Lonestar
10-22-2009, 06:10 PM
Analysis:
By Jeff Legwold
The Denver Post
Posted: 10/22/2009 01:00:00 AM MDT
It isn't three up with three games to play as things were before the Broncos collapsed in 2008, but a look at the AFC West standings this year shows the Broncos have certainly done about all they can in the first six weeks of a season:
Denver 6-0
San Diego 2-3
Oakland 2-4
Kansas City 1-5
That isn't just sprinting out of the gate, that's jet-propelled, especially because the Broncos already have wins over the Raiders and Chargers — both on the road — in hand as they work through the bye week.
The only team in the AFC with anything remotely resembling that cushion thus far is Indianapolis in the AFC South, where the Colts (5-0) are already 2-1/2 games in front of the Texans and Jaguars (both 3-3).
And the Broncos are already 5-0 in AFC games, which is a nice early start in an important tiebreaking category when the time comes.
What does it all mean?
It means, statistically, they're almost certainly going to make the postseason at this point — 41-of-43 teams that have started a season 6-0 since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 have qualified for the playoffs — so now it's about the big picture.
It's about getting better, about trying to maintain some semblance of football humility in a growing sea of compliments that will wash over them.
In short, it will be about the Broncos actually practicing what they've preached thus far: that they don't listen to outside voices, even if those voices are now telling them how spectacular they are, and that they really do have a locker room without selfish guys in it.
Because there are times in the NFL when the only thing more challenging than adversity is prosperity, especially when that prosperity arrives this early.
http://www.denverpost.com/premium/broncos/ci_13612344
By Jeff Legwold
The Denver Post
Posted: 10/22/2009 01:00:00 AM MDT
It isn't three up with three games to play as things were before the Broncos collapsed in 2008, but a look at the AFC West standings this year shows the Broncos have certainly done about all they can in the first six weeks of a season:
Denver 6-0
San Diego 2-3
Oakland 2-4
Kansas City 1-5
That isn't just sprinting out of the gate, that's jet-propelled, especially because the Broncos already have wins over the Raiders and Chargers — both on the road — in hand as they work through the bye week.
The only team in the AFC with anything remotely resembling that cushion thus far is Indianapolis in the AFC South, where the Colts (5-0) are already 2-1/2 games in front of the Texans and Jaguars (both 3-3).
And the Broncos are already 5-0 in AFC games, which is a nice early start in an important tiebreaking category when the time comes.
What does it all mean?
It means, statistically, they're almost certainly going to make the postseason at this point — 41-of-43 teams that have started a season 6-0 since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 have qualified for the playoffs — so now it's about the big picture.
It's about getting better, about trying to maintain some semblance of football humility in a growing sea of compliments that will wash over them.
In short, it will be about the Broncos actually practicing what they've preached thus far: that they don't listen to outside voices, even if those voices are now telling them how spectacular they are, and that they really do have a locker room without selfish guys in it.
Because there are times in the NFL when the only thing more challenging than adversity is prosperity, especially when that prosperity arrives this early.
http://www.denverpost.com/premium/broncos/ci_13612344