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Denver Broncos: The Beginning of a New Era, Or The Beginning of the End?
Published: January 7, 2010
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WHOA! Maybe to clarify, this isn’t a picture of the future, but just a reminder of how truly awful the first uniforms were. And if on the 75th or the 100th anniversary of the AFL, they must promise not to bring these monstrosities back.
As to the title of this article, I have read and wrote on where this franchise lies at the moment. And it does seem to be an either/or thing with most fans and followers of the Broncos: Either you are with the new regime or you are against it.
So, to bring some balance, let’s review where the Broncos have been, where they are, and maybe take a glimpse at where they might be going.
Ego Or Bad Coaching? Snatching Defeat From The Jaws Of Victory—Again
Published: December 21, 2009
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Why in the F*ck is this man smiling??
How often does a first year Head Coach have an opportunity to show their knowledge, maturity and growth? Especially when you are 33 freaking years old?
On the other hand, how often does a 33 Year old Head Coach have the opportunity to let his ego write checks his team can’t cash?
This was the case in the game between Denver and Oakland at Mile High Invesco or High Invesco Mile or whatever today.
Watching a young egotistical head coach call the same lame up-the-gut running plays with an undersized running back and a pass-oriented O-line over and over and over again and losing yardage or getting 1 or 2 Yards when 4-5 yards are needed to either score a TD or gain a 1st down is getting old.
In situation after situation and game after game, we see the same thing. This is a true real-life example of defining failure as doing the same thing over and over with the same negative results but expecting a different outcome.
The only thing more predictable in the NFL right now is getting close-ups of siliconed-enhanced Cheerleaders on the sidelines when breaking for or going into mandated commercials.
Even if Josh would use Hillis or Clady or Larsen or one of those faux-bosomed sideline eye candy prancers instead of Moreno, there MIGHT be a slight chance of a different outcome. Or possibly throwing a short pass to—GASP!—Marshall, Graham, Stokley (or even the aforementioned Clady) there could be a slightly higher chance of success.
I am not sure if this is a result of too many games under the shadow of St. Billy Belichick and his water-walking success with a much better short yardage team or maybe too many games wearing that stupid hoody that has cut off the circulation to his 33 year old brain.
No matter what the reasons are, until his ego gets a major surgical reduction or he actually looks at past results, I guess the Denver fan base can only expect the same outcome.
And that is a future that really sucks, if you are a Bronco supporter. Or even a fan of good football.
Of course, Raider/Chief/Charger fans are chuckling and snorting into their collective beers.
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
Brandon Marshall: A Beast Or A Blip?
Published: December 17, 2009
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Brandon Marshall was a fourth round pick that made people say “Who?” when drafted has turned into quite a steal for the Broncos. He now holds the NFL record for catches in a single game (21) and probably will break his own record before he is through. Maybe more than once.
There is no denying his 6’4″, 230 lbs. physique and decent speed creates horrendous match-up issues for opposing DBs.
His yards after catch average, is almost unbelievable for a wide receiver.
His ability take a routine five-yarder or a bubble screen pass and s t r e t c h it into a 15 yard play may not have a rival in the NFL.
His one-handed grabs cause defensive coordinators to pull their hair out after a perfect defensive call and great coverage.
His ability to juke and/or turn his shoulders square and run over people, even linebackers, causes OOHs and AHHs.
He has turned into an above-average blocker and can pancake a defender when the mood moves him.
He has nine TDs and over 1,000 yards and will improve on those stats before the year is through.
He has a million watt smile and has taken in his nephew to help turn around a troubled kid’s environment.
BUT….his maturity issues still come and go.
His hand-eye coordination (i.e. completing the catch) can still improve.
He has been known to put the ball on the ground at very inopportune times.
He has been a disruptive influence in the locker room at times.
Maybe the most frustrating thing about Bmarsh is his decisions to turn all this ability on and off.
I know I know, he seems to be bringing it on a more consistent basis recently, as in the Giants, Chiefs, and Colts games.
But he also has somewhat disappeared in other games (CIN, CLE, BAL, SD) where he has had no TDs and under 50 YDS in each of those games.
He said before the Giants game, he wanted to come out and “make a statement”; and he did. But why decide to do that in one game, or three, and not ALL games. As poor as the offense has been playing, he should make that effort each and every game.
Sure, teams will key on him and try to take him out of the game plan, but they tried to do that in Indy and look what happened?
My point being that maybe Brandon has begun to mature before our very eyes the past 3-4 weeks and this will continue. For his sake and for the Broncos’ sake, I hope so.
But will he? See how Randy Moss has back-slid into a ME ME ME guy again at New England and supposedly his maturity issues were resolved. We have no need to even mention TO or Chad 85; both are lost causes.
Marshall has all the tools needed to be maybe the best WR or at least one of the top five in the history of the game. But, he will have to make that next leap and maintain his commitment, desire, effort, and leadership shown in these past few games;time will tell.
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
Has Belichick the Master Finally Been Mastered?
Published: December 1, 2009
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Watching the Patriots-Saints game last night, it became clear that we may have been witnessing the beginning of the end of an era.
I know, I know. One game does not a trend make. But…
What I saw was something I have not seen on the field or on the sidelines of a Patriots’ game in a long time: frustration, confusion, disappointment and fatalism. All of the first three are not new, although not often seen. The last one, fatalism, is one I haven’t witnessed before in its true form and in such abundance.
To see Hoody Bill look lost and searching for an answer, any answer, was a shock to the system. He was his typical stoic self in the first half, showing a little emotion when Brady and company were able to put some points on the board. Then in the second half, he looked like he wanted to be almost anywhere but holding his play list on the New England sidelines.
A lot of the reason for that look had to do with the Saints’ dominance on both sides of the ball. They were locked and loaded and came ready to play. They were playing at home to a very appreciative crowd and were battling to remain undefeated this season.
Why this happened can be explained by many things that have happened over the past year or so.
Trading Richard Seymour might be one of the biggest, as he took much of the heart and soul from the defense. The injury-riddled group that was left didn’t have the heart, the players or the coaching to stop the brilliant performance by the New Orleans offense.
The inability to give Brady his usual time to find open receivers and hit them in stride and the swarming defense that held those receivers to a very low YAC was also a contributor.
In fact, I might have seen the first cracks in the mutual love affair between Moss and his current team, which may not bode well for the chemistry the rest of this season. (Where have we seen this act before?)
These things happen all the time in the NFL to just about every other coach and team. But this is the first time I saw it so distinctly in not only Belichick’s face and demeanor, but in Brady, Moss, Welker, et. al.
Maybe, just maybe, we are seeing Billy B and the Patriots sliding back to the rest of the pack.
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
NFL Week One: The Ready and Not-so-Ready for Primetime QBs
Published: September 16, 2009
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FINALLY, we have the unimportant (except to the NFL owners’ pocketbooks) and unfulfilling “preseason” behind us and can move on to the Real Thing!
Welcome to the 2009 NFL version of madness, mayhem, maladies, misfires, missteps and the masterful.
We will take a look at the best …… and the worst of the QB performances of Week 1.
Brett Favre: Why All Athletes Need a “Not To Exceed Expiration Date” Clause
Published: August 22, 2009
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Have you ever pushed the “use by” date on your milk, salsa, or beer way past the limit and then tried to use that product and found it was moldy, spoiled, or flat?
That will be what the Vikings experience over the next season in the NFL with their “expired” quarterback, Brett Favre.
Everyone knows what happens when you push that date too far and then end up wishing you hadn’t opened the carton and let all that stink out. But, like trying to put that morning-after smell back in the bottle after devouring six greasy tacos and four beers too many, you just can’t undue the olfactory damage.
A “putrid” metaphor for the Vikings and their “past expiration date” quarterback?
Maybe, but if they let this continue to fester over the rest of the NFL season, they are exposing their team and Favre’s legacy to a rot that may never be recoverable.
They will have effectively destroyed any chance for developing a future quarterback prospect. They will have allowed themselves to be the team that cares nothing about the future, just current ticket sales, and they will become the laughing stock of the league.
They have allowed the career of a once great player to circle the drain like other “well-past-their-prime” players that have streaked the bowl that also held it in just a bit too long.
I am not sure if this is an individual ego of a once-great player that has colored the view of a once-great franchise, or just a front office worried more about the almighty dollar than the integrity of their team and that of a player a year, or three, past his prime.
Whatever the reason, please Minnesota, do the honorable thing and pull the handle and kindly flush all this overripe sediment where it belongs before the stench becomes too much for all of us fans of the game and Favre to bear.
