TXBRONC
11-03-2009, 09:36 AM
http://www.denverpost.com/premium/broncos/ci_13697451
Q&A: Broncos must avoid a losing streak
By Jeff Legwold
The Denver Post
Posted: 11/03/2009 01:00:00 AM MST
Welcome back, and keep the queries coming. Today's comes from John in Limon:
Q: After Sunday's game in Baltimore, is it just one loss for the Broncos or a sign of something else?
A: John, that is life in the NFL. Every week is a six- or seven-day buildup for a game, and a loss is a bad week while a win is a good one. Either way it goes, everybody involved is told to leave whatever happened behind and move on.
That was the message the previously undefeated Broncos, who lost 30-7 to the Ravens, were given Monday. Fix what they need to fix, but leave the rest of it behind. The Ravens are over, and the Steelers are next.
After nobody expected the Broncos to win their first six games, they have to adjust to coming off a bad loss. This week will show a lot in that regard. Another troublesome game, especially at home, could rattle a young team.
Good teams find a way to avoid a losing streak. When they lose, good teams quickly adjust to the things that caused them trouble or tighten up the areas where the errors occurred.
They don't let two, three or four teams in a row take advantage of the same weaknesses, pounding away at the same areas. That's what teams that annually pick high in the NFL draft do.
That's the spot the Broncos are in now. The Ravens ran the ball at them a lot in the second half. They held Elvis Dumervil without a sack. And they got quarterback Kyle Orton off his game.
The Steelers will look at that and try some things because of it. The Broncos have to respond to that and show the issues have been addressed, or the Steelers will simply rinse and repeat.
But overall, one loss doesn't negate six wins. And two losses wouldn't negate six wins.
Those losses, however, would be the sign of something else if the Broncos didn't — or couldn't, for some reason — repair the reasons for them. One late-season loss last year became a season-crushing losing streak when the Broncos could not repair, because of personnel, preparation or coaching, their defensive woes.
So they lost and lost and lost to close out the season.
And in a copycat league, the key is just not to let too many people copy what got you beat the week before.
Jeff Legwold: 303-954-2359 or jlegwold@denverpost.com
Q&A: Broncos must avoid a losing streak
By Jeff Legwold
The Denver Post
Posted: 11/03/2009 01:00:00 AM MST
Welcome back, and keep the queries coming. Today's comes from John in Limon:
Q: After Sunday's game in Baltimore, is it just one loss for the Broncos or a sign of something else?
A: John, that is life in the NFL. Every week is a six- or seven-day buildup for a game, and a loss is a bad week while a win is a good one. Either way it goes, everybody involved is told to leave whatever happened behind and move on.
That was the message the previously undefeated Broncos, who lost 30-7 to the Ravens, were given Monday. Fix what they need to fix, but leave the rest of it behind. The Ravens are over, and the Steelers are next.
After nobody expected the Broncos to win their first six games, they have to adjust to coming off a bad loss. This week will show a lot in that regard. Another troublesome game, especially at home, could rattle a young team.
Good teams find a way to avoid a losing streak. When they lose, good teams quickly adjust to the things that caused them trouble or tighten up the areas where the errors occurred.
They don't let two, three or four teams in a row take advantage of the same weaknesses, pounding away at the same areas. That's what teams that annually pick high in the NFL draft do.
That's the spot the Broncos are in now. The Ravens ran the ball at them a lot in the second half. They held Elvis Dumervil without a sack. And they got quarterback Kyle Orton off his game.
The Steelers will look at that and try some things because of it. The Broncos have to respond to that and show the issues have been addressed, or the Steelers will simply rinse and repeat.
But overall, one loss doesn't negate six wins. And two losses wouldn't negate six wins.
Those losses, however, would be the sign of something else if the Broncos didn't — or couldn't, for some reason — repair the reasons for them. One late-season loss last year became a season-crushing losing streak when the Broncos could not repair, because of personnel, preparation or coaching, their defensive woes.
So they lost and lost and lost to close out the season.
And in a copycat league, the key is just not to let too many people copy what got you beat the week before.
Jeff Legwold: 303-954-2359 or jlegwold@denverpost.com