Why Brock just might be good enough to win it all

[Northman]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14270301/why-denver-broncos-brock-osweiler-good-enough-win-all-nfl

Damn good article:


Working on the assumption that Brock Osweiler (http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/14879/brock-osweiler) will remain the quarterback of the Denver Broncos (http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/den/denver-broncos), and that John Elway hasn't tempered his win-now urgency in the wake of Peyton Manning (http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/1428/peyton-manning)'s injury, Denver's season has been reduced to one relevant question:

Is Osweiler good enough to win the Super Bowl? Or, better yet: Are the Broncos good enough to win the Super Bowl with Osweiler as their guy?




Football coaches are fond of measuring their recruits' athleticism on the basketball court, and Osweiler didn't disappoint. But he played so damn hard, too, on both ends of the floor, and Lubick thought he radiated a vibe of extreme confidence while maintaining an ego-free approach to lesser teammates. The recruiter thought this trait would transfer perfectly to the quarterback position.

And then Lubick watched his prospect throw the football. Though he was too busy working for Dennis Erickson on Saturdays to see Osweiler live, Lubick studied every Flathead game on tape. The recruiter was born in Bozeman and had played his college ball at Western Montana; he was well aware that Montana high school football didn't quite measure up to the Texas game played under the Friday night lights.

The films never lied anyway. "Brock was a man among boys out there," Lubick said. "He wasn't that heavily recruited or highly publicized because you might have one BCS guy a year coming out of Montana, and he wasn't playing against great competition or throwing to Division I receivers. He was throwing to all these undersized, good, tough Montana kids, and half the season they're playing in snowstorms.




John Elway trusted Matt Lubick's opinion enough to ask him if the Broncos should be interested in taking Osweiler in the upcoming 2012 NFL draft. "I think the guy's a steal," Lubick told Elway. "You can't go wrong with him. Brock's as good as it gets, and I had nothing to do with it."

Elway had already seen enough of Osweiler to be leaning in that direction anyway, but the endorsement didn't hurt. The Broncos picked the Arizona State quarterback in the second round, with the 57th overall pick, and groomed him to do what he just did -- replace the Manning, now 39 years old. Osweiler beat theChicago Bears (http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/chi/chicago-bears) on the road in his first start and beat the 10-0 New England Patriots (http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/ne/new-england-patriots) at home in his second.

Now an assistant at Oregon, Lubick believes Osweiler has the requisite leadership skills and poise to take the Broncos as far as their talent will allow. "He reminds me of Marcus Mariota (http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/2576980/marcus-mariota), whose biggest strength for us was that he never got rattled," Lubick said. "Brock can play at a high level no matter the circumstances. He's the same guy whether he's up 10 points or down 10."

[Timmy!]

Undersized good, tough, Montana kids playing in snowstorms half the time. Pretty much sums it up. 17 jerseys are popping up all over up here.

[SR]

Good read. Thanks for posting.

[Joel]

Two games. TWO. We send tape of our last THREE to each opponent; let's see where we're at when none of that tape includes Manning. Not saying he is/n't great/awful, but that it's far too soon for ANYONE to say ANY of that. Buying tickets to Oz' SB or President Trumps Inaugural Ball make equally no sense for the same reason.

[BroncoJoe]

You do understand what "just might be" means, right?

[Davii]

Two games. TWO. We send tape of our last THREE to each opponent; let's see where we're at when none of that tape includes Manning. Not saying he is/n't great/awful, but that it's far too soon for ANYONE to say ANY of that. Buying tickets to Oz' SB or President Trumps Inaugural Ball make equally no sense for the same reason.

It's too early to ASK if the Broncos could possibly win a SB with him at the helm?

I disagree Joel. It's certainly too soon to state with certainty that such a thing will happen or is somehow likely. It is not, however, too soon to ask such questions and begin the process of evaluating Brock's talents and possibilities. Two starts is more than 10% of the regular season. He will likely get AT LEAST two more, if not the rest of the season. We will have a BETTER idea through all that, but none of that precludes holding a discussion at this point in time.

[NightTerror218]

Two games. TWO. We send tape of our last THREE to each opponent; let's see where we're at when none of that tape includes Manning. Not saying he is/n't great/awful, but that it's far too soon for ANYONE to say ANY of that. Buying tickets to Oz' SB or President Trumps Inaugural Ball make equally no sense for the same reason.

So what. Oz is still developing as a starter. Any tendencies he has now may not be there in 3 months if he has coach able mistakes. His ability to read defenses will get better.

He could be a slightly different player and half a season worth of tape may not tip off a defensive coach. Look at how a lot of young starters in last few years had great rookie seasons to then fall flat into season two. Coaches did not game plan to stop them after 6 games or 10 games but a whole season.

Ride Oz right now maybe late playoffs so e teams may be able to game plan better against him. Even the Bears who coached him his first 3 years could confuse him into mistakes.

[VonDoom]

I just saw this linked on Twitter but haven't had a chance to read the whole thing yet - thanks for posting, North.

I actually was thinking about Hostetler and the 1990 Giants as a comparison for this team anyway, so I'm glad it was brought up here. That year included the Giants going to SF for the NFC Championship game and knocking off the defending champions before winning the Super Bowl ...

[Timmy!]

Jesus H Christ, just shut the **** up.

:lol:

Subtle.

[Dapper Dan]

I like Brock and have always had high hopes for him. He's exceeded my expectations so far. I feel great about the future. Still, I wish the media would tune down the hype a bit. I don't think it will bother the team. I just hate when people like ESPN runs something into the ground. People will get sick of hearing about Brock and will be happy if he has a bad game. And the dude doest deserve that. He seems super classy, unlike **** Tom Brady.

[BroncoJoe]

I like Brock and have always had high hopes for him. He's exceeded my expectations so far. I feel great about the future. Still, I wish the media would tune down the hype a bit. I don't think it will bother the team. I just hate when people like ESPN runs something into the ground. People will get sick of hearing about Brock and will be happy if he has a bad game. And the dude doest deserve that. He seems super classy, unlike **** Tom Brady.

Good thing is, I don't believe the hype/buzz will affect him at all.

"I'm not 2-0, the team is 2-0."

Dude really seems to have his shit together and has a singular focus on playing well, and trying to get better every week.

[TXBRONC]

Two games. TWO. We send tape of our last THREE to each opponent; let's see where we're at when none of that tape includes Manning. Not saying he is/n't great/awful, but that it's far too soon for ANYONE to say ANY of that. Buying tickets to Oz' SB or President Trumps Inaugural Ball make equally no sense for the same reason.

Were in the midst of a season and since he is starting right now it's a relevant question.

[Dapper Dan]

Good thing is, I don't believe the hype/buzz will affect him at all.

"I'm not 2-0, the team is 2-0."

Dude really seems to have his shit together and has a singular focus on playing well, and trying to get better every week.

I totally agree. I don't think it will bother him at all.

[MOtorboat]

Two games. TWO. We send tape of our last THREE to each opponent; let's see where we're at when none of that tape includes Manning. Not saying he is/n't great/awful, but that it's far too soon for ANYONE to say ANY of that. Buying tickets to Oz' SB or President Trumps Inaugural Ball make equally no sense for the same reason.

The Broncos are 9-2. I think it's fairly safe for people to comment on whether or not this team could win the Super Bowl, regardless of who is at quarterback.

And yes, it's his second game. But this team is 9-2 and I think it's fair to ask a little more out of Osweiler because of that record and how good the defense is.

[Davii]

Good thing is, I don't believe the hype/buzz will affect him at all.

"I'm not 2-0, the team is 2-0."

Dude really seems to have his shit together and has a singular focus on playing well, and trying to get better every week.

Not one team mate has had a bad thing to say in his entire time here. That includes guys that now work in the media and still have glowing things to say about Brock and say the other players that he still talk to daily feel the same. I think sitting behind Manning and learning, trying, etc, for three years has given the guy the work ethic you need to succeed in the league. From what Dreesen said on the radio, if not all the football knowledge he gleaned from Manning over the years, he certainly learned Manning's work ethic. I fail to see how that could be a bad thing in any way at all.

[Ravage!!!]

Two games. TWO. We send tape of our last THREE to each opponent; let's see where we're at when none of that tape includes Manning. Not saying he is/n't great/awful, but that it's far too soon for ANYONE to say ANY of that. Buying tickets to Oz' SB or President Trumps Inaugural Ball make equally no sense for the same reason.

We know. Elway just drafted him because he was his son's friend. We remember.

[Mike]

Teams have won the SB with worse than Brock. Is the defense good enough? Maybe. Not sure Brock is the long-term answer, but he has done all that you can ask for out of him so far and looks like he is up to the challenge.

I think that every team in the AFC has weak links and any of the top teams could beat each other on any given Sunday. Will be interesting to see how the playoffs go. Denver has a good a shot as NE or Cincy at this point.

[Al Wilson 4 Mayor]

https://youtu.be/VcvivQCG4uU

Interesting dialogue from 6 months ago, based upon Plummer stating Osweiler could start for 20 teams.

[TXBRONC]

Teams have won the SB with worse than Brock. Is the defense good enough? Maybe. Not sure Brock is the long-term answer, but he has done all that you can ask for out of him so far and looks like he is up to the challenge.

I think that every team in the AFC has weak links and any of the top teams could beat each other on any given Sunday. Will be interesting to see how the playoffs go. Denver has a good a shot as NE or Cincy at this point.

When the ****Patsies won their first Super Bowl 2001 Brady wasn't great.

[capt. Jack]

I can't believe Trump won the Election?

😊

[EastCoastBronco]

The game this weekend is a great test in my opinion.
We've seen how he and the team handled one of the best teams in the league.
Now lets see how they handle one of the worst.
These games against teams with poor records immediately following a fantastic win against a great team are always iffy.
I'd love to see us keep rolling and blow Sandy Eggo right out of the water.

[tomjonesrocks]

The game this weekend is a great test in my opinion. We've seen how he and the team handled one of the best teams in the league. Now lets see how they handle one of the worst. These games against teams with poor records immediately following a fantastic win against a great team are always iffy. I'd love to see us keep rolling and blow Sandy Eggo right out of the water.

I've heard really no quality analysis on this coming matchup. The QB story and win last week has overwhelmed all.

I hope the team stays focused.

[TXBRONC]

I've heard really no quality analysis on this coming matchup. The QB story and win last week has overwhelmed all.

I hope the team stays focused.

I bet they are.

[Joel]

I can't believe Trump won the Election?
Yup, right after Oz won the SB.

Sure, it's worth talking about whether Oz CAN do it; a good idea, really. I'm just already tired of all the folks (including many professionals) falling into the perennial and universal "our unknown backup's 2-0 and unstoppable!" trap. It's like no one can remember more than a week into the past nor think more than a week into the future anymore.

And EVERYTHING that happens with the Broncos is a Rorschach test for how one feels about Manning and/or Oz. I mean, Fowler and Latimer missed practice today because they're becoming fathers: What does THAT say about whether Manning can still play/is faking his injury, or Oz' poise and recognition in the pocket? Absolutely NOTHING.

[BroncoJoe]

Maybe you should stop logging onto this site then?

[Joel]

Maybe you should stop logging onto this site then?
What would you have to complain about not reading then?

[Nomad]

The game this weekend is a great test in my opinion.
We've seen how he and the team handled one of the best teams in the league.
Now lets see how they handle one of the worst.
These games against teams with poor records immediately following a fantastic win against a great team are always iffy.
I'd love to see us keep rolling and blow Sandy Eggo right out of the water.

Brock's first start against a division rival. I hope he tears em up.

[Dapper Dan]

We know. Elway just drafted him because he was his son's friend. We remember.

I seriously LOLd. Wasn't it ChiefZamboni that said that?

[Locnar]

Just having a qb play under center and move out of the pocket helps the run game significantly. I think we are just barely expanding the perimeters of what this offense can do in the running game..

[Dapper Dan]

Where did the QB line up when CJ had back to back 165 yard games?

[tripp]

Can the Broncos win the SB with Brock? Sure. But the defense has to be phenomenal.

[JPPT1974]

I think that Brock learned a lot from Peyton during his time here.

[Al Wilson 4 Mayor]

Where did the QB line up when CJ had back to back 165 yard games?

Shotgun, but teams feared Manning and their base D's were nickel, so only 6 guys were in the box, which made it easier to run against. That trend stopped against the Colts in the playoffs last year.

[Northman]

The game this weekend is a great test in my opinion.
We've seen how he and the team handled one of the best teams in the league.
Now lets see how they handle one of the worst.
These games against teams with poor records immediately following a fantastic win against a great team are always iffy.
I'd love to see us keep rolling and blow Sandy Eggo right out of the water.

Thats the parity of the league not to mention a division rival. I expect Denver to win but i dont think we will blow them out. The defense has not played the way it has earlier in the season so they are going to give up some points to Rivers methinks.

[Dapper Dan]

Shotgun, but teams feared Manning and their base D's were nickel, so only 6 guys were in the box, which made it easier to run against. That trend stopped against the Colts in the playoffs last year.

People are saying Manning has sucked since week 10 of last season. Why would they fear him in weeks 12 and 13, letting 1 running back gain over 160 yards in each game? Does it take 7 weeks for a team to realize that Manning sucks and can't pass?

[BroncoWave]

People are saying Manning has sucked since week 10 of last season. Why would they fear him in weeks 12 and 13, letting 1 running back gain over 160 yards in each game? Does it take 7 weeks for a team to realize that Manning sucks and can't pass?

In weeks 11-12 last year he had a little hot stretch of 6 TD and 0 INT over those 2 weeks, so yeah, I would say it's fair to assume that teams were playing him differently during weeks 12 and 13 of last year than they have at any point since the Colts game last year.

[NightTerror218]

In weeks 11-12 last year he had a little hot stretch of 6 TD and 0 INT over those 2 weeks, so yeah, I would say it's fair to assume that teams were playing him differently during weeks 12 and 13 of last year than they have at any point since the Colts game last year.

I belive one of those 2 teams was the raiders as well.

[Cugel]

I just saw this linked on Twitter but haven't had a chance to read the whole thing yet - thanks for posting, North.

I actually was thinking about Hostetler and the 1990 Giants as a comparison for this team anyway, so I'm glad it was brought up here. That year included the Giants going to SF for the NFC Championship game and knocking off the defending champions before winning the Super Bowl ...

That 1991 Giants team was pretty much a fluke win though. Despite the heroic performance by Hostetler and RB O.J. Anderson (the MVP), Scott Norwood missed a 47 yard FG late and the Bills lost by 1 point. The Giants beating the 49ers and Bears that season was more indicative.

I'll never forget that game, my father was a big Giants fan and I went to Giants games as a kid.

[TXBRONC]

That 1991 Giants team was pretty much a fluke win though. Despite the heroic performance by Hostetler and RB O.J. Anderson (the MVP), Scott Norwood missed a 47 yard FG late and the Bills lost by 1 point. The Giants beating the 49ers and Bears that season was more indicative.

I'll never forget that game, my father was a big Giants fan and I went to Giants games as a kid.

So are from New York or New Jersey?

[VonDoom]

That 1991 Giants team was pretty much a fluke win though. Despite the heroic performance by Hostetler and RB O.J. Anderson (the MVP), Scott Norwood missed a 47 yard FG late and the Bills lost by 1 point. The Giants beating the 49ers and Bears that season was more indicative.

I'll never forget that game, my father was a big Giants fan and I went to Giants games as a kid.

There are plenty of games that come down to one or two plays. I'd take that kind of "fluky" win every time.

But yeah, the win over the 49ers was a huge deal back then, especially to my uniformed 11 year old self. I thought they had no chance in that game.

[Cugel]

So are from New York or New Jersey?

Grew up in Connecticut, which is divided between Giants fans in the west, and Patriots fans in the east. I hate the Patriots, so you can figure out which part of the state I grew up in.

[TimHippo]

That 1991 Giants team was pretty much a fluke win though. Despite the heroic performance by Hostetler and RB O.J. Anderson (the MVP), Scott Norwood missed a 47 yard FG late and the Bills lost by 1 point. The Giants beating the 49ers and Bears that season was more indicative.

I'll never forget that game, my father was a big Giants fan and I went to Giants games as a kid.

Yeah but honestly 47 yard field goal is no chip shot, especially in that situation. So I wouldn't exactly call it a fluke.

[TXBRONC]

Grew up in Connecticut, which is divided between Giants fans in the west, and Patriots fans in the east. I hate the Patriots, so you can figure out which part of the state I grew up in.

The East? :D