The Calm Before The Storm

Shanahan fired.  Cutler traded.  Nolan defects. Turner and Dennison start new chapters outside Denver. Draft picks traded and traded again. Marshall, Hillis, Scheffler and CB Alphonso Smith are traded.  Tebow drafted in exchange for three draft picks.  Head coach starts losing games.  Revolution?  Revolt? 

Where am I going with all this?  We as Bronco fans have endured a lot.  Sure we lost a few Super Bowls but those years were sprinkled with grit that at times would snowball into greatness.  We've seen legends ride off into the sunset (Elway, Sharpe) and legends go before their time (Davis, Smith).  You see, to me Denver has always been about offense.  The ability to convert 3rd downs and against all odds, the occasional 4th.  Since 2008, which seems an eternity, I'm excited about Denver football again.

HC Fox will do the little things to make Denver relevant again.  Whether it shows in the win column or not is irrelevant to me.  I may have not been a fan of Tebow (UGA fan) but I am still a Bronco fan.  I tell anyone who'll listen, and occasionally treat me to a Guinness, that all he needs is time and reps.  Sure you can throw me all the stats.  Share with me the intangibles to winning both on and off the field.  In the end, its all about reps.  Tebow will be fine and I believe that simple because we have moved away from offensive minded genuises.  We know who they are.  They're the guys that get in their own way.  

With the possible addition of Mora, Denver would have overhauled a coaching staff that was top heavy at teaching college kids than professionals.  Is it a big deal?  I can spit stats starting wins versus losses or yardage allowed or third down conversions or even turn over differential.  It won't prove anything other than what we have now before us.  Change.  This was the direction we needed to maintain heading into 2009 but hey, you have to hit a few trees before you figure out its a forest!

Now I am not a big supporter of Mora from his time as the HC of Atlanta but he's got something we may have overlooked.  Vick.  Say what you will but to me these two QBs are very similar.  Polarizing athletes that so happen to be lefty, scrambling types (Vick has evolved as a QB and credit Reid for that).  I believe that though Mora was immature (on radio claiming that Washington University would be a dream job *smh) during his time, here's hoping second, or in his case third, chances are what the Broncos need.  Not to win football games.  Not to win championships.  Its what we need to win the fans back.

Never have I seen so many Bronco fans turn against each other.  I'm one of them.  In fact I'm rooting for Cutler because I paid for that jersey and stuck with it.  Will never get rid of it.  Its a reminder that things happen beyond our control.  Coaches have a responsibility to develop players and building trust.  McDaniels had a lot of supporters but I believe they were more against the way Shanahan ran, or didn't run, things at Dove Valley.

My fellow Bronco fans, we're are going to be better.  Defense has been our achilles heel since that AFC loss to the Steelers.  We have a winning record against Seattle and would have bet everyone's unborn and my own that a third trophy was heading back to Dove Valley but it was not to be. 

We have in place checks and balances.  What a former HOF player can not be a personnel or executive?  I present to you former TE Ozzie Newsome.  Even if Elway becomes half of what Newsome is known for, Denver wins out big. 

So whether we draft Peterson or Fairley I don't care.  Whether Bailey signs an extension or Asom-whatever the vowels that follow that CB former known as a Raider- Denver is going to improve tremendously.  So whether its in the wins or losses department, we all will be watching for the growth of Tebow and the showcase of Moreno (who was poorly utilized).  A Denver 8-8 finish would be a great baseline to work with heading into 2012 but until then, lets resolve this Collective Bargaining Agreement mess and focus on football.

Go Broncos