Lonestar
12-01-2009, 06:22 PM
By Jeff Legwold
The Denver Post
Posted: 12/01/2009 01:00:00 AM MST
Rookie running back Knowshon Moreno, left, celebrates with Spencer Larsen last week after Moreno scored for the Broncos on a 1-yard touchdown run against the Giants at Invesco Field at Mile High. (Joe Amon, The Denver Post )Like many in the throes of the holiday season, the Broncos are searching for balance in their lives.
Now that November has given way to December with the Broncos (7-4) fighting for a playoff berth, it's clear nothing has ensured victory for them this season like a balanced offense.
"When we have it, good things happen," quarterback Kyle Orton said.
The Broncos' 26-6 victory over the New York Giants on Thanksgiving was the latest example. It may have been the otherworldly passing numbers the New England Patriots put up with Josh McDaniels as their offensive coordinator that got the Broncos' attention, but it's the Broncos' numbers running the ball that have made things go well in McDaniels' first season as Denver's
coach.
With the workmanlike dispatching of the Giants, the Broncos are 4-0 in games this season when they run the ball the same number of times as they throw it or run it more than they throw it. They have scored a lot more — 27.5 points per game, compared with 12.3 — in those run-heavy games.
Toss in a victory over the Dallas Cowboys, when they threw the ball only four more times than they ran it, and the Broncos have been close to a lock to win when they get things going on the ground.
As linebacker Andra Davis put it in the wake of the victory over the Giants: "We know who we are. On both sides of the ball, on special teams, we know who we are."
When things have gotten lopsided, it usually has meant the Broncos lost the battle at the line of scrimmage, lost the battle for tempo and needed to throw the ball to catch up. In games they have thrown the ball at least 11 times more than they have run it, either by choice or because of the way the game unfolded, they are 1-3.
The Broncos also have a loss, at Washington, where they threw the ball nine times more than they ran it. And if not for an improbable touchdown on a deflected pass in the opener at Cincinnati, a game when the
Broncos threw the ball eight times more than they ran it, another loss would be on the imbalanced pile.
"I think we play well with that rhythm," wide receiver Brandon Stokley said. "When we execute the offense and do the things we can do, we can run the ball and be productive all over the field."
The only victory this season when the Broncos leaned well to the passing side of the ledger came against New England, when Orton threw the ball a career-high 48 times on the way to a season-high 330 yards passing.
Against a defense McDaniels knew better than any other team on the Denver schedule, Orton repeatedly attacked the Patriots' cornerbacks and the Broncos threw out of the shotgun 28 times.
"You always want to run the ball," McDaniels said. "That's always the goal, to stay balanced, to have that good mix."
But the question McDaniels and others face is how long to wait. Against a team like the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers, who are No. 1 in the 32-team NFL in run defense, the Broncos didn't have success running early in the game. So they didn't run much, then found themselves behind.
The Broncos had 21 yards on their first 10 carries in that game, including three for negative yardage, but the 10th running play also didn't come until just before the two-minute warning in the first half.
The potential is there for the Broncos to pound away down the stretch. Of the four teams remaining on their schedule — they play Kansas City twice during the final five weeks — only Philadelphia (No. 8) is in the NFL's top 10 in run defense. The Chiefs rank 27th, the Colts 15th and the Raiders just 31st.
"Offensively, when we move the ball, use the clock, we're that complementary team we want to be," Broncos defensive lineman Vonnie Holliday said. "Defensively we want to stop people from scoring and get the ball back for our offense. And offensively when we keep the ball as much as we did (against the Giants), that makes what we do easier.
"You're playing with good field position, you're fresh and in control."
Jeff Legwold: 303-954-2359 or jlegwold@denverpost.com
http://www.denverpost.com/premium/broncos/ci_13897278
The Denver Post
Posted: 12/01/2009 01:00:00 AM MST
Rookie running back Knowshon Moreno, left, celebrates with Spencer Larsen last week after Moreno scored for the Broncos on a 1-yard touchdown run against the Giants at Invesco Field at Mile High. (Joe Amon, The Denver Post )Like many in the throes of the holiday season, the Broncos are searching for balance in their lives.
Now that November has given way to December with the Broncos (7-4) fighting for a playoff berth, it's clear nothing has ensured victory for them this season like a balanced offense.
"When we have it, good things happen," quarterback Kyle Orton said.
The Broncos' 26-6 victory over the New York Giants on Thanksgiving was the latest example. It may have been the otherworldly passing numbers the New England Patriots put up with Josh McDaniels as their offensive coordinator that got the Broncos' attention, but it's the Broncos' numbers running the ball that have made things go well in McDaniels' first season as Denver's
coach.
With the workmanlike dispatching of the Giants, the Broncos are 4-0 in games this season when they run the ball the same number of times as they throw it or run it more than they throw it. They have scored a lot more — 27.5 points per game, compared with 12.3 — in those run-heavy games.
Toss in a victory over the Dallas Cowboys, when they threw the ball only four more times than they ran it, and the Broncos have been close to a lock to win when they get things going on the ground.
As linebacker Andra Davis put it in the wake of the victory over the Giants: "We know who we are. On both sides of the ball, on special teams, we know who we are."
When things have gotten lopsided, it usually has meant the Broncos lost the battle at the line of scrimmage, lost the battle for tempo and needed to throw the ball to catch up. In games they have thrown the ball at least 11 times more than they have run it, either by choice or because of the way the game unfolded, they are 1-3.
The Broncos also have a loss, at Washington, where they threw the ball nine times more than they ran it. And if not for an improbable touchdown on a deflected pass in the opener at Cincinnati, a game when the
Broncos threw the ball eight times more than they ran it, another loss would be on the imbalanced pile.
"I think we play well with that rhythm," wide receiver Brandon Stokley said. "When we execute the offense and do the things we can do, we can run the ball and be productive all over the field."
The only victory this season when the Broncos leaned well to the passing side of the ledger came against New England, when Orton threw the ball a career-high 48 times on the way to a season-high 330 yards passing.
Against a defense McDaniels knew better than any other team on the Denver schedule, Orton repeatedly attacked the Patriots' cornerbacks and the Broncos threw out of the shotgun 28 times.
"You always want to run the ball," McDaniels said. "That's always the goal, to stay balanced, to have that good mix."
But the question McDaniels and others face is how long to wait. Against a team like the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers, who are No. 1 in the 32-team NFL in run defense, the Broncos didn't have success running early in the game. So they didn't run much, then found themselves behind.
The Broncos had 21 yards on their first 10 carries in that game, including three for negative yardage, but the 10th running play also didn't come until just before the two-minute warning in the first half.
The potential is there for the Broncos to pound away down the stretch. Of the four teams remaining on their schedule — they play Kansas City twice during the final five weeks — only Philadelphia (No. 8) is in the NFL's top 10 in run defense. The Chiefs rank 27th, the Colts 15th and the Raiders just 31st.
"Offensively, when we move the ball, use the clock, we're that complementary team we want to be," Broncos defensive lineman Vonnie Holliday said. "Defensively we want to stop people from scoring and get the ball back for our offense. And offensively when we keep the ball as much as we did (against the Giants), that makes what we do easier.
"You're playing with good field position, you're fresh and in control."
Jeff Legwold: 303-954-2359 or jlegwold@denverpost.com
http://www.denverpost.com/premium/broncos/ci_13897278