Great win by the Broncos yesterday! However, I came away with two questions: 1. Can the Broncos offensive line step it up in the playoffs? The Raiders were able to apply a surprising amount of pressure on Manning, and were stiffer against the Broncos A and B gap runs than I expected. Ive learned a great deal this season about how rattled Manning can get with too much pressure on his office. 2. Can Manning get some extra velocity on the ball in the playoffs. All season, Ive been watching a wobble and a float in Mannings passes that has me worried; worried to the point that I broke a nearly 30 year ban on sports bets to make one about a predicted revelation in the off-season that Manning has been playing hurt all season. Im not worried about the defense going into the post-season. By every measure last year, the Broncos defense was in the lower half of the league rankings, often in the bottom third. This year, the Broncos are in the top half in every defensive statistic, and in the top five in most important categories. Injuries this season have been tough but not insurmountable. The playoff bye should give enough time for Brandon Marshall, and T. J. Ward to be healed. Id like to see Demarcus Ware and Von Miller step it up another notch. Id also like to see the Broncos defensive front generate more pressure on downs without a blitz. Otherwise, weve got about as good a defense as we could hope for on this Super Bowl run. On offense, Im very pleased with Ronnie HIllmans return. He looked focused, well-rested, and ready. C. J. Anderson and Hillman look like a solid combo of complimentary styles, and Juwan Thompson and Jeremy Stewart appear to be more than capable in their relief roles. This is why I look to the offensive line for what may, or may not, happen to our balanced attack in the playoffs; the running game begins at the o-line. And, as previously noted, I look to the o-line to make that strong pocket that Manning needs. But the pocket woes can also be ameliorated by Wes Welker and Julius Thomas being much more successful on the short crossing and slot routes. Manning is capable of top five ball release times when his short route receivers arent blanketed. I have the... gut feeling... that the Broncos needed this bye more than most of the other teams in the playoffs to get their playmakers and role players alike back in the groove. As much as Id love to do backflips over the win against the Raiders as a sign that the Broncos are back on track, it was just the Raiders, after all. Cincinnati or Pittsburgh or Indianapolis would have won just as decisively against the Raiders, and will be so very much tougher two weeks from now. Still, there is every reason to believe that we are going to the AFC Championship game. We got at least that much mojo. What happens after that rests on everything I just mentioned.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Dec 2014 17:18:54 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015