10 Reasons Why the Denver Broncos Will Win the AFC West

The Denver Broncos are a team that has been completely and utterly re-vamped since the 2008 season. They have new running backs, and a defense will a brand new look, which includes a new 3-4 system.

Why will they win the AFC West? I will be listing 10 reasons why the Broncos can do just that. Enjoy the rankings!

1. Josh McDaniels

Josh McDaniels has always been an offense-based coach. He was the QB’s coach in New England, and was promoted to offensive coordinator later on in his time with the Patriots. With the new offense that McDaniels has to work with this season, The Broncos offense should thrive even more than it did last year.

2. Kyle Orton

As if I haven’t expressed my faith in Orton in previous articles, I like that he’s our QB, and I believe he has potential to be great.

Kyle will be getting help from McDaniels, who was once the QB instructor for Tom Brady when the Pats won the Superbowl. With Josh’s help, Orton can be better than he was in the 2008-2009 season.

Also, Kyle will have a wide variety of fantastic Wide Receivers to throw to. They will be key to Orton in the long run.

3. Running Backs

Last year, the Broncos had seven RB’s on IR. Though one running back, or should I say Full back, proved that he could play, even in the short time that he played.

Peyton Hillis dominated the running game every time he ran the ball. Granted he only play for seven games, but nonetheless in that time he had 343 yards for 5 touchdowns. I loved watching him play, and I look forward to seeing him play again.

Along with Hillis, the Broncos recently drafted Knowshon Moreno, star running back from Georgia, in this years draft. Moreno is said to have great potential to be this years Rookie of the Year, and will definitely start for the Broncos.

4. Wide Receivers

The Broncos arguably have the best WR line-ups in the entire NFL.

First, you have Brandon Marshall. Marshall was the Best WR on paper last year for the Denver Broncos (even though he was out for the first game of the season). Though he could work on holding the ball in clutch times of the game, he definitely knows how to catch the ball if it’s thrown anywhere near him.

Eddie Royal was one of the best Rookie receivers in the league last year. He, like Brandon Marshall, Caught the ball at critical times. Royal is also the fastest starting receiver that the Broncos have. Royal should be a favorite for Orton to throw to.

Brandon Stokley is one of the best slot receivers in the entire league. His ability to catch fast “bullets”, and difficult passes will be key for short TD’s, and first downs.

5. Offensive line

Jay Cutler was sacked 11 times last season. It may not seem like something to brag about, but Cutler threw 616 passes last year, dew mainly to the absence of seven running backs.

Ryan Clady, last year, allowed less than three of these sacks as a rookie ( surprisingly, he did not make the pro bowl).

The offensive line was very partial to the reason the Broncos had the No. 2 offense last year.

6. 3-4 Defense

The Denver Broncos switched to a 3-4 defense. This could be very beneficial for the players who are currently on the team who did not fit in the 4-3 scheme. This switch will help stop opposing RB’s from constantly piling through our defense.

7. Corner backs

Champ Bailey, last season, was out for seven weeks. And what a painful seven games it was. During the time period, the Broncos lost three of the seven games. And even the games that they did win, they were all close (except for the game against the Jets).

Though it isn’t impossible, it definitely isn’t likely that Bailey will be out again. And Champ is one of the BIGGEST helps to our defense.

The Broncos also drafted Alphonso Smith, who will replace previously released, Dre Bly.

8. Brian Dawkins

In the late Broncos training camp of last year, John Lynch left the team out of the blue. This gave the Broncos no choice but to start Marlon McCree.

Afer releasing McCree, the Broncos have fixed this situation by aquiring future HOF Safety, Brian Dawkins.

The Broncos also drafted Darcel McBath, who will be a great secondary for switching off and on with Dawkins.

9. Injured Reserve

Last year, the Broncos had a combined 12 players on IR. I know that there might be some injuries, but having that many people getting injured for the entire season is one of the most unlikely things to occur, let alone more than five players.

10. Weak Division

Granted, we lost a game, and won a game with each team in our division last season, but the Broncos may have the easiest division in the NFL.

The Chargers will definitely put up a good fight, but I’m sure we’ll win at least one game against them.

As for the Chiefs and the Raiders…the Chiefs got rid of their star player, and the Raiders haven’t really done much to make their team better.

These are my 10 reasons of why I think the Broncos will win the division this year.

Why Kyle Orton Will Have Success With the Denver Broncos

This offseason has been quite a ride for the Denver Broncos. Mike Shanahan was fired, Josh McDaniels was hired, and Jay Cutler was traded to the Chicago Bears.

On that note, I am disappointed and shocked to hear about so many previous Broncos fans becoming Bears fans because of the Cutler trade.

Though I was uneasy about the trade at first as well, I’ve become confident that Orton will do great for us in Denver, and may even have a better season than Cutler.

My first reasoning is the comparison of the stats. With the loss of seven running backs, Cutler was forced to throw the ball much more often.

With this, he threw for 4,526 yards, 25 touchdowns, and had 18 interceptions, completing 384 of 616 passes. Great numbers for only his third season in the league.

Kyle Orton was also at a loss, except it wasn’t the running game, but the passing game that hurt him the most. Orton’s supporting cast was one of the worst in the NFL. With the passing game down, the Bears took to the ground with star rookie running back, Matt Forte.

When they did pass, Kyle threw for 2,972 yards and 18 touchdowns, completing 272 of 465 passes. He also only threw 12 interceptions, six less than Cutler had. It might not be saying much since Cutler threw more, but it’s fewer than Cutler nonetheless.

My next reason is the supporting cast of the teams.

Even with seven running backs on injured reserve, the Broncos still had the second best offense in the NFL, according to most polls that I have seen. With that, the Broncos have some of the best receivers in the NFL.

Last year, Brandon Marshall had 1,265 yards, 104 receptions, and six touchdowns. Marshall was also named to a Pro-Bowl. This was all accomplished even after he was out for the entire first game.

Eddie Royal also played a huge part in the offense last year. He had 91 receptions for 980 yards, and five touchdowns. Not outstanding numbers, but the guy was a rookie, and for a rookie it’s very impressive.

Brandon Stokley didn’t play a giant part, but he was always there when the Broncos needed him. When they did call on him, he was outstanding.

Stokley had 49 receptions for 528 yards, and three touchdowns. These stats aren’t much to brag about, but then again he wasn’t passed to as often as the other receivers. Cutler gave Brandon some pretty difficult throws, most of which he caught.

As for the Bears’ receivers, their talent wasn’t as appealing. The Chicago Bears have no big name wide-outs on their team. People may say that Devon Hester is, but his main area is in special teams.

I watched a few Bears games last year, and most of what I saw on offense was the wide receivers consistently dropping the ball. Not all of the time, but it was definitely a concern.

With Orton’s previous talent, his new team, and going back to some of the things he did in Purdue, he should do fine for the Broncos.

With Cutler’s previous talent, new players, and a new playbook…well, I guess, I’ll have to see for myself how he does.

Like I said in one of my first articles, I have faith in Kyle Orton, and I believe he’ll do great things for the Broncos. For those of you who jumped on the Cutler bandwagon, good luck, and good riddance!

Denver: Why The Broncos Draft Picks Will Change The Franchise

From what I’ve read, most Denver fans were disappointed with the decisions the Broncos made in this years draft. And to those of you who feel this way, I say cheer up! I’ve recently done research on our new additions to the team. So all of of you people that can’t seem to smile after the draft, I’ll give you reason to.

Robert Ayers- DE (18th overall)

Ayers started all four years of his college career. In these four years, he had 112 tackles, and nine sacks. Ayers has even had an interception his senior year. I’m not sure about you, but I’m satisfied with those stats.

Alphonso Smith- CB (37th overall)

Alphonso Smith also started all four years in college. In his four years, Smith had 174 tackles, four forced fumbles, and 21 interceptions. he also had four touchdowns in his four years at Wake Forest. I’m almost surprised he didn’t go in the first round.

Darcel McBath- CB/S (48th overall)

Darcel was another pick to start all four years, so he has the experience. In his career, he’s had 214 tackles, 12 interceptions, and two interceptions. Also in the 2008 season, his college team won all but one game, where he had six interceptions, and a touchdown in one season alone.

So far all of these picks have been towards helping the defense, which people said our new head coach barely did in this years draft.

Richard Quinn- TE (64th overall)

You have to hear me out on this one, even though his stats don’t make him look like should have even been drafted.

Like most Broncos fans, I was not satisfied with the stats that Quinn had to offer. I couldn’t figure out why we even considered him, and I needed an answer.

So I looked him up on YouTube. His highlights weren’t of him scoring or making amazing catches. What I saw was Richard Quinn laying out guys all over the field (In other words, he’s an amazing blocker).

This addition could be key considering that we had drafted Knowshon Moreno. It’s clear that what McDaniels was doing was helping our running backs (maybe to help prevent losing 7 running backs to injured reserve again or something).

This convinced me that McDaniels probably knew what he was doing.

David Bruton- FS (114th overall)

Again, McDaniels helps the defense with another great pick. Bruton has accomplished 210 tackles, two forced fumbles, and seven interceptions in all four seasons. David has even had a sack, which isn’t saying much, but decent considering that he’s a safety.

Since the Broncos acquired Brian Dawkins in the offseason, Bruton makes a great secondary for the Broncos.

Seth Olsen- OG (132nd overall)

Call me a homer, but I was excited when the Broncos drafted Seth, knowing that he was from Iowa.

Though Olsen was a Iowa Hawkeye, I was excited for more than just that reason that we took him. Seth Olsen allowed very little tackles, and was key to why the Hawkeyes won so many games. Olsen should be a good addition to the offense.

Kenny McKinley- WR (141st overall)

Granted, the Broncos already have amazing receivers (A- in most polls), It’s not like Players don’t get injured (or tired), and Kenny McKinley would be a reliable sub for when (if) this happens.

McKinley has had 207 receptions, 2,781 yards, and 19 touchdowns in his four years at South Carolina. His ability to make quick decisions, and tough catches makes him a good fit with the other Bronco Wide outs.

Tom Brandstater- QB (174th overall)

Tom Brandstater is a big, strong QB from Fresno state. A lot of people thought this was a dumb decision by McDaniels considering that we just got Kyle Orton and Chris Simms in the offseason. But after releasing Patrick Ramsey and Darrell Hackney, the Broncos were in need of a third QB.

Brandstater has thrown 6,857 yards, and 47 touchdowns. Pretty legit considering he only started three seasons.

Tom also rushed for four touchdowns last season alone. Pretty good pick for the sixth round (not to mention that he’s a QB).

Blake Schlueter- C (225th overall)

After the retiring of Tom Nalen, the Broncos were in need of a center. Denver got just that in the seventh round of the Draft.

Blake Schlueter is very mature, and is crazy fast for an offensive linemen. His strength and agility make him a reliable center to help guard our new quarterback.

In addition to these draft picks, McDaniels picked up 12 extra players in free agency. So again, I say cheer up! McDaniels knows what he’s doing.

The Denver Broncos: A Potential Threat For the 2009 Season

When I show people that I am a Bronco fan by wearing Bronco apparel, I usually get at least 20 comments during the day on how the Broncos suck.

I wish I would have time to explain to these people why the Broncos did not make the playoffs last year and why they will be good this year (and how incredibly stupid they are), but I guess that’s what B/R is for.

I’m going to start with the most obvious reason of why we didn’t succeed, which is our running backs. Denver broke a record this year for most RB’s on IR, with seven. Some people didn’t even consider the fact that we had to resort to using Tatum bell (he was working at a phone company in Denver). Not to mention, the game where LB Spenser Larsen played both LB AND FB.

Even with these losses, Denver still had the second best offense in the the league.

What we have done to fix that? For one, we drafted Knowshon Moreno. And seriously, what’s the chance that we’ll lose more than maybe 2 running backs again?

The next reason was our defense. With John Lynch leaving the team, Denver had to leave the job to safety Marlon McCree. We certainly didn’t get any better when he was injured. Other major injuries were Champ Bailey, Elvis Dumervil, and Boss Bailey, all of whom are key players to the defense.

Things that Denver has done to help with this is switching to a 3/4 defense (major improvement), and drafting new, young defensive players that should in turn help improve the team.

When I did get the chance to argue with people, these were the main points they had to confront me (although they didn’t get too specific). And I must say that I’m am very excited to see it pay off this season.

 

Knowshon Moreno Was The Perfect Choice for the Denver Broncos

GWhen I woke up this morning, the first thought that came to my mind was the draft. More importantly, to myself, was who the Broncos would take.

I waited in anticipation, hoping for LSU star, Tyson Jackson, to be our first overall selection. That dream faded after the third pick to the Chiefs. To be honest, I had no idea who McDaniels had in mind for the 12th overall pick.

When Knowshon Moreno’s name was called, I wasn’t sure what to think of the draft pick. My mind had been set for months on the fact that Denver’s defense needed all the help that it could get.

I couldn’t figure out why McDaniels was adding on yet another running back to our current 5, including former Arkansas Razorback, fullback, Peyton Hillis.

After considering it for a while, it became very clear that Josh McDaniels had made the right decision, and knew exactly what he was doing.

I decided to do some research on our newly added running back, I was very happy with the results.

In Moreno’s entire career at Georgia, he ran for 2,736 yards, and had 30 touchdowns overall. Let me remind you that this is in 2 seasons alone.

Moreno, and the Georgia Bulldogs, also has a victory last year in the Capital One Bowl game where he scored a touchdown, had 125 yards, rushing and receiving, and 6 receptions.

I can only imagine what he’ll do for the new-look, Denver Broncos.

At the end of the day, I was satisfied in Denver’s selections. They got a good defensive end, a vastly underrated safety, a dominant cornerback, and a starting running back for the future.

Out of all Denver’s draft picks, I was pleased with Knowshon Moreno the most. He is a great running back that will be a game-changer in 2009.

Kyle Orton: Why I Like Him

A lot of people that I talk to tell me that trading Jay Cutler was the biggest mistake a coach could have ever made. And to that, I strongly disagree. Although Cutler was a franchise QB AND chosen by most polls to be one of the top 10 in the entire league, I believe Kyle Orton could have done just the same.

Granted, Kyle Orton didn’t have the best season last year, but I don’t think ANY quarterback does great when your best receiver is your running back. That being said, any QB who throws 18 touchdowns, runs for three, and throws for 2972 yards with the main source as the backfield definitely has potential to be a franchise quarterback (in my perspective).

Another reason is because of Denver’s brand new head coach, Josh McDaniels. If I recall, McDaniels was a part of New England’s organization when they won the Super Bowl in 2001. McDanials had worked with Brady, who became the MVP AND the youngest quarterback to win a super bowl.

Go back two years ago, when Tom Brady broke Peyton Manning’s record for most touchdown passes in a single season (50), was named NFL MVP for the season, AND Offensive Player of the Year.

An impressive QB, yes, but you can’t say McDaniels had nothing to do with it. McDaniels also helped improve Matt Cassel last year, and as you all know, Cassel was good enough that the Chiefs traded for him to be their starting QB.

To me, those are legit enough statistics to the point where I can rest easy knowing McDaniels will continue to improve Kyle Orton. On a side note, Orton will have Brandon Stokley (one of the best slot receivers in the NFL), Eddie Royal (One of the top five rookie receivers in the previous season), Tony Scheffler (Denver’s passing receiver, and a good one at that) and Pro Bowler Brandon Marshall to throw to.

And I am very excited to see what he’ll do for us this season

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