10 Facts About the 2005 Denver Broncos

With training camp over a month away, I thought it would be a good time to have some fun and go back and continue the 10 Fact About series that I started a few years ago. Here is how it works: I take a random team in Broncos history (Focusing on teams from the 80s, 90s, and 2000s) and find 10 facts that are interesting about that team. Let's go back to 2005 and take a look at 10 Facts About the 2005 Denver Broncos.....

1) The Broncos ground game was so potent that year that the team almost got TWO 1,000 yard rushers in the same season. Mike Anderson led the Broncos with 1,014 yards and Tatum Bell had 921 yards.

2) 2005 was a very productive year for Jake Plummer. Plummer completed 60/7% of his passes, for 3,366 yards, 18 TDs and only 7 INT. He also ran for 2 TDs during the season. Plummer played very smart each week and protected the football in the process. He was a gamer that really helped lead Denver to a 13-3 record.

3) The Broncos finished 13-3, won the AFC West for the first time since 1998, and were the #2 seed in the AFC behind the 14-2 Colts. The Broncos could have very easily finished 15-1, but they lost a heartbreaker to the Giants 24-23 in Week 7, and nail-biter to the Chiefs 31-27 in Week 13.

4) The Broncos played a game on Thanksgiving at Dallas, on Christmas Eve against Oakland, and on New Year's Eve at San Diego, and they won all three games. They beat Dallas in a classic OT game 24-21. They buried the Raiders 22-3 in Denver to clinch the West and a first round bye, and they shut down the Chargers 23-7 in Week 17 in SD.

5) Champ Bailey was phenomenal that year. He finished with 8 interceptions and returned 2 of them for touchdowns. He also forced a fumble and made 64 total tackles.

6) Rod Smart led the team with 6 receiving touchdowns that season. Interestingly, FB Kyle Johnson finished second on the team with 5 receiving TDs.

7) John Lynch actually tied for the team lead in sacks with 4. Ebenezer Ekuban and Trevor Pryce also had 4 sacks on the year.

8) The Broncos defeated the Patriots in the Divisional Playoff Game 27-13. It was the first playoff loss for Tom Brady and Bill Belichick as New England Patriots. Both had previously been 10-0 together.

9) The Broncos played a Saturday game four straight weeks from Week 15 through the Divisional Round. In Week 15, the Broncos played at Buffalo for an ESPN Saturday night special. In Week 16, they hosted the Raiders on Christmas Eve because most of the NFL games were played that day to avoid Christmas Day. In Week 17, the Broncos played a special game at SD on a Saturday afternoon, and for the Divisional Playoff, Denver hosted the Patriots on a Saturday night game on CBS.

10) The Broncos lost to the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game in Denver 34-17. At the time, it was only the third playoff lost at home in Broncos history. The 1996 Broncos lost to the Jaguars in the Divisional Playoffs, and the 1984 Broncos lost to the Steelers in the Divisional Playoffs as well.

Broncos Summer Mailbag

The end of June and most of July is vacation time in the NFL. OTAs and mini-camps are over, and the players and coaches are all away as they prepare to return to training camp towards the end of July. There isn't much news at this point in the offseason, but it is always good to look into some of the major questions the Broncos have as the summer begins and training is over a month away. Here is a six-pack of burning questions surround the Broncos as we head into July.....

Who do you think eventually wins the QB competition? This is the main position battle as we enter training camp. After OTAs and mini-camp, the consensus was that Paxton Lynch really started to come on as the practices continued. It was also stated that Trevor Siemian had some really good days as well. Siemian will enter the training camp as QB1, but Lynch will get every opportunity to supplant him once camp gets going. In the end, I'm going with Lynch to win the job because the Broncos have to find out what they have with their 2016 first rounder.

Besides QB, what is the biggest issue facing the offense after OTAs are over and training camp is on the horizon? The offensive line is the biggest issue going into training camp. Center Matt Paradis is coming off double hip surgery, and he hasn't practiced in the offseason yet. You have Ronald Leary and Max Garcia at the guard positions, but the tackle spots are up in the air. Can Garret Boles win the LT spot? Can he not get our QBs killed if he does start from day one? Will Menelik Watson start at RT and stay healthy all year? Can Ty Sambraillo contribute and somehow improve from his disastrous season last year? Can Donald Stephenson contribute if needed? The focus will be on the QB battle, but the offensive line play will be a huge area to watch as training camp progresses.

Which position on defense is the one area where the Broncos have a lot of questions surrounding heading into training camp? I think the biggest area of interest is the defensive end spot. Jared Crick is penciled in as the starter because he started last year, but it looks like Adam Gotsis has bulked up and put some weight on. Can he step up and win the position? How about rookie second rounder, Demarcus Walker? Zach Kerr was signed from Indy to beef up that position too. The DE spot opposite of Derek Wolfe has to improve from last year, and that is the area to watch come late July in Dove Valley.

What has been your first impressions of new Head Coach Vance Joseph after OTAs? From what I have seen, I have been impressed with Joseph's on-field presence and demeanor in the press conferences with the media. As a NFL head coach, you have to be a leader, motivator, and a CEO-type off the field. I feel like VJ seems to fill that criteria. Watching video of him the first few days of OTAs was impressive to me because he looked, acted, and sounded like a NFL head coach. That is a good sign. I just think he seems natural at it, and that might help all the players buy in to his vision and his program.

Will John Elway sign a contract extension before training camp or before the summer? It is starting to worry me that Elway didn't sign an extension yet-considering it was reported that he has been talking to the Broncos since October about signing a new deal. I think there are two factors in play here: Deadlines spurring action and Elway waiting to see any type of ownership situation. I think the closer we get to the end of his contract is when the real negotiations will pick up with the team. I also think that Elway might know that Pat Bowlen could pass away soon, and maybe he wants to see what the ownership transferal will look like before he signs off. Elway has stated many times on the record that it isn't a concern and he will sign a new deal and be a Bronco for life, but I'm still worried it hasn't gotten done yet. Ultimately, I do think it gets done at some point this season.

Where does this team stand in the AFC West and in the overall playoff picture in the AFC?

Right now, the Broncos are behind the Raiders and Chiefs in the AFC West pecking order and they are clearly behind teams like the Pats and Steelers as far as contenders go in the AFC. Not too many people are expecting much from the Broncos this year. In fact, there are a few websites that are actually predicting the Chargers to finish above Denver this year. I don't mind the lack of faith from the media and low expectations for this team. In fact, I like it better that way. With that said, right now they are behind KC and the Raiders, and I don't think they are in the mix with the other AFC contenders, but it is June and not September, so many things can change.