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View Full Version : Going for the 3peat - my 2011 bronco predictions



titan
09-08-2011, 04:17 PM
This year I again will be predicting the Broncos final win-loss record based on the results of the first game.

Two years ago (http://sportsindenver.blogspot.com/2009/09/cincinnati-will-be-bellwether-game-for.html) I wrote this:

"If the Broncos beat the Bengals ...

It'll be a huge boost in the team's confidence. All the critics of the offseason changes and disappointing preseason will be quieted. If the Broncos can beat a good Bengals team on the road, I predict they start out 4-0. The schedule then gets much tougher, and they'll finish with an 8-8 record. Matching last year's win total with all the offseason turmoil and changes in personel will be a good season in my book. A few weeks ago I said that this bronco season reminds me of the miracle 1977 season. I still say that, but the only chance for a surprise season this year is to win the opener."

The Broncos did beat the Bengals, did start out 4-0, and did finish 8-8.

Then last year I wrote (http://sportsindenver.blogspot.com/2010/09/jacksonville-game-will-tell-alot-about.html):

"If the Broncos lose to Jacksonville, it could start an early season tailspin that the team will not recover from. I still expect a win against Seattle at home the next week (1-1), followed by losses to Indianapolis, at Tennessee, at Baltimore, and to the Jets at home to start out 1-5. The losing will affect the morale of the team, and the seemingly easy games of the schedule (Oakland home and away, KC home and away, etc) won't look so easy. The team scratches out a few wins on the way to a disappointing 4-12 record."

The Broncos did lose to Jacksonville, won at Tennessee, but in the end the team did finish with a 4-12 record as I predicted. At the time that was seen as a very pessimistic prediction.

Now I am not claiming to be Nostradamus - I could easily have missed on that 2009 prediction if it weren't for that miracle finish in Cincinnati - but I do think the first game tells a lot about what type of team the Broncos will have for the current season. Things I'll be looking at for that opening Monday night game against the Raiders:

The Bronco pass rush has no doubt improved with Elvis Dumervil back and rookie Von Miller on the other side. How will this duo perform in "real" NFL action against an offense game planning against them, instead of the basic offensive schemes they faced in the preseason?

Is the Bronco run defense improved? Last year the Raiders ran for 328 yards and 5 td's in their blowout 59-14 win at Denver. Monday night will be a good test for the Bronco defense.

Will Bronco rookie right tackle Orlando Franklin hold up against the Raider pass rush? Franklin looked good in the run game in the preseason, but struggled in pass protection at times.

On to the predictions ...

If the Broncos beat the Raiders Monday night, they'll get off to a surprising 4-1 start before finishing the season with 8 wins and 8 losses. I'm calling for early season upset wins at Tennessee and against San Diego at home. The long season will wear on the Broncos shallow depth, however, and much like 2009 they won't finish the season as strong.

If the Broncos lose to the Raiders Monday night, they'll only improve slightly from last year's 4 win total, finishing with 5 wins and 11 losses. The Broncos have everything going for them Monday night - first home opener in years, sellout crowd against their most hated rivals, and a new coaching staff to put the nightmare McDaniels years behind them. If that is not enough to beat the Raiders, it will be another long season. I do think even if the team does finish with just 5 wins the future looks bright. The 2011 college draft looks better than the previous two years under McDaniels. John Elway and the new management team just needs a few years to rebuild the roster.

====

The above is from my sportsblog at:

http://www.sportsindenver.blogspot.com/

weazel
09-08-2011, 04:23 PM
I expect New Orleans to lose tonight and still go on to a great season.
the 49rs and Browns will win this weekend and still suck all season.

Im a guru!

SOCALORADO.
09-08-2011, 04:51 PM
4-12

weazel
09-08-2011, 04:55 PM
4-12

I concur

slim
09-08-2011, 05:25 PM
10-6

BeefStew25
09-08-2011, 05:54 PM
7.5-8.5

chris_rabz
09-08-2011, 06:50 PM
It's strange but any success Denver has had while I've been watching has almost always been in the opening half of the season. Occasionally it stretched to the later months of November and December (Super Bowl years etc) but even in our 14-2 season we ended the regular season with a whimper and worried ourselves about complacency in the postseason.

I think Oakland has to be a win. The place will be buzzing from the off, a proper Monday Night shaped start to the season, a packed out Mile High, and the Raiders in town - vengence on our minds. If we lose, it will just flatten our morale for the entire season.

Assuming we do get the win, Cincy at home then also looks winnable. We then have three tough games at Tennessee, Green Bay and then San Diego comes here. I'll be happy if we win one of those which would put us at 3-3 going into the bye week.

After the bye Miami, Detroit, Oakland and KC are all winnable. Games against the Jets, the return with SD, the Vikes, Bears and Patriots are all huge challenges, but a bit more of a cushioned ending against the Bills and Chiefs.

All in all I think we'll do well to get to .500 this time around. I can't see it being better than 9-7 even in the best case scenario, so more than likely we'll end up around the 7-9 mark.

But I'll feel a lot better if we can get some pride back, starting with Monday night, and remind the world that we aren't a laughing stock, and we won't be one of those once-great franchises that have descended into perpetual bottom dwellers.

weazel
09-09-2011, 10:34 AM
It's strange but any success Denver has had while I've been watching has almost always been in the opening half of the season. Occasionally it stretched to the later months of November and December (Super Bowl years etc) but even in our 14-2 season we ended the regular season with a whimper and worried ourselves about complacency in the postseason.

I think Oakland has to be a win. The place will be buzzing from the off, a proper Monday Night shaped start to the season, a packed out Mile High, and the Raiders in town - vengence on our minds. If we lose, it will just flatten our morale for the entire season.

Assuming we do get the win, Cincy at home then also looks winnable. We then have three tough games at Tennessee, Green Bay and then San Diego comes here. I'll be happy if we win one of those which would put us at 3-3 going into the bye week.

After the bye Miami, Detroit, Oakland and KC are all winnable. Games against the Jets, the return with SD, the Vikes, Bears and Patriots are all huge challenges, but a bit more of a cushioned ending against the Bills and Chiefs.

All in all I think we'll do well to get to .500 this time around. I can't see it being better than 9-7 even in the best case scenario, so more than likely we'll end up around the 7-9 mark.

But I'll feel a lot better if we can get some pride back, starting with Monday night, and remind the world that we aren't a laughing stock, and we won't be one of those once-great franchises that have descended into perpetual bottom dwellers.

but that was because Shanny sat all the starters because he was scared they were gonna get a booboo...

CoachChaz
09-09-2011, 10:41 AM
I'll go on record with a 7-9 prediction. 0ut 6-10 is more likely

BroncoStud
09-09-2011, 10:45 AM
5-11 or 6-10. Just don't see wins beyond that.

chazoe60
09-09-2011, 10:47 AM
5-11

7-9 is the best I think we can do with some upsets.

3-13 is the worst we'll do if we get hit with the injury bug.

I'll also predict that we draft 5th and trade a king's ransom for Andrew Luck and we go 9-7 next season and playoffs in 2013. Right it down.

BigDaddyBronco
09-09-2011, 10:48 AM
6-10. 4-12 if we absolutely can't stop the run.

slim
09-09-2011, 10:50 AM
You guys suck.

This team is going to win the division. Get on the bandwagon now, or ****.

TXBRONC
09-09-2011, 10:55 AM
This year I again will be predicting the Broncos final win-loss record based on the results of the first game.

Two years ago (http://sportsindenver.blogspot.com/2009/09/cincinnati-will-be-bellwether-game-for.html) I wrote this:

"If the Broncos beat the Bengals ...

It'll be a huge boost in the team's confidence. All the critics of the offseason changes and disappointing preseason will be quieted. If the Broncos can beat a good Bengals team on the road, I predict they start out 4-0. The schedule then gets much tougher, and they'll finish with an 8-8 record. Matching last year's win total with all the offseason turmoil and changes in personel will be a good season in my book. A few weeks ago I said that this bronco season reminds me of the miracle 1977 season. I still say that, but the only chance for a surprise season this year is to win the opener."

The Broncos did beat the Bengals, did start out 4-0, and did finish 8-8.

Then last year I wrote (http://sportsindenver.blogspot.com/2010/09/jacksonville-game-will-tell-alot-about.html):

"If the Broncos lose to Jacksonville, it could start an early season tailspin that the team will not recover from. I still expect a win against Seattle at home the next week (1-1), followed by losses to Indianapolis, at Tennessee, at Baltimore, and to the Jets at home to start out 1-5. The losing will affect the morale of the team, and the seemingly easy games of the schedule (Oakland home and away, KC home and away, etc) won't look so easy. The team scratches out a few wins on the way to a disappointing 4-12 record."

The Broncos did lose to Jacksonville, won at Tennessee, but in the end the team did finish with a 4-12 record as I predicted. At the time that was seen as a very pessimistic prediction.

Now I am not claiming to be Nostradamus - I could easily have missed on that 2009 prediction if it weren't for that miracle finish in Cincinnati - but I do think the first game tells a lot about what type of team the Broncos will have for the current season. Things I'll be looking at for that opening Monday night game against the Raiders:

The Bronco pass rush has no doubt improved with Elvis Dumervil back and rookie Von Miller on the other side. How will this duo perform in "real" NFL action against an offense game planning against them, instead of the basic offensive schemes they faced in the preseason?

Is the Bronco run defense improved? Last year the Raiders ran for 328 yards and 5 td's in their blowout 59-14 win at Denver. Monday night will be a good test for the Bronco defense.

Will Bronco rookie right tackle Orlando Franklin hold up against the Raider pass rush? Franklin looked good in the run game in the preseason, but struggled in pass protection at times.

On to the predictions ...

If the Broncos beat the Raiders Monday night, they'll get off to a surprising 4-1 start before finishing the season with 8 wins and 8 losses. I'm calling for early season upset wins at Tennessee and against San Diego at home. The long season will wear on the Broncos shallow depth, however, and much like 2009 they won't finish the season as strong.

If the Broncos lose to the Raiders Monday night, they'll only improve slightly from last year's 4 win total, finishing with 5 wins and 11 losses. The Broncos have everything going for them Monday night - first home opener in years, sellout crowd against their most hated rivals, and a new coaching staff to put the nightmare McDaniels years behind them. If that is not enough to beat the Raiders, it will be another long season. I do think even if the team does finish with just 5 wins the future looks bright. The 2011 college draft looks better than the previous two years under McDaniels. John Elway and the new management team just needs a few years to rebuild the roster.

====

The above is from my sportsblog at:

http://www.sportsindenver.blogspot.com/

I'll give you this Titan your prediction is bold. I think there is a higher probably that we start the season 3-2 even with we do beat the Raiders on Monday night.

TXBRONC
09-09-2011, 11:08 AM
but that was because Shanny sat all the starters because he was scared they were gonna get a booboo...

That's not entirely accurate. In the game against the Dolphins all the starters were in at the beginning of the game but many of them were pulled out by the second half of the game. But that's only game that happened.

NightTerror218
09-09-2011, 04:51 PM
I'll give you this Titan your prediction is bold. I think there is a higher probably that we start the season 3-2 even with we do beat the Raiders on Monday night.

CJ2K did not run well against us last time and we sucked. I think it has to do with the fact CJ2K breaks less tackles then other RBs, he is a tricky, slick runner. Might have been why we held him back last season, just an idea. My coworker is waiting for a LB to smear him into the turf because he is so small. Hasselbeck has not throw well against us, like last season.

LawDog
09-09-2011, 05:23 PM
My prediction is that each game will hinge on how our run defense performs in the first quarter. If our opponents establish the run early, we lose. If we are able to shut down the run, then I think we keep the score close enough to win games.

Edit Week 1*** inability to shut down the run = loss. Score was only as close as it was because of Decker's punt return TD and the fact that we played the ridiculously penalty loving raiders. Prediction to date: 1 for 1.

Edit Week 2*** early success against the run -- 34 1st qtr running yards 20 of which were on their first two plays and a total of 72, holding C. Benson under 60 yds for the game -- equals a win. We had just enough offense to keep them at bay in a late rally. Prediction to date: 2 for 2.

Edit Week 3*** great job against the run, regained the lead in the third quarter only to give it up in the fourth and then fail to take advantage of the close score and great opportunities to seal the win. Another loss, but... Prediction to date: 3 for 3.

Edit Week 4*** ok, my prediction didn't really allow for an elite QB coming in and shredding our D without really even attempting to establish the run game. Spot them 7 pts with an early pick six and there was no way we were going to be able to be competitive in a shootout. Prediction to date: 3 for 4.

weazel
09-09-2011, 05:26 PM
That's not entirely accurate. In the game against the Dolphins all the starters were in at the beginning of the game but many of them were pulled out by the second half of the game. But that's only game that happened.

I consider the year we lost to the Jags a superbowl year because if Shanny hadn't have rested the players they wouldnt have been in the stuper for that game and would have won it easily and went on to win the championship.

thats my theory anyway lol

NightTrainLayne
09-09-2011, 06:09 PM
I consider the year we lost to the Jags a superbowl year because if Shanny hadn't have rested the players they wouldnt have been in the stuper for that game and would have won it easily and went on to win the championship.

thats my theory anyway lol

But Elway probably would have retired a year earlier. .. I've run that idea through my head many times.

Nick
09-09-2011, 08:31 PM
5-11

7-9 is the best I think we can do with some upsets.

3-13 is the worst we'll do if we get hit with the injury bug.

I'll also predict that we draft 5th and trade a king's ransom for Andrew Luck and we go 9-7 next season and playoffs in 2013. Right it down.

I agree with this and pretty close to what I am thinking.

If we beat the raiders I think we will be off to a good start and everything will start crashing. Broncos will be ending the season around 6-10.

If we Lose to the raiders. I am thinking 3-13.

The best the team can do in my eyes but unlikely is 9-7. That is if they stay totally healthy.

I see the worst the team doing is 2-14. That is if we have a tough game against raiders and injuries hits us quick.

I believe Elway will do everything in his power, regardless of draft position to get Andrew Luck and will be worth ever penny.

I say they go 10-6 but we miss playoffs 2013.

Nick
09-09-2011, 08:35 PM
I consider the year we lost to the Jags

It should be illegal to mention that game. What a season that that was and an absolute sickening upset. I seriously get acid indigestion every time I think about it. :tsk:

TXBRONC
09-09-2011, 09:21 PM
I consider the year we lost to the Jags a superbowl year because if Shanny hadn't have rested the players they wouldnt have been in the stuper for that game and would have won it easily and went on to win the championship.

thats my theory anyway lol

Oh I thought you we're talking about '98.

Timmy!
09-10-2011, 12:55 AM
9-7

Mobile Post via http://Mobile.BroncosForums.com/forums

Nick
09-11-2011, 03:45 PM
Broncos tough schedule might be getting little tougher. Cincy and buffalo didn't look to bad.

LawDog
09-12-2011, 06:41 PM
Broncos tough schedule might be getting little tougher. Cincy and buffalo didn't look to bad.

They beat JUCO squads in Cleveland and K City. They're not the tough part of our schedule at all.

LawDog
09-18-2011, 07:10 PM
Bump for updates...

Nick
09-18-2011, 07:44 PM
Bump for updates...

I think I will be spot on.


They beat JUCO squads in Cleveland and K City. They're not the tough part of our schedule at all.

They are the weakest part of our schedule but emphasizing how the weakest opponents in our schedule are just better then us. Titans and Bills will both beat us. Minus KC I don't see this team beating anyone.

LawDog
09-18-2011, 08:39 PM
I think I will be spot on.



They are the weakest part of our schedule but emphasizing how the weakest opponents in our schedule are just better then us. Titans and Bills will both beat us. Minus KC I don't see this team beating anyone.

I stand by my evaluation of Cinci, but Buffalo looked strong (at least in the second half) against the Raiders today. The Bills will do well against us...

LawDog
09-26-2011, 11:26 AM
I stand by my evaluation of Cinci, but Buffalo looked strong (at least in the second half) against the Raiders today. The Bills will do well against us...

Buffalo appears to be the real deal. Bump for prediction post update.

Nick
10-02-2011, 06:49 PM
Bump for prediction updates

vettesplus
10-02-2011, 07:52 PM
looking at the remainder of there schedule, 3-13 at best

Nick
11-01-2011, 06:16 PM
Looks like I will be spot on. Which is not a good thing. :tsk: