Unbelievable Offense or Dominant Defense?

[dbfan21]

I was thinking about this issue on my way home from work last night and thought I would bring it up to the Mane.

A couple years ago, our defense started the season killing people on defense. We were leading the league in points allowed (in a good way). However, our offense was not lighting up the scoreboard. Still, we were winning games like 13-3, 17-7 and so on.

This year, our defense is having a hard time stopping solid offenses, but Denver's offense is lighting up the scoreboard like a pinball machine. Thus we are winning 39-38 and 34-32.

My questions to all of you is: Would you rather have a dominant defense and an average offense OR would you rather watch shootouts every week and see a ton of scoring on both sides?

[Sassy]

As long as we're on the winning end of a shootout :devil:

[watermock]

Right now, we are more like the teams of the 80's. We're allready better in some respects. I'm hoping the D will gell a little and we spend n a cople FA's on D next year.

[Beantown Bronco]

Offenses don't tend to get tired late in the season due to over-work early on in the season. Defenses do, as we saw here in 2006.

So I'll go with the dominant offense, because offenses can keep this kind of pace up. Few defenses can, unless they have a decent enough offense to keep them off the field most of the game.

[Peoples Champ]

If I knew in advance that we were going to win the superbowl, I would choose the Dominant Defense (like the old Baltimore Ravens). But since you cant know that, I would just a Amazing offense with an average defense, like the superbowl team in 97-98. The defense can make plays when they need to ( i hope )

[spdirty]

depends on if you have the ball and need a score late in the game or if you have a slim lead and need a stop late in the game.

Just give me a dominant offense with a 4th quarter pass rush and Ill be happy.

[montrose]

In the past I would've taken the dominant defense, considering that weather later in the year would hurt the ability to pass. With that, I agree with Beantown that offenses don't tend to wear out as easily as defenses do.

While last year's Giants may be an example of a great defense shutting down a great offense, the G-Men's D-Line put on the game of a lifetime and were in no way that powerful all season long. I find it hard to believe any defense can count on their defense, specifically their front four, putting on that type of effort to beat these new powerful offenses every year in the Super Bowl. Interestingly enough, many people fail to mention that with the game on the line, despite the best effort I'd ever seen from a D-Line, the Giants defense caved and allowed NE to march down the field for the go-ahead TD. If Eli Manning doesn't pull off one of the luckiest plays in history - all we're hearing about is building great offenses. With that, had NE won I'm all but certain the sport of football would cease to exist today as it would've been re-christened PatriotsBall by ESPN in which the NFL logo would be replaced by a Tom Brady headshot and prior to every game we would watch an hour highlight film of the greatest team in sports history.

Thank you Eli, god bless you.

[Kaylore]

In the past I would've taken the dominant defense, considering that weather later in the year would hurt the ability to pass. With that, I agree with Beantown that offenses don't tend to wear out as easily as defenses do.

While last year's Giants may be an example of a great defense shutting down a great offense, the G-Men's D-Line put on the game of a lifetime and were in no way that powerful all season long. I find it hard to believe any defense can count on their defense, specifically their front four, putting on that type of effort to beat these new powerful offenses every year in the Super Bowl. Interestingly enough, many people fail to mention that with the game on the line, despite the best effort I'd ever seen from a D-Line, the Giants defense caved and allowed NE to march down the field for the go-ahead TD. If Eli Manning doesn't pull off one of the luckiest plays in history - all we're hearing about is building great offenses. With that, had NE won I'm all but certain the sport of football would cease to exist today as it would've been re-christened PatriotsBall by ESPN in which the NFL logo would be replaced by a Tom Brady headshot and prior to every game we would watch an hour highlight film of the greatest team in sports history.

Thank you Eli, god bless you.
Yeah I hate both New York teams so the Super Bowl was something I didn't even want to watch because I knew how much the media would be swinging from Brady and Patriot's nuts for the next 20 years. As much I can't stand either New York team, that win by itself made an eternal soft spot in my heart for big blue. If we could have one of those sequences from "wonderful life" we would see an evil sports world where everything was dominated by the Patriots. The Giants were our George Bailey to the cheatriot's Henry Potter.

[Tombstone RJ]

A great offense is a heckova lot more fun to watch, but ultimately, I still thinks it's a defense that wins championships. So, in those regards, I'd take a great defense over a lights out offense. However, I believe this Broncos defense can improve. And, if it can become even a middle of the pack defense, that could be enough to win a championship with this offense.

[Orange_Beard]

Balance, grasshopper.

[cmhargrove]

The Broncos have a history (under Shanahan) of offensive firepower.

I'll take the high scores, and a chance to win on last minute drives.

[Beantown Bronco]

The Broncos have a history (under Shanahan) of offensive firepower.

I'll take the high scores, and a chance to win on last minute drives.

This really is the key argument right here. You just knew that up until Cutler took over the reigns, the Broncos were simply not capable of winning any game in which they found themselves down by more than one score in the fourth quarter. It just wasn't going to happen. The offense was designed to play with a lead and simply wasn't designed to come from behind. Now, the opposite is true. It's only week four and we already EXPECT this team to be able to score every time they touch the ball (with the exception of the first drive in the 3rd quarter :( ).

[dbfan21]

In the past I would've taken the dominant defense, considering that weather later in the year would hurt the ability to pass. With that, I agree with Beantown that offenses don't tend to wear out as easily as defenses do.

While last year's Giants may be an example of a great defense shutting down a great offense, the G-Men's D-Line put on the game of a lifetime and were in no way that powerful all season long. I find it hard to believe any defense can count on their defense, specifically their front four, putting on that type of effort to beat these new powerful offenses every year in the Super Bowl. Interestingly enough, many people fail to mention that with the game on the line, despite the best effort I'd ever seen from a D-Line, the Giants defense caved and allowed NE to march down the field for the go-ahead TD. If Eli Manning doesn't pull off one of the luckiest plays in history - all we're hearing about is building great offenses. With that, had NE won I'm all but certain the sport of football would cease to exist today as it would've been re-christened PatriotsBall by ESPN in which the NFL logo would be replaced by a Tom Brady headshot and prior to every game we would watch an hour highlight film of the greatest team in sports history.

Thank you Eli, god bless you.

I am totally in agreement with you on the Pats-Giants Super Bowl thought.

As far as my original question, I think it is much more fun to watch TD-laden games as a fan. So I am enjoying our high-octane offense.

This morning, I watched a video clip on CBS Sportsline and Charley Casserly brought up an interesting point. He said that as the season wears on, defenses will be able to figure out Denver's offense and winter weather will play a factor and thus we will not be scoring as much. I'd like to think that if that's the case, our running game and play action pass wil still be enough to keep defenses honest and score a steady amount of points.

[Flex Gunmetal]

In the past I would've taken the dominant defense, considering that weather later in the year would hurt the ability to pass. With that, I agree with Beantown that offenses don't tend to wear out as easily as defenses do.

While last year's Giants may be an example of a great defense shutting down a great offense, the G-Men's D-Line put on the game of a lifetime and were in no way that powerful all season long. I find it hard to believe any defense can count on their defense, specifically their front four, putting on that type of effort to beat these new powerful offenses every year in the Super Bowl. Interestingly enough, many people fail to mention that with the game on the line, despite the best effort I'd ever seen from a D-Line, the Giants defense caved and allowed NE to march down the field for the go-ahead TD. If Eli Manning doesn't pull off one of the luckiest plays in history - all we're hearing about is building great offenses. With that, had NE won I'm all but certain the sport of football would cease to exist today as it would've been re-christened PatriotsBall by ESPN in which the NFL logo would be replaced by a Tom Brady headshot and prior to every game we would watch an hour highlight film of the greatest team in sports history.

Thank you Eli, god bless you.

Great post.

I would have to say from a fan's standpoint, I'm loving these shootouts. It's great to see Denver routinely score throughout the game, as opposed to the defensive battles and low scoring games of the past 3 years.
I would feel more comfortable going into games if we had a stellar defense, knowing that we don't have glaring weaknesses vs the rushing game (last year) or dink and dunk offenses (this year).
Either way, it's nice to see some consistency and these games are fun as hell to watch.

[DarkHorse30]

Offense.

It is the nature of our beast.

[BroncoBen]

Well I am a firm believer in 'Offense' sells tickets.. And 'Defense' wins championships.

So while it is fun to have the Broncos averaging 38 points a game... without a defense the Broncos are not going to go far in the playoffs.

The Broncos will have a time where the defense is going to have to win the game because the offense struggles. Problem is.. Right now it doesn't look like the defense can do that.

[Odysseus]

A great offense is a heckova lot more fun to watch, but ultimately, I still thinks it's a defense that wins championships. So, in those regards, I'd take a great defense over a lights out offense. However, I believe this Broncos defense can improve. And, if it can become even a middle of the pack defense, that could be enough to win a championship with this offense.

You need to have an offense to get into the playoffs but just like the Chiefs if you have a swiss cheese defense all the stats don't mean anything. Defense wins championships.

[enjolras]

It seems to me that over the last decade in the NFL a clear trend has emerged. To win a superbowl you better be the best on one side of the ball or very good all around The Colts and Rams won it with offense, the Ravens and Giants with defense, and the Pats have done it with a strong all-around team.

So the formula:

great offense == superbowl contender
great defense == superbowl contender
very good offense AND defense == dynasty

What's neat is that with our offense being so young, the Broncos have the chance to build the defense over the next two seasons. We have building blocks (including DJ who is locked up for awhile)... this team has the chance to be very special over the next 5-7 seasons.

[montrose]

It seems to me that over the last decade in the NFL a clear trend has emerged. To win a superbowl you better be the best on one side of the ball or very good all around.

I think to give yourself a chance, year-in and year-out, you need to be dominant on one side of the ball and competent on the other. My preference would be dominant on offense with a competent defense. You won't win the Super Bowl every year, but you'll have a chance to...

[Beantown Bronco]

Charley Casserly brought up an interesting point. He said that as the season wears on, defenses will be able to figure out Denver's offense and winter weather will play a factor and thus we will not be scoring as much.

I disagree with Casserly for two reasons:

1. The Pats still averaged 34 pts a game in the seven games after their November bye week last season.

2. Defenses will be able to figure them out? There's not a whole lot to figure out about the Broncos offense this year. It's not like guys are getting wide open all the time. The guys by and large are being blanketed, but Cutler's arm and guts allow the completions to be made.

[dbfan21]

I disagree with Casserly for two reasons:

1. The Pats still averaged 34 pts a game in the seven games after their November bye week last season.

2. Defenses will be able to figure them out? There's not a whole lot to figure out about the Broncos offense this year. It's not like guys are getting wide open all the time. The guys by and large are being blanketed, but Cutler's arm and guts allow the completions to be made.

That's a great argument you made. I think you are absolutely correct. The weapons that Denver has on offense will not go awry in winter months. If our high-powered O is gonna struggle in cold weather, so will the other tema's O as well. The only difference is that our O is a lot better than most of the league's. And just for the record, I was not agreeing with Casserly, I just said he made an interesting point. Thanks for your input!!

[cmhargrove]

I disagree with Casserly for two reasons:

1. The Pats still averaged 34 pts a game in the seven games after their November bye week last season.

2. Defenses will be able to figure them out? There's not a whole lot to figure out about the Broncos offense this year. It's not like guys are getting wide open all the time. The guys by and large are being blanketed, but Cutler's arm and guts allow the completions to be made.

I agree. Our offensive success is 50% Cutler, and 50% O-line. And really the difference between last year and this year is mainly the O-line. As long as the big hogs can block in the cold weather, we will be just fine.

And, you can defend schemes all you want, after 5-6 seconds, you are trying to defend raw ability and talent. Good luck trying to physically outplay our receivers after 5-6 seconds in the pocket...

[gunns]

A great offense is a heckova lot more fun to watch, but ultimately, I still thinks it's a defense that wins championships. So, in those regards, I'd take a great defense over a lights out offense. However, I believe this Broncos defense can improve. And, if it can become even a middle of the pack defense, that could be enough to win a championship with this offense.

Agreed. But I also enjoy watching a good defense and in the end you have to have one. I'm absolutely loving our offense this year, we haven't been able to watch that for a long time. But we have pulled out two games by the skin of our teeth regardless of that offense and in the end we are going to need that defense to step up by doing more than one goal line stance in a game.