Denver Broncos Flying a Mile High After Five Games

When NFL Training camps opened back in late July, very few people, if any thought the Broncos would have a 2009 season to savor. With a new regime taking over and many changes taking place this team had more of the look of rebuilding, than contending.

Following what could only have been described as a disastrous and tumultuous beginning with the trading of former franchise quarterback Jay Cutler, the Broncos new Head Coach Josh McDaniels appears to have made a complete 180.

After all, McDaniels was replacing what some may have considered to be one of the league’s best head coaches and offensive masterminds (Mike Shanahan). Shanahan had led the Broncos to back to back Super Bowl victories with the last coming in 1999, but after a decade of struggling it seemed change was overdue.

When Pat Bowlen made the decision to go in a new direction this past offseason, even with his credentials McDaniels hardly seemed to be the right fit. The young up and coming offensive coordinator was busy making a name for himself in New England as an offensive guru himself.

For the past several seasons one of the Broncos major deficiencies and their biggest Achilles heel last year was the defense. A season ending meltdown (three game losing streak), culminated by a 52-21 loss that ended any postseason hope told Bowlen all he needed to know; new blood was in order.

Enter the young Mr. McDaniels, whose youthful exuberance and charismatic spirit has breathed new life into the franchise and the city. With his arrival came difficult, but needed changes. One of his first and perhaps least publicized (at least didn’t cause much of a stir), yet key decisions that has this team riding a wave of orange was the hiring of Mike Nolan.

A New Improved D…

Nolan brings with him the pedigree of winner as a defensive coordinator. His defenses of the past have built a reputation for being aggressive, bringing pressure, and most critical causing turnovers; all areas that the 2008 Broncos lacked. This season playing a new 3-4 scheme under Nolan the defense has racked up 16 sacks, held their opponents to 43 total points this season, and recorded 11 takeaways.

Of course Nolan is only as good as the talent he coaches and another credit to McDaniels, the key free agent signings made in the offseason. Like a glove Andra Davis (former Brown), Renaldo Hill (former Dolphin), and Darrell Reid (former Colt) have all stepped in to play a big part in the defenses turnaround.

Without question the biggest signing was the acquisition of former Eagles safety Brian Dawkins. His leadership and infectious sell out attitude has this defense playing at a level like the city hasn’t seen in some time.

Offense is coming around….

Just as the firing of Shanahan was blasted in some circles, McDaniel’s hiring came with its own criticism. A franchise that needed a defensive injection instead brought in the next Mike Shanahan.

The comparisons were obvious; McDaniels had accomplished great things as the offensive coordinator in New England with Tom Brady and helped a seeming mid-level talent like Cassel blossom. It was McDaniel’s offense that Brady ran in 2007 when he rewrote the record books with 50 touchdown passes.

With the defense suddenly playing inspired ball this season, it has taken McDaniel’s “Patriot’s West” offense a little more time to get simmering. Only last Sunday against the Patriots did the Bronco’s offense start to resemble something of what many that they would see in 2009.

In their win over New England the Broncos had 27 first downs, ran up 424 yards of offense, and held the ball for over 36 minutes; characteristic of a McDaniels offense. The next step in their evolution will obviously be more points.

With players like Marshall and Royal beginning to hit their stride in the passing game and the rookie Knowshon Moreno anchoring the ground game (when he holds onto the ball), the Broncos have what appears to be a potent offense.

And with a supporting cast of Gaffney, Scheffler, Buckhalter, and Hillis; these guys are only going to make for long days for opposing defensive coordinators. If last Sunday against the Patriots is any indication of the potential of this unit, their ceiling appears to be a mile high.

A Big Test Lies Ahead….

With everything starting to click in Denver and McDaniel’s team 5-0, there is still much to prove for this highly scrutinized over-achieving ball club. In the first couple of weeks, it was “they haven’t played anyone” and then last week, “well they’re always better at home.”

This may very well be a recurring theme all season long, but one fact that is hard to escape, this coming Monday night is going to be a tough road test no matter how you look at it. In recent history, the Chargers have owned the Broncos and with their team sputtering, this divisional matchup will be critical.

So far the Broncos have yet to really be perfect this season, but with a little lady luck they stand 5-0 and atop the AFC West with a two and a half game lead over the Chargers. Monday night is yet another test for McDaniels and his boys, but one if passed should not only satisfy the critics, but legitimize this team as the “real deal.”

That’s my take.

Check back every week for more of “That’s My Take”

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

So What’s Next for the Denver Broncos Josh?

Not Lovin’ it

Well it sure looks like that didn’t quite work out how you planned now did it Josh?

Just months ago, the Broncos’ bright up-and-coming new head coach seemed to have the world at his feet. He had just become one of the league’s newest and youngest NFL head coaches, he had inherited the leagues No. 2 offense, and he already had his franchise quarterback in place. From day one it seemed the plan was simple, but that was several months ago and now all has dramatically changed.

Caught with his hand in the cookie jar, the Bronco’s new mastermind was backed into a corner and had his hand forced when the team saw no other resolve than to trade their gifted and franchise quarterback Jay Cutler. Many had thought McDaniels’ arrival would lift Cutler to the next level, not send him packing on the next flight.

With Cutler out, McDaniels was dealt a new hand that included the Bears’ former starting quarterback Kyle Orton. While many felt that Broncos’ new brain-trust would have the savvy to turn Orton into the next Cassel and keep the Broncos offense rolling, Sunday night before a nationally audience may have been a small glimpse of things to come.

With Cutler on the other side of the field, Broncos’ fans witnessed what they used to have. Which is Cutler making mince meat of his former teammates. They also watched what they are stuck with basically limp off the field with an index finger injury on his (Orton’s) throwing hand.

The new field commander has at times looked efficient, but it is clear through three preseason games the team lacks the big play Cutler’s arm gave them a year ago.

Sure it’s easy to point out that the team is missing one of its best weapons in Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall, but without a big arm he would likely be as ineffective as the rest of the wideouts.

The offense has no scare in it and defenses are going to jump on them early this season. Aside from the loss of Cutler, the Marshall saga has become another stigma that could very well define McDaniels’ tenure unless he can find a way to get this unit rolling.

On Sunday night the offense lost Orton with the finger injury and with Simms still ailing, Broncos fans have to wonder what the heck is going on. Clearly the situation in Denver can not be considered ideal, although it is not all lost.

The offense is clearly loaded with talent and playmakers such as; WR Eddie Royal, TE Tony Scheffler, and RB Peyton Hillis. The team will also be looking forward to the soon return of its top rookie selection, running back Knowshon Moreno. The rookie’s addition should also add another explosive dynamic to the offense, but with all that has surround his arrival this offseason, fans have to ask the Broncos’ head coach Josh McDaniels, “what’s next?”

At the moment it would seem that the team was far better off before McDaniels’ arrival, but since we are unable to go back in time, here we are. With Cutler gone and now Orton injured, the situation is quickly moving from bad to worse. What is not helping either is the suspension of Marshall. This is another obvious situation that would appear to be most critical to turning the ship around; getting Marshall back on the field.

It’s safe to say no one in Denver or around the NFL could have expected all that has surpassed in the Mile High city, but for the fans of Denver is pretty obvious what needs to happen now; McDaniels has disrupted the continuity of this franchise and repair is in order. That could be easier said than done, but the surest way of achieving complete resolve is winning.

To move forward from the devastation that was the Cutler-Trade and Marshall-Suspension, the Broncos must win. A task at the moment that looks monumental, but certainly many within the Broncos’ organization believe is possible.

This has always been the challenging task at hand (to win), but McDaniels chose to try this without Cutler and now must find a way to bring back his pro bowl receiver or make this undertaking even more colossal.

So what’s next for McDaniels? Get Marshall back on the field, and soon.

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

Denver Broncos: No State Of Defense

Still a work in progress….

For those of us that engage in the country’s unofficial second national past-time of fantasy football, it’s no secret that the Broncos defense is one to avoid in fantasy drafts.

While those in the Mile High area are hopeful that this reputation won’t precede this year’s edition, after watching their Sunday night debut, there’s still much work to be done.

While it was only the team’s third preseason game, this match-up had a little home flavor and enough incentive to bring out their “A” game.

Making his return to the Mile High area, the Bronco’s former starting quarterback Jay Cutler should have been more than enough to motivate Defensive coordinator Mike Nolan and the defense to bring it. Instead, it was Cutler that brought it Sunday night and got the better of this match-up, completing 15 of 21 for 144-yards and a touchdown.

With all the changes that head coach Josh McDaniels made on defense by adding veteran players like Brian Dawkins, Andre Goodman, Andra Davis, and Renaldo Hill, the defense has a long road ahead. Some may view the changes with great optimism, but Sunday night clearly exposed some of the same short comings of the team’s defensive play in the past; no quarterback pressure.

Against the Bears, the Bronco’s defenses on occasion came close to getting to Cutler, but were never able to put him on the ground. It’s been a familiar theme, and  the 2009 version did not seem to show any noticeable improvements.

Again, it was only the team’s third preseason game so you might not expect to see to many complicated blitz packages, but if Denver fans were ever hoping to see a sign that times could be changing, playing against the Bears and Jay Cutler seemed to be the perfect excuse.

What to Expect in 2009….

There’s no question this unit is going to have to find a way to bring more heat up the middle and pressure on the edges if they are going to have any success.

Linebackers DJ Williams and Andra Davis look ready to thrive in Nolan’s new 3-4 scheme, and safety Brian Dawkins looks like he could have at least one more Pro Bowl season left in him. But, the lack of pressure is going to put a lot of demands on the secondary in pass coverage, an area the team struggled with in 2008 (ranked 26th).

The Broncos problems don’t lie in speed,  but size in the middle could become an Achilles unless players like Kenny Peterson, Ronald Fields, and Ryan McBean really step up this season and make a difference. Optimism can only offer so much hope, something the Denver defense is going to need lots of this season.

Fantasy owners shouldn’t expect any significant jumps of improvement from the Bronco’s defense this season that would generate any drafting interest.

We have no doubt that with McDaniels enthusiasm and Nolan’s influence, this unit will get better, but middle of the pack is going to be a realistic landing spot for the team. The defense will be loaded with plenty of talent again this season, but it will take Nolan and his staff some time to develop its’ chemistry and effectiveness.

While this unit may not be worthy to draft in leagues that employ team defenses, it could very well be an attractive waiver wire option much later in the season.

Keep watch, take plenty of notes, and let’s see where things stand in the second half. That’s my take and I’m sticking to it.

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

Peyton Hillis: The Next A-Train

Bronco’s fullback has some kick….

Denver Broncos: Has The Defense Been Reborn?

Denver Broncos: What Will the Broncos do on Draft Day?

Let’s Play GM

Now that the smoke has finally settled from what has become affectionately known as “McJaygate” there seems to be a peace in the Mile High area as Head Coach Josh McDaniels prepares for his first NFL Draft or could it just be the calm before the storm? When the deed went down a few weeks ago, there were many skeptics and critics that did not agree with the decision to trade away your former first round pick for a journey man quarterback.

Now that we’ve had time to digest, what has changed? One thing seems to be certain, McDaniels appears content to remain steady with his two quarterbacks (Orton and Simms).

If this is the case and Mr. Peter King (SI.com) is correct with his assessment that McDaniels really likes Orton, then as the Bronco’s GM what do you do with your two picks?

As part of the Cutler deal, the Bronco’s inherited the Bears 2009 first round pick at number 18. If you are the team’s GM what do you do with your two first round draft picks? This is a dilemma that the team’s new GM Brian Xanders is facing.

If Orton is now the right guy in Denver, then the answers for Xanders and McDaniels seem logical. Following one of the worst seasons this franchise has ever seen with their defense finishing near the bottom in 2008, this should be the focus on Saturday.

This year’s pool of prospects is filled with a great many talents and the Bronco’s should have plenty of opportunity to snag a couple at 12 and 18 in the first round of the draft on Saturday. At number 12, the team could easily target one of this year’s talented class of linebackers and out of Southern California, there are three (Brian Cushing, Ray Maualuga, & Clay Matthews) to choose from alone.

Switching to the more traditional 3-4 defensive scheme the Broncos are in need of strong inside linebacker play as well as a big man in the middle to play nose tackle. Some experts think that Boston College’s B.J. Raji (DT) could fall to number 12 and this is where the Broncos should look, but it is not likley that he’ll slide that far. Another name that will be on the team’s radar, but it is unlikely he’ll last past the top 10 is Texas’Brian Orakpo (DE).

Again there is plenty of talent to consider, but the way the draft is likely to shape up, the Broncos will likely have their pick of litter (past Aaron Curry) at the linebacker position. All signs would point towards the Broncos taking inside linebacker Ray Maualuga. His addition inside could allow LB D.J. Williams to move back to a more natural outside linebacker position.

At number 18, the team would then be able to look for a defensive playmaker in the secondary or up front. Defensive end Tyson Jackson (LSU) and defensive tackle Jerry Peria (Ole Miss) could be potential targets for this spot if the team is looking for their needed help up front or they could give a look at corner back Vontae Davis (Illinois). Davis is considered one of the best athletes and defensive backs in the nation entering this year’s draft.

If I am the GM of the Broncos my choices may not be quite clear yet, but with two first round picks I know I have very good choices. The speculation of making a deal to draft up would not be a consideration. While the future could look promising with a young arm, why tie up so much cash on a promise, when I can build for now.

Based on what I know about Orton and what I believe in McDaniels as an orchestrator and offensive mind, my needs to be addressed in this year’s draft will be the defense.  I am confident that the arms I have in camp will be adequate for my team to compete.

So where do I go and what do I look for; an inside playmaker, an immovable force up front, and a stud defensive back will be high on my charts for 2009.

By David G. Ortega

DENVER BRONCOS: Orton-for-Cutler, Who Got the Better Deal?

Who is the real winner?

While there has been plenty written about the trading of Jay Cutler for Kyle Orton, one thing I have noticed is there isn’t a lot of optimism being shared.

Sure, on the surface this deal does not look much like a win-win situation for the Broncos. All everyone sees is that Denver has traded away its 2006 first round pick (No. 11 overall) and Pro Bowl quarterback.

It makes sense to ask, “What are they thinking?”

I would like to say that I do live in reality and tend to keep my feet on the ground, so when I offer this perspective, please take it with a grain of salt (or maybe slightly bigger than a pebble).

When I look at this trade, it doesn’t appear at first glance that the Broncos made an even swap, but then I have to really look and ask, “Who is the real winner?”

With Josh McDaniels bringing in a system that has surely proven to be quarterback-friendly and very much capable of making a journeyman look like a stud (just ask the Chiefs—they bought into it), should Denver fans really be counting Orton out? 

While McDaniels was the offensive coordinator in New England, Patriots quarterbacks threw 95 touchdown passes and eclipsed 12,000 yards passing in three seasons.

OK, he had lots of help with Tom Brady and Randy Moss, but one can hardly argue the performance of Matt Cassel last season.

It’s hard to argue the Bears made good in this deal with the acquisition of Cutler. His 4,500 yards passing and 25 touchdowns say enough about his talent, but there’s one concern fans will have in the Windy City: Who will he throw to?

For the Broncos, on the other hand, just what did they pick up?

While in Chicago, Orton was not much of a playmaker, throwing only 30 touchdowns and passing for just 5,300 yards in the four years he played for the Bears. However, he was a successful leader, compiling a record of 21-12.

So what makes Orton so special or the quarterback that McDaniels “wanted,” and how did the Broncos win in this deal?

When you take a closer look at what they really got, it’s a little clearer to see that they got more than meets the eye.

Sure, it’s argumentative, but Orton was a quarterback in a run-first system that did not have any playmakers (Devin Hester is still a work in progress) in the passing game.

When you examine what he had to work with, where he had to work, and what he was asked to do, he never had a chance to produce big numbers.

So why should anyone expect things to be different in Denver?

In Mile High country, Kyle will have the tools to make plays and run a system that will not be reliant on him to make all of the plays.

With weapons like Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal, Brandon Stokley, and Peyton Hillis, Orton should easily rise among the ranks of fantasy quarterbacks in 2009.

Remember, Orton is a byproduct from the University of Purdue (the same place that produced quarterback Drew Brees), where he threw 31 touchdowns during his senior campaign.

As a senior at Purdue in 2004, the former Boilermaker opened up the season with three 300-yard passing games in his first four starts and threw no fewer than four touchdowns in each of those contests (17 total in the first four games).

Injuries midseason slowed down his Heisman-like season, but Orton finished strong with 522 passing yards (tying a record set by Brees) and six touchdowns in the team’s regular season finale.

Yes, that was then and this is now, but if anyone ever doubted Orton’s ability to play quarterback, you only need to look closer at his résumé. He can chuck the rock.

In Chicago, he was not asked to throw the ball, evident by his 465 passing attempts in 2008 (Cutler threw 616 passes).

Under the Broncos’ new head coach, quarterbacks averaged 549 passes over the past three seasons.

We are only in April, but considering the additional draft picks the Broncos picked up in the deal for Orton, it may be too early to concede which team actually got the better in this deal.

The Bears are going to bank on Cutler’s big arm, but they had better find him some targets soon.

The Bronco faithful should have a little more faith in the new system that has been brought over from Foxboro and the talent that was already in place.

I won’t make any bold predictions here, but if you’re a Bronco fan, you have to like the prospects of what could be in 2009. Just don’t look too closely at their schedule.

By The Prodigy

BroncosZone Latest

• The Denver Broncos Must Face Their New Reality
• Denver Broncos: The Beginning of a New Era, Or The Beginning of the End?
• Hey Denver, Where’s the Love for Josh McDaniels?
• Josh McDaniels Is the Poster Boy for “Too Much, Too Soon”
• Denver Wide Receiver Brandon Marshall: “I Love Being a Bronco”