While the town itches to be painted purple, the Broncos are quietly making a statement.
The Browns haven't been competitive since Bernie Kosar was a star QB & this hair was stylin'
In May, not a single person in Denver, or the nation for that matter, honestly thought we’d be here. The Rockies are knocking on the door of yet another playoff berth, and the Broncos are sitting atop the AFC West at 3-0.
Stop and read that again… atop the AFC West. Now I’ll give you the Browns – that team is terrible. The day after the game, I heard Bernie Kosar on the radio talking to a national host about how it’s sad that the fire and intensity from the rivalry is gone. I had to laugh, because in order to be considered a rivalry, don’t both teams have to be competitive on a consistent basis? The last time the Browns were competitive was over 20 years ago, and even then they were mere pawns in the hands of Elway and the 3 Amigos. But anyway, I digress.
The fact that the Broncos held the Bengals scoreless for most of the game is more impressive now, having seen them put up some points on the Packers, then take down the defending Super Bowl champs. And the Raiders… well, no one was worried about the offense. No one thought that Russell would do anything against the new and improved 3-4 defense that has taken the Front Range by storm. What everyone thought was that the Raiders, bad as they are, have a defense that is widely regarded as solid. Orton and his boys would finally stall in the face of a good defense. I mean, if the Bengals stopped them, the Raiders will trash them and we’ll have a 9-6 field goal fest, the whole game resting on Prater’s shaky little leg, right?
Wrong-o.
The Broncos marched down the field mostly at will. Running, passing, didn’t matter. They did what they wanted to do at every turn. And I say this – Josh McDaniels just took a HUGE step forward in my book, when in the first quarter it’s 4th and goal at the 1-foot line, and he goes for it. Even if you don’t make it (which they didn’t), the message you send is that we’re not here for figgies. We are here for touchdowns and a divisional opponent needs to have a foot in their throat at all times. They missed the TD, the Raiders were pinned at their own goal, and the defense came through. Mr. McD, I like it. I loved the game plan, and I loved that call.
Now I’m nothing if not realistic, and I know that the next 5 games are among the hardest any team in the league will play. But suddenly, the Patriots and the Cowboys look more beatable than anyone thought. Heck, even the Steelers are struggling and the Chargers are showing vulnerability. Denver could, admittedly, easily hit the midpoint of the season at 3-5, and that wouldn’t be all that depressing. But a friend of mine brought up an interesting question, one I think we have to consider, even if it is a bit premature.
Suppose for a second the Broncos escape this Sunday at Mile High with a win. Even with the tough schedule, the poor prognostications and the team full of “room to grow”… don’t you have to look at a 4-0 start, with the Cowboys on the kill list, and a weak AFC West division, and call the Broncos a legitimate playoff contender? Now I don’t like to say this too early… but you have to, right? 8-8 could win this division. It could come down to the record against the Chargers – if they can beat the Bolts, they might get in. I don’t think we’re talking about a serious threat to any of the real championship contenders, but I think we might be witnessing a Denver team that is much further down the rebuilding road than anybody thought.
It’s amazing how much fun the season can be when expectations are so low, that a couple wins makes the day.
