One game will not erase all the issues of a 2-6 first half of the season.
But Sunday’s 49-29 thumping of the Chiefs sure is a good start.
The Broncos came out prepared, focused and executing to near perfection in the blowout. Arguably, it was the team’s best performance in Josh McDaniels’ year-and-a-half as head coach. The timing could not have been better.
The foundation of this win appeared to be put in place during the Broncos’ bye week.
“There’s been a lot of teams that have started, for whatever reason, not playing the type of football that they want to play but ultimately figure out the perfect formula for their team and then play their best football in November and December,” Coach McDaniels told 850 KOA on Monday.
“That was really what we talked a lot about during our bye week and heading into the Kansas City week, was that, that opportunity still was out there for us.”
And it still is, in a big way. The main reasons why?
1 – THE BRONCOS GOT BACK TO HAVING FUN. This is often a Catch-22 in sports. What comes first, having fun or having success? In the first half of the year, the Broncos didn’t have much fun. Sure, their won-loss record slipped seemingly by the week. But they didn’t look like a group of players that was having fun playing the game.
During the bye week, Broncos great John Elway met with the team and, according to Coach McDaniels, one of the things he shared was the importance of enjoying the process of working through a season, of enjoying the opportunity to go out and play the game of football.
If Sunday’s game is any indication, it sure looks like the Broncos got the message.
2 – THE BRONCOS EXECUTED ON THE FIELD. They rushed for 153 yards. They held the Chiefs to 51 yards on the ground. The Broncos had four sacks and scored a defensive touchdown. It was the type of performance that Broncos fans have been waiting for.
They scored early. They defense put the clamps on the Chiefs. The Broncos played their best game of the season.
3 – THE BRONCOS’ HEALTH IS IMPROVING. I know, mention injuries and you run the risk of making excuses. The fact is, the Broncos didn’t play well in the first half of the season. Period. They were 2-6 for a reason. Well, actually they were 2-6 for a lot of reasons, all related to inconsistent and/or poor play. Injuries were just one reason.
Now, they Broncos have more of the players healthy that they were counting on to be core players all along. The offensive line features the five guys in the positions the Broncos wanted them in going back to training camp.
Knowshon Moreno has recovered from his two injuries. Brian Dawkins is back on the field and making his presence felt there and as a leader in the locker room.
I don’t know if the way the Broncos played against the Chiefs will carry over to Monday’s game against the Chargers. I do know that if the Broncos are to turn their season into something positive, they took a big step in that direction on Sunday.
What impressed you most about the win over the Chiefs?
Thanks for reading and sharing.
Best,
Mike
Tags: 2010, Brian Dawkins, Denver Broncos, Head Coach Josh McDaniels, Knowshon Moreno, Mike Rice
Hey Mike, it was indeed the best we have seen the boys preform under McDaniels. I loved the quick fire start we got. The Offense was on fire and backed up by great D. Just when it looked like KC would bounce back with a TD a defensive stance/play would change the game. It was a great day and a breath of fresh air to finally see Moreno break into triple figures and to see the running game come back to life.
My biggest concern was the D in the second half. We ranked 8th in Pass Defence in the league going into the game, I am positive we have dropped a palce or two after lapse in focus. Cassell who is by no means a top flight QB was allowed to pass at will. Yes the game was (or appeared to be) locked up, but the defence needs to play for the FULL 60mins. Its not about running up the score its all about ensuring our engines are reving at full speed for the full game. Teams take their foot of the pedal when they have a healthy lead, but maintaing the pressure to the final whistle is key. Leave nothing on the field!!!
I hope to see the D & O find a good balance as they front up the Bolts on National TV.
LETS GO BRONCOS!
I have basically nothing to say but good things about the performance, and I mean if I were to say bad things about a performance like this I seriously doubt I would ever find a Bronco game to be happy with.
And I am Bronco happy this week.
I believe the Elway having a talk with the team during the bye week had a tremendous impact on the guys mentally. Not only did Elway talk about the need for them to have fun playing but, according to Haggan in the DP, Elway also stressed the fact that to him it seemed as if they were pressing, trying too hard, not keeping it down to their job, trying to do too much and everything becomes a mess because of it. Sort of like what happened last year at mid season, where they were accused of free lancing by Dawkins and everything went to the crapper.
And when Elway speaks, players listen, at least they ought to.
There were a lot of things to be impressed by in a game like this, so it’s very hard to say what was the most impressive, but considering the fact that I believe the game of football is won or lost in the trenches, that ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING STARTS THERE, I will have to say that I was impressed by stuff in the following order:
1. The O line. Absolutely no doubt that we finally have the right combo of players on the line and do not mess with that line up unless for injuries of course. They kept Orton’s jersey nearly spotless and they allowed Moreno his first 100 yard game, nothing more need being said.
2. The front seven on D. I truly believe that we need to have Mays inside as a starter and keep Haggan outside. This combo along with Hunley outside and DJ inside really did a good job of controlling the edges and the D line was able to manhandle the middle. Ayers back will only help further, so I guess we will finally be able to say see you later Moss when Doom comes back next year.
3. Orton. What can you say other than a career high 4 TD’s passing, given protection no one throws a more catchable ball than Orton, don’t take my word for it, that’s what Lloyd says.
4. Lloyd, absolutely unbelievable arms stretched out over the top of a defender and other tip toeing catches that only should be made in a circus. The guy is a catching machine.
5. Moreno. Best thing about it, NO DANCING this week, first time I really ever saw him bursting throught holes straight in front of him without looking for more yards, and look how that turned out.
I could go on and on since so many things were positive this week but just a few names of others who really caught my eye: Gaffney, Royal, Bannan, and Woodyard on ST.
All that being said, there is a lot of work ahead to be able to re-peat such performance in SD Monday, because it was clearly obvious that KC did not put a very good product on the field on this specific Sunday and reacted real poorly to what was happening on the field. They gave up way too early on the run in my opinion, regardless of the score or how well we were doing stopping the run, it is their bread and butter and they should of never gone away from it, I loved that they did, but I thought giving up on it in the first half was asinine. Anyhow, signs of a young team and inexperienced coaching staff were evident there.
So using extreme caution as to being overly enthusiastic about how good we are after this one great game is crucial.
My advice to the team: Remember how great it felt like to play and win like you did Sunday but do not ever forget how rotten it felt during the 4 game losing streak just before that.
I feel when McD came in he demanded respect without knowing or understanding the History of the Denver Broncos or the Fans. I hope that we have all knocked him off his soapbox and put a flam under his ass to now walk the walk! Also, I do believe that we do need to hire a really good training coach to help us stay healthy all season long.
Win or Loose… I’m a Broncos Fan!
The much ado about nothing over Haley’s conduct reminded me of a statement Tom Jackson made several years ago. I can’t remember the exact reason the topic was brought up on the ESPN show he appears on, but it was something about shaking hands, etc after the game is over. The others on the panel felt it was a good thing to do. When Tom was asked if he shook hands, etc with members of the opposite team, he replied, “NEVER!! They are my enemy who tried all day to defeat me. They are not my friends.”
Good point!
Tom then went on to give an example of how he played. It was late in a game against the Raiders who were humiliating the Broncos. The OL Tom kept dueling with told him to take it easy that there was no way the Broncos could win. He said to the Raider OL something to the effect that he doesn’t stop playing his best until the final gun sounds.
That’s how a real Bronco player plays!
What a great day it was at Invesco! The Broncos came out fired up and went to work right off the opening drive.
The re-emergence of the running game allowed Coach McD to call a better game as he had balance on offense. A game ball should have been awarded to the O-line as a group. Best game they’ve had so far this year. Moreno’s success and only be attributed to their success up front. Moreno had daylight to run to, therefore no need to dance…lol. The O-line was firing off the snap of the ball and controlling the line of scrimmage. Some great traps blocks as well.
Kyle Orton looked the best he as all season, hitting the open receiver without hesitation. Brandon Lloyd’s acrobatic catch got us all off our feet !! What an outstanding catch between two defenders!!
Some great contributions with the screens by Demaryious and Eddie.
“Super Mario” had an awesome game! I’m sure he received a game ball!
Our defense did a great job of containing Jamal Charles, and applied early pressure on Cassel. Also great to see the goal line stand.
Great win for the TEAM!
GO BRONCOS!!!!
Great game!! Bring back the ORANGE !!!!
Sorry for typo’s – trying to type on the fly.
Haha Bay…
I am VERY excited to see how happy you are with the game as everyone should be!! There is usually more bad things that we usually find more than good things and just like you said, there was hardly nothing wrong with that game!!! It was funny because me and my cousin both said that we each had a feeling that we were going to win that game and boy did we win!!!
I do think that I should say a few things about our defense!! I am not sure if I am right, but after we went up by a lot of points it looked as if our defense just gave up!! I know the game was basically over, but the game is not over until the clock hits 0 and I still hate seeing them making plays on our defense!!
The best thing the whole game I would say would have to be either our stellar offense or the fact that our linebackers all looked like future hall of famers out there!! Mays, Haggan, Hunter, and Williams all just dominated the whole game!! Mays and Hunter both were amazing pick ups and you have to give credit and McD knows who to pick up for defense!! He’s brought in Goody, Dawk, Mays, Hunter and our rookies since last year!! That game was exactly what we needed to head into San Diego and show them just what the Chiefs couldn’t handle!!!
Also guys, I saw that Tebow is up for rookie of week so everyone go vote for him!!! It will be tough for him to win as there were a lot of rookies who had stellar games this past week! Everyone’s vote counts so get it in!!!
Also if anyone is wanting amazing tickets for a very low price for the Rams at Broncos game please let me know!!! I have 2 tickets remaining in the very middle of the home side 5-6 rows up from the very bottom!!!
I LOVE ME SOME BRONCOS COUNTRY!!
bay…you know I agree with things starting in the trenches. What a great win for our boys. we will need 60 minute next Monday from everyone. Congrats to Tim Tebow throwong his first pass….and for a TD!!!! Not going to repeat all the ‘firsts’ here as they were aptly stated in another blog but there were many.
Love to be a fly on the wall for that speech Elway gave to the team. Funny how he’s contributing to wins even in his retirement. Thank you John.
Since you liked all the first, a little re-post of my list seems appropriate at this time:
-This is the first time we scored on the first possession of a game this year.
-This is the first time we had multiple scores in the first quarter this year.
-This is the first time we scored 21 first quarter points under McD.
-This is the first time we scored 35 points in the first half under McD.
-This is the first time ever KC was down 35-0 in a first half.
-This is the first time Orton threw for 4 TD’s in the NFL.
-This is the first time Moreno ran for over 100 yards in the NFL.
-This is the first time we scored more than 44 points under McD.
-This is the first time Tebow threw a pass in the NFL.
-This is the first time Tebow threw a completion in the NFL.
-This is the first time Tebow completed a pass for a TD in the NFL.
-This is the first time I ever saw Larsen catch a TD pass.
-This is the first time Prater kicked seven extra points in a game.
-This is the first time we were perfect in the red zone, 5 for 5, 100% efficiency.
-This is the first time we were perfect in goal to go, 3 for 3, 100% efficiency.
-This is the first time we won a divisional home game under McD.
-This is the first time I ever saw Mr. Bolwen talk to McD on the sidelines during a game.
An entry is always better after a win, wouldn’t you agree Mr. Rice!
After 8 games this season, I really enjoyed watching this team come out in the first quarter and play with some intensity. They took advantage of their red zone opportunities. And made key stops on D. Especially the goal line stand. I (along with many others), was so worried this team gave up on the season.
I also liked the fact we got our 1st home division win under McD and that McD gave Mr. Larsen the opportunities he got!!!! I sure hope this intensity carries over to the Monday night game so we can start a streak of wins!!!
Go Broncos!!!
Offense and Defense get all the glory. ST did a tremendous job out there too. Decker was fantastic in coverage.
Broncosfreak30, I`may be interested. I do I get in touch with you?
Hey Bay, You missed one
* This is the first time tebow passed and ran for a TD in an NFL game
Mike,
If i complained about this victory even I would have to ask myself if i am incapable of being pleased lol. THings just fell our way sunday, and once we got the momentum we were on fire. Momentum is a strong thing, as chiefs got it back and started piling the points on as well (but of course that was after we started to play safe D). Harris on the Oline made a difference, dunno why he has been on the bench. Moreno ran like I have always said he could, did’t like the pick but i believed he was a good back for zone blocking but he did his thing this week none the less. He didn’t dance around BECAUSE THE HOLES WERE ACTUALLY THERE. Oline did well. Everyone did well. Only thing i didn’t like was how much respect we were giving their recievers playing 10 yards off every down but i understand we didnt wanna give up the big play. Mays did well, Haggan did well. Nice game, gave me something to smile about, talent wise we are far from the bottom of the barrel (like the cowboys) but I personally didnt think the staff was getting it done (still want an offseason change). Well they got it done this week and the players did thier job. Overall lotta issues and i still STRONGLY doubt we end .500 but ill enjoy this win. TRB out…
A great game that should give this team the momentum to do it again on SD turf. That would be an even bigger win for us. So very little went wrong in this game for us… 4th qtr was basically the point where they really stopped trying for more points, just couldn’t get more on the board. Zero turnovers, only a few penalties, Orton was at his very best and most of all we had a very healthy team out there. Whenever we get Ayers back, he’ll bring more momentum to our 2nd half comeback. VERY happy with this team right now. They just gotta keep pushing to get better. At least fight for every game till the end of the season, no matter what our record is towards the end of December.
And whatever Elway said to this team, it worked! Glad the team listened to him and took what he said to heart. I too, thank you Mr. Elway.
Oh and here’s a link to petition to bring back the Orange jerseys permanently. Sign it & pass it along. Who doesn’t love the Orange?? lol
http://www.bringbackbroncosorange.com/index.htm
Have faith Bronco Country…
GO BRONCOS in 2010!!!!
Ya 07Elway, if we come away with a win Monday night, we`ll be right back in the thick of our AFC West. Yaaaaah!!
here’s a few other firsts…
-First time Broncos win without dominating Time of Possession…(this season). KC 31:51 DEN 28:09
(that’s for you Monodono if you still read the blogs…lol).
-First time Jason Hunter returned a fumble for TD as a Bronco. (2nd in his career).
-First time Defense returned a fumble for TD..(this season).
-First time Mario Haggan recorded 3 sacks in a game….
strandoftds…
Hey man. You can e-mail me at broncosfreak30@hotmail.com I will give you my phone number whenever you do and we can talk on the phone about the tickets!!!
strandoftds…
Also just to let you know, the tickets are at gate 8 section 123 row 5!! I have two tickets left!
some of those firsts are just redick! BUT the key one you got there Bay is
-This is the first time we were perfect in goal to go, 3 for 3, 100% efficiency.
This stat has killed us for the last couple of years and was a contributing factor against the Colts this year. Great improvement with a doubt!
FYI ~ Tebow threw completions during the preseason
LOL Cut and Pasted the wrong stat. In saying that the above stat is still a great stat
-This is the first time we were perfect in the red zone, 5 for 5, 100% efficiency.
This stat has killed us for the last couple of years and was a contributing factor against the Colts this year. Great improvement with a doubt!
simply put…we put together the perfect storm this week…this is what it could look like every week if we didnt beat ourselves..The O is built to get out early and our D is made to play with the lead….and it happened today….hope we keep it up with the lights on Mon night…..Hey where still playin wit house money lol
GO BRONCOS!!!!!!
Holy crap, those are ridiculous seats broncosfreak!!!! Dude, wish I could go. Now I’m jealous. So not fair. lol Thought you said they were on the home side though? Gate 8 is on the visitor’s side? Shoot, I’d still take ‘em. I’m afraid of what price you’d ask though. Sucks being a post-college kid with no $$$$. lol
Alright, me and strandoftds will be going to the Rams at Broncos game!!! We better get a huge win then!! That will be my first home game and I am sooooo psyched!! If anyone else is going please let me know because it would be awesome meeting up at the stadium at some point!!!
That Stadium is Unbelievable! I went for the Raiders Broncos game in 2005 when it was snowing like you wouldn’t believe. Beat the Rams!
Mcds deserves credit this week and I have not been his biggest fan.
He one me over after the bring back the orange jersey thing.
Knowshon looked good and I have been rough on him too.
Oline looked good with Harris back.
That would be he won me over with the idea about bringing back the orange jersey.
Ya Broncosfreak30, I got the info about the seat section. Thanks bro.
And you know, I haven`t been to a Bronco`s home game since Ole Mile High. So it`s been awhile.
Yea strand!
It is going to be awesome!!! I hope for that game they draw up a play for Tebow to come in near the 50 yard line and bomb it for a TD!! That would be awesome! But the only thing I really care about is just winning whenever I go! That’s the only thing that matters in the end!
Ya, I`d like to see Tebow throw a long one. Icing on the cake.
I am making my pick early this week first off I never pick the BRONCOS to lose having said that they have their work cut out for them, error free game is a must not unlike the chiefs game, a defensive or special teams score , consistent pressure on rivers, if all of those things happen BRONCOS win 28-17 lest I forget they also need to stuff the run
By the way a big thank you to bay for keeping track of all the picks and posting the results
You are welcome since 1972, nice when people notice and acknowledge, thanks again, I enjoy it, one more fun way to do Bronco stuff.
was out of town for the game and really had to search for a sports bar with our game on, and man was I glad I did. Totally unexpected: kicking the chefs around the field like that was great whodathunk our offense could score 49 points? amazing how much better I felt on the flight back, I know its just one win, but now I am really pumped hoping to see weeping rivers down on the ground with our D standing over him, something I really can look forward to.
late to post just glad to be back with a fresh W for my team
GO BRONCOS