PAINTERDAVE
01-02-2011, 11:08 PM
http://www.denverpost.com/paige/ci_16990742
The Broncos have gone wrong gradually, but they could get right hurriedly.
A shrewd coach instead of a shrew, the quarterback of promise, exceptional draft choices and quality free agents right away, in the right way, could transform the Broncos from bust to boom, from defeatists to victors.
Four times, from one season to the next, the Broncos improved by five or seven victories — and reached the playoffs each of those years.
The most drastic recovery occurred 20 years ago when the Broncos, under Dan Reeves, climbed from a 5-11 abyss to 12-4. The Broncos went from worst to first in the AFC West. In 1991 they beat the Houston Oilers in a postseason game, then lost the AFC championship in Buffalo 10-7 after three field goals were missed and John Elway was injured.
Reeves' Broncos finished 2-7 in the strike-inflicted 1982 season, but progressed to 9-7 in 1983 — when Elway was added — before losing at Seattle in the playoffs.
With Mike Shanahan, the Broncos did an upturn from 1995 (8-8) to '96 (13-3) and should have been in the Super Bowl — but were upset by the Jax Jags at home. In '99, the post-Elway Broncos struggled to a 6-10 mark, but escalated to 11-5 in 2000 (and lost a playoff game in Baltimore).
Therefore, it can be done.
__________________________
The article goes on to outline the moves that could shape the turnaround.
Pretty insightful.
It is a long time unitl April... the Free agent moves need to get addressed first.
The Broncos have gone wrong gradually, but they could get right hurriedly.
A shrewd coach instead of a shrew, the quarterback of promise, exceptional draft choices and quality free agents right away, in the right way, could transform the Broncos from bust to boom, from defeatists to victors.
Four times, from one season to the next, the Broncos improved by five or seven victories — and reached the playoffs each of those years.
The most drastic recovery occurred 20 years ago when the Broncos, under Dan Reeves, climbed from a 5-11 abyss to 12-4. The Broncos went from worst to first in the AFC West. In 1991 they beat the Houston Oilers in a postseason game, then lost the AFC championship in Buffalo 10-7 after three field goals were missed and John Elway was injured.
Reeves' Broncos finished 2-7 in the strike-inflicted 1982 season, but progressed to 9-7 in 1983 — when Elway was added — before losing at Seattle in the playoffs.
With Mike Shanahan, the Broncos did an upturn from 1995 (8-8) to '96 (13-3) and should have been in the Super Bowl — but were upset by the Jax Jags at home. In '99, the post-Elway Broncos struggled to a 6-10 mark, but escalated to 11-5 in 2000 (and lost a playoff game in Baltimore).
Therefore, it can be done.
__________________________
The article goes on to outline the moves that could shape the turnaround.
Pretty insightful.
It is a long time unitl April... the Free agent moves need to get addressed first.