FanPost

Reversing Trends

My sister Sue and me were doing stunts with electric trains.

She said she's do the dishes, so I handed her the reins.

She engineered a collision steered by a hand-eye protege.

Before my train set started burning, I heard my sister say,

"Look straight at the coming disaster, and realize what you've lost.

You keep handing out horseshoes.

Horseshoes have gotta be tossed."

from "Horseshoes" by Moxy Fruvous

This year's edition of the Denver Broncos is an enigma to me. They have great strengths, and glaring weaknesses, and each rears its head at different times. In one game, they can't stop the run. In another, they stonewall the run, but can't convert a 3rd down to save their lives. In another, 3rd down conversion is amazing, but they can't get it done in the red zone. Every time I focus on a weakness, it seems to improve at the expense of something that wasn't a problem before. I feel like I'm patching up a junker car, or like I've just bought a money-pit. Perhaps the most apt analogy is this: I feel like I'm trying to stack hamsters.

Who knows what the problems will be today versus the Jets. Perhaps today is the day the Broncos gel and execute complementary football. I hope so. But there has been one weakness I have seen continually over the 5 games the Broncos have played, and this trend is dangerous. I hope to see it improved today.

Amongst all the strategic keys to beating the Jets that the posters of this site have graciously offered, there are a few seemingly simple aspects of the game to which I will be paying close attention. If the Broncos keep handing out horseshoes, teams are going to toss them. If the Broncos keep giving other teams opportunities with their mistakes, the other teams will capitalize on them.

1. More disciplined football.

Well here we are again and we're looking at each other as if each other were to blame.

You think you're so smart, but I've seen you naked, and I'll probably see you naked again.

Milli-Vanilli told you to blame it on the rain, but if you blame it on the rain tell me, what can be gained?

So, if all else fails you can blame it on me.

"Blame it on Me," -Barenaked Ladies

The fact that the Broncos have had so many penalties for having too many men on the field, and so many instances of teams taking advantage of their having only 10 players on the field, is unacceptable. These are simple problems to fix. I will not get into the blame game as to whose fault this is, coaches or players. That's been discussed in other posts. If this aspect of our game improves, we will contend with the Jets.

2. Not getting in dangerous situations to begin with.

As I was going over the Cork and Kerry Mountains
I saw Captain Farrell and his money he was countin'
I first produced my pistol and then produced my rapier
I said "Stand and deliver or the devil he may take ya"
I took all of his money and it was a pretty penny
I took all of his money yeah and I brought it home to Molly
She swore that she loved me no never would she leave me
But the devil take that woman, yeah, for you know she tricked me easy

"Whiskey in the Jar" -Metallica

Repeated 3rd down penalties have set us up for 3rd and WAY TOO long on too many occasions this season. They know we're gonna pass anyway, but we back ourselves up, taking away the effectiveness of the short safety-valve passes. McD was right to question the mental toughness of this team, even though they are young.

3. The team must gel.

Hang on to me and I'll hang on to you
Until the end, or until the day is through
And as we float, I'll wash away that part of me
That lures the devil in the deep blue sea

"The Sea" - Carbon Leaf

This is week 6. It's time the guys started playing like they have practiced together. I know there have been injuries and lots of new blood added and subtracted (Andre Brown, we barely knew ye, but welcome to the team, Practice Squad Guys!)

4. As a fan, I'm not gonna get mad anymore.

I've got a smile on my face and I've got 4 walls around me.

I've got the sun in the sky, all the water surrounds me, oh, you know...

It's up to YOU now if you sink or swim.

Just keep the faith, and your ship will come in.

It's not so bad.

And I say,

Way, hey, hey, it's just an ordinary day.

And it's all your state of mind.

At the end of the day, you've just got to say.

"it's alright."

"Ordinary Day" - Great Big Sea

I was bitter about the Jags loss. I was angry that we let the Colts slip past us. The fact that we LET the Ravens win made me furious beyond belief. I stayed as angry as Boydy most of the week. But this is the trend I can reverse on my own, as a fan. I will cheer until the 4th quarter is COMPLETELY in the books. I will hope for the 4 consecutive touchdowns/onside kick recoveries in the final 14 seconds that we might need for a win. But I won't give up until it's over. And I'll take the outcome in stride, and understand that it's a game. And I'll wake up in the morning either way and it's my choice to be hopeful or angry. I will choose hopeful.

This is a Fan-Created Comment on MileHighReport.com. The opinion here is not necessarily shared by the editorial staff of MHR.