So the Broncos Aren't Getting Any Better

[manchambo]

I read threads the last week or so talking about how the Broncos were getting shut out in free agncey and I thought they were silly. Wait and see. The sky's not falling.

Well, as far as I can tell, there is now no one left that can make the team appreciably better. And they lost three starters.

Can anyone talk me down from the ledge?

[azbroncfan]

I read threads the last week or so talking about how the Broncos were getting shut out in free agncey and I thought they were silly. Wait and see. The sky's not falling.

Well, as far as I can tell, there is now no one left that can make the team appreciably better. And they lost three starters.

Can anyone talk me down from the ledge?

Yeah just jump it's not that far to the bottom.

[Clockwork Orange]

Free agency isn't over and the draft is yet to come.

[clint7]

Free agency isn't over and the draft is yet to come.

Yeah, they'll be plenty more free agents and draft picks to miss out on. ;) :)

[Doufer]

abraham and TO not coming to Denver is a frigging disaster for FA

[Dr. Broncenstein]

abraham and TO not coming to Denver is a frigging disaster for FA

Hilarious! Its such a shame we couldn't destroy a good team with these two sh!theads..

[sirhcyennek81]

world is exploding. every team we faced in the playoffs got better this offseason..oh wait...well the division got better...oh no it didnt...10 days in, people bitching already...

:Broncos:

[maven]

Free agency isn't over and the draft is yet to come.

I'll agree on the draft. That has always been what I look forward to in the offseason. But, have you seen what's left? Because there isn't much left that could make a huge impact on the team. And of those impact players left, Denver is not bringing them in.

[Lestat]

people seem to forget Denver's big FA moves come after june 1 not the start of FA

the draft is what will really tell the story, if Denver is aggressive then we'll know pretty much how the team will shape up(by aggresive i mean trading up, taking impact players & also what positions they fill)

[Sassy]

One game from the SB...that's all we were..and the Steelers had everything go their way...

...we'll be fine.

[Kaylore]

We have two firsts in a loaded draft and the time for trades doesn't end until well into the regular season. I would ask what you are doing on that ledge, and why you felt the need to get up there before we have any kind of idea how this team will look in September.

[WoodMan]

Free Agency hasn't always worked out for the best concerning our Broncos. Two names pop immediately to mind .... Cocaine Carter and IHOP. The historians out there can name 100 others.

[sirhcyennek81]

Free Agency hasn't always worked out for the best concerning our Broncos. Two names pop immediately to mind .... Cocaine Carter and IHOP. The historians out there can name 100 others.

For every carter, there is a griffith, for every ihop, a mccaffrey.

:Broncos:

[Crushaholic]

Pryce wasn't the same player after his back injury, Anderson was on the down side of his career, and we can do better than Putz at TE. It's not that bad for the guys at Dove Valley...

[Den Smith 49]

For every carter, there is a griffith, for every ihop, a mccaffrey.

:Broncos:

Exactly, both of which were not big nane free agents.

[ludo21]

We resigned all of our FA.. that was key!!

Now the draft will fill some other needs, then June Cuts....just like every year.

[Bronco9798]

We have two firsts in a loaded draft and the time for trades doesn't end until well into the regular season. I would ask what you are doing on that ledge, and why you felt the need to get up there before we have any kind of idea how this team will look in September.

Don't start playing negotiator Kaylore, let the fool jump...

[broncsyanks]

I really wish people would stop bashing putzier. The guy had the best hands next to smith and he played like eddie mac. If he wasnt that good of a blocker as everyone states that he isnt then why in the hell did the broncos match the jets offer sheet to keep him last year?? I mean really come on everytime there was a big play needed he stepped up put his body out there and got it done. Alexander the next coming wasnt crap and duke caught what one pass?? I mean its real pathetic that we let our #3 reciever go and the only reason why he wasnt higher was because he wasnt given as many oppotunities to play by splitting time with the great alexander. who might i add didnt put up the numbers that putz did with equal playing time.

as far as recieving corps go. lets face it smith is an awesome 2 with surre hands. lelie is a 3 since the league figured him out with the bump at the line. anderson, who cares! bell will do it watch.

[TD30]

This stinks we were 1 game away from a superbowl birth if you consider that the AFC Championship fell in our lap. We let go of our best running back. Pryce a player that while he was getting older still commanded a double team and now we sign a band of nothings. You rarely find an impact player in the draft that makes a difference right away. We were close but at this point I wish we would of gone after somone like Dante Culp. and tried to build up over the next couple of years.

[Hogan11]

We haven't signed any big free agent stars.....that means we are going according to plan and that everything's right with the world.

[Cito Pelon]

I don't buy into this the season's already a failure because TO and Abraham aren't at Dove Valley. Den has a good young roster. They got a sense of what it is like to be a playoff winner, and they got to see firsthand a Pitt team that went on a playoff roll at their expense, partially. I think the team will be just fine with the current roster and another solid draft.

[watermock]

lets face it smith is an awesome 2 with surre hands. lelie is a 3 since the league figured him out with the bump at the line. anderson, who cares! bell will do it watch.

Well that's brilliant. Who is the #1 Reciever again?

[sirhcyennek81]

Hope people recognize our defense is loaded with talent, in search of a pure speed rusher. Thats it. Its not like we are the browns, or the rams, or the redskins, for heaven's sake. We were a game away from superbowl 40. Our offense needs one explosive player, maybe he is on the roster already in Bell or Lelie or Duke, or maybe he is currently at some university wondering what team wants him. Chill out people.

:Broncos:

[Jason in LA]

Did any of the teams in the AFC that were in the playoffs sign any key players? The Colts, Pats, and Steelers all lost key players, and haven't signed any big time players yet. Cincy will be without Palmer for the beginning of the season, and they haven't signed any big time players yet. What have the Jags done. The Chargers lost their starting QB, and haven't signed anybody of note. I think the Chiefs just closed up shop until draft time. What has anybody done? The Dolphins traded for Culpepper. Oh no, how many points will they beat the Broncos by now? The Cards signed Edge. But they suck, and are the NFC. The Skins? Again, NFC. The Broncos still have one of the best rosters in the league. And the best in the AFC West. Desperate teams made desperate moves. The Broncos don't have to break the bank to get better.

[ChampBailey24]

Did any of the teams in the AFC that were in the playoffs sign any key players? The Colts, Pats, and Steelers all lost key players, and haven't signed any big time players yet. Cincy will be without Palmer for the beginning of the season, and they haven't signed any big time players yet. What have the Jags done. The Chargers lost their starting QB, and haven't signed anybody of note. I think the Chiefs just closed up shop until draft time. What has anybody done? The Dolphins traded for Culpepper. Oh no, how many points will they beat the Broncos by now? The Cards signed Edge. But they suck, and are the NFC. The Skins? Again, NFC. The Broncos still have one of the best rosters in the league. And the best in the AFC West. Desperate teams made desperate moves. The Broncos don't have to break the bank to get better.
BEST POST EVER!-Comic Book Guy

[Hogan11]

Did any of the teams in the AFC that were in the playoffs sign any key players? The Colts, Pats, and Steelers all lost key players, and haven't signed any big time players yet. Cincy will be without Palmer for the beginning of the season, and they haven't signed any big time players yet. What have the Jags done. The Chargers lost their starting QB, and haven't signed anybody of note. I think the Chiefs just closed up shop until draft time. What has anybody done? The Dolphins traded for Culpepper. Oh no, how many points will they beat the Broncos by now? The Cards signed Edge. But they suck, and are the NFC. The Skins? Again, NFC. The Broncos still have one of the best rosters in the league. And the best in the AFC West. Desperate teams made desperate moves. The Broncos don't have to break the bank to get better.

But...but...we don't have any stars!!!!!! Ha!

[sirhcyennek81]

But...but...we don't have any stars!!!!!! Ha!

I vaguely recall such phenomenon...course, Bailey, Smith, Wilson, Lynch must just totally suck. So what if they made the probowl...

:Broncos:

[Hogan11]

I vaguely recall such phenomenon...course, Bailey, Smith, Wilson, Lynch must just totally suck. So what if they made the probowl...

:Broncos:

I know...but they don't highlight Sportscenter every 15 minutes like a TO would, so they don't count. Ha!

[sirhcyennek81]

I know...but they don't highlight Sportscenter every 15 minutes like a TO would, so they don't count. Ha!

Maybe if they whined like Peyton, or called themselves soldiers like the greatest TE of all time in Winslow JR, or said they want to thank their hands for being so great...maybe then...

:Broncos:

[Kaylore]

BEST POST EVER!
No kidding. Excellent take, Jason.

[Finger Roll]

it's still been a crappy offseason no matter how you slice it. Who cares if the Patriots Colts and Steelers didn't make any moves. doesn't mean that it's right for us to come up empty. This team still has no pass rush from their DE's and now they don't have Pryce. Now with the rumor they want to throw away their picks this year for next year. Is that the new way of drafting for them? Are we going to have to wait till 2010 till get a first round pick?

[wabbit]

The hysteria doesn't suit Bronco fans very well.

The team hauled out some hefty bucks for Warren & Lepsis...those were crucial signings.

Kenard Lang should be an upgrade & Denver runs a heavy rotation, so a guy like Abraham would've been a specialist regardless...a damned good one, but a specialist nonetheless.

Unlike his past reputation as very conservative, Shanahan has shifted into a much more active player in the draft, and would've been willing to pay out some pretty mighty sums for Abraham &/or Owens...but the bucks and compensation they'll sign for will be eye-poppers...and Denver didn't want to go down that road with those two.

I can ALMOST guarantee one thing...Denver will NOT use all it's draft choices on players...they will be used as a kind of slush fund to move up...or down...or even in a pre-draft trade...perhaps a Jevon Walker-type move.

All in all, I'm pretty comfortable with the way the Broncos are handling this off-season.

Priority needs still exist, but like years past, they will be addressed.

have a little faith.

[Atlas]

Well, as far as I can tell, there is now no one left that can make the team appreciably better. And they lost three starters.

Can anyone talk me down from the ledge?

I for one think you should jump. I hope it's a long fall.

[BroncoSoja]

Can anyone talk me down from the ledge?


No. As a matter of fact I will be joining you shorty.


How can you actually get worse during the offseason.... Leave it to the Broncos to find a way.

They better do something HUGE on draft day, or im going to become a Chief Fan....Oh wait I think I'll just shot myself in the head instead..

[phisig150]

Go ahead and shoot yourself in the head. **** the Chiefs. All Hail the Broncos. Have faith in Shanny ( Lidell White please God make it happem)

[Pezman]

abraham and TO not coming to Denver is a frigging disaster for FA

Well there you have it folks, if Doufer thinks its a disaster, then obviously, you can feel safe since he's always wrong Hilarious!

Wabbit, have you heard much about the team's strategy in signing vets like Chad Brown? Would we even attempt to try and find space for an aging vet on the cheap after last year's fiasco with Jerry Rice?

[cutthemdown]

It seems like homerism to not be a little dissapointed we aren't getting abrahm or TO. It doesn't mean season is ruined but it would be nice to get a marquee player at a need position.

[Atlas]

They better do something HUGE on draft day, or im going to become a Chief Fan....Oh wait I think I'll just shot myself in the head instead..

Either way I'll be happy:flush:

[yerner]

Whoa, theres alot of negativity here. Although I am not worried that we'll compete, I tend to feel a little dissapointed that we arent more aggressive in our attempts to put us over the top. Even if you argue that we did well resigning our key guys, I still doubt the present team can do any better than last year.

[SpringStein]

The hysteria doesn't suit Bronco fans very well.

The team hauled out some hefty bucks for Warren & Lepsis...those were crucial signings.

Kenard Lang should be an upgrade & Denver runs a heavy rotation, so a guy like Abraham would've been a specialist regardless...a damned good one, but a specialist nonetheless.

Unlike his past reputation as very conservative, Shanahan has shifted into a much more active player in the draft, and would've been willing to pay out some pretty mighty sums for Abraham &/or Owens...but the bucks and compensation they'll sign for will be eye-poppers...and Denver didn't want to go down that road with those two.

I can ALMOST guarantee one thing...Denver will NOT use all it's draft choices on players...they will be used as a kind of slush fund to move up...or down...or even in a pre-draft trade...perhaps a Jevon Walker-type move.

All in all, I'm pretty comfortable with the way the Broncos are handling this off-season.

Priority needs still exist, but like years past, they will be addressed.

have a little faith.

100% on target.

[ludo21]

100% on target.


or course he is, he is our inside info man!! :thumbs:

TY Wabbit, draft will be fun to watch! and this place will implode again, no matter what we do ;D

[Billy Clyde Puckett]

The hysteria doesn't suit Bronco fans very well.

The team hauled out some hefty bucks for Warren & Lepsis...those were crucial signings.

Kenard Lang should be an upgrade & Denver runs a heavy rotation, so a guy like Abraham would've been a specialist regardless...a damned good one, but a specialist nonetheless.

Unlike his past reputation as very conservative, Shanahan has shifted into a much more active player in the draft, and would've been willing to pay out some pretty mighty sums for Abraham &/or Owens...but the bucks and compensation they'll sign for will be eye-poppers...and Denver didn't want to go down that road with those two.

I can ALMOST guarantee one thing...Denver will NOT use all it's draft choices on players...they will be used as a kind of slush fund to move up...or down...or even in a pre-draft trade...perhaps a Jevon Walker-type move.

All in all, I'm pretty comfortable with the way the Broncos are handling this off-season.

Priority needs still exist, but like years past, they will be addressed.

have a little faith.

Right Wabbit. This board reminds me of kids with a couple of quarters in their pocket. They want to run right to the candy store and spend it all, when they would be better off going to the grocery store and buying an apple.

[baja]

I really wish people would stop bashing putzier. The guy had the best hands next to smith and he played like eddie mac. If he wasnt that good of a blocker as everyone states that he isnt then why in the hell did the broncos match the jets offer sheet to keep him last year?? I mean really come on everytime there was a big play needed he stepped up put his body out there and got it done. Alexander the next coming wasnt crap and duke caught what one pass?? I mean its real pathetic that we let our #3 reciever go and the only reason why he wasnt higher was because he wasnt given as many oppotunities to play by splitting time with the great alexander. who might i add didnt put up the numbers that putz did with equal playing time.

as far as recieving corps go. lets face it smith is an awesome 2 with surre hands. lelie is a 3 since the league figured him out with the bump at the line. anderson, who cares! bell will do it watch.

Well why did they cut him? To save 500,000 cap dollars?

[bombquixote]

The hysteria doesn't suit Bronco fans very well.

The team hauled out some hefty bucks for Warren & Lepsis...those were crucial signings.

Kenard Lang should be an upgrade & Denver runs a heavy rotation, so a guy like Abraham would've been a specialist regardless...a damned good one, but a specialist nonetheless.

Unlike his past reputation as very conservative, Shanahan has shifted into a much more active player in the draft, and would've been willing to pay out some pretty mighty sums for Abraham &/or Owens...but the bucks and compensation they'll sign for will be eye-poppers...and Denver didn't want to go down that road with those two.

I can ALMOST guarantee one thing...Denver will NOT use all it's draft choices on players...they will be used as a kind of slush fund to move up...or down...or even in a pre-draft trade...perhaps a Jevon Walker-type move.

All in all, I'm pretty comfortable with the way the Broncos are handling this off-season.

Priority needs still exist, but like years past, they will be addressed.

have a little faith.

ah, the voice of reason. thank you.

[sirhcyennek81]

No. As a matter of fact I will be joining you shorty.


How can you actually get worse during the offseason.... Leave it to the Broncos to find a way.

They better do something HUGE on draft day, or im going to become a Chief Fan....Oh wait I think I'll just shot myself in the head instead..

So...of the 6 AFC playoff teams...who got better then they were a year ago?

Steelers: Lost Bettis and Von Ollhoffen, they lack shut down corners and need to replace randel el, who signed with the skins. also a worry, Big Ben might take a step back, because of his winning a superbowl so early. His game was not all world when they went on the playoff run, he needs work.

colts: lost edge, and this will hurt them more then they admit. also lost thornton, and have to resign mathis. their Oline started to break down late in the year, and could be a source of worry next season. they also have to find a bigger free safety, Doss is solid, but nothing special, and sanders is also on the short side. like running midgets back there.

Jaguars: they signed brian williams from the vikings for rediculous money, but their QB is still learning the Jaguar offense, which is not very good to begin with. Fred Taylor is glass with a jock on, and while the jags are solid on defense, they are not dominant on defense.

Patriots: they need to replace law, and no one on the roster can do it. they let go of poole, and rodney harrison may not be the same player he was, coming off his knee injury. they also lost givens, and need to find a future back to replace dillion with. have to replace mcginest, also need to find a de to replace seymour, when he leaves.

Broncos: we resigned lepsis, warren, leach and dayne. we let go of pryce, who was not worth the 10 million in cap space he was taking up, putzier, also not worth the cap space, and anderson, who was worth it, but is on the wrong side of 30. we lost no one signifigant, or unreplaceable. of the 6 teams who qualified for the playoffs, we are in best position to get right back where we were 6 weeks ago.

Go ahead and shoot yourself. Heaven forbid you be optimistic, you big bitch.

:Broncos:

[Drek]

I really wish people would stop bashing putzier. The guy had the best hands next to smith and he played like eddie mac. If he wasnt that good of a blocker as everyone states that he isnt then why in the hell did the broncos match the jets offer sheet to keep him last year?? I mean really come on everytime there was a big play needed he stepped up put his body out there and got it done. Alexander the next coming wasnt crap and duke caught what one pass?? I mean its real pathetic that we let our #3 reciever go and the only reason why he wasnt higher was because he wasnt given as many oppotunities to play by splitting time with the great alexander. who might i add didnt put up the numbers that putz did with equal playing time.
The Jets offer was ideally structured for us to match it. The signing bonus and first year money was low, with a roster bonus and higher base salaries for the rest of the deal. It was basically a one year try out to see if he could move into the upper echelon of TEs, deserving of top 5 TE money. He didn't do it, despite contributing in the passing game, largely because he was a blocking liability.

Putz was good at what he did, catching the dirty work short and intermediate passes in the teeth of the defense where we don't want to send Lelie or Smith. He didn't elevate his game from last season however, and so didn't deserve his fat roster bonus and base salary that would have paid him over $4M next year. His production in '06 was definately worth more than the paltry offer of a 4th rounder from the Jets though, making his signing a clear win for the franchise.

I like how the team has handled FA so far. We're showing interest in the appropriate areas of need, but we aren't throwing around stupid money, like giving Jamal Lewis $7M a year, or Andre Carter $30M over 6 years. Those are overpays in a FA market devoid of real marquee talent. Owens is a similar case who could also break the locker room chemistry that we built last year. Shanahan is looking to improve the team without major risks to what was a great team last year, or ransoming the future. Thats a smart strategy when we're going into the deepest draft in a long time as the only team with two firsts. We have a lot of picks already, if compensation slotting goes our way we'll be the one team on speed dial in every draft room around the league. Then we'll see the FO make some improvements to an already very good team.

[Drek]

Patriots: they need to replace law, and no one on the roster can do it. they let go of poole, and rodney harrison may not be the same player he was, coming off his knee injury. they also lost givens, and need to find a future back to replace dillion with. have to replace mcginest, also need to find a de to replace seymour, when he leaves.

Law wasn't on the Pats last year and didn't really play much in their last SB season. They have a lot of DB talent that will be back from injuries last season. Also, Seymour isn't going anywhere, they've shown him more fiscal love than any player on the roster not named Tom Brady, its clear Pioli and BB see him as the must keep anchor of the D.

[ludo21]

Good take Drek, ty on the Putz take, i will miss him, but he will be replaceable, along with every other offseason loss.

Man, im gettting pumped for Spring mini camps already!!

[Vegas_Bronco]

We didn't necessarily dominate teams last year the way Indy/Seattle did and if you think we're going back to the AFC championship without some significant changes - YOU CRAZY!

Denver needs some quality role players on offense - to match our amazing defense. Last year our defense WON (for our offense) 4-5 games, easily, on their own efforts, can we expect the same again this year? Do you want to always leave the fate of the game in the defense's hands?

I sure hate to leave it up to them to remain on the field as our season average time possession was 27 minutes while our oppenents had it for an avg of 32 minutes (5 minutes more on average with our 'Explosive' running game - something just isn't adding up). Our defense was SICK last year and came through time after time, again and again. Champ alone won 2 regular season games of interception for big points and our offense seemed to putter along with little sparks of improvement but mired with inconsistency.

Sure, We can only hope that this happens again - then comes the loss of some key offensive CLUTCH players (Anderson, Putz) who weren't huge playmakers but came through in clutch situations and played clutch roles in Jake's success - can we expect a better 3rd down percentage than 36% after losing two starters. Two more interesting team stats - our avg yrds passing per game equalled 200 ypg while our oppenents averaged 305 ypg. Gross yards per game we gained 420 yards while our oppenent average was 616 gross ypg.

I am just throwing out honest stats with some real concerns - how did we make it to the AFC Championship game? The Broncos last year reminded me of the Ravens SB team and you saw how fast that dissassembled.

IMO we have some work to do in those front offices, this team has huge upside, but there need to be some key role players (via draft or FA) inserted. Sure we had a great year but I also think in order to repeat we have to have the same luck and regrettably - luck isn't a catalog/menu item.

[rubaiyat]

No. As a matter of fact I will be joining you shorty.


How can you actually get worse during the offseason.... Leave it to the Broncos to find a way.

They better do something HUGE on draft day, or im going to become a Chief Fan....Oh wait I think I'll just shot myself in the head instead..

I know...I mean EVERY team gets better EVERY offseason. I can't believe the Broncos found a way.

[manchambo]

So...of the 6 AFC playoff teams...who got better then they were a year ago?

Steelers: Lost Bettis and Von Ollhoffen, they lack shut down corners and need to replace randel el, who signed with the skins. also a worry, Big Ben might take a step back, because of his winning a superbowl so early. His game was not all world when they went on the playoff run, he needs work.

colts: lost edge, and this will hurt them more then they admit. also lost thornton, and have to resign mathis. their Oline started to break down late in the year, and could be a source of worry next season. they also have to find a bigger free safety, Doss is solid, but nothing special, and sanders is also on the short side. like running midgets back there.

Jaguars: they signed brian williams from the vikings for rediculous money, but their QB is still learning the Jaguar offense, which is not very good to begin with. Fred Taylor is glass with a jock on, and while the jags are solid on defense, they are not dominant on defense.

Patriots: they need to replace law, and no one on the roster can do it. they let go of poole, and rodney harrison may not be the same player he was, coming off his knee injury. they also lost givens, and need to find a future back to replace dillion with. have to replace mcginest, also need to find a de to replace seymour, when he leaves.

Broncos: we resigned lepsis, warren, leach and dayne. we let go of pryce, who was not worth the 10 million in cap space he was taking up, putzier, also not worth the cap space, and anderson, who was worth it, but is on the wrong side of 30. we lost no one signifigant, or unreplaceable. of the 6 teams who qualified for the playoffs, we are in best position to get right back where we were 6 weeks ago.

Go ahead and shoot yourself. Heaven forbid you be optimistic, you big b****.

:Broncos:

Did the Broncos win the SB last season and I somehow failed to notice? My recollection was that they got pounded in the AFC championsip game. Under those circumstances, they have to do something to get better. I don't think anyone has suggested that they got significantly worse, but they need to do something to get over the hump. Bottom line is I don't want to get back where we were 6 weeks ago.

[sirhcyennek81]

Did the Broncos win the SB last season and I somehow failed to notice? My recollection was that they got pounded in the AFC championsip game. Under those circumstances, they have to do something to get better. I don't think anyone has suggested that they got significantly worse, but they need to do something to get over the hump. Bottom line is I don't want to get back where we were 6 weeks ago.

My response you quoted was to some fool suggesting we did in fact get worse. I want to get to the conf. championship game, and win it. Bringing in high salary, questionable players may put the team in XLI, might also aid us in getting a top 15 selection. We were a pretty good team. We need some tweaks, not an overhaul.

:Broncos:

[Odysseus]

Would all the suicidal Broncos fans please off themselves before the draft?

Thanks in advance

[sirhcyennek81]

Two more interesting team stats - our avg yrds passing per game equalled 200 ypg while our oppenents averaged 305 ypg. Gross yards per game we gained 420 yards while our oppenent average was 616 gross ypg.

Broncos allowed 227 pass yards per game. They allowed QB's to complete 56.1% of their passes (3rd in the NFL) Opposing QB rating was 72. That's 4th in the NFL. Our secondary was thrown against 613 times. Thats the most in the NFL. In total YPG allowed, we were 15th in the NFL, with 312.9. We allowed 16.1 PPG. Tied for 3rd with...Pittsburgh.

On offense, we averaged 201.7 YPG Passing. Broncos QB's completed 60% of their passes, and had a rating of 88. We also attempted 465 passes. In total offense per game, we averaged 360.4 TYPG. That was 5th in the NFL. Our offense scored 24.7 ppg. That was 7th in the NFL.

These are regular season stats, i believe what you posted was post season, even tho I have no clue where you got 616 from. If you check the den-pitt stat line, the two teams were similar. Except in a single category: Turn-overs. They had 4, we had 0.

:Broncos:

[chrisp]

Turnovers were the key difference between this year and the last: statistically, the defense was actually worse in 2005 that it was in 2004, however, we got a lot of INTs due to a better secondary.

In fact, ints were the story of the day inthe playoffs too: we won the turnover battle with the pats and won the game, we lost it against the Steelers and lost that game.

That was the story of 2004: playing better statistically than almost every team we played, but ending up 10-6 becuase we lost the turnover battle almost every time. This season (2005) we tidied this up, hence the 13-3 finish, and it only took a few tweaks to get there.

Thing is, if anything our rush defense improved, but the pass defense took a step back, even with the addition of two extremely talented corners. Added to which we were strong overall defensively but weak on 3rd down vs the steelers, clearly an indication that pass rush is an issue. Maybe losing Heyward was a bigger blow than anybody realised - although i do think that the added strength in the run game and the fact that the team was ahead so often were also factors that made teams pass more against us.