Getting Off the Denver Broncos’ Bandwagon, but Doing It Slowly

It’s the halfway mark of the NFL season. That means that the playoff picture is becoming slightly clearer…”slightly” being the key word here.

You see, many fans (myself included) spent the first half of the season jumping on and off various bandwagons. Rapid judgments rarely held true throughout the first half, with many teams and their fans riding an emotional rollercoaster of ups and downs.

The 49ers and Jets had fans flocking to their bandwagons after the first several weeks. Now you have to look long and hard to find anybody who is confident in either team’s chances at making the postseason.

Meanwhile, when the Steelers and Patriots struggled briefly in the first few games it was the end of either team’s chances. Five- and three-game winning streaks, respectively, and all is right with the powerhouses of the last decade.

So clearly, I should know better than to put too much stock into a couple of games. Yet, here I am, climbing off the Denver Broncos bandwagon.

Why?

Well, for one reason their story is eerily familiar.

This year, Denver got off to a rapid start. Meanwhile, San Diego struggled early, putting the Broncos in firm control of the AFC West. However, the same storyline unfolded last year, when Denver pulled one of the bigger choke jobs in football to end up missing the playoffs.

The Broncos also played poorly down the home stretch in 2007, ruining their already slim chances of earning a wildcard berth. In 2006, Denver got off to a scorching 7-2 start… and proceeded to miss the playoffs.

Notice a trend here?

The Broncos are to football what the Mets are to baseball: great starters, terrible finishers. And unfortunately for Denver, San Diego is their polar opposite.

The Chargers always face plenty of doubters after slow starts, but somehow seemingly manage to catch fire and win the AFC West.

This year seems to be unfolding according to typical form. On October 19, it seemed impossible that Denver would not win the West. They were 6-0, coming off of a huge victory over the Chargers in San Diego. The loss left the Chargers at 2-3.

Since then, the Broncos have not won a game and the Bolts have not lost one. That leaves San Diego just one game behind Denver in the standings.

Now, I don’t think that Denver is a bad team. They are actually a very good one. They have a solid offensive line and a promising young running back in Knowshon Moreno.

As far as the receiving corps goes, Brandon Marshall is one of the best in the game and he has a solid group of players behind him. The defense has either played above their heads, or discovered their true potential. Only time will tell.

Which brings me to the quarterback. I know that this is a touchy subject and I don’t want to get into a debate about who did or said what in the Jay Cutler-Josh McDaniels showdown.

I don’t know if the Broncos did the right thing in trading Cutler and nobody else does, either. History will be the only accurate judge of that situation.

What I do know is that from a pure talent-wise standpoint, Kyle Orton is the weak link on this football team. The offense has struggled to find any explosiveness with Orton at the helm.

He did play well through the first six games, but let’s face facts. The Denver defense deserves most of the credit for the six wins.

So I struggle to see this team winning out in the AFC West. They have a history of coughing up leads in the standings with poor play late in the year.

With the most important position being manned by a marginally talented player, why should we expect that to change?

And with the Chargers finding their form at the same time that Denver appears to be losing theirs, I am most definitely getting off of the Bronco bandwagon.

However, I’m not jumping off, but rather climbing down slowly, trying to keep one foot on, as it were.

Something tells me that despite recent history, these Broncos might be different. To say that the offseason was tumultuous in Denver would be the understatement of the year. It seemed to be disastrous.

Yet the team not only survived all of the negative attention and inner turmoil, it started off the season by ripping off six consecutive wins. Something has to be said for a team that handles a situation that well.

Then there is the schedule. While the Broncos will have to play the Colts and Eagles on the road, they also get Oakland, Washington, and Kansas City (twice).

That’s four games that common sense says are gimmes for Denver. They also face the Giants who are rapidly falling apart. Still, New York has the talent to be a playoff team.

The pivotal game comes in two weeks at Mile High Stadium when the Chargers come into town. If Denver takes care of business against Washington and then manages to beat San Diego, I will be scrambling to find my place on the Bronco bandwagon once again.

But for the moment, I really don’t know what to expect out of Denver in the second half, like so many other teams. And isn’t that part of what makes the NFL great? You can’t guess the ending. You have to watch all the way through to the conclusion.

No longer on Denver’s bandwagon, I will watch the next few games while running alongside of it, ready to jump back on at a moment’s notice.

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Denver Dismantled: Five Game-Changing Plays from the Broncos-Steelers Showdown

On Monday Night Football, the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) traveled to face the Denver Broncos (6-2). The Steelers dominated the Broncos and went on to beat them by a score of 28-10.

This game was supposed to be a favorable matchup for Denver, however, Pittsburgh’s “D” made the Broncos’ offense look incompetent and “Big” Ben Roethlisberger punished Denver’s defense with his three passing touchdowns.

Here are five plays that made the difference in this AFC showdown:

1. Tyrone Carter’s Pick Six

It was the third play of the second quarter.

The Broncos had the ball, 1st-and-10, on their own 42 yard line.

Kyle Orton dropped back and checked through his progressions until he decided to dump it off to running back, Knowshon Moreno, crossing short over the middle of the field.

Orton led Moreno by too much and Steelers’ player, Tyrone Cater, stepped in front of Moreno, intercepted the ball, and returned it 48 yards for the touchdown.

This put the Steelers up 7-3 and damaged the morale of the now trailing Broncos who had held Pittsburgh to only two first downs in the first quarter.

2. Jabar Gaffney’s Drop on Third Down

On the following possession after Pittsburgh’s interception return, the Broncos appeared to be poised for another scoring drive.

It was 3rd-and-five, on the Steelers’ 39 yard line. Kyle Orton threw left to Jabar Gaffney at the sideline for what appeared to be a first down.

Then, as Gaffney was falling out of bounds, the ball was jarred loose by Pittsburgh’s defender and it was ruled an incomplete pass.

Denver coach, Josh McDaniels, challenged the play, but the ruling on the field was confirmed. The Broncos ended up going for it on fourth down and converted the first down.

However, there was a holding penalty on the play and Denver was forced to punt.

If Gaffney had been able to secure the ball, the Broncos could have scored instead of ending their drive and being forced to punt.

A score on this drive would have swung the momentum in Denver’s favor as they headed into halftime. But, instead they headed into halftime down 7-3 without giving up a single score to the Steelers’ offense.

3. Robert Ayers’ Fumble Recovery Touchdown

On the opening possession of the third quarter, Pittsburgh had just completed a pass for a first down.

Then on a 1st-and-10, as Roethlisberger dropped back to pass, Kenny Peterson strip sacked “Big Ben”.

Broncos’ rookie linebacker, Robert Ayers, picked up the loose ball and ran it to the house 54 yards for the score.

This put Denver up 10-7 and the game began to look favorable for the Broncos and their fans.

4. Rashard Mendenhall’s 24 Yard Run

After the Broncos scored to go up 10-7, Pittsburgh opened up the playbook and quickly marched down the field and scored in only four plays.

The pivotal play in this drive was the second play of the drive.

Rashard Mendenhall took the hand off from Roethlisberger and sprinted up the right side of the field for 24 yards.

This seemed to set a precedent for the rest of the game. From that point on, Denver seemed unable to tackle any of the Steelers’ running backs before they gained substantial yardage.

Pittsburgh would go on to score two plays later on a short pass to Hines Ward and take the lead 14-10.

5. Mike Wallace’s 25 Yard Touchdown Reception

Now in the fourth quarter with Pittsburgh still up 14-10, Kyle Orton was intercepted by Troy Polamalu. This gave the Steelers the ball on Denver’s 25 yard line.

The Broncos hoped to hold Pittsburgh to a field goal so that they could stay within one score. A touchdown was worst case scenario.

On third down, Ben Roethlisberger and Mike Wallace connected for a 25 yard score, delivering a dagger to the hearts of Broncos’ players and fans.

This put the Steelers up 21-10 and a comeback seemed unlikely for the Broncos.

Which ended up being true.

The Broncos lost 28-10 and dropped their second game of the season.

 

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Denver Broncos Draft Preview, November Edition

As fellow Bleacher Reporter John Lorge pointed out to me today, it’s never to early to be thinking about the draft.  His mock draft really got me thinking about the NFL’s annual selection process, which is by far and away my favorite part of the season, as pathetic as it may sound.

With the draft, your team cannot lose.  Dreams are made for over 256 young men on this day (or three days) and hundreds more following as free agents.

As if enough change has not already happened to the Denver Broncos, here is some more food for thought as the future approaches.

As per this moment in time, the prospect I think the Broncos need to have on the very top of their board is Texas quarterback Colt McCoy.

McCoy has been a four year starter for one of the Nation’s best teams, and is considered to be one of the most durable players in the entire draft, regardless of position.  Here is one intriguing scouting report from ESPN.com on McCoy.

“Exceptional intangibles. His mental and physical toughness are outstanding. He’s a proven leader and winner. Enters his senior season with a starting record of 32-7. His teammates respect and believe in him.”

McCoy has an above average arm in terms of strength, and his accuracy is nearly unmatched by any other quarterback in this draft.  It is a marvel to me that he is not projected to go higher in the draft, though that is usually the case for fifth year senior quarterbacks whose college numbers are absolutely outstanding.

This is a guy who is a dual-threat quarterback, though his passing is more of a strength than his running.  He has great escape ability and is very good at throwing on the run.

In short, I think Colt McCoy could end up being one of the bigger steals of the draft.  He is vastly underrated to me, and I think that if he were two inches taller he would be a top five pick, even though he stands at 6’3″.

The major aspect of McCoy aside from his natural, God-given talent is his ability to lead a team to victory.  He is clutch.  He is poised.  He is the perfect fit for the Josh McDaniels system, and though many fans feel Tom Brandstater is the long-term answer at quarterback, if McCoy is staring the Broncos in the face on draft day, it will be tough to pass him up.

 

 

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Broncos Identity Hurt and Left Soul Searching

 

The Denver Broncos are now officially facing adversity for the first time during the 2009 season.

For a moment pause and think about how they got here, but please don’t hit the panic button yet.

Many people didn’t exactly pick them to be 6-2 at this point in the season, yet they some how mustered a 6-0 start with the leagues best scoring defense.  With the last two losses the Broncos ranking slipped from first to third with the Colts and Patriots currently on top. 

So now the bottom has fallen out of the stellar team success for now; and in one word, it keeps recurring under Kyle Orton’s watch.

Turnovers!

Turnovers!

Turnovers!

Orton has gone from replacing the boy wonder in Jay Cutler, to creating a wonder of his own by not turning the ball over in six games. 

In the two subsequent games since the 6-0 start he and the Broncos have now more than made up for all of it.

This is now officially the thing that is keeping Kyle Orton and the Denver Broncos from being considered among the elite teams for at least the time being.

While there are areas of the team that need work, it really is time for the Broncos organization to take time out to consider what sort of team they want to become.

Most of the pieces for the Broncos success are already in place.  So don’t be fooled, even after the most recent two losses these Denver Broncos are built to win now, but they have to get back on track soon, and with a vengeance.

The pieces that need tinkering became self evident against the Steelers and the Ravens. 

The Broncos need a running game, they need a more sophisticated passing attack, and they need to quit putting their defense in bad spots. 

Consider the fact that the turnovers the last two games have given the opposition more than enough points to help them win.  Additionally, if the Broncos could have all of those plays back their defense would still lead the league in points against by a long shot.

There were moments last night where the defense gave up too much too fast to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the reality is these things happen when your offense isn’t scoring and is turning the ball over.

The primary criticism of the Broncos offense at this point is that they have to get determined to move the ball consistently.

Denver needs to at the very least have the ability to move the ball on the ground as needed.  It’s not like they haven’t don it, they did do it this season against the Raiders with two rushers near 100 yards apiece against a good defensive front seven.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a power running game that helped them take control of last nights game when it mattered most.  That power run game opened up the skies for the Broncos All-Pro defensive backfield to be lit up as the team had to worry about the run and the pass.  That power run and precision passing took a tight ball game and turned it into a blowout complements of the Steelers defense and Kyle Orton’s poor showing. 

It’s rare that a 28-10 blowout can be called a tight ball game, but this one was, minus the Broncos turnovers it’s as tight a game as you can ask for.

The only thing that kept this a tight game was the Broncos defense.

Now that really is what the Broncos organization should be pondering at this juncture.  The defense is pulling the load, but how can the Broncos assure themselves that the offense will week in and week out?

Yes it has opened up the door to the Josh McDaniels haters and the Jay Cutler fans to have more of their war of words.

That’s not what this is about, things are what they are at this point; it should be about moving forward.

The Broncos must address the offense more intently than they have since the season began.

For now the Broncos must capitalize on the things done well with what they have available.

For the future, the question is what type of a football team do the Denver Broncos want to be?

It’s clear the game plan has moved away from the running game of old.

It’s a time for the Broncos to pause and reflect and do a little soul searching. 

Josh McDaniels came to Denver from New England, with that he brought part of that same philosophy on offense.  The Patriots use the pass to set up the run.  The Broncos have failed to set up the run for success the last two weeks.  That’s not the type of team this was historically and that’s not part of the New England template for getting the job done. 

The Broncos have to dissect all of the short comings of the offense the last two games.  It’s a time for learning and a time of reflection.

The Broncos must make a commitment to get back on track.

It would seem for a conservative offensive approach, the run game is the perfect complement.  Certainly some of the current approach could be related to personnel decisions, but the Broncos have to control the ball and the tempo.  That is when the opposition is on it’s heels and not dictating.

So it’s about decision making at this point.  The Broncos do need to advance the ball.  Certainly Kyle Orton needs to be able to stretch the field on a regular basis as well. 

It would seem however the best method for Kyle Orton to have more success deeper and in the short game is through the run game.  It’s something the Broncos haven’t fully committed to as of late and it appears to have clearly hurt them.

For the future the Broncos may need to consider help at the quarterback position, along the offensive line, and even in the backfield

For now the Broncos identity and ego have taken a hit on offense. 

It’s a talented team looking for answers.

It seems like they can find the answers they seek in the run game and in solving a myriad of breakdowns that lead to the two game skid.

 

 

 

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When Things Fall Apart, Kyle Orton Can’t Pick Up the Pieces

Last week following the Broncos’ loss to the Ravens, my parents and I went on a walk. It was a beautiful day in suburban Littleton and I don’t think any of us really felt like watching football anymore.

Up the street and around the corner we went, and as we walked we made our way through as much small talk as possible. How my grades were in school, how my car was running, how many trick or treaters they had on Halloween, and basically anything else that gave us an excuse to talk about something.

Eventually though, as it always does, the conversation steered back towards the Broncos and we were once again wallowing in the pain of our favorite team’s defeat.

This isn’t unusual in my family, in fact I think it may even be biological for Schaffer men. My grandpa, my dad, and now I all get heated and start brooding whenever the Broncos don’t win. No matter how good everything else in our lives may be going, it’s enough to ruin our entire day. It just does. There’s no fighting it.

On the flip side, though we may take this a little too seriously, we can almost always identify the reasons why the Broncos lost. As we were walking back down towards our house, I turned to my dad and said, “You know, I really like Kyle Orton, but he’s not a game changing quarterback. He’s a good game manager, but he doesn’t make a lot of plays.”

My dad nodded in agreement and said, “Things have to be going well around him. He can’t put the team on his back and win a game.”

Last night’s loss to the Steelers was only further proof that we are right. In fact, it was like watching a mirror image of the game against the Ravens, at least from the offensive side of the ball. The Broncos once again struggled mightily to move the ball and Orton never looked comfortable in the pocket.

It always hurts to speak negatively of your team’s quarterback, especially seeing as how Kyle Orton was enjoying the best season of his career before the past two games.

Granted, not all of the blame can be placed on Orton. The Ravens and Steelers both thoroughly overwhelmed the Broncos offensive line, disrupting their rhythm and causing Orton to make decisions quicker than he would’ve liked. The running game has been almost non-existent and the play calling has been pathetically predictable.

However, most of these issues can be derived from the limitations of Kyle Orton as a quarterback, especially the play calling. While Josh McDaniels’ offensive scheme is designed as a short passing system, you rarely see the Broncos take the shots down the field that you see constantly from Tom Brady. Either Orton can’t make those throws, or McDaniels doesn’t trust him enough to try.

The protection issues and running game struggles could both use tune-ups from the players at those positions, but they are also negatively affected by the Broncos’ lack of a downfield passing game. Opposing defenses stack the box against the run and blitz heavily because they simply aren’t afraid of getting burned deep with a pass.

Jon Gruden made a good point last night during the game when he said that a big reason Orton’s interception total is so low is because the game-plan McDaniels makes for him is one of very low risk and low reward. Orton will rarely ever try to force something down the field and the plays that are called aren’t designed for him to do so anyway.

The Broncos mostly got away with this earlier in their season, but Baltimore and Pittsburgh each had two weeks to prepare for them and then successfully blew up the offense’s conservative approach. They took away the things that had worked well for Orton and dared him to beat them with his arm. When the moment of truth was at hand, he came up short every time.

Does this suddenly mean that the offense is bad and that Orton’s early season play was a fluke? Not at all. The Broncos have enough talent to beat all the bad teams on their schedule and they should be able to at least compete in some of those harder games, given that they make a few adjustments.

Unfortunately, good teams need to do more than just handle the teams they are supposed to beat. They need to rise to the occasion and win big games against teams that are equally as good, and to do that they need their best players to come through for them. Credit Bill Belichick and McDaniels all you want, but the Patriots have been so good for so long because Tom Brady thrives in situations like that.

With half of their season over, the Broncos have a good idea of what they have at quarterback in Kyle Orton. To survive their schedule with a spot in the playoffs still intact, it may be time to start asking him to stretch himself beyond his limitations. The Broncos’ season, and Orton’s future with them, may depend on it.

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Should the Denver Broncos Explore Signing Larry Johnson?

Not surprisingly, former Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson and his massive salary cleared waivers today, officially making him a free agent for the first time in his career.

The talented, yet troubled tailback was waived from the Chiefs after using homosexual slurs on his Twitter page, which resulted in a suspension by the team. 

Instead of reinstating him, the Chiefs parted ways with the former Penn State superstar, a move that was probably best for both parties involved.

Amidst reports from ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Johnson wanted to return to the state of Pennsylvania to play for the red-hot Pittsburgh Steelers, the free agent tailback’s status is still in limbo.

Will he play again in 2009?

Smart money says that Johnson will find a home soon.

Will the Broncos express interest? I think they should, and here’s why.

The Broncos’ rushing attack is on the decline, and it’s going nowhere fast. A group that once ranked fifth in the NFL in yards per game this season has gone from elite to mediocre in a month’s time.

Denver’s running game now ranks 18th in the league with a meager 111 yards per contest.

Knowshon Moreno has not done as well as expected, and Correll Buckhalter has been frequently injured. LaMont Jordan plays sparingly, and when he does, he makes little impact.

Larry Johnson is a player who, not long ago, was considered to be among the NFL’s elite and a real load to tackle. Even as recently as last year, he tore apart the Denver Broncos in a regular season game that shattered the Broncos’ confidence.

This year, he is not quite averaging three yards per carry behind a Kansas City offensive line that is among the worst in the NFL. 

Even if he is limited in his ability to play, the Broncos should seriously consider bringing Larry Johnson in for a short stint. Their struggling rushing attack could use his skill between the tackles, and games like the one they just had against the Pittsburgh Steelers (27 yards, zero rushing first downs) simply cannot happen.

Plus, Johnson would have two opportunities to stick it to the team that just cut him.

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Denver Broncos Expectations Lowered After Two Losses? Not So Fast

Yesterday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers marked the second loss for the Denver Broncos. It also was the second time that the Broncos’ offense failed to perform and the first time I saw a Bronco fan base sell out to give up a great home field advantage.

One thing there is plenty of right now is Bronco bashing. Fans are worried and analysts are in a feeding frenzy.

But let’s not get carried away. The Broncos are 6-2 and have made it through what will probably end up the hardest games of the regular season.

Realistically, Bronco fans can expect at least four more wins (one against Washington, Oakland, and two against Kansas City). If anything, those are teams in which the Bronco defence alone could win against.

That leaves four games that are currently up in the air: San Diego, New York Giants, at Indy, and at Philly.

If the offense can find some footing, wins against the struggling Giants (just beat by the Chargers) and mediocre Eagles should be possible. Also, a resurgence in the offence could top a Chargers team that already lost at home to the Broncos.

This week’s game between the Colts and Patriots will tell a lot about the Colts’ true potential as they have few convincing victories and have yet to play an elite team.

After considering it all, it seems like a 12-4 final record is definitely possible for the Denver Broncos. While it does hinge on a revamped coaching effort and offensive production, don’t count this team out but rather getting a reality check midway through the season.

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Denver Broncos’ Flawless Drive is Wasteful, If Bothered By Pesky Steelers

It felt like a playoff game, I swear. Seems football fanatics are getting a head start in a sneak preview, and how a fascinating postseason may square off. Two bottomless defensive teams, and two flawless defensive coordinators describe the kind of teams assembled. As it turns out, the Denver Broncos are subjected to an unbelievable year, and survived disastrous turmoil that nearly battered an entire organization.

So now, it’s hard admitting that the Broncos are near the top of the AFC conference in the same year of a grotesque divorce with franchise quarterback Jay Cutler. Lack of communication between him and egotistic coach Josh McDaniels had apparently dismantled morale, including disputes with discontent wideout Brandon Marshall.

Judging all the disruptions, the Broncos weren’t speculated to have a flawless season. Although, they seemed unbeatable before losing to the Ravens last week, Denver musters likely the deepest defense in the league, an essential factor to their powerful rampancy facing most teams this season.

Of course, against Pittsburgh, exploiting defensive schemes normally doesn’t fair too well. In the game, hard-hitting, physical bulrushes and unsympathetic sacks identified physical toughness, which unleashes the heart of ambitious competitors willing to encounter an action-packed fray confirming legitimacy.

By now, our society can discern why the Steelers are defending champs, and the lone franchise with six Super Bowl titles. Despite a usual sluggish start, their reckless and daredevil quarterback Ben Roethlisberger lives up to his nickname Big Ben.

From most viewpoints, he’s the league’s best quarterback managing big plays and conserves the clock in critical moments. Considering he’s the greatest quarterback in clutch situations and rallies the Steelers to victories, the tenacious and fierce defense keeps the sluggish offense alive.

Coming off a bye week Pittsburgh might have been rusty, but recharged in the second-half against the resurgence of the Broncos. It’s a usual trait seen often by the Steelers, recovering from first-half droughts and escapes at the end with victories. After all, we are accustomed to the late heroics and savior defense salvaging applause at the end of the night.

Again, the defense was too massive and energetic, accelerating and rushing to force Denver’s Kyle Orton into three interceptions. Again, the defense pressured the Broncos, outplaying the flawless frontline and secondary and bullied an uneasy Orton.

Again, the Steelers had a matchless offense, arranged by a crafty Big Ben, who orchestrated three second-half touchdown passes en route to a 28-10 victory.

But bigger worries are the Broncos. In the Mile High City, folks are worried about Denver, whose record is 6-2 when two consecutive losses increase panic attacks. Being in a weak division there’s not much to worry about. Instead, they should be strongly bothered by the Steelers.

Later in the season, of course when postseason play arrives, the Broncos will need to garner concepts in ways to trounce the defending champs, a challenging mode to breakthrough in the playoffs. A Steelers-Broncos rematch is likely to reoccur in the playoffs, and contemplating sufficient tactics for mitigating a pesky defense of rushing on nearly each possession, is obligatory for defeating Pittsburgh.

Putting more pressure on Roethlisberger is pragmatic as well as limiting probability of the Steelers pulling off a heartbreaker in final moments. Known for stinginess and greediness, the Steelers are more powerful than Denver, unless they’re equipped to hinder Pittsburgh by outscoring them.

More staggering was their ability to dominate the Broncos on Monday night, scorching in the second-half and outscored Denver with an overwhelming score of 76-10.

Its painful not having the similar pedigree of a high caliber offense that could compile points instantly on the scoreboard. The Steelers were just prepared and formed the Blizburgh, trapping the line of scrimmage to disallow Orton of duplicating similar patterns, which led to early success.

But more problematic, the Broncos defense weakened, intimidated by the Steelers toughness and amazed with guru defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau’s intellectual play calling on the sideline. To be straightforward, his play calling was productive and usually finished on good terms, outcoaching Denver’s defensive coordinator Mike Nolan and the disappearing defense.

Where were the tough-minded defensive backs, such as Brian Dawkins or Champ Bailey? Where was rookie linebacker Robert Ayers, after the second-half when he sacked and forced a fumble before returning it 54-yards for a touchdown? Lastly, where were the nimble play calls by Nolan?

For much of the season, the Broncos have been very impressive in their pugnacious secondary. Instead the Steelers entered a hostile territory, sprinted out of the visitors’ tunnel rusty but pumped and comfortable for the challenge.

At halftime, Pittsburgh trailed 7-0 in a neutralized environment, where Pittsburgh fans swung the Terrible Towels spoiling a home game for the Broncos. Mostly, throughout, an uptight night Denver faithful booed Orton for throwing three interceptions.

Was it really his fault? The Broncos failed to run the no-huddle offense, designed to make opponents fatigued. I also think the Steelers were a better defensive force, in which the Broncos offensive line failed to cease. Hate to say this, but it felt like a game played in Pittsburgh. With less than two minutes left, Terrible Towels started swinging, and Steelers’ fans terribly celebrated in front of petulant Broncos fans.

Much of the game, the Steelers pushed the ball on the ground with the quickness of Rashard Mendenhall, blowing by Denver defenders in the low altitude for 155 yards. The sixth-ranked Steelers defense, though, shut down a swaggering rushing game. Correll Buckhalter and Knowshon Moreno were limited in stomping the Steelers knack on defense.

Of course, momentum shifted in the second quarter, when safety Tyrone Carter picked off one of his picks and returned it 48 yards for a touchdown. Most games don’t pass without a relentless Troy Polamalu slowing down the rush or picking off a wayward throw.

As usual, he exploited his speed and read all angles of the field in Denver. His intercepted pass on the Broncos’ 25-yard line put the Steelers in position to capitalize, and dictated the final outcome of an AFC showdown when Roethlisberger fired a pass to rookie Mike Wallace completing 21 of 29 passes for 233 yards.

By evaluating the game, the Broncos are working progress and have much to work on. In the upcoming weeks, Denver needs to accumulate defensive awareness and enhance tactics to trounce the Steelers. For now, if the Broncos look to thrive, they must beat the Steelers. Like getting off to a fast start, the Broncos will have to make adjustments fast.

If Denver ignores defensive woes, what a waste it would be.                        

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The Jig Is Up: Denver Broncos’ Offense Getting Too Predictable

As much as everyone in Bronco Nation wanted the win streak to continue all season, last week’s sobering loss at the hands of the Ravens made clear that all the tricks and gimmicks of Coach McDaniels’ schemes were getting figured out. Monday night’s game against the Steelers further solidified that. 

Without some deep component to the passing game, the Broncos are in for a rough second half of the season. 

The defensive play of the team is clearly better than last year’s squad, a testament to the coaching prowess of Mike Nolan, ever under-appreciated during his tenure in San Francisco. The defense went stride for stride with Pittsburgh into halftime, something that the 2008 defense could’ve only dreamed of. But no defense can be expected to win a game while being complemented with a three-and-out offense.

Not to take away from Pittsburgh’s stout defensive effort, but the Broncos flaccid offense was the reason the Steelers were able to come away with the win. Some observations on the offense thus far:

(1) We have two run plays: a single back dive with or without TE motion, and an I-dive with or without motion. It seems to be lost upon Coach McDaniels that there are other running lanes than up the middle. While none of the running backs are outright burners, an outside run could net a huge gain simply because no one thinks Denver will ever try it.

(2) Kyle Orton is generally accurate, but can’t throw past 15 yards: This one was a given going into the season. I honestly like Orton, especially in light of how harshly he has been compared to Jay Cutler since the trade was announced. But his limitations are now being heavily exploited, and unless McDaniels changes some playcalling and throws deep, there is no reason for any defense to not stack everyone within seven yards of the line, blitz all the time, and bump the receivers off their routes. Orton can’t run well enough to make defenses pay for doing this either.

(3) We seem to have about two pass plays as well: The RB/WR screen pass has been gobbled up each of the last two weeks by talented defenses. Used sparingly, its a good utility play with the potential for huge gains. Used several times a week, it has become predictable, especially since the entire defense is playing up anyway. The other route is to send Marshall, Royal, or Stokely on a slant and hope they get a step. I guess you could conceivably call the lobbed jump-balls to Marshall a play too, but after Troy Polamalu nearly took it out of Marshall’s hands this week, McDaniels needs to scrap that one for a while too.

(4) Our offensive line gets scared by the hype, and then dominated: The Ravens and Steelers both have a solid front seven, but by the way our offensive line let rushers through all game long, you would’ve thought Orton a tackling dummy. 

When the receivers get bumped off their routes, Orton has a bad habit of second-guessing himself, where he telegraphs where he wants to go with the ball with a half-hearted pump fake. See the play against Baltimore were poor Knowshon Moreno got lit up by safety Ed Reed because Orton practically shouted he was dumping it off to the flat.

I want to see some of last year’s top performers get back in the mix, namely Peyton Hillis and Tony Scheffler. I can’t comprehend why Hillis isn’t getting more use in short yardage than he was last year (other than if its just because he is Shanahan’s guy).  And Scheffler has the speed to get open, and the size to out-leap most defenders. 

Furthermore, I don’t think that Knowshon Moreno has had a run longer than 10-12 yards all season long. For a guy who was touted as the top RB in the draft, I want to see more out of him. Terrell Davis was much less lauded and a late round pick. I know Moreno’s still a rookie, but I haven’t seen much of the explosive playmaking ability that was constantly on display in his college days.

A 6-2 start is still a great for a team that was given an ice cube’s chance in hell this season. And with games against Washington, Oakland, and two against Kansas City, Denver is still a lock in my mind for at least a 10-6 finish. But Baltimore and Pittsburgh have now clearly exposed the way to beat Denver’s offense. It’s time for Kid Belichick to get a little creative and expand that playbook.

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

It’s Time for the Denver Broncos to Wake Up and Step Up…or Just Shut Up

This is the worst a 6-2 record has ever felt.

To most teams in the NFL, entering week 10 at 6-2 is impressive and promising. For the Denver Broncos of 2009, it feels like a recipe for disaster.

If you’ve been following football this season, you’ll know that the Denver Broncos were everyone’s biggest surprise entering their bye week at 6-0. Many analysts even predicted an insulting 3-13 record for the squad.

The Broncos were riding a wave of adrenaline and energy, mixed with some luck and some big-time play from just about everyone on the roster.

Unfortunately though, every wave eventually “breaks.” It happened to the 2007 Patriots at the most inauspicious of times, Super Bowl 42. And then, in week 8 of 2009, it happened for the Broncos.

The energy ran out over the bye week. The edge that Josh McDaniels, Mike Nolan, and the Broncos coaching staff had over the competition went dull.

The Broncos got exposed by the Ravens and then by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Suddenly, the offense couldn’t put up any points. The revitalized defense, although putting in their best effort, spent far too much time on the field.

During the second half of their Monday Night game against Pittsburgh, the Broncos offense held the ball for six minutes. That means the defense was on the field for roughly 24 game minutes.

People who want to assign blame might point fingers at Kyle Orton, who threw three interceptions, two of which came at critical points in the game. They might point fingers at McDaniels, who clearly has not prepared his players well enough for these past two games.

While we’re at it, why not point fingers at newly-acquired punter Mitch Berger, who averaged a pitiful 33.4 yards on seven punts.

As good as it may feel to make someone the “goat,” this recent slide is no individual’s fault. Orton needs a running game to be successful in the system. He does not have the arm strength or poise to beat a team like the Steelers on his own.  

He has thrived in the system that McDaniels has implemented for him. But this system includes a running game, and 27 total yards on the ground is not a “running game.”

It’s time for this team to show what they are really made of. Is this the year they return to being legitimate contenders, or is it yet another strong start that quickly turns into a desperate attempt to bail out a sinking ship?

And, don’t look now, but the Chargers and their ever-despisable quarterback Philip Rivers are one game back.

The veteran leadership is there. Brian Dawkins, Champ Bailey, and even newly acquired nickelback Ty Law have all been here before. They need to be talking to the rookies and younger players to keep their spirits up.

Luckily for this team, they have an opportunity to get back on track against the Washington Redskins next weekend, one of the clear-cut ” train wrecks” of the NFL.

The Denver schedule is such that they do not get too many breaks. It is imperative to take this one and capitalize on it, because the following week in “Charges” San Diego.

The Broncos are not dead. They are 6-2, and we have seen what they’re capable of. They’ve beaten the New England Patriots, the Dallas Cowboys, and those Chargers.

This is a good team that has lost track of who they are, and have fallen out of rhythm. They were riding a wave, it broke, and now they’re stuck somewhere in between. But great teams find a way to get back up, find another wave and take it for all it’s worth.

They’ve felt winning and now they’ve felt losing. Now they know that winning doesn’t come that easily in the NFL.

It’s time to wake up, and it’s time to step up.

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

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