The Glossy Cover to the Story

In what should be remembered as the Mother of all Throwback Games, the Denver Broncos beat their longtime rival the Boston Patriots with both teams wearing their original team garb, which was bound to jog a few memories and shock a few younger ones.

Last Sunday the Broncos hosted the Dallas Cowboys in a game that was ugly and downright sloppy at times. There were a number of penalties against both teams, and neither team seemed to get much going on offense.

As poor as that game was at times, this one delivered on the shortcomings on both sides of the ball.

Yesterday at Mile High against the Boston Patriots, the Denver Broncos prevailed in a very well played and well fought ball game on both sides. It was so good, in fact, that it had to go to overtime to get a final decision on which team was the better of the two for the day.

It was a day of celebration, nostalgia, remembrance, and more celebration. It was a time for the original AFL teams to celebrate their roots as teams in a competitive league with the NFL. The NFL and AFL did eventually merge, and that was worth remembering and celebrating as well.

In the end it was the Denver Broncos and their first season yellow and brown throwback jerseys prevailing over the classier look of the Boston Patriots in their throwbacks. 

Don’t misunderstand this, however, even though the Broncos’ original jerseys look like a generic way of saying jerseys don’t matter; the Broncos made them look incredibly tough to beat. After the Broncos beat down the Boston Patriots, it was cause for more celebration in Denver.

This throwback game was rooted in humble beginnings. Those same roots became embraced by the franchise and the fans on a day that could have easily turned out as ugly as the original uniforms. The Broncos’ original jerseys have caught the eye of the national press and are the subject of pointed jokes once again. 

Somehow, it doesn’t matter; these Denver Broncos are good regardless of the jerseys they wear, which coincidently is at four jerseys in five games, certainly making it some sort of a professional football record that will soon be eclipsed only by themselves. The Broncos are scheduled to wear the road throwback version against the Chargers in San Diego on Monday Night Football, making it five uniforms in six games.

The amazing thing is they haven’t even touched their late ’60s jerseys or their old Orange Crush look from the 1970s.   

From the latest and greatest offensive innovation, to the relentless defense, to Kyle Orton coming into his own, to Eddie Royal and Brandon Marshall coming up with the clutch grabs just when the Broncos had to have them—the Denver Broncos are maturing and jelling as a team, beating one of the best teams in the NFL to go 5-0 and looking like contenders. 

 

The Validation of a New Identity

This team has gone a long way to make fans forget the offseason and the controversial trade of Jay who?

So just as head coach Josh McDaniels let loose of all his emotion following the victory should all the accolades start mounting. For all of Josh’s personal shortcomings and criticism surrounding the trade of Jay Cutler and other offseason dealings, he deserved his moment in the Mile High air to vent frustrations and celebrate something he believed in.

From the moment he interviewed, Josh conveyed a new direction for the Broncos, one they have not seen in quite some time—one that is now causing the Broncos faithful to start thinking about the Orange Crush defense and about being competitive every game out.

When no one thought the Broncos could beat the Bengals on the road, they did. When the Browns or Raiders looked like must games, they were merely speed bumps. Then everyone said Dallas and New England would show if the Broncos are for real or not. Well, forgive Coach McDaniels—he could have danced with a lampshade on his head, and he would have earned the right.

No one should be happier right now than owner Pat Bowlen, because he at times appeared to be at a loss during the offseason in trying to adapt. Much of the fanbase also followed suit in not knowing what to think or how to react to the myriad of moves made by the Broncos.

Shortly after hiring McDaniels for his football mind, it seemed the new coach was acting every bit the immature brat that Cutler had been portrayed as. It had to leave Mr. Bowlen second-guessing and scratching his head, as well as wondering if Josh was the right hire for the Denver Broncos.

Yet through it all the Broncos have maintained their goals as an organization. Nothing changed. Mr. Bowlen was very direct in the offseason saying in jest that a losing football team in Denver just won’t do.

Now owner Pat Bowlen, coach Josh McDaniels, and the players have their validation along with their new identity on who they are and where they are going. 

 

The Mother of All Throwback Games

Wild horses were the theme of the day as the Broncos decided to debut an upgrade to the now highly used wildcat offense. Part of the Broncos enhancement was to line up quarterback Kyle Orton in the slot with the option to read the defense and get under center depending upon the read he made pre-snap.

In much the same manner the Miami Dolphins shocked New England last season with the wildcat, the Broncos put the Patriot defense on its heels early with the wild horses offense.

This was a new, seemingly essential wrinkle the Broncos needed to put into the game plan in order to keep Boston on its heels. Consider the fact that the Broncos offense very much emulates the Patriots offense and their way of executing. After all, this game was about the student and the teacher and how well the pupil could muster up against the master sensei. 

The Broncos were able to effectively move the ball on their opening drive from their own 20 to just inside the Patriot 30. The drive stalled out almost immediately after Pats Coach Bill Belichick called for a timeout. Broncos kicker Matt Prater missed wide right from 47 yards out.

The Patriots then drove the ball the distance to score a touchdown on a Tom Brady to Wes Welker on an outside-in option route for the touchdown from nine yards out.

The Broncos then held the Patriots to a field goal following a Knowshon Moreno fumble.

Ironically enough, this was the same exact score the Broncos fell behind Dallas the week previous.

It was a tough and tight defensive battle much of the day with both teams moving the ball and trading punts.

The Broncos eventually got back into the game with a 90-yard drive that ended with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Orton to last week’s star Brandon Marshall with 4:31 remaining in the first half.

The Boston Patriots immediately responded with a touchdown drive of their own that saw Tom Brady hook up with tight end Ben Watson on a seven-yard cross with five seconds remaining in the half.

The Broncos’ Prater would connect in the third quarter on a 24-yard field goal to narrow the margin to 17-10 in favor of the Patriots.

Late in the third period the Broncos’ fortunes started to change as Boston kicker Stephen Gostkowski missed on a 40-yard field goal attempt that hit the outside of the left post.

The Broncos nearly gave the Patriots the game during a subsequent drive when they committed two special teams errors on fourth down. This gave the Patriots two first downs and extended their last drive of the third quarter into the fourth quarter.

The MO-JO connection hooked up again late in the fourth with Orton hitting Marshall from 11 yards out on a stop route that saw an old school maneuver with a dive for the goal line and the tying score.

The two teams traded punts and two possessions each prior to overtime.

The Broncos won the toss in overtime and marched the ball to the 23-yard line of the Pats. Prater then connected on a 41-yard field goal to send Mile High Stadium into an elated state of excitement.

Players, fans, and coaches alike all celebrated, but no one celebrated quite like Bronco head coach Josh McDaniels. Pointing to his family and the crowd with multiple fist pumps filled with emotion, the Broncos won, and the student had beaten his teacher.

 

Contact Chaz at sportsmanagement@gmail.com.

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

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