Friday, January 14, 2011
Broncos Name John Fox Head Coach
The Broncos concluded their coaching search on Thursday. John Elway announced that John Fox will be the next head coach of the Denver Broncos. Fox, 55, spent nine seasons in Carolina as their head coach. He is 73-71 with a 5-3 playoff record. Fox led Carolina to Super Bowl XXXVIII following the 2003 season. Fox also led Carolina to the NFC Championship in 2005, and a division title in 2008. I like this move a lot because he was clearly the best option available. Jon Gruden and Bill Cowher weren't coming to Denver. Jim Harbaugh, the best college coach available, headed to San Francisco. Coaches like Leslie Frazier and Jason Garrett stayed with their respective teams. Instead of going with the hot assistant or the up and coming assistant, Denver went with experience and hired the right man. Fox is a solid choice and a good choice. His teams always seemed to play hard and overachieve. He can come in and fix that terrible Broncos defense, and perhaps get the Broncos back to running the ball consistently on offense. Already with the Fox hire, Denver has the best HC in the AFC West. That will certainly help regardless. Who knows what he will do with Tim Tebow, but there are some good signs for Tebow fans with the Fox hiring. Fox got to know Tebow very well before last year's draft, and there were some rumblings that the Panthers were going to take Tebow. Also, Denver's current OC, Mike McCoy, worked with Fox in Carolina as a QB coach for 6 seasons before joining Josh McDaniels in Denver. Perhaps McCoy stays on staff and continues to develop Tebow. There is plenty of time for those discussions all offseason, but for now let's give a mile high salute to John Elway and Pat Bowlen for getting the right guy in Denver. Will he be successful? Who knows, and there are a lot of factors that go into play, but overall as a Denver fan you have to be happy with this choice. Fox is the man in Denver now, and their is hope on the horizon. Welcome to Mile High, John Fox. Go Broncos!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Broncos Coaching Search
The Broncos coaching search is in full swing this week. On Sunday, Denver interviewed Eric Studesville and Perry Fewell. On Tuesday, Denver interviewed Rick Dennison and Dirk Koetter. Wednesday John Fox will interview with the Broncos. John Elway, Joe Ellis, Pat Bowlen, and Brian Xanders are overseeing the interviews. The Broncos website, www.denverbroncos.com, is really taking fans on an inside look at the interview process. They have videos in the meeting room and interviews with the candidates before they go into the room with the Broncos front office. If you are a Bronco fan, you have to check out this videos. As far as the search goes, here is who I want in Denver in order:
1) John Fox-Proven coach, teams always play hard and well, brings name credibility, could fix defense right away.
2) Rick Dennison-Bronco Alum, great offensive line/running game coach, knows a lot of the personnel, new and energetic leader.
3) Dirk Koetter-Has head coaching experience, believes in Tebow, offensive coordinator built around running game.
4) Eric Studesville-Was interim coach for last four games, part of the old regime and players need a new voice, not enough name factor.
5) Perry Fewell-No head coaching experience, seems like a players coach, not a good fit in Denver.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Wildcard Weekend Reaction
Wildcard Weekend turned out to be a great weekend of football. Three road teams advanced to the next round, and the only home team to win was of course Seattle. Three out of the four games were very competitive and fun to watch. This sets up a great slate of games for divisional weekend. Baltimore heads to Pittsburgh on Saturday at 4:30pm, and Green Bay travels to Atlanta at 8:00pm. On Sunday, Seattle goes to Chicago and 1:00pm, and the Jets head back to Foxboro to take on the Patriots at 4:30pm. I will dive into all the divisional games later in the week, but let's look back on Wildcard Weekend...........
Seattle-41 New Orleans-36
1) Seattle's upset of New Orleans was a classic moment of the playoffs. What a job by Seattle and Matt Hasselback played lights out throwing for four touchdown passes. Great job by Jeremy Bates and the entire Seattle staff and offensive unit.
2) Marshawn Lynch's run to clinch the game is one of greatest runs in NFL history. He broke 8 tackles on the way, and it will be remebered for a long time in Seahawks lore.
3) The Saints went down swinging, but just got outplayed by Seattle. It looked like New Orleans was going to roll when it took a 10-0 and 17-7 lead early in the game, but the Seahawks roared back. The injuries to Malcolm Jenkins and their running backs really hurt the Saints.
4) Good for the Seahawks getting this win. At 7-9, they were the worst team ever to reach the playoffs, but they justified it by beating the Saints on Saturday. I actually thought this win was good for the league. Forget about reseeding, just keep the system the way it is.
Baltimore-30 Kansas City-7
5) Baltimore continued their road dominance in the playoffs. The 30-7 win over Kansas City was their 4th road win in the last three postseasons. Their gameplan on offense was executed well, and their defense forced turnovers and shut down Dwayne Bowe.
6) I'm not the biggest Joe Flacco fan, but he absolutely played great yesterday. He killed the Chiefs down the middle of the field and made big throws time after time-Todd Heap was unstoppable. The Ravens are a very dangerous team, and when Flacco gets going, they are a tough out.
7) The Chiefs unraveled yesterday like many other sleeper teams do when they get to the playoffs. The Cheifs turned it over 5 times and they only turned over something like 14 times in the regular season. Matt Cassel was awful and Dwayne Bowe was a non factor. The Chiefs have now lost 7 consective playoff games, a NFL record, haven't won a playoff game since 1993, and haven't won a home playoff game since '93 as well.
Green Bay-21 Philly-16
8) The Packers and Aaron Rodgers held on to defeat the Eagles 21-16. The Packers have to be happy with their running game, which was on fire against Philly.
9) This game might have been over at the half, but James Jones dropped a touchdown pass from Rodgers that would have made it 21-3. With the score 14-3 Green Bay, you knew Mike Vick and Philly were going to make a run.
10) Vick's storybook season ended instantly yesterday. His endzone interception with 33 seconds left sealed the game, and put to rest the Eagles season. Who knew that at 10-4 after the Giant game, that Philly would lose three straight at home and get ousted in the first round.
11) If Desean Jackson doesn't get tripped up near the Packer 40 late in the game, he might have scored. It was a shoestring tackle, and that might have saved the Packers season.
New York Jets-17 Indianapolis-16
12) The Jets and Rex Ryan deserve all the credit for devising a gamplan to limit Peyton Manning. The Jets forced Manning into more running plays, as a result of their alignment in the box, and took the ball out of Mannin's hands on some critical downs.
13) If Manning completes the third down pass to Blair White late in the game, then the Colts win. The incompletion stops the clock and made the Colts kick a 50 yarder instead with 53 seconds left instead of taking the clock all the way down and making the Jets use timeouts.
14) Jim Caldwell's timeout with 35 seconds left was horrible and shows how shaky Caldwell can be. He got exposed as a game coach last year in the Super Bowl and got exposed on Saturday Night. If it weren't for Peyton Manning, Caldwell would probably be coaching in the UFL.
15) Mark Sanchez was awful in the first half, but made the plays to win the game late. His throw to Braylon Edwards was a big time play, and Sanchez has the ability to play well down the stretch late in these games. The big key was that the Jets went back to the running game in the second half and dominated with Shonn Greene and LaDaininan Tomlinson.
16) I don't think the window is closing on Peyton Manning. Next year, he will get Austin Collie, Dallas Clark, and Anthony Gonzalez back from injury. Eventhough he turns 35, the Colts will make the right moves to fill the holes on this team. Manning will be back and the Colts will be a contender again next year. This loss wasn't Manning's fault but his playoff record now stands at 9-10.
Seattle-41 New Orleans-36
1) Seattle's upset of New Orleans was a classic moment of the playoffs. What a job by Seattle and Matt Hasselback played lights out throwing for four touchdown passes. Great job by Jeremy Bates and the entire Seattle staff and offensive unit.
2) Marshawn Lynch's run to clinch the game is one of greatest runs in NFL history. He broke 8 tackles on the way, and it will be remebered for a long time in Seahawks lore.
3) The Saints went down swinging, but just got outplayed by Seattle. It looked like New Orleans was going to roll when it took a 10-0 and 17-7 lead early in the game, but the Seahawks roared back. The injuries to Malcolm Jenkins and their running backs really hurt the Saints.
4) Good for the Seahawks getting this win. At 7-9, they were the worst team ever to reach the playoffs, but they justified it by beating the Saints on Saturday. I actually thought this win was good for the league. Forget about reseeding, just keep the system the way it is.
Baltimore-30 Kansas City-7
5) Baltimore continued their road dominance in the playoffs. The 30-7 win over Kansas City was their 4th road win in the last three postseasons. Their gameplan on offense was executed well, and their defense forced turnovers and shut down Dwayne Bowe.
6) I'm not the biggest Joe Flacco fan, but he absolutely played great yesterday. He killed the Chiefs down the middle of the field and made big throws time after time-Todd Heap was unstoppable. The Ravens are a very dangerous team, and when Flacco gets going, they are a tough out.
7) The Chiefs unraveled yesterday like many other sleeper teams do when they get to the playoffs. The Cheifs turned it over 5 times and they only turned over something like 14 times in the regular season. Matt Cassel was awful and Dwayne Bowe was a non factor. The Chiefs have now lost 7 consective playoff games, a NFL record, haven't won a playoff game since 1993, and haven't won a home playoff game since '93 as well.
Green Bay-21 Philly-16
8) The Packers and Aaron Rodgers held on to defeat the Eagles 21-16. The Packers have to be happy with their running game, which was on fire against Philly.
9) This game might have been over at the half, but James Jones dropped a touchdown pass from Rodgers that would have made it 21-3. With the score 14-3 Green Bay, you knew Mike Vick and Philly were going to make a run.
10) Vick's storybook season ended instantly yesterday. His endzone interception with 33 seconds left sealed the game, and put to rest the Eagles season. Who knew that at 10-4 after the Giant game, that Philly would lose three straight at home and get ousted in the first round.
11) If Desean Jackson doesn't get tripped up near the Packer 40 late in the game, he might have scored. It was a shoestring tackle, and that might have saved the Packers season.
New York Jets-17 Indianapolis-16
12) The Jets and Rex Ryan deserve all the credit for devising a gamplan to limit Peyton Manning. The Jets forced Manning into more running plays, as a result of their alignment in the box, and took the ball out of Mannin's hands on some critical downs.
13) If Manning completes the third down pass to Blair White late in the game, then the Colts win. The incompletion stops the clock and made the Colts kick a 50 yarder instead with 53 seconds left instead of taking the clock all the way down and making the Jets use timeouts.
14) Jim Caldwell's timeout with 35 seconds left was horrible and shows how shaky Caldwell can be. He got exposed as a game coach last year in the Super Bowl and got exposed on Saturday Night. If it weren't for Peyton Manning, Caldwell would probably be coaching in the UFL.
15) Mark Sanchez was awful in the first half, but made the plays to win the game late. His throw to Braylon Edwards was a big time play, and Sanchez has the ability to play well down the stretch late in these games. The big key was that the Jets went back to the running game in the second half and dominated with Shonn Greene and LaDaininan Tomlinson.
16) I don't think the window is closing on Peyton Manning. Next year, he will get Austin Collie, Dallas Clark, and Anthony Gonzalez back from injury. Eventhough he turns 35, the Colts will make the right moves to fill the holes on this team. Manning will be back and the Colts will be a contender again next year. This loss wasn't Manning's fault but his playoff record now stands at 9-10.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Wildcard Weekend Picks!
The NFL's second season is here, and the wildcard round gets going this weekend with four interesting matchups. Saturday has the Saints at Seattle in the early game, and the Jets at Indy in primetime. Sunday's games have Baltimore heading to Kansas City early, with Green Bay at Philly in the late afternoon. There are a couple of things to remember heading into the wildcard round: 1) At least one road team usually wins 2) At least two of the four games will be good, the other two won't be as competitive 3) We really have no idea how this weekend is going to play out. That brings me to my bigger point. The NFL Playoffs have become like the NCAA Tournament: A crapshoot. In 2005, the Steelers were a six seed and won three road games on their way to the Super Bowl. In 2007, the Giants did the same exact thing. Neither team was exactly on a real hot streak entering the playoffs. In 2008, the Cardinals got hot and won three NFC playoff games on their way to the Super Bowl. They were 9-7 and playing terrible down the stretch of the regular season. Last year, the Jets were a 9-7 wildcard team only because their last two opponents, Indy and Cincy, rested their starters the last two games. What happened when the Jets got into the playoffs? They went on the road and won at Cincy and upset San Diego. Anything can happpen because it is a one game scenario. Forget about who is hot going into the playoffs it really doesn't matter. Just look at the game and that specific matchup and once a team wins one game, everything goes out the window and you start fresh in the next round. I would expect more of the same this playoff season. The fun begins with Wildcard Weekend on Saturday and Sunday.
Onto to the picks........
Onto to the picks........
Final Regular Season Record: 130-119-9
(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)
New Orleans (-9) over SEATTLE:
Why I like the Saints: They are the better team. I know they are banged up, but all you need is DrewBrees at the controls, and the Saints should be fine. They are the defending Super Bowl Champions, and they will not feel any pressure on the road at Qwest Field.
A Case for Seattle: Really, the only thing the Seahawks have going for them is that they are at home. Eventhough that stadium is a tough place to play, they got bombed quite a few times there already this season (NYG and KC).
Final Score: New Orleans-27 Seattle-17
INDY (-2) over New York Jets:
Why I like the Colts: They have Peyton Manning as their QB. I know the Colts are banged up, and their defense isn't playing that well, but as long as Manning is back there, I can't bet against them. They played basically four straight playoff games to get into the playoffs, and they have been here before. Joseph Addai will help their running game, and Manning will find the weak spots in the Jet defense and exploit it. Plus, I'm not sold on Rex Ryan's shaky in game management or Mark Sanchez.
A Case for the Jets: Maybe it is destiny for the Jets to go through Manning to get to the Super Bowl this year. The Jets Special Teams could be a huge advantage in this game. Mark Sanchez could also make plays on this Colts defense. The Jets corners can take away a lot of what Reggie Wayne and Pierre Garcon want to do. This Colts team is not the same as the team (Injuries to Dallas Clark and Austin Collie)that the Jets played in last year's AFC Championship. The Jets played three road games last year, so they shouldn't play tight. Maybe, just maybe, this is finally the Jets year.
Final Score: The Jets seemed to get lucky breaks all season long, but their luck might have run out when Indy won last week and KC lost, forcing the Jets to go to Indy in round one. I had a feeling that the Jets season was going to be boom or bust: Super Bowl or no playoffs. Well, they got into the playoffs, but I don't see this team going to the Super Bowl. They could easily win this game, but I won't take my chances against Peyton Manning.
Colts-27- Jets-23
Baltimore (-2) over KANSAS CITY:
Why I Like the Ravens: They can stop KC's running game and make Matt Cassel beat them, which plays right into their hands. The Ravens have been here before and know how to win on the road in the playoffs. Overall, they just have the better team, and won't be affected by the noise in Arrowhead.
A Case for the Chiefs: They are at home, and Arrowhead Stadium will be rocking on Sunday. They haven't won a playoff game since 1993, so they are due. The Chiefs are underdogs and could play the whole "No One Respects Us" angle. If they get their running game going, watch out.
Final Score: This game will be closer than people think. I expect the Chiefs to play very well at the beginning of the game. The Ravens will get the Chiefs' best shot, but I just don't think it will be enough. The Ravens will do enough to win this game.
Ravens-20 Chiefs-17
PHILLY (-2) over Green Bay:
Why I Like the Eagles: I think Mike Vick will have one of his patented off the chart type of games. He will make big plays in the passing game, and he will use his legs to make some critical third downs. He is the X-factor in this game, and the Eagles will live and die with him. I think he has 2002 Mike Vick in him for this one (Remember that one Packer fans). I think the Eagles are due for a big effort. They haven' t played well the last two weeks, and this is actually their third home game in a row.
A Case for the Packers: If Aaron Rodgers doesn't get a concussion in Week 13, then the Pack are probably the 2 seed in the NFC right now. This team could make a Super Bowl run. Rodgers is that good of a QB to win three games on the road. Their passing game is portable, and their defense is very solid. I could see them smothering Vick and slowing down the Eagle offense. Then, watch Rodgers just pick apart the suspect Eagle defense.
Final Score: My heart is telling me to pick the Packers, but something just tells me that Vick will lead the Eagles to victory. Somehow and someway Vick is going to do something to break the hearts of the Packer fans. This should be a close game, and a great setting on Sunday. I'll go with the Eagles late.
Eagles-26 Packers-22
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Broncos Postmortem Mailbag Part 2
What players will be back on this awful defensive unit?
Well, the Broncos need to improve their defense in all levels and in all areas. They need better coaching, a sound scheme, and upgrades in the front seven and in the secondary. They need to get younger and faster. I would try to find at least 7 new starters for defense. I would resign Champ Bailey, keep DJ Williams and Robert Ayers at LB, and keep Justin Bannan on the Defensive Line. Don't forget that Elvis Dumervil comes back next year too. Other players like Darcel McBath, Wesley Woodyard, Mario Haggan, Kevin Vickerson, Jamal Williams, Perrish Cox, Andre Goodman, David Bruton, and Syd'quan Thompson might have a role on the defense, but you can't count on them as starters. Everyone else should go, and the Broncos need an impact Dlineman, a legit run-stuffing inside linebacker, and a ball-hawking safety. A lot will be determined on what kind of defense the Broncos run next year. They could go back to the 4-3.
What players on offense will be back next year?
I would hope and expect Kyle Orton to be traded, so he shouldn't return. Tebow, Knowshon Moreno, Spencer Larsen, and either Lance Ball or Correll Buckhalter will be back. The O-line is set the way it is, but Ryan Harris could leave via free agency. Daniel Graham and Dan Gronkowski should be back at TE, but Richard Quinn has to go. The Broncos need to get a pass catching TE in their offense badly. The receivers should pretty much stay the same, maybe a guy like Jabar Gaffney gets jettisoned, but the offense doesn't need too much of a shakeup. There is talent and potential on this offense to help the new regime next year.
What do you think of the hiring of John Elway as VP of Football Operations?
I think it is a good move and a positive move for the franchise. Elway will oversee the football operartions, but he will not play the Matt Millen role and make every personnel decision. He will leave that to Brian Xanders, who will actually function as a real GM this time, and the rest of the personnel department. Elway will be influential in hiring the new HC, which is good because Joe Ellis handpicked Josh McDaniels and we all saw how that turned out. Obviously, Elway has a lot of work to do, but I think he will go about it the right way, and let's hope that he can assist Xanders and the rest of the personnel department in picking the best and right players for the Broncos. Overall, I like the move, and as some people put it, it could have a Mario Lemieux-Penguins type of effect on the team.
Who will be the Broncos next head coach?
The Broncos are interviewing Mike Mularkey, Perry Fewell, and Eric Studesville. Out of those three, I would think that Mularkey would be the best choice. I don't think that Fewell or Studesville would be good fits in Denver. Obviously, Elway said he is interested in Jim Harbaugh but it looks like Harbaugh is headed to either San Francisco or Miami. There are other candidates to be interviewed, but the Broncos aren't landing a big name like Bill Cowher or Jon Gruden. Mularkey intrigues me and he could be a good fit (Heck he led Buffalo to a 9-7 season in 2004), but there are some more names that could surface. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised by any hire.
Who should the Broncos look for in the draft?
The Broncos have the number two overall pick in April's draft, and you would have to think they are going to be thinking about defense. The top defensive players in the draft are: Defensive Lineman D'Quan Bowers from Clemson, Defensive Lineman Nick Fairley from Auburn, and Cornerback Patrick Peterson from LSU. Those are the names at the top of the list, but so much can change from now until the draft. Plus, things could always change if Andrew Luck is not taken at number one overall.
How far away are the Broncos from competing for a playoff berth?
The Broncos haven't been to the playoffs in five seasons. They are what their record says they are: A 4-12 team. They have many holes on the roster and are going to be getting a new head coach. With that said, they probably aren't as far away as many people think. You can turn things around very quickly in the NFL. The Chiefs were 4-12 a year ago and won the AFC West this season at 10-6. Every year, teams improve dramatically and make a playoff run. The key is going to be at QB. If Tim Tebow (Or whoever the QB is) develops greatly next year, then Denver has a real shot of turning it around. The Broncos are gettting Elvis Dumervil back next year, so that can only help their defense. If Denver make some shrewd moves in free agency and selects some impact players in the draft to go along with a new coaching staff, the Broncos could be back in business as soon as 2011. The AFC West isn't great. The Raiders were much improved and finished 8-8, but of course Al Davis decides to fire Tom Cable. The Chiefs are good, but they have the look of a team that probably won't stay on top of the division every year now. The Chargers are still the class of the West, but maybe their window is closing. The Broncos could be closer to returning to prominence than people think. The real key is Tebow.
What are your final thoughts?
Eventhough Denver finished 4-12, it is still fun to watch them and follow them week to week. At times it was very frustrating, but that is expected when you are a fan of the team. Tim Tebow and John Elway give us fans hope for the future and it will be a fun offsesaon to watch all the moves the Broncos make. The Broncos will turn this around, let's just hope next year at this time I will be previewing a Broncos playoff run.
Well, the Broncos need to improve their defense in all levels and in all areas. They need better coaching, a sound scheme, and upgrades in the front seven and in the secondary. They need to get younger and faster. I would try to find at least 7 new starters for defense. I would resign Champ Bailey, keep DJ Williams and Robert Ayers at LB, and keep Justin Bannan on the Defensive Line. Don't forget that Elvis Dumervil comes back next year too. Other players like Darcel McBath, Wesley Woodyard, Mario Haggan, Kevin Vickerson, Jamal Williams, Perrish Cox, Andre Goodman, David Bruton, and Syd'quan Thompson might have a role on the defense, but you can't count on them as starters. Everyone else should go, and the Broncos need an impact Dlineman, a legit run-stuffing inside linebacker, and a ball-hawking safety. A lot will be determined on what kind of defense the Broncos run next year. They could go back to the 4-3.
What players on offense will be back next year?
I would hope and expect Kyle Orton to be traded, so he shouldn't return. Tebow, Knowshon Moreno, Spencer Larsen, and either Lance Ball or Correll Buckhalter will be back. The O-line is set the way it is, but Ryan Harris could leave via free agency. Daniel Graham and Dan Gronkowski should be back at TE, but Richard Quinn has to go. The Broncos need to get a pass catching TE in their offense badly. The receivers should pretty much stay the same, maybe a guy like Jabar Gaffney gets jettisoned, but the offense doesn't need too much of a shakeup. There is talent and potential on this offense to help the new regime next year.
What do you think of the hiring of John Elway as VP of Football Operations?
I think it is a good move and a positive move for the franchise. Elway will oversee the football operartions, but he will not play the Matt Millen role and make every personnel decision. He will leave that to Brian Xanders, who will actually function as a real GM this time, and the rest of the personnel department. Elway will be influential in hiring the new HC, which is good because Joe Ellis handpicked Josh McDaniels and we all saw how that turned out. Obviously, Elway has a lot of work to do, but I think he will go about it the right way, and let's hope that he can assist Xanders and the rest of the personnel department in picking the best and right players for the Broncos. Overall, I like the move, and as some people put it, it could have a Mario Lemieux-Penguins type of effect on the team.
Who will be the Broncos next head coach?
The Broncos are interviewing Mike Mularkey, Perry Fewell, and Eric Studesville. Out of those three, I would think that Mularkey would be the best choice. I don't think that Fewell or Studesville would be good fits in Denver. Obviously, Elway said he is interested in Jim Harbaugh but it looks like Harbaugh is headed to either San Francisco or Miami. There are other candidates to be interviewed, but the Broncos aren't landing a big name like Bill Cowher or Jon Gruden. Mularkey intrigues me and he could be a good fit (Heck he led Buffalo to a 9-7 season in 2004), but there are some more names that could surface. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised by any hire.
Who should the Broncos look for in the draft?
The Broncos have the number two overall pick in April's draft, and you would have to think they are going to be thinking about defense. The top defensive players in the draft are: Defensive Lineman D'Quan Bowers from Clemson, Defensive Lineman Nick Fairley from Auburn, and Cornerback Patrick Peterson from LSU. Those are the names at the top of the list, but so much can change from now until the draft. Plus, things could always change if Andrew Luck is not taken at number one overall.
How far away are the Broncos from competing for a playoff berth?
The Broncos haven't been to the playoffs in five seasons. They are what their record says they are: A 4-12 team. They have many holes on the roster and are going to be getting a new head coach. With that said, they probably aren't as far away as many people think. You can turn things around very quickly in the NFL. The Chiefs were 4-12 a year ago and won the AFC West this season at 10-6. Every year, teams improve dramatically and make a playoff run. The key is going to be at QB. If Tim Tebow (Or whoever the QB is) develops greatly next year, then Denver has a real shot of turning it around. The Broncos are gettting Elvis Dumervil back next year, so that can only help their defense. If Denver make some shrewd moves in free agency and selects some impact players in the draft to go along with a new coaching staff, the Broncos could be back in business as soon as 2011. The AFC West isn't great. The Raiders were much improved and finished 8-8, but of course Al Davis decides to fire Tom Cable. The Chiefs are good, but they have the look of a team that probably won't stay on top of the division every year now. The Chargers are still the class of the West, but maybe their window is closing. The Broncos could be closer to returning to prominence than people think. The real key is Tebow.
What are your final thoughts?
Eventhough Denver finished 4-12, it is still fun to watch them and follow them week to week. At times it was very frustrating, but that is expected when you are a fan of the team. Tim Tebow and John Elway give us fans hope for the future and it will be a fun offsesaon to watch all the moves the Broncos make. The Broncos will turn this around, let's just hope next year at this time I will be previewing a Broncos playoff run.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Broncos Postmortem Mailbag Part 1
The end of the Broncos 2010 season comes with renewed optimism and hope for 2011. Let's dive into the issues surrounding Denver's 2010 season and look ahead to 2011 with good old fashioned mailbag.
How tough was it to watch this 4-12 edition of your beloved Broncos?
This was by far the worst season in my lifetime of being a Broncos fan. I can't tell you how many times I yelled at the television things like "This defense is so bad" "What an awful team" "This team will drive me to drink." It was so frustrating and the team just seemed to not even compete at times. The lowpoint for me was obviously the 59-14 loss to the Raiders at home in October. After that game dropped Denver to 2-5, you knew the Broncos were headed for a down year. One thing about being so bad all season long is that you really prepare for next season. For me the Broncos season was done by Halloween, so I starting thinking about 2011 right at that point. It is obviously easier to deal with a non-playoff season when your team is 2-6 or 3-8, then when your team gets eliminated in Week 17. Overall, it was just a really crummy season and a year to forget if your a Bronco fan.
What were the highlights of this season? Were there any at all?
Yes, there were a few bright spots in this forgettable season. The Week 4 win at Tennessee to get to 2-2 was a great victory. The game against the Jets, eventhough they lost 24-20, was a great game and one of those "Stand Up All Game" type of moments. The blowout home win over KC in November was a good one too. Of course, the watershed moment was the win over Houston at Invesco in Week 16. The day after Christmas, Tim Tebow's first home start, down 23-10 in the 4th quarter and Tebow leads them back to a 24-23 win. That is the enduring moment of 2010. Just seeing Tebow start the final three games was a highlight itself.
Do you feel bad about what happened to the Josh McDaniels Era?
I don't feel bad about what happend to McD. He brought a lot of this on himself. The final nail in the coffin was the Spygate incident in November. That did him in. His personnel moves didn't work out and it turns out he was in over his head. His legacy in Denver will always be linked to the Jay Cutler trade. I liked the hire, I liked his plan, and I liked his game management as a Head Coach, but a lot of his moves were questionable and a lot of his moves didn't work out. I don't know if he would have been able to fix this team from a personnel standpoint in 2011.
Who will be the Broncos starting QB in 2011? I hope it is Tim Tebow. I really hope he is the guy moving forward next year. I hope it isn't Kyle Orton. I would like to see Orton traded to a team that is desperate for a QB (Minnesota or Miami?) and hopefully the Broncos could get a second or third round pick for him. I wouldn't mind seeing the QB Depth Chart look like this next year: Tim Tebow-Starter Brady Quinn-Backup Undrafted Free Agent/Journeyman-3rd QB. All this can change if the new Broncos HC decides to go after Andrew Luck in the draft or trade for someone like Kevin Kolb. I just hope Tebow gets a shot next year to start.
How tough was it to watch this 4-12 edition of your beloved Broncos?
This was by far the worst season in my lifetime of being a Broncos fan. I can't tell you how many times I yelled at the television things like "This defense is so bad" "What an awful team" "This team will drive me to drink." It was so frustrating and the team just seemed to not even compete at times. The lowpoint for me was obviously the 59-14 loss to the Raiders at home in October. After that game dropped Denver to 2-5, you knew the Broncos were headed for a down year. One thing about being so bad all season long is that you really prepare for next season. For me the Broncos season was done by Halloween, so I starting thinking about 2011 right at that point. It is obviously easier to deal with a non-playoff season when your team is 2-6 or 3-8, then when your team gets eliminated in Week 17. Overall, it was just a really crummy season and a year to forget if your a Bronco fan.
What were the highlights of this season? Were there any at all?
Yes, there were a few bright spots in this forgettable season. The Week 4 win at Tennessee to get to 2-2 was a great victory. The game against the Jets, eventhough they lost 24-20, was a great game and one of those "Stand Up All Game" type of moments. The blowout home win over KC in November was a good one too. Of course, the watershed moment was the win over Houston at Invesco in Week 16. The day after Christmas, Tim Tebow's first home start, down 23-10 in the 4th quarter and Tebow leads them back to a 24-23 win. That is the enduring moment of 2010. Just seeing Tebow start the final three games was a highlight itself.
Do you feel bad about what happened to the Josh McDaniels Era?
I don't feel bad about what happend to McD. He brought a lot of this on himself. The final nail in the coffin was the Spygate incident in November. That did him in. His personnel moves didn't work out and it turns out he was in over his head. His legacy in Denver will always be linked to the Jay Cutler trade. I liked the hire, I liked his plan, and I liked his game management as a Head Coach, but a lot of his moves were questionable and a lot of his moves didn't work out. I don't know if he would have been able to fix this team from a personnel standpoint in 2011.
Who will be the Broncos starting QB in 2011? I hope it is Tim Tebow. I really hope he is the guy moving forward next year. I hope it isn't Kyle Orton. I would like to see Orton traded to a team that is desperate for a QB (Minnesota or Miami?) and hopefully the Broncos could get a second or third round pick for him. I wouldn't mind seeing the QB Depth Chart look like this next year: Tim Tebow-Starter Brady Quinn-Backup Undrafted Free Agent/Journeyman-3rd QB. All this can change if the new Broncos HC decides to go after Andrew Luck in the draft or trade for someone like Kevin Kolb. I just hope Tebow gets a shot next year to start.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Denver's Rally Falls Short in Season Finale Loss to San Diego
The Broncos concluded their 2010 season with a 33-28 loss to the San Diego Chargers at Invesco Field on Sunday. Denver took a 7-0 lead early on a Tim Tebow touchdown pass to Brandon Lloyd; however, from that point it was all San Diego. Ryan Matthews ran through and around the Broncos to help give the Chargers a 26-7 lead. Tebow brought Denver back with a touchdown pass to Eric Decker to make it 26-14 late in the third quarter. Matthews scored on a fourth and one play midway through the fourth quarter to give SD a 33-14 lead. Denver's Cassius Vaughn returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown, and Tebow added a touchdown run with 30 seconds left to make it 33-28. The Broncos recovered the onside kick, but Tebow's last two hail mary passes fell incomplete and the Chargers defeated Denver once again at Invesco. Denver finished at 4-12 and in last place in the AFC West. Here are my quick thoughts on the game.........
1) Tebow definitely struggled in this game. He didn't play well from a throwing standpoint. He was 16-36 for 208 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He also ran for 94 yards and a touchdown. He was very inaccurate throughout most of the game, and his two interceptions were the result of misreading the coverage and throwing into to double coverage, and throwing the ball late on a slant route. It wasn't the best day he had throwing the ball, but he still made some nice throws from inside and outside the pocket. His ability to make plays when the play breaks down will be his biggest asset as he heads into the offseason. Overall, Tebow will definitely improve in my opinion, and he kept us in the game throughout. Young QBs are going to have tough days and this is just another learning experience for him.
2) Our defense just sucks so bad I can't even believe it. Poor tackling, poor angles, stupid penalties, and just bad fundamental football all around. Watching Robert Ayers miss that tackle on Ryan Matthews' 4th down touchdown run just summed up everything that went wrong for Denver's defense in 2010. We need new coaching, a better scheme, and faster and younger players at every level of our defense.
3) Our offensive line play wasn't very good this year, especially in the run game. The Broncos couldn't run the ball at all this year and yesterday they were once again beat at the line of scrimmage. Ryan Clady and Ryan Harris both took steps back this year, and I'm not sold on JD Walton or Zane Beadles. We may have to look at some OL spots in the draft this year.
4) Denver lost to SD for the 8th time in the last 10 meetings. The Broncos are still very far away from competing with the Chargers.
5) Denver finished 3-5 at home this year and 1-7 on the road. The 12 losses is the most ever by a Denver Broncos team in franchise history.
6) Denver finished last in the AFC West and the 2011 opponents are set: HOME-SD, Oak, KC, NE, NY Jets, Cincy, Detroit, and Chicago. AWAY-SD, Oak, KC, Miami, Buffalo, Tennessee, Green Bay, and Minnesota.
7) The Broncos will select #2 in the 2011 NFL Draft. The Panthers will select #1, the Broncos are at #2, and the Bills are at #3.
8) John Elway will be announced as Vice President this week. I will make my statements on that when that is officially announced.
9) Whatever happens this season, I just hope that we get a good Head Coach in here and keep Tim Tebow as our starting QB. Tebow did enough the last three weeks to earn a chance to start for the Broncos in 2011. If you put the right pieces around him (Coaching, Running game, and a better defense) you can build your franchise around him. Let's hope he is the guy going forward.
10) Random thoughts on the end of the NFL season: A)I like the playoff matchups: Jets at Colts and Ravens at Chiefs in the AFC and New Orleans at Seattle and Green Bay at Philly in the NFC. We'll talk more about those matchups later in the week. Once it was determined that the Colts and Jets would be playing each other, NBC had to grab that game for primetime and the NFL made the right choices for all the playoff spots. B) Kudos to the Bears for playing all out against Green Bay. It was good for the NFL. C) 10-6 usually gets you in the playoffs, but the Giants and Buccaneers both miss out this year at 10-6. What a job by Raheem Morris in Tampa. D) The Lions will be everyone's sleeper team heading into 2011. They won four straight to finish at 6-10. E) The Raiders might actually get rid of Tom Cable, which is a mistake. Marvin Lewis will probably be gone in Cincy, Eric Mangini is out in Cleveland, and perhaps Jeff Fisher in Tennessee. F) I'll have a Broncos postmortem mailbag for tomorrow and Wednesday, and a playoff picks column on Friday!!!!
1) Tebow definitely struggled in this game. He didn't play well from a throwing standpoint. He was 16-36 for 208 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He also ran for 94 yards and a touchdown. He was very inaccurate throughout most of the game, and his two interceptions were the result of misreading the coverage and throwing into to double coverage, and throwing the ball late on a slant route. It wasn't the best day he had throwing the ball, but he still made some nice throws from inside and outside the pocket. His ability to make plays when the play breaks down will be his biggest asset as he heads into the offseason. Overall, Tebow will definitely improve in my opinion, and he kept us in the game throughout. Young QBs are going to have tough days and this is just another learning experience for him.
2) Our defense just sucks so bad I can't even believe it. Poor tackling, poor angles, stupid penalties, and just bad fundamental football all around. Watching Robert Ayers miss that tackle on Ryan Matthews' 4th down touchdown run just summed up everything that went wrong for Denver's defense in 2010. We need new coaching, a better scheme, and faster and younger players at every level of our defense.
3) Our offensive line play wasn't very good this year, especially in the run game. The Broncos couldn't run the ball at all this year and yesterday they were once again beat at the line of scrimmage. Ryan Clady and Ryan Harris both took steps back this year, and I'm not sold on JD Walton or Zane Beadles. We may have to look at some OL spots in the draft this year.
4) Denver lost to SD for the 8th time in the last 10 meetings. The Broncos are still very far away from competing with the Chargers.
5) Denver finished 3-5 at home this year and 1-7 on the road. The 12 losses is the most ever by a Denver Broncos team in franchise history.
6) Denver finished last in the AFC West and the 2011 opponents are set: HOME-SD, Oak, KC, NE, NY Jets, Cincy, Detroit, and Chicago. AWAY-SD, Oak, KC, Miami, Buffalo, Tennessee, Green Bay, and Minnesota.
7) The Broncos will select #2 in the 2011 NFL Draft. The Panthers will select #1, the Broncos are at #2, and the Bills are at #3.
8) John Elway will be announced as Vice President this week. I will make my statements on that when that is officially announced.
9) Whatever happens this season, I just hope that we get a good Head Coach in here and keep Tim Tebow as our starting QB. Tebow did enough the last three weeks to earn a chance to start for the Broncos in 2011. If you put the right pieces around him (Coaching, Running game, and a better defense) you can build your franchise around him. Let's hope he is the guy going forward.
10) Random thoughts on the end of the NFL season: A)I like the playoff matchups: Jets at Colts and Ravens at Chiefs in the AFC and New Orleans at Seattle and Green Bay at Philly in the NFC. We'll talk more about those matchups later in the week. Once it was determined that the Colts and Jets would be playing each other, NBC had to grab that game for primetime and the NFL made the right choices for all the playoff spots. B) Kudos to the Bears for playing all out against Green Bay. It was good for the NFL. C) 10-6 usually gets you in the playoffs, but the Giants and Buccaneers both miss out this year at 10-6. What a job by Raheem Morris in Tampa. D) The Lions will be everyone's sleeper team heading into 2011. They won four straight to finish at 6-10. E) The Raiders might actually get rid of Tom Cable, which is a mistake. Marvin Lewis will probably be gone in Cincy, Eric Mangini is out in Cleveland, and perhaps Jeff Fisher in Tennessee. F) I'll have a Broncos postmortem mailbag for tomorrow and Wednesday, and a playoff picks column on Friday!!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)