As I reflect on the 2009 Denver Broncos, I find myself both a little empty and strangely satisfied at the same time. I’m not sure exactly how it got to that point. But it is what it is.
If someone had told me four months ago that the Broncos would be 8-7 with a chance to make the playoffs heading into the final regular season game, I would have gladly taken that. While I certainly wasn’t in the group of people that thought the Broncos would win four or five games, I figured they would be in the seven to nine win range and wasn’t sure they would be a playoff team.
But after a 6-0 start, a return to the playoffs seemed to be merely weeks away. The great beginning raised expectations and made eight or nine wins seem but a formality. An AFC West title, a first-round bye, a magical run and palm trees in Miami began to creep their way from imagination to possibilities.
Now, however, a 2-7 stretch has long since tarnished the luster of the Broncos’ terrific start and the cold reality of this NFL December is that the Broncos could very well be playing their last game of the season Sunday against the Chiefs.
Even if the Broncos beat the Chiefs and get into the playoffs, I find myself wondering how a team that started 6-0 can find itself scrapping for a postseason berth.
The biggest question to me is simply, “What happened?”
Was it the timing of the bye week? Did other teams catch on to what the Broncos were doing? Did they overachieve in the first six games? Why haven’t they been able to recapture their success early in the season? Why couldn’t they have defeated the Redskins or the Raiders and avoided being in this position?
The questions are too numerous too list. And the fact is, I don’t have any answers. I don’t know if anyone, including Head Coach Josh McDaniels, has the answers to the many questions pertaining to the 2009 Broncos season.
The Broncos are 8-7. They are teetering between the playoffs and the off-season.
It is what it is.
And you know, I’m fine with that. I don’t mind not knowing why the season unfolded the way it did. Sure, I wish the Broncos had won more games and I wish I could figure why they didn’t.
But regardless of what happens this weekend, I’ll take the big picture and be satisfied that the Broncos took steps forward in 2009. Once their season has come to a close, whenever that is, I’ll offer additional thoughts on that topic.
A colleague at work sent me a chart this week that listed the 64 possible won-loss combinations for the games involving the teams in the AFC playoff chase (the Broncos, Jets, Ravens, Steelers, Texans, and Jaguars). Depending on those teams winning or losing, there are 26 combinations that would get the Broncos into the playoffs. Denver doesn’t even have to win to get in, provided the certain teams also lose.
By the way, every scenario that involves the Broncos advancing to the postseason includes the Jets or the Ravens losing.
I have no idea which of the 64 combinations will be the one that comes about. It will be fun to watch it unfold.
Then we’ll know whether the Broncos made it in or whether they’re waiting until next year. Even though I would like to see the Broncos advance, I won’t get worked up if they don’t make it.
It is what it is.
Time for you to weigh in if you’d like to. Do you think the Broncos will beat the Chiefs and do you think the Broncos will make the playoffs?
Thanks for reading and posting.
Best wishes to all of you for a blessed New Year’s Day and a wonderful 2010.
Sincerely,
Mike
Tags: Head Coach Josh McDaniels, Kansas City Chiefs, Week 17
It truly is what it is but even tho we fell apart as it often happens with this team…we all thought….”well, we may lose our 1st or 2nd seat but we will definitely still make playoffs” and now that is even a question…..
I could speculate on what I believe to be the problem in all aspects of the game from coaching to special teams ( and i have lol) but after i did, the fact would remain that we are 8-7 and that we put ourselves in this situation.
Cuz I am forever optimistic and can never bring my self to predict a bad fate for my broncos (predicted them going 10-6 before the season started)….so ill say we make the play offs….after houston beats the patriots in the early game…..The Bengals will beat the Jets in the late game. Ocho cinco is already talking smack to Revis so heres hoping Bengals play their starters…but Miami is a formidable team and can beat PITS and then even if houston didnt win we would just need the jets or the ravens to lose along with the PITs and we are in. All this coulda been avoided if BAL eliminated PITS last week (and had every opportunity to) and if Colts woulda just stomped the Jets like they could…..But that didn’t happen and when you put yourself in this position, “you should be ashamed to expect help from other teams and get mad when they dont play their starters”…..either way….sunday will be interesting…..
Amen TRB
I have a sinking feeling that the Jets are going to have another win handed to them. I just don’t feel like Houston will beat NE in the early game which will most likely cause Cincy to pull their starters in 2nd half or maybe earlier. And also no way Baltimore loses to Oakland. We should beat the Chiefs, but also that is not a given. I hope I’m wrong and we make it to the playoffs, but the odds are really stacked against us. Should have taken care of business earlier in the season, especially the Oakland game. If Stokley makes a move at about the 10-yd line towards the left pylon I believe he would have scored and we would have won the game. Anyway, who of us can claim we have ESP? We will all be in suspense until Sunday.
I watching Sunday to see how certain guys perform. Playoffs or no playoffs I believe jobs are on the line Sunday. I expect the Broncos will come out and play well because no one wants to be singled out for not doing their job. We’ll see………
It is what it is…but it didn’t have to be that way.
correctly said brain_schneider it didnt have to be this way
Mr Rice, we’ve discussed this earlier in a previous post (about five or six weeks ago)
But I’ll say it again, this is a MUST WIN game for us! And further more, to close out the season, at home, with a loss, against the Cheifs would really be unacceptable!
It was bad enough we lost against the Raiders, at home. And I can accept the loss to the Eagles. IMO, our Broncos played their guts out in that game.
But we need a win, regardless of whether it get’s us into the post season or not. A win will let us finish out the regular season on a positive note and go into the off season with some momentum.
A loss would only do nothing but leave us with a lot of questions and what ‘ifs’. It’s bad enough right now wondering if DOOM and BMarsh are going to get a new contract at the end of the season.
But no matter what, I love this team.
Happy New Year everyone! According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2010 will be the year of the Broncos!
Rocky, this is part of a post I put up a few hours after the loss Sunday:
Last thing to find out, are we going to be one better than last year record wise, we need a win for that, otherwise my 8-8 pick for this year will be right on, unfortunately. A season of ups and downs, too bad the team and coaches didn’t realize what were the must win games, the ones we had to have to reach our goals, tough lesson to learn. I can say I’m twice as old as most of those guys, so I probably happen to pick up on stuff like that way before they do, too bad, I couldn’t do anything about it, tried my hardest but couldn’t instill that sense of urgency into them back when it was needed. Well, experience does amount to something, here is to hoping they will gain a lot of experience from this for next year.
Just trying to reinforce your point that we didn’t win the games we had to have, the must games, it is what it is, on that, Mike, I agree.
Not realizing what were the first must win games, the Washington game and the SD game at home was the turning point to this season, IMO, and of course it got capped off by the thid must win game loss at home to the Raiders. I’m not mad, just realistic in assessing that the team, other than Dawkins, did not show up when it really counted. That Dawkins guy is the smartest man in the organization, I truly believe that, and instead of praying for a playoff spot this year, I think I rather save my prayers for him to play here next year. What a player, what a man, what strength, what faith, what smarts, what vision, you name it, he’s got it, he is the man. Thanks for all you’ve done Dawk, if only the rest of the organization listened to you when you said before the SD game at home that it was a playoff game. It is what it is.
brian_schneider…tough to disagree with that. Your comment made me chuckle.
RockyMts69…I agree with you. Even though there is a chance the Broncos could make the playoffs if they lose, they have to win this game. it would not be good if they lost to the 3-11 Chiefs at home to close out the season.
Mike
Okay, so I’m going to turn over a new leaf, fill the glass half full, do an about face, spin a McTwist 180 and make this revelation.
The Broncos will win against KC, go 9-7 and make the playoffs with a Raider win over the Ravens. Orton does not scramble for a first down to win the game but he doesn’t throw an interception to lose it either. McDaniels has Marshall fake a hammy injury to throw off the KC defensive game plan, then Marsh beats his single game recieving record by getting 23 and we GET INTO THE DANCE!
Stokley makes another emaculate deflection to beat Cincy in the first round, Orton throws for over 400 yards and four TD’s to beat Indy in the second round, then we go into SD with a combination of Moreno/Hillis and run for 300 yards to demolish the bolts in the AFC championship game and take complete redemption… Then we will go to our first SB in a decade!
Broncos v.s. Saints in the SuperBowl and……………….(to be continued)
Broncos 32
Kansas City 23
Just click the heels on your Orange cowboy boots three times, and say;
There’s no place like the SuperBowl, there’s no place like the SuperBowl, there’s no place like the SB……..
Yup Mike, it is what it is….another losing season, if if we do finish 9-7.
Something happened in that locker room during that bye-week. Something weird, something unexplainable, something terrible.
Our D went from being first in the league to what feels like, dead last. Our O decided to only start moving the ball in the second halves of games, our special teams could not rip a huge return, gave up a lot of big ones, and the punting…..don’t even get me started on that. Berger was a total bust and a terrible move.
What was it in that bye-week that caused such a disastrous chain of events that lead to 2 wins in over 2 months of football?
Is the Ed Hochuly Curse for real? Seems like something eerie is in the air. That, or the players thought they were a helluva lot better then they were, got on their high-horse and stopped doing all the things that led them to the perfect record in the first place. I’ll take the latter. I feel they thought they were a shoe-in for the playoffs, but look at them now.
Either way, this team missed so many opportunities it makes me sick to my stomach. I mean letting Jamarcus Russel of all people march down the field and score on you for the win in your own house is grounds for a lifetime of ridicule!
But then again, all a team needs to do is make it into the post-season by any means necessary and then anything is possible. Take care of business and let the chips fall where they may. If you make it in, make a good run for it boys!
I’ll be cheering either way and will be back again next year to debate who the starting QB should be, our roster, and just enjoying blogging with my fellow fans here on the site…..it’s been a fun year.
And Mr. Bowlen, PLEASE RESIGN BMARSH BEFORE THE SEASON IS UP. We need him, he’s been great this year and will be an asset for years to come.
BREAKING NEWS – JUST WHEN YOU THINK THE NFL CAN’T GET MORE RIDICULOUS….THEY OUTDO THEMSELVES
Brandon Stokely has been fined 25K for “intentional” contact with an official. The ejection was bad enough but this is even more ridiculous….i have made more contact with people in a High five…..
http://blogs.nfl.com/2009/12/31/broncos-stokley-fined-25k-for-contact-with-official/
I think they should FINE the Officials for BAD CALLS!!!!
Like $10k for every call that cost a team the game……
How about that you twisted Zebras!!!
I wonder if players get to appeal a fine….because this is one that should definitely be reviewed….well…at least the 25k goes to charity….at least thats what the NFL tells us….greedy b*st*rds are prolly in cahoots with the Refs so they can line both their pockets….
Good to see OC getting off the Orton bashing bus and jumping on that super bowl train. LOL.
To tell you the truth, I am glad they didn’t give him a one game suspension, they don’t stand for any contact with the officials, and for good reasons, they could get killed in there. Stockley made a stupid move and he never will again is my bet.
Baylin:
Watching that game I do not think Stokely even meant to touch the ref. Do I think Stokely was wrong and running to the ref?…YES! Do I think the ref blew the call by not calling holding/illegal contact/pass interference (whichever one you think it should have been) on the eagles?…YES! But if you watch the replay it looks like he just threw his hands out to the side in frustration and BARELY and I mean BARELY tipped his fingers against the ref’s fingers. I have seen more contact in conflicts in my job than I did on that particular incident. I understand rules are rules and yes contact requires automatic ejection. But to fine him 25K for that garbage is extremely ridiculous. I think Flozell Adams has even gotten lesser fines for worse contact.
On a side note…It most definitely is what it is as far as this season goes. Personally I do not think our outcome would have been any different with Cutler at the helm like some other “fans” have mentioned (not on here btw)
Here is my prediction:
Broncos Win, Texans Win, Dolphins Win, Raiders Win, and Bengals Win after Ocho Cinco locks Marvin Lewis in the broom closet…albeit in that scenario I do not know who would be the other wild card team…something to ponder….
cody, fair enough, but if you have rules, you enforce them, you can’t stretch them, specially in the case of contact with an official, as for the $25,000 fine if we weren’t talking about guys making hundreds of thousands of dollars yearly, I might be inclined to be outraged, but I have never felt sorry for an NFL player money wise, call me crazy…
And to me officials are humans just like us and they make mistakes and I do feel that the Hochule call has somehow unleashed a rash of calls against us, but it is what it is, we can’t change that, let’s change what we can control, like our running game, like stopping the run, stuff like that, stuff that if we get it figured out we won’t have to worry about a call here and there. That’s why you’ll hardly never ever hear me talk about officiating, even when I watch games live, because there is nothing we can do about it, it’s just a waste of energy to me.
C’mon fans we all gotta be ALL IN!!!!!!!!! Denver can do rite now
However the chips fall..its been fun…beatin the cowgirls…..Pats in ot..Stokes amazin catch week 1(remeber that
..finally gettin a KO &PR for a TD against the effin Chargers…. beatin the Midgets on turkey day…ahhhhhhhh the memories lol….The Oak and Wash loss killed us…but thats football. Id love for the Texans to beat the Pats and Cincy not lay down for the Jets…..or any one of the 26 ways we get in to happen…but in all likelyhood they wont sooooo Ill watch this Sun like I do every Sun..but with a sense of peace….And ill sleep well after the Jet Game (If it matters) with visions of Marshall makin Dallas Defenders look silly dancin thru my head…..
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! GO BRONCOS!!!!
P.S. Mr. B, sign Brandon Marshall…..PLEASE!!!!!!!!!
Dont think one thing is the reason for ther second half of the season, but if i had to narrow it down i would say….redzone offense and beliving there own press….what do yall think?
Lets compare champs call for pass interfierence in the fourth qtr with stokleys non-call in the first. Why should one infraction be ignored while the other is enforced at a time when it makes all the difference in the qame?
I think there is WAY too much control of the game outcome by the officials. they are only human and they see some and miss some but why are we still relying on caveman eyballs when this is the 21st century for crying out loud? Every playchanging call by the officials should be reviewable. IMO
Baylin:
Yes the rules…blagh blagh blagh…either way I agree with Orange_Crusher and that it sucks when one call that should be called isnt yet the same call another time is…I understand they make mistakes…but the ref Stokely went and ran to was looking straight down the field and should have seen it. I do not think that the call would have changed the course of the game but I dont understand why a call or no call cannot be reviewed. I think if a coach wants to waste a challenge on a penalty flag then let him.
Just a curiosity thing here…how come we never got the injury report update from yesterday like stated in the Colquitt blog???
codybleedsorangeandblue –
It was in yesterday’s top story at the bottom – http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=9726
Kyle,
Thanks. I guess I expected it to be in a blog like most of them are. I just glanced over the article since it was about the pro bowl.
cody, in order to change whether some calls can be reviewed or not, it’s done by the league every year, it’s definitely not going to be changed on the field on game day, changing the ability to review a call has to be written into the rules when the league reviews the rules yearly. I recommend you send an E-mail with your grievances to the NFL, it might not do any good but it would do certainly more than arguing it on this blog. Just a suggestion.
Thanks, Kyle, I also missed it.
Of course, also it is updated every day here – http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=350 and also on twitter – twitter.com/denver_broncos
Baylin –
I know you are supposed to be the football god on these blogs but I have been watching football for decades. I know when changes are made and I know how changes are made. I was just making a statement. I guess from here on out I just wont post. I can always find something else to do in my down time at work. In case serving your country isnt enough.
I guess it’s about that time, getting close anyway, HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE! Hope all your Bronco dreams come trough. LOL.
cody, you shouldn’t feel that way, I am retired and I like posting here, I just try to share my thoughts, I will make sure not to address you again since it upsets you. My apologies.
Good point baylinor, as it seems the zebs have been on a mission this year to nail us with bad calls, and or non calls. I’m still peeved about the headshot Buck took from the guy who I believe is the dirtiest player in the NFL – James Harrison. I couldn’t believe nothing was called. The game was out of hand, but that’s no excuse for the zebs. The interference on who was it, Gaffney in the Raiders game was so obvious. The Philly game, take your pick there… too many that glared out! Moreno’s fumble vs. Chargers at goal line was close… thought he broke the plain myself but, then again, I was already frustrated with the refs as we all were in section #111.
We’re still paying for Hochuli’s blown call, is hitting the nail right on the head baylinor.
Mike – you’re right “it is what is is”, 3 yrs running now, that we’ve suffered meltdowns in December.
The Team got off to a great start….. That’s what makes our latest meltdown a hard pill to swallow. I’m gonna choke on these horse pills if this doesn’t stop soon…lol.
Too many what if scenarios now, as we’ve now lost control of our own destiny. As I’ve mentioned previously – let’s work hard to avoid penalties & execute to perfection Sunday, then prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
GO BRONCOS!!!
I am getting up there in age a little bit, and maybe my eyes are deceiving me, but I sure don’t hear much critique on McDaniels offensive coordinator resume? Coming from the Pats and being a part of that sick season where they were breaking offensive records galore…..what happened with his skills here in Denver; I think in retrospect – it was Nolan who really won most of these 8 games; we did have some games with good pointage, but overall – not. It’s not like the offense didn’t do anything……I realize there was a lot of good, but to have lost out on so many red-zone opportunities….man, we should have won at least 2-3 more games…even Philly last week. I know he’s working with Kyle best he can, but it wasn’t like Kyle was a rookie and like being in the red zone had anything to do with the vertical game? I guess I’m a little concerned for next year; if Kyle just can’t get it…..do we start all over AGAIN? I really do like Orton, but his mobility has got to be of the worse kind. ‘umember how Girardi was trying to help Sanchize out with his sliding techniques….maybe Melo can help Orton out with his footing? I do think that the Broncs get in after this weekend and I do think they’ll make some noise…..if I had full confidence in Kyle – I’d say they could pull a Cardinals surprise and make a great game of the Super Bowl!
Ok, just did a little bit more research……we actually did pretty good with scoring considering we played some good defenses…..I guess I walk away with being more optimistic……it really does seem that we left a lot of points all over the place….mainly in the red-zone where we were kicking for points vs. scoring TD’s; I just didn’t realize that had we actually scored those TD points – we would have had really, really high points per game. Keep Orton – just tweak him!!
We should have never lost at home to the Raiders……nuff said! I’m tired of waiting for next year, we’ll be better next year, next year for sure is our year…….I’m getting impatient here. We are a model franchise and have some of the most loyal fans in the NFL and we need to be rewarded with a Championship soon. I don’t believe we are far off but we need to start being more consistent as an organization. We deserved to beat the Eagles should have never lost to the Raiders AT HOME!!!!!! We need some help to get in the playoffs but if we don’t get in I look at it like we got what we deserved…….when you lose to the Redskins, Raiders AT HOME and lead the league in 3 and outs (not sure on this stat but with the amount we have we should be near the top) this is what happens. Go Broncos, Go Bengals, Go Raiders or Go Broncos, Go Bengals, Go Texans or………forget it just beat the Chiefs!
IS EDDIE ROYEL PLAYIN SUNDAY CAUSE HIS SPEED HELPS OUT
Happy New Years Bronco fans.
bay u da man
dcftcollins, glad to see eveyone has got different views on things, LOL, thanks for that. BTW, does your handle mean you are from Fort Collins? I lived there in 1974/75, during the Nixon impeachment years, LOL, I remember great parties about it around CSU. I lived in a tent on the Poudre river for one summer, obviously great memories from there.
mcd needs to go complete f****ng idiot he makes dum calls in everygame
My take is this wether we beat KC or not is a toss up. Especially since there is no Marshall or Royal going to be playing.
You are right it is what it is and here’s what it is.
Since McDaniels came to Denver we are slowly but surely falling apart. He got rid of our star QB and now he is causing our best TE to want to leave and Brandon Marshall (a man who will be a HOF’er).
The guy is a arrogant power hungry creep. I can’t stand him. I’m not sure if I will ever forgive Bowlen for doing this to us. People can say what they wish about Shanny but here is something I do know. If Shanny and Cutler were still here. The Denver Broncos would be AFC West leaders, and more than likely headed for another SB. Why do I say this? Shanny like Cutler. Shanny liked Marshall. Both of those men liked Shanahan. BOTH of those men are key players to this Denver offense. We would not be having the problems we are having now had Shanahan stayed.
I think McDaniels is a young coach and will possibly be a good coach someday, but I blame the Broncos crummy season this year entirely on Coach McDaniels.
i hope the broncos can over come thier mistakes.
I realize there was a lot of good, but to have lost out on so many red-zone opportunities….man, we should have won at least 2-3 more games…even Philly last week.