For Those About to Rock, Bronco Nation Salutes You!

For me, the best part about going to Investco Field and watching the Broncos play is the loud, testosterone-fueled music that pumps through the jumbo speakers.

A good song adds to the excitement of the game and really gets your blood going.  I have put together a list of my top 10 stadium songs that keep me rockin’ at Investco.

 

1.  “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvoeeq-BH4w

This is my all time favorite song.  Not only do you get to hear this song after each touchdown, you can also hear it in the parking lot at every tailgate.

 

2. “Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns N Roses

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtXN_EHPwSg

No game is complete without this song.  They play this before the other team enters onto the field.  Welcome to our house, losers!

 

3. “Let’s Go” by Trick Daddy Ft. Lil’ Jon and Twista    

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrzGm4rd4pM

Good stuff.  Makes you wanna put on a jersey and take some hits—before hitting the snack bar again.

 

4. “I Put On (For My City)” by Young Jezzy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bHUE41uZlM

This is the player anthem.  Perfect song when you’re playing for city versus city bragging rights.

 

5. “Iron Man” by Black Sabbath

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udEDlOZJmCc

Every player on that field is a gladiator.  This song tells their story.

 

6. “Sandstorm” by Darude

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSYxT9GM0fQ

This song is full of energy.  This will make any crowd member stand up on the third down.

 

7. “Thunder Kiss 65” by White Zombie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VELvq-faGk

Just a wicked tune.  Zombie created a fan in me the minute I heard this on the radio.  This song will always be a top 10 favorite for me at the football field.

 

8. “I’m a Playa” by N9ne

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmlaDOCyS8I&feature=related

This was a great rendition of Falco’s Amadeus.  The first time I heard it was at a preseason game against the Lions.  Now I hear it every time I go see the Broncos in action.

 

9. “Let’s get Crazy” by PitBull Ft. Lil’ Jon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7Lyka8Znes

This song embodies the raw emotion you feel at Investco when the Broncos score a touchdown.  Everybody is on their feet!

 

10. “Tom Sawyer” by Rush

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7DFsBcVMDA

This song is for blue collar fans and hard nosed players alike.  We are all there for one common goal—winning!

 

This is my top 10 list of stadium songs and I look forward to rockin’ out to them this season.  Share some of your favorite stadium songs with me!

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.

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.

Denver Broncos: 3-4 Defense Or a 4-3 In Disguise??

There’s been a lot of hubbub about the “new” 3-4 defensive scheme that the Broncos will be using this year.  At the end of the day, is the 3-4 really that different from the 4-3?

The major difference between the two defensive schemes is the number of down lineman used.  In the 4-3 defense, there are four lineman. In the 3-4 defense, there are three down lineman. You are basically just exchanging a down lineman for a linebacker.

Here’s the rub; in a lot of cases, and in Denver’s case, the down lineman is exchanged for a “hybrid” linebacker, guys like Robert Ayers, Elvis Dumervil, or Jarvis Moss. 

These players are essentially 4-3 rush ends, but since they will be adding pass defending duties to their run stop and pass rushing duties, they do the job of both linebackers and defensive ends in a 3-4 defense. 

In the 3-4, the down lineman are in charge of plugging the A, B, and C gaps, while the linebackers read the offense and attack the remaining gaps. 

In a 4-3 defense, the down lineman are asked to rush the passer as well as stop the run, instead of worrying about gap assignments as much.

Mike Nolan, the Broncos’ current defensive coordinator, is said to like to play an “attacking” type of 3-4. 

“It’s not really the usual 3-4,” Ronnie Fields explained on the Denver Broncos’ official Web site. “It’s an attack 3-4, it’s like an offensive mindset. Some people play the 3-4 different, they’re more like sit back and wait. But as far as us, we attack. It’s kind of mixed-up with a 4-3. There are a lot of good things in there for linemen instead of just sitting there and catching the blocker and being passive and waiting.”

So tell me this, if you are basically putting out the same personnel, four defensive lineman and three linebackers, and all of the guys are attacking the quarterback, isn’t this really the same as a 4-3 scheme? 

I mean the down lineman are bigger, but if if the team runs out of an over/under defensive set, the hybrid linebackers, who used to be defensive ends, are now defensive ends again.

What the 3-4 will do is give the defense more options on the field.  With Dumervil and Moss at the 3-4 outside linebacker spots, the Broncos could even run a 5-2 scheme and either drop the OLBs into a zone or send them straight at the quarterback. 

Likewise, the Broncos could drop everyone into a zone and stop the short pass, or rush the two inside linebackers; there are a ton of packages that they can put together.

With all of this upside and the new looks the 3-4 defense will give the Broncos defense, is this going to change their success? 

If the players can’t perform in the 4-3, what makes them more suited for the 3-4? 

Mike Nolan and the Broncos’ defense have a lot of work to do this off season to make themselves a competitive squad. 

I for one believe that they will be able to succeed.  However, at this point there are so many questions that I wouldn’t be surprised if they were only marginally better than last season. 

Let’s hope this isn’t the case.

Five Reasons Why Denver Should Pass on Michael Vick

Lately, there has been a lot of speculation on Michael Vick.  What will he be doing this year?  Will he play football?  Where will he play football?  Should teams take a gamble on him?  I have gathered five of the major reasons, in my opinion, why Vick should not be a Bronco…ever.

 

He is unpredictable

Vick is unpredictable on the field and in his personal life.  For me, all of this dog fighting stuff took me by surprise. Throughout his NFL career, Vick managed to stay out of big trouble.  Other than a lame drug charge, in which the drugs probably belonged to one of his many “friends,”  I thought Vick would stay out of trouble his whole career and annoy defensive coordinators, until he was too old to run. 

But then all of the problems surfaced.  How long was he involved in dog fighting?  What else was he doing that we don’t know about? Who are these “friends” he’s running around with?  Vick would really have to change his way of life  to gain trust from any organization.

On the Field, Vick is a run-first quarterback with a huge upside, but most coordinators aren’t going to want a quarterback on the field that they can’t control.  The Atlanta coordinators basically let Vick run free.  They give him a formation and he does what he thinks is right.  This is not efficient and will not win your club championships. 

Vick reminds me of a compulsive gambler. They lose 70 percent of the time, but that 30 percent of wins are so sweet, they keep gambling until they are out of money.

Vick Is Not a Good Quarterback 

Sure he can run, but what about the passing game?  NFL defenses are just to good to let a one-trick pony own them over and over again. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. Vick has a career quarterback rating of 75.7.  That’s way below they rating average of starting quarterbacks in the NFL. 

What happens when defenses start loading the box?  The quarterback has to throw, right?  That sounds to me like a fourth down waiting to happen.  I would just not feel comfortable letting a quarterback of Vick’s caliber lead my team.

 

He Is a Fumbler

Rushing is his strength, but it isn’t a good idea to drop the ball.  Vick coughed up the ball 55 times in 74 games.  Yes, he only lost 27, but geez.  Turnovers negate any good play that you execute.  Much like we saw in the Broncos offense of last year, it makes no difference if you run 80 yards down the field, if you fumble at the goal line.  A playmaker’s job is to take care of the rock.  The statistics don’t lie: Vick has butter fingers. 

 

He is passed his prime.

At 29 years old, Vick should have dropped his rushing attack for a more comfortable pocket passing attack.  John Elway, known for his ability to take off on the run, only had about three rushing attempts per game. If he, a star player, had rushed seven times per game like Vick, he would not have lasted 16 seasons. 

Scrambling quarterbacks rely on their athleticism early on in their careers, to save themselves on third down.  As a quarterback matures, they get slower and are more prone to injury.  At almost 30 years old, Vick’s passing game should be efficient enough, so that he doesn’t have to run to make plays.  If Vick comes back to play football, he won’t last very long rushing seven to eight times a game. 

 

PETA, the Boulder Chapter

I’m a dog lover, but PETA takes animal-loving very seriously.  Atlanta may have a strong PETA following, but Boulder, Colorado proudly houses the militant wing of PETA.  Concerning Vick’s legal troubles, I could see the picketing and the call for boycotts quite menacing.  Broncos fans don’t need politics involved in football.  Like church and state, keep the two separate.

Vick is a great athlete, but as far as becoming a Denver Bronco, I really see no reason to take the gamble on him.  The Broncos have enough good athletes on their team, that they don’t need a specialist player like Vick on their roster.  If they wanted a specialist player, they should have kept fan favorite Bradlee Van Pelt.

 

You Can’t Make a Good Offense Sandwich, Without the SPREAD!

The cat is out of the bag.  It’s pretty obvious that McDaniels is going to be bringing a new defense and offense to the Denver Broncos.  Instead of the 4-3 defensive set, the Broncos will be moving to the 3-4.  Forget about the West Coast offense, because the new offensive scheme in Denver is the spread. 

Mostly popularized in the NFL by the highly successful New England Patriots and in college by Urban Myer, using the spread option when he was the head coach of at Bowling Green in 2001. The spread offense philosophy is very efficient, if executed correctly.  The philosophy behind the spread, is in it’s name; spread.  The offense’s job is to spread the defense and use all of the field, giving your players the ability to work in space after the catch and tacking the linebackers out of the run stuff and pass rush positions.  In most cases the Quarterback is in a shotgun formation, but this doesn’t always have to be the case.

There isn’t really a basic set of plays, since the spread isn’t a formation, but a philosophy.  The idea behind the spread, is to out number the defense in certain scenarios.  For example, if the defense brings the safety into the box, the quarterback should pass the ball deep and take advantage of the one on one coverage.  Also, the offense can set up with 3-4 wide receivers to take the linebackers outs of position to stop the run.  This makes it easier to run draw plays and screen plays with the halfbacks and fullbacks.  In these types of situations, the wide receiver’s primary function is to run bloke down field.  To be able to efficiently execute the spread offense, the players need to be very versatile.  Running, Blocking, and receiving is everyone’s job.

So, how will this offense look in Denver?  The formations are going to different each game, to attack the weaknesses of the opposing defenses. 

The Broncos have all of the personnel needed to be heavy run team, heavy pass team, and a balanced team.

Heavy Passing Attack

This offense will mostly be used against teams that are weak in the backfield and tend to use more 3-4 linebacker formations.  The Broncos will be able to put out three, four, or even five receivers.  Most of the time, using four wide receivers with a speed back, or half back to line up in the slot, set the play up for the screen pass.  In this set, the offense can take advantage of mismatches with linebackers or safeties on speedy receivers.  Once the defense starts to fall back and overcompensate for the amount of receivers on the field, the offense can start attacking the middle of the line with draw plays and hit the corners with screen plays.  The Players most likely to be used in this situation are the following:

WR1       Brandon Marshall           
WR2       Eddie Royal
WR3,Slot Brandon Stokley
WR4       Jabar Gaffney
WR5       Chad Jackson
RB          Knowshonn Moreno
TB          J.J. Arrington
TE          Daniel Graham, Richard Quinn, Tony Sheffler

Heavy Rushing Attack

This offensive scheme will be used again’s teams that are weak against the run or tend to use nickel formations and do not bring the safeties into the box as often.  The receivers need to block more than receive, but will run deep routes to keep the defense honest.  The offense can setup in many formations to get the job done here.  two Tight end sets, three tight end sets, two halfbacks and a fullback, etc.  The whole idea is to take advantage of the mismatches.  Run on the defense when the try to stop the pass and pass on the defense when they load the box.  This formations will setup with two wide receivers, two to three tight ends, a fullback, one to two running backs.  For this scheme to be executed, the tight ends, fullbacks, and running backs have to be exceptional athletes.  They will be asked to pass, catch, run, and block.  The players that will be used in the formation are the following:

WR1       Brandon Marshall           
WR2       Eddie Royal
TE1        Daniel Graham
TE2        Richard Quinn
TE3        Tony Sheffler
RB          Knowshonn Moreno
RB          Correll Buckhalter
FB          Peyton Hillis

One of the biggest questions in this off season is, how will Kyle Orton operate in the spread offense?  Kyle Orton spent four years in a spread offense at Purdue.  He’s quite acquainted to it’s uses.  Orton will probably be in a lot of shotgun formations and look to pass, as he is not a strong runner and because the spread option scheme hasn’t really been able to catch on in the NFL.  The spread offense takes a game manager with patience and accuracy.  A lot of analysts say that the spread hinges mostly on the strength of the play calling, rather then the talent of the quarterback.  Kyle Orton will need to be very adept in reading the defense to see mismatches on the field and check down to his third and fourth receivers.  The idea is to increase time possession and decrease turnovers.  This will require a lot of patience.  80 percent of the passing game will be short yardage passes, with slants and screens as the bulk of the receptions.  The deep ball is used like an uppercut would be in a boxing match; sparingly, but deadly.  I for one, believe that Orton will be a perfect match in this scheme and he will welcome the bounty of new offensive play-makers that Denver has to offer him.  

All of the players in the above schemes will come together to form a balanced attack that will strike fear into opposing defenses. This is going to be an exciting year to watch the Denver offense!  The Broncos offense has the ability to be in the top five in all categories this year. 

Between The Tackles With Peyton Hillis

The following is a mock interview with Denver Broncos’ starting fullback Peyton Hillis.  The answers given to these questions are fictitious and purely used for the enjoyment of the author.

Recently, I was giving the chance to sit down and chat with one of my favorite professional football players, Peyton Hillis. Here is what he had to say.

Ryan Ayars: Hello Peyton. Thank you for giving me some time to learn more about you.

Peyton Hillis: It’s my pleasure Ryan. Anything for a die hard Bronco fan like yourself.

RA: You’re a lot bigger then I thought you were. I would hate to have to try tackle you on the field.

PH: Me too! That’s why I do all the running and hitting. (chuckle chuckle)

RA: What was it like blocking for such a potent running game with the Arkansas Razorbacks?

PH: Well Ryan, I was born and raised in Arkansas. Just being given the opportunity to play for the Razorbacks was a dream come true. Guys like Darren McFadden and Felix Jones make your job as a blocker a lot easier. I can contribute a lot of my success to the Arkansas system and the players I had around me.

RA: What are some of the differences in the level of competition in the NFL versus college football?

PH: Well the hits definitely. In college, you get hit hard two out of every five times. In the NFL, you get hit HARD every time you touch the ball. The players are a lot more competitive as well. I mean you’re playing against the best of the best every Sunday.

RA: How did losing your head coach and starting quarterback effect you?

PH: Well, anytime you lose important team guys like that, it’s going to be a little weird.  Coach Mike was the guy who drafted me and saw enough in my play to start me, during my rookie year. Jay was just a good guy to play with. He had a real competitive streak.

RA: Did you expect to be the starting running back last year?

PH: No. I mean I played tailback in college, but I didn’t expect to start in the NFL as a tailback. It was fun though.

RA: Did you expect to have as much success as you did in 2008?

PH: No not really, but anytime you get to carry the ball behind an offensive line like we have, your going to be successful. I owe everything to those big guys.

RA: What if you didn’t get injured last year? Does Denver go to the playoffs?

PH: I’m not much of a “what if” guy. Let’s just hope we get there this year.

RA: What are your Strengths?

PH: I guess I’m pretty versatile. I can play a lot of positions. I’m competitive.

RA: What are you weaknesses?

PH: You tell me. 

RA: (chuckle chuckle)  I think we can move on.

PH: Good idea.  (chuckle chuckle)

RA: Do you think you’ll be in the mix for the starting running back position?

PH: Anything is possible. Moreno is a pretty good back though. I’ll probably see most of my time at fullback, maybe some tight end.

RA: What do you think of your new Head Coach Josh McDaniels?

PH: Great guy. He really knows what he’s doing and believes in his system. I’ve never been around a coach as young as him. He can really relate to the players.

RA: What do you think of the new Broncos offense?

PH: We’re going to be good. Better than last year. Kyle is really picking up the game plan well. In the time that I’ve spent with him so far, I can see he’s a real leader. This year will be fun for sure.

RA: Do you see yourself as being a huge part of this year’s offensive plan?

PH: Yes I do. I think everyone one will get the chance to play a huge part this year. That’s what’s so cool about the new system. There’s a lot of running and passing. I have pretty good hands coming out of the back field, so I can be in on a lot of screen plays. I’m just really excited to get the season started.

RA: Well thank you again for your time Peyton and I wish you and your team great success this year.

PH: No problem,  I appreciate it.

Denver Broncos Primed For a Playoff Run: A Look at The AFC West (Part 3)

(This is the previous edition (part 2) of the following article: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/176840-denver-broncos-primed-for-a-playoff-run-a-look-at-the-afc-west-part-2 )

San Diego Chargers

The Chargers ended last year at 8-8, making a comeback at the end of the season to oust the Denver Broncos from the top of the AFC West.

In most cases, Broncos fans can thank or blame the Chargers for all of the Broncos’ changes this year. The bottom line is if the Broncos went 11-6 last year, instead of 8-8, Mike Shanahan and Jay Cutler would still be in Denver.

The Chargers underachieved last year, plain and simple. With key injuries to starters Shawne Merriman and LaDainian Tomlinson, the Chargers were missing their leaders and seemed flat at times. It pains me to say this, but the Chargers should be much better this season. But key offseason losses could possibly derail them again.

The Chargers return with their explosive offense, led by Tomlinson. LT still has a lot of juice left and last year’s “poor performance” shouldn’t have any negative effects on his running this year. If anything, LT will come into 2009 with a chip on his shoulder.

It’s interesting how the league gave him a bad wrap, when he rushed for 1,110 yards and caught 52 passes for 426 yards. I guess if a star player doesn’t get 1,800 yards a year, then he’s on the downside of his career. 

The Chargers have a tough offense to handle with freaky-sized receivers like Vincent Jackson and Malcolm Floyd. Antonio Gates’ production was down last year, but anytime an organization can get 700-plus receiving yards from your tight end, they should be happy.

Phillip Rivers is a great quarterback and should be just as good as he was last year or better.

The loss of veteran guard Mike Goff may effect their running game, as he is a strong run blocker. Someone will need to step up on the offensive line to take his place.

Defensive coordinator Ron Rivera comes back for a second season. Rivera, a former linebacker in the ’80s for the Chicago Bears, saw success with his aggressive style of defense in a three-year stint as the Bears’ defensive coordinator. With Shawne Merriman back in the lineup, the Chargers’ pass rush should be rejuvenated. 

The Chargers also used this year’s first-round choice on a sack specialist in defensive end Larry English, who should add a mean streak to the defensive line. It’s possible that Rivera will switch from the 3-4 to a 4-3 defensive scheme, which he used in Chicago.

In a 4-3, English would be a pass rushing specialist used on passing downs while in a 3-4, English would be used as an outside linebacker. Compare his skills to those of Elvis Dumervil, who has led the Denver Broncos in sacks the last three years.

The loss of Igor Olshansky is a big one and may hurt the Chargers’ run stuffing abilities.  The Chargers added a raw talent in the draft with Vaughn Martin. A physical freak, he can spell Jamal Williams at nose tackle in a 3-4 defense. I’m very interested to see how Martin develops in the NFL.

The Chargers have a decent schedule this year. Assuming they are a better team than they showed last year, they should have a much better record.

They do have some tough away games this year in New York (Giants), Pittsburgh and Tennessee. They also have to play Baltimore, Dallas and Philadelphia this year. I could see the Chargers going 9-7 or 10-6 this year.

The Chargers are definitely going to be a challenge in the AFC West. The Broncos are going to have to be flawless if they want to sweep the Chargers this year. I see them splitting the series, with both teams losing on the road.

Denver Broncos Primed For a Playoff Run: A Look at The AFC West (Part 2)

(This is part two of the following previous article: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/175108-broncos-primed-for-a-playoff-run-a-look-at-the-afc-west-division )

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs went 2-14 last season and did not have a lot of highlights to discuss.  In the off season they hired a new coach, Todd Haley, and a new GM, Scott Pioli.  On defense, they will attempt to run a 3-4 scheme, which may suit their personnel better than the 4-3. 

On offense they had an average rushing attack. The once dominant Larry Johnson, is becoming an injury risk and has missed the majority of the last two seasons. 

Rookie speed back Jamaal Charles, showed some promise, averaging 5.3 yards per carry, but he’s better as a No. 2 back. Johnson will need to stay healthy, if the Chiefs want to be any better then last year.

Matt Cassel is their newly acquired quarterback from New England. He showed a lot of talent, in his first year as a starter. I still believe he is a question mark though. 

Was it the coaching that made him good? Was it the system?

Cassel is an upgrade over previous quarterbacks, Tyler Thigpen and Brodie Croyle, and their offense should be more efficient this season. 

However, with the upgrade in quarterback came the huge downgrade in receiving, in the loss of Tony Gonzalez. Gonzalez led the Chiefs in receiving last season with 1058 yards and 10 touchdowns. 

The Chiefs traded him to the Atlanta Falcons for a second round draft pick in 2010.  Without Gonzalez, Dwayne Bowe is their only receiving threat. The Chiefs can only hope that someone steps up their game in training camp.

The Chiefs acquired two lineman this off season in Eric Ghiaciuc and Mike Goff.  Hopefully, they will be able to add strength to an offensive line that has been lacking, since the loss of Will Shields, Brian Waters, and Casey Wiegmann.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Chiefs didn’t fair well either. Their overall NFL defensive rank was never lower than 28th in all four areas. They needed to make some huge changes from last year to improve upon this. 

In the trade for Matt Cassel, Kansas City acquired veteran linebacker Mike Vrabel.  They also acquired another veteran linebacker in Zach Thomas. Coupled with the promising right outside linebacker Derrick Johnson, this should be a much improved linebacker corps. 

In making the switch to 3-4 defense, pass rushing specialist Tamba Hali will have a chance to make the transition from defensive end to left outside linebacker. If he is successfully in this transition, he should be pretty dangerous off the edge.

The Chiefs addressed their defensive line in the draft, taking LSU defensive end Tyson Jackson and Purdue defensive end Alex Magee. 

Jackson was considered the best five technique defensive end in the draft and Magee was considered a very good fit in the 3-4 end spot as well. The Chiefs will have a big nose tackle in Tank Tyler.  With their new additions, their defensive line should be better than last year. 

One big problem that the Chiefs face is what to do with 2008 first round draft pick Glenn Dorsey. He is not a good fit for the 3-4 defense, as his strengths focused more on attacking the passer rather than holding blocks. 

The Chiefs may be able to get another starter for Dorsey, if they trade him soon.  Anquan Boldin anyone??

The Chiefs have a young backfield and they should be better this year, if the line is stopping the run and the linebackers are able to create more pressure on opposing quarterbacks. 

All four players in the Chiefs backfield combine for only six years of experience, but show a lot of promise. 

I see this Chiefs team as being better than last year, but not by a whole lot. The Chiefs have to play Pittsburgh, NY Giants, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Dallas this season, with some tough away games in Baltimore and Philadelphia. 

I can see the Chiefs winning 5-6 games this year and being last in the AFC West for the second straight year.

The Broncos should not have any problems sweeping the Chiefs this season.

Denver Broncos Primed for a Playoff Run: A Look at the AFC West (Part One)

The Denver Broncos may be in a “semi-rebuilding state”, but they have as good a chance as any other team in the AFC West to win the division. The Broncos almost won the division last year with a paltry 8-8 record.

No other team has been as active in the free agency as the Denver Broncos, releasing 80 percent of last years defensive starters, signing four new free agent defensive starters and a boat load of undrafted free agents to compete for starting positions.

In this three-part review, I will analyze each of the opposing AFC west teams by using the following criteria: perceived strengths and weaknesses from last season, free agent signing, draft selections, and schedule difficulty.

 

Oakland Raiders

On offense, the Raiders’ rushing attack showcased a talented combination of Justin Fargas and Darren McFadden.  The two runners combined for 1352 yards, giving Oakland a team rushing average per game of 124.2, which ranked 10th overall in the NFL.

The Raiders look to continue their rushing success this year, with Darren McFadden poised to build upon his rookie success. 

Unfortunately, the Raiders’ passing attack was quite dismal, netting an average of 148.1 yards a game and an overall rank of 32 in the NFL. The failure of the passing game was the result of a slow progression of their now third year quarterback JaMarcus Russell and the inability of the offensive line to give him good pass protection. 

Russell, showed some improvement during last season, but will be considered a bust, if he doesn’t start showing elite talent.  Oakland addressed their offensive line needs by signing veteran tackles, Khalif Barnes, Erik pears, and center Samson Satele.

The players should create a better base for their zone blocking scheme and give Russell more time in the pocket. 

The passing game will receive a jump start this year, with the addition of newly acquired No. 7 draft choice Darrius Heyward-Bey.  Heyward-Bey was the fastest receiver in the draft and should give Russell a deep threat to spread out opposing defenses.

Considering that the Raiders’ top receiver last year was tight end Zach Miller, the Raiders will welcome a blue chip prospect like Heyward-Bey to their lineup. The current No. 1 wide receiver, Javon Walker, has season ending ankle surgery last year, which kept him out of the lineup for half the season.

When healthy, Walker is a premier receiver in the NFL. Look for him to bounce back this year and give the Raiders another top receiving threat.

On defense the Raiders still have a lot of concerns. Contrary to popular opinion, the Broncos run defense wasn’t the worst in the AFC West. The Raiders ranked 31 overall in stopping the run, allowing an average of 159.7 rushing yards a game. 

The Raiders partially addressed their rushing woes, with the drafting of Safety Mike Mitchell, in the second round. He should replace Michael Huff at Strong safety and add a stronger backfield presence to the running game. 

In my opinion, the Raiders should move Huff to the free-safety position and see if he is a better fit there. As a previous first-round choice, the Raiders should try to keep him and get some value out of their pick, much like they did for Robert Gallery.

They Raiders ranked 10th overall in the NFL in passing defense. The drafting of Matt Shaughnessy should add to the pass rush attack. Nnamdi Asomugha is a premier cornerback in the NFL and should be as good as usual.

With the addition of Safety Mike Mitchell the Raiders should considered a stout pass defense threat. 

The Raiders have some what of a tough schedule this year. They have away games in Pittsburgh, Dallas, and New York (Giants). The also host Baltimore, Washington, and Philadelphia. Based on last years standings, these teams could already represent 5-6 losses. 

If the Raiders split their wins and losses in their conference games, they are already looking at 8-9 losses on paper.  This would be an improvement on last year’s 5-11 standing as Raiders look to have as 7-9, or 8-8 season. 

A record of 8-8 won the AFC west conference title last year, so the Raiders would just be happy to be contenders. If the Broncos, didn’t address their inability to stop the run, they will have a lot of problems with the Raiders.  This is also the same for the Raiders run defense. 

The Broncos have obviously upgraded with the addition of No. 12 draft choice Knowshon Moreno.

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