As I was watching the Super Bowl, my thoughts drifted to ten years ago, when the Broncos were showing they were the best in the NFL.
I wondered how far the Broncos might be from again scaling to the top of the league and hoisting another Lombardi Trophy. I realized that by looking at the Steelers and Cardinals, one can get at least some idea of how close, or how far, the Broncos might be from their third NFL title.
CULTURE OF WINNING
This is obvious with the Steelers. They were great decades ago. And they are still great. Sure, they have had some lean years but no team is great every year.
The Steelers personify toughness. And more often than not, they win. No team has more Super Bowl titles than Pittsburgh’s six. Enough said.
I remember leading up to the Super Bowl, one of the national commentators, it might have been John Madden, was asked what comes to mind first when one mentions the Arizona Cardinals? The answer the person gave was, “Futility.”
For years, the Cardinals were the doormat of the NFL. See them on the schedule and a team automatically figured it would win.
No more. Head coach ken Whisenhunt changed the culture of the Cardinals from one of futility to one of winning. The Cardinals are just now beginning to reap the rewards of that change.
I don’t think the Broncos need to develop a culture of winning. There is a standard of excellence that is in place and that’s one reason people are so upset at the 24-24 record over the past three seasons.
Furthermore, new head coach Josh McDaniels comes from a winning atmosphere in New England. He has seen up close what it takes to win at the highest level and he has been an integral part of that winning. From what he has said, he is comfortable with that being the expectation.
A QUARTERBACK THAT GETS IT DONE WHEN IT COUNTS
Ben Roethlisberger did it again. Seriously, the guy came up huge time after time after time all season long. He guided the Steelers through the toughest schedule in the NFL and then capped it off with a clutch drive to win Super Bowl XLIII.
Arizona’s Kurt Warner dusted off the magic carpet and took the Cardinals on a magical ride. Sure, he had some rough patches during the year but he was absolutely fantastic in the playoffs. And the way he led the Cardinals back to take the lead in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl showed how good he is.
In this area, I think the Broncos are on the right track. Ultimately, nobody knows how good Jay Cutler will be. But there can’t be much debate about his incredible talent. His career is only three years old. Let’s not forget how long it took John Elway to figure it out.
I’m not saying Cutler will prove to be as good as Elway was. Time will tell. But I do believe Cutler is on the right track to develop into a great NFL quarterback that gets it done when the game is on the line.
A SHUT-DOWN DEFENSE
Again, not much needs to be said about the Steelers. They consistently have one of the best, if not THE best, defense in the NFL.
The Cardinals gave up over 400 points this season. But they were terrific in the playoffs. They made Falcons’ quarterback Matt Ryan look like a rookie. Then they picked off Carolina’s Jake Delhomme five times. And they withstood an Eagles’ rally to get to the Super Bowl.
This is the area where the Broncos need the most improvement. There is no doubt the talent level has to get better. There is no doubt the Broncos have to be tougher. And some continuity on the defensive coaching staff would probably help, too.
THE “IT” FACTOR
This is the hardest factor to quantify. It is one of those things that fans recognize when it’s there. The Steelers always seem to have “it.” They find a way to get it done. They make the big plays at the big times. They seem to be a unified group working together towards a common goal. And they seem to have fun doing it.
Without question the Cardinals had “it” this season. No one considered them a serious Super Bowl contender. Yet they kept grinding away. They battled through adversity. They won when it counted.
To me, this area is to be determined for the Broncos. With the latest move to make Brian Xanders the general manager, the hierarchy in the front office seems to be in place. Clearly, the new coaching staff is in place. Now they must retool the roster, install the systems and then see what results on the field.
Am I saying the Broncos are on the brink of a Super Bowl championship? No. But I am saying in today’s NFL, they might not be as far as some people think.
Time will tell.
What do you think? How far are the Broncos from returning to the group of elite teams in the NFL?
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Best,
Mike
Tags: Josh McDaniels, Super Bowl, Uncategorized
no i doubt it he probably used to be he has bad knees he was too big for his legs in college wore his legs out he might be versitile enough to be a good 3-4 defenseive end though
I’ve just put together my latest mock D. What do you think?
DT Ron Brace SR 6-3/329/- Boston College 2nd rd Draft
DT 99 Askew, Matthias 6′ 5″ 302 3rd yr Michigan State
DT Terrance Taylor 6-0/319/ SR- Michigan 1st of 5th rd Draft
DE
DE/DT 79 Thomas, Marcus 6′ 3″ 305 2nd yr Florida
DE 96 Crowder, Tim 6′ 4″ 275 2nd yr Texas
DE/DT 90 Peterson, Kenny 6′ 3″ 300 6th yr Ohio State
DE 98 McBean, Ryan 6′ 5″ 290 3rd yr Oklahoma State
OLB
OLB Bart Scott 6-2/240 8th yr Baltimore UFA
OLB/DE 92 Dumervil, Elvis 5′ 11″ 260 3rd yr Louisville
OLB/DE 94 Moss, Jarvis 6′ 6″ 265 2nd yr Florida
OLB 97 Bailey, Boss 6′ 3″ 232 7th yr Georgia
ILB
ILB 55 Williams, D.J. 6′ 1″ 240 5th Miami (Fla.)
FB/ILB 46 Larsen, Spencer 6′ 2″ 240 2nd yr Arizona
ILB 59 Woodyard, Wesley 6′ 1″ 230 2nd yr Kentucky
ILB/OLB 57 Haggan, Mario 6′ 3″ 263 6th yr Mississippi State
S
SS 36 Barrett, Josh 6′ 2″ 225 2nd yr Arizona State
SS Nic Harris 6-2/233/ SR- Oklahoma 3rd rd Draft
FS Sean Jones 6-1/215 6th yr Cleveland UFA
FS Curtis Taylor 6-3/204/ SR- LSU 2nd of 5th rd Draft
CB
CB 24 Bailey, Champ 6′ 0″ 192 10th yr Georgia
CB Domonique Foxworth 5-10/1805th yr Atlanta UFA
CB Vontae Davis 6-0/204/ JR- Illinois 1st round Draft
CB Domonique Johnson 6-2/192/ SR- Jackson State 4th rd Draft
What do ya think? I’ve got 3 reasonable UFA’s and I’ve got a few players splitting positions and I left the 6th and 7th rounds out I would like to see The Broncos pick up a running Back in the 6th maybe a Colorado Home grown Gartrell Johnson 6-0/225/ SR- Colorado State, and maybe a C/Long Snapper. I think it’s getting closer and closer.
Rip it up guy’s what’s wrong with this one?
TIME OF POSSESSION ! ! !
GO BRONCOS ! ! !
By the way I’m not putting together Mock Defenses because I think I’m “the next Pro Personnel Director for the Broncos”. I’m searching for information on what direction this TEAM is going. So go ahead pick it apart each time I learn something new. Each time I take a step closer.
TIME OF POSSESSION ! ! !
GO BRONCOS ! ! !
DE Elvis Dumervil
DT Albert Haynesworth
DE Kenny Peterson
LB DJ Williams
LB Rey Manualuga
LB Spencer Larson
LB Jarvis Moss
CB Champ Bailey
CB Chris McAllister
FS Josh Barrett
SS Boss Bailey
The one bfore this was posted on accident… ignore it. i think this roster would be very affective and is very reasonable.
DE Elvis Dumervil
DT Albert Haynesworth
DE Jarvis Moss
OLB Bart Scott
MLB Rey Manualuga
MLB DJ Williams
OLB Wesley Woodyard
CB Champ Bailey
CB Chris McAllister
FS Josh Barrett
SS Boss Bailey
The one bfore this was posted on accident… ignore it. i think this roster would be very affective and is very reasonable. … feedback?
DE Elvis Dumervil
DT Albert Haynesworth
DE Jarvis Moss
OLB Bart Scott
MLB Rey Manualuga
MLB DJ Williams
OLB Wesley Woodyard
CB Champ Bailey
CB Chris McAllister
FS Josh Barrett
SS Boss Bailey
monodono, really like your mock defense. Completely agree with it.
e. saites 23, I really like your D. Heres mine:
DE Elvis Dumervil
DT Ron Brace (2 round) or Albert Haynesworth
DE Jarvis Moss or FA (Chris Canty)
OLB Bart Scott
MLB Rey Manualuga
MLB DJ Williams
OLB Wesley Woodyard
CB Champ Bailey
CB Chris McAllister
FS Josh Barrett
SS FA or draft (we should trade Boss Baily)
The Broncos have made “significant progress” in contract talks with Pro Bowl C Casey Wiegmann.
The new deal will reportedly be for three years and likely about $10 million. Wiegmann, 35, indicated recently that he plans to play another two seasons.
Source: Denver Post
The Broncos have informed Jarvis Moss that he will be moving to outside linebacker this offseason.
Moss has the requisite pass rushing skills and athleticism to play outside in the 3-4, but his coverage skills need work. Notoriously underweight, Moss never fit well as a defensive end, so the move should be beneficial.
Source: Rocky Mountain News
Also there has been speculation that the 49ers might get Maulaga and Seattle BJ Rajji, so bronco fans who do you think we should get if both are taken?
This was my previous roster although i found out jarvis is gonna be an OLB, i realized boss is too injury prone and should be traded and i would rather get williams’s brother in the 2nd round as an MLB rather than manauluga…
DE Elvis Dumervil
DT Albert Haynesworth
DE Jarvis Moss
OLB Bart Scott
MLB Rey Manualuga
MLB DJ Williams
OLB Wesley Woodyard
CB Champ Bailey
CB Chris McAllister
FS Josh Barrett
SS Boss Bailey
so heres the new one…
DE Elvis Dumervil
DT Albert Haynesworth
DE ??
OLB Bart Scott
MLB Lil Williams
MLB DJ Williams
OLB Jarvis Moss
CB Champ Bailey
CB Chris McAllister
FS Josh Barrett
SS ??
im also not so sure about josh barrett…