vs. Vanderbilt Commodores. The announcers were going on & on about this kid Cutler from Vandy, and how he was having a tremendous year and was in the running for SEC player of the year. Also the fact that he would be the primary reason they had a chance to beat the Volunteers. Intrigued I watched the entire game from beginning to end. What a game it was!!! Not only did Vandy win, but they beat Tennessee for the first time in twenty years !!!!!!! Never in a million years would I have guessed that he would be a future Bronco QB. After our dismal performance in the AFC Championship a few years ago, it was then I realized we needed someone else, but who?? I watched the 2006 draft and the big rumor was that we would be drafting a WR, as Ashlie Lelie wanted out of Denver. Chad Jackson was the rumored potential pick I believe. I watched and saw that we were trading up….. I kept thinking who are we going for?? We finally landed at 11th pick first round, and when the announcement was made – I was hysterical !!! I could not believe we picked Jay Cutler from the Univ of Vanderbilt (franchise QB) !!!!!! Just wanted to share this story.
Aside from Jay – the guys up front deserve all the credit in the world!!
The best offensive line in the NFL !!!! Without these guys, nothing and I mean nothing else happens…..
LT – Ryan Clady
LG – Ben Hamilton
C – Casey Wiegmann
RG – Chris Kuper
RT – Ryan Harris
Mike,
great post and wow what a hard question to answer. like everyone who has posted before me, this is tough. while Cutler has had his ups and downs he has more than proven himself time and time again and will be the General of this team for years to come. i love watching him, he’s so exciting and you never know what to expect when he fires that ball.
I don’t have enough time to write about who else on this team deserves credit. they all do. the O-line has been superb. Clady and Harris, could you ask for two better Tackles then these two young studs. Hillis is a monster and i wish him a speedy recovery. royal is explosive and i love it when the ball is in his hands. watching him block on sunday you would not expect the little guy to be able to handle the bigger defensive players the way he does. Woody, Larsen, Barrett, and Bell, well what can i say about all of them, just stellar performances time and time again and i just see great things in this teams future. Bly has stepped up huge since Bailey went out. i love Champ and hope he comes back, but i’m glad that Bly has gotten some time to show all the haters that he’s for real. the guy makes plays and it showed again, especially on fourth and goal, he stopped that TD by himself.
This team continues to excite me everytime i sit in front of the TV to watch them. i’m looking forward to this upcoming match against the Panthers. Being stationed on the East coast after 12 years in San Diego i finally get to go to a Broncos game and i’m excited! i’ll be sporting the Orange and Blue in Panther country and making myself heard.
GO BRONCOS!!!!!
When all’s been said, Eddie Royal is the most indispensable key to our success with the exception of Cutler. His speed loosens up the defense and opens up lanes for everyone. Scheffler is a close second but I’ve got to go with our rookie speedster out of Virginia Tech: a modern-day Eric Metcalf.
That’s easy:
Ryan Clady and the rest of the New Guys who are not looking so new.
It is not just one guy, the entire offensive line. 8 sacks given up-7 on Cutler but keep in mind, the fumble against San Diego (the call) was ruled a sack. The NFL record in 16 games is 17-Think about that, for a minute. With all of the “great” pass rushers in the game today, to only give up 8 sacks is amazing.
In ref to the injuries in the back field:
I served three years in SE Asia in the late sixties and I know that you don’t
send soldiers into battle without preparing them first.
I think this is what is happening with the DB’s. The running back coaches
are asking things of the backs that the strength and conditioning coaches
have not prepared them for.
Football has become a much tougher sport than it was thirty years ago.
Mayby it is time to send the S & C coaches back to school to learn how to
prepare men for the battles that they face today.
Without a doubt, Cutler is the centerpiece of this team. We wouldn’t even be OK without him. We would have the worst record in the league without Jay, especially when you consider all the games he has won on his shoulder for us. The D struggled most of the year, but Cutler and the O bailed us out.
As far as the other guys that are the most important to the team, that is easy.
Ryan Clady has been unbelievable. This was the best draft choice Mike made since Jay. Harris and the rest of the O line deserves credit too, but Clady goes against the best DE in the game and does great.
Brandon Marshall is probably the next most important guy. Even though he is great one week and OK others, he draws the double teams so Eddie and Scheffler can get open. Schef and Royal are very important, but neither of them require a double team. That really helps the whole Offense.
I would say Woodyard is this years defensive MVP. Without him, this defense would have continued on its horrible path.
The rookies have been great, but Woodyard is the man. I think credit needs to be given to Josh Bell over the last few weeks. He has done a great job.
Dre Bly also deserves credit. He has played better the 2nd half of the season.
So here is my order mixing offense and defense:
1. Culter
2. Clady
3. Marshal
4. Woodyard
5. Sheffler
6. Bly
7. Royal
I would have included Hillis because he carried this team for weeks, but since he is injured I thought I would include healthy guys only.
Great posts, folks. I’ve enjoyed reading your thoughts about the important Broncos. One thing is certain: The Broncos have brought in quite a few young players through the draft the last several years. That’s how you build a consistent winner in today’s NFL.
royalbroncofan1 – neat story about Cutler. He was special at Vandy and he is on his way to being special in the NFL.
RMThunderinKY – good pull on the sack stat. It is incredible when you think about what the offensive line has done in that regard.
brian_schneider – it will be interesting to see how the RB position shakes down next year when the injured guys will presumably be healthy. To me, there is little doubt that Hillis and Torain figure into the picture; they have the chance to be core players of this team. I have to believe Young and Pittman could be important parts, too, but it’s just too early to tell. I’m not sure about Hall and Alridge. Time will tell.
I will also add that I am not sure about the contract status of all of these guys, either.
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.
Mike
Mike,
Please do me a favor and thank Dave Logan for me. I saw him on his show on altitude and he said a whole lot of the same things I’ve been saying for the last couple months about TIME OF POSSESSION, and controlling the clock, and running the ball on first down, doing the little things wright and good things come. It litterally sounded like I was on T.V. talking. THNX.
TIME OF POSSESSION! ! !
GO BRONCOS! ! !