PDA

View Full Version : Daniel Webster Could Define This Team



Broncos Mtnman
10-21-2008, 01:25 AM
If you look up the word "impostor" in the dictionary, you just might find a picture of Denver Broncos. If not, there sure should be.

Imposter (n) - one that assumes false identity or title for the purpose of deception

After starting the season with a 3-0 record, many started talking about division winner, playoffs, even the Super Bowl. Because, a team that finds a way to beat teams like the San Diego Chargers and New Orleans Saints, and does so by scoring the most points in the NFL, it's easy to fall for the deception.

But deception is exactly what it was. This team is barely one game over .500 as they enter the bye week, losing 3 of their last 4 games. And it's not so much the fact that they have lost those games, but how they lost them.

In back-to-back road games, the Broncos allowed the opposing team to put up performances unheard of until they played the "impostors" known as the Denver Broncos. In Kansas City, Larry Johnson was allowed to run for 198 yards and two touchdowns. Until the winless Chiefs played the Broncos, Larry Johnson had gained a total of 217 yards. In one game against the "imposters," he would gain nearly that much in only 4 quarters. In those first three games, the Chiefs would score a total of 32 points. In one game against the "impostors," they would exceed that total point production by one (33).

Backup quarterback Damon Huard would complete 21 of 28 passes, a ridiculous 75% completion rate, for a touchdown and ZERO interceptions.

The Broncos offense would also prove to be "impostors" in the Chiefs game. After only giving the ball away three times in the first three games, the Broncos would cough it up four times in this matchup. After averaging over 30 points a game during their 3-0 start, they would only muster a dismal 19 against a Chiefs defense that had averaged yielding 26 points a game.

After a disappointing loss at home last weekend, a game that was over by half-time (just like tonight) thanks to turnovers, poor defense and ineffective offensive play, the Denver Impostors would show once again that their record was a farce. Tonight's New England Patriots team would be the latest venue where the "false identity" of the Broncos would be exposed.

Second string quarterback Matt Cassell would play so well that you had to look twice to make sure it wasn't #12 (Tom Brady) playing tonight. Cassell completed 18 of 24 attempts (another 75% surrendered by the defense) for 2 touchdowns and ZERO interceptions. The running game of the Patriots had managed a measly 111 yards per game coming into tonight's contest against the Broncos. Sammy Morris would exceed this number by rushing for 138 yards and a touchdown - IN JUST THE FIRST HALF!! As if that wasn't bad enough, the defense would give up 257 net rushing yards total for the game.

Once again, the Broncos offense would demonstrate it's false identity as well. Two fumbles on the first two drives would give the Patriots an easy 6-0 lead and would take any momentum the Broncos hoped to gain in this important road matchup. Jay Cutler would have another two interception performance, giving the offense 5 turnovers (3 fumbles and 2 interceptions). They would manage an anemic 7 total points during "garbage time" after the Patriots had taken a 34-0 lead.

Yep, going into tonight's game, the Broncos had an AFC West leading 4-2 record, but it was sadly nothing more than the performance of an impostor.

Here's this week's highs and lows....


HIGHS :2thumbs:

1 - Champ Bailey. Before his game ending injury, Randy Moss had only 1 catch for 9 yards. After Champ left, Randy would get 4 more catches for 55 yards and two touchdowns. Champ was vital when he was in there, and his absence changed everything the Patriots wanted to do in this game. Let's hope the bye week will be enough for him to heal.

2 - Michael Pittman. Sadly, because the game got out of hand so fast, the Broncos had to abandon the running game. However, he would gain a very strong 88 yards on 20 carries. He's showing to be more than capable of handling the running responsibilities.

3 - Pass Pressure. When Champ was still in the game, the pass rush was very strong, yielding numerous sacks and pressures. Once Champ was gone, Cassell knew he had an open receiver and was able to dump off the ball before the pressure got there. This was done mostly by blitzing, but was effective while it lasted.

4 - Pass Protection. In a game where it became necessary to pass on just about every down, the offensive line only gave up two sacks.

5 - Jay Cutler. Not for his stats. This week he gets listed as one of the highs for his grit for fighting through his finger injury, which occurred on the first pass play of the game. The wisdom of keeping him in there can be debated, but his toughness to want to keep playing can't be.


LOWS :2thumbsdown:

1 - Defense. Other than the limited success with the early blitz, the defense demonstrated why it's one of the worst in the league. Pathetic tackling, sorry gap coverage and the inability to cover the run when they sold out to stop the pass, are becoming the staple of this year's defense.

For the record, last year's Broncos defense surrendered 1162 yards through 7 games (an average of 166 ypg). This year's defense has given up 1082 yards through 7 games (an average of 155.5 ypg). If you take away the Saints and Chargers games (high passing games), that average jumps to a pathetic 182.8 ypg. For something that got Bates fired last season, nothing seems to have changed with Shanahan's buddy, Slowick. In fact, it's worse.

2 - Turnovers. This is becoming the tale of the tape concerning the huge drop-off in offensive production. The offense would have a season high of 5 turnovers in this game, bringing the total for the season to a depressing 16 turnovers for the first 7 games.

In their 3-0 start, the Broncos had only 3 turnovers. In the four games that followed, a stretch that would see the Broncos go 1-3, they would commit the remaining 13. Turn the ball over that much, and you don't win very often. Do it on the road and it's almost guaranteed.

3 - No Depth. For the second game in a row, the Broncos would have to play a game without all of their offensive weapons. All we heard during the preseason was how much "depth" this team had, especially at WR. The Broncos have a pretty impressive arsenal in Marshall, Royal, Sheffler and Stokley. Take away one or more of them, and it alls goes to crap.

4 - Bob Slowick. I think it can be officially declared that Slowick's "change" to the Broncos defense has been a colossal failure. Just like last year, the Broncos are apparently "just a few players away" from becoming the type of defense we need to make it into the playoffs. Unless the offense can find a way to once again score 30+ points a game, December will be meaningless for this year's team.

Besides the horrendous performance against the run, opposing quarterbacks are completing nearly 70% of their pass attempts. Usually, when you have a weakness in one area (running game) you have better performance against the other area (passing game). This team is bad in both areas.

5 - Andre Hall. 2 fumbles on back-to-back drives. Enough said.

6 - Calvin Lowry. The stat line says he had 7 tackles and 5 assisted tackles. sounds impressive, but what it doesn't tell us is how many times he was out of position to make a play.

7 - Brett Kern. Even though he shows an average of 48 yards per punt, due to the low trajectory of his punts, his net was a dismal 32 yards per punt. The only time he got a big punt off (a 62 yarder), he kicked it so low that he "outkicked" his coverage. Welker would return that punt 44 yards. I still can't figure out how he beat Paulescu for the job.


After the first three weeks of the season, everybody was talking about how this team was on track to go "all the way" to the Super Bowl. Everyone was convinced that being 3-0 was a true indication of the greatness of this team.

Sadly, it would appear that this impressive start was a "false identity" meant to "deceive" every one in Broncos Country.

In other words, they were nothing more than impostors.

BMM

Simple Jaded
10-21-2008, 01:50 AM
The offensive line has one weakness, and that's No50, Seymour made him his little bitch.

I'm surprised more teams don't put their best pass rusher right over Hamilton, he has always been weak, and he always will be.

One thing we found out about the defense, the safety's are pathetic even when they do have a good pass rush......