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Denver Native (Carol)
01-11-2010, 01:42 PM
http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=9758

BRONCOS FINISH 50TH YEAR WITH 8-8 RECORD; LOOK TOWARD 2010 SEASON WITH PROMISE

One of eight original American Football League teams that celebrated their 50th season in 2009, the Denver Broncos finished the campaign with an 8-8 record and a second-place standing in the AFC West. Led by Head Coach Josh McDaniels, Denver enters the offseason aiming to improve a squad that started the year 6-0 and finished the campaign with its most Pro Bowl selections (5) in eight years.

KEY NOTES FROM THE BRONCOS' 2009 SEASON

* - LT Ryan Clady (starter, first selection) and WR Brandon Marshall(second selection) were named to the Pro Bowl.

* - Kyle Orton set a Broncos record for most passing yards by a player in his first year with the club, posting a career-high 3,802 yards that ranked sixth in team history. Only Minnesota’s Brett Favre threw for more yards among quarterbacks in their first year with a team this year.

* - Orton set personal bests in nearly every passing category. His 10 games with a 90.0 passer rating tied for fifth in the NFL while tying for the most in a season in Broncos history.

* - With 101 grabs for 1,120 yards with 10 touchdowns, Marshall became the fifth player in league history with three consecutive 100-catch seasons. He set an NFL single-game record for catches with 21 receptions (200 yds., 2 TDs) at Indianapolis on Dec. 13.

* - RB Knowshon Moreno became the 14th player since the 1970 NFL merger to lead all rookies in rushing yards (947), yards from scrimmage (1,160) and total touchdowns (9). All 13 others were named Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year (Moreno finished tied for third).

* - CB Champ Bailey (ninth selection), S Brian Dawkins (starter, eighth selection) and OLB/DE Elvis Dumervil (starter, first selection) were named to the Pro Bowl.

* - The Broncos finished the year among the league leaders in several defensive categories, including yards per play (7th, 5.0), yards per game (7th, 315.0) and passing yards per game (3rd, 186.3).

* - Denver gave up 26 points through its first four games (6.5 ppg.) to tie for the fifth-lowest such total in the league since 1970.

* - The Broncos did not allow a second-half third-down conversion for four consecutive games (3-6) for the longest streak in the NFL since at least 1992.

* - Dumervil, who was named NFL Alumni Pass Rusher of the Year and an ESPN.com All-Pro, became the first sack champion in Broncos history with a team-record 17 sacks that tied for the 23rd most in NFL annals.

BRONCOS 2009 SEASON — POINTS OF INTEREST

The Broncos were one of eight original American Football League teams that celebrated their 50th season in 2009... Denver’s 411 overall wins are second among all original AFL teams and rank eighth among all clubs since 1960... During the Pat Bowlen era (1984-Pres.), the Broncos have won more regular-season games (251) and overall games (266) than any AFC team (second most in NFL)... Head Coach Josh McDaniels guided Denver to a 6-0 record to begin the year, a start that tied for the third best by a rookie NFL head coach since 1930... Including players on reserve lists, the Broncos’ final regular-season roster featured 33 players in their first season with the club (55.9% / 33-of-59)... Denver had five players selected to the 2010 Pro Bowl with that total tying for its most since 2001 (T-7th overall in club annals)... Offensively, the Broncos posted 15 touchdown drives of at least 70 yards... QB Kyle Orton tied John Elway (1997) for the most games with a 90+ passer rating (10) in a season in franchise history with that total tying for fifth in the league... Orton’s 3,802 passing yards tied for sixth in club annals... WR Brandon Marshall, who was named to his second consecutive Pro Bowl, set an NFL record with 21 receptions (200 yds., 2 TDs) against Indianapolis in Week 14 and totaled 43 receptions in December (T-most in a four-game period in the NFL since 1960)... Marshall tied for third in the NFL in catches (101-1,120, 10 TDs) to become the fifth player in league annals to post three consecutive 100-catch seasons... WR Jabar Gaffney recorded the second-most receiving yards (213) in a single game in franchise history (most by a WR) in the season finale vs. Kansas City and finished the year with a career-high 732 receiving yards... RB Knowshon Moreno became the 14th player in the NFL since 1970 to lead league rookies in rushing yards (947), yards from scrimmage (1,160) and total touchdowns (9)... Moreno, who led league rookies with six 80-yard rushing games, is the fifth Bronco to lead NFL rookies in rushing... RB Correll Buckhalter ranked sixth in the NFL in yards per rush (5.4) and set career highs in rushing yards (642) and receptions (31)... LT Ryan Clady, named to the Pro Bowl (starter) for the first time, became the 11th tackle in league annals to earn a Pro Bowl selection by his second professional season... Clady was named to the inaugural USA Football/NFLPA “All-Fundamentals” Team as the youngest member (23) to receive the honor... C Casey Wiegmann extended his consecutive games started streak to 143 for the second-longest active start streak in the NFL among OLs (longest among centers)... Wiegmann has a consecutive snaps played streak of 9,078 (longest in NFL)... Mike Nolan completed his 12th year as an NFL defensive coordinator—His defenses have posted eight top-10 NFL rankings in turnovers, including a ninth-place finish (30) in 2009... The Broncos ranked among the league defensive leaders in yards per play (7th, 5.0), yards per game (7th, 315.0), passing yards per game (3rd, 186.3) and sacks (10th, 39)... OLB/DE Elvis Dumervil earned his first career Pro Bowl selection (starter), becoming the first player in Broncos history to lead the league in sacks with a franchise-record 17... Eleven of Dumervil’s 17 sacks came on third down, tying for the most in a single season in the NFL since at least 1991... ILB D.J. Williams, a Pro Bowl alternate, led Denver with 122 tackles (100 solo) that ranked 11th in the NFL... Since 2007, Williams is sixth in the league in tackles per game (8.3)... Six Broncos posted at least 50 defensive tackles... CB Champ Bailey was named to his ninth Pro Bowl to tie Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Haynes for the most Pro Bowls at cornerback in NFL history... Bailey has totaled the most interceptions (46) in the NFL among cornerbacks since entering the league in 1999 and has the seventh-most interceptions (28) by a Bronco in team annals... S Brian Dawkins was named a Pro Bowl starter in his first season with Denver and tied former Broncos S Steve Atwater for the third-most Pro Bowl selections (8) by a safety in NFL history... Special Teams Coordinator Mike Priefer has coached units in the NFL that have totaled 15 blocked kicks and nine return touchdowns in eight seasons as a special teams coach—Denver blocked an extra point vs. San Diego on Nov. 22 and had two return scores (PR, KR) at San Diego on Oct. 19... WR Eddie Royal became only the 11th player in NFL history (second Bronco) to score a touchdown on a kickoff and punt return in the same game at San Diego on Oct. 19... Royal is the ninth player in team history to post at least 1,000 combined yards in each of his first two pro seasons (team-high 1,302 yards in 2009)... Royal is one of two players in the NFL (Chargers RB Darren Sproles) to total at least 1,400 yards from scrimmage (1,435) and 1,400 kick return yards (1,696) since 2008... Since signing P Mitch Berger on Oct. 26, the Broncos’ net punting average had the fourth-most improvement (+3.4 yds. / 34.5 to 37.9) in the NFL... K Matt Prater ended the season with a field goal in nine consecutive games to set a career high and made 19 of his final 20 attempts... Prater tied for third in the league for the season and in Broncos annals with 30 field goals while tying for second in the NFL in touchbacks on kickoffs (28)... Rookie S Darcel McBath led the club with 11 special-teams tackles as one of just four rookies to lead their team in that category.

MARSHALL'S RECORD-SETTING DAY

Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall’s 21 catches (200 yds., 2 TDs) at Indianapolis on Dec. 13 marked the highest-single game total in NFL history. Coupled with his 18-catch day vs. San Diego on Sept. 14, 2008, he now owns two of the top-four single-game reception total efforts in NFL history and the top-two reception total efforts in Denver history.

Against Indianapolis, Marshall accounted for 72.4 percent of Denver's receptions (21-of-29), 72.2 percent of its receiving yards (200-of-277), 60.0 percent of its first downs (12-of-20) and 56.0 percent of its total net yards (200-of-357) against the Colts. He was targeted 28 times, marking the highest such total by an NFL player in a game since at least 1994.

MORENO BECOMES DENVER'S FIFTH ROOKIE RUSHING CHAMPION

Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno led all NFL rookies with 947 rushing yards in 2009, becoming the fifth player in club history to lead league rookies in rushing. The last Denver player to lead NFL rookies in rushing was Clinton Portis, who totaled 1,508 rushing yards in 2002.

With Moreno (2009), Portis (2002) and Mike Anderson (2000), Denver joins New England (1988-97) as one of two teams in league history to have three rookie rushing champions in a 10-year period.

Moreno’s 947 rushing yards ranked sixth in team history among rookies. His 1,160 yards from scrimmage also placed sixth in club annals among rookies, and he became just the seventh rookie in team history to reach 1,000 yards from scrimmage.

In addition, his nine total touchdowns ranked fourth in club annals among rookies.

DUMERVIL BECOMES BRONCOS' FIRST-EVER SACK CHAMPION

Named to his first career Pro Bowl (starter) as well as the NFL Alumni Pass Rusher of the Year and an ESPN.com All-Pro, Broncos outside linebacker/defensive end Elvis Dumervil became the first Bronco in team history to lead the league in sacks with a franchise-record 17 in 2009. His 17 sacks tied for the 23rd most in NFL history.

Dumervil, whose 11 sacks on third down were the most in the league since at least 1991, surpassed his previous career high of 12.5 sacks on Thanksgiving Day against the N.Y. Giants.

He reached the 10-sack plateau in Denver’s sixth game of the 2009 season, matching the second-fastest pace since 1982 (when sacks became an official statistic).

With his 17 sacks, Dumervil moved into third place in the NFL for most sacks (43) since he entered the league in 2006.

WILLIAMS SHOWS VERSATILITY

Broncos inside linebacker D.J. Williams started all 16 games for the Broncos in 2009 and led the club with 122 tackles (100 solo).

He has started at least 11 games in each of his first six professional seasons with Denver while seeing time at the weakside, middle, strong side and inside positions.

He owns 24 10-tackle games and four 100-tackle seasons for his NFL career.
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Lonestar
01-11-2010, 02:31 PM
and some will trash the year because we faltered down the finnish line..

looked pretty impressive considering all the changes this past year. lets see what comes out of them for the most part having been in the schemes one more year.