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The 2006 Denver Broncos thread (1 Viewer)

Ghost Rider

Ghost Rider

Footballguy
After two weeks, the Broncos are 1-1.

The good news is the defense has played pretty well, only allowing 24 points in two games.

The bad news is the offense has not played well, only scoring 19 points in two games.

I would say it is much more likely that the offense gets on track and starts playing well, rather than the defense falling off and starting to suck, so things are not as bad as they would seem.

However, with the next two games being at New England and at home vs. Baltimore (a team the Broncos always struggle against), they could very well be looking at 1-3 if the offense doesn't get things moving ASAP.

I think Jake Plummer hit his ceiling last season, but I didn't expect him to play this poorly this season, though it is obviously not all his fault. The offensive line did a terrible job of pass blocking against the Rams, and the whole offense looked out of synch for most of yesterday. Plummer did make some nice throws late in the game to Javon Walker, so hopefully that was the start of him turning things around.

I have no problem with the RBBC situation right now. It worked very well last season, and I see no reason why it cannot this season.

The run defense is a slight concern, as they allowed both starting RB's to go for over 100 yards against them the first two weeks, but some of that can be attributed to the Broncos offense inability to sustain drives and hold on to the ball, so the defense has been on the field a bit more than they are used to.

 
Ghost Rider said:
The good news is the defense has played pretty well, only allowing 24 points in two games.
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I'm encouraged that the Bronco D hasn't surrendered any touchdowns yet - all of those 24 points are via gield goal. This is especially impressinve given the hole that the Bronco O is putting the Bronco D in.also - note the similarities to last season - tough opening day game on the road, followed by a nail biter at home vs a divisional opponent. The Bronco O wasn't on track at all at this point last year. It's not panic time yet, but I am beginning to get concerned.
 
Although I do think KC's defense is improved, yesterday's game was unsettling as a Denver fan.The noticeable departures I see this year in the play calling is that Plummer isn't running the ball himself (allowing the defense to drop back and set him up for throws into double/triple coverage) and failure to get Scheffler more involved in the passing game. Alexander should be used more as a blocker (God knows he could use the extra protection- especially with the pass rushes coming up) and Scheffler should be a safety valve.The NE game next week is put up or shut up time. They're going to be on the road, and NE will likely try to tear them apart with Dillon/Maroney just like Larry Johnson did. As for Baltimore after the bye, given what both teams have shown so far, that game has already been decided.
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I posted this in the 'Mike Shanahan' thread.Maybe it's the loss of Kubiak...I also thought they lost Putzier just when Plummer was starting to connect with him. But for all the decent plays Schleffer made in preseason and camp, he doesn't seem to be a factor now, and that's been a staple of a productive Denver offense for years. Unfortunately, with the strength of the AFC North, I doubt two teams are making the postseason from the AFC West- and SD is looking surprisingly strong.
 
malice said:
Unfortunately, with the strength of the AFC North, I doubt two teams are making the postseason from the AFC West- and SD is looking surprisingly strong.
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The AFC North is looking great, but three teams making it from one division will be tough. Remember that those teams all have to play each other. However, looking at the schedule, no way do the Broncos win more than 8 or 9 games, unless the passing game improves a lot...and fast. The uncertainty of Rod Smith is also a factor. If he retires as a result of multiple concussions, that will be a major loss.
 
Ghost Rider said:
However, looking at the schedule, no way do the Broncos win more than 8 or 9 games, unless the passing game improves a lot...and fast. The uncertainty of Rod Smith is also a factor. If he retires as a result of multiple concussions, that will be a major loss.
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Well, the passing game made some big plays tonight, and Rod Smith came back and looked pretty good. They still have a tough schedule this season, but tonight's win in New England was huge.
 
Ghost Rider said:
Ghost Rider said:
However, looking at the schedule, no way do the Broncos win more than 8 or 9 games, unless the passing game improves a lot...and fast. The uncertainty of Rod Smith is also a factor. If he retires as a result of multiple concussions, that will be a major loss.
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Well, the passing game made some big plays tonight, and Rod Smith came back and looked pretty good. They still have a tough schedule this season, but tonight's win in New England was huge.
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Plummer having an error-free game was huge- but I'm still reserving judgement until after week 5 vs. BAL.Letting Tatum get into a rhythm was nice to see as well. Now if we can get the TE a little more active with short/middle passes I think the offense will put up enough to cover what little the defense lets through. The games vs. SD (11 and 14) will be must-wins.
 
malice said:
Ghost Rider said:
Ghost Rider said:
However, looking at the schedule, no way do the Broncos win more than 8 or 9 games, unless the passing game improves a lot...and fast. The uncertainty of Rod Smith is also a factor. If he retires as a result of multiple concussions, that will be a major loss.
Click to expand...
Well, the passing game made some big plays tonight, and Rod Smith came back and looked pretty good. They still have a tough schedule this season, but tonight's win in New England was huge.
Click to expand...
Plummer having an error-free game was huge- but I'm still reserving judgement until after week 5 vs. BAL.Letting Tatum get into a rhythm was nice to see as well. Now if we can get the TE a little more active with short/middle passes I think the offense will put up enough to cover what little the defense lets through. The games vs. SD (11 and 14) will be must-wins.
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Very impressed with Kircus - definately getting McAffrey flashbacks. I woudl really like to see Schleffler bring in a couple though. Overall, much improved offensively. This is a good time for a week off - build on the positives of todays game and get ready for Baltimore.
 
malice said:
Plummer having an error-free game was huge- but I'm still reserving judgement until after week 5 vs. BAL.Letting Tatum get into a rhythm was nice to see as well. Now if we can get the TE a little more active with short/middle passes I think the offense will put up enough to cover what little the defense lets through. The games vs. SD (11 and 14) will be must-wins.
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Keep in mind that as well as Denver usually plays against New England, it is reversed for games against Baltimore. The Ravens almost seem to play extremely well against the Broncos.The Chargers have looked great so far, but they have only beaten Oakland and Tennesse thus far, so they need to beat a good team before I proclaim them the team to beat in the AFC West. The way I see it, the AFC West is still the Broncos division to lose.
 
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moleculo said:
malice said:
Ghost Rider said:
Ghost Rider said:
However, looking at the schedule, no way do the Broncos win more than 8 or 9 games, unless the passing game improves a lot...and fast. The uncertainty of Rod Smith is also a factor. If he retires as a result of multiple concussions, that will be a major loss.
Click to expand...
Well, the passing game made some big plays tonight, and Rod Smith came back and looked pretty good. They still have a tough schedule this season, but tonight's win in New England was huge.
Click to expand...
Plummer having an error-free game was huge- but I'm still reserving judgement until after week 5 vs. BAL.Letting Tatum get into a rhythm was nice to see as well. Now if we can get the TE a little more active with short/middle passes I think the offense will put up enough to cover what little the defense lets through. The games vs. SD (11 and 14) will be must-wins.
Click to expand...
Very impressed with Kircus - definately getting McAffrey flashbacks. I woudl really like to see Schleffler bring in a couple though. Overall, much improved offensively. This is a good time for a week off - build on the positives of todays game and get ready for Baltimore.
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One thing that Eddie Mac could do that Kircus can't is block well in the run game. He's a smaller guy in stature, but perhaps he can bulk up a bit (I remember Ed had to work very very hard to keep his playing weight up).
 
moleculo said:
malice said:
Ghost Rider said:
Ghost Rider said:
However, looking at the schedule, no way do the Broncos win more than 8 or 9 games, unless the passing game improves a lot...and fast. The uncertainty of Rod Smith is also a factor. If he retires as a result of multiple concussions, that will be a major loss.
Click to expand...
Well, the passing game made some big plays tonight, and Rod Smith came back and looked pretty good. They still have a tough schedule this season, but tonight's win in New England was huge.
Click to expand...
Plummer having an error-free game was huge- but I'm still reserving judgement until after week 5 vs. BAL.Letting Tatum get into a rhythm was nice to see as well. Now if we can get the TE a little more active with short/middle passes I think the offense will put up enough to cover what little the defense lets through. The games vs. SD (11 and 14) will be must-wins.
Click to expand...
Very impressed with Kircus - definately getting McAffrey flashbacks. I woudl really like to see Schleffler bring in a couple though. Overall, much improved offensively. This is a good time for a week off - build on the positives of todays game and get ready for Baltimore.
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Actually, I'd almost prefer them not have the bye now that they got a good game under their belt. But if it gets Rod Smith back to 100% and gives the Bells a rest after all the work they got last night, I guess that's just as good as preparation for Baltimore coming to town.
 
3-1 now with wins over the Patriots (4-1), the Ravens (4-1), and the Chiefs (2-2), with the only loss coming to the Rams (4-1).

The defense has been unbelievable so far. This is the best a Broncos defense has looked in forever.

The offense is still looking shaky at times, but they have been playing some tough defenses, and the defense has been playing so well, that they haven't had to really open it up yet, but you have to think that Shanny will eventually get the offense cranking. When that happens, this team is going to be really good.

 
Ghost Rider said:
3-1 now with wins over the Patriots (4-1), the Ravens (4-1), and the Chiefs (2-2), with the only loss coming to the Rams (4-1). The defense has been unbelievable so far. This is the best a Broncos defense has looked in forever. The offense is still looking shaky at times, but they have been playing some tough defenses, and the defense has been playing so well, that they haven't had to really open it up yet, but you have to think that Shanny will eventually get the offense cranking. When that happens, this team is going to be really good.
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Gets the offense cranking? Plummer is playing like crap. That's the only thing holding the offense back and I don't see how Shanahan is going to correct that. Plummer needs to correct that.
 
jonessed said:
Gets the offense cranking? Plummer is playing like crap. That's the only thing holding the offense back and I don't see how Shanahan is going to correct that. Plummer needs to correct that.
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I agree, but again, look at the defenses they have been playing. If Plummer doesn't start turning it around in the upcoming games against the Raiders, Browns, and Colts, then I will really start worrying. So far, though, the running game, the defense, and making a few plays a game in the passing game is getting them by. This isn't the Broncos of the 90's, but they are winning, and that is what counts.
 
Walker was a great pick up by this team. This may have been one of the best if not the best acquisitions of the off season that is not getting enough talk. Walker has been really good even better then his numbers indicate. He has bailed the passing game out the last few games and gave this team some life. Walker is an elite WR and the Broncos got a steal of a deal. He may be the play maker that takes this team over the edge this season.

 
Carter_Can_Fly said:
Walker was a great pick up by this team. This may have been one of the best if not the best acquisitions of the off season that is not getting enough talk. Walker has been really good even better then his numbers indicate. He has bailed the passing game out the last few games and gave this team some life. Walker is an elite WR and the Broncos got a steal of a deal. He may be the play maker that takes this team over the edge this season.
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:rolleyes:Please take off the pimp glasses.I can name a handful better off season acquisition off the top of my head...1. McNair to Baltimore2. John Abraham to Atlanta3. Hutchison to Minny4. Chester Taylor to Minny5. Drew Brees to New Orleans6. Julian Peterson to Seattle7. Darren Howard to Philly8. Will Witherspoon to St. Louis
 
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fridayfrenzy said:
Ghost Rider said:
fridayfrenzy said:
Carter_Can_Fly said:
Walker was a great pick up by this team. This may have been one of the best if not the best acquisitions of the off season that is not getting enough talk. Walker has been really good even better then his numbers indicate. He has bailed the passing game out the last few games and gave this team some life. Walker is an elite WR and the Broncos got a steal of a deal. He may be the play maker that takes this team over the edge this season.
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:rolleyes: Please take off the pimp glasses.

I can name a handful better off season acquisition off the top of my head...

1. McNair to Baltimore

2. John Abraham to Atlanta

3. Hutchison to Minny

4. Chester Taylor to Minny

5. Drew Brees to New Orleans

6. Julian Peterson to Seattle

7. Darren Howard to Philly

8. Will Witherspoon to St. Louis
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Please read his post again.
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I have heard MORE about Walker going to the Broncos than I have of many of those acquisitions.
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:goodposting: to the original poster:

I'll give ya Brees, Darren Howard, and maybe McNair, but those others are middle of the road at best.

Abraham has been injured. Lotta good Hutch has done for that Minny running game (see also Chester Taylor). Julian Peterson?! I have him in my IDP league and trust me...he's middle of the pack or lower. I haven't heard much about Will Witherspoon.

I think Walker has been a decent play maker for Denver and a good pick up for them.

 
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Ghost Rider said:
fridayfrenzy said:
Ghost Rider said:
fridayfrenzy said:
Carter_Can_Fly said:
Walker was a great pick up by this team. This may have been one of the best if not the best acquisitions of the off season that is not getting enough talk. Walker has been really good even better then his numbers indicate. He has bailed the passing game out the last few games and gave this team some life. Walker is an elite WR and the Broncos got a steal of a deal. He may be the play maker that takes this team over the edge this season.
Click to expand...
:rolleyes:Please take off the pimp glasses.I can name a handful better off season acquisition off the top of my head...1. McNair to Baltimore2. John Abraham to Atlanta3. Hutchison to Minny4. Chester Taylor to Minny5. Drew Brees to New Orleans6. Julian Peterson to Seattle7. Darren Howard to Philly8. Will Witherspoon to St. Louis
Click to expand...
Please read his post again.
Click to expand...
I have heard MORE about Walker going to the Broncos than I have of many of those acquisitions.
Click to expand...
Okay, but Walker is often overlooked when talking about how well the Broncos have played. The defense is getting a lot of the credit, which is perfectly understandable. But when you think about it, the Broncos could very well be 1-3 if they didn't have Walker, so I agree with the original assessment of his play taking the offenses play up a few notches. If the offense ever gets really cranking, Walker could really light it up then.
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The Broncos have stunk up the joint on offense, so how do you see Walker making this difference? Right now, the Broncos are averaging 0.4 pts more than the league worst Raider offense. The Broncos are doing much worse offensively than last year, so I fail to see how Walker has been this great off-season acquisition. When your offense and passing game are doing worse than last year, how can you say the new addition is really making much of a positive impact. Of course Walker is an improvement over Lelie, but to say that Walker has been this great off season acquisition, or is helping the Broncos lots is not at all true when looking at how the offesne has performed.
 
fridayfrenzy said:
Carter_Can_Fly said:
Walker was a great pick up by this team. This may have been one of the best if not the best acquisitions of the off season that is not getting enough talk. Walker has been really good even better then his numbers indicate. He has bailed the passing game out the last few games and gave this team some life. Walker is an elite WR and the Broncos got a steal of a deal. He may be the play maker that takes this team over the edge this season.
Click to expand...
:rolleyes:Please take off the pimp glasses.I can name a handful better off season acquisition off the top of my head...1. McNair to Baltimore2. John Abraham to Atlanta3. Hutchison to Minny4. Chester Taylor to Minny5. Drew Brees to New Orleans6. Julian Peterson to Seattle7. Darren Howard to Philly8. Will Witherspoon to St. Louis
Click to expand...
That's more than a handful. It's almost two handfuls.
 
fridayfrenzy said:
The Broncos have stunk up the joint on offense, so how do you see Walker making this difference? Right now, the Broncos are averaging 0.4 pts more than the league worst Raider offense. The Broncos are doing much worse offensively than last year, so I fail to see how Walker has been this great off-season acquisition. When your offense and passing game are doing worse than last year, how can you say the new addition is really making much of a positive impact. Of course Walker is an improvement over Lelie, but to say that Walker has been this great off season acquisition, or is helping the Broncos lots is not at all true when looking at how the offesne has performed.
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Take away what Walker did against New England and you tell me what the outcome might have been of that game. Walker made several huge catches late in the game against the Chiefs. Walker is on pace to have 64 catches, around 1,250 receiving yards, and 8 touchdowns. You don't think that is a difference maker? No, the Broncos offense as a whole has not performed well so far, but Walker has done pretty well so far. The Broncos have one rushing touchdown. The Broncos next best receiver, Rod Smith, is on pace to have around 500 yards. Jake Plummer has played pretty mediocre so far this season. Walker is a huge reason why they have scored a lot of the points they have. Take him away and the offense would be in far worse shape right now. And I think it goes without saying that once the other receivers start playing better and the running game starts producing in the red zone, Walker will benefit from that.
 
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fridayfrenzy said:
Carter_Can_Fly said:
Walker was a great pick up by this team. This may have been one of the best if not the best acquisitions of the off season that is not getting enough talk. Walker has been really good even better then his numbers indicate. He has bailed the passing game out the last few games and gave this team some life. Walker is an elite WR and the Broncos got a steal of a deal. He may be the play maker that takes this team over the edge this season.
Click to expand...
:rolleyes:Please take off the pimp glasses.I can name a handful better off season acquisition off the top of my head...1. McNair to Baltimore2. John Abraham to Atlanta3. Hutchison to Minny4. Chester Taylor to Minny5. Drew Brees to New Orleans6. Julian Peterson to Seattle7. Darren Howard to Philly8. Will Witherspoon to St. Louis
Click to expand...
Please read his post again.
 
Ghost Rider said:
fridayfrenzy said:
Carter_Can_Fly said:
Walker was a great pick up by this team. This may have been one of the best if not the best acquisitions of the off season that is not getting enough talk. Walker has been really good even better then his numbers indicate. He has bailed the passing game out the last few games and gave this team some life. Walker is an elite WR and the Broncos got a steal of a deal. He may be the play maker that takes this team over the edge this season.
Click to expand...
:rolleyes:Please take off the pimp glasses.I can name a handful better off season acquisition off the top of my head...1. McNair to Baltimore2. John Abraham to Atlanta3. Hutchison to Minny4. Chester Taylor to Minny5. Drew Brees to New Orleans6. Julian Peterson to Seattle7. Darren Howard to Philly8. Will Witherspoon to St. Louis
Click to expand...
Please read his post again.
Click to expand...
I have heard MORE about Walker going to the Broncos than I have of many of those acquisitions.
 
Plummer is still Plummer. If you put the game on his shoulders against a solid defense, you're going to have problems. The secondary is MUCH improved from last year (and playing a full 60 minutes!) which is what's keeping them in games.

I'm still worried about San Diego- but there's enough time to get Plummer a few good games under his belt against softer secondaries and get in sync with Walker and the TEs before then. If they can improve there, they'll be pretty dangerous.

Realistically though, I'm putting next year as their big push for a Super Bowl. Rod Smith's years are numbered and Shanahan will probably be ready to retire soon as well. This year I'd be happy with an appearance in the AFC title game.

 
malice said:
Plummer is still Plummer. If you put the game on his shoulders against a solid defense, you're going to have problems. The secondary is MUCH improved from last year (and playing a full 60 minutes!) which is what's keeping them in games.I'm still worried about San Diego- but there's enough time to get Plummer a few good games under his belt against softer secondaries and get in sync with Walker and the TEs before then. If they can improve there, they'll be pretty dangerous.Realistically though, I'm putting next year as their big push for a Super Bowl. Rod Smith's years are numbered and Shanahan will probably be ready to retire soon as well. This year I'd be happy with an appearance in the AFC title game.
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Next year makes some sense...SB appearances in 1977, 1987, 1997, 2007?
 
moleculo said:
malice said:
Plummer is still Plummer. If you put the game on his shoulders against a solid defense, you're going to have problems. The secondary is MUCH improved from last year (and playing a full 60 minutes!) which is what's keeping them in games.I'm still worried about San Diego- but there's enough time to get Plummer a few good games under his belt against softer secondaries and get in sync with Walker and the TEs before then. If they can improve there, they'll be pretty dangerous.Realistically though, I'm putting next year as their big push for a Super Bowl. Rod Smith's years are numbered and Shanahan will probably be ready to retire soon as well. This year I'd be happy with an appearance in the AFC title game.
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Next year makes some sense...SB appearances in 1977, 1987, 1997, 2007?
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It's an Elway thing. :D
 
malice said:
Plummer is still Plummer. If you put the game on his shoulders against a solid defense, you're going to have problems. The secondary is MUCH improved from last year (and playing a full 60 minutes!) which is what's keeping them in games.

I'm still worried about San Diego- but there's enough time to get Plummer a few good games under his belt against softer secondaries and get in sync with Walker and the TEs before then. If they can improve there, they'll be pretty dangerous.

Realistically though, I'm putting next year as their big push for a Super Bowl. Rod Smith's years are numbered and Shanahan will probably be ready to retire soon as well. This year I'd be happy with an appearance in the AFC title game.
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I think the Ravens have a pretty solid defense. I think the load was put on Plummer's shoulders last night. I don't see Shanahan retiring any time soon. Otherwise :goodposting:
 
fridayfrenzy said:
Ghost Rider said:
fridayfrenzy said:
Carter_Can_Fly said:
Walker was a great pick up by this team. This may have been one of the best if not the best acquisitions of the off season that is not getting enough talk. Walker has been really good even better then his numbers indicate. He has bailed the passing game out the last few games and gave this team some life. Walker is an elite WR and the Broncos got a steal of a deal. He may be the play maker that takes this team over the edge this season.
Click to expand...
:rolleyes:Please take off the pimp glasses.I can name a handful better off season acquisition off the top of my head...1. McNair to Baltimore2. John Abraham to Atlanta3. Hutchison to Minny4. Chester Taylor to Minny5. Drew Brees to New Orleans6. Julian Peterson to Seattle7. Darren Howard to Philly8. Will Witherspoon to St. Louis
Click to expand...
Please read his post again.
Click to expand...
I have heard MORE about Walker going to the Broncos than I have of many of those acquisitions.
Click to expand...
Okay, but Walker is often overlooked when talking about how well the Broncos have played. The defense is getting a lot of the credit, which is perfectly understandable. But when you think about it, the Broncos could very well be 1-3 if they didn't have Walker, so I agree with the original assessment of his play taking the offenses play up a few notches. If the offense ever gets really cranking, Walker could really light it up then.
malice said:
Plummer is still Plummer. If you put the game on his shoulders against a solid defense, you're going to have problems.
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Most of the time, yes, but he did come through in a big way on their last drive last night.
malice said:
Realistically though, I'm putting next year as their big push for a Super Bowl. Rod Smith's years are numbered and Shanahan will probably be ready to retire soon as well.
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Why would Shanny retire? He just drafted his QB of the future. Unless he has unforeseen health problems, I don't see him going anywhere, anytime soon.
 
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Okay, I went to the NLCS game last night, so I missed the Broncos-Raiders game, but what the hell? 13-3? How in the world do they only score 13 points against the Raiders? And a little more info than comments like, "Plummer sucks," would be appreciated. :D

 
Ghost Rider said:
Okay, I went to the NLCS game last night, so I missed the Broncos-Raiders game, but what the hell? 13-3? How in the world do they only score 13 points against the Raiders? And a little more info than comments like, "Plummer sucks," would be appreciated. :D
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We could tell you more but that's all you pretty much need to know....
 
also, there's some good info here: http://forums.footballguys.com/forum/index...0311&st=250

pulled this quote from page 6 of that thread:

SSOG said:
Shanny got a 13 point lead, and then he turtled up. The first four drives went Punt, TD, FG, FG, and that fourth one could have easily been a TD, too, if it weren't for a mental mistake by Sapp. That was it for the first half. In the second half, it was Martyball all the way. Thanks to Darrent's fumble, Denver only got 4 drives in the second half. One of those was a substantial drive that made it to the red zone before Denver kneeled down to kill the clock. The other three were just conservative drives designed more to kill clock than score points, in my opinion.

Discount the drives that ended in kneel-downs, and Denver only had 7 possessions to work with. The average team scores 1.57 points per drive this season. Only 7 teams are averaging more than 2 points per drive. Denver scored 1.86, and would have easily scored more had Sapp not screwed up, or had they cared at the end of the game (i.e. not ended their 8th drive with kneel-downs in the red zone). Considering pretty average starting field position (avg. drive started on the 31.6 yard line, discounting the two drives to end the halves that started on the 1 and the 19).

Conclusion: Denver got marginally above-average production with average field position using a conservative philosophy against a defense that's not as bad as everyone thinks. Not a banner day, and a huge step down from the offensive juggernauts of the past, but not nearly as alarming as everyone's making it out to be here.
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Interesting analysis, as always, by SSOG.

Still, 13 points at home against the Raiders is not very good.

What worries me is there is going to come a game where the defense doesn't completely shut the other team's offense down (they play the Colts very soon), and if the offense is still this conservative, it will be very difficult to suddenly turn it on and expect the points to start coming quickly.

 
ffldrew said:
:missing: <--------- Broncos Tight EndWhere are they?
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Best point in the thread. Denver has always relied on their tight ends, and they don't seem to have a reliable one right now. If Scheffler manages to step up, it should mean a solid improvement for the offense. Right now, defenses don't have to respect the TE going over the middle, and they are dropping back to cover the receivers.
 
LuckyOne said:
ffldrew said:
:missing: <--------- Broncos Tight EndWhere are they?
Click to expand...
Best point in the thread. Denver has always relied on their tight ends, and they don't seem to have a reliable one right now. If Scheffler manages to step up, it should mean a solid improvement for the offense. Right now, defenses don't have to respect the TE going over the middle, and they are dropping back to cover the receivers.
Click to expand...
I have Scheffler in a dynasty and was optimistic about his chances this year. From what I've seen in the Bronco games, Plummer very rarely looks for his TE's and when he has thrown to Scheffler it has been a bad throw and Scheffler has had to contort himself to get into a position to catch it. It appears that the only people Plummer looks for are Walker or Smith. Not gonna be good for Scheffler or the other guy (Alexander?) unless Cutler gets some PT.
 
Warpig said:
LuckyOne said:
ffldrew said:
:missing: <--------- Broncos Tight EndWhere are they?
Click to expand...
Best point in the thread. Denver has always relied on their tight ends, and they don't seem to have a reliable one right now. If Scheffler manages to step up, it should mean a solid improvement for the offense. Right now, defenses don't have to respect the TE going over the middle, and they are dropping back to cover the receivers.
Click to expand...
I have Scheffler in a dynasty and was optimistic about his chances this year. From what I've seen in the Bronco games, Plummer very rarely looks for his TE's and when he has thrown to Scheffler it has been a bad throw and Scheffler has had to contort himself to get into a position to catch it. It appears that the only people Plummer looks for are Walker or Smith. Not gonna be good for Scheffler or the other guy (Alexander?) unless Cutler gets some PT.
Click to expand...
a quick hit from a Bronco fan since '77Shanny is doing the right thing. Historically, Plummer has not made good decisions (on or off the field) and until he can show the coaching staff in practice, you have to put the shackles on the QB. The Stealers showed the NFL how to limit the responsibilty of the QB, and be succesfull. My call, have Plummer throw more RB screens to the flat and TE routes splitting the defense. Practice, Practice, Practice.If the personel can not run those routes (gulp) it could end up looking more like Balitmore Offense.PS: Keep up the great work on defense gentlemen. Can't wait til Novemeber 5th, 2006payback will be sweet!
 
Ghost Rider said:
Interesting analysis, as always, by SSOG. Still, 13 points at home against the Raiders is not very good. What worries me is there is going to come a game where the defense doesn't completely shut the other team's offense down (they play the Colts very soon), and if the offense is still this conservative, it will be very difficult to suddenly turn it on and expect the points to start coming quickly.
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Actually, while watching the game last night I did not get the sense that Denver is a dominating team. They have a very good defense but Oakland did have opportunities. Of course, they're Oakland so naturally they screwed up every single opportunity. I don't know if Shanny just doesn't have confidence in Plummer or he really felt that Oakland had no chance to come back down by 10 pts and 7 mins to go. It was just funny watching them run the ball on 3rd and about 7 with the game still close. If Oakland had a qb who could hit the broad side of a barn and didn't make so many ridiculous penalties, they actually could have won that game. It was just a pathetic game to watch all around.
 
fred_1_15301 said:
Ghost Rider said:
Interesting analysis, as always, by SSOG. Still, 13 points at home against the Raiders is not very good. What worries me is there is going to come a game where the defense doesn't completely shut the other team's offense down (they play the Colts very soon), and if the offense is still this conservative, it will be very difficult to suddenly turn it on and expect the points to start coming quickly.
Click to expand...
Actually, while watching the game last night I did not get the sense that Denver is a dominating team. They have a very good defense but Oakland did have opportunities. Of course, they're Oakland so naturally they screwed up every single opportunity. I don't know if Shanny just doesn't have confidence in Plummer or he really felt that Oakland had no chance to come back down by 10 pts and 7 mins to go. It was just funny watching them run the ball on 3rd and about 7 with the game still close. If Oakland had a qb who could hit the broad side of a barn and didn't make so many ridiculous penalties, they actually could have won that game. It was just a pathetic game to watch all around.
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If you watched DEN games last year, they did the same thing. The only differences last year were that they had a 1-2 punch with Anderson and Bell and their secondary (not counting Bailey and w/ D.Williams hurt) was soft which led to some games coming down to the wire (NE, the last second loss to the Giants, etc.). DEN typically plays the first half to get a lead, and then relies on tiring out the defense in the second half to keep the win. That's why the games where they had a slow start they couldn't get anything going.This year, their defense is healthy and playing lights out. So the score dictates the pace. I'm hedging expectations for Plummer (even against soft defenses) since this team generally won't get more than 1-2 TDs a game. Even the long bombs to Walker last night (and the NE game) were jump balls which could have been intercepted just as easily. Maybe Shanahan is playing it safe- who knows- but I think T.Bell, Elam, and the DEN defense are going to be the only FANTASY friendly reliables from week to week. It doesn't make for exciting games to watch, but defenses like this are the teams that generally find success in the playoffs.
 
The Broncos are now 5-1 after beating Cleveland 17-7.

I am officially worried about the offense now.

I can't wait to see how the defense does against the Colts offense next week.

 
Warpig said:
LuckyOne said:
ffldrew said:
:missing: <--------- Broncos Tight End

Where are they?
Click to expand...
Best point in the thread. Denver has always relied on their tight ends, and they don't seem to have a reliable one right now. If Scheffler manages to step up, it should mean a solid improvement for the offense. Right now, defenses don't have to respect the TE going over the middle, and they are dropping back to cover the receivers.
Click to expand...
I have Scheffler in a dynasty and was optimistic about his chances this year. From what I've seen in the Bronco games, Plummer very rarely looks for his TE's and when he has thrown to Scheffler it has been a bad throw and Scheffler has had to contort himself to get into a position to catch it.
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Missed that pass in week 1 that hit Scheffler right in the helmet, didn't you? ;)
Ghost Rider said:
The Broncos are now 5-1 after beating Cleveland 17-7.

I am officially worried about the offense now.

I can't wait to see how the defense does against the Colts offense next week.
Click to expand...
Pop quiz... name the only NFL team to win its last 4 games by double-digits.Answer: Denver.

Okay, that was an easy one. Name the only other NFL team to win its last THREE games by double-digits.

Answer: New England.

And what happened to New England 4 weeks ago? That's right, they lost to Denver by double digits (in New England, I might add).

Okay, another question. How many teams, besides Denver and New England, have even managed to win TWO straight by 10+?

Answer: None.

How many teams, besides Denver and New England, have managed to win two straight games by even SEVEN points?

Answer: Minnesota, and that's it.

The moral of this story? While this certainly isn't the Denver offense we've all grown accustomed to, it hasn't made one bit of difference. No team other than Denver has been as consistantly dominant this season. Your other contenders are teams such as Indy (beat Tenn by 1 point on a last-second comeback), New England (lost to Denver, but has been rolling since), Philly (lost to Tampa Bay), San Diego (lost to KC), and Chicago (miracle MNF comeback against the team that just got rolled by Oakland). Would I love for Denver to hang 50 on someone at some point? Absolutely. But I'm not beating myself up over the fact that they haven't yet. Keep winning by 10, and I'll keep on managing to find something to smile about. :)

 
You should be worried even more if Lepsis is out for any length of time. And might have to worry about the D also if Warren's toe (the same that he hyperextended during preseason) is bad (apparently he was in crutches and couldn't get a shoe on due to the swelling.)

 
SSOG said:
Pop quiz... name the only NFL team to win its last 4 games by double-digits.Answer: Denver.Okay, that was an easy one. Name the only other NFL team to win its last THREE games by double-digits.Answer: New England.And what happened to New England 4 weeks ago? That's right, they lost to Denver by double digits (in New England, I might add).Okay, another question. How many teams, besides Denver and New England, have even managed to win TWO straight by 10+?Answer: None.How many teams, besides Denver and New England, have managed to win two straight games by even SEVEN points?Answer: Minnesota, and that's it.The moral of this story? While this certainly isn't the Denver offense we've all grown accustomed to, it hasn't made one bit of difference. No team other than Denver has been as consistantly dominant this season. Your other contenders are teams such as Indy (beat Tenn by 1 point on a last-second comeback), New England (lost to Denver, but has been rolling since), Philly (lost to Tampa Bay), San Diego (lost to KC), and Chicago (miracle MNF comeback against the team that just got rolled by Oakland). Would I love for Denver to hang 50 on someone at some point? Absolutely. But I'm not beating myself up over the fact that they haven't yet. Keep winning by 10, and I'll keep on managing to find something to smile about. :)
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:goodposting: Yes, I am very happy with the Broncos record, but I just worry that the offense won't be able to do enough in the weeks where the defense isn't quite as dominant. And there will be weeks like that. Given the Colts horrendous run defense, I expect to see Denver attempt to run the ball down their throats next week.
 
SSOG said:
Warpig said:
LuckyOne said:
ffldrew said:
:missing: <--------- Broncos Tight End

Where are they?
Click to expand...
Best point in the thread. Denver has always relied on their tight ends, and they don't seem to have a reliable one right now. If Scheffler manages to step up, it should mean a solid improvement for the offense. Right now, defenses don't have to respect the TE going over the middle, and they are dropping back to cover the receivers.
Click to expand...
I have Scheffler in a dynasty and was optimistic about his chances this year. From what I've seen in the Bronco games, Plummer very rarely looks for his TE's and when he has thrown to Scheffler it has been a bad throw and Scheffler has had to contort himself to get into a position to catch it.
Click to expand...
Missed that pass in week 1 that hit Scheffler right in the helmet, didn't you? ;)
Ghost Rider said:
The Broncos are now 5-1 after beating Cleveland 17-7.

I am officially worried about the offense now.

I can't wait to see how the defense does against the Colts offense next week.
Click to expand...
Pop quiz... name the only NFL team to win its last 4 games by double-digits.Answer: Denver.

Okay, that was an easy one. Name the only other NFL team to win its last THREE games by double-digits.

Answer: New England.

And what happened to New England 4 weeks ago? That's right, they lost to Denver by double digits (in New England, I might add).

Okay, another question. How many teams, besides Denver and New England, have even managed to win TWO straight by 10+?

Answer: None.

How many teams, besides Denver and New England, have managed to win two straight games by even SEVEN points?

Answer: Minnesota, and that's it.

The moral of this story? While this certainly isn't the Denver offense we've all grown accustomed to, it hasn't made one bit of difference. No team other than Denver has been as consistantly dominant this season. Your other contenders are teams such as Indy (beat Tenn by 1 point on a last-second comeback), New England (lost to Denver, but has been rolling since), Philly (lost to Tampa Bay), San Diego (lost to KC), and Chicago (miracle MNF comeback against the team that just got rolled by Oakland). Would I love for Denver to hang 50 on someone at some point? Absolutely. But I'm not beating myself up over the fact that they haven't yet. Keep winning by 10, and I'll keep on managing to find something to smile about. :)
Click to expand...
:goodposting: really good. If I were a Denver fan I would be smiling right now. Your defense looks great and although the offense has not broken out yet, there is plenty of weapons there for them to put up numbers and put points on the board. Right now they (the offense) has not had to worry about putting up big numbers, but let us see what happens when their backs are against the wall as early as perhaps next week before getting to worked up about not scoring big.

In fact, Denver should be happy that it is their offense that is struggling and not their defense. Shanny is a good offensive coach and I suspect will fix that side of the game, but bad defenses are extremely hard to correct mid season.

 
the next two weeks should tell us alot about what to expect from here on out - home vs Indy and then @ Pit. If Denver goes 2-0, they should have the inside track on HFA becasue they would have head to head wins vs the other division leaders (assuming Baltimore is div leader), and best record in conference. If they split, well, we really won't know much. If they loose both, it's time to start tempering expectations.

So - early thoughts on Indy - this is the team that this defense was built to beat. Denvers historic post-season collapses in Indy are what was responsible for the Bailey trade, and the draft of Williams, Foxworth, and Paymah, back-to-back-to-back. Denvers defensive backfield is healthy, and experienced - I belive that they can and will match up with Indy's passing attack very well. However, I'm not convinced that they can hold Indy to less than 17, which concerns me. If the offense can't score more than 21, we could be in trouble.

 
moleculo said:
the next two weeks should tell us alot about what to expect from here on out - home vs Indy and then @ Pit. If Denver goes 2-0, they should have the inside track on HFA becasue they would have head to head wins vs the other division leaders (assuming Baltimore is div leader), and best record in conference. If they split, well, we really won't know much. If they loose both, it's time to start tempering expectations.So - early thoughts on Indy - this is the team that this defense was built to beat. Denvers historic post-season collapses in Indy are what was responsible for the Bailey trade, and the draft of Williams, Foxworth, and Paymah, back-to-back-to-back. Denvers defensive backfield is healthy, and experienced - I belive that they can and will match up with Indy's passing attack very well. However, I'm not convinced that they can hold Indy to less than 17, which concerns me. If the offense can't score more than 21, we could be in trouble.
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Foxworth got lit up last year in the playoffs. He still seems to be the achilles heel in the secondary. The loss of Darrent Williams was big last year.I'd really like to see them get Tatum involved in the passing game to prepare for IND- quick passes underneath are going to be key to moving the ball. I'm also concerned about Elam missing average-length FGs lately. Luckily they'll be at home.
 
moleculo said:
the next two weeks should tell us alot about what to expect from here on out - home vs Indy and then @ Pit. If Denver goes 2-0, they should have the inside track on HFA becasue they would have head to head wins vs the other division leaders (assuming Baltimore is div leader), and best record in conference. If they split, well, we really won't know much. If they loose both, it's time to start tempering expectations.So - early thoughts on Indy - this is the team that this defense was built to beat. Denvers historic post-season collapses in Indy are what was responsible for the Bailey trade, and the draft of Williams, Foxworth, and Paymah, back-to-back-to-back. Denvers defensive backfield is healthy, and experienced - I belive that they can and will match up with Indy's passing attack very well. However, I'm not convinced that they can hold Indy to less than 17, which concerns me. If the offense can't score more than 21, we could be in trouble.
Click to expand...
The key to beating Indy has always been the passrush. In 2003 we played Indy with a patchwork defense (we'd lost 3 OLBs, and I believe we lost Kelly Herndon and Sam Brandon during that game, too), but we absolutely DESTROYED them (one of the worst losses of the entire Manning era) because Trevor Pryce bought a timeshare in Indy's backfield. That's the game that everyone forgets about- in the last 3 meetings with Indy, we destroyed them once (40:20 ToP advantage, which is just sick), and they destroyed us twice. And if we win this week, we'll now be 2-2 against Indy in our last 4 meaningful games (hardly the rock-paper-scissors relationship it's portrayed as).The big key, of course, is going to be making Peyton uncomfortable. Losing Gerrard Warren will be a HUGE blow, because we're not deep at DT, but if Dumerville keeps on playing like he's been playing (5 sacks in the last 2 games), it won't matter. Peyton will be very uncomfortable, Indy will be out of sync, and our defensive backfield will be there to capitalize.
malice said:
moleculo said:
the next two weeks should tell us alot about what to expect from here on out - home vs Indy and then @ Pit. If Denver goes 2-0, they should have the inside track on HFA becasue they would have head to head wins vs the other division leaders (assuming Baltimore is div leader), and best record in conference. If they split, well, we really won't know much. If they loose both, it's time to start tempering expectations.So - early thoughts on Indy - this is the team that this defense was built to beat. Denvers historic post-season collapses in Indy are what was responsible for the Bailey trade, and the draft of Williams, Foxworth, and Paymah, back-to-back-to-back. Denvers defensive backfield is healthy, and experienced - I belive that they can and will match up with Indy's passing attack very well. However, I'm not convinced that they can hold Indy to less than 17, which concerns me. If the offense can't score more than 21, we could be in trouble.
Click to expand...
Foxworth got lit up last year in the playoffs. He still seems to be the achilles heel in the secondary. The loss of Darrent Williams was big last year.I'd really like to see them get Tatum involved in the passing game to prepare for IND- quick passes underneath are going to be key to moving the ball. I'm also concerned about Elam missing average-length FGs lately. Luckily they'll be at home.
Click to expand...
Domanique Foxworth isn't nearly as bad as he looked against Pittsburgh, he just had a bad game. He wound up starting about half of Denver's games last year, and acquitted himself just fine. I'd even go so far as to say he's probably one of the best nickle CBs in the league.
 
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