The Broncos are a far better team than I thought they would be this season. After their off-season moves (signing a good chunk of an unimpressive Cleveland defense, for instance), I wondered if Shanahan had lost his mind. After a season-opening, brutal loss in Miami, I thought that they were in for an ugly season. After watching them wind their way through early home wins without putting together any great games, I wondered if they could win on the road. After a series of mistake-plagued games late in the season--mostly wins, but closer than anyone could consider comfortable--I wondered if the team’s good luck was finally abandoning them. So, yeah, I was wrong most of the way through.
But I was right about the need to step away from a three back rotation, that Mike Anderson deserved the starting job, that the receiving corps is a long-term concern, and that the key to the defense wasn’t just finding better players for the secondary--it was equally important to find a good pass rush. This year the offense got on top early (only allowing one team in sixteen games to score on their first possession and taking leads into the fourth quarter in 13 out of 16 games), stopped the run by a combination of good defense and simply putting opponents behind far enough that they had to pass the ball, and then closed out games well with a grinding rushing offense and an offense that rarely made mistakes.
Finishing the year with second stringers playing much of the game, with nothing much extra to gain by winning, and on the road in San Diego, the Broncos had a ton of excuses to play soft. Instead, they went in and beat a San Diego team pretty soundly with a bruising defense and an opportunistic offense.
I’m on the bandwagon.
Does anyone think that Larry Johnson won’t go past 2,000 yards next season if he starts the whole season and stays healthy? Unless the offensive line collapses, Johnson should be one of the early MVP favorites. Which is a good thought for KC fans who watched inconsistency destroy their team’s chances of a playoff run.
Favre comes back for one more season (even if Nathan does hold a ton of animosity toward the guy). It’s just a gut feeling.
I like Michael Vick; he’s one of the most entertaining players in the league. He also doesn’t belong in the Pro Bowl. His quarterback stats are, to be generous, mediocre and his team tanked in the last half of the season. His gaudy rushing stats are all well and good, but a QB who can’t pass consistently and doesn’t guide his teams to wins isn’t a guy who should be in the Pro Bowl.
For the Broncos, Jason Elam missed another short field goal and through most of the season Shanahan has been hesitant to let him try the 50+ yarders. Sadly, it seems that Denver’s best-ever kicker is coming to the end of his career.
I am convinced (or, more accurately, I have been convinced) that the Broncos made the right move in sending Clinton Portis to Washington for Champ Bailey. Not only has Bailey played brilliantly, but he’s the best possible role model for Denver’s handful of young players in the backfield. But Washington probably made the right move, too. Portis had a difficult season last year (although he still ended up with over 1,300 yards) but really hit stride this year. He’s another player that could potentially see a 2,000 yard season if he stays healthy; good for him and good for a trade that made a bunch of sense for both teams.
Lastly, how cool is it that Doug Flutie converted a drop kick? I wish I’d seen that live.
Perfect. I agree with everything you said 100%, including underestimating the moves Shanahan did this offseason, and the team exceeding expectations during the season.
The didn’t exceed my expectations, or at least not by much. I fully expected the Broncos to make the playoffs with a solid seed.
However, my expectations for my Chargers, on the other hand… That was painful on Saturday. I wanted to start throwing things, but I was at work. And to lose like that at home, Week 17, against a division rival? I’d be suprised if someone doesn’t burn Shottenheimer in effegy just for that. The only thing that’s probably saving him is that, despite the late-season partial meltdown (see Dolphins, Chiefs, Broncos.), they still come out of the season with a winning record.
You know I was trying to work up sympathy for you, right? But it’s the Chargers. I couldn’t do it.
Sorry.
I will say this, though: I’ve always liked Marty, but he has problems finishing out a season well. I’m sure that Nathan might have a few things to say about the guy…
Every time I watch the Chargers on teevee and they do one of the sideline shots of Marty I expect the camera to pan out, revealing that he’s not wearing any pants. Something about those glasses just makes him look senile.
1) What’s Marty Schottenheimer’s record against the Broncos again? Whatever their inherent relative strengths against the rest of the league, Shanahan owns (pwns?) Schottenheimer.
2) I don’t think Larry Johnson will hit 2000 yards next season. I think he’s a brilliant runner, but 16 games is a long time, and NFL defensive coordinators are reasonably bright. Still, he’ll get to play the Raiders at twice, so he’ll probably only need 1500 yards in the other 14 games.
3) I think Favre will retire, largely because Sherman was fired. I also think he and Elam should retire.
4) I cannot express how glad I am that Clinton Portis’s freak show is somewhere else, though it looks like he’s a better runner than I (at least) thought he was. (I felt about Portis at the time of the trade the way David felt about the Broncos at the beginning of the season.)
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Perfect. I agree with everything you said 100%, including underestimating the moves Shanahan did this offseason, and the team exceeding expectations during the season.
The didn’t exceed my expectations, or at least not by much. I fully expected the Broncos to make the playoffs with a solid seed.
However, my expectations for my Chargers, on the other hand… That was painful on Saturday. I wanted to start throwing things, but I was at work. And to lose like that at home, Week 17, against a division rival? I’d be suprised if someone doesn’t burn Shottenheimer in effegy just for that. The only thing that’s probably saving him is that, despite the late-season partial meltdown (see Dolphins, Chiefs, Broncos.), they still come out of the season with a winning record.
You know I was trying to work up sympathy for you, right? But it’s the Chargers. I couldn’t do it.
Sorry.
I will say this, though: I’ve always liked Marty, but he has problems finishing out a season well. I’m sure that Nathan might have a few things to say about the guy…
Every time I watch the Chargers on teevee and they do one of the sideline shots of Marty I expect the camera to pan out, revealing that he’s not wearing any pants. Something about those glasses just makes him look senile.
1) What’s Marty Schottenheimer’s record against the Broncos again? Whatever their inherent relative strengths against the rest of the league, Shanahan owns (pwns?) Schottenheimer.
2) I don’t think Larry Johnson will hit 2000 yards next season. I think he’s a brilliant runner, but 16 games is a long time, and NFL defensive coordinators are reasonably bright. Still, he’ll get to play the Raiders at twice, so he’ll probably only need 1500 yards in the other 14 games.
3) I think Favre will retire, largely because Sherman was fired. I also think he and Elam should retire.
4) I cannot express how glad I am that Clinton Portis’s freak show is somewhere else, though it looks like he’s a better runner than I (at least) thought he was. (I felt about Portis at the time of the trade the way David felt about the Broncos at the beginning of the season.)