Forgotten Strength: Part 2

I was surprised by the overwhelming approval of Forgotten Strength, and with a number of comments calling for another piece, I decided to oblige. One thing that stood out to me about the comments from the last post was about how we need to look for the good in the past season, despite some major pessimism.

So in this follow up post, I will be looking at some players that were not only bright spots when they stepped onto the field, but also may have gone unnoticed by the majority of Mile High Report readers. This time I will be looking at Justin Bannan, Jason Hunter, Spencer Larsen, and Mario Haggan. Now we need to remember that these guys have faults and make mistakes, but often we overlook the good they did, which often was much greater then the mistakes they made.

Justin Bannan

- 2nd on the Broncos in quarterback hits.

- 2nd on the Broncos in quarterback pressures.

- 3nd on the Broncos in quarterback knockdowns.

- 4th in Win Probability Added among Broncos defenders at Advanced NFL Stats.

- 3rd in terms of stopping scores and 3rd down conversion among Bronco defenders.

- 2nd among front seven players in passes deflected.

- Highest ranked Broncos lineman at ProFootballFocus.com.

- 5th ranked defensive end in the division at ProFootballFocus.com.

While he was recently released, Bannan's solid play was about the only thing the defensive line had going for it. And Bannan's numbers aren't all obvious, most often lost, but he was the best player we had on the defensive line by a long shot, out performing every other lineman in every category besides interceptions. Bannan often slips between the lines because he was part of the worst unit on the team, and because he didn't rake in major stats, but his impact was the only thing stopping every run play from getting into the linebackers and secondary. Now his play was hardly perfect, but with so many other issues on this team, he was a quiet rock among the sand that was the rest of the defensive line.

Jason Hunter

- 3rd on the Broncos in sacks.

- 5th on the Broncos in tackles.

- 1st on Broncos in yards lost created per sack.

- Tied for 2nd on the Broncos in interceptions.

- 3rd of all Bronco defenders in Win Probability Added at Advanced NFL Stats.

- 3rd of all Bronco defenders in Estimated Points Added per game at Advanced NFL Stats.

Jason Hunter, like Elvis Dumervil, came to the NFL as a defensive end, but due to scheme changes and when he was brought to Denver, he was moved to OLB for the first time in his career. For a guy who went undrafted, to come to Denver and becoming the starting LOLB, is impressive in itself. But the fact he was to come in for an injured Doom and do more then a lot of fans expected is amazing. While guys like Doom, Williams and Haggan are more well known for either being a balanced or pass rushing linebacker, Hunter played both roles well, playing contain on the outside as well as creating pressure in the backfield. For a guy who describes himself as a laid-back, joker, his on-field attitude is different, as described by past coach Jim Schwartz, as "one of the toughest guys on the field." With Doom returning next season, and Ayers likely at the other DE position, Hunter will likely come in on downs where there is likely going to be a running play, as Doom struggles in those situations. While he may slide down the depth chart, his play this season likely cemented him as a needed run stopping DE next season.

Spencer Larsen

Larsen is one of the more interesting players in recent years. Being drafted in the 6th round at linebacker, he's played at linebacker, special team gunner and currently at fullback. Making his impact early on special teams made Larsen a popular player, but he never emerged as a reliable linebacker so he spent time on all three sides of the ball. In 2008, he became the first Bronco in club history and just the fourth player in the NFL since 1990 to start on both offense and defense in the same game during the Atlanta- Denver game in November at middle linebacker and fullback. Larsen's impact last season focused as he spent full-time duties at fullback, a position he played well. Out of all the Broncos backs, he proved to be the most reliable in terms of both pass and run blocking, and as he showed in his few touches of the ball, he had the ability to make some plays. In both the receiving and rushing game, he got the ball at the perfect time, rushing for two 1st downs and catching the ball for three more. Add that to his one touchdown, and of his eight touches, he had five 1st downs and a touchdown, pretty successful. So while not an obvious contributor this season as he spent most of the time blocking, his impact was felt.

Mario Haggan

- 2nd on the Broncos in tackles.

- 2nd on the Broncos in sacks.

- 1st on the Broncos in yards lost forced.

- Tied for 1st on the Broncos in forced fumbles.

- 1st on the Broncos in quarterback hits.

- Tied for 1st on the Broncos in tackles for a loss with Jason Hunter.

- Made the All-PFF Team twice at Pro-Football-Focus in 2010.

- 1st among the Broncos linebackers in Estimated Points Added at Advanced NFL Stats.

- 2nd among all Bronco defenders in Win Probability Added at Advanced NFL Stats.

- 23rd ranked defender in the AFC in Win Probability Added at Advanced NFL Stats.

With a great linebacker like DJ Williams making a lot of noise, both good and bad, for the linebackers on the Broncos, Haggan often goes unnoticed. While a liability in the passing game, he was one of the most consistent pass rushers and run stoppers in the AFC. A solid presence wherever he lined up at, he rarely got beat, and was the team's leader in tackles for a loss and yards lost created, meaning he knows how to get behind the line. Now Haggan had his issues, but last season, he was one of the few reliable players in terms of the front seven, and when I went back and reviewed a few of his games, I knew that if someone ran towards Haggan's side, he'd hold the line. Haggan may be inside Williams shadow, but he made a big impact last season for a defense that lacked stability.

We need to remember this guys weren't superstars, but in whatever role they were asked to play, big or small, they did their part.