I am excited to bring forth a new series today. It sprang from a compromise of ideas and ideals. It has been stated and argued that Game Balls should not be given for a losing effort. Ever. I found myself in a dilemma. I have a sponsored post entitled "Game Ball of the Week" and the sponsors need to be satisfied. But the Denver Broncos have only won one game this year, so what was I to do? Well, I thought that I would bestow an honorary award for a player or players who made an impact, or imprint on the game, win or lose. That idea morphed from imprint to hoofprint, and then a Bronco-ized version "Horseshoe." I haven't given up on the Game Ball because there is still a schedule full of games yet to be played. But this way should satisfy the majority of Bronco fans. Yes this is totally meant as a positive influence, but without the Kool-Aid. So if you have trouble finding the good things that happen each week, you might not like this at all. Face it, the Denver Broncos were 4-12 last season, with the last ranked Defense. Can it get much worse? Maybe, but it's time to look forward and find what we can cling to, at the very least, to see what is in store for the future. Now Jump!
The original premise for this series was to have a Horseshoe for each unit--Offense, Defense and Special Teams. So that is where we will start.
The Horseshoe on Defense goes to Broncos Defensive End Robert Ayers. Even though Ayers only had a journeyman 3 Tackles in the game, he had one Sack and a Forced Fumble with 4:45 left in the 4th Quarter. That turnover gave the Broncos the ball on the San Diego 41-yard line and the chance to win the game.
Honorable Mention: Cornerback Cassius Vaughn, who scored the only touchdown for Denver in the 1st half. Cassius picked off Chargers Quarterback Philip Rivers and took off, returning the interception 55-yards for 6 points. That it came two plays after Broncos Quarterback Kyle Orton threw an interception of his own is not without merit. Vaughn's play shifted the momentum in Denver's favor, but Ayers' Forced Fumble in the 4th had a bigger impact in the game.
Broncos Return man Quan Cosby had one 28-yard Kickoff Return and two Punt Returns for an average of 18 yards. To elaborate on that Punt Return average, Quan is currently 3rd in the league with an average of 16.8. His Kick Return average is 27 yards per return, which is good for 18th. Perhaps it is easier to gage that starting at the 27-yard line is better than beginning a drive from the 20.
That is where we stand for Week 5 of the Denver Broncos 2011 season. I welcome any suggestions to improve this feature, so please give me some feedback.
Go Broncos!