Prediction Time!
by broncorob on Sep 6, 2010 8:04 PM MDT
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Last year at this time I started a prediction thread and said the Broncos would go 6-10 in 2009 and then the Broncos went and won 6 in row to match my win total in the 1st 6 games before the wheels came off and we finished only 8-8 but I will never forget jumping off my couch as Stokely ran down the sidelines against Cincy and the thrills the Broncos gave me in their 6-0 start and frustration in their 2-8 finish.
I think we are basically an 8-8 team this year that could go 10-6 with a few good breaks or go 6-10 with a few bad breaks. Well, unlike last season when I took the negative view I am being positive this time around and predicting we will go 10-6!! Orton will be better than I ever imagined he could be with Tebow coming in and doing great things in the "wild horses" package, the running game should be fine if Moreno and Buck and the offensive line can get healthy, and I am excited our wide receivers-especially Royal, Decker, and Thomas. Hopefully Thomas will get healthy and be a deep threat for us but Gaffney, Lloyd, Willis, Decker, and Royal are playing great now and Thomas will only improve the wide receiver play. I am concerned about our TE situation but hopefully we can get by with Graham, Dan G., and Quinn but I wouldn't be suprised if Quinn is cut at some point this season.
The key to winning at least 10 games to me this season is if our defense can be a lot better than last season. Can we consistently stop opposing teams running games and can we get a consistent pass rush with Doom out for the season? Hopefully yes will be answer to those 2 questions because we might be a 6-10 or worse if the answer is no.
But I am sticking with 10-6 and fighting for a wild card spot with several other teams. I think we will finish 2nd in the AFC West with the Chargers going at least 11-5.
So that is my prediction for our 2010 Broncos. I want to know how all of you think the Broncos will do this season. Can't wait for Sunday to get here!!
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Better than the Chiefs
I agree I still think it is going to be 8-8. but hoping for better.
But I Do know this. We will be better than the Chiefs. I am sick and tired of the MSM saying they are going to be better than us. Aint gonna happen! Would love for the guys (excluding Shefter) at ESPN and NFL network to have to eat crow (baltimore crows) for the second year in a row.
In the long run these injuries will make the Broncos
a much better team with unbelievable depth! Somewhere between 9-7 to 7-9 but fighting with the Raiders for 2nd place!
Kansas Bob
IMO
I think all 4 AFC teams go between 10-6 and 7-9, and it could be anyone division at this point. I hate the Raiders but, with J.Campbell it will make a big difference on how they play. IMO the AFC West will be the best division in the AFC in 2 years.
Disclaimer: Comments above are not meant to be taken with a grain of salt.
Agreed.
All of the teams in our division are stepping it up, and SD still doesn’t seem to be declining at all. The AFC West will be a tough division to win, maybe even as soon as this year. It will be a nasty division to have to play in a couple years though, as CPT has mentioned. Here are the weakest links:
KC – Matt Cassel and the WRs. They need somebody that can raise the level of performance in that offense and D-Bowe just isn’t cutting it. Cassel can be a good game manager with better receivers, but he’s no Peyton Manning (or even a Carson Palmer for that matter).
OAK – Al Davis. The sooner that guy dies the sooner that franchise can move on and start winning games again. Their moves in the draft and FA looked better this year, but you just never know with that team.
SD – Their defense has got to step it up here soon. They’ve lost some key defensive coaches the last couple years and some big name players (Jamaal Williams anyone?) they’ve got to prove they can keep team from scoring cause River’s isn’t going to outscore EVERYONE.
DEN – The running game. As of last year ours isn’t good and everyone that plays us has a good one. We have GOT to start dictating on the ground or we’ve got no chance at a deep playoff run. Peyton and the Colts are one of the few teams to achieve a high level of success with a fairly pathetic running game, and that’s only because of Manning’s genius audibles and reads.
Those aren’t extremely large tasks to fix given a year or two to draft and find the right FA’s. I think the AFC West is poised to make a name for itself once again.
"It is better to be rougly right than precisely wrong." - John Maynard Keynes
by Alexander Wall on Sep 7, 2010 12:33 AM MDT up reply actions
I would say
the range will be 6-10 to 11-5. But that is some improvement from last year.
the more you practice the luckier you get
I think the Broncos start the season off slow.
Mainly because of the lack of playing time for all the first unit. I think your passing game will be good but the running game will be a problem at first. As the season goes on how ever you will see improvement in the running game as the rookies in the o-line start to come together as one unit.
On the defensive side of the ball we all know the secondary will be fine from the start, but will they fade as the season goes on, these guys are getting older now. Your run defense has to be questioned also from what I’ve seen in pre-season, but it’s almost impossible to judge what they will play like from watching those games in the pre-season, they could be great who really knows.
I will say this though, if you guys think the Chiefs that take the field this year are the same as last, you’re sadly mistaken. Yes, Cassel didn’t look that great in pre-season, but with our running game he will be more effective this year. Not that i think he’s a great QB, but because of the surrounding cast he now has. It’s really is up too Cassel on how well we play this year, if he sucks there could be a march on Arrowhead stadium with pitchforks and such :P
Disclaimer: Comments above are not meant to be taken with a grain of salt.
This is probably one of the best non-broncos fan assessments i've heard yet on our team.
And that’s not just because I’ve been saying the same thing to one of my close friends for a couple weeks now, lol. I agree CPT. I think the Broncos flip flop their trend of a late season collapse and end strong. We have the potential to be great, and their have been some amazing flashes when the team is on the same page, but it’s going to take time for that to get consistent. It’s all going to depend on the health of our players, and maybe a little bit on how well the mesh together.
The big thing I’m waiting to see is how well Knowshon performs behind a familiar blocking scheme. What we were running last year was just getting him destroyed behind the line almost every play. I was shocked to see KnoMo getting better than a 3ypc average by the end of the season. If things work out well with him in this new scheme I wouldn’t be surprised to see him topping 5ypc or higher this year.
"It is better to be rougly right than precisely wrong." - John Maynard Keynes
by Alexander Wall on Sep 7, 2010 12:39 AM MDT up reply actions
Prediction: 10-6 Wins the West
We’ll finish 10-6 and win the West.
Orton is improved, and was good last year. Playcalling needs to push the YPA up (this was 7.0 for KO in preseason).
The line will start slow and finish strong, and we’ll see Moreno get his wheels down the stretch.
The receiving core is a work in progress – but the early 2000’s Patriots in this system did not need big name receivers to win – i’ve got confidence that we can move the chains through the air this year.
Special teams will be improved with the young guys we’ve got with the sacrifice attitude.
Defense will give up yards in chunks, but i see lots of turnovers coming from this group. We’ll attack, and take some lumps doing so, but stiffen up once inside the 20. With the ball hawks we have in the secondary (including non-starters), plus the pressure we’ll get out of rushing four, and blitz packages will help with the turnovers.
Breakout player – Robert Ayers. He was so close last year so many times, the pressure he gets will generate picks in the secondary. He’ll get his share of sacks this year too.
The rest – KC and Oakland are improved – expect 7-9 area.
San Diego are dropping off, this is the nature of teams that have been up there a while. Such a shame they missed their window of opportunity!!! I think there Defense will be their weakness this year – it was not that good last year. Rivers can only carry them so far. 9-7 for the bolts.
So we win the west and host a wildcard. Once we’re in the postseason dance, all bets are off.
I’ve seen the Broncos at 40-1 to win it all. Off to Vegas next week, may get me some of that action.
The Key to being 10-6....
is the offense. They had way to many three and outs forcing are D to wear down over the course of the year. The only thing are team needs right now is continuity on both sides of the ball this year. At the very least i see 9-7 this year, and 11-5 next. Remember it!
7-9
I’m as much of homer as anyone, but if Orton gets hurt we’re done, and our Oline is injured and very young. For the AFC west:
SD 10-6
Oakland 9-7 Campbell is a huge improvement, but I think having Gradkowski as a back up gets them seconde in the division — aside from Rivers I don’t think any other strating QB in the division completes the season without missing at least a few games.
Denver 7-9 Similarly: Orton gets injured and I just don’t see us scoring enough to win.
KC 6-10 but who really knows with them? they can run the ball, that’s for sure. Eventually the DLine will develop, and Cassell will be improved this year. They may surprise everyone.
I reaaly don’t get BQuinn as #2 QB. I don’t get holding on to him at all, unless we’re intending to use him as trade bait as the season progresses and injuries roll in. Kyle is our quarterback and leader, and if not for McD’s love affair with Tebow we’d all be pretty comfortable with Kyle not only for this year but for the foreseeable future. But Tebow, at a King’s ransom, is the future, and he may be great. Where does Quinn fit in? If Orton is injured I don’t see Quinn as any better than Tebow, I think the season will be basically over, and if we do use Quinn are we not just stealing reps from Tebow? It’s easier for me to imagnine a scenario in which Atkins, Hall or Stokely give us a meaningful chance to win. Quinn? It seems he gives us a chance to lose but not as badly.
QB
If SD loses Rivers they are not exactly going to shine either. The team in the division that has the best chance of not seeing a huge drop-off if their starter goes down is Oakland and they are followed up by KC.
What good team in the league will survive losing the starting QB? The Jets? Yeah maybe the Jets. But that is only because their QB play really isn’t very good. The Dolphins would probably improve if Henne goes down. There aren’t really many teams in that position though. Basically if you have a good QB you are going to see a huge drop-off if he goes down.
the more you practice the luckier you get
True enough
but a couple of comments:
1. some QBs are more likely to get hurt than others — depending upon OLine, mobility, release, quality of running game, legit downfield threats, etc. Blitz Manning, or Brady, at your peril. Our OLine is suspect, our run game is suspect, Orton is more mobile this year than last and he’s showing better pocket awareness but he’s still not a mobile quarterback, he’s looked much faster in his reads during the preseason but that’s just the preseason, our receiving corps I feel will miss Marshall less than anyone suspects but again that remains to be proven.
2. The QB is important, but more so to some teams than others. If you can run the ball and have a ferocious defense then the QB matters — but not so much. Right now i think Orton is the best thing we got going, we’re going to have to prove we can run the ball, prove we can stop the run. I don’t know of any other single persom more important to their team other than, as John has pointed out, Peyton Manning.
3. Which leads me to: there’s injured and there’s out. Last year Orton was injured, but played. Finger, ankle, no question the guy is tough. But there’s no question that he’s a whole lot better when he’s well. And basically, there’s no one behind him right now that gives us a realistic chance to win to allow him time to heal.
So: you’re right, QBs are important and losing them hurts your team. Orton is relatively more important to our team than most, I think he’s more at risk because of our questionable OLine and run game, and we don’t have anyone nearly ready waiting in the wings.
Optimist at Work
Broncos 11-5
Chargers 10-6
Oakland 7-9
Chiefs 6-10
Tebow accounts for 10-12 TDs (running and throwing).
Moreno 1200+ Yards Rushing
Orton – Top 10 QB
Willis – 40 catches in place of Brandon Lloyd.
2010 AFC West
The Bolts always look talented on paper and they have been backing it up in the W column but i just have a sneaking suspicion that more teams figure out how to catch lightning in a bottle this year.
Broncos 9-7 the team everyone loves to rag on, struggles early but finds its stride late and makes the playoffs.
Chargers 8-8 tough stretch mid season and i think one or two afc west surprises bring this team back down to earth, they have a great chance to start hot though, and could just as easily be in the playoff picture again.
Chiefs 6-10 7-9 would be a good season with a pretty tough schedule. This team has some upset qualities though and i think that 7-9 isn’t out of the question, but i think they need a little more work on both sides of the ball which brings my prediction back to 6-10 for a team that looked pretty nice at the end of last year.
Raiders 5-11 They’ve got a brutal schedule, and Jason Campbell is a functional qb not a miracle worker.
13-3
u saw it here first
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