The Broncos’ 15-14 win over the Bills on Sunday was one of those games where it takes a little time sink in. After the excitement wears off, one is left to ask something along the lines of, “Did they REALLY just do what I think they did?”
It also shows that it doesn’t really matter how a team wins. The bottom line is the most important thing. The Broncos’ bottom line on Sunday against the Bills was a “W.” That’s all that counts.
I know it didn’t look pretty. The Broncos had plenty of opportunities to pile up the points. They outgained the Bills 470 yards to 184. The Broncos had a 171-112 yard edge in rushing yards. They held the Bills to 72 net yards passing.
And yet, the Broncos still found themselves scrambling to pull out an improbable victory on kicker Jason Elam’s 42-yard field goal as time expired.
They also found a few answers to some questions that carried over from the preseason.
- The defense should be just fine. I realize that Buffalo’s offense isn’t exactly the best in the NFL, but the Broncos dominated on defense. Denver held the Bills’ terrific wide receiver Lee Evans to two catches for five yards. That’s ridiculous.
- Travis Henry is healthy. He had 139 yards on 23 carries. Six yards per carry?! That’s ridiculous, too.
- Jay Cutler is more than capable of being “The Man.” He wasn’t great all game long, but he came up with clutch completions when the Broncos had to have them.
We all know the Bills have not been a great team. The Broncos will undoubtedly have to play better if they are to be a force in the AFC West and make a run in the playoffs.
Despite not playing their best, the Broncos still won. As Chiefs’ head coach Herman Edwards once said, “You play to win the game.”
The Broncos did. And that’s the bottom line.
What impressed you most about the Broncos’ win? I’d love to hear from you.
Thanks!
Mike
Tags: Buffalo Bills, Defense, Jason Elam, Jay Cutler, Travis Henry
I’d sum it up like this:
In recent seasons, the Broncos would have found a way to lose this game.
Sunday, they found a way to win it. That’s a welcome change and hopefully a sign of things to come.
Ian
Ian…Well put. The Broncos didn’t play their best but they were still the better football team on Sunday. The fact they found a way to win is what it’s all about.
How many last-second comebacks have the Broncos pulled out in the last few years? Not that many.
You take the wins whenever you get them and however they look.
Thanks, Ian.
Mike
Bottom line…. a win is a win, good, bad, or even ugly!!! The Broncos must start scoring T.D.’s when there in the red zone. You can’t have 470 total yards and only score 15 pts. I was jumping up and down and screaming at the end of that game, it doesn’t get much more exciting then that!!! So, let’s not try and do this every weekend or I won’t make it through the season!!!! LOL!!!! So get set Denver fans for Sunday…………….. ” ALL READY “!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cutler has guts! He usually went for the long pass, even when there was a safer shorter pass to be made. It’s not always the right decision (Like when he missed in the endzone instead of hitting Marshall, wide open at 20+ yards) but it’s the risk a great QB has to take. After a bit more experience, when the rookie mistakes go away, I think we’ll really have something in him.
I’m extremely pleased with the o-line. Only giving 1 sack (granted it should have been 2, but Cutler ducked one of them) is a great accomplishment after the last few years. They opened up the running holes, and gave Cutler the time he needed to complete the passes. Well done.
To reiterate your comment, Lee Evans , 2 completions for 5 yards, Insanely good for our DB.
The rush defense still needs works, but I was really happy with D.J. Williams. The first thing I did after the game was sign him to my Fantasy team. In time, he will be as good as Wilson was.
I’m really looking forward to our “week off” against Oakland next week. That should give a good opportunity to further close the gaps, and improve execution (especially tackling) before we head into the real challenges of this season.
I’m pumped, Go Broncos.
No Mike,
I beg to differ…..it is about the “W”, but let’s tell the truth here…and I’m sorry if I’m the one to say it but I have always been dubbed a “Real-Talk” conversationalist and ‘perspective giver’ so here goes.
That game was not what I expected in terms of offense, and Mike Rice since you have the advantage over myself and I’m sure a ton of others, to get next to a few players and coaches and drop dimes, then drop this one:
Mike and Co. had better find the youthful and prodigy student he was coming underneath the Walsh “Offensive” Tree and stop playing so ‘dad-gumme’ conservative or we all can expect a “Charger”-like season where we have the #1(un-realized by the league yet, hopefully 6 games into the season by the time they figure it out) receiving corps with depth, the #1 running back (by committee) corps, the soon to be realized #1 (un-customarily agile for a 6’3″ non-African American) QB in the league…yeah I said it, what?!!! No, I’m not done, the #1 Tight End tandem with depth, and last but not least and I pray all who are reading adopt this title: “The Magnificent Seven” on Defense with 7 Pro-Bowlers,………………… only to have 5 crucial games decided by 3 pts or less, (one down, 4 to go) and end up saying, “what the heck happened” and of course really make Mike S. look real bad like Marty S., because there are no excuses when we have the best talent Denver has seen in franchise history!!!!!!!!!!
OPEN UP THE PLAY BOOK WITH UNEXPECTED PLAYS AND TRICK PLAYS OR WHAT HAVE YOU, ATTACK>>>>ATTACK>>>ATTACK>>>
Make the league, and game-day planning, play and think like we need them to ( one -dimensional) for our Super Bowl Quest and Dynasty of the Millenium!
DON’T RUN TO SET UP THE PASS, ……………..PASS LONG AND DEEP EARLY AND MAKE THEM FEAR US!!!!!! THEN CRUSH THEM WITH THE UNSTOPPABLE RUN WITH OUR UNDER-RATED YET STILL “YOUNG GUN” QB whose DECISIONS, NOT TALENT, are what Bill B. and Tony D. are Game Planning against!!!!
I hate to sound like the Elf- Lord Elrund, “We ride to war……..not to Victory, … We NEED More PLAYS ” and our ‘style’ switched just a little to throw them off of us.
I believe real football players and analyst(as I am One), whether fans or not, knows that EVERYONE IN THE NFL knows about our run-scheme invented and perfected by Mike Shannahan (not Bill Walsh r.i.p.) for years to come, and now we have a Peyton and Brady ‘type’ QB? translation:
We ARE the team to Covet, Copy, and Recruit like…..look around the league at how many teams are Zone-Running, trying to 1 cut and go, every body is trying to utilizing Tight Ends more thanks to Elway and Sharpe…I mean c’mon, I see it don’t you???
Do what they Don’t Expect………….and EXPECT what THEY didn’t—- 5 Super Bowls!!!!!
Great Win!!! I think once Cutler and the offense experience more success with him calling the plays and determine their “Bread & Butter” plays there will be no stopping them. I like the option play it’s going to hold the opposing LB’s and Safeties. It was good to see that the TE’s will be a big part of the offense. I think after 6 games into the offense will know who and what players can make the key plays. Walker without doubt is our go to player for 1st downs. Marshall without doubt has the softest hands on the team and continues to make the sideline catches that will be his trademark. The Defense I hope will continue to improve and maintain their #1 position throughout the entire season. Special teams is a major disappointment but with the talent we have I’m hope to see someone step up and lead the team the way Burns did in the past, someone has to step up. Overall I’m happy with the chemistry of the team and I think with all the tragedy and major injuries surrounding the team I hope something special is developing for the Broncos in the coming season – like a Super Bowl!!! Go Broncos!
The win was nice, but the real story was the clutch play of Cutler in the 4th quarter. Hopefully, he can continue to develop and improve because the roof on this kid is out of hand. He can be just as good as Manning or Brady.
The offense looked good for the most part, except for that minor detail of scoring points. Touchdowns not fieldgoals!
I’m sure once Cutler and the offense get more experience with each other, they’ll improve with that.
The defenses’ numbers were very good. Bailey and Bly are definitely the best duo in the league. But its too early to tell, let’s see how they do against the better offenses.
Ok Raider haters, its time to hunker down cause its time to feast on some silver and black come Sunday. It should be a peace of cake game for the Orange and Blue. First game at a home and the place should be going wild. GO BRONCO’S just don’t give me another hart atack
1ARABIANKNIGHT…Good thoughts, thanks for sharing. However, I respectfully disagree with you. If I may expalin.
On Sunday, Jay Cutler started his SIXTH game as an NFL quarterback. Six. There is a learning curve in the NFL and at times, Cutler looks pretty good and at other times, he goes through growing pains. That’s to be expected. At least he was able to learn some lessons while winning this past week.
The problem with the quarterback position in Denver is that whoever the starter is will be compared to how John Elway played at the end of his career when, of course, he won two Super Bowls. News flash: Right now, Jay Cutler is not as good as John Elway was at the end of Elway’s career.
The end of Elway’s career brings me to my next point. I find it interesting that as great of a quarterback as Elway was, he never won a Super Bowl until…the Broncos added a dominating running back (Terrell Davis)/running game. Football is one of the great team games so Davis didn’t win the Super Bowl singelhandedly. But I know the Broncos never won one before he arrived.
I firmly believe that running the football and stopping the run are the foundation to a successful team. You can have all the trick plays you want but if a team can’t run the ball well, it will be hard-pressed to win consistently, let alone make other teams fear it, as you desire.
Specifically, as far as the Buffalo game is concerned, why should the Broncos pass to set up the run when Travis Henry is averaging six yards per carry? Of course, some long passes are necessary here and there and can loosen up a defense. But if my team were running as successfully as the Broncos were, I think I’d stick with it, too.
I also part company with you when you say the Broncos have a running back corps by committee. Travis Henry had 23 carries on Sunday. Next up? Jay Cutler had four carries. Cecil Sapp and Selvin Young COMBINED for seven carries. Travins Henry is a committee of one. He is the main running back and, provided he stays healthy, will get the bulk of the carries.
I see your point about altering style some in order to do the unexpected. There is some merit to that. But Broncos football is to establish the run first. Cutler himself said that before the Buffalo game. If anything, a strong running game will take some pressure off of Cutler to have to constantly make play after play after play.
You are right when you say that teams know the Broncos will try to run the ball. But even though they must have known that, the Bills were unable to consistently stop it.
I’m not sure how many games the Broncos will play this year that will be decided by three or fewer points. But I will take 16 one point wins in a heartbeat.
Thanks again for your thoughts. I hope to hear from you again.
Best,
Mike
Thanks to all who have posted. I love hearing from you.
–Finkman…you are right, the red zone production needs to get better. It was an issue last year and hopefully they’ll get that corrected.
–bronco_hyde…good observation about D.J. Williams. He seemed to play well and apparently has made the transition to middle linebacker better than what the pre-season led us to believe.
Another good point about the offensive line. It played well and the guys up front controlled things for much of the game. And they were without starting guard Ben Hamilton.
If the Broncos think they can just show up and beat the Raiders (and I don’t think for a second they believe that), then they are mistaken. Throw the records out the window when these two teams play. The Raiders have come to Denver with subpar teams in recent years and managed to win. This will be a battle.
–oc60…the Broncos will keep some option plays in the game plan, according to what Coach Shanahan said on Monday. Cutler has some experience running the option from his college days.
I think the defense will get better as the season goes along. It played well on Sunday but the Bills aren’t the greatest offensive team, so it’s hard to tell how good the Broncos’ defense was. But the Broncos only surrendered 184 yards of offense. That is outstanding, regardless of the opposition.
There’s no doubt that special teams has to be special again. At least it was on the final play of the game.
Time will tell if the Broncos have begun the journey of a special season.
–xzbronx…I couldn’t agree with you more on virtually all your points. Cutler came up huge on that last drive.
–tonytdrummer@bellsouth.net…I think the Broncos are a MUCH better team than the Raiders, but they must show it on the field on Sunday. if Denver doesn’t come focused, ready and sharp…well, who knows what could happen?
Thanks again to all!
Mike
I loved the excitement of the game on Sunday, and for the first time in awhile even though our team was down my faith in the win never diminished. Just looking at how we don’t need to rely on the run and that we have a quarterback who can pass with accuracy and force makes me stoked. We have two solid backs who can pound the football downfield. Just watching jay poised as can be makes me comfortable. The defense looked imppressive. We have the ability to scare some teams into making mistakes now! Once we correct the few we made…unstoppable
I heard that Bronco fans are having trouble finding the white horse Bronco foam head hat. I know I had troulbe finding it, so if you are looking to buy one. you can go to ( http://www.foamhead.com ) and try that. But to get faster service I found the persons that make the item and there phone no is (206-624-5222 ) ask for JEFF or JIM , the foam horse head hat sold for 34 dollars plus shipping. I live in Miami and I got it in just Two weeks. Good luck. Go Broncos
Shanny isn’t going to show everything in the first game of the year. he did show some option plays that worked well. Now our opponents are going to have to worry about that also. I would’nt worry about our long passing game. If you rememeber last year, Javon had that down pat whether it was Jake or Jay throwing. What will make this Broncos team different will be a very well-rounded game plan. Not relying on passing or running, but relying on making the defense guess. This was the beauty of the Broncos late in Elway’s career. Their formations looked the same whether run or pass. They could run out of a one-back set or the power I. They could pass out of a one-back set or out of their base offense. The defense never knew what was coming !! In order to play like that, you need the talent to execute it. I think we have the talent now. But remember, this was only the first game. The yards were there, the points will come. Our schedule is a little easier this year and we don’t have to show everything we have every game. We’ve got plenty !! Hopefully our defense will keep us in most games and we won’t have to score 30 just to win. With the addition of “Hot 97″ our defense has really been upgraded. Don’t forget, Simeon Rice will play every down. Not just running or passing downs. We can still bring in Dumervil in passing situations and Jarvis Moss also. Dumervil is too small to play the run effectively all game. Rice is a monster against the run or the pass. What a great situation to be in. Could you ever imagine the Broncos would have Champ Bailey, Dre Bly AND Simeon Rice at the same time !!!! As for Jay, well, I think he’s going to be o.k. !! He make good decisions and is a leader on the field. He is only going to get better & better. Look at Leinart & Young. Cutler is right there !! Go Broncos !!!
Cutler’s 4th down conversions and quick long passes to Javon helped us with that field goal. He’s definitely going to be a good comeback captain.