What To Do with Your Old Jay Cutler Jerseys

He was the face of the franchise. The next John Elway. Jay Cutler was going to bring the Super Bowl back to Denver. To show their support, many loyal fans rushed to their nearest sports apparel stores and snatched up two, maybe three different Cutler jerseys. 

I was one of those fans. I myself don a vintage Eddy Mac jersey, but my beautiful new born daughter’s first Broncos’ jersey, was a size one Jay Cutler jersey.

Then all of a sudden, he was gone. His jersey is still orange and blue, but not bronco colors. 

What do we do now? Thankfully, my daughter has grown out of her jersey and it won’t be her last, but I’m sure a large amount of Bronco Nation doesn’t have that kind of luxury. 

Do you throw that $70 piece of polyester? Do you wear it in protest of the trade? I have put together a couple of suggestions for Cutler fans to get good use of their failed investment.

 

1. It’s summer time and it’s hot.  No matter how large your jersey is, they are always good for blocking out the sun.  I suggest making an umbrella out of your old jersey.  Sooner or later, the numbers and last name will wear off from the sun and rain and you will once again have a serviceable jersey to wear proudly around your neighborhood.

2. The last name Cutler can easily be turned in Butler, Mutler, or Sutler, etc. I suggest getting some medical tape and fashioning and new last name for yourself.

3. NFL jerseys are very resilient. I suggest using them as a common house rag. Though he wasn’t able to clean up the messes the Broncos made, maybe his jersey can clean up the messes your family makes.

 

There are of course many uses for an old Cutler jersey. If you come up with anymore, please feel free to leave a comment with your suggestions.

2009 Broncos: Overachieving, Underrated, and Unfortunate

The 2009 Denver Broncos have already taken a bashing from “experts” across the country. Most initial power rankings have seen the Broncos ranked as low as the 29th best team in the league. In fact, the highest I believe I’ve seen them is 25th or 26th. Let me be one of the few to point out that Denver is a much, much better team than this. Should they be ranked amongst the Chiefs, Raiders, and 49ers? Not the way I see it.

Most of these so-called experts have dropped the Broncos this low for several reasons. First off, Denver was 8-5 with a three game lead in the AFC West and just a mere three weeks left to play. They then went on to lose to the Panthers, Bills, and second place Chargers (with a playoff berth on the line) by a combined 57 points.

This unparalleled collapse led to the firing one of the longest tenured coaches in NFL history, two-time Super Bowl champion Mike Shanahan. To top it off, the legendary coach’s replacement, a 32-year-old kid named Josh McDaniels, proceeded to alienate and undermine the confidence of 25-year-old Pro Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler, who had become a fan favorite and arguably the new face of the franchise.

Cutler was dangled in numerous trade rumors, particularly ones involving McDaniels’ prized project, Matt Cassel. Cutler, infuriated by the rumors demanded the team trade him. This ugly soap opera, which hurt the credibility of every party involved, including owner Pat Bowlen, culminated in a trade two weeks before the draft which sent Cutler to the Bears for Kyle Orton and a few draft picks.

These events, coupled with a defense the was only superior to the 0-16 Detroit Lions, are definitely valid reasons to believe the Broncos may have a tough 2009. Even Bowlen, who proclaims before each year that his team will win the Super Bowl, has taken a step back and acknowledged a possible rebuilding year or two. Let me tell you why every single person who thinks the Broncos will have to fight to stay out of the basement of the AFC are flat wrong.

First of all, contrary to popular belief, the reason the Broncos lost most of their games last year was not necessarily due to their porous defense. Indianapolis had consistent playoff appearances with their less than stellar defenses earlier this decade. In fact, the Arizona Cardinal’s didn’t have a defense to be proud of much of the year as well.

The thing that killed that Broncos this past year was their turnovers. As much talent as everyone knows Jay Cutler has, he turned the ball over far too often, and generally did so at the least opportune times (see both San Diego games, Miami, at Kansas City, and Buffalo to name a few). Also, the defense couldn’t create turnovers, and had the least takeaways in the entire league last year. Here is why both of these problems could see drastic improvement this year:

Jay Cutler is gone. Now, in no way is Kyle Orton a superior player to Jay Cutler. Cutler was at times Elwayesque, with his fearless attitude, his strong arm, and his clutch third down conversions. He was also like Elway in that he turned the ball over frequently and made a number of questionable plays (see his first career game against Seattle, and second and goal this season at home against San Diego).

Kyle Orton, while not flashy by any stretch, played consistent throughout the course of his career. Chicago is known as a place where quarterbacks and wide receivers go to die, and that’s just what most have done. Orton, on the other hand, has never played awful during his career.

He has had games where his completion percentage has been anemic, and games where he just can’t connect on his deep ball. And despite a dreadful offensive line, one thing he has rarely had is a turnover problem. This is why I believe that McDaniels’ scheme he will flourish.

I’m not going to sit here and say McDaniels is going to turn him into a Pro Bowler as well, that would just be naïve. But I do believe the system suits a player like Orton more than it would have fits Cutler, no matter how talented Cutler is.

In Chicago, Kyle Orton was playing behind a rag-tag offensive line, and throwing to an even worse group of receivers (Muhsin Muhammed, Earl Bennett, and Devin Hester). Naturally Orton put up middle of the pack type numbers. In Denver, on the other hand, he will be playing behind what I would argue is the best offensive line in football.

He has a young all-pro left tackle in Ryan Clady who has a case for claiming the title of the best left tackle in the NFL. His right tackle, Ryan Harris, who is also very young, has received acclaim all across the league for allowing just 2.5 sacks for a team that threw the ball the second most times in the league.

A pair of unheralded guards in Ben Hamilton and Chris Kuper, and a veteran Pro Bowl center in Casey Wiegmann round out the group. Their work last season was second to none as they had no trouble pass blocking for the league’s No. 3 passer, or blocking for a running game that featured seven different starting running backs, yet managed to finish 10th overall in rushing yards.

Orton also has the privilege of throwing to arguably the most talented group of skills players in the league. Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal combined for 195 catches last year, making them the top wide receiver combination in all of football. The nifty veteran Brandon Stokely and McDaniels’ favorite Jabar Gaffney round out one of the deeper receiving corps in the league. Orton will be also be throwing to one of the best pass catching tight end’s in the NFL in Tony Scheffler, and dominant blocker and underrated pass catcher Daniel Graham.

Finally, at running back, Denver went on a shopping spree over the off-season. After losing seven running backs to injury last year and were forced to resort to Detroit castoff Tatum Bell, the new coaching staff wasn’t taking any chances.

They signed three free agent running backs: veterans Correll Buckhalter and Lamont Jordan, and third down and special teams specialist JJ Arrington. On top these three, Denver shocked the league by taking another running back, the talented Knowshon Moreno, with its 12th pick in this year’s draft. Combine these with Peyton Hillis, the terrific fullback, running back, tight end, H-Back…wherever you want him, and you have one of the deeper, more talented backfields in the league.

Top to bottom, you will be hard-pressed to find a better group of skilled players in the entire league. Given that McDaniels system consists of mainly short to medium underneath routes, and a balanced running game, I’d say the offense could significantly improve in every facet of the game this coming year, including turnovers. Look for a top 10 passing game, running game, and possibly a top five offense. Couple that with noticeably less turnovers, and I think you’ll find this team dueling with the best of them.

As for the media kicking bag defense, they should also see at least a noteworthy improvement. I don’t expect much out of the defense, nor should anyone else, given that the Broncos are switching to the 3-4. The nose tackle and two defensive ends playing the five-technique key the 3-4 up front. Surprisingly the Broncos did little to address any of these three positions.

Either way, the beauty of the 3-4 is its explosive pass rush. Denver’s pass rush, which has plagued the team for 6-7 seasons, figures to improve immediately. The trade-off in this: If you ask any defensive coordinator, he’ll tell you the key to forcing turnovers in a good pass rush. With an improved ball-hawking secondary led by veterans Brian Dawkins, Champ Bailey, and Andre Goodman, the Broncos should see an increase in turnovers this season.

If you haven’t guessed, I think Denver will have a very good football team this coming year. Unfortunately, it will be extremely difficult for this team to make the playoffs. The Chargers still have a more complete football team, and Denver plays one of the toughest schedules in the NFL this year.

I think Denver’s vast improvements this coming season will go overlooked due to the difficulty of their schedule. It will be hard for this team to go more than 8-8, which is what I see them finishing at this year. Though I wouldn’t be surprised to see a fluctuation of one or two games either way.

This team will go as far as the 3-4 defense can take them. I think their offense is squared away, and should cause fewer problems than it did last year. The defense, as always, remains a question mark despite the improvements Mike Nolan will bring. If Ronald Fields and Marcus Thomas can control the line of scrimmage up front, I think this team could push for a 9-7, maybe 10-6 season, and be on the cusp of a playoff berth.

If they falter, as do the defensive ends, this team could hit a stretch where they lose 7-8 consecutive games in the middle of the season, and could finish as bad as 6-10, possibly 5-11. It’s so hard for me to overlook this team’s offensive firepower though. The way I see it, the 2009 Broncos come into the season vastly underrated and primed to overachieve, yet their unfortunate schedule may prove too much to overcome and show the league how good they actually are.

 

AFC West: Breaking Down the Division by Team, Part Two

Hello ladies and gents, welcome to part two of this AFC West breakdown.  Today I will rating the second place team in the division, the Denver Broncos.

I will be using the same system as before, I will break the Broncos down as follows, HC, QB, RB, WR, OL, DL, LB, DBs, ST and rating them in a scale of 1-10.  1 being terrible and 10 being perfect.  Once again I will try to be completely un-biased and show no favoritism.  I sincerely hope that once again you enjoy this article.

Let’s begin.

 

HC:  Josh McDaniels is an unknown, unproven and so far confusing (although some might say lying) young coach.  So far Josh has made some great off season acquisitions, and gotten rid of part of the reason why, according to him, he took the job.

When you take into consideration, that in the eyes of many, he had a sub-par draft and did not adequately fill the team needs through such medium as expected, Josh is off to a rocky start.

Not so fast.

While it is true that Josh has made some head scratching moves, he has also, in my humble opinion, made the team better all around.  While at the same time he sent his newly acquired team, a strong message.  Scoring him at this point, is both hard and compromising. 

There is no way of knowing at this point, if anything he has done, has truly made the team better, albeit on paper some might argue that it is better, we have to wait until at least, the half-way season mark to truly measure some of the moves.

I will admit, I have liked most of the moves he has made.  That said, I also have to admit, that he has left me scratching my head as well.  When you take into consideration all of the above, plus the fact that no coach from the Belichick tree, has had any substantial success in the NFL, it does not bode well for the Broncos.

Taking all this into consideration I have given the HC the following grade.

HC: 4

 

QB: This position was fairly easy for me to grade. While I have stated in the past, that I never was a big Cutler fan, his talent is undeniable. At this time, I feel that the Broncos have downgraded at this position by, sending Cutler away and having Orton and Sims compete for the position. 

Orton’s recor as a starter cannot be ignored, neither is Sims promising start for the Buccaneers, but, that aside, neither have the talent or ceiling that Cutler had. Both Sims  and Orton played in lack luster offenses’ with their previous teams. 

Sims was in a constant state of looking over his shoulder, do, to coach Gruden’s, small patience in developing QBs. Orton lacked major talent at the WR position while in Chicago. 

Whoever wins this battle is moot point in my opinion. Both are a major downgrade at the position in terms of, arm strength and athleticism.

QB: 6

 

RB: Talent is abound in this position for the Broncos, especially after the team drafted Knowshon Moreno during the draft.  Moreno has the build, quickness, vision and toughness to be a three down back in the NFL.

While the Broncos have stockpiled at this position during the off season, not all of them will make it onto the final roster.  I believe that the RBs that make the team are, Moreno, Buckhalter, Torain and Hillis. 

Hillis will be at FB, while Moreno and Buckhalter share backfield duties. Torain, I believe, is too talented not to make the team, the only problem for him is to stay healthy.

With all this talent at the RB position and a new starting QB, the Broncos look to be a running team, at least until the QB and WRs build some chemistry and learn the system well.

RB: 7

 

WR: This group is actually pretty solid for the Broncos. It looks like the league has taken a wait and see attitude towards Marshall, which is good news for both Marshall and the Broncos. Marshall had off season hip surgery and the reports are excellent coming from both the Broncos and the doctors. 

Eddie Royal was, in my opinion the best rookie receiver last year, ahead of the Eagles’ Jackson.  He should take another step forward, this coming season, specially when it looks like the team will take some of the return duties away from him.

Stokley, is solid at the slot, but don’t overlook Gaffney or McKinley. Overall the starting WRs for the Broncos is among the best young WR combination in the league.

WR: 8

 

OL: In this area, the Broncos have gotten bigger and better. The Ryans, are lock down tackles, Kuper and Hamilton are big athletic bodies and Wiegman is the veteran leadership for the line. That said there is not much depth behind them.

A couple of rookies and a third-year player round out the depth for the Broncos. If this line can remain healthy, it is one of the best in all of football, at both, running and pass protection.

OL: 9

 

DL: This is where the Broncos, according to the experts, did not do enough. I disagree.  The addition of Baker at NT and Fields as a mentor to said young man, coupled with the rumors that Marcus Thomas, a promising DT out of Florida, is putting on weight, per coachs’ instructions, leads me to believe that the Broncos will have a very nice rotation at NT. 

Peterson will kick out to DE in the 3-4, and the acquisitions of some prototypical 3-4 DE as RFA, points to the Broncos upgrading at the DL. Now, at this point, all of the players mentioned or acquired by the team ar either unproven, career backups or rookies.

It is up to Nolan and McDaniels to coach all this young talent and prove that the Broncos’ DL has been upgraded, until then, this is all speculation. For this reasons I have given the DL of the Broncos the following score.

DL: 4 (unproven players and a new system brings down the score)

 

LB: I will take the advise of a reader, that suggested I separate scores for ILB and OLB since they play in a 3-4.  I did not do this for part one, but will correct that.

The ILB for the Broncos look to be Andra Davis and DJ Williams. They are both more than capable to be really solid LBs.  DJ has the chance to truly be special. It looks like Woodyard and Greisen will push Davis for playing time. 

Davis is solid against the run but lacks in the coverage department. Williams is solid (with a chance to be special) at both. Woodyard proved last season that he belonged at LB and not at SS like some people believe. 

If he can add bulk to his frame, which he can handle, and not loose that speed and quickness, Woodyard can eventually be the future for the Broncos along with Williams.

ILB: 7

 

Now to the outside. Dumervil, Ayers (R) and Moss are all trying to make the transition from DE to OLB. Rumor has it that they are all making the transition effortlessly, but, the prove is in the pudding, and until we can see them drop back and cover, at least at pre-season, I will hold my score for this unit.

OLB: N/A (I would give them a 5 if you push me)

 

DB: Champ.  Need I say more.  While he was hurt last season, and therefore missed a few games (seven), this might have been a blessing in disguise. This gave Champ a chance to heal multiple nicks he had acquired through out  the last few seasons, and gives him a chance to truly come back healthy. 

The additions of, Smith and Goodman, round out a solid, if not excellent group of cover corners for the Broncos.

At safety, the Broncos also Upgraded with the additions of, Dawkins and Hill.  More than their play on the field, these veterans were brought in to mentor a couple of young men, Barrett and McBath. 

Barrett showed flashes last season, but was highly inconsistent, enter Hill, one of the most consistent FS in the NFL. Dawkins will mentor a young man very much in his image, at least physically, McBath. Bruton was drafted to push Barrett but he will be mainly a special teams ace.

DBs: 7 (8 if Champ can stay healthy and, Smith, Burrett and McBath develop into their potential)

 

ST: At punter the Broncos uncovered a gem last season with Brett Kern, he was in the top three in almost all punter categories, he will have another solid season, barring injury. At PK is a different story, Prater has a gifted leg no question, the problem with Prater is accuracy.

Rumor has it, he has spent all of the offseason working with a private instructor to better his accuracy. Still this is a wait and see affair, even with his accuracy problems, he did not miss an EP and was a beast in kickoffs, putting him as a prospect but a good one.

Returner is the real issue here.  Royal proved to be a dangerous returner last season, but was unable to as effective as he would of liked, due to his increased roll in the offense. 

Arrington was signed during the offseason to alleviate the return duties from Royal, but was released, due to a failed physical.  McKinley does have return skills and experience he could take over for Royal.

PK: 7

P: 7

RT:6

Well, hope you enjoyed the second edition of this series.

Denver Broncos’ Scheme Overview For 2009

It’s been said that schemes in football are cyclic. It’s also a fact that the NFL is a copycat professional sports league of sorts. As soon as one team finds a way to put a leg up on the competition, other teams immediately try to imitate the type of success the winning team has. 

In order to pull off wholesale changes in philosophy, a team has to be loaded with a versatile talent pool. 

In the NFL it can be hard to teach old dogs new tricks, so any team that implements changes in philosophy usually winds up being a younger team.  Such is the case with the 2009 Denver Broncos as they strive to overcome the shortfalls of the last decade.

Under Josh McDaniels the Denver Broncos have already seen wholesale changes across the board. The Broncos are expected to have a new philosophy on offense and defense, in part due to Josh McDaniels and his version of The New England Way.

 

On Offense

The strength of the Broncos passing game was Jay Cutler’s rocket arm the last two seasons. Jay has poor technique in where he positions the ball and how he would go about making his reads from time to time. 

This costs the Broncos dearly and more than likely cost Mike Shanahan his stay in Dove Valley and caused a rift between McDaniels and Cutler.  This of course lead to the eventual trade of Jay Cutler to the Chicago Bears in exchange for Kyle Orton and a few high draft picks. 

Jay Cutler wanted more say in what happens on the offensive side of the ball and Josh McDaniels played the power card as he wasn’t having any of it. However, it’s important to understand what the Broncos had, what they lost, and where they are going in 2009.

Jay Cutler could hit any spot on the field on a dime. Translated that means the deep passing game, which was slightly under utilized, has now taken a severe hit. Unless the Broncos new scheme has a counter, defenses will make the adjustments.

Jay Cutler connected on 28 passes over 20 yards at home and 27 over 20 yards on the road for a total of 55 passes completed over 20 yards.  That works out to nearly 3½ deep completions per game. 

Kyle Orton is not quite that strong as a quarterback and neither is Chris Simms.  While in Chicago last season as the starter Orton completed 18 passes over 20 yards at home (in cold and humid Chicago), and 16 passes over 20 yards on the road. 

That totals to 34 passes completed over 20 yards per game.  That works out to just over two a game.  Chris Simms had 21 in 11 games in 2005 in Tampa.  That is just under two completions over 20 yards per game.

So with the New England influence in Denver what should the Broncos fans expect? 

Consider Matt Cassel, a first time starter last year in the New England offense threw for a total of 19 completions over 20 yards at home and 18 on the road for a total of 37 catches over 20 yards. 

Those numbers are just a touch above what Kyle Orton put up in Chicago. Taking a deeper look at the line on Cassel he certainly posted some respectable numbers in New England, and that was part of why McDaniels considered trading Cutler. 

 

Matt Cassel’s stats in New England 2008

G  Comp Att   Comp Pct   Att/G    Yds     Avg   Yds/G     TD   Int    Sck    Rate 2008

6   327    516     63.4      32.2       3,693    7.2     230.8    21    11       47      89.4

 

The one figure that has a positive is that Cassel connected on 63.4 percent of his passes under Josh McDaniels last season.  On the down side, Cassel was sacked 47 times for an average nearing three sacks per game.

Look for a more balanced passing attack coming from the Broncos as each and every receiver will fill a vital role.  This could test Brandon Marshall’s character as he’s presumably going to miss at least one or two games early or possibly more related to the off season incident and the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy. 

Once he returns he will be a piece of the puzzle, but won’t have to be the focal point.  Eddie Royal could become the best slot receiver in football this season. The Broncos will move him around to create mismatches. 

Eddie was known last year for how hard he worked during training camp to become the other starting wide out, and made a phenomenal debut in Oakland. Look for the depth of this position to become the best asset and perfect complement to whomever the Broncos put behind center.

In 2008 the Patriots ran for 2,278 yards as a team last season, with their top rusher Sammy Morris gaining 727 yards. The Broncos totaled 1,862 with a backfield that saw seven starting tailbacks go down. 

No doubt the Broncos rushing attack had to get better since they really lacked power in hitting the hole. Six of the top seven rushers from 2008 have already been released or traded. Gone are Michael Pittman, Selvin Young, Jay Cutler, Tatum Bell, Andre Hall, and P.J. Pope.

The Broncos new regime saw the lack of a starting tailback, the lack of power runners, and tried to address the anemic red-zone problems the Broncos have had. 

This years’ top draft pick Knowshown Moreno is projected to be the starting tailback and is complemented by three bangers who can carry the rock inside in Correll Buckhalter, LaMont Jordan, and Peyton Hillis who will primarily be a fullback. 

Versatility comes in the way of J.J. Arrington who will fit the bill on third down situations.

With the talent of this group at the running back position, it does two things for the Broncos attack. One it makes the Broncos a more physical team to the punch enabling them to hit the holes on the line of scrimmage with force. 

Secondly, it does balance the Broncos out to where they can open up the passing game through their run game. 

There is certainly a gamble in starting a rookie tailback, Moreno however appears to be a strong vertical runner who can dish out punishment and fake would be tacklers.  He should be up to the task.

The Broncos offense will only be as strong as the numbers this group puts up however.  Kyle Orton and the receivers can balance out the short pass game and make the run game better by being efficient, something McDaniels has coached up in New England.

The key to winning for the 2009 Denver Broncos is ball control. Long drives seasoned by opportunistic scores off the back of defensive turnovers.

The fatal flaw of this offense will revolve around not stretching the defense enough in order to open up the running game and the underneath routes.

 

On Defense

Say what you will about the defense under Coach Shanahan, the need to either get bigger or faster or both is really the reason they needed to switch schemes.

The benefit running the 3-4 over the 4-3 is that if your defense is undersized (which the Broncos are upfront) it gives your team an opportunity to be more competitive than they could be otherwise. 

Additionally the 3-4 opens avenues for an attacking defense to be affective because of the presumed team speed it takes to run the scheme. Further benefits include the lack of man on man accountability which can cross up offensive lines during pass protection and quarterbacks in making the proper reads. 

All of this can lead to turnovers, which the Broncos blend of speed and experience seem set up to take advantage of.

The things we know about the Denver Broncos defense right now is that they are undersized. 

They have good athletes up front that give them decent team speed. 

The addition of Brian Dawkins to the defensive backfield has brought an instant attitude to the defense and a welcomed addition in helping Champ Bailey lead the DB’s. 

The Broncos are also somewhat deeper now than they were at the end of the 2008 season at nearly every position. It is a clear benefit to the Broncos chances in making them more competitive. 

The team speed and overall health of the defense will have to payoff for the Broncos defense to keep them competitive.

Realistically the Broncos are still small up front.  The defensive line was porous all of last season and it eventually cost them a trip to the playoffs. This year not much has changed at the position itself. The new defensive scheme however could make them more competitive. 

Additionally, this is the year the Broncos need previous picks like Tim Crowder and Jarvis Moss to rise up and start playing up to their full potential.

The keys to winning on defense are bending and not breaking. Finding ways to stop the run, apply pressure, and create timely turnovers.

The fatal flaw of this defense rest in the D-line and linebackers, if they are unable to stop the run or put pressure on opposing quarterbacks it will be a long season in Denver.

Short Passing Game, Defensive Personnel Add Wrinkles To Broncos

Looking at the 2009 Denver Broncos, one thing is evidently clear—change is on the way. Lots of change.

With a new head coach in Josh McDaniels, a new defensive coordinator in Mike Nolan, new starting quarterback and running back, and mostly an entirely new defense, this year’s team will be nothing like the 2008 squad.

Whether that’s a good thing or not depends on whether you’re talking about the team’s offense or defense.

Offensively, Denver ranked as one of the best in the league in 2008, finishing second only to New Orleans in total yardage. But, with Jay Cutler gone to Chicago, the team’s offensive focus will center around new signal-caller Kyle Orton, rookie running back Knowshon Moreno, and a corps of wide receivers that rank second to none.

More than that, the offense will have head coach Josh McDaniels playing a key part in running the show. McDaniels’ track record stands for itself. Even though the 33-year-old head coach lacks experience, there’s no denying the numbers his New England teams have put up since he started calling the offensive plays in 2005.

In 2007, with the Patriots on their way to an undefeated regular season, only to be stymied by the New York Giants in the Super Bowl, New England put up 75 touchdowns, including 67 on offense.

That was with Tom Brady, Randy Mos,s and Wes Welker leading the charge. In 2008, with Brady injured in the season opener against Kansas City and Matt Cassel playing QB, New England still managed to win 11 games and just miss the playoffs.

Now in Denver, McDaniels will bring that short, effective passing game to the table with Kyle Orton throwing the ball to the likes of Eddie Royal and Brandon Marshall. Orton may not have the arm strength that Cutler has, but, then again, Brady wasn’t considered the strongest thrower either when he left Michigan for the pros earlier this decade.

It’s that short passing game and the presence of Moreno in the backfield that will give Denver more than a one-dimensional look on offense, something that was almost necessary after seven Bronco running backs went down to injury in 2008.

But more than offense, the team’s defense will take on an entirely different look—and that’s a good thing.

A year after finishing as one of the worst teams in the league in yards allowed, Denver brings in former San Francisco 49ers coach Mike Nolan to lead the defense.

Prior to coaching in San Francisco, Nolan served as defensive coordinator for the N.Y. Giants, Washington, N.Y. Jets, and Baltimore. In each stop, the team’s defense had its best season in his first year at the helm.

With the Giants in 1993, New York gave up a league-low 205 points en route to a second-place finish to Dallas in the NFC East—a division that wasn’t won until the final game of the regular-season.

In 2001 with Baltimore, Nolan inherited a defense that was coming off a Super Bowl title. The talent was there that led to a No. 1 ranking in yards and points allowed, but the Ravens never repeated that effort, despite a pair of Top-10 finishes in 2003 and ’04.

That begs to ask whether Nolan’s defensive success in the 3-4 alignment has more to do with the personnel he had at his disposal or the scheme. It’s kind of hard not to think that it was the aforementioned players, something that Denver lacked in 2008.

With Brian Dawkins on board after coming over from Philadelphia as a free agent, rookies Robert Ayers, Darcel McBath, Alphonso Smith, and holdover Champ Bailey, the team has, hopefully, addressed its biggest weakness. Only time will tell.

I’m willing to bet that, while Denver’s offense will be the product of the new coaching staff in place, the defense, should it be successful, will have more to do with Dawkins’ leadership skills and the personnel around him then it will with Nolan’s 3-4 scheme.

History will prove that.

Broncos Season Depends On How Well, Fast Team Comes Together

Hope was high in the Mile High City early in 2008. The Denver Broncos started off with wins in four of their first five games and were 8-5 with three games left in the regular season. Then, the bottom fell out on what looked to be a promising season.

If the offseason is any indication—and for the fans’ sake, I would hope not—2009 might make 2008 look like a success.

With three consecutive losses to end the 2008 campaign, the Denver Broncos went from the clear-cut favorite to win the AFC West to missing out on the playoffs for a third-straight season.

In the process, head coach Mike Shanahan was fired, former New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was brought in to replace him, and Pro Bowl QB Jay Cutler was shipped to Chicago.

Things certainly have changed in Denver.

The team has a new starting QB in former Chicago Bear Kyle Orton, assuming he beats out Chris Simms for the job. There’s a new RB in Georgia rookie Knowshon Moreno, the No. 12 pick in April’s draft. And, there’s a new 3-4 defensive alignment under coordinator Mike Nolan, with the addition of safety Brian Dawkins, formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles, and fellow first-round draft pick Robert Ayers, out of Tennessee.

The bevy of turnover in the team’s personnel will, ultimately, be the deciding factor in how well the team does in 2009. With a schedule that ranks 19th among the 32 teams in the NFL based on 2008 record, Denver could be a middle-of-the-road team. And, by the looks of things, the Broncos could get off to a similar start as it did last season.

With games at Cincinnati, home to Cleveland and at Oakland to open the season—all of whom combined for a 13-34-1 mark in 2008—Denver could be 3-0, just like last year, before entering what may be the toughest stretch for any team in the league this season.

Staring with a Week Four matchup at INVESCO Field at Mile High against the Dallas Cowboys and running through a mid-December showdown at Indianapolis, Denver plays nine of its next 10 games against teams with a .500 record or better. Six of those games come against playoff teams a year ago, and the only game against a team with a losing record is at Kansas City, where the Broncos lost 33-19 last season.

If that wasn’t bad enough, sandwiched between season-closing home games against Oakland and Kansas City is a road trip to Philadelphia, another 2008 playoff team.

Remember, this isn’t the same team that became the first squad in NFL history to blow a three-game division lead with three games to go last year. These Denver Broncos are totally different on both sides of the ball.

What McDaniels can bring to an offense that ranked second in yards per game, but was 16th in points scored will be key, especially with a new QB running the show.

What Nolan can do to a Broncos defense that ranked 29th in yards allowed and 30th in points will be key, especially with all the new personnel in the secondary.

How quick this team gels will be the ultimate factor in whether Denver can get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2005 or not.

My money’s on the team missing the postseason this year. With San Diego the favorite in the AFC West and only two wildcard spots available in a conference that featured 10 teams with a .500 or better record in 2008, the playoffs like look a long shot.

If Denver can start off 3-0 and weather the storm that is the middle of the season, eight or nine wins is possible—that might be just enough. But that depends on how well, and how quickly, things come together.

I’m not counting my chickens just yet.

How Many Quarterbacks Does It Take To Win a Championship for Denver?

Too many in my opinion.  

Since the 1998 Super Bowl and the inevitable retirement of King Elway, the Broncos have been a virtual revolving door at the quarterback position.  Here are a few players you might remember that have played for the Broncos during the last 10-11 years:

Bobby Brister, Brian Griese, Chris Miller, Gus Frerotte, Jarious Jackson, Steve Beuerlein, Jake Plummer, Danny Kannel, Bradlee Vanpelt, Jay Cutler, Patrick Ramsey, Kyle Orton, Chris Simms, Tom Brandstater…

Who will be next?  The Broncos once again find themselves without a true starter this year.  Kyle Orton is the front-runner, but Chris Simms is the dark horse.

I’m a little tired of not having a true starting quarterback who is past his 22nd birthday.  I’m a loyal fan, and as a loyal fan I like loyal players.  John Elway was our quarterback for 14 plus years.  That’s what I want—a quarterback for the long hall.  I want a guy who’s willing to be here for the rest of his career and a coach that is willing to ride out the storm with him.

I was a huge fan of Jake Plummer.  He is the second best all time quarterback for the Broncos franchise and the only player to lead the Broncos to the playoffs in the last 10 years.  I applauded Mike Shanahan’s decision to bring in Plummer, but his choice to draft Jay Cutler three years later would be the end of his illustrious career in Denver.

The average play of Plummer in 2006 was related 100 percent to the drafting of Cutler.  Plummer was a quarterback who played with raw emotion.  Shanny ruined that.

Knowing what I know now, I would have opted not to move up to draft Jay Cutler.  Not only did it mess up the chemistry of the team, but also Shanny missed a huge chance to upgrade the defense, which is now in a dismal state.

Players such as Haloti Ngata, Brodrick Bunkley, Chad Greenway, or Antonio Cromartie would have given Denver a much stronger defense, which was the highlight of the Broncos team from 2003-2005.

Drafting Ngata would have allowed the Broncos to move to a 3-4 scheme much earlier.  Defensive linemen Trevor Pryce and Ngata would have made a formidable opponent for any offense…

Oh wait, that’s the Ravens starting line.  The Broncos would have had a healthy Pryce to use, instead of the semi-healthy playmaker the Ravens received in Pryce.  With linebackers Al Wilson and DJ Williams in the middle, we may have seen a much different Broncos team then.

Hopefully, the Broncos can find a starter soon—somebody who the fans can count on for many years to come.

10 Reasons Why the Denver Broncos Will Win the AFC West

The Denver Broncos are a team that has been completely and utterly re-vamped since the 2008 season. They have new running backs, and a defense will a brand new look, which includes a new 3-4 system.

Why will they win the AFC West? I will be listing 10 reasons why the Broncos can do just that. Enjoy the rankings!

1. Josh McDaniels

Josh McDaniels has always been an offense-based coach. He was the QB’s coach in New England, and was promoted to offensive coordinator later on in his time with the Patriots. With the new offense that McDaniels has to work with this season, The Broncos offense should thrive even more than it did last year.

2. Kyle Orton

As if I haven’t expressed my faith in Orton in previous articles, I like that he’s our QB, and I believe he has potential to be great.

Kyle will be getting help from McDaniels, who was once the QB instructor for Tom Brady when the Pats won the Superbowl. With Josh’s help, Orton can be better than he was in the 2008-2009 season.

Also, Kyle will have a wide variety of fantastic Wide Receivers to throw to. They will be key to Orton in the long run.

3. Running Backs

Last year, the Broncos had seven RB’s on IR. Though one running back, or should I say Full back, proved that he could play, even in the short time that he played.

Peyton Hillis dominated the running game every time he ran the ball. Granted he only play for seven games, but nonetheless in that time he had 343 yards for 5 touchdowns. I loved watching him play, and I look forward to seeing him play again.

Along with Hillis, the Broncos recently drafted Knowshon Moreno, star running back from Georgia, in this years draft. Moreno is said to have great potential to be this years Rookie of the Year, and will definitely start for the Broncos.

4. Wide Receivers

The Broncos arguably have the best WR line-ups in the entire NFL.

First, you have Brandon Marshall. Marshall was the Best WR on paper last year for the Denver Broncos (even though he was out for the first game of the season). Though he could work on holding the ball in clutch times of the game, he definitely knows how to catch the ball if it’s thrown anywhere near him.

Eddie Royal was one of the best Rookie receivers in the league last year. He, like Brandon Marshall, Caught the ball at critical times. Royal is also the fastest starting receiver that the Broncos have. Royal should be a favorite for Orton to throw to.

Brandon Stokley is one of the best slot receivers in the entire league. His ability to catch fast “bullets”, and difficult passes will be key for short TD’s, and first downs.

5. Offensive line

Jay Cutler was sacked 11 times last season. It may not seem like something to brag about, but Cutler threw 616 passes last year, dew mainly to the absence of seven running backs.

Ryan Clady, last year, allowed less than three of these sacks as a rookie ( surprisingly, he did not make the pro bowl).

The offensive line was very partial to the reason the Broncos had the No. 2 offense last year.

6. 3-4 Defense

The Denver Broncos switched to a 3-4 defense. This could be very beneficial for the players who are currently on the team who did not fit in the 4-3 scheme. This switch will help stop opposing RB’s from constantly piling through our defense.

7. Corner backs

Champ Bailey, last season, was out for seven weeks. And what a painful seven games it was. During the time period, the Broncos lost three of the seven games. And even the games that they did win, they were all close (except for the game against the Jets).

Though it isn’t impossible, it definitely isn’t likely that Bailey will be out again. And Champ is one of the BIGGEST helps to our defense.

The Broncos also drafted Alphonso Smith, who will replace previously released, Dre Bly.

8. Brian Dawkins

In the late Broncos training camp of last year, John Lynch left the team out of the blue. This gave the Broncos no choice but to start Marlon McCree.

Afer releasing McCree, the Broncos have fixed this situation by aquiring future HOF Safety, Brian Dawkins.

The Broncos also drafted Darcel McBath, who will be a great secondary for switching off and on with Dawkins.

9. Injured Reserve

Last year, the Broncos had a combined 12 players on IR. I know that there might be some injuries, but having that many people getting injured for the entire season is one of the most unlikely things to occur, let alone more than five players.

10. Weak Division

Granted, we lost a game, and won a game with each team in our division last season, but the Broncos may have the easiest division in the NFL.

The Chargers will definitely put up a good fight, but I’m sure we’ll win at least one game against them.

As for the Chiefs and the Raiders…the Chiefs got rid of their star player, and the Raiders haven’t really done much to make their team better.

These are my 10 reasons of why I think the Broncos will win the division this year.

Matt Prater’s Problem: An In-Depth Look at the Denver Broncos’ Kicker

Mile High altitude is a kicker’s best friend. It may just be a myth, but it does always seem that kickers can get that extra few yards on those long kicks.

In the 2008 offseason, former Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan decided not to re-sign beloved kicker Jason Elam. Elam had kicked four game-winning field goals the previous season, but Shanahan wouldn’t give up the cash. He wanted a player who had a powerful leg and was good at kickoffs, so he let Elam slip away to Atlanta.

How can you replace a player who is the franchise leader in points and games played? It certainly isn’t easy. You need a guy with a powerful leg and an unbreakable spirit. The answer: Matt Prater?

Matt Prater is a simple man from a small town in Ohio. The 5’10”, 180-pound kicker isn’t hard to figure out. Here’s a look at his 2008 statistics:

 

Yard Range: FG Percentage for Yard Range (Makes/Attempts)

1-29 yards: 87.5 percent (7/8)

30-39 yards: 88.9 percent (8/9)

40-49 yards: 45.5 percent (5/11)

50-plus yards: 83.3 percent (5/6)

 

As you can see, Matt Prater had three misses total from 1-39 yards, and 50-plus yards. He had double that in the 40-49 yard range with six!

With a new head coach, the Broncos’ need to be great in all three aspects of the game. In order to be successful, the special teams needs Prater to step up from the 40-yard range.

If Matt Prater wants to continue to be a pro kicker, he needs to prove that he has the heart and mind to be one.

 

Statistics found here.

A New Beginning: Meeting the 2009 Denver Broncos Coaching Staff

The 14-year marriage between the Denver Broncos’ owner Pat Bowlen, and Head Coach Mike Shanahan, came to an abrupt end after the 2008 season as Bowlen left Shanahan for young upstart Josh McDainels.

It also seems that Shanahan got most of the coaches fired in the divorce, as the Broncos will retain only a few coaches from last season’s staff.

But where did all these new guys come from? Here’s a chance to get to know the new members of Pat Bowlen’s family.

Head coach Josh McDaniels spent the past eight seasons on the New England Patriots staff and the previous three as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach.

During those three seasons, the Pats routinely had one of the best offenses in the NFL, and in 2007 set numerous records en route to an undefeated regular season and Super Bowl appearance.

In that ’07 season, quarterback Tom Brady set a record with 50 touchdown passes, receiver Randy Moss had a record 23 TD catches, and slot receiver Wes Welker set a team record with 112 receptions.

In the ’08 season, after Brady went down in game one, McDaniels coached unproven quarterback Matt Cassel (who didn’t even start in college), and helped lead the team to an 11-5 record, just missing out on the playoffs.

McDaniels will enter the 2009 season as the second-youngest coach in the NFL, but he has not backed down from the spotlight this offseason and he remains confident that he will be successful.

He will also have a lot of new faces along with him as the Broncos enter the 2009 season.

Gone in 2009 is the entire 2008 defensive staff, and some would say rightfully so as the Broncos finished 29th in yardage allowed and 30th in points.

Bob Slowik, last year’s defensive coordinator, took most of the heat last season and the fact that Shanahan wanted him back may have cost him his job.

Now, the 2009 Broncos defensive staff will be led by new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan.

Nolan is fresh off a three-and-a-half-year stint as the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers where he was unable to lead the 49ers to the playoffs. He was fired mid-season in 2008 and replaced by Mike Singletary.

Nolan does, however, have a good resume as defensive coordinator. He has coached in New York with both the Jets and Giants as well as the Washington Redskins.

He also served with the Baltimore Ravens from 2002-04, where he coached 2003-04 defensive players of the year Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, respectively.

Nolan is not a newbie when it comes to the Broncos, he spent the late ’80s and early ’90s as linebacker/special teams coach, where he influenced players such as Karl Mecklenberg and Simon Fletcher.

Nolan plans to implement a 3-4 style defense, a departure from the 4-3 the Broncos have played under Shanahan, but a throwback to the days of Joe Collier and the Orange Crush that was so successful using the 3-4.

Joining him on the defensive staff will be Ed Donatell in the secondary, who was with the Broncos from 1995-99 in the same position; Don Martindale and Roman Phifer, who will work with the linebackers; Wayne Nunnely, who will coach the defensive line; and Jay Rodgers, the defensive assistant.

On the offensive side of the ball, there are new names, but some familiar ones as well.

Last year’s offensive coordinator Rick Dennison will return, but he will resume his role as offensive line coach. Mike McCoy will take over as offensive coordinator/quarterback coach, replacing Jeremy Bates in the latter role.

McCoy spent the past nine seasons as an offensive coach for the Carolina Panthers in various roles, most notably as passing-game coordinator and quarterback coach. He has been instrumental in the development of Panther quarterback Jake Delhomme.

McCoy will work very closely with McDaniels, who has already stated that he will play a large role in the offensive planning and play calling on a week-to-week basis.

The offensive scheme should change slightly and be similar to the offense the Patriots have run the past few seasons. This means more downfield and slot passing while relying on the running game to set up play-action passes.

The rest of the offensive staff will consist of long-time Broncos running back coach Bobby Turner; Clancy Barone, who will work with the tight ends; Adam Gase as wide receivers coach; and Ben McDaniels as offensive assistant.

The special teams staff will retain Keith Burns as an assistant and hired Mike Preifer as special teams coordinator. Preifer spent the past three seasons in Kansas City.

The names and faces are new now, but by season’s end, fans will know all the staff of the Broncos, for better or for worse.

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