San Diego Chargers: A Team In Trouble

Looking ahead to Monday night, when the Broncos take on the Chargers in San Diego, reveals a very interesting matchup. A couple of years ago, if someone would’ve told me the Chargers will be struggling to run the ball I would’ve laughed in their face and called them an idiot—but that’s exactly what is happening.

The Chargers have an aging offensive line to go along with their declining star running back LT. Hampered by nagging injuries and age, LT is but a shell of his former self/ While I will point out he can still be productive, he needs a stellar line to make him more effective. In the past, LT could’ve made even the weakest offensive lines look good.

This will present a problem for the Chargers this Monday night. With a veteran defensive backfield and the league’s top pass rush, the Broncos will challenge the one-dimensional Chargers, who like the to drop back with five and seven-step drops.

The Chargers are coming off a bye week, so they had extra time to prepare for this matchup. And while they do boast an amazing passing attack, when your offense is that one-dimensional the advantage is definitely with the defense.

The Chargers’ problems do not end with the running game. In fact, their biggest issue lies in their porous defense. The run defense is has been heavily affected by the lack of production from Merriman and Phillips, but it’s the absence of Jamal Williams and the lack of depth behind him that is hitting them the hardest. 

The passing defense is a little better than last year’s, but the continued regression of CB Cromartie and the complete ineptitude of their safety play are worrisome. Added to the lack of a dominant pass rush, the defense as a whole leaves much to be desired.

As said before, the Chargers do have weapons on the edges in the form of Jackson and Gates, but the lack of a running game is troubling, to say the least. LT is showing his age and then some, the offensive line is once again regressing, and Sproles is not an every-down back. 

Sproles is more of a change of pace back, and even then he is not a true running back—he is better as a receiver out of the backfield. The Broncos’ run defense has been anything but porous and should be able to handle the Chargers’ running game with ease.

The Broncos should be able to go into San Diego and dominate Chargers and improve to a 6-0 record before heading to their bye week.

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Denver Broncos Continue to Get a Raw Deal from National Media

The Denver Broncos are 3-0, and all the coverage about those games has been on why the Bengals, Browns, and Raiders have lost instead of why the Broncos won.

I find myself annoyed, yet not surprised, about the coverage or comments by the so-called “experts” or “analysts.”

The truth is, from the beginning the Broncos have been considered a small market team by the members of the media, aside from the fact that Forbes lists it at No. 10 on their list of teams with the most value, ahead of such heavyweights like the Steelers, Dolphins, Raiders, Chargers, Colts, and the “most storied team in the league,” the Packers.

Now that’s only measuring the organization’s overall income, fanbase, history, worth, and demographic appeal, but those exact reasons cry out the opposite of what the media has labeled us.

This is no longer a team from a small state (population-wise) that’s just a footnote in comparison to the big boys. The Broncos have played in six Super Bowls, behind only the teams that the media idolize like the 49ers, Steelers, and Cowboys. Denver has become a metropolis with a population that’s growing at an impressive rate, along with the fanbase of this city’s favorite franchise, the Broncos.

Now some members of the media have gone as far as to call the Broncos lucky to be 3-0, and all but guaranteed to be 3-1 by next week. The fact remains that our beloved Broncos are 3-0 with a more than real chance to be 4-0 by next week, and I can’t wait to hear what these pundits have to say if it happens.

Let me take you back to the beginning of the ’08 season, when all this experts speculated that the Denver defensive personnel might be better suited for the 3-4 rather than the 4-3.  They pointed out that Elvis Dumervil’s attributes, along with youngsters like Jarvis Moss and Marcus Thomas and veterans like D.J. Williams and Kenny Peterson, would be better served in the 3-4 scheme.

Well, it turns out that they were right. The new coach realized this and went out and hired himself one of the most respected names not only within the scheme, but also on defense, in coach Mike Nolan. He also enlisted the help of some veterans with experience in the scheme to help smooth the transition.

He paid close attention to Nolan’s advice and got himself a diamond in the rough by the name of Chris Baker, instead of overpaying for guys like Albert Haynesworth or losing too many picks in trading for a guy like Vince Wilfork or Carlos Rogers, who were on the chopping block according to Jason La Canfora of the NFL Network, Rogers more so than Wilfork.

Yet these same so-called “experts” damned the Broncos’ new-look defense for making the switch without doing “enough” through the draft to justify it. Guys like Mel Kiper Jr.—who by the way has never played or coached football at any level, let alone worked as a scout—said that the Bronco draft was bad, if not horrible.

I ask all of you, what was wrong with the draft? 

The fact is with our first pick we not only addressed an area of need but also kept an exceptional talent away from a rival that was clearly targeting him. I’m speaking, of course, about Knowshon Moreno and the Chargers, who had the RB in their crosshairs as a replacement for the clearly aging and declining LT.

Perhaps it was the fact that we selected the second highest rated defensive player according to real and former scouts, GMs, and players in Robert Ayers. Maybe it was the fact that we didn’t follow their heavenly advice and move up to take B.J. Raji, a player that they had overhyped and is clearly not a fit for the scheme we were imposing.

Now I’m not saying that this young defense is the new Ravens D, not at all, but I am pointing out the fact that they themselves, along with some fans, alluded to the fact that the players in our defense were being asked to play a position that did not suit them, which instead held them back.

Now they either act surprised or chalk it up to luck or blame the other teams for making us look good instead of swallowing their pride and admitting they were wrong.

I caution all fans, not just Bronco fans, to tread lightly when watching ESPN or NFL Network. These “experts” are nothing but guys like you and me who got lucky and landed a gig on TV to air their opinions on subjects that they know very little to nothing about (I’m looking at you, Kiper and Todd McShay).

The upcoming contest against the Cowboys is being heralded as a true test for this team; never mind the fact that the Cowboys lack a pass rush and pass defense and their run defense has been shaky.

Honestly, this is a double-edged sword for the simple fact that if the Broncos lose, “I told you so” will fly, and if they win, excuses like, “Well, Marion Barber and Felix Jones are hurt” and “They miss T.O.” will come rushing in.

The truth is that after three weeks the Broncos are a much improved team on both sides of the ball.

I will admit that Kyle Orton’s brand of play, while lacking in excitement, is impressive nonetheless, and I was wrong about him. He is more than just a game manager and has the ability to win games, maybe not in a flashy or made for TV way, but in an efficient and smart way.

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AFC West: Breaking Down the Division by Team, Part Two

Hello ladies and gents, welcome to part two of this AFC West breakdown.  Today I will rating the second place team in the division, the Denver Broncos.

I will be using the same system as before, I will break the Broncos down as follows, HC, QB, RB, WR, OL, DL, LB, DBs, ST and rating them in a scale of 1-10.  1 being terrible and 10 being perfect.  Once again I will try to be completely un-biased and show no favoritism.  I sincerely hope that once again you enjoy this article.

Let’s begin.

 

HC:  Josh McDaniels is an unknown, unproven and so far confusing (although some might say lying) young coach.  So far Josh has made some great off season acquisitions, and gotten rid of part of the reason why, according to him, he took the job.

When you take into consideration, that in the eyes of many, he had a sub-par draft and did not adequately fill the team needs through such medium as expected, Josh is off to a rocky start.

Not so fast.

While it is true that Josh has made some head scratching moves, he has also, in my humble opinion, made the team better all around.  While at the same time he sent his newly acquired team, a strong message.  Scoring him at this point, is both hard and compromising. 

There is no way of knowing at this point, if anything he has done, has truly made the team better, albeit on paper some might argue that it is better, we have to wait until at least, the half-way season mark to truly measure some of the moves.

I will admit, I have liked most of the moves he has made.  That said, I also have to admit, that he has left me scratching my head as well.  When you take into consideration all of the above, plus the fact that no coach from the Belichick tree, has had any substantial success in the NFL, it does not bode well for the Broncos.

Taking all this into consideration I have given the HC the following grade.

HC: 4

 

QB: This position was fairly easy for me to grade. While I have stated in the past, that I never was a big Cutler fan, his talent is undeniable. At this time, I feel that the Broncos have downgraded at this position by, sending Cutler away and having Orton and Sims compete for the position. 

Orton’s recor as a starter cannot be ignored, neither is Sims promising start for the Buccaneers, but, that aside, neither have the talent or ceiling that Cutler had. Both Sims  and Orton played in lack luster offenses’ with their previous teams. 

Sims was in a constant state of looking over his shoulder, do, to coach Gruden’s, small patience in developing QBs. Orton lacked major talent at the WR position while in Chicago. 

Whoever wins this battle is moot point in my opinion. Both are a major downgrade at the position in terms of, arm strength and athleticism.

QB: 6

 

RB: Talent is abound in this position for the Broncos, especially after the team drafted Knowshon Moreno during the draft.  Moreno has the build, quickness, vision and toughness to be a three down back in the NFL.

While the Broncos have stockpiled at this position during the off season, not all of them will make it onto the final roster.  I believe that the RBs that make the team are, Moreno, Buckhalter, Torain and Hillis. 

Hillis will be at FB, while Moreno and Buckhalter share backfield duties. Torain, I believe, is too talented not to make the team, the only problem for him is to stay healthy.

With all this talent at the RB position and a new starting QB, the Broncos look to be a running team, at least until the QB and WRs build some chemistry and learn the system well.

RB: 7

 

WR: This group is actually pretty solid for the Broncos. It looks like the league has taken a wait and see attitude towards Marshall, which is good news for both Marshall and the Broncos. Marshall had off season hip surgery and the reports are excellent coming from both the Broncos and the doctors. 

Eddie Royal was, in my opinion the best rookie receiver last year, ahead of the Eagles’ Jackson.  He should take another step forward, this coming season, specially when it looks like the team will take some of the return duties away from him.

Stokley, is solid at the slot, but don’t overlook Gaffney or McKinley. Overall the starting WRs for the Broncos is among the best young WR combination in the league.

WR: 8

 

OL: In this area, the Broncos have gotten bigger and better. The Ryans, are lock down tackles, Kuper and Hamilton are big athletic bodies and Wiegman is the veteran leadership for the line. That said there is not much depth behind them.

A couple of rookies and a third-year player round out the depth for the Broncos. If this line can remain healthy, it is one of the best in all of football, at both, running and pass protection.

OL: 9

 

DL: This is where the Broncos, according to the experts, did not do enough. I disagree.  The addition of Baker at NT and Fields as a mentor to said young man, coupled with the rumors that Marcus Thomas, a promising DT out of Florida, is putting on weight, per coachs’ instructions, leads me to believe that the Broncos will have a very nice rotation at NT. 

Peterson will kick out to DE in the 3-4, and the acquisitions of some prototypical 3-4 DE as RFA, points to the Broncos upgrading at the DL. Now, at this point, all of the players mentioned or acquired by the team ar either unproven, career backups or rookies.

It is up to Nolan and McDaniels to coach all this young talent and prove that the Broncos’ DL has been upgraded, until then, this is all speculation. For this reasons I have given the DL of the Broncos the following score.

DL: 4 (unproven players and a new system brings down the score)

 

LB: I will take the advise of a reader, that suggested I separate scores for ILB and OLB since they play in a 3-4.  I did not do this for part one, but will correct that.

The ILB for the Broncos look to be Andra Davis and DJ Williams. They are both more than capable to be really solid LBs.  DJ has the chance to truly be special. It looks like Woodyard and Greisen will push Davis for playing time. 

Davis is solid against the run but lacks in the coverage department. Williams is solid (with a chance to be special) at both. Woodyard proved last season that he belonged at LB and not at SS like some people believe. 

If he can add bulk to his frame, which he can handle, and not loose that speed and quickness, Woodyard can eventually be the future for the Broncos along with Williams.

ILB: 7

 

Now to the outside. Dumervil, Ayers (R) and Moss are all trying to make the transition from DE to OLB. Rumor has it that they are all making the transition effortlessly, but, the prove is in the pudding, and until we can see them drop back and cover, at least at pre-season, I will hold my score for this unit.

OLB: N/A (I would give them a 5 if you push me)

 

DB: Champ.  Need I say more.  While he was hurt last season, and therefore missed a few games (seven), this might have been a blessing in disguise. This gave Champ a chance to heal multiple nicks he had acquired through out  the last few seasons, and gives him a chance to truly come back healthy. 

The additions of, Smith and Goodman, round out a solid, if not excellent group of cover corners for the Broncos.

At safety, the Broncos also Upgraded with the additions of, Dawkins and Hill.  More than their play on the field, these veterans were brought in to mentor a couple of young men, Barrett and McBath. 

Barrett showed flashes last season, but was highly inconsistent, enter Hill, one of the most consistent FS in the NFL. Dawkins will mentor a young man very much in his image, at least physically, McBath. Bruton was drafted to push Barrett but he will be mainly a special teams ace.

DBs: 7 (8 if Champ can stay healthy and, Smith, Burrett and McBath develop into their potential)

 

ST: At punter the Broncos uncovered a gem last season with Brett Kern, he was in the top three in almost all punter categories, he will have another solid season, barring injury. At PK is a different story, Prater has a gifted leg no question, the problem with Prater is accuracy.

Rumor has it, he has spent all of the offseason working with a private instructor to better his accuracy. Still this is a wait and see affair, even with his accuracy problems, he did not miss an EP and was a beast in kickoffs, putting him as a prospect but a good one.

Returner is the real issue here.  Royal proved to be a dangerous returner last season, but was unable to as effective as he would of liked, due to his increased roll in the offense. 

Arrington was signed during the offseason to alleviate the return duties from Royal, but was released, due to a failed physical.  McKinley does have return skills and experience he could take over for Royal.

PK: 7

P: 7

RT:6

Well, hope you enjoyed the second edition of this series.

DJ Williams: Perfect ILB

AHHHHH! DJ Williams.  The one bright spot at LB for the Broncos for the last few years.  One of the best draft picks of the Mike Shanahan era.  Perfect ILB?

In a word: Yes.

Many of us remember the DJ MLB experiment a couple of seasons ago as a negative, but I don’t see it that way.  I think most of would agree that No. 55 (it’s an old pic, he was No. 52 back in the day) is an aggressive LB, with great speed, vision, tackling ability, intelligence, and of course and awesome burst on the snap.

These reasons are why I think he’ll be a great ILB.

Let me explain.

When DJ played MLB for us, he played under Jim Bates.  While Jim is a great defensive coordinator, his stint here in Denver didn’t go so well.  That’s because Jim runs a read-and-react defense.  A lot of us are familiar with this type of defense, but for those that are not let me give you the basics.

This type of defense requires that all of its players (DL, LBs, SSs, CBs) hold the attack at the snap, read and decipher what the defense is trying to do, and finally react to it and make the stop. 

If you consider the type of defensive players we had then, the only one that could’ve fit the system well was Champ, and that’s mainly because Champ can fit any system.

We did not have the DL, or LBs for this system.  The prove is in, how bad we were at defense that year.  You see in this system there is no blitzing, only the line goes after the QB.  That was a disservice to perhaps our best defensive player. 

DJ’s greatness comes from having in attack mode from the start, and not read and react.  Besides the lack of talent across the defensive line, or the lack of personnel to fit the system, DJ had an amazing season. He recorded 170 tackles, a sack, a pick, three forced fumbles, and four passes defended.

Not bad for a kid who didn’t fit the system. The problem, which a lot of the so called analyst and experts saw, was that most of his plays came after the runner had crossed the line of scrimmage.

They labeled him and “ok MLB” but nothing special. I beg to differ.  A lot of fans have taken this to heart, but i say to you, not so fast, let’s look at this first.

I think DJ can be a spectacular ILB for us.  DJ doesn’t fit the read and react scheme well, not because he’s not smart enough, he’s plenty smart, but because you take away one of the best things about DJ, his burst off the snap.  In a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme that has attacking LBs, DJ’s burst, would be coveted.

See, if we take DJ, and have him in attack mode all the time as an ILB, he will make the plays behind the line that we need him to make.  Another attribute of DJ that makes me believe in his ability to play ILB for us, is his ability to make adjustments on the fly.

If the coach just calls the plays and lets DJ attack the ball, like he has done for us in the past, he adjusts if the play changes.  If you have him read and react, I have notice that he tends to over think things. When he’s just attacking the ball and letting loose DJ is a top three LB in this league.

I write this article because, a lot of the fans that I speak to believe that DJ is best suited for the outside, I disagree, DJ’s talents are many and he can handle the inside.  This is just my opinion, from what I have seen in the games.  So, please let me know what you guys think about this with some comments, thanks.

Denver Broncos Defense: Good Players, Wrong Scheme? You Be the Judge

Hello, its me again here to talk about the Broncos defense.  I know what your thinking, “here is another yahoo who’s gonna tell us how bad we’re gonna be”.  Well if that’s what you were thinking, then you are wrong.  I am here to say the opposite and I’ll tell you why.

The additions of Brian Dawkins, Reynaldo Hill, Andre’ Goodman, Ronald Fields, Chris Baker, Andra Davis among others really caught my eye.  While most people think we have not done enough to upgrade a horrendous defense, I thought we did. 

See I thought that what the defense needed all along was a scheme change, and I’m not referring to the type of scheme change that happened when we got rid of Coyer and brought in Bates, I mean a switch from a 4-3 to a 3-4.  Contrary to popular believe, we do have the pieces for that kind of defense.

I will proceed to break down each position and point out the leading candidate so far (in my opinion of course, the only one who knows in the end is the coach).

We will start with the nose tackle.  While some believe that this the most important position in the 3-4 and unless you have an experienced and stud nose tackle you will never succeed in executing this defense, I tend to disagree. 

Not completely of course, I think that both the ILB positions and the nose tackle are the most important positions in this scheme.  When it comes to a nose tackle you need size, strength, quickness, vision and the ability to shed blockers. 

I believe we have that player in camp already.  The Broncos pursued Chris Baker heavily outta collage for a reason, he has the size 6’2″ 326 lbs, the lateral quickness, the vision, the ability to shed, but most importantly he has experience. 

He played the position in college, granted it was only for a year but I have looked at tape from the university of Hampton and I must say I am impressed.  The kid possesses all the tools be a stud nose tackle for years to come.

Many people believe that Ronald Fields was brought in to be the starter, I dissagree.  I believe he was brought in to be the back up and someone who can help Chris along in learning the Mike Nolan system. 

Starter: Chris Baker, back up: Ronald Fields.

Now lets talk DE.  This is a position that we actually have very good prospects in.  I believe that the front runners are, Marcus Thomas and Kenny Peterson.  While some might say Thomas is better suited for NT, Lets think about this for a second. 

To play NT you need to anchor and two gap, same thing for a DE in a 3-4, with the exception that in obvious pass situations, the DE will be asked to actually rush the passer.  This plays to Thonas’ strength. 

While in college Thomas would penetrate the pocket and attack the QB from the inside, this unfortunately has not translated to the NFL yet.  He has all the tools to be a five technique DE in the 3-4.  Marcus can use his quick first step, while the NT draws the double team, to rush the QB.

While Peterson seems to be the incumbent, do not be surprised to see rookie Everette Pedescleaux take over some time during the season.  Everette has the size 6’6″ 305 lbs, strength, toughness and quickness to the ball to be the starter.  He is also great against the run as well as Marcus. 

Starters: Marcus Thomas and Kenny Peterson/Everette Pedescleaux, Back ups: Carlton Powell and Mathias Askew.

Which brings me to the OLB spots.I believe Elvis Dumervil will make the successful switch to a 3-4 outside linebacker and Robert Ayers will also make a successful transition.  They both posses the speed and strength to be pass rushers in this type of scheme. 

Now, Robert did play ,some, standing up at Tennessee so, while the speed of the game and the size of the playbook might overwhelm him to start the season, I think he will be just fine.  The numbers might not be there right away, but they will come. 

Now let’s talk Elvis, he will probably be coming from the blind side of the quaterback.  We all know that elvis has the speed and strength to get to the QB, the question is, can he go out and cover?  The answer, yes.  He can drop back in coverage, but I think a zone suits him best. 

Starters: Elvis Dumervil and Robert Ayers, Back ups: Tim Crowder, Jarvis Moss.

DJ Williams will play one of the ILB positions that is guaranteed barring injury, and the other will be played by Andra Davis, but eventually he will be replaced by Wesley Woodyard, I believe this is why they kept him.  While some of you might wonder if Wesley can handle and shed blocks from guards?

The answer is yes, but not as you might think.  Wesley is extremely quick and fast for his size 6’1″ 240 lbs he will beat blockers with his speed.  You might ask, is that big enough to play ILB in a 3-4? 

Once again the answer is yes, that is the same size as some of the better 3-4 ILB today.  We all know that DJ can play any LB position so he will be great as usual.

Starters: DJ Williams and Andra Davis/Wesley Woodyard, Backups:  Boss Bailey and Wesley Woodyard/Andra Davis/Jeff schweiger.

DBs is where our strength (as of now) is.  Andre’ Goodman will start opposite future HOF Champ Bailey.  These two WILL form a formidable tandem.  Unlike Bly, Goodman ‘s skills have not diminish at all.  Opposite a healthy Champ anyone can look bad, so look for Goodman to give us a very consistent performance week in and week out. 

The X factor here is Smith, he will not, of course, over take Champ, but he might be able to challenge Goodman for playing time.  He reminds MCD (and me) a lot of Asante Samuel, small, speedy corners with great instincts, (even though both slipped in the draft due to size and bad 40s). 

Barring injury I think Goodman will beat out Smith and start opposite Champ.

Starters:  Champ Bailey and Andre Goodman, Back ups:  Alphonso Smith and Jack Williams/Joshua Bell

Now the Gems of our defensive Backfield the safeties.  Brian Dawkins still has juice left in the tank, and now a need to prove it.  Reynaldo Hill is no superstar, but he is consistent and more than productive. 

These two, however, have been brought in to teach.  Seeing how Dawkins is in his mid 30s and Hill is in his early 30s, they brought them in for consistency and mentoring.  Who you might ask?  Josh Barrett and Darcel McBath. 

The coaching staff likes both very much, even though Barrett was drafted by the previous administration, MCD likes him a lot.  He likes his speed, instincts and hitting. 

McBath is here to learn from Dawkins, the young one is fast and hits hard, and Dawkins will teach him how to direct those hits and read the offense. 

David Bruton was selected in the fourth round of the draft, he will be a ST ace and will push Barrett but not beat him out.  Neither Barrett or McBath will see the starters roll, barring injury of course, at least not this year.  They are to sit and learn from two of the best in the business.

Starters:  Brian Dawkins and Reynaldo Hill, Back ups:  Josh Barrett and Darcel McBath.

Well this is the end of my report, hope you all like it. 

A Confusing Offseason for the Denver Broncos

I have never been a big Jay Cutler fan, as a matter of fact I was puzzled by Mike Shanahan when he made the selection. 

I was dumbfounded and a few moments later completely petrified as I realized what this draft pick meant for my beloved Broncos, it meant that a quarterback who had won over 75 percent of his games while in a Broncos’ uniform, had his days numbered, his incredibly fragile ego had been bruised, he will never be the same and the Broncos were in full rebuilding mode.

Now, please do not misunderstand me, I was no huge fan of Jake Plummer either, but unlike most Bronco fans I had come to the realization and acceptance that old No. 7 was never coming back through the tunnel and give us one more season.

Actually, I had begun to shun away from those fans who were always comparing Jake to John Elway.  I had begun to realize the error of always living in the past and my refusal to let go.

This is why I find myself writing this article.  In light of all the reactions to the Jay Cutler trade and how some fans had labeled him a drunk and a jerk (including myself), I did some digging for information.

What I have found is that most of the people, including myself, had formed our opinion about Jay, strictly based on what some writers had written.  I realized that this so called unbiased reporters had pegged this kid as a person with a poor attitude just because he would not jump through their hoops and play nice to them when he didn’t feel like it.

This, above all, really got me thinking.  I started to look at all the offseason moves the Broncos have made and I tried to make sense of them all, because like a lot of you, I was really confused. 

Like I mentioned before I was not a Cutler fan and I was kind of happy to see him go. I always thought he was too erratic and inaccurate to be an effective QB for my Broncos.

But as I heard the myriad of excuses and reasons of why McDaniels made the trade I realized that he just never wanted to coach Cutler and decided to use him to send the team a very important message: NO ONE IS SAFE.

Then a couple of my friends’ reaction to the trade got me thinking.  One said that he was happy to see Cutler go because even though he threw 22 TDs he threw 18 picks and his record as a starter was 17 and 22 (something like that).

My other friend said that the numbers were misleading, because when the defense played well–and we’re talking middle of the pack here–he was 13 and 3.

I thought about this and went back and watch all of the 18 picks and realized something big.  While Cutler did throw 18 interceptions as I see it, eight of those weren’t his fault. 

Hang in there with me for a little bit as I explain what I mean.

If we had a middle of the pack defense and I mean a defense ranked somewhere between 13th and 17th place, I could see five picks not happening. 

You see, as I watch Cutler make the throws and I tried to decipher the plays the Broncos were running I came to the conclusion that, if we had a good defense we wouldn’t have ran those plays. 

They were high-risk high-reward plays; because our defense could not get a stop, the Broncos had to score on every possession, every drive to stay in the game. If our defense could get a stop every once in a while we probably would’ve run the ball and just played the field position game.

Which brings me to the other three picks.  These were a little harder, for on the remaining three occasions, the ball was thrown on third down and five or less to go. 

Once again we ran high-risk high-reward plays because our backfield situation was so distraught. If we had a decent running game like the Broncos of old we probably would’ve run the ball in those situations.

So, was the Cutler trade justified?  No, and I will tell you why.  Even though I did not  like the guy, as I watched the games for a second time, I saw that him and Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal, Peyton Hillis and the Ryans were the only bright lights in a otherwise bad team.  The guy made plays when he had to, and unfortunately, he failed 18 times.

I’m still not the biggest Cutler fan, but for now until Kyle Orton or Chris Simms steps up, I must say, we downgraded at that position and it’s time that Denver fans realize that No. 7 is not coming back and that there will never be another like him. 

Stop comparing everyone that comes through town to him, all you are doing is a disservice to yourself, because when that person doesn’t measure up, you’re gonna be disappointed and you are gonna want him outta town, even though they were doing a good job.

I hope all of the offseasonactivity works out for the Broncos, but now, we are back where we were fiveyears ago, trying to revive a defense and find a QB when the truth, as much as I hate to admit it, is that we had one and he was good.

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