Many around the league have written the Denver Broncos off. Even the lowly Raiders think that 2008 will see their perennial loser break .500 for the first time since 2002, while displacing the Chiefs and Broncos. I might be able to see the Raiders overtaking the Chiefs for third place in the division, but to think that the Broncos will continue to erode into obscurity is just plain speculation and not based on reality.
I've decided it's time to give my ten reasons why the Denver Broncos will not falter in 2008 and why they may even take this division from the Chargers.
Reason #10: Rod Smith
Yes, we lost the greatest wide receiver ever to don a Denver Broncos jersey. He never had the flare or ego of the Michael Irvin's or T.O.'s of the league, but he had the class and humility that the Denver Bronco organization has always carried with it. We lost Rod Smith the player, but I believe we will gain Rod Smith the coach and mentor which will impact this team more than playing. Here is a little tribute to Rod.
"In Rod We Trust"
Reason #9: Pat Bowlen
As Bronco fans we are blessed with one of the best owners in the league today. He expects excellence, but doesn't meddle in team affairs like the nefarious Al Davis. He genuinely cares about this football team and is willing to do what it takes to win championships. I believe he and Mike Shanahan cooperatively tried to win a championship through free agency and it failed. I think they changed strategies in 2006 when they were able to draft Jay Cutler. The new goal has been to develop a champion through the draft and I see this strategy working.
We all need to count our lucky stars that we have Pat Bowlen working hard to correct the deficiencies in this team rather than Al Davis being a cancer that kills the team.
Reason #8: AFC West
Our Division has become an AFC version of the NFC West. Pathetically weak. The San Diego Chargers are the class of the division right now, but only because they OWN the Denver Broncos. If the Denver Broncos can find a way to level the playing field with the Chargers and shut that egotistical loud mouthed Rivers up then this Division could be back in the hands of Denver. The problem with the AFC West is not the Chargers, or even the Denver Broncos. The problem is the wretched teams now playing in Kansas City and Oakland.
The AFC West will not be a strong division again for many years. The Chiefs are in complete disarray and will not see a winning record for many years and may very well be at the bottom starting next year. Oakland is getting stronger, but how quickly it can recover really depends on Al Davis and his ability to "Just Die Baby!" Really, the Raiders will be better off when someone else is running things from the top. Ok, that was a little harsh...how about "Just Retire Baby!" There, that is less insensitive of me. ;)
Reason #7: Champ Bailey
We all know Champ had an off year last year. Even great ones have off years. I expect Champ to come back with a focused intensity next season. He will dominate now that he is back to playing Slowik's defense. I loved watching him play in 2005 and 2006. This year will be similar. This year Champ will be back in the groove, in fact, let me post a few video clips to remind you of what Champ can do. Game Changer.
I lost my voice on this play
I can't wait to watch a game at Mile High
Reason #6: Selvin Young
I've been high on this guy since the first time I saw him take a handoff in the Bronco uniform. If he put on some weight he would be a dominate force in this league, but it appears that is not to be. He can still be the number two punch of our new two-headed beast. We need that two-headed beast too, because it is obvious Travis Henry cannot handle the full load. Hopefully we will address the long term future of our running backs in the draft. For now however, enjoy the luxury we have with Travis Henry, Selvin Young, and Andre Hall. Now if we could only keep our offensive line healthy!
Wow, I actually found a tribute to Selvin Young!
Reason #5: Defensive Line
I've seen much discussion on many Bronco forums about us needing to pick up more defensive ends. This has to stop. We have Moss, Crowder, and Doom. Those guys will anchor the outside for many years to come. The reason we should be excited about our defensive line is because of the upcoming draft. I think we all know that a high draft pick will be lining up next to Marcus Thomas next year. That will give us one of the youngest defensive lines in the league and THAT is something to be excited about. No more freaking Browncos or aging veterans who haven't had a good season in five years.
Short Clip of our DLine
Reason #4: Mike "The Mastermind" Shanahan
We can always expect our coach to give each season everything he's got. I think he had an off year last year, but in a way he too is trying to figure out the best way to win with Jay Cutler. Who knows, maybe Jake Plummer ruined Shanny for a few years. He's forgotten how to call plays without worrying about the ability of his quarterback to execute. I believe Shanahan will come around and start utilizing Cutler & Co. more effectively. The Denver Broncos will become one of the highest scoring teams in the league next year(So long as we don't have half the team injured again).
Mike Shanahan has one of the best winning percentages of all-time. He brought us two Super Bowl titles and he suffered only his second losing season in 13 years. I feel he should be the head coach of this football team until he decides to retire. I also see him bringing us at least one more title and I see that happening by the 2010 season. After all, last year was 1995 all over again. ;)
Reason #3: The 2008 Draft
The Broncos sit at #12 overall. Not only that, but they are LOADED with draft picks. The Broncos have the option to sit tight, trade up, trade down...the world is their oyster on draft day. In fact, I would have listed this topic higher, but for reasons you will soon find out, third is as high as this topic can go.
This years draft is the most excited I have been since...well, since I can remember. I was not all the excited last year, nor was I jazzed about 2006...that is until we traded up and nabbed Jay Cutler. Rest assured, this year is going to be filled with more drama than your favorite daytime soap opera. Yeehaw!
Reason #2: Brandon Marshall
Brandon freaking Marshall. This guy is AMAZING. In just over half a season, this guy has easily become the most exciting player to watch. As a Bronco fan anyway. I cannot even put into words how much I like this guy, so I will just let the eyes do the typing for me.
Reason #1: Jay Cutler
As most Broncomaniacs have, I too have languished since the retirement of John Elway. I even lost interest in football for a year or two in the early part of this century. Not for lack of love of everything Broncos, but for reasons of despair. Watching Griese, then subsequent second rate QBs was more than a little depressing. Keep in mind I was born in 1978 and got into football right around the time Elway came into the league. So for my entire life I had only known Elway and the Broncos and even when they were average at best I could expect excitement when watching Elway. So when he retired I felt like something was missing. The feeling was so prevalent that my interest in football waned during the period immediately after Elway.
That changed when we picked up Jake Plummer. I was excited because he was exciting and I was happy to have him on our football team. In fact, I liked him all the way up until we drafted Cutler. I was content with Plummer, but with Cutler being drafted I realized that the future looked even brighter. I realized too that this kid could bring not only playoff victories, but even championships! I felt sorry for what happened to Jake Plummer in 2006, but I am not sorry for wanting to get the Cutler era started as soon as possible.
Jay Cutler has had two solid seasons, surpassing all expectations. He has had a better start to his career than Elway. Cutler has even had a few heart stopping 4th quarter heroics in his first 20 games, matching Elway stride for stride. The next benchmark for me is a playoff victory by the end of his fourth season. The scary thing is, I think Jay Cutler will get his first playoff victory by the end of this season. One obstacle remains in his path, the San Diego Chargers. He must at least lead the Broncos to one victory over the Chargers this season. If he can do that, we will be playoff bound for sure!
Here is the glimpse we saw in 2006, followed by reality in 2007. Go Cutler!
Jay_Cutler_2007_Video.wmv
Great Video
There you have it. My 10 reasons why all Broncomaniac's should be pumped up about 2008.
0 Comments:
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
