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The loss this week stings. We had that team right where we wanted them, and then we let them out of the trap. They made the adjustments, and we had no answers for those adjustments until it was too late.
But we've had worse losses at inopportune times. There's no reason to lose hope right now.
In 1997, the Broncos were 11-2 heading into December, when the team travelled to Pittsburgh. After a hard fought first half, the score was 21-21. We felt pretty good about where we were in that game, despite the two second quarter touchdowns from Pittsburgh. There was a sense like Kordell was going to make a mistake, and we were going to escape with a win. That's not what happened. Instead, Kordell lit it up, and the Broncos couldn't get anything going. This young guy named Rod Smith kept dropping key passes, and our defense kept giving up big plays. Kordell lit us up, and when he wasn't doing that, Bettis was bowling over our guys.
This forum wasn't in existence back then, but there were other online Broncos outlets at that time, and they were just as agitated then as we are now. Moreso even. In fact, that game gave root to the "Fire Greg Robinson" movement.
There was a lot of hopelessness about our defense at that time. That game was a lot like this game - it was a playoff atmosphere. Pittsburgh was 9-4 going into that game, and we felt like we had to win that game to prove that this was the team we thought it was: a superbowl contender.
We lost that game, and then we faced the 12-2 San Francisco 49ers the following week. This was a huge challenge for us. It was supposed to be our bounceback week to prove that the week before was a fluke. Instead, the Broncos got eaten alive. They opened up big with 10 points, and then proceeded to look completely incompetent on both sides of the ball. Elway managed only 141 yards passing on 16 completions - he had 41 passes that game! Meanwhile Rice and Young were on it - Young was fast, efficient, and heady as he sliced up our defense and they marched to 34 points. It was one of the ugliest games I can remember in Broncos history.
This was our team that was supposed to win everything, and the wheels were falling off the wagon. Everyone was losing hope in our defense. In the end they ended up showing up in the playoffs and being a great credit to the franchise, but don't be mistaken - this group went into the playoffs a bunch of bums who nobody trusted. We had just lost BIG to two of the hottest teams in the league - in fact San Francsico might have been THE hottest team in the league at that time. They could have easily won it all that year - and who knows, might have if Green Bay didn't beat them in the NFC Championship game.
The point is, if there is one, don't get confused about what these games mean right now. The second season is not the regular season. It's the playoffs, and the stakes change, and so do the players. This game was heartbreaking, and we might drop another, who knows. But it doesn't mean anything until January at this point.
Take a deep breath, calm down, and remember that the Broncos have been in worse pinches than this one. Our defense now is a lot better than the defense we had in '97. These guys still have the potential to be very special.
But we've had worse losses at inopportune times. There's no reason to lose hope right now.
In 1997, the Broncos were 11-2 heading into December, when the team travelled to Pittsburgh. After a hard fought first half, the score was 21-21. We felt pretty good about where we were in that game, despite the two second quarter touchdowns from Pittsburgh. There was a sense like Kordell was going to make a mistake, and we were going to escape with a win. That's not what happened. Instead, Kordell lit it up, and the Broncos couldn't get anything going. This young guy named Rod Smith kept dropping key passes, and our defense kept giving up big plays. Kordell lit us up, and when he wasn't doing that, Bettis was bowling over our guys.
This forum wasn't in existence back then, but there were other online Broncos outlets at that time, and they were just as agitated then as we are now. Moreso even. In fact, that game gave root to the "Fire Greg Robinson" movement.
There was a lot of hopelessness about our defense at that time. That game was a lot like this game - it was a playoff atmosphere. Pittsburgh was 9-4 going into that game, and we felt like we had to win that game to prove that this was the team we thought it was: a superbowl contender.
We lost that game, and then we faced the 12-2 San Francisco 49ers the following week. This was a huge challenge for us. It was supposed to be our bounceback week to prove that the week before was a fluke. Instead, the Broncos got eaten alive. They opened up big with 10 points, and then proceeded to look completely incompetent on both sides of the ball. Elway managed only 141 yards passing on 16 completions - he had 41 passes that game! Meanwhile Rice and Young were on it - Young was fast, efficient, and heady as he sliced up our defense and they marched to 34 points. It was one of the ugliest games I can remember in Broncos history.
This was our team that was supposed to win everything, and the wheels were falling off the wagon. Everyone was losing hope in our defense. In the end they ended up showing up in the playoffs and being a great credit to the franchise, but don't be mistaken - this group went into the playoffs a bunch of bums who nobody trusted. We had just lost BIG to two of the hottest teams in the league - in fact San Francsico might have been THE hottest team in the league at that time. They could have easily won it all that year - and who knows, might have if Green Bay didn't beat them in the NFC Championship game.
The point is, if there is one, don't get confused about what these games mean right now. The second season is not the regular season. It's the playoffs, and the stakes change, and so do the players. This game was heartbreaking, and we might drop another, who knows. But it doesn't mean anything until January at this point.
Take a deep breath, calm down, and remember that the Broncos have been in worse pinches than this one. Our defense now is a lot better than the defense we had in '97. These guys still have the potential to be very special.
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