Mediocrity stares Broncos right in the eyes

[dirk digler]

I know it is from Kisla but hey it makes for a good read especially the mediocare part.


Indianapolis - So who is Mike Shanahan going to fire this time? The Broncos have not won a playoff game in 2,170 days, and he is running out of fingers to point.

Who is looking for a soft place to fall now, after a 49-24 pounding Sunday by Indianapolis?

Something has got to change for Denver. But what, pray tell, can divert the Broncos off the road to nowhere as the league's poster children for the false hope of parity?

"That's a dumb question," snapped Broncos veteran Rod Smith, 34 years old and no happier with his team than 12 months ago. "What's the difference? What's the difference? What's the difference? I'm asking you. What are the results?"

Something has got to change.

I feel sorry for Ted Sundquist, Denver's general manager. He owns a cool business card, but might have the most thankless job in football.

On a team just good enough to tease Broncomaniacs with championship expectations impossible to fulfill, Sundquist is condemned to have all the responsibility and zero authority.

Chronic mediocrity follows Denver like warm bubble gum on a shoe. But none of the blame ever seems to stick to Shanahan. At least not in the eyes of franchise owner Pat Bowlen.

For those of you keeping score at home, what Shanahan now does best in January is sacrifice scapegoats.

In 1999, cornerback Dale Carter infected the Broncos with the bad attitude Shanahan let in the locker room.

In 2000, all the stench of the season was traced to the door of defensive coordinator Greg Robinson.

In 2001, flighty receiver Eddie Kennison rewarded the faith Shanahan misplaced in him by quitting.

In 2002, quarterback Brian Griese removed the mask, revealing that he was not really Joe Montana, absolutely shocking Shanahan.

In 2003, all playmaker Clinton Portis did was rush for 1,500 yards, but when Shanahan shipped those pink tennis shoes and championship-belt cockiness off to Washington, the chorus of Broncomaniacs shouted amen.

So who takes the hit for another fine mess? Someone has to accept the blame. Trouble is: The Broncos have so few remaining players who really make a difference that blaming a street free agent or a rookie cannot fool all the people in Denver again.

If Shanahan genuinely wants to return to the Super Bowl, he must give complete control of revamping the team to Sundquist. Or fire him as a waste of time and money.

If Bowlen is committed to upholding the public trust that built a new stadium for a Denver civic treasure, the owner should demand Shanahan accept a general manager respected as a co-equal of the coach.

Something has got to change.

"I'm sure they were saying the same thing last year," said Broncos safety John Lynch, signed specifically to end the tired, old story of Denver's playoff regrets.

One of these years, when Colts quarterback Peyton Manning finally strolls into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Shanahan should hold open the door. If football is a game of inches, then I'm going to need a calculator, a degree from MIT and a six-pack of Red Bull to figure out how Manning passed for 360 yards against Denver. In the first half.

Linebacker Al Wilson deserves a better fate than these redundant humility lessons. Any scribe with a heart under his press credential cheers for guys like Wilson, the rare millionaire as passionate about winning as fans who live and die with the team.

After the blood, sweat and tears of six NFL seasons, Wilson still does not know the joy of postseason victory. Last week, he sat alone in the Broncos' locker room and made a sad confession: "A playoff loss hurts worst of all. Because it's the end. And you know it's the end. As a player, you have no opportunity to redeem yourself. You're going home."

With each successive playoff failure, ever notice how Shanahan looks less like a football mastermind and more like actor Bill Murray?

The Broncos could have saved the airfare to Indy and rented "Groundhog Day." For the umpteenth time.

In the movie, the weatherman portrayed by Murray awoke every morning to the same blasted Sonny and Cher song, until he wanted to crush the clock radio.

Shanahan. We've got him, babe.

[Garcia Bronco]

Originally Posted by Nzoner 338

Well they put Reggie Wayne in the record books.

Well...shit happens...

[Garcia Bronco]

Originally Posted by TEX

There you go again with your Bronco 101 deflection tactic. This is about the BRONCOS, you know,YOUR team. What would the CHIEFS playing anybody, anywhere have to do with anything when it comes to staying on subject?

I'm saying that you point a finger and their are three pointing back at you. Not only would the Chiefs get their ass whooped in Inday....they would get their ass whooped in Arrowhead...and not make the Colts even punt.

Basically TEX...when you have no room to talk....you have no room to talk. And guess what...Chief Fans have no room to point fingers.

[Mile High Mania]

Wow ... we're still workin' this thread, eh?

Ok, here is my basic view of the 2004 Broncos defensively. The Broncos don't have a mediocre defense they don't have an average defense. The Broncos have a good defense... but, it's not good enough to win in the playoffs.

They have some fantastic talent, but not enough to be a top and consistently performing defense. The depth wasn't where it needed to be to account for guys getting injured, that goes to the coaching staff and the owner. Teams like NE lose key starters and keep rolling and that in a nutshell is what puts Denver on a level just below those top defenses.

They don't pressure the QB and they don't create turnovers. That's not to say that more often than not, they don't stop the run or the pass. They do and they have a nice foundation, but it remains to be seen if they take the steps needed to push that defense over the top.

Should Indy's passing attack go nuts on NE this weekend, then it will be said "Indy lost their two starting CB's". Shit happens - Denver lost their top DE and the top two CBs on the other side of Bailey.

Injuries happen.

Overall, the list of defenses that I would rather have other than Denver has about 6 names on it...

[Mile High Mania]

Originally Posted by Nzoner 338

Well they put Reggie Wayne in the record books.

Phhhhhttttttttt... with the list of guys that Denver defenses have put in the record books over the years, that was nothing.

[Garcia Bronco]

Originally Posted by Mile High Mania

Phhhhhttttttttt... with the list of guys that Denver defenses have put in the record books over the years, that was nothing.

LOL...I was going to say that too.

[Mile High Mania]

Originally Posted by Garcia Bronco

LOL...I was going to say that too.

Gotta have some fun with it.

[TEX]

Originally Posted by Garcia Bronco

Which part are you refuting?

This part for starters as it was your first half -thought point - "The Oakland game was in the snow which favors an offense. "

True, it was in the snow and it does favor the offense but what about the fact that it was at your HOME in a cold weather city playing against a team from the West Coast??? And friend, why didn't your offense do something/anything in said snow?

Need a snow blow? - Chew on that.

Then there was the gem about the "JV" team. Do you honestly belive that beating a Colts team who rested it's starters means much? Look where it got you. You actually thought the Broncos were good.

[Nzoner]

Originally Posted by Garcia Bronco

Not only would the Chiefs get their ass whooped in Inday....they would get their ass whooped in Arrowhead...and not make the Colts even punt.

Yeah,losing by 7 is a real ass whooping compared to being down by 32 at the half.

[Garcia Bronco]

Originally Posted by Nzoner 338

Yeah,losing by 7 is a real ass whooping compared to being down by 32 at the half.

Are the results different? You could have lost 3 to 2

[Nzoner]

Originally Posted by Garcia Bronco

Are the results different? You could have lost 3 to 2

Granted a loss is a loss BUT you're the one who said ass whooping besides KC beat Indy's first team this year.

just having some fun with it too.....

[TEX]

Originally Posted by Mile High Mania

Wow ... we're still workin' this thread, eh?

Ok, here is my basic view of the 2004 Broncos defensively. The Broncos don't have a mediocre defense they don't have an average defense. The Broncos have a good defense... but, it's not good enough to win in the playoffs.

They have some fantastic talent, but not enough to be a top and consistently performing defense. The depth wasn't where it needed to be to account for guys getting injured, that goes to the coaching staff and the owner. Teams like NE lose key starters and keep rolling and that in a nutshell is what puts Denver on a level just below those top defenses.

They don't pressure the QB and they don't create turnovers. That's not to say that more often than not, they don't stop the run or the pass. They do and they have a nice foundation, but it remains to be seen if they take the steps needed to push that defense over the top.

Should Indy's passing attack go nuts on NE this weekend, then it will be said "Indy lost their two starting CB's". Shit happens - Denver lost their top DE and the top two CBs on the other side of Bailey.

Injuries happen.

Overall, the list of defenses that I would rather have other than Denver has about 6 names on it...

Interesting. I was with you until about mid season when your defense started to suck. They were not a good defense down the stretch of the season. What was their performance the 2nd half vs the first half of the season?

[Mile High Mania]

Originally Posted by TEX

This part for starters as it was your first half -thought point - "The Oakland game was in the snow which favors an offense. "

True, it was in the snow and it does favor the offense but what about the fact that it was at your HOME in a cold weather city playing against a team from the West Coast??? And friend, why didn't your offense do something/anything in said snow?

Need a snow blow? - Chew on that.

Then there was the gem about the "JV" team. Do you honestly belive that beating a Colts team who rested it's starters means much? Look where it got you. You actually thought the Broncos were good.

It was an odd one... Denver wins 31-3 at OAK, loses by 1 in DEN.

The game at Denver, again... our defense fell apart. Porter broke 160 and 3TDs... that's on Bailey, he looked silly.

Also and this will likely be used against me... but, they lost Walls and Middlebrooks in the second half of the season. Also, I'm guessing that the Dline that did fairly well early, finally had the loss of Pryce catch up with them.

[Mile High Mania]

Originally Posted by TEX

Interesting. I was with you until about mid season when your defense started to suck. They were not a good defense down the stretch of the season. What was their performance the 2nd half vs the first half of the season?

I dunno... all I know is that overall, the team again let a 5-1 record get stale in the final months.

I've accepted it and whatever happens, happens. I think they have a nice foundation and with a focus on improving the pass rush... and as they build on the increase in turnovers in the second half of the season, 2005 should be better than just a "statistically" good one for the defense.

The defense was good on paper and in the rankings, but they bent more often than they should.

[Garcia Bronco]

Originally Posted by TEX

This part for starters as it was your first half -thought point - "The Oakland game was in the snow which favors an offense. "

True, it was in the snow and it does favor the offense but what about the fact that it was at your HOME in a cold weather city playing against a team from the West Coast??? And friend, why didn't your offense do something/anything in said snow?

Need a snow blow? - Chew on that.

Then there was the gem about the "JV" team. Do you honestly belive that beating a Colts team who rested it's starters means much? Look where it got you. You actually thought the Broncos were good.

Our offense out up 24 points and drove the ball well...we lost by a point..and came up short on a catch in the endzone...but we were talking about the defense which did not play offense for Denver. And as you agreed...the Snow favored the offense.

I don't care who the Colts put on the field in week 17...the Bronocs had to go win to get in the playoffs and they did. The Bills had to at least win to have a shot and didn't against Pittsburg with rested starters. We still won 10 games and made the playoffs...


As far as good...let me put it in perspective for you......when the Panthers were 1-7......guess who the 1 was.....

[Garcia Bronco]

Originally Posted by Nzoner 338

Granted a loss is a loss BUT you're the one who said ass whooping besides KC beat Indy's first team this year.

just having some fun with it too.....

But neither our team or yours beat them when it counted...that's why I don't understand the finger pointing by reeruns like steve.