The Best Fans In Football

Denver is the ultimate sports fan town.

It’s so rare to see fans turnout and support a team, even when they’re down or haven’t been good in a while, but Denver fans will do just that, especially with the Broncos.

And the atmosphere that surrounds a team when they make a deep run in the playoffs is unparalleled, that’s what I love about sports in Denver and particularly about the Broncos.

When the Broncos are bad, which is rare, the fans still turn out in droves and cheer the team up and down the field, boo the opponents and jeer the officials.

When the Broncos are good, there is a hysteria in Denver that will not go away. People will talk Broncos all week, it will be on the front page of the newspaper and the lead story on the nightly news. Fans can not get enough of the Broncos when they are on the verge of something great.

Take the 2005 season for example. The Broncos stormed out of the gates, won 13 games and hosted the AFC championship game, all with a mediocre quarterback named Jake Plummer.

Plummer was never a huge fan favorite in Denver, known for his surliness and unkempt beard. But in 2005 you couldn’t go around the stadium on game day without seeing hundreds of Jake Plummer beards, either grown or painted on men, women and children.

Denver loves all its sports teams, they finish above average in attendance for all major sports, but the Broncos are the first love of the city.

For a long time, football was all Denver had with the exception of minor-league baseball. Starting in 1960, the Broncos were the first professional sports team in Denver.

The Broncos were terrible for a long time, never going anywhere and constantly being blown out in games, that was until the 1977 season.

In that season, Randy Gradishar, Tom Jackson and Lyle Alzado led the Orange Crush defense to a 12-2 regular-season record and an AFC Championship.

Sure, they lost Super Bowl XII to the Dallas Cowboys, but this town had never been closer to a championship and it went crazy. It was a “coming of age” as sports writer Terry Frei wrote in his book about that season.

Bronco-mania was in full effect during and after that season. People bought orange crush soda in waves and home games became a big-time event. Bumper stickers were now produced with lines such as “If God’s not a Bronco fan, why are sunsets orange and blue?”

Super fans such as the Barrel Man and the Bronco Leprachaun were also born and graced the stadium for the next 30 years.

From then on, the Broncos almost always seemed to field a competitive team, even though they weren’t able to return to the Super Bowl for nine years.

In 1983, the Broncos were able to trade for No. 1 overall draft pick John Elway, which ensured the Broncos would be good for the next decade and a half.

Elway gained fans by constantly putting the team on his back and leading them to victory with his famed fourth-quarter comebacks.

The most famous comeback being “The Drive” in Cleveland in the 1986 AFC championship game when, trailing 20-13, Elway received the ball on his own two-yard line and proceeded to drive the Broncos the length of the field in under five minutes to tie the game on a touchdown pass to Mark Jackson with under one minute remaining. The Broncos won in overtime, advanced to Super Bowl XXI and a legend was born.

The Broncos were lovable losers for a while, losing three Super Bowls in four years, all in routs, but Denver went nuts every time they were close.

Finally in the 1997 season, the Broncos were able to break through and win Super Bowl XXXII. They upset the Packers 31-24 in a thrilling game that left the city breathless. After the game, people would just drive down the street honking their horns and displaying their Bronco flags proudly.

Even since Elway’s retirement and the return of the team to mediocrity have not stopped fans from being passionate and intense at games. They’ll boo when the team doesn’t play well, but they’ll cheer louder than any other fans when the team is on a roll.

The Broncos are and always will be No. 1 in Denver, and that’s what I love about them and the fans.

A New Beginning: Meeting the 2009 Denver Broncos Coaching Staff

The 14-year marriage between the Denver Broncos’ owner Pat Bowlen, and Head Coach Mike Shanahan, came to an abrupt end after the 2008 season as Bowlen left Shanahan for young upstart Josh McDainels.

It also seems that Shanahan got most of the coaches fired in the divorce, as the Broncos will retain only a few coaches from last season’s staff.

But where did all these new guys come from? Here’s a chance to get to know the new members of Pat Bowlen’s family.

Head coach Josh McDaniels spent the past eight seasons on the New England Patriots staff and the previous three as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach.

During those three seasons, the Pats routinely had one of the best offenses in the NFL, and in 2007 set numerous records en route to an undefeated regular season and Super Bowl appearance.

In that ’07 season, quarterback Tom Brady set a record with 50 touchdown passes, receiver Randy Moss had a record 23 TD catches, and slot receiver Wes Welker set a team record with 112 receptions.

In the ’08 season, after Brady went down in game one, McDaniels coached unproven quarterback Matt Cassel (who didn’t even start in college), and helped lead the team to an 11-5 record, just missing out on the playoffs.

McDaniels will enter the 2009 season as the second-youngest coach in the NFL, but he has not backed down from the spotlight this offseason and he remains confident that he will be successful.

He will also have a lot of new faces along with him as the Broncos enter the 2009 season.

Gone in 2009 is the entire 2008 defensive staff, and some would say rightfully so as the Broncos finished 29th in yardage allowed and 30th in points.

Bob Slowik, last year’s defensive coordinator, took most of the heat last season and the fact that Shanahan wanted him back may have cost him his job.

Now, the 2009 Broncos defensive staff will be led by new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan.

Nolan is fresh off a three-and-a-half-year stint as the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers where he was unable to lead the 49ers to the playoffs. He was fired mid-season in 2008 and replaced by Mike Singletary.

Nolan does, however, have a good resume as defensive coordinator. He has coached in New York with both the Jets and Giants as well as the Washington Redskins.

He also served with the Baltimore Ravens from 2002-04, where he coached 2003-04 defensive players of the year Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, respectively.

Nolan is not a newbie when it comes to the Broncos, he spent the late ’80s and early ’90s as linebacker/special teams coach, where he influenced players such as Karl Mecklenberg and Simon Fletcher.

Nolan plans to implement a 3-4 style defense, a departure from the 4-3 the Broncos have played under Shanahan, but a throwback to the days of Joe Collier and the Orange Crush that was so successful using the 3-4.

Joining him on the defensive staff will be Ed Donatell in the secondary, who was with the Broncos from 1995-99 in the same position; Don Martindale and Roman Phifer, who will work with the linebackers; Wayne Nunnely, who will coach the defensive line; and Jay Rodgers, the defensive assistant.

On the offensive side of the ball, there are new names, but some familiar ones as well.

Last year’s offensive coordinator Rick Dennison will return, but he will resume his role as offensive line coach. Mike McCoy will take over as offensive coordinator/quarterback coach, replacing Jeremy Bates in the latter role.

McCoy spent the past nine seasons as an offensive coach for the Carolina Panthers in various roles, most notably as passing-game coordinator and quarterback coach. He has been instrumental in the development of Panther quarterback Jake Delhomme.

McCoy will work very closely with McDaniels, who has already stated that he will play a large role in the offensive planning and play calling on a week-to-week basis.

The offensive scheme should change slightly and be similar to the offense the Patriots have run the past few seasons. This means more downfield and slot passing while relying on the running game to set up play-action passes.

The rest of the offensive staff will consist of long-time Broncos running back coach Bobby Turner; Clancy Barone, who will work with the tight ends; Adam Gase as wide receivers coach; and Ben McDaniels as offensive assistant.

The special teams staff will retain Keith Burns as an assistant and hired Mike Preifer as special teams coordinator. Preifer spent the past three seasons in Kansas City.

The names and faces are new now, but by season’s end, fans will know all the staff of the Broncos, for better or for worse.

Filling In The Gaps: Rebuilding The Broncos’ Defense

There’s only word that sums up the Denver Broncos defense’s 2008 season.  Abysmal.

Last season, the Broncos ranked 29th in yardage allowed and 30th in points, giving up 448 points.

Injuries definitely played role in the Broncos defense being so porous last season, but personnel issues were also at the forefront of the Broncos’ problems.

Well, the Broncos have attempted to rectify the personnel problem with new players and new coaches as Mike Shanahan and Bob Slowik are now gone and Josh McDaniels and Mike Nolan are in.

Defensive Coordinator Mike Nolan is also planning on implementing a 3-4 defense, something the Broncos haven’t used in some time, and will be asking their remaining players, as well as free-agent acquisitions and draft picks to adjust to this new system that will feature three down lineman and four linebackers.

The defensive line, which consisted of Elvis Dumervil, Dewayne Robertson, John Engelberger and Ebenezer Ekuban will return only Dumervil, and he most likely will move to outside linebacker where he will do some pass coverage and rush the passer.

Look for free-agent acquisitions Darrell Reid and Ronald Fields to contribute heavily here along with holdovers Kenny Peterson and Marcus Thomas and undrafted free agent Chris Baker from Hampton.

The pass rush will still be an issue as the projected starters had a combined total of five sacks in 2008. The Broncos hope Reid and Peterson will step up and get to the quarterback as well help Fields, Thomas and Baker plug the middle and stop the run.

The linebackers will have a distinctly different look than last season. Middle linebacker Nate Webster and leading tackler Jamie Winborn are gone and the Broncos hope free-agent Andra Davis can fill the void as well as Boss Bailey, a starter who missed most of the 2008 season due to injury.

D.J Williams is another holdover that will return to his outside linebacker position and the other outside position is up for grabs. Dumervil, first-round draft pick Robert Ayers and holdovers Jarvis Moss and Tim Crowder may all see time there. All natural defensive lineman, the player who is able to hone is pass defense skills will most likely see the most action. Don’t be surprised to see these guys on the defensive line as well at times.

The secondary probably had the largest shakeup as three of the four starters won’t be back. Dre Bly, Marquand Manuel and Marlon McCree were all cut or will not be retained. Champ Bailey is the only starter remaining from last season.

Bailey will hope he can stay healthy all season, while the other corner position will be filled by either Andre’ Goodman or second rounder Alphonso Smith.

For the safeties, both Manuel and McCree were colossal disappointments last season. The team will look for better performances out of Renaldo Hill and big-splash free agent Brian Dawkins. Second-rounder Darcel McBath may also see some action.

For the 2009 season, the secondary should be much improved, but the big question will be how the rest of the team adapts to the 3-4 defense. If Dumervil, Ayers or Moss can be effective at the outside linebacker position, the team should be just fine.

Some criticized the Broncos for using only four of their 10 draft picks on the defensive side of the ball, three of those used in the secondary, but if the penciled in starters on the defensive line can step up and contribute. The Broncos defense could be a force to be reckoned with in 2009.

 

Ryan Clady: A Mock Interview

Here are some questions I would ask Broncos offensive lineman Ryan Clady in an interview

1. You had a fantastic rookie season. Why did the transition from college to the pros look so easy for you?

2. You didn’t get much love coming out of Boise State. Some critics said you didn’t face enough high-caliber opponents. How were you able to quiet those who questioned you?

3. You only allowed half a sack last season, no one else did that. You also only committed three penalties, and yet was not selected to the Pro Bowl. Was that disappointing?

4. You were the only offensive lineman to receive a vote for offensive rookie of the year. How did that feel?

5. , you had Jay Cutler’s back all season, he took you to the Pro Bowl when he was selected, you know the situation between him and coach McDaniels. What does it mean to the team and to you that he is gone?

6. What was the teams’ reaction when Jay was traded? Were guys split, some with the coach, some with Jay?

7. Moving on from that. Now that Mike Shanahan is gone, Jay Cutler is gone, what do you expect from the new-look Broncos offense next season?

8. How different is Josh McDaniels’ offensive system from Mike Shanahan’s? What adjustments do you and the rest of the offensive line need to make in terms of your approach to the offense?

9. Critics out there don’t give the Broncos a great chance to be competetive this season. What will it take to prove them wrong and what is your prediction for the season?

10. Going back to your college days, what was it like to kind of be under the radar at Boise State? You guys always had good teams with a big-time offense, but rarely got the love because you were in the WAC. What was that like?

11. Tell me about the 2007 Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma. You were a huge underdog going into the game and yet pulled off the upset 43-42. That’s now recognized as one of the great college football games of all time. What was it like being in the middle of that?

12. Finally, you went from the Broncos in college to the Broncos in the NFL, what does it mean to you to be a Denver Bronco? What do you like most about it and do you see yourself being here for the long haul?

2009 Denver Broncos: A Season of Question Marks

The upcoming 2009 season is one full of question marks for the Denver Broncos.

A new coaching staff and a new quarterback were the big headlines in the offseason for the orange and blue, but revamping the defense remains one of the biggest priorities.

That said, there are just too many of these question marks to have high expectations for the season.

Despite what should be a weak division, the non-divisional schedule is extremely tough with home games against Dallas, Pittsburgh, New England, and the NY Giants, and road games versus Baltimore, Washington, Philadelphia, and Indianapolis.

Would a 6-10 season be a huge disappointment for the Broncos this year? Definitely, especially considering they have only had one season that poor once since 1990, but that may be a realistic goal considering the caliber of opponents they face.

However, that 6-10 could easily turn into 10-6 and a division title, if a few quesions are answered.

Is Kyle Orton is the right man for Josh McDaniels’ offensive system?

Much has been made of the Jay Cuter-Josh McDaniels feud in the offseason that ultimately left the Pro-Bowl quarterback in Chicago and the Broncos with a gaping hole at the position.

McDaniels said Orton was the guy he wanted and was the key to the Broncos dealing Cutler to Chicago. McDaniels seems to think he can take quarterbacks toiling in mediocrity and turn them into something special—Matt Cassel, for example.

If Orton can handle the offense, find Brandon Marshall down the field, and manage the game to keep the suspect defense off of the field, look for the Broncos to win at least eight games, if not more.

Can the defense improve over a disastrous 2008 season?

This is the biggest question heading into the 2009 season. The 2008 Broncos defense was one of the worst in team history and cost the team several games during the season.

The system is new, as are many of the players. Gone are starters Nate Webster, Ebenezer Ekuban, John Engelberger, Dre Bly, Marquand Manuel, and Marlon McCree. In is a host of new faces that the Broncos hope can help them adapt to the 3-4 system.

They are hoping that new arrivals Brian Dawkins, Andra Davis, and Renaldo Hill, along with 2009 draft picks Robert Ayers and Alphonso Smith, can revamp a group that struggled to stop teams in almost every game in 2008.

If these guys can step up, provide leadership and improve the pass rush, the Broncos could be a formidable team in 2009 and the win total could eclipse 10.

Is Knowshon Moreno a stud?

The Broncos came under heavy scrutiny by drafting Moreno No. 12 overall out of Georgia when many were expecting the Broncos to select a defensive player.

If Moreno is the player the Broncos are hoping for, which is a three-down back that can rush on first and second down and catch passes and pick up the blitz on third down, then that will shut up the naysayers who slammed the Broncos for not going defense with their first pick.

If Moreno is a stud, then the Broncos have a franchise back that helps control the clock and wears down defenses, as well as makes some big plays in the pass game.

If the answers to all of these questions is yes, or even two of the three, the Broncos could be looking at 8-8, 9-7 or even 11-5.

But if they’re all no, well…6-10 may be optimistic.

 

New Offensive, Defensive Schemes Coming to Denver

Change has come to the Denver Broncos.

After 14 seasons, Mike Shanahan is out and Josh McDaniels is in. No more west-coast offense, no more 4-3 defense. There’s a new sheriff in town and he’s doing things his way. Or should we say the Patriot way?

The Broncos’ new head coach will adopt the systems he learned and used while an assitant in New England.

The biggest adjustments will come on the defensive side of the ball, and rightfully so. The Broncos’ defense was so bad last year, some believe Shanahan was fired because he planned on retaining defensive coordinator Bob Slowik.

Now under defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, the team will switch to 3-4 system that utilizes three defenisve lineman and four linebackers.

Denver Bronco fans will remember this system as it was used during the days of the “Orange Crush” defense as well as through the 1980s under Joe Collier.

This year’s Broncos will rely on a lot of new faces to to revitalize the defense. The only starters from last year’s team left are Champ Bailey, Elvis Dumervil, D.J. Williams, Marcus Thomas and Boss Bailey (considered a starter even though he only played in a handful of games).

Many thought the Broncos should focus their entire draft on the defense. While they didn’t do quite that, they did pick up a few players that they hope can fill some needs.

Robert Ayers was drafted as a defensive end/linebacker who can rush the passer or drop into coverage when needed and Alphonso Smith was taken in the second round to help sure up the secondary.

The team also picked up undrafted free agent Chris Baker out of Hampton, who they hope can stop up the middle of the defensive line along with Thomas and free-agent acquisition Ronald Fields.

Elvis Dumervil, Jarvis Moss and Tim Crowder likely will be looking at new roles similar to Ayers’ as they (Dumervil especially) are considered too small to be on the defensive line in the 3-4 and will need to work on pass coverage if they are to contribute next season at linebacker.

Free agents that should provide leadership if nothing else are safeties Brian Dawkins and Renaldo Hill as well as linebacker Andra Davis.

The offensive will have fewer new faces, but they will definitely be noticed.

Gone is pro-bowl quarterback Jay Cutler, leaving the position to fought for by Kyle Orton and Chris Simms. Orton is the favorite going into camp, but don’t be surprised; if he plays well, Simms may get the nod.

Despite some of the successes of the offense last season, the team will move away from the west coast offense in favor the Patriots’ offense that includes some elements of the spread offense.

Look for a lot of three-wide receiver sets with Eddie Royal perhaps serving as the slot receiver similar to what Wes Welker is in New England. Brandon Stokley should have a chance at that as well.

Also look for the team to use the run to set up play-action passing. That should be easier with stable of running backs the Broncos now employ including No. 12 overall pick Knowshon Moreno and free-agent signings LaMont Jordan, Correll Buckhalter, and J.J. Arrington.

The offensive line should be solid with Ryan Harris and Ryan Clady holding down the tackle positions, but they will have to learn new blocking schemes.

The Broncos’ success in the 2009 season will depend on players adapting to the new offensive and defensive schemes. Will they be able to do it? We’ll just have to wait and see.

How the AFC West Can Be Won

The AFC West looks to be one of, if not the worst division in all of football next season.

The good news for teams like the Denver Broncos, who are looking to improve off of a  2008 season, is that their not out of it yet.

The bad news is that the San Diego Chargers are also in the division and will be heavy favorites entering the season.

The Broncos have certainly had the most interesting off season of the four division teams, first with the firing of head coach Mike Shanahan and the hiring of youngster Josh McDaniels all the way through some questionable draft picks last month. Not to mention trading their pro-bowl quarterback for a less talented quarterback and some draft picks.

The Kansas City Chiefs look to rebound from a terrible 2008 season and do so with a new coach and general manager. They also traded for New England quarterback Matt Cassel after roughing it with Brodie Croyle and Tyler Thigpen last season.

The Oakland Raiders look to improve and hope to do so with JaMarcus Russell stepping up and becoming the quarterback the Raiders hoped he would be when they drafted him No. 1 overall. Darren McFadden staying healthy wouldn’t either.

This team already had a decent defense, but they did come under intense scrutiny when they drafted Darrius Heyward-Bey No. 7 overall out of Maryland with Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin still on the board. We’ll just have to wait and see if he pans out.

The San Diego Chargers merely need to stay healthy and they should run away with the division. Injuries to LaDainian Tomlinson, Shawne Merriman, and Antonio Gates crippled their season, although they were able to salvage some of it by rebounding to win the division win a playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Injuries were another recurring theme with another team in the division.

For the Broncos, the bulk of their injuries came at the running back position, where running backs Selvin Young, Andre Hall, Michael Pittman, Peyton Hillis and Ryan Torrain all ended the season on injured reserve.

The team addressed the issue at running back by signing LaMont Jordan, J.J Arrington and Correll Buckhalter in free agency as well as drafting Georgia standout Knowshon Moreno with the 12th pick in this year’s draft.

But for the Broncos, their biggest question marks are: Can Kyle Orton and Chris Simms step up and fill the shoes left by Jay Cutler, and Will their porous defense from a year ago be any better?

These are questions that will not be answered until the season begins. With the defense, it still seems like there are still several holes. Brian Dawkins was added for leadership purposes at the safety position and Andra Davis was signed to help the linebacking corps.

But the defensive line is still a huge question mark. Many of the old faces are gone (which may not be a bad thing) but there are still holes.

Robert Ayers was drafted and the jury’s still out on 2007 draft picks Tim Crowder, Marcus Thomas and Jarvis Moss, but Thomas is the only one who has contributed thus far. Here’s hoping they can thrive under new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan.

Also not helping is the brutal non-division schedule the Broncos will face. They will have difficult home games against the Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers, and near-impossible road games against the Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Washington Redskins, and Philadelphia Eagles.

In the end, the Broncos just have too many question marks to be competitive this season. The Raiders and Chiefs are still a few years away (at least). The bottom line is, if the Chargers stay healthy and play hard, they should run away with the division.

The 1998 Denver Broncos: The Best Team Everyone’s Forgotten

My favorite team of all time is one that is generally forgotten on the list of all-time great teams: The 1998 Denver Broncos.

They had it all, starting with the NFL MVP in Terrell Davis, who had one of the greatest seasons of all time for a running back, rushing for 2,008 yards.

Not to mention All-Pro and future Hall of Famer John Elway in his final season.

But this was not just a two-man show.

The ’98 Broncos sported the best offensive line in football, two All-Pro wide receivers in Ed McCaffrey and Rod Smith, and probably the best receiving tight end of his era in Shannon Sharpe.

They also had a stout defense led by Trevor Pryce and Neil Smith on the defensive line, and Ray Crockett, Darien Gordon, and Steve Atwater in the secondary.

The special team was also special, with Darien Gordon, a big-time threat on the punt return, and Jason Elam, the best kicker in the league, who tied a record with a 63-yard field goal against Jacksonville that season.

The Broncos went 14-2 in the regular season, but most people forget started they started 13-0, including four games without Elway, before a couple of tough loses to New York and Miami.

Sure, the Minnesota Vikings went 15-1 that year, but they lost on the road to Tampa Bay and couldn’t beat the upstart Atlanta Falcons at home in the NFC Championship game after holding a 10-point lead late in the game.

Denver may not have been as good as the Steel Curtain of the ’70s, which won four Super Bowls in six years, or the Patriots of this decade, who won three out of four Super Bowls of their own.

But, the Broncos should definitely be ranked ahead of flash-in-the-pans such as the one-dimensional ’85 Bears. At least the Broncos were able to win back-to-back Super Bowls.

So why is this team overlooked?

Maybe because Denver is an isolated city and no one in the national media notices us until we do something really special, and then forgets us as soon as it’s over. We don’t get the constant saturation that cities such as Boston, New York, and Chicago do.

The lack of Broncos in the Hall of Fame is proof of this. Almost 50 years of football and we have two Hall of Famers: John Elway and Gary Zimmerman. That’s it.

And Zimmerman played half his career in Minnesota.

Terrell Davis? Not in, and he probably won’t get in, despite rushing for almost 3,000 more yards than Bears Hall of Famer Gayle Sayers in essentially the same number of seasons. Both were also often injured late in their careers.

So how is it that TD gets ignored?

Denver’s just that forgotten city in the middle of the U.S. The Broncos would probably have to win three Super Bowls in a row to get noticed.

If the ’98 Broncos played in New York, they’d probably be hailed as the greatest team of all time, but we here in Denver will just have to settle for us knowing what no one else does.

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