Denver Native (Carol)
10-20-2009, 01:01 PM
http://www.denverpost.com/premium/broncos/ci_13598679
SAN DIEGO — They have won in orange, they have won in blue. They have won in mustard yellow, they have won in bratwurst brown. The Broncos have made them all look good.
In their coming-out party Monday night at Qualcomm Stadium, they won with a disbelieving nation watching.
"I tell you what: let them keep not believing," defensive end Vonnie Holliday said afterward. "And let us each week go out and prove them wrong. There's no crowns or trophies, there's no playoff berth for being 6-0 right now. But it feels damn good. It does."
Incredible as it seems to all but the most faithful members of Josh McDaniels' choir, the reconstituted Broncos are for real.
It is as if you could make gourmet coffee from instant. You do not change more than half your players and virtually all of your coaches and come out looking like you were born to play together. But that's what the Broncos have done.
Their victory over the Chargers was a true AFL throwback game, complete with diamond end zones, three kick returns for touchdowns and Dion and Lou Christie crooning through the public address system.
The Chargers honored their 1963 AFL championship team before the game, introducing Lance Alworth, Ron Mix and Keith Lincoln. They could have used Alworth once the game began. He might have freed Vincent Jackson from Champ Bailey's determined clutches.
Still, the second half was strictly 2009, with Mike Nolan's remarkable defense again adjusting on the fly, this time shutting down a quarterback who had baffled and bedeviled the Broncos ever since he took over the San Diego attack four years ago. The Chargers scored 20 points before intermission and three afterward.
The Broncos have now outscored their six opponents 76-10 in the second half.
"They did score a lot in the first," linebacker Andra Davis said. "That's not us. We play better ball than that. They had two weeks to prepare for us, a division game, a huge game Monday night. We knew we were going to get their best shot.
"After the first half, that was their best shot. We just had to make adjustments and come back and play our style of ball."
Asked about defensive coordinator Nolan's halftime adjustments, the Broncos' defenders smiled and demurred, mentioning that they play the Chargers again in a month. But their pressure on Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers improved dramatically.
"They adjusted well and they played well," Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson said. "They showed they are a top defense and they frustrated us in the second half."
Each team had one sack in the first half. The Broncos added four in the second; the Chargers added none. Once more, Nolan deployed Elvis Dumervil from all over rather than just his right outside linebacker spot. He got both of his sacks going around the right side of the Chargers offensive line, beating tight end Brandon Manumaleuna and right tackle Jeromey Clary.
"We're a pressure team," Davis said. "That's what we do, man. He had too much time to sit back there and pick us apart. We knew that, and we took it upon ourselves in the front seven to go out there and try to get after him a little bit. Corners can't cover all day. Corners started doing a lot more pressing and we started doing a lot more rushing."
Blitzes that led to sacks by Andre Goodman and D.J. Williams appeared slightly delayed and well-disguised.
"In the beginning we were anxious, and we didn't disguise as good," defensive end Kenny Peterson said. "We disguised pretty good in the second half.
"They threw some good things at us in the first half and we just had to calm down and play our style of football and just execute on defense. We had a lot of mistakes in the first half, a lot. We just had to calm down and get our composure back and play ball."
"That's what we've been doing pretty much the whole year," Vonnie Holliday added. "We come in at halftime, the coaches do a great job of making adjustments, the guys do a great job of talking to each other, communicating, the secondary guys, the defensive front guys, and it's been working."
Now the Broncos get a week off while the rest of the league tries to figure them out. They can use it. Brian Dawkins, Ronald Fields, Mario Haggan and Jack Williams all played through injuries Monday night.
"It is a great time for a bye," Holliday said. "It's perfect. It couldn't have worked out any better. Just like our season so far."
For the Broncos, it's a good bye. For the Chargers, maybe a goodbye.
SAN DIEGO — They have won in orange, they have won in blue. They have won in mustard yellow, they have won in bratwurst brown. The Broncos have made them all look good.
In their coming-out party Monday night at Qualcomm Stadium, they won with a disbelieving nation watching.
"I tell you what: let them keep not believing," defensive end Vonnie Holliday said afterward. "And let us each week go out and prove them wrong. There's no crowns or trophies, there's no playoff berth for being 6-0 right now. But it feels damn good. It does."
Incredible as it seems to all but the most faithful members of Josh McDaniels' choir, the reconstituted Broncos are for real.
It is as if you could make gourmet coffee from instant. You do not change more than half your players and virtually all of your coaches and come out looking like you were born to play together. But that's what the Broncos have done.
Their victory over the Chargers was a true AFL throwback game, complete with diamond end zones, three kick returns for touchdowns and Dion and Lou Christie crooning through the public address system.
The Chargers honored their 1963 AFL championship team before the game, introducing Lance Alworth, Ron Mix and Keith Lincoln. They could have used Alworth once the game began. He might have freed Vincent Jackson from Champ Bailey's determined clutches.
Still, the second half was strictly 2009, with Mike Nolan's remarkable defense again adjusting on the fly, this time shutting down a quarterback who had baffled and bedeviled the Broncos ever since he took over the San Diego attack four years ago. The Chargers scored 20 points before intermission and three afterward.
The Broncos have now outscored their six opponents 76-10 in the second half.
"They did score a lot in the first," linebacker Andra Davis said. "That's not us. We play better ball than that. They had two weeks to prepare for us, a division game, a huge game Monday night. We knew we were going to get their best shot.
"After the first half, that was their best shot. We just had to make adjustments and come back and play our style of ball."
Asked about defensive coordinator Nolan's halftime adjustments, the Broncos' defenders smiled and demurred, mentioning that they play the Chargers again in a month. But their pressure on Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers improved dramatically.
"They adjusted well and they played well," Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson said. "They showed they are a top defense and they frustrated us in the second half."
Each team had one sack in the first half. The Broncos added four in the second; the Chargers added none. Once more, Nolan deployed Elvis Dumervil from all over rather than just his right outside linebacker spot. He got both of his sacks going around the right side of the Chargers offensive line, beating tight end Brandon Manumaleuna and right tackle Jeromey Clary.
"We're a pressure team," Davis said. "That's what we do, man. He had too much time to sit back there and pick us apart. We knew that, and we took it upon ourselves in the front seven to go out there and try to get after him a little bit. Corners can't cover all day. Corners started doing a lot more pressing and we started doing a lot more rushing."
Blitzes that led to sacks by Andre Goodman and D.J. Williams appeared slightly delayed and well-disguised.
"In the beginning we were anxious, and we didn't disguise as good," defensive end Kenny Peterson said. "We disguised pretty good in the second half.
"They threw some good things at us in the first half and we just had to calm down and play our style of football and just execute on defense. We had a lot of mistakes in the first half, a lot. We just had to calm down and get our composure back and play ball."
"That's what we've been doing pretty much the whole year," Vonnie Holliday added. "We come in at halftime, the coaches do a great job of making adjustments, the guys do a great job of talking to each other, communicating, the secondary guys, the defensive front guys, and it's been working."
Now the Broncos get a week off while the rest of the league tries to figure them out. They can use it. Brian Dawkins, Ronald Fields, Mario Haggan and Jack Williams all played through injuries Monday night.
"It is a great time for a bye," Holliday said. "It's perfect. It couldn't have worked out any better. Just like our season so far."
For the Broncos, it's a good bye. For the Chargers, maybe a goodbye.