This post is sponsored by Comcast and their NFL RedZone channel. Want to see every touchdown from every NFL game as it happens as well as live look-ins to all of Sunday's games in key situations? Then you need Comcast's NFL RedZone.
If we are going to have a sponsorship deal, we might as well find a way to incorporate said sponsorship into something that is near and dear to Broncos fans - the team's performance in the Red Zone. This has been a key point of contention for a long time with Denver - take last year into account - 2nd in Yards, 16th in points.
Each week we'll take a look at the Broncos' trips into the Red Zone and how they fared. Good teams, playoffs teams, score in the Red Zone. If the Broncos want to be a playoff team, they'll need to as well.
There are two sides to the Red Zone - the offensive side, of course, and the defensive side. Few people look at how a defense performs when backed up in their own Red Zone but it is vital to the success of the team, no doubt. We'll look at both.
OFFENSE
For the game, the Broncos crossed the Cowboys' 20 just twice. The first time, of course, was after the D.J. Williams recovery of a Tony Romo fumble. The Cowboys were dominating the game at the time and the defense needed to make a play. They did when Renaldo Hill blitzed from Romo's blindside and knocked the ball loose.
Williams recovered at the Cowboys' 9-yard line and the Broncos wasted little time. Kyle Orton found Knowshon Moreno, somehow fitting the ball past DE Anthony Spencer, for the rookie's first-career TD reception.
The second trip came in the 4th Quarter with the Cowboys leading 10-7. After taking over at their own 25, Kyle Orton and the offense went on a 10-play, 65-yard drive to the Cowboys 10-yard line before being forced to kick the tying field goal.
Depending how you look at it, the Broncos were either 2/2 in the Red Zone, or 1/2 since they failed to convert a TD in their 2nd trip. For our purposes, only TDs count.
'09 OFFENSE TOTALS
WEEK | OPPONENT | RZ EFFICIENCY |
1 | @ CIN | 0/0 |
2 | vs. CLE | 2/4 |
3 | @ OAK | 2/6 |
4 | vs. DAL | 1/2 |
TOTALS | 5/12 (41.7%) |
DEFENSE
The Broncos defense has been stingy all year, coming into Sunday's game with Dallas allowing just 4 trips inside their Red Zone, TOTAL, in 3 games. Dallas was by far the best team the Broncos had faced, however, and it was not only going to be a test to keep them out of the Red Zone, but to stop them once they did make it. Another test passed for these new-age Broncos defenders.
The Cowboys did get inside the Broncos' 20 three times on Sunday, but only came away with a touchdown once. The Broncos D also came up with a big play near their own Goal Line, as Champ Bailey intercepted a Tony Romo pass - keeping the score, at that time, 10-7 Cowboys. Even a Field Goal there could have changed the complexion of the game.
For the season, the Broncos' Defense is one of the best in football inside its own Red Zone -
'09 DEFENSE TOTALS
WEEK | OPPONENT | RZ EFFICIENCY |
1 | @ CIN | 1/2 |
2 | Vs. CLE | 0/1 |
3 | @ OAK | 0/1 |
4 | Vs. DAL | 1/3 |
TOTALS | 2/7(28.6%) |