In times like this, it is easy to think the sky is falling. It is easy to look at the big picture and see the Broncos’ season slipping away.
On the surface, things look bad. The Broncos are 2-4 and as we have discussed many times, that is the bottom line, which is all that really matters when the season is over.
But the season isn’t over, not by a long shot. There is a lot of football left to be played. Call me a homer if you want, but I’m just not going to dismiss the final ten games simply because the Broncos are off to rough start.
Yes, I am generally a positive and optimistic person. I will look for the silver lining. I will try to find rational reasons that suggest a possible positive outcome. I like to think I can take that approach without being ignorant or naïve to the reality of a situation.
So what is the most reasonable course of action? To me, it is to look at how the Broncos are playing and try to determine if the Broncos can realistically make something positive of the season after some early struggles.
I believe they can. Here are a few reasons why.
1 – THE SCHEDULE. Let’s face it, the Broncos have just completed a brutal four-game stretch of hosting the Colts, playing at the Titans and Ravens and hosting the Jets. Those are four of the best teams in the AFC. I never had any illusions that the Broncos are at the level of those teams yet, but they still managed a win over Tennessee and they played right with the Colts and Jets. They did this despite mounting injuries.
2 – THE SCHEDULE. On Monday, Broncos’ head coach Josh McDaniels correctly stated that there is no easy game in the NFL.
“They are all good teams,” McDaniels said. “There is no question about that. We will play another one this week in our division. Every game is that way I think. If you play really well and they play really well, it is probably going to be a close game. If you don’t play well, it really doesn’t matter who you are playing, they are going to have a chance to beat you.”
The fact is that the Broncos are entering a stretch of games in which the opponents are not as good as those in four-game stretch they just completed. The Raiders and 49ers are next. Then after the bye, the Broncos host the Chiefs, play at the Chargers and take on the Rams at Invesco Field at Mile High.
That is a five-game run of games that are completely winnable. Certainly there is no guarantee the Broncos will win any or all of them. The key is that the Broncos have to play consistently well.
3 – THE BRONCOS ARE PLAYING BETTER. After what I saw against the Jets, I’ll give the Broncos a pass for their poor performance against the Ravens. All NFL teams have those kind of games. The Broncos had one on the road against an excellent team. It happens. If it happens on a regular basis, then that constitutes a major problem. But that kind of game has been the exception, not the rule for the Broncos.
The way the Broncos responded with a quality performance against the Jets told me some things about their fortitude. They have what it takes to overcome the injuries. They have what it takes to play well against a good team. They have what it takes to be tough when it counts.
Now they need to have what it takes to finish off opponents and win games. I believe they have that.
Some people might point to the Broncos’ 4-12 record since they started out 6-0 last year and wonder how in the world the Broncos will turn this around.
Some might point to a struggling running game and pass rush, among other issues, and say the Broncos can’t consistently win this year.
And those who point to such things raise questions and issues that have merit. In the long run, those people may very well be right. I’m just not yet ready to wave the white flag and admit they are.
There is too much football left to be played.
What are your thoughts? Do you agree or is the 2-4 too disappointing to allow you to think things might get better for the Broncos? I always enjoy your posts and appreciate your sharing your thoughts.
Thanks for reading.
Best,
Mike
Tags: 2010, Denver Broncos, Head Coach Josh McDaniels, Mike Rice
Yeah I mean Bailey certainly will have the most trade value but I’m gonna go out on a limb and believe Josh when he says he wants him to retire in Denver. Also with all the injury going on the defensive side of the ball I just don’t see it happening. We’d have to get something like a good defensive end and an early pick to make it legit and I’m sure if there’s a team out there to accomodate something like that.
With Goody hurt,no way we can start Cox and Thompson at the CB positions.To trade Champ would not be an option.IMO
Ya, if they do go back to the Orange Crush color, I wouldn`t change a thing. Bring back the Orange.
*and I’m NOT sure. I have to get better about proof reading. What sites are you guys all on to stay up to date with the trades?
I agree Beast
BR…just jumping around the web trying to find out what I can.
We have one open roster spot and two open PS spots the way I see it, something leans me to think trades might be made because it’s not like McD running around without a full roster, only 45 min. to go.
Yeah me too. I’m on ESPN and NFL.com
What does everybody think about the way they are going to enforce helmet to helmet? I’m glad they aren’t changing the rules as to what constitutes a legal hit, which I think was the main concern for everyone.
Mike I agree withyou on the Chiefs possibly being pretenders. I think we can go into K.C. and get a win, but on the other hand, with the Bronco`s history to go there in december and get a win is very tough. Also, about the Orange Crush uniforms, I heard Josh McDaniel`s say that he loves the look of the old Orange Crush. I say bring it back. It`s time.
Great post Mike. You hit the nail right on the head. There is too much football yet to be played… I’m not one to jump the gun and declare this season another dud. The season is over when its over. We haven’t even reached our bye week yet. This team is capable of anything… one reason why I like their unpredictable nature. Of course I don’t like it when they “surprise” me with a such a good game like Sunday’s game and then end up losing but they are so unpredictable… we could end up winning our next 2 games and go into our bye 4-4.
They have shown to be more consistent with losing games and I’ve never seen a team of any kind face the injury bug like we have over a span of a few years. That one’s got me baffled. With injuries, its like we just can’t catch a break. KC will be a tougher team to control and stop but if anyone knows that team, it’s their division rivals. Those games will be close ones. As for Oakland, they WILL lose on Sunday. No questions about it, no doubt about it. Oakland will go home empty handed.
Have some faith Bronco Country…
GO BRONCOS in 2010!!!!
Well did anyone watch Steve Young and Matt Millen arguing about the viscious hit rule they are trying to put into effect,Young was for it,but Millen was outraged,and said it was stupid,I agree with Millen,football is supposed to be a contact sport,I say don’t change anymore rules,enough rules have been changed already.jomho.
Yeah, if you can’t take some risks playing for millions of dollars, you can always go play golf. Football is a contact sport, at the rate we are going with rule changes I can see it becoming a non contact game, how fun….
Professional flag football? LOL
I told my son last night,when we were watching the Titans/Jags game that before too long they will be playing 2 hand touch,he laughed.
I agree with Millen as well. I think Young wasn’t necessarily for it but he made it clear it was going down anyway. I just read on NFL.com that they’re not changing the rules just the enforcement. So a clean it that puts someone on the sideline should be fine. I believe that helmet to helmet usually happens on accident so I really hope the NFL will look at it on a case by case basis. I’m sure they won’t though.
Yeah or flag football haha
Looks like you beat me to the punch Big D
It’s ok as long as it’s orange flags, haha. The fans of the following couple generations will love it, and I won’t care because I won’t be here to hate it, LOL.
Millen got mad and punched Young in the arm and said”is that vicious”,he was trying to make a point about how the officials will figure out what a vicious hit is,and Young said”vicious hit,you’re suspended”.I think if a player makes a clean hit,viscious or not,no way you can suspend him,that’s just crazy.
Hell half the players in the league will be suspended.
There`s no way we trade Champ. Not gonna happen. 1/2 half hour left until deadline.
Even if we do any trading we probably won’t find anything out till later on in the day,is my guess.
strandoftds,I agree,Champ is the best CB we ever had and still is….FACT.
You are right, the deadline is to file it with the league, not with the press.
BTW, I was happy with the improved play against the Jets. Of course, not happy at the end result. I would have been irrate if we didn’t compete with the Jets, but we did and should have one. I have read all of the comments and have seen good points from both sides. I tend to try and stay optimistic but I do know that we need to keep improving in key areas. And I THINK McD is trying to do that. Maybe he is reading the blog. As Bay has said, he starting doing things against the Jets that many of us have been asking for all season. LOL “Better late then never” as Baylin would say. We do have a lot of talented players that have not been utilized much this season. We need to be more creative with the Tebow packages and keep the O line we have because they are starting to click. We will soon learn if the game we played against the Jets was just a fluke (because of the Jets having a short week) or if we really have a team the is a contendor. I believe our team is good enough but how they perform on Sunday is up to the players and the coaches, unfortunately we don’t have a say. lol One thing is for sure.
I LOVE ME SOME DENVER BRONCOS…
Yeah Millen punching him in the arm was funny. Luckily, it sounds like if the hit is legal they won’t do anything about it. The hit Ray Lewis put on Dustin Keller earlier this season comes to mind. I was worried stuff like that was gonna go away but it sounds like it’s not. Unfortunately, some defensive back is gonna be going for a clean hit, the RB is gonna lower his shoulder, they’ll smack heads and the defensive back will get an undesered suspension.
Agreed Big D, keep the O line as is now, it is the best combo I’ve seen this year, that’s why Harris is kind of becoming expandable. Trade maybe?
If the NFL keeps changing the rules about hitting Favre might play until he is 50.I saw where next week he will break another one of Elway’s records for most consecutive starts at one field,when he starts at Lambeau Field.
To trade Champ would be the same as shooting yourself in the foot. Idiotic.
I agree – let’s finish STRONG this year!!! We have all of our Division games ahead of us. We can still easily win the Division!!!
strandoftds, funny, I think I heard that said here about Cutler and Marshall, what’s one more? LOL.
Champ Bailey is the face of the Denver Broncos,and to trade him would be like trading Elway before he retired.IMO
And as Bay says from time to time, thats just bad bussiness. I would n`t trade Champ for a hole football team.IMO
OK, I take that back. How about lets not trade our franchise player, period.
Orton,Kuper,and Doom all got contracts,where’s Champs contract,he’s been the best shutdown Corner in the game and has 9 straight probowls(an NFL record) to prove it.
Ok, because I was gonna venture to say I’ll take the Steelers, the Ravens or just Peyton Manning for that matter, LOL.
ooooops. wrong spelling. Whole football team.
You guys sound real nervous about Bailey…
I thought you meant a football team playing out of a hole, LOL.
The only thing that would come out of a trade like that is epic failure. Here’s why, our younger guys are just learning the ropes from guys like Champ, Goody and Dawkins. They still have so much to learn and so much that they can learn. Sure they’ve been performing well but they’re not ready to replace guys like Champ and Goody just yet. Think of all the knowledge that would be lost if we traded Champ. That’d be one sad day if we traded Champ.
The only 2 positions we are deep at,and even consider trading is WR and DB,and we are getting to thin from injuries to trade any of them,plus McD is not very good at trading,so I hope we don’t trade anybody.jomho.
We can trade players for draft picks, Mankins would make sense.
hey i agree i am getting sick of hearing about people bitching about us being 2-4 look last season was a crock we had an easy scedule and after we beat the patriots hell most of the players were in the injury list…look were 2-4 and we kept up with the 4 tops teams in the nfl so instead of bitching and saying we need a new coach…lets give it up for the Broncos we might have lost last sunday but i am proud of them…we did have our head up our ass against the raves though…
uhhhh, so I went a little over board. But I still would like to keep him, heck, sign him to that new contract. Get it done so he can retire here in Denver. Wishfull thinking huh.
LOL.Hahaha.
But then again Belicheck probably doesn’t care about draft picks, at least for next year, he already has two picks in each of the first four rounds!!!!! Have you ever heard of that? And they are already good, bummer for the AFC.
How ’bout we trade Maroney..he hasn’t really shown us anything of value. I thought he was suppose to “know” the system, the only thing he “knows” is how to get stopped in the backfield.
I like Mankins he would help our Oline immensley,but at what cost,we would have to give up a #1 or #2,and a lot of $$$$$$$$$,but the great ones are worth it,and by the way McD drafts,I’d rather have a proven player like Mankins than for McD to waste the pick anyway.
Not that there’d be a lot of takers….