Without a doubt, the Broncos’ season-opening loss to the Raiders was disappointing. And everyone had a hand in it.
“It was a team effort, so to speak,” Head Coach John Fox told 850 KOA right after the game.
Indeed it was. There is no getting around that.
As poorly as the Broncos played, and as disappointing as it was to see, it was only one game. I know everyone knows that one game does not make a season. One game is not a pattern. One game is not a trend. One game, whether it be a bad one or a good one, is not an indication that things will continue in the same way.
Just so no one misunderstands and thinks I am making excuses for the Broncos on Monday night, the Broncos made too many mistakes to beat the Raiders. They could not run the ball. They could not stop Raiders’ running back Darren McFadden. They committed too many penalties and turnovers. They played poorly.
And they still only lost by three points.
Even in the what-have-you-done-lately world of the NFL, perspective is such an important commodity. The Broncos are trying to pick themselves up off the mat. They are trying to come back from the depths of a 4-12 season.
The road back will be bumpy. Consider the Raiders game bump number one.
I see, however, an improved performance this Sunday against the Bengals. While nothing is guaranteed in the NFL, I don’t see a repeat of week one’s systemic breakdown.
Here are a few reasons why.
1 – A BETTER EFFORT AGAINST THE RUN. Right now, Darren McFadden has the Broncos’ number. I don’t see the Bengals having the same success on the ground that the Raiders had on Monday night.
2 – A CLEANER PERFORMANCE ON OFFENSE. Call it season-opening jitters or whatever you want, I don’t think the Broncos will commit as many penalties and drop as many passes this week. Things seemed to get rolling in the wrong direction on Monday and the Broncos could not reverse that. I don’t think that will happen two weeks in a row.
3 – THE LEARNING CURVE. The Broncos just played their first game under a new head coach. There is a learning curve and the Broncos experienced some of that in week one. I have to believe they will get more and more comfortable in John Fox’s systems.
If we are having this same discussion about the Broncos’ consistently poor play in six to eight weeks, then that would clearly be problematic.
For now, I’ll sit back and believe this team can and will play much better.
What will be the key against the Bengals this Sunday?
Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts.
Best,
Mike
Tags: Broncos-Raiders, John Fox, Raiders
Seriously though. I will be very surprised if we don’t sweep KC. I don’t expect them to win more than 5 games all year.
alexanserg, you are obviously still real wet behind the ears about this NFL football thing because injuries will happen EVERY year, to EVERY team, that’s a gimme, so first thing I do when I predict a season is not looking at only what we look like with our starters but what we got for depth, that right there is the bottom line, players will go down and backups will have to fill in, every year, that’s the nature of the NFL. Too late for this year but maybe it will help you with your future NFL football fan life and predictions.
Yeah, Bay, I know that. But luck is a factor. I was hoping for some exceptional luck.
I mean realistically speaking one of our most important players (doom, miller, bailey, Clady) was bound to get hurt, but I was hoping it would only be one, or at least only one at a time.
Like I said, I was hoping. Not expecting
Oh yeah, to answer Mike’s question up top, what will be the key against the Bengals this Sunday?
Play better.
I know that sounds stupid, but that’s exactly the key, playing better, we played awful, well below most players’ potential, and coaching too? Or is that as good as it gets? Let’s hope not…
When you mean exceptional luck, you might get your wish, as in Luck, LOL.
In that same token, getting our backups in there may also help them get better as well. There are some that want Tebow to start to get that experience, well backups at other positions are the same way. Just getting in there in real game experience can help them get better as well. That is their time to showcase what they can do also.
There is probably some clever saying somewhere in the world about how stupid hope is.
“Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.” or “Hope is the last bastion of the loser.” don’t seem to quite cut it. Especially since I am pretty sure I made that second one up.
Brian, did you miss the last preseason game at the Cardinals? LOL, same backups you’re talking about, haha.
As far as I am concerned, Drafting Luck before Tebow, Quinn, or even Weber gets a proper season of being the unquestioned starter (to see what they can do) would be a very bad strategy.
I mean, Luck is now in the same situation as Peyton Manning, Ryan leaf, or Jamarcus “hambone” Russel when they were drafted. He is a good college QB that has yet to prove himself in the NFL.
Are we really gonna start drafting a QB in the first round every year, and never give any of them a chance to start?
I went through a 12 pack of Coors Light in the first half on Monday I hope a 12 pack will last me the whole game on Sunday!
Here’s to hope cheers!
Haha, yeah those backups. I’m not saying they’re going to become starters but at least maybe they’ll be come decent backups.
I’ll be honest, on my season record prediction I initially had us going 4-12 again. My wife and I are a split household, she’s pro Orton, I’m pro Tebow, but we both love the Broncos. Anyway she convinced me that a couple more wins that last year would be plausable. She said last year our defense gave up some dumb plays, referring to the Jets game, and so I decided on 6-10. We’re not a bad team were just a team that plays bad.
Lol at your 8:15 post bay.
I will go even more simplistic and say that the key to this upcoming bengals game is to win.
Rocky Mountain Water beer, Coors Light, that’s probably the orange kool aid everybody keeps talking about here, it must be good stuff, almost hallucinogenic, LOL
I mix my Rocky Mountain Water beer with copious amounts of LSD, so there is no “almost” about it.
Haha, j/k. I don’t drink Rocky Mountain Water beer.
Convert on 3rd down
Get TDs when in the redzone
Don’t turn the ball over and cause turnovers on defense
Stuff their run
Shut down their pass
Get our running game going
Get our passing game going
Don’t commit penalties
Get another great return from Decker
Get Royal involved early, he’s one of those guys that can get hot
Get some sacks
Most of all win the game….Easy just do all this and a win is guaranteed!
Unless most Bronco fans are like Salvador Dali, who never took acid but claimed he WAS acid.
Official Game Prediction:
Cin: 27
Den:20
No more, I look at this happening, then have a good day and go against it.
Either way, you’re all tripping, LMAO.
Not my favorite beer but it’s a tradition for me to drink Coors during every Bronco game! and my son drinks Orange Crush! If Fox can’t figure out what to do about Orton and his horrendous play in the red Zone I say throw some pads on #7!!!!
One game doesn’t make or break a season, sorry to all those who believe this, but I believe this last game was not a normal game. It was not a normal season opener. We are a 4-12 team coming in, 8-8 after a dismal collapse of the 6-0 start. At home, rival team. We were desperate to make a statement, and we did. We are still the 4-12 team of 2010. The only difference is, we still have hope that John Fox can turn it around when McD couldn’t. But looking at that slop from Monday night, the attitude may not be the same, but the results sure look about the same.
I do eat lots and lots of orange flavored LSD though.
LOVE me SOME DENVER broncos. Also ‘shrooms. Some Hag Ragging On Orton: May Soliliquy.
Hmm … Well I tried.
“they (Broncos) are exactly what we thought they were”
Pretty much sums it up
btw before I left work yesturday, the Broncos were 5 point favorits in he Sports books. I wander why my handi capping friends think about this game.
That’s the second Cinci win pick.
If anybody told me before the season started that ANYONE would pick us to lose against Cinci at home I would of been stunned, it is the game that many analysts predicted could be the only one we were pretty much assured to win on our schedule this season, and some folks say that the first loss against Oakland doesn’t mean much because half the teams are 0-1, including the team and coaching….whatever….
As far as Orton goes, if he wants to make big money next year, hes gonna have to prove something. He has no future with the broncos and the way hes goin about it now, he might not have a future in the CFL. As far as being a gators fan, Ive been a broncos fan longer. If Orton is the leader of this team then i need to see something other than wat he has shown thus far. Never wanted him to be our quarterback, but as long as he is, I at least want him to win.
Lol. May soliliquy. I know it was my own joke, and most likely no one else thinks it’s funny. But … lawl
As far as Orton goes, if he wants to make big money next year, he might be sol.
If he plays the rest of the season like he played the rest of the season, he might be able to land a job as a backup next year.
Er uh, “like he played the season opener.” *
If the first game against Oakland wasn’t the most important season opener we may have ever played like some folks have been arguing with me, how about this upcoming game being the most important second game we’ve ever played? LMAO.
Maybe Orton should fake an injury and take one for the team. Then he would be clutch!
Lol, TheBroncoGator. /agree 100%
Would be the most clutch thing Orton ever did for us.
IMO every upcoming game is the most important ever. I don’t care if it is the first game, or the SB. If it’s a practice scrimmage, or preseason. Every single upcoming game is always the most important ever.
Can’t do anything about the past, and the future is yet to come. The present is ALWAYS the most important.
0-2, at the house, going at Tennessee next and hitting the meat of the schedule for the following like 11 games? Does that rate this game’s importance right up there? Just wondering how long some bloggers will deny the importance of early games is all. They are crucial to our season, 0-2 would be disastrous, make no mistake about it, they must win this game, simple as that, or the rest of the season will be a repeat performance of last year.
On that note,
GO BRONCOS!
There is just no other choice.
That’s what irked me so much about Orton trying to play it off like it was just one game. I suppose Fox has to do the whole coach speak thing. But it seems that, in Kyle Orton, you should be able to see a little pain, some hurt pride, some determination to turn it around. It isn’t there. He just figures it’s another business day and business wasn’t good. He will go home and baby-talk his newborn.
“goo goo gaga, daddy lost today. Can you say Daddy lost today? No? You will be able to soon. OOOO coo-choo-coo-choo-coo”
Want to buy a seat on the bench or Orton. Too bad we can’t move him to the practice squad.
I really dont get why we choose to have 2 veteran quarterbacks ahead of a second year prospect. Its hard to improve if ur fighting for practice reps. Look at Cam Newton, his only competition was from a second year player himself who also played horrible last year. He was able to get reps with his first team offense and it showed in the first game. Im not saying it will continue but at least the team played played his game.
Just heard our injury list on 9 news. I want to revise my prediction for this week against the Bengals. Sorry to say it…no Elvis, Marcus Thomas hurt, possibly no Lloyd, Probably no Knowshon and the list goes on……Bengals win
Broncos 17
Bengals 20
Bay Let me know you saw this. CRAP I hope I’m wrong!!!!
I was looking at a Denver win comming into the season predicting 5. There was just too much that we showed Monday. Talking about the should ofs, etc. Oakland should have blown us out. We should have lost by more than 3. With that in mind, unless it is a missed last second field goal, a bad call on a game decision play by the refs, I stay away from the should ofs. It takes years off of lives.
“played his game” and that allowed him to have success. Tebow is being forced to completely learn how to be a different style of quarterback and that will only prolong his development.
Bay also, I agree with the must win thing. I agreed with you when you said 2-3 by the end of week 5. Those hopes will severely dwindle if we lose this week.
Fox will be here max two years if he insists on this sticking with the losing QB stuff. He will probably get Delholme or some other washed up QB before he has the guts to hand the reigns to a promising rookie, such as Weber.
I mean, people were yelling for Plummer’s head the year after he led us the the AFC championship.
Side note: Plummer is definitely the best QB we have had since Elway, so far.
Denver 7
Cinci 13
that hurts to post
If we were the Peyton/Colts, NE, Pitts, NO, type of team, the one game comments would hold water. We are not one of those teams. NO losing, well heck, they probably would have beat any team but GB. They have needed improvement, steps that need to be taken, not a fundamental shift. I thought and will still hold onto we are laying the foundation this year, but you are not supposed to lay concrete with huge boulders in it and it running off the edges cause the frame snapped.
I guess my view on it is based on a different perspective. It’s more on how I thought we’d do this season, which is not make the playoffs. So since I don’t think we are going to make the playoffs, dropping a game in week 1 takes my thoughts from 7-9 to 6-10. Only ramification now is that we get to draft earlier, just kidding I’m not looking that far ahead haha. But anyways that’s why I don’t find it as significant.
It’s more about how we are taking steps to improve week to week. Converting from the offensive scheme from last season into a more balanced attack. On defense, continuing to improve and get young guys experience. We started off with very low standards with the Raiders game lol.
So I agree that these first two weeks would be our most important of the year, considering our schedule and all, in regards to us making the playoffs. And no I’m not just arguing for the sake of arguing, I’m just looking at our team in a 2-3 year rebuilding mindset. So week 1 of year 1 is a small portion of the grand scheme of things.
raidrhadr, sorry, the rules have always been one pick per blogger and one pick only, that’s why many bloggers chose to wait til later in the week to make theirs. Allowing multiple picks would never end.
Hope that makes some sort of sense
I know winning games is the most important aspect of any sport but I would just like to see improvment. If we play at a high level and we still get beat yeah it stinks we lost but at least we have some positives to take from the game. The only positive so far has been Decker’s nice return. Even if we don’t win another game at least show vast improvements.
At least we didn’t have as high of hopes as Brainless Chiefs fans they have got to be feeling like crud and it makes me feel a bit better to think about that.