Broncos Monday Ramblings (BMR): Game 14 Broncos 22 Chargers 10 Okay, full disclosure first: I didnt watch the game live. Les and I battled some snowy, slick roads to the airport and back. We went to pick up our daughter Kier and although it was slow going, we all got back safe and sound. We didnt get back until the game was over, I couldnt resist and peeked at the final score before watching the game. Knowing the outcome saved a WHOLE lot of angst Id have probably suffered had I watched the game live. I know that there is going to be some grumbling about how the Broncos didnt play a scintillating game and that they were fortunate at times. Not going to dispute those two complaints, but Im wondering if maybe we all havent got a little spoiled with all the success we, as Broncos fans, have experienced in the last four years. Just for a moment, how about we all magically transports ourselves, Star Trek transporter style, back to 2010 and this time of year when we were all suffering through the last gasps of the Josh McDaniels era. That was pretty damned miserable and maybe we need to take a sip from a cup of perspective tea. I know that there are a lot of folks up in arms about the clock management (or lack of same) at the end of the first half. I agree, it was abysmal, but lets not put all of the blame on Fox. Primarily, I think that the onus should primarily be on Adam Gase and then on Brock Osweiler, with some on CJ Anderson too. When it comes to play calling, the thing to keep in mind is that if the Head Coach has been a coordinator, he is going to be extremely sensitive about criticizing the play selection of his coordinators. The dynamic of calling plays is that the playcaller has a very limited amount of time to make the decision, and in the NFL, with the headset/helmet communication system, its even shorter because the system shuts off ten seconds before the play clock runs out. As a coordinator, one thing that really bothers you is when the head man second guesses your decision. I really think that is why head coaches like Sean Payton and Mike McCarthy call their own plays. Fox was a coordinator back in the day, so he trusts his guys rain or shine. So, in this case, the play selection was all on Adam Gase. I am sure that he didnt plan on Manning running into the locker room with two minutes left, nor did he think that the Broncos were going to get the ball in great field position with a minute and fifty seconds left in the half. Osweiler executed hideously and made two terrible plays. (Maybe the blessing in disguise is that we got to see that Brock is in no way ready to lead this team.) Then, CJ Anderson committed the cardinal sin of going out of bounds on third down. Throw in a nifty long punt return by former Bronco Eddie Royal and you have a recipe for the Chargers getting back into a game that they had been hanging on by their fingernails with three nice little goal line stands. Fortunately for the Broncos, the defense gets better and better each week and this was another game which wasnt as close as the score might indicate. Denver clinched its fourth straight AFC West crown under John Fox in as many years and that has only been done once before in the long history of the NFL. Even though the Broncos didnt get to Phillip Rivers all day, their coverage on the receivers was incredible. And, I think that we need to commend Phil Simms for doing an excellent job of literally illustrating just how good the Broncos pass coverage was. Simms was unusually complimentary to the Broncs yesterday. I was thinking Where is Phil, and what have yoiu done with him? :-) All of a sudden, it seems like the Broncos have developed Red Zone-itis. Part of this is that they have run into some difficult situations. I keep thinking back to the KC game and DT and Jacob dropping easy catches in the end zone. It seems like all of a sudden the Broncos lost some of their mojo with those drops. I also think that there is a stigma with this team that if they run the ball into the end zone, its doesnt have the same cachet as if they pass the ball there. Gotta rid themselves of that feeling. Every time you get into the end zone it should be the same exhilaration. With that said, my loyal blog-follower Craig Loper has urged me to address the ridiculous end zone celebration phenomenon. Lopes: heres my take on excessive celebrations: I think that letting them bug you is exactly the same dynamic as the hair issue was back in our halcyon late 60s and early 70s. When all is said and done, its a lot of energy wasted on a trivial issue. So long as the celebrations arent taunting or obscene, Iets not waste energy or time letting them bother us. Probably twenty years down the line, these guys will watch old clips of themselves and shake their heads in embarrassment. Thats just like nowadays when I look at old pics of my hair which looked like a perfect rendition of a brown haired Bozo the Clown (it had a Brillo Pad quality to it). And, can you believe we used to WEAR some of those clothes?? Augh! To me, thats really the true importance of the end zone/sack celebrations. The downer of this game was that the Broncos suffered several concerning injuries. While I doubt that Peyton really hurt himself with that ill-advised block on the goal line, he did pull up lame on a scramble in which he hit Sanders on the sideline in the fourth quarter. Throw in injuries to Ryan Clady and Brandon Marshall and Danny Trevathan (yet again!) and Im concerned about the health of this team going to a tough Bengals team in Cincinnati next Monday. Thankfully, the Broncos have an extra day to mend, but this is not going to be an easy game. But, Im getting ahead of myself. I do think that it is time for some perspective on just where the Broncos are at this point of the season. Their offense isnt hitting on all cylinders, but it can still move the ball. As long as they can keep their receivers on the field, they are still going to be a challenge for everyone- including the Pats. Hinestly, I am wondering what in the world they think that they are doing with either Welker or Sanders back there returning punts. That is a disaster waiting to happen. And I thought Burse did that job as well as either Wes or Emmanuel. I was somewhat skeptical about carrying two kickers, but you cant argue with the results so far. Barth Vader has been Jedi-esque with his field goal attempts, and McManus is till getting it deep into the end zone. Besides the dangerous punt returner situation, Im getting increasingly concerned with Brittons punting. It seems as if he either shanks it or outkicks his coverage. This WAS disastrous in the New England game, and it could have been yesterday. Defensively, this is a much better team than last year, and they are a much better defense than the one that New England chewed up in Foxborough. Recently, if you take an unbiased look at a couple of recent contest though, the Broncos played the Bills BETTER than the Packers; and they played the Chargers BETTER than the Patriots. If there is one issue I have with the entire Broncos Nation, its that there is such a stigma about having to go back to play New England in Foxborough. I understand that it isnt kosher to be talking about the playoffs now- that ALL any official Broncos talk from the organization needs to mention JUST the next game and opponent. But hey, can all of you pundits and Broncomaniacs PULLEEEZE stop wringing your collective hands and wringing out the crying towel because the Broncos have to go back to Foxborough. First of all, they have to win the right to go to Foxborough, and secondly, does anyone realize that such a trip affords the Broncos the opportunity to win one of their greatest victories? Such a victory would go down with the Drive or the AFC Finals victory in Pittsburgh as alltime great triumphs. It would also make the Super Bowl a lot less daunting. Embrace the difficult, love the challenge. Enough of that talk at this time. I know that going into Cincy is not going to be a picnic. Keep in mind though that lately the Broncs have traveled pretty well (San Diego and Kansas City) in pressure, must win situations.It could be a precursor to a playoff matchup. So, yesterdays win over the Chargers wasnt a great victory, but it beats losing.And, when you think about it, wasnt it just the kind of game it was supposed to be?
Posted on: Mon, 15 Dec 2014 18:00:31 +0000
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