Before I get into the guts of my post (which, won't be all that long), I want to say a bit about me. I have been lurking on this site for years. I have learned so much about the sport of football, which I never had the opportunity to play. I look forward to watching the Broncos all year and always start out with orange and blue glasses. I normally watch them to the bitter end, even when all playoff hopes are lost. Last year was the exception, they were such a train wreck, I stopped watching halfway through as it was obvious something was terribly wrong with the coaching staff. That brings be back to this year and having a coach we know can coach (yes, even after an 0-2 start, I still firmly believe he should be our long term head coach).

What I am seeing is a team that is doing better at communicating with each other on the field, even with the extra timeouts called. It feels to me like the players are starting to get it, but haven't yet mastered it so there is still some confusion. I will blame the most recent CBA not allowing the coaches enough time and practice to implement a new system in one offseason.

I am also seeing schemes that are getting players open, and Russ seems to be able to find the open player with a higher percentage than last year. Yes, he is still missing some plays (Watch All Things QB for some great breakdowns), but less than before. I think that also shows growth.

Now, what does this mean for the defense and why do I think the probably have sucked for years, even though the stats would say otherwise? It is because of the improvements I have noted above. Our offense is staying on the field more, we are scoring more which means the other teams offense has to score more. When you average 16 points a game, once the other team gets the lead, they just run the ball and kill time. They don't have to score more, so they play it safe. It made our defense look good because teams weren't pushing it on offense. We now have been scoring touchdowns, so the opposing offense isn't sitting idle with the lead. Yes, I do think VJ is a bad coach based on the stats of all of his past defenses, but I think the downward slide has more to do with our offense improving.

What do you all think? I would love your thoughts on what I think I am seeing.

Thanks