Needa Pass Rush
10-30-2005, 09:47 PM
After fast start, Broncos focus on the finish
By Ira Miller
Special to NFL.com
DENVER (Oct. 30, 2005) -- The Denver Broncos believe this could be the year they finally finish what they started.
That has been a problem in recent seasons.
The Broncos, who lead the AFC West by a game and a half with a 6-2 record, have not won a playoff game since John Elway retired after winning back-to-back Super Bowls in the 1990s.
And they have struggled as the seasons went on.
In 2004, Denver started 5-1 and went 5-5 the rest of the way. In 2003, it was 4-4 and then 6-6. In 2002, the Broncos started 3-0 and then went 6-7. In 2001, it was 3-1 and 5-7.
As a result, acknowledges safety John Lynch, there is a "pervasive thought" in Denver that questions whether the Broncos can finish the job.
"I think we're a better football team this year," he said.
Even after the Broncos hung a 49-21 job on Philadelphia in their last game before the bye week, it is reasonable to question why this year would be any different.
Mike Shanahan, the Denver coach, points to more depth on the defensive line and in the secondary, more team speed and better special teams. He says the Broncos offense is a little better and the defense is much better than a year ago.
Shanahan could be right. He had plenty of critics during the offseason when he imported four defensive linemen from a Cleveland team that ranked 24th in scoring defense and 21st in sacks last year. But the imports have helped greatly with depth, and three of them are starting, including one-time No. 1 overall draft pick Courtney Brown.
Jake Plummer has thrown 12 TDs and just three interceptions this season.
Shanahan's pick of Maurice Clarett, the failed running back, in the draft, got more attention, but he used his first three picks before Clarett on three of the fastest cornerbacks available.
"I like the makeup of this team; I like the character of it; I like the fight of it," Lynch said. "I just think we're better. Defensively up front, I think we're better, (quarterback) Jake (Plummer ) is playing better than he's ever played, we've got a young infusion of DBs, we've got (linebacker) Ian Gold back making plays everywhere."
In 2004, running back Mike Anderson missed the entire season with a groin injury and defensive end Trevor Pryce played in only two games because of a lower back injury. Against the Eagles, who a week earlier limited LaDainian Tomlinson to 7 yards on 17 carries, Anderson rushed for 126 yards and Pryce led an assault on Donovan McNabb by making one sack and knocking down two passes.
Plummer has learned how to manage games. He has not thrown an interception in six consecutive games, setting a career best of 171 consecutive passes without being picked.
"I don't think we're going to be satisfied because so many people warn us about (finishing) and talk to us about it," Pryce said. "We're not going to be satisfied not to finish the rest of the season."
If finishing is the Broncos' theme for the second half of the season, they made a good start against the Eagles.
Sending as many as nine pass rushers at McNabb on virtually every play, the Broncos disrupted the Philadelphia offense and jumped out to a 28-0 lead before McNabb completed his first pass. But, as coaches have warned us forever, if you live by the blitz, you die by it, too, and the Eagles adjusted to maximum-protection schemes and got back in the game.
It was 28-21 at the start of the fourth quarter and the Eagles were driving. But the rush got to McNabb, he hurried a throw to the end zone, and Domonique Foxworth, one of those rookie corners, made a diving interception.
"We got a lot of good pressure on him and Donovan was looking the other way," Foxworth said. "He turned back and tried to unload it really quick, and I was in good position."
Denver then scored touchdowns on three consecutive possessions.
Mike Anderson's return to the lineup has boosted the Broncos offense.
This was an important victory -- and particularly important for the Broncos to hang on -- because just a week earlier, Denver had blown a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter and lost to the Giants. The Broncos went into the game against Philly ranked last in the NFL in sacks percentage, and they realized that trying to rush with just four men against the Eagles, who throw more than any team in the NFL, wouldn't get it done.
"When someone comes back on you, sometimes your confidence can be shaken, and there's no better way to make sure that's not the case than to make sure. .. we're coming after them," Lynch said.
The Eagles simply couldn't block all the Denver rushers and McNabb, who has been playing hurt with a sports hernia since the first game of the season, didn't have time to find his receivers and couldn't get out of the way.
"They always had at least one guy getting through," he said.
By game's end, McNabb could have memorized every cloud in Colorado, because he spent much of the day looking up at the sky.
It's ironic that the defense set the tone because this game was also noteworthy for the Broncos offense. Denver gained 564 yards, within three yards of its team record for total offense, with Plummer throwing for four touchdowns and 309 yards and Tatum Bell running for 107 yards to go along with Anderson's effort.
But it was the defense that set the tone and enabled the Broncos to finish the game and, if they're going to carry on and finish the season, the defense will have to keep doing it. Denver, which is 5-0 at home and 1-2 on the road, faces trips to Dallas, Kansas City, Buffalo and San Diego in the final six weeks of the season.
"We've still got to continue to win ballgames and finish, but I think we're set up to do it," said Lynch.
By Ira Miller
Special to NFL.com
DENVER (Oct. 30, 2005) -- The Denver Broncos believe this could be the year they finally finish what they started.
That has been a problem in recent seasons.
The Broncos, who lead the AFC West by a game and a half with a 6-2 record, have not won a playoff game since John Elway retired after winning back-to-back Super Bowls in the 1990s.
And they have struggled as the seasons went on.
In 2004, Denver started 5-1 and went 5-5 the rest of the way. In 2003, it was 4-4 and then 6-6. In 2002, the Broncos started 3-0 and then went 6-7. In 2001, it was 3-1 and 5-7.
As a result, acknowledges safety John Lynch, there is a "pervasive thought" in Denver that questions whether the Broncos can finish the job.
"I think we're a better football team this year," he said.
Even after the Broncos hung a 49-21 job on Philadelphia in their last game before the bye week, it is reasonable to question why this year would be any different.
Mike Shanahan, the Denver coach, points to more depth on the defensive line and in the secondary, more team speed and better special teams. He says the Broncos offense is a little better and the defense is much better than a year ago.
Shanahan could be right. He had plenty of critics during the offseason when he imported four defensive linemen from a Cleveland team that ranked 24th in scoring defense and 21st in sacks last year. But the imports have helped greatly with depth, and three of them are starting, including one-time No. 1 overall draft pick Courtney Brown.
Jake Plummer has thrown 12 TDs and just three interceptions this season.
Shanahan's pick of Maurice Clarett, the failed running back, in the draft, got more attention, but he used his first three picks before Clarett on three of the fastest cornerbacks available.
"I like the makeup of this team; I like the character of it; I like the fight of it," Lynch said. "I just think we're better. Defensively up front, I think we're better, (quarterback) Jake (Plummer ) is playing better than he's ever played, we've got a young infusion of DBs, we've got (linebacker) Ian Gold back making plays everywhere."
In 2004, running back Mike Anderson missed the entire season with a groin injury and defensive end Trevor Pryce played in only two games because of a lower back injury. Against the Eagles, who a week earlier limited LaDainian Tomlinson to 7 yards on 17 carries, Anderson rushed for 126 yards and Pryce led an assault on Donovan McNabb by making one sack and knocking down two passes.
Plummer has learned how to manage games. He has not thrown an interception in six consecutive games, setting a career best of 171 consecutive passes without being picked.
"I don't think we're going to be satisfied because so many people warn us about (finishing) and talk to us about it," Pryce said. "We're not going to be satisfied not to finish the rest of the season."
If finishing is the Broncos' theme for the second half of the season, they made a good start against the Eagles.
Sending as many as nine pass rushers at McNabb on virtually every play, the Broncos disrupted the Philadelphia offense and jumped out to a 28-0 lead before McNabb completed his first pass. But, as coaches have warned us forever, if you live by the blitz, you die by it, too, and the Eagles adjusted to maximum-protection schemes and got back in the game.
It was 28-21 at the start of the fourth quarter and the Eagles were driving. But the rush got to McNabb, he hurried a throw to the end zone, and Domonique Foxworth, one of those rookie corners, made a diving interception.
"We got a lot of good pressure on him and Donovan was looking the other way," Foxworth said. "He turned back and tried to unload it really quick, and I was in good position."
Denver then scored touchdowns on three consecutive possessions.
Mike Anderson's return to the lineup has boosted the Broncos offense.
This was an important victory -- and particularly important for the Broncos to hang on -- because just a week earlier, Denver had blown a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter and lost to the Giants. The Broncos went into the game against Philly ranked last in the NFL in sacks percentage, and they realized that trying to rush with just four men against the Eagles, who throw more than any team in the NFL, wouldn't get it done.
"When someone comes back on you, sometimes your confidence can be shaken, and there's no better way to make sure that's not the case than to make sure. .. we're coming after them," Lynch said.
The Eagles simply couldn't block all the Denver rushers and McNabb, who has been playing hurt with a sports hernia since the first game of the season, didn't have time to find his receivers and couldn't get out of the way.
"They always had at least one guy getting through," he said.
By game's end, McNabb could have memorized every cloud in Colorado, because he spent much of the day looking up at the sky.
It's ironic that the defense set the tone because this game was also noteworthy for the Broncos offense. Denver gained 564 yards, within three yards of its team record for total offense, with Plummer throwing for four touchdowns and 309 yards and Tatum Bell running for 107 yards to go along with Anderson's effort.
But it was the defense that set the tone and enabled the Broncos to finish the game and, if they're going to carry on and finish the season, the defense will have to keep doing it. Denver, which is 5-0 at home and 1-2 on the road, faces trips to Dallas, Kansas City, Buffalo and San Diego in the final six weeks of the season.
"We've still got to continue to win ballgames and finish, but I think we're set up to do it," said Lynch.