32 Teams in 32 Days, Team #18: The Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos ended last season with a 7-9 record and missed the playoffs. Despite that, there were many aspects of the team they fielded last year that were encouraging. They have always had a great running game ,but the passing game picked up under young quarterback Jay Cutler. The talent is there on their defense, however they struggled against the run and that was very detrimental to their effectiveness on the defensive side of the ball. Not being able to stop the run took the Broncos off balance and made them weaker against the pass. This year they look to stop the bleeding and be far more competitive in the AFC West.

The defensive line struggled last year to stop the run. It seemed like every week, running backs were giving Denver a taste of their own medicine. It was sad. This year, The Broncos are looking to fix the problems up front on their defense. They went out and got linebacker Boss Bailey, the brother of their star shut down cornerback Champ Bailey. With the brothers united and combined with the other star cornerback Dre’ Bly and superstar free safety John Lynch, the Bronco defense is going to be far more fierce then it has been in the past. With these stars in place, I believe the Denver Broncos will be a much better defensive team.

The passing game really stepped up last year and that was due to the stand out effort of Brandon Marshall. In the face of adversity and the loss of Javon Walker for the entire season, Marshall grew to new levels of stardom. He is the best receiver on this team and one of the best receivers in the league. He’s big, powerful, and has great hands. He is a reliable option for young quarterback Jay Cutler. Cutler also has the option of Brandon Stokley, who may not be the fastest, may not be the best, but he just knows how to play football. He makes the plays when his number is called and that is the most important thing in this league. Making plays. Other then those two terrific wide outs, the talent at that position is lacking. Without Javon Walker on this team anymore, we will have to see who steps up. Marshall did it last year, can Keary Colbert be this year’s Brandon Marshall?

The running game has always been a trademark of the Denver Broncos. It seems that no matter who is in the backfield, they will get a 1,000 yard season. The system works and the Broncos believe in that system. Last year, Travis Henry was the stud. One year later, Henry has been released and second year back Selvin Young will take over the starting job. Young is a talented running back with slashing speed that fits in perfectly with this system. As long as he can stay healthy, he is on his way to a very productive season. Young will be spelled by Michael Pittman, but I don’t think Pittman brings any threat to the starting job. Young will be the starter, he will get most of the carries, and he will be the stud. Here’s to another year of a great Bronco’s running game.

Quarterback Jay Cutler has had to deal with the terrible disease of Diabetes and although this disease is a tough one to live with, Cutler has not let it bring his spirits down. He believes in himself and the Broncos stand behind him. He’s got a cannon for an arm and over the last couple of years has developed into a smarter Quarterback. He’s still got a ways to go before he can be ranked among the best quarterbacks in the league, but if last year’s improved passing attack is any indication of how good Cutler can be, it won’t be long before he is ranked in the top 10. He’s got great weapons to throw to, a great running game, a pretty tough defense, and the heart to get it done. I think Cutler is going to be alright. This is a good team, not a great team, but good enough to make a run at the playoffs.

The Denver Broncos are going to come into this season the same way they always do. They will be ready to run the ball down your throat until you get so sick of it, you won’t be ready for the pass and thats when they will hit Brandon Marshall in the end zone to score.  They may not be the team with the most talent, but they are a tough team to beat and they’ve got a lot of heart. Last year they won 7 games. Not really a contender for the playoffs. This year, I think they can win 10 games and playoff talk starts to happen. I wish for a much more competitive AFC West this year and I believe that the Denver Broncos can make that happen. 10 wins sounds just about right. Thats if and only if they make the plays they need to make when they need to make them. This game is about making plays. Its about time for the Denver Broncos to make an impact.