Tuesday Quick Hits - 'The Denver Broncos are a good football team' Edition

by John Bena on Sep 29, 2009 12:33 PM MDT in Strictly My Opinion Comment 108 comments

It usually takes me a few weeks to start getting these random thoughts in my head. I go into each season with a clean slate, not allowing what has happened in the past to spoil my thinking on the future. With an entirely new organization, it seemed that was easy this year with the Broncos. Now that we have played 3 games, and won all three, I am beginning to get a feeling on how I feel about the 2009 Denver Broncos.

Let's start with the obvious. The Denver Broncos are a good football team. Go ahead, you can say it and feel good about it. That isn't a promise of the playoffs or anything like that. Just a statement of fact. The Denver Broncos are a good football team. The opponent you play, in the NFL at least, matters little when you allow 16 points in 12 quarters.

It is amazing that perception can stick with a team for so long. Let's take the Baltimore Ravens for a minute. They, like the Broncos, are 3-0. Most people expected the Ravens to be a solid group so they aren't a surprise. The Broncos, of course, are a surprise and to some, still untested. That's where perception comes in. Let's look at the teams both have played so far -

Denver's Schedule

WEEK	OPPONENT	SCORE	OPP. RECORD
1	Cincinnati	12-7	2-1
2	Cleveland	27-6	0-3
3	Oakland	23-3	1-2
	TOTAL	62-16(+46)	3-6

Baltimore's Schedule

WEEK	OPPONENT	SCORE	OPP. RECORD
1	Kansas City	38-24	0-3
2	San Diego	31-26	2-1
3	Cleveland	34-3	0-3
	TOTAL	103-53(+50)	2-7

Boy, to me it looks like those numbers, almost across the board, are pretty similar. Sure, Baltimore has scored 41 more points, but they have also allowed 37 more points. They have had to score more in order to win.

Don't get me wrong. The Ravens played in the AFC Championship Game last year. I know the Ravens are a solid football team. Public perception, however, was that Baltimore is a good team, so their opponents simply don't matter when it comes to evaluating their performance in 2009.

The perception with the Broncos was they were going to be a bad team. As such, their quality of opponent is used as a weapon AGAINST them. Funny, that perception thing, or should I say hypocrisy?

Personally, who you play matters little. These are all professionals, and strength of schedule doesn't effect who makes the playoffs and who doesn't. Win and move on.

We all know how great Ryan Clady is. He is, for my money, the best Left Tackle in football today, bar none. You can have Joe Thomas, you can have Jake Long. Clady is better. Just this weekend, after owning Richard Seymour, Clady tied an NFL Record by going 19 games to start his career without giving up a full sack (he was charged for a 1/2 sack against Seymour last season).

What might not get mentioned, or at least doesn't get talked about enough, is how Clady impacts the Broncos defense. Think about it. Every day, Elvis Dumervil goes against Clady in practice. I wonder how many sacks Elvis has against him. No matter, it is the other left tackles in the NFL Dumervil has been dominating, to the tune of 6 sacks in his past 6 quarters. One does have to wonder, however, just how much of a positive impact going against Clady everyday has helped Dumervil as a pass rusher. I think we all know the answer to that.

A lot has been made about players "buying in" to Josh McDaniels. Like other terms ("Shutdown Corner" comes to mind) that are overused and misunderstood, I don't believe that players choose to buy into a coach, a system, a scheme or anything else. Players buy into one thing - winning. 99% of these guys are professionals and will do what they are told because it is their job. All 32 teams have video on all players; how they deal with change and adversity says a lot about a player. I can tell a lot about someone's character by how they handle the bad times, not the good times.

When it comes to Josh McDaniels it is all about winning. Players that are on board with a "Team-First, Win-First" attitude will be here, and will be on the field. Players that do not will be shown the door. What gets the players excited is when the results start showing on the field. Winning equals everything players want - attention, endorsements, money, notoriety, success. That is what players buy into. That is why the veterans in the Broncos' locker room, especially ones that have experienced success at the highest level like Brian Dawkins, were excited to play for McDaniels. They recognized very early on that he understood what it takes to win and be successful, in the short term AND long term.

No matter your stance on players "buying in", it is pretty clear that the 53 men in the Denver Broncos locker room are all heading in the same direction. Despite the talent the team has had in the past, that was not always the case; I think that mentality led to many of the problems that surrounded the team this offseason. Problems solved, and that is scary for the rest of the NFL.

Josh McDaniels' press conference yesterday might have been the most impressive I have ever heard from a Broncos Coach. Two separate comments struck me, and to be honest, impressed the hell out of me.

First, McDaniels was asked how he would keep his team humble after starting 3-0...

Just show them the film. Show them the film. We have got a 50-play cut-up we are going to watch during the squad meeting, and it is not all bows and ribbons. They see it. They saw it every week that we have played so far that, ‘Boy! If we had only done these five or six things better, it could have been an even better performance, and we could have won by a bigger margin.' When players see that, you don't have to convince them that they need to improve. They know that they have got to get better. The biggest thing that you can do is take the things that we didn't do well in the film and go out there on a Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and go out there and actually emphasize it and put a period in practice where we have to do this better. Yesterday, our field-goal protection was not very good. We are going to work on field-goal protection on Wednesday Thursday and Friday this week. They will learn how important that is and they are going to see how important it is when they see it

That is exactly the answer I want to hear. Think about it. The Broncos started 3-0 last season. They proceeded to fall apart, finishing 5-8. If anyone should feel uncomfortable being 3-0, it is Denver Broncos fans. I looked back to some comments Mike Shanahan made after the Broncos beat the Saints last season to go to 3-0. Here is what Shanny said about Denver's defensive performance that day -

"I am not alarmed at all because if you get that kind of effort overall, good things are going to happen. You have to be alarmed because you gave up so many passing yards but that is something you can work on and get better at. You have drops and different zones. You get different things that different offenses do that you have to adjust to. You get different scheming and different quarterbacks that can sometimes give you different opportunities to come up with big plays. We have to get better on third downs. They were 8-14 on third downs, and they had a third down and 12 and a third down and 7 when it was 21-3 and that game was almost over. You just have to be on with your zone drops and you have to make a tackle here and there. It is something we can work on, especially with that type of effort. That was as hard as we have played in a long time.

Think about that for a second. His team had just given up 32 points, and he was not concerned because there was 'good effort'. Sure, he goes on to say that there were some things that needed to be worked on (3rd-Down Conversions), but the sense of satisfaction was there. See the difference?

The second statement, even more impressive than the first, was McDaniels' answer about teaching the defense -

That is what coaching is to me-teaching. If you are not a good communicator or a good teacher, it is hard to be a real affective coach at this level. There is too much information that you need to pass on along to your players, and we have so many different types of learners in our locker room. Some guys learn quickly from the mouth. Some guys need it on the board. Some guys need it on the board, on film, from the mouth, walkthrough and practice it twice, and then they have got it. That is just the way this game is. Every player is different, and I think that is part of being a good coach is figuring out, ‘How do I have to teach my players because they are not all the same guy?' That is a really critical component to being a good staff. If you have got a lot of good teachers and good communicators, then you are going to have players out there on the field that are well prepared. If you have good players who are well prepared, that is usually a good formula."

I get chills reading, and definitely got chills watching him say it yesterday. This man is 33 years old, mind you. He gets it. Even in the NFL, coaching is teaching; and players, in their quest to be the best, want to learn. They are sponges for information. All coaches know this, the best ones know how to read their players in order to figure out the best way to get the information into them. McDaniels knows the key is to be a good communicator. Good communicators cater their message to the audience. Forget the public persona, coaches like Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick are master communicators inside their locker rooms. They know that football is all about situations, and they constantly talk to and teach their players on how to react to those situations. That way, when they happen, the players are ready.

One last thought. We have talked at length about McDaniels' decision to bring Mike Nolan on board. It has been a huge success and shows just how confident McDaniels is to bring in a former Head Coach. Another hire, one on the offensive side, can't be ignored either. McDaniels took a lot of heat for dismissing Jeremy Bates and bringing in former Panthers QB coach Mike McCoy. Sure, McDaniels call the plays on offense, but has anyone seen how the Panthers have looked on offense this season? Anyone notice how badly Jake Delhomme has played?

The Panthers are missing McCoy, and the Broncos have him. Right now I would put this coaching staff up against any in the NFL.

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love this post guru

I was going to do one that compared Denver’s opponents’ records to the records of other top teams in the league so far this year, but you’ve done such a nice job with your Den-Balt comparison, that I figure it would be redundant.

great job & rec’d.

"The best defense is a good offense. Or is it the other way around." Wolverine
Pray for the best, prepare for the worst, and know you will come down somewhere between the two.
Livin' in La La Land and Lovin' It

by BShrout on Sep 29, 2009 12:51 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Nice, Guru...Nice.

Very good points…makes me happy. :)

There is only One Moment—this moment—the Eternal Moment of Now

by sirsam on Sep 29, 2009 12:57 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Agreed wholeheartedly...

I have thoroughly enjoyed watching McD and Nolan make adjustments during the game. I can’t remember the last time we were the guys adjusting rather than being the ones adjusted against. Shanny was brilliant in the first quarter. Then the other team adjusted and we didn’t look so hot. These Broncos look better as the game goes on. I am confident that we will not be out coached this year.

by T.Dot_Bronco on Sep 29, 2009 12:58 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Curveball

Totally agree. In fact, I’ve found myself getting more and more anxious as the games go on thinking, “At any point now, the other team is going to pull away.” I’ve been conditioned because that is how things have played out over the past how many? years. It’s actually really cool to see the Broncos being the team that is making the needed adjustments and pulling away as the game wears on. I hadn’t put my finger on it until you said it, T.Dot.

Richard Seymour is a girl.

by pubkeeper on Sep 29, 2009 1:38 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

The Broncos-Ravens comparison

the McDaniels-Shanahan comparison, and finally McDaniels’ comments on teaching — this is all great stuff, and is part of the reason I feel that this year’s 3-0 start is far more solid than last year’s. And the pundits are beginning to take notice. Two talking heads were discussing the Broncos a day or two ago and one of them asserted that Nolan not McDaniels was the primary reason for their success. And the other said, “But he hired him.” Today on Total Access the conversation involved a comparison of the Broncos and Jets. Both were described as having no weaknesses and dominant defenses, and it was pointed out that both coaches had been to the Super Bowl and “know how to win.”

"Surprised to see you, Captain, though pleased." — from Star Trek episode Space Seed.

by spock on Sep 29, 2009 1:01 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

I love that

Why wouldn’t McDaniels get credit for what Nolan/Nunnely has done? I mean he could have easily hired somebody else. To me it takes some courage for a brand new head coach to hire a former head coach as a coordinator and then even more courage to let him do his job.

by trumanj on Sep 29, 2009 3:31 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

100% agree about McCoy

I thought it was evident when McCoy was brought in that McD wanted to emphasize a dominant run game with unspectacular but efficient and mistake free QB play. That is exactly what McCoy did in Carolina, and that is exactly what they are not doing now in Carolina. McCoy is also a winner and he knows what it takes to get an unspectactular QB to the brink of a superbowl victory (see superbowl XXXVIII). McCoy is another extension of McDaniels, and I believe within 5 years he will be a head coach somewhere.

McCoy was a great pickup, Nolan was a great pick up, so was Nunnely, Mattison, Pheipher, and the entire coaching staff. Think of all of the football knowledge that has been accumulated and put together, and how exciting it must be to just listen to one of their meetings. McD may be a wiz kid on offense, but he really knows how to put together a staff. I certainly dont miss Shanny’s staffs of the past couple of years.

On To Victory!!!

by alacumba!! on Sep 29, 2009 1:07 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

And look at what Bates did to USC.

Why does Madden suck at ranking the Broncos so much?

by ChristianL on Sep 29, 2009 3:43 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Dont get e started on how he has retarded my Trojans...he is killing them!

Those that cant coach, compete!
Failing to plan is planning to fail.
All I want is 53 Rod Smiths. Is that asking too much????
"Peyton Hillis didn’t rip the sleeves off his jersey, they flew off out of fear."
Calijoefornia.

by boydy2669 on Sep 29, 2009 4:53 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I mean no disrespect

but i dislike "Retarded’ being used to call something bad or disfunctioning. I know that is the meaning of the word but I just do not like it.

HILLIS

by robbo650 on Sep 29, 2009 5:23 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Could have been

the classical/physical meaning of the term retarded – “to slow down”

It’s not PC to avoid that word in personal connotation – and you are right to be wary.

"Life is a daring adventure or nothing" - Helen Keller
"He will always be a slave who does not know how to live upon a little" Horace

by PositivIntegral on Sep 29, 2009 5:26 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

It was meant that way...retarded as to stunt....was used as a verb, not an adverb...

Thanks Robbo…no disrespect intended.

by boydy2669 on Sep 29, 2009 7:51 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

AND!!

McD knows how to put together a staff AND how to communicate to the great staff he put together! And not doubt, gets respect from that great staff he put together.

by Bronkfan on Sep 29, 2009 7:48 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Broncos-Ravens

I completly agree with that. It seems to me a bit like what is going on with the Vikings as well. We have “only” played (and beat) Cinci, Cleveland, and Oak and still have something to prove. Yet the Vikings have beaten Detroit, Cleveland, and San Fran, yet they are touted as a great team. Maybe it’s just the whole Farve thing…

I became inasne, with long intervals of horrible sanity- Edgar Allen Poe

by Jack Skellington on Sep 29, 2009 1:07 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Vikes

They were preseason darlings. Favre is just the icing to many, it’s more about their kicka$$ defense, in particular the D line. They’re a solid team too, not overrated.

Richard Seymour is a girl.

by pubkeeper on Sep 29, 2009 1:40 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not saying they’re overrated by any means, they’re doing great (just like us). I’m just saying that, like the Ravens as Guru said, the perception is that they’re great and we are a question still, despite the fact that we have both played 2 teams that are about equal and the Browns.

I became inasne, with long intervals of horrible sanity- Edgar Allen Poe

by Jack Skellington on Sep 29, 2009 1:56 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ah

Got it. I actually agree with that.

Richard Seymour is a girl.

by pubkeeper on Sep 29, 2009 4:39 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Snorted coffee out me nose

“Richard Seymour is a girl.”

Love it.

"Life is a daring adventure or nothing" - Helen Keller
"He will always be a slave who does not know how to live upon a little" Horace

by PositivIntegral on Sep 29, 2009 5:35 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Cinci

I wonder how perceptions would be different if the games were in a different order. I think that if we beat Cinci in the third game, after they had beaten the Packers and Steelers, that people might start liking us more. In that scenario, we’d have beaten what was proving to be a good team, while in the current scenario, the Bengals are bad because they lost to the Broncos, so the Broncos aren’t all that good for barely beating them.

by BTS on Sep 29, 2009 7:05 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

What bothers me is that

They keep saying the Broncos were lucky to win that game. If we would have lost, it would have been because of the mistakes on the drive in the 4th quarter. Two penalties and Orton Sacked. Nothing is said about the Broncos holding Cinci to just 7 points, then Cinic going out and putting points on two of the best defenses in the league and winning.

by Bronkfan on Sep 29, 2009 7:59 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

this post

is brilliant, as I’ve come to expect in my short time monitoring this site. I don’t post often, but I read most of it, and especially if Mr. Bena or Mr. Bartlett wrote it.
I especially enjoyed the Broncos/ravens comparison, as I have been saying this for years. Perception is everything, and the ‘expert’ perception of Denver coming into 2009 was a team in turmoil, so a 3-0 Broncos team is a shock and must be categorized by the ‘experts’ as ‘they beat weak opponents’. Otherwise, if that ‘perception’ was not floated by the ‘experts’, the ‘experts’ might be revealed as not so ‘expert’ after all. Is a similar word said about teams like baltimore? No, because the perception was they were a ‘solid’ team, so 3-0 is no surprise, and therefore no reason for any ‘expert’ to qualify their start.

by AZDenverFan on Sep 29, 2009 1:11 PM MDT reply actions 1 recs

+1 sir. Brilliantly stated

I became inasne, with long intervals of horrible sanity- Edgar Allen Poe

by Jack Skellington on Sep 29, 2009 1:14 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Amen, both are superior contributors,

but I think they’d be the first to say don’t forget HoosierTeacher, broncobear, nycbroncosfan, lebowskibronco… I apologize in advance to those I’m forgetting? Help me out guys.

This site is blessed with a plethora of talent, all working together like a, er, team.

If this be Hell, let us make the most of it!

by Trinidad Jack on Sep 29, 2009 1:20 PM MDT up reply actions 1 recs

good point

this site is blessed with great contributors, and I get a lot also from reading the comments. i would have to say, therefore, that the contribution talent is not at all limited to those who write the articles, but spills over into those who read and comment on them. I remember nodding in agreement at a few of your own comments.
It has occurred to me that MHR is more than just an excellent Broncos fan site, it is an excellent football fan site, and an excellent football site. there are too few of those.

by AZDenverFan on Sep 29, 2009 1:26 PM MDT up reply actions 1 recs

amen to all above.

Great Post, Guru. Rec’d, of course.

by idahobronc on Sep 29, 2009 1:32 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well said and thankyou.

If this be Hell, let us make the most of it!

by Trinidad Jack on Sep 29, 2009 1:59 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

You hit some good ones there Jack!

by boydy2669 on Sep 29, 2009 4:54 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

How could I forget you, Boydy.

I’ve got to agree with AZDenverfan above. There’s a lot of talent here.

If this be Hell, let us make the most of it!

by Trinidad Jack on Sep 29, 2009 5:24 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks TJ!

by boydy2669 on Sep 29, 2009 7:52 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Every man on the staff will tell you the same thing

MHR is what it is because of the talent, knowledge and participation of our members. Period. End of story.

Hillis/Moreno in '09

by Emmett Smith on Sep 29, 2009 8:49 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't want to rag on Shanny but

(I love what Shanahan did for Denver and think he was terrific most of the time but I got frustrated with the way his defenses fell apart the last two seasons) and the quote you posted above includes a perfect example of this, of the differences between the teams of the last two years.

“you have to make a tackle here and there”

Their problem was that they ONLY made tackles here and there instead of all the time like you’re supposed to do. McD and Nolan and the GM brought in guys on defense this year who were known to be great tacklers. And gosh! Look at that, their defense is better.

The commenter formerly known as "Dashiell".

by underdog on Sep 29, 2009 1:13 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

And if that doesn't make a light go on...

… your filament must be broken.

If this be Hell, let us make the most of it!

by Trinidad Jack on Sep 29, 2009 1:23 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

About last year

What bothered me was having what supposedly was a great quarterback, great receivers, great offensive line, running backs that averaged almost 5 yards a carry and still we could only manage about 20 point a games. I keep thinking, what more can they do to get more points. Getting rid of Cutler was not what came to mind.

by Bronkfan on Sep 29, 2009 8:04 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Don't laugh...

but McD has a Marty flavor to him in that he stresses the fundementals of football and gets the teaching aspect. I remember when Marty was in DC (lived there at the time) and the fans were grilling him because he was trying to teach Darrell Green something about coverage (I don’t recall exactly what it was)… The point is, that the fans thought “how dare he try and teach Green something! Green is a future HOF’er and doesn’t need coaching!” I think coaches who forget to teach (even the greats) are on a slippery slope to being out of a job. The devil is in the details and McD gets that (just like his mentor)! Our team may not go far this year, but I feel confident that we will improve each week and will be developing a culture that will enjoy success for years to come!

Great post, guru!

"Never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by stupidity."

Unknown, Hanlon's Razor

by bcfunk on Sep 29, 2009 1:24 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

not a teacher

Norv’s greatest fault? THe reason San Diego tanks regulalrly, despite their talent?

Precision in thought, concision in style, decision in life.

by Jeremy Bolander on Sep 29, 2009 1:36 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Communication?!

My sense with Norv is that he has a little teacher in him, but not a lot of communicator in him. You watch him on the sidelines and you never feel like there is actual communication going on, just chiding or something. He will call a guy over, talk to him, but you never see the “ah ha” moment on the sideline when talking to the coach. Or at least I haven’t.

McD stated it so well – a powerful communicator uses all of the tools at his disposal to teach. Some people learn visually; some aurally; some through repetition. In making it clear that acknowledging and accommodating those differences is his modus operandi he uncovers the truth about this staff. They are knowledgeable educators, and skilled communicators – a must given the complexities of McD’s super modern scheming – which is an attitude that starts at the top. Bringing in players with this latent attitude (Weapoin X, Andra, Gaffney have all been mentioned as helping their peers a lot) only emphasizes the point.

A lesson for all of us, in all of our work, right there. Go Broncos!

by jonahsilas on Sep 29, 2009 1:50 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

You are absolutely right John,

McDaniel’s was born for this.
I believe in the last eight years ( In his spare time ha ha ) He
not only evaluated players he liked, but also coaches.
Knowing his time would eventually to become a head coach.
When Mr. Bowlen saw his presentation ( The McDaniel Files )
Well the rest is History.

Real Power, comes with the realization that One cannot change the Moment;
only ones perception of it: Atitude! JQM

by UB3 on Sep 29, 2009 1:25 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

like his 'short list' of players to be considered worth of drafting

I’ll bet he’s got a list of players and coaches that fit his system that may become available so that he is ready to act at any time.

"My job description is to win football games. I'm a hard worker. I'm not flashy by any means, but my job is to play football and win and I plan to do that." Kyle Orton

by odarol on Sep 29, 2009 4:40 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thats right, Its what I refer to as "The McDaniel Files",

Mr. Bowlen saw his plan, and knew he wanted Josh as
his new Head Coach…
Atleast thats the way I see it…

Real Power, comes with the realization that One cannot change the Moment;
only ones perception of it: Atitude! JQM

by UB3 on Sep 29, 2009 4:58 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

the koolaid never tasted sweeter....than it does in 2009.

It tasted sweet last year too…then we went to KC in Week 4. Let’s see how we do at home against the Cowgirls….

Verbose in style, dispersion of thought, procrastination in life.

by Tim Lynch on Sep 29, 2009 1:28 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Exactly

We all have reason to be optimistic, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Richard Seymour is a girl.

by pubkeeper on Sep 29, 2009 1:42 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

To be honest, week 1 last week had me worried

I remember Russell missing a number of wide open receivers and thinking that the Broncos d wasn’t as good as the final score indicated.

This year we look better — particularly against the run — but we need to shore up that area in the middle of the field where a good tight end and a good QB together could potentially feast on us.

This Sunday with Romo, Witten, and the way Dallas tries to keep lines off-balance with draws and delays, should be an excellent test — in preparation for having to face Manning and Clark later in the season. (Rivers has Gates, but Gates is more of a down the field type).

by JeffG on Sep 29, 2009 2:28 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

week one last YEAR, that should read

by JeffG on Sep 29, 2009 2:29 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think that we are going to see something

we are going to see something different this week. I have gotten the feeling that McD knew that with the way our schedule went that he would keep it somewhat vanilla in preparation for the tougher part of the schedule. Just my opinion of course. I just think he has been saving some stuff for this part of the season. If our D plays with the same scheme we have been using and we hold Dallas in check we won’t need to expand it. If the D struggles then we adjust and we see it expand. The less our future opponents know about us the better chance of beating them.

Like I said just my opinion

by papasteven on Sep 29, 2009 3:13 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wouldn't surprise me

I posted somewhere else that the bubble screen disappeared for a week. Plus, McD has stated specifically he’ll do whatever it takes to win, even if it means not sticking with their “identity”.

Richard Seymour is a girl.

by pubkeeper on Sep 29, 2009 4:41 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

D-Line coach

Don’t forget our D-Line coach that we got from the Dolts. He’s not bad hire either!

calBronco1

by calbronco1 on Sep 29, 2009 1:48 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

sipping the kool-aid slowly, but...

Personally, who you play matters little. These are all professionals, and strength of schedule doesn’t effect who makes the playoffs and who doesn’t. Win and move on.

I think I understand what you’re saying (that W-L are what matters in the end) but, we absolutely shouldn’t discount strength of schedule. We also shouldn’t discount the biases inherent in small sample sizes.

Lets say Denver is the 16th best team in the NFL. We just played the 14th best (Cincy), and 2 high 20s/30s teams.

From a W-L probability standpoint, the game w/cincy is about 50-50… and it played out that way. For the other 2 games, it was 75-25 and we won “the games we should.”

However, if over the next 8 weeks we play all teams that are in the top 12, we’d expect to lose more of those games than we win.

Compare this to a team (say for example SD) that is the 17th best team, but plays all teams that are 10-25… they would likely get more wins, even though they are technically a worse team. if we split our head-to-head games (16 vs. 17 is basically 50-50), they go to the playoffs and we stay home, even though we are the better team…

My point: Strength of schedule plays a much bigger effect on who goes to the playoffs than folks like to acknowledge.

As far as perception of Balt vs. perception of Denver, let me just say that 3 games is a pretty small sample…. The reason folks think Balt is actually a pretty good team is because they have maintained that level of performance for ~20+ games…. meaning we are much more sure that their 3-0 start is representative of their actual performance level than we are about Denver’s 3-0 given how much Denver’s DEF stunk last year (minus a HOF coach and ProBowl QB).

You’re right that that all teams are professionals… what this means is that even the worst team in the NFL probably has a 20% chance of winning any game… and even at that low percentage, probability means it wouldn’t be unheard of for a really bad team to string together 3 good games, especially if they were playing 2 other really bad teams.

Basically, I like a lot of what i’ve seen this season… but I haven’t seen anything yet to convince me yet that Denver is much better than my guess that they are a 7-9 or 8-8ish team this year (as much as I hope them to be great)…. give it a few more games of winning and consistent performance – a bigger sample size – and I’ll jump on the badwagon with everyone else.

by cjfarls on Sep 29, 2009 1:54 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

oops sorry about the quote formatting gaff...

by cjfarls on Sep 29, 2009 1:59 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Stats mean little and this team can play with the best of them IMO.

More so than last year when our defensive play calls were suspect and our offense stuttered in the RedZone much like this season so far. I believe there will be adjustments to the latter and we should get better offensive play as the season wears on.

by bfree2bronc on Sep 29, 2009 3:40 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Nice deep statistics

I can tell you’ve studied stats; you almost don’t need numbers when discussing probability;

However, here’s a tall cold one to enlarging our sample size and recuding the variance;

IMHO these Broncos will iterate well, and I think the median is in the 3-7 range; any of the top 6 teams each year can be the world champion, depending on the playoff schedule and the breaks. It’s not impossible.

Of course, I’m in the Defence~(2.0*Offence) camp so the significance of our early stinginess is magnified qualitatively.

"Life is a daring adventure or nothing" - Helen Keller
"He will always be a slave who does not know how to live upon a little" Horace

by PositivIntegral on Sep 29, 2009 5:44 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

wait a minute....

“the Broncos are a good football team”….does not fit the old media’s template. Is it a wonder that the fans come to this site?

fader nation is a conquered nation

Jerry Jones is Al Davis with a smile!

by mdierk on Sep 29, 2009 1:58 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Leadership is 20% supervision and 80% accomodation

A former supervisor told me this, and it really opened my eyes as to what makes a sucessful leader. It seems that McD gets it also. The point is that most employees, whether we’re talking about professional athletes or each and every one of us in our professional lives, want to be sucessful. Sure, there’s some deadbeats out there, but if you’ve hired the right people, you don’t need to ride them on the details, what you need to do is communicate with them and understand what accomodations they need to be sucessful, what roadblocks they need you to clear for them. To me, that’s what McD means when he talks about teaching to players with different learning styles – he’s willing to accomodate those means so that the players learn what they need in order to be sucessful on Sunday. After that, it’s up to them to apply it. So far, they all seem willing to listen and apply what he’s teaching them.

Belief is accepting something because you’ve been convinced to do so, whether you like it or not. Faith is accepting something because you want to accept it.

by Hercules Rockefeller on Sep 29, 2009 2:15 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

I agree with your sentiment

I also like the Peter Drucker definition if I can paraphrase. Managers get other to do the things they want done. Leadership is getting others to “want” to do the things that you are convinced must be done.

I believe our young coach is getting these guys, including BMarsh, to want to do the things that McD is convinced must be done.

by candide on Sep 29, 2009 3:31 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good point

I see him doing this with Marshall. He got tough with him and now he’s setting him up for success.

Richard Seymour is a girl.

by pubkeeper on Sep 29, 2009 4:43 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

psmyth12 on twitter

Records of opponents of undefeated NFL teams. Interesting.

1. N.O. (4-5), 2. Denver (3-6), NYJ (3-6), NYG (3-6), Min. (3-6), 6. Bal. (2-7), Ind. (2-7)

by phondonkey on Sep 29, 2009 2:28 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Heh

Of the undefeated teams, Denver is tied for 2nd most difficult schedule, based on their opponents’ win-loss record.

Which is a great stat to throw around, but I want to how we do against a mobile QB on a team with a decent running game. This Sunday should tell us much — and prepare us to handle an offense like Pittsburgh’s, which lacks the decent running game part.

by JeffG on Sep 29, 2009 2:34 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

And we play half of those teams this year.

"You give 100 percent in the first half of the game, and if that isn't enough, in the second half you give what's left." – Yogi Berra
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; We grow old because we stop playing." -- George Bernard Shaw
Breaking jaws or the NFL in Oakland who cares? Fall on your pirate’s sword - Ponderosa

by KaptainKirk on Sep 29, 2009 4:33 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sorry if this was mentioned earlier but Tyler Thigpen was traded

from the Chiefs today, to those Dolphins (who clearly needed some more QB depth).

ESPN story

The commenter formerly known as "Dashiell".

by underdog on Sep 29, 2009 2:48 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Rich Gannon and Adam Schein

I usually listen to the NFL channel on Sirius driving into work each morning, specifically the Rich Gannon and Adam Schein show. This morning, they were discussing the Broncos, and Gannon talked at length about what a good football team he is seeing in the Broncos. He discussed our vastly improved defense, our running game, how well Orton has been playing, and commented on the great job that McDaniels has done. Adam Schein, who just a couple of weeks ago was still holding onto his 3-13 prediction for our team, chimed in that he was eating crow over that, and was equally impressed, although he still wants to see how we do against Dallas and the better teams that we face the next few weeks.

I also want to comment about the prevailing attitude among the Orton haters, who keep bringing up his “horrible completion percentage” as evidence that he is not a decent QB. Orton’s completion percentage is low because he tends to throw the ball away rather than take sacks or force the ball into coverage, leading to picks. He was even getting booed at the home game for doing this, perhaps giving us some insight into the intelligence level of some of our fans. Personally, I can live with his completion percentage being low as long as he continues to protect the ball like he has. 88 attempts without an INT is quite good. Does anyone know what the team record is?

by ITPro on Sep 29, 2009 3:08 PM MDT reply actions 2 recs

Not sure, but I believe Orton holds the Beara franchise record for most passes without an INT

by lolcopter on Sep 29, 2009 3:11 PM MDT via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

229 by Jake the Snake in 2005

"Luck is the residue of design" -- Branch Rickey

by db8632 on Sep 29, 2009 3:27 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Dang! That’s a lot of passes!

by lolcopter on Sep 29, 2009 3:30 PM MDT via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

Bears Franchise Record is what he said.

Why does Madden suck at ranking the Broncos so much?

by ChristianL on Sep 29, 2009 3:50 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah I think he was replying to the poster above me

by lolcopter on Sep 29, 2009 4:05 PM MDT via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

Holy Hand Grenades!

And he got benched for his troubles. Poor Jake.

"Take what you can. Give nothing back!"

by Colorado_Kitten on Sep 30, 2009 11:43 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Don't forget the glove

I think his percentage improves once the glove comes off. The finger is healing and we are seeing better passes from him. The glove has to be a part of the lower completion percentage.

by papasteven on Sep 29, 2009 3:20 PM MDT up reply actions 1 recs

great point

Blues. Cardinals. Broncos. Rockies (when not playing St. Louis!).
Univ. of Denver Hockey. Also Outlaws (MLL) and Mammoth (NLL).

by HockeyHippie on Sep 29, 2009 3:31 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I completely agree about Orton.

It was ridiculous to be sitting in the stands at that game and hear boo’s. I’ll take a low completion % over dicey throws and int’s any day.

by JALefor on Sep 29, 2009 3:30 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

John I was working the bar here last night and in the 3rd qtr I mentioned the same thing you did.

To everyone sitting their watching the game I mentioned the fact that we have Mike McCoy as our OC and last year he was Jake’s coach. They looked at me with amazement as if to say your kidding. I said nope and the rest of our coaching staff has come from proven places. Outstanding post.

by bfree2bronc on Sep 29, 2009 3:16 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Great job John

Highly rec’d of course

by papasteven on Sep 29, 2009 3:21 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

GURU

That is everything I heard you announce on Denver Sports Radio last night……WHICH WAS GREAT.

you are like a rock star now? you getting an agent?

I still can’t believe you are bragging about Nolan though……..I mean Slowik put up some pretty impressive numbers (….well impressive if he was the OFFENSIVE coordinator)

I would hope you would support who we are. Not, who we are not. Coach Norman Dale "Hoosiers"

by dmitchell624 on Sep 29, 2009 3:32 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

An excellent example of your point here:

Football Outsiders, who should seriously know better, just posted this with their week 3 DVOA ratings:

Denver, which FO projected to be the worst team in the league, is a surprising third in DVOA so far this season. While there’s no doubt that Denver has played much better than expected, their performance is also the product of a pretty easy early schedule. Once the opponent adjustments kick in, starting next week, their rating is probably going to drop a bit. We’ll see how real they are after they take on Dallas, New England, and San Diego in the next three weeks. We’re especially going to see how real that number-one defensive rating is for a team that had a historically poor defense in 2008.

This is a clear example of perception biasing the interpretation of objective data. Wait, isn’t that the definition of sportswriting?

"Luck is the residue of design" -- Branch Rickey

by db8632 on Sep 29, 2009 3:40 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Seriously?

Worst team in the league? Wow, FO just lost ALL credibility with me.

Richard Seymour is a girl.

by pubkeeper on Sep 29, 2009 4:46 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

FO

They’ve been anti-denver, editorially speaking, for the entire time I’ve been reading them. Dismissive. It’s because they started out being an all-northeastern group.

Their stats are pretty cool but I still can’t help suspecting sometimes that it’s like a quadratic equation that has multiple right answers. I can’t fathom why Philadelphia always ends up being so highly rated in their system.

by tunesmith on Sep 29, 2009 4:53 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

They assumed that massive turnover in players, coaches and systems would not lead to a hot start.

As far as they are concerned, for us to do so well is an anomaly that needs another explanation, so they fall into the “haven’t played anyone yet” trap, instead of “Xanders, McDaniels and Nolan are pretty darn good”. As JB pointed out in the main article, they dont take the same approach to Baltimore, despite the fact that statistically and in terms of schedule the two teams are similar.

"Luck is the residue of design" -- Branch Rickey

by db8632 on Sep 30, 2009 9:02 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

sample size folks!

Statistically similar for 3 games… for the past 20 games, Baltimore is FAR SUPERIOR.

Its not that difficult a concept people!

by cjfarls on Sep 30, 2009 9:24 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hard to believe they thought we'd be the worst

But their other argument is pretty valid. They’re rude about it but we will be tested in the next 3 weeks. And we will see how good we really are.

by trumanj on Sep 29, 2009 5:11 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

The same should be said about Baltimore, as JB pointed out.

"Luck is the residue of design" -- Branch Rickey

by db8632 on Sep 30, 2009 9:05 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

To be fair to FO...

… they rely on their statistical projections… and Denver did a lot of things the past 2 years that would lead to a bad projection.

1) They were horrible last year on DEF…. the 2nd worst in the history of their advanced stats. While year-to-year performance isn’t completely consistent, things typically don’t change that much.

2) They got rid of their HOF coach and Pro-Bowl QB… typically, those are not good indicators of future success.

3) They changed their coordinators… another indicator that typically results in worse performance the following year, as it typically takes players a year or 2 to learn new schemes.

4) They had huge turnover in players… another indicator that typically results in poor future performance

5) There was a perception nationally of a divided locker-room/franchise turmoil. Once again, if you’re creating a statistical projection, this is often an indicator of poor future performance.

6) Denver has an absolutely killer schedule this year

HOWEVER

What a statistical model CAN NOT know or model is:
1) that they got rid of 8 out of 11 players on that really bad defense… so past performance is not a very good indicator

2) that they got rid of Bob Slowik, who everyone in Green Bay and Denver who watched his schemes agrees is/was horrible

3) that many of the new players brought in were explicitly because they knew the new scheme or were better fits for the scheme being implemented (so in effect, many of the typically negative indicators actually cancelled eachother out).

4) That much of the offseason hub-bub was really only one player (who is no longer with the team), and one WR that most of the team didn’t take that seriously anyway.

5) That KC and OAK truly are completely disfunctional/talentless, even though they have indicators of why they might be good (stability at QB or high-performing new QB), etc.

Given the things that can be modelled and the things that can’t, it doesn’t surprise me in the least that Denver had a horrible projection for this year. If you took the model and applied it to any team in the NFL, then added the 6 things that can be modelled… they’d get a horrible projection too… its has nothing to due with “bias against Denver”, etc.

If you live on the east coast and don’t watch the AFC-W much (so you don’t see/understand the 4 mitigating factors that can’t be modeled), I can absolutely understand why Denver would have a horrible projection.

In fact, if FO had given Denver a good statistical projection this year, I’d say their model was severely broken.

Now, when I combine FO’s stats with my scouting of Denver, I come up with the following:
1) Denver gets 4 games against 2 of the worst teams in the league – if you model Denver as a really bad team too, this may mean only 1 or 2 wins… however, given the NON-MODEL factors I’ve mentioned, that likely really means 3 or 4 wins.

2) Denver’s DEF is basically completely unmodelable… there was simply such complete replacement, that we have no idea how good they’ll be this year. So far, they look really good… but we have a small sample size and poor competition to judge against so I’m with-holding judgement for now.

3) Our schedule is really tough from here on out… if you read the FO article quoted above, we have the 4th hardest schedule in the NFL if you only look at this years performance so far. If you include last years performance/modeling in the projection, we have the HARDEST schedule in the NFL. It is far too early to be thinking 13-3, etc. I’ll put money on the table right now… we will not win 13 games this year.

4) That said, San Diego took a huge hit to their DEF when J.Williams went down… and KC and OAK are horrible. We easily could slip in as division champs at 8-8, 9-7 or 10-6.

Basically, we shouldn’t be such complete homers that we ignore valid criticism.

And as mentioned earlier, Baltimore is a completely different case… they have 20+ games of high performance built into their model… we have 3 games, 2 of which were against subpar competition. When/If we prove our level of performance over a bigger sample, then we can justifiably say we should be evaluated “as good” as Baltimore is looking.

by cjfarls on Sep 30, 2009 9:16 AM MDT up reply actions 2 recs

I can see predicting us to be bad

But worst in the league is just baffling to me.

by trumanj on Sep 30, 2009 12:41 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Just remember… its nothing personal against you or Denver. The numbers are the numbers.

Yes there is some subjectivity in how much to weigh each factor (loss of QB, etc.), and if you change that modifier the projections might be different… but in general FO tests those modifiers to get a value that gives the best projection “on average” over time… just because it may not reflect reality in any particular case (in this case Denver), doesn’t mean the model isn’t useful.

I look at modeled data a lot for my job, but there is one saying I always keep in mind:
“All models are wrong… but some are useful.”

FO’s track record of predicting success (GB 2 years ago, Balt last year, Cowboys collapse last year, etc.) puts me firmly in the camp of thinking their model is definitely useful, even if in the case of the 2009 Broncos I happen to think their model is wrong.

by cjfarls on Sep 30, 2009 12:52 PM MDT up reply actions 1 recs

That was awesome John!

I love McDaniels, I love how he is just a winner

"Really, I'm a high-motor guy. Tough, hard-nosed, a hard runner, can make you miss at times. And just competitive. I love to play the game and I bring that energy to my team. So, we'll see how that goes." - Knowshon Moreno

Knowshon Moreno=ROY

by stedtfeld on Sep 29, 2009 3:41 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Thanks, Guru!

Your posts are always good, but you hit this one out of the park! It’s good to see the new MHR commenters… and some of the haters are conspicuously absent… winning and hard play seems to do that, doesn’t it? You’re a Mile High treasure, John. Thanks for providing a refuge for the “thinking fan”!

… and rec’d!

" Life is what happens while you're making other plans "

by hairybear on Sep 29, 2009 3:44 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Not eating crow, at least publicly.

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/5981/power-rankings-how-the-voters-voted-22

Clayton raised the broncos 13 spots in his power rankings to 11 this week. He was not available for comment. (not sure why he would be available to me for comment, but oh well)

by SkinnyPB on Sep 29, 2009 3:52 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Michael Silver gives us no love

If you notice in the ESPN polls the two bloggers have us 16 and 17. Michael Silver at Yahoo has us at 17, too. What is significant about this is that he has us behind EVERY team with a winning record (same with Kuharsky).

by ocbroncomaniac on Sep 29, 2009 4:10 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Goes along with this post.

People can’t forget what their preconceived notions were. Let’s be honest. The “analysts” we are talking about don’t watch every game. They see the same highlights that are shown on sportscenter. Cincinnati’s fluke loss, never mind the fact that if Orton throws the ball away, we likely win 9-0 or 9-7 with no dramatics. Or, that there wasn’t 11 seconds left, there were about 25 seconds left, and if the Cincinnati defender doesn’t make a great play to tip that ball up, it’s likely caught at the 40 with 20 seconds left and a timeout remaining. When watching the games, you can tell that this year’s 3-0 is not remotely similar to last year’s 3-0. I am legitimately excited to see what this team can do against Dallas, even if we don’t win.

by SkinnyPB on Sep 29, 2009 4:22 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good point Skinny

That’s particularly interesting because TedB here on MHR does. I always enjoy his Tuesday column, ST&NO, because he has the sense to trust his eyes, rather than reports.

Since I started visiting and joined MHR, I also learned a lot about breaking down film and have begun to watch and record all of the games we play and the games of each of our opponents. Styg50 has written a series of article that have been a huge help and they are in the archives if you are interested. Go Broncos!

Hillis/Moreno in '09

by Emmett Smith on Sep 29, 2009 4:47 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Very nice post John!

So far anyway, I’m impressed with the teams “closing it out”. Paticularly in the Cleveland game, the team kept the foot on the neck. It’ll be interesting to see how they handle the proverbial “we really need a score here” or “we really need a stop here”. Once again, very nice article.
Go Broncs!

It's "just" football

by Donkhead on Sep 29, 2009 4:00 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

I was excited too when I saw those quotes the other day

nice dig on the Shanny quote John.

by KaptainKirk on Sep 29, 2009 4:36 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Does anyone know?

Are the Broncos wearing their alternate orange jerseys for this game?

Richard Seymour is a girl.

by pubkeeper on Sep 29, 2009 4:49 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Yes...

-TSG

SBNation's Denver Broncos Blogger
MileHighReport

Questions, Comments...E-Mail Me!
milehighreport@gmail.com
or
Call Me! (303)731-5605

Follow MHR on Twitter!
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by John Bena on Sep 29, 2009 5:58 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Kewl!

Thanks, Guru. You rock, dude.

Richard Seymour is a girl.

by pubkeeper on Sep 29, 2009 9:38 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Guru,

You really need to write more stuff on the front page. This “from the heart” piece you’ve written is inspiring, and something I really got a lot out of.

I wrote in a comment recently that this last press conf. of McDaniels was the best I’ve ever heard from a coach. To hear you basicaly say the same thing drives the point home for me. We have a coach, and not just any coach, but the coach this team needs. We are a better ball club, a team that is moving in the right direction, and I feel confident about our chances moving forward. like you, I’m not ready to raise the “playoffs” flag yet, but this team is doing all of the right things to build up, and to move up.

This team will be a contender for many years to come, and I feel very confident in that. This coach knows what he’s talking about. I like his attitude, his education orientation, and his attention to the little things (which aren’t little at all). This coach believes in winning, improvement, and effort. This team will be a winning team as long as he is here.

I don’t know if players “buy in” or not. But I certainly have. All in.

Great story G, and rec’d.

"Greater is an army of sheep led by a lion, than an army of lions led by a sheep" Defoe

by Steve Nichols on Sep 29, 2009 4:53 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

I'm with you, HT!

I thought about this a little while ago…how losing Cutler is worth it even even without those traded picks if it means we have a competative, cohesive TEAM under McDaniels and his superb selection of coaches for the next decade! A very talent-filled team in the NFL will usually stall out every year if they don’t have a good coach. Look at San Diego.

The more I hear from McDaniels, the more I see of the product he has put on the field in an unbelievably short amount of time, the more I hear the enthusiasm from the players and respect from the coaches…the more I am absolutely sold on McDaniels. And I was excited from the beginning! :-)

"Take what you can. Give nothing back!"

by Colorado_Kitten on Sep 30, 2009 12:35 PM MDT up reply actions 1 recs

Gazing at the standings the other day

The two biggest shockers to me:

The Broncos have only given up 16 points.
The Ravens have scored 103.

Imagine either of these happening several years ago.

Where will you be on October 1st, 2009 at 6:45 PM Mountain Time?

by Bob in Boulder on Sep 29, 2009 5:09 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Sweet post John..

I love the comparison right off the bat…no respect…but then no one in the MSM takes the time to read everything Broncos that the MHR fans religiously read. That being said, how could they know how special this coaching staff is and how well this team is truly improving every week?

We will continue to be tested each and every week, but thats just the nature of the NFL. I don’t think that there are any bad players in the NFL but I do think that there is some bad coaching and that is really the point. We are fortunate to not be one of those teams this year!

I’m really getting excited about the fact that OUR HC is wise beyond his years.

It is better to keep silent, and appear to be wise, then to ramble on and remove all doubt! The Wisest Man, Solomon.

by metalman5050 on Sep 29, 2009 5:56 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

You've had a lot of fine posts Guru

This is one of your best.

Guardian of the Gate to La La Land!
Gonsoulin, Taylor, Little, Wright, Gradishar, Atwater, Davis, and Sharpe...
Why are they not in the Hall...I just don't understand.

by Mike Clark on Sep 29, 2009 6:08 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Good comparison with the Ravens

But, I’d rather be comparing the Broncs to the 2000 Ravens … :-)

D + efficient O = Super Bowl.

Don’t know if the current D matches up to that Ravens D, but Orton is a lot better than Dilfer.

by BuckarooBanzai on Sep 29, 2009 6:28 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

bad formatting

That should be “#1 D + efficient O”

by BuckarooBanzai on Sep 29, 2009 6:29 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Love It.

These pieces are great reads Guru; thanks for sharing!

"A player who conjugates a verb in the first person singular cannot be part of the squad, he has to conjugate the verb in the first person plural. We. We want to conquer. We are going to conquer. Using the word 'I' when you're in a group makes things complicated." ~ Wanderley Luxemburgo, 1999

by ejruiz on Sep 29, 2009 6:45 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

+++++A+++++

this is the most awe inspiring post I have read here since I found you guys 2 years ago. You drove it home and parked it in the garage (with a 180 e-brake powerslide) with the quote comparisons. You da man Guru…this is journalism.

by stuckinsandiego on Sep 29, 2009 8:14 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

OK Guru, check this out

Sorry if this has already been brought up.

ESPN –
Bengals #11 – They haven’t been this impressive since winning the division in 2005.

On the other hand

Broncos #13 – A great start against lightweights will now be measured against a much tougher five-pack.

LIGHTWEIGHTS???!!! What about holding the Bengals scoreless until the last minute of the game!!!

I don’t have a problem with the rankings, but I have do have a problem with the comments.

by Bronkfan on Sep 29, 2009 10:11 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Thanks John

really good stuff as usual

by bchiper on Sep 29, 2009 11:02 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Madden will give our staff a rating of at least 90

of course, we know it should be higher than that. more good to come, I’m sure.

by RockyMountainHigh on Sep 30, 2009 12:19 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

PLAYOFF BOUND...and here is why:

Historically, about three-quarters of 3-0 teams make the playoffs. Last season, five teams won their first three games and only two, the Titans and Giants, made it. The differance with our Broncos like many now know…our CRUSHING defense.

The 16 points allowed through three games by the 2009 Broncos are tied for the third-lowest scoring total since the 1966, the first year of the Super Bowl. The two other teams, the 2001 Packers and 2004 Seahawks, went on to win their division. IF they win there next two games, then I’ll give them a chance to play in the Super Bowl.

by PURSnLAKERhater on Sep 30, 2009 4:08 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Received and enjoyed

Thanks for another wonderful article. Personally, I hope Denver gets no national respect … until the MSM is falling all over themselves wondering how the Broncos won the Super Bowl. I’m not saying that’ll happen this year, but I am saying that McD and Co seem to be on the right track. Living, as I do, in mid-Missouri, I got to see a lot of Dick Vermeil when he was with the Rams and Chiefs; and the coach, when he was at the top of his game, always gave the credit to his staff, saying that he “just hired good people and let them do their jobs.” I agree that McDaniels appears to be a great teacher and motivator, but his most shining attribute may be his humility. Thanks again.

by 42n81 on Sep 30, 2009 6:35 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs