Denver Native (Carol)
09-23-2009, 10:35 PM
http://blog.denverbroncos.com/mrice/putting-the-d-back-in-denver/
They quietly yet methodically closed their lunch pail, snapped the top shut and walked into the locker room, subtly smiling at the thought of another opponent tidily packed inside.
The Broncos’ defense is playing some good old fashioned football.
The Broncos beat down the Browns 27-6 on Sunday and the defense turned the Browns black and blue, limiting Cleveland to 200 yards of total offense, forcing three turnovers and getting a franchise record-tying four sacks from Elvis Dumervil. The only points the Broncos allowed were two harmless field goals.
Someone tell those guys they aren’t supposed to be this good.
“I was able to go in there and make a couple of plays,” Dumervil told 850 KOA after the game. “(I was) just trying to set the guy up, do different moves. It was a chess match and I was able to win some.”
Checkmate, Cleveland.
The Broncos have surrendered 13 points in their first two games, which through two games ties for the second lowest total in franchise history to start a season. I don’t care whom they played, that is impressive. If the Broncos keep this up, Katie bar the door.
I can already hear that Broncos have only played Cincinnati and Cleveland, not exactly great teams. Tell that to the Green Bay Packers, who lost to the Bengals at home. And the Vikings saw the Browns score 20 points in a win on opening day.
The fact is the Broncos defense has completely shut down its opponent on two straight occasions. Two games does not a season make. But this is a really, really good start.
In two games, the Broncos have allowed a total of 13 points, given up only 507 net yards, come up with seven sacks, recorded five takeaways while turning the ball over just once, and allowed opposing offenses to convert only 9-of-31 times on third and fourth downs (29.0%).
This not only appears to be a talented group but also a tight-knit one.
“(We’re) very close,” linebacker Andra Davis told 850 KOA. “We developed this bond way back in OTA’s (organized team activities) and training camp. Everybody’s close; everybody knows their roles. We’re just trying to build upon these W’s and see where it goes.”
I’m not ready to say it’s the second coming of the Orange Crush but there is no denying the Broncos’ defense is off to a rousing start.
It is mind-bogglingly delicious. Just weeks ago, nobody thought the Broncos had any top-notch defensive linemen, there were questions about linebackers who were adjusting to new positions and the rebuilt secondary was too old to be worth a darn. And oh yeah, the Broncos were trying to get used to yet another defensive coordinator.
Yet here we sit, two games into the season and suddenly the Broncos’ defense is developing a suffocating, stingy and rough-and-tumble identity. They attack, they fly around, they make plays and they seem to enjoy being on the field together.
Their leader appears to be the ever-emotional yet highly intelligent Brian Dawkins, one of the free agents the Broncos are counting on this year.
This is a unit that comes to work and doesn’t make excuses. So far, they haven’t had many to make.
Rumor has it there will be a Silver and Black snack in the ‘ole lunch pail next Sunday.
They quietly yet methodically closed their lunch pail, snapped the top shut and walked into the locker room, subtly smiling at the thought of another opponent tidily packed inside.
The Broncos’ defense is playing some good old fashioned football.
The Broncos beat down the Browns 27-6 on Sunday and the defense turned the Browns black and blue, limiting Cleveland to 200 yards of total offense, forcing three turnovers and getting a franchise record-tying four sacks from Elvis Dumervil. The only points the Broncos allowed were two harmless field goals.
Someone tell those guys they aren’t supposed to be this good.
“I was able to go in there and make a couple of plays,” Dumervil told 850 KOA after the game. “(I was) just trying to set the guy up, do different moves. It was a chess match and I was able to win some.”
Checkmate, Cleveland.
The Broncos have surrendered 13 points in their first two games, which through two games ties for the second lowest total in franchise history to start a season. I don’t care whom they played, that is impressive. If the Broncos keep this up, Katie bar the door.
I can already hear that Broncos have only played Cincinnati and Cleveland, not exactly great teams. Tell that to the Green Bay Packers, who lost to the Bengals at home. And the Vikings saw the Browns score 20 points in a win on opening day.
The fact is the Broncos defense has completely shut down its opponent on two straight occasions. Two games does not a season make. But this is a really, really good start.
In two games, the Broncos have allowed a total of 13 points, given up only 507 net yards, come up with seven sacks, recorded five takeaways while turning the ball over just once, and allowed opposing offenses to convert only 9-of-31 times on third and fourth downs (29.0%).
This not only appears to be a talented group but also a tight-knit one.
“(We’re) very close,” linebacker Andra Davis told 850 KOA. “We developed this bond way back in OTA’s (organized team activities) and training camp. Everybody’s close; everybody knows their roles. We’re just trying to build upon these W’s and see where it goes.”
I’m not ready to say it’s the second coming of the Orange Crush but there is no denying the Broncos’ defense is off to a rousing start.
It is mind-bogglingly delicious. Just weeks ago, nobody thought the Broncos had any top-notch defensive linemen, there were questions about linebackers who were adjusting to new positions and the rebuilt secondary was too old to be worth a darn. And oh yeah, the Broncos were trying to get used to yet another defensive coordinator.
Yet here we sit, two games into the season and suddenly the Broncos’ defense is developing a suffocating, stingy and rough-and-tumble identity. They attack, they fly around, they make plays and they seem to enjoy being on the field together.
Their leader appears to be the ever-emotional yet highly intelligent Brian Dawkins, one of the free agents the Broncos are counting on this year.
This is a unit that comes to work and doesn’t make excuses. So far, they haven’t had many to make.
Rumor has it there will be a Silver and Black snack in the ‘ole lunch pail next Sunday.