Last Year:
The Denver Broncos were expected to be a contender in 2002 and after 3 weeks they pretty much did. After that the Broncos had a pretty inconsistent 14 weeks finishing 9 ? 7. To their credit, the Broncos did have a fairly tough schedule throughout the season and that was one of the reason?s they couldn?t get any momentum going. With a struggling Brian Griese, the Broncos inserted Steve Beurelein into the starting lineup but didn?t see much of a difference. That would eventually be the end of Griese?s career in Denver. Even with the help of surprise rookie Clinton Portis and his 1500 yards on the ground this team still couldn?t get into the playoffs. With a strong nucleus of players, and a new quarterback in town the Broncos will try to return to the cream of the crop in the AFC West.
What we Learned From Last Year:
Last year the Broncos did once again what they?ve done so well in the past. Run the ball. It all starts with their exceptional ability to evaluate talent, specifically running backs, as they nabbed Clinton Portis from the draft. You want to talk about a steal, oh boy. It happens every year, but you know that every team that drafted ahead of Denver in that second round is kickin? themselves pretty hard. At first many people though Clinton was the odd man out in a crowded backfield with Mike Anderson and Orlandis Gary but it didn?t take too long for him to take over.
The main question being asked is what went wrong with this team?
People are quick to point the fingers at Brian Griese and say that he was the reason that they missed the playoffs, but his numbers were still pretty good. Clinton Portis had a huge year, and the defense ranked 6th in the league. The offense was third in the league as well. The answer is this team just had a really rough schedule. Out of Denver?s 7 losses, only one of them was to a team that was below .500 and that was Baltimore. Their other losses included Miami, Oakland twice, Indianapolis, New York Jets, and San Diego. All of their opponents were pretty tough and their division was even tougher. This team had no gimme games until Arizona in week 17. Just keep in mind that with a lighter schedule this team would have easily made the playoffs.
That?s basically what you need to know about this group. They have one of the best offensive lines in the league which is what allows them to run the ball so efficiently. Anyone from this betting forum could run for more than 1000 yards behind this line. Even Ron Dayne would look good. That?s really the biggest key to their success.
What has Changed?:
Many people believe that the major difference on this year?s squad compared to last year?s squad is Brian Griese. It?s not. I?m sure by now you know that he is no longer with this team and Jake the Snake Plummer has been brought in to replace him. There are a lot of mixed feelings about this move, but it is a good one. First of all what he brings to this team is a knack for winning. Did I just say that? Yes I did. Jake Plummer, when he has a decent team around him, can actually play pretty well. No, he?s no Joe Montana, but if your team is in it in the fourth quarter, Jake is a good guy to lead your offense. He has more passion for the game than Griese did and in a new environment he should thrive. We know that Shanahan knows how to evaluate talent. He wouldn?t have brought Plummer in if he thought he was a bum. Jake Plummer has not had any sort of help around him since the one year that Arizona went to the playoffs. The running game has been non-existent. Literally. Thomas Jones/Thomas Pittman have done nothing to ever take pressure off of Jake, and not only that, besides David Boston, and Rob Moore when he was healthy, Plummer had nobody to throw the ball to. Wait, there?s more. Arizona?s defense has been worse than garbage the past few years so you can?t base any of Plummer?s accomplishments/numbers on what he did in Arizona. In Denver he will have a stout running game (something he?s never had), a pretty good defense (something he?s never had), and three great receivers including a hall of fame tight end (something he?s never had). Better yet, he?ll be playing for an organization that wants to win. ?The Cardinals franchise? and ?commitment to winning? are oxymorons. These are all luxuries that Jake has never felt before, and now we?ll see what he?s truly capable of. In Arizona Jake felt a lot of pressure to guide the offense because he knew nobody would ever step up to help him out. Now he has Rod Smith, Ed McCaffrey, Ashley Lelie, Shannon Sharpe and Clinton Portis to help him out. Although more is expected from him in the Mile High City, it?s hard to fathom that his numbers won?t improve in a better environment.
The offensive line in Denver last year was not as good as it used to be. That is most likely the reason for Griese?s struggles. He was sacked 46 times, and his inability to scramble hurt him. Plummer?s quick feet are another reason why he was given a 7-year contract by this team. He?s used to being on the run, so in this offense he should feel a bit more comfortable. A lot of people are quick to bring up the fact that Plummer throws so many interceptions. On Sportscenter they showed that Plummer leads all active quarterbacks with 20-interception seasons and that he has zero, twenty touchdown seasons. I don?t think I have to remind you where he played. His team was awful. They were always behind in games, and they couldn?t run the ball. Believe me, your passing numbers wouldn?t look that good if you?re constantly behind, and you can?t run the ball. Plummer?s opponents won?t always be expecting passes so it will make an easier time of things for him.
On defense this team is starting quite a few second year players that they plucked from last year?s draft. The line-backing corps looks great with Ian Gold, John Mobley and Al Wilson, but the big questions are in the secondary. I would love to tell you that Deltha O?neal is a top flight corner in the NFL, but it?s not always true. Some plays he looks great, others he is getting burned for touchdowns. When will he finally be consistent? The other starting corner Lenny Walls is also touted to have a lot of talent, but he is inexperienced. Consistency may be a problem there too. The D-line is going to be relied on heavily in the new scheme, but besides Trevor Pryce not much is known about the other linemen. The Broncos plan to get as much pass rush as they can without using blitzes this year. This is an obvious move to help out the secondary, but if they don?t get that pressure then they will be in trouble. A lot of young guys on this defense really means boom or bust for these guys. If they can get solid play out of them then look out because this is a serious team. Until then, they just look like a team with a good shot to make the playoffs.
The biggest change on this team will be their schedule. They get Cincinnatti, Minnesota, Chicago and Detroit on their schedule. Even Cleveland and New England at home should be ?winnable? games for Denver. Last year the easiest teams they played were Seattle and Arizona. The Arizona win didn?t even help them out because by that time it was too late for them to get into the playoffs. A couple of blowouts might help keep this team stay fresh for their important games.
O/U 9.5:
The first inclination by most people is to play under because they don?t like Plummer, but I can tell you that this team won 9 games on a tough sched last year, and this year it is a bit easier. There are no easy wins in their division, but Denver needs to reclaim its home field advantage and get at least 3 wins. That means they?ll need another 7 outside the AFC West and they play: @Bengals, Lions, Steelers, @Vikings, @Ravens, Patriots, Bears, Browns, @Colts, @Packers. If Plummer is a fit, and the offense is in motion, this will be a tough team to stop. Ten wins is definitely not out of the question.
Fantasy Sleeper:
The talk of the town on this offense is Ashley Lelie and how he is ready to emerge. Even if he takes over the 2 job he?ll still be splitting catches with Ed McCaffrey who is far from fallen off. Don?t be shy about taking Jake Plummer. He has so many weapons to work with you?d be foolish not too. Don?t pass up on him because Steve Beuerlein is behind him or because of his large interception numbers in Arizona. A new setting is just what Jake needs and a spot for him on your fantasy team is just what you need.
The Denver Broncos were expected to be a contender in 2002 and after 3 weeks they pretty much did. After that the Broncos had a pretty inconsistent 14 weeks finishing 9 ? 7. To their credit, the Broncos did have a fairly tough schedule throughout the season and that was one of the reason?s they couldn?t get any momentum going. With a struggling Brian Griese, the Broncos inserted Steve Beurelein into the starting lineup but didn?t see much of a difference. That would eventually be the end of Griese?s career in Denver. Even with the help of surprise rookie Clinton Portis and his 1500 yards on the ground this team still couldn?t get into the playoffs. With a strong nucleus of players, and a new quarterback in town the Broncos will try to return to the cream of the crop in the AFC West.
What we Learned From Last Year:
Last year the Broncos did once again what they?ve done so well in the past. Run the ball. It all starts with their exceptional ability to evaluate talent, specifically running backs, as they nabbed Clinton Portis from the draft. You want to talk about a steal, oh boy. It happens every year, but you know that every team that drafted ahead of Denver in that second round is kickin? themselves pretty hard. At first many people though Clinton was the odd man out in a crowded backfield with Mike Anderson and Orlandis Gary but it didn?t take too long for him to take over.
The main question being asked is what went wrong with this team?
People are quick to point the fingers at Brian Griese and say that he was the reason that they missed the playoffs, but his numbers were still pretty good. Clinton Portis had a huge year, and the defense ranked 6th in the league. The offense was third in the league as well. The answer is this team just had a really rough schedule. Out of Denver?s 7 losses, only one of them was to a team that was below .500 and that was Baltimore. Their other losses included Miami, Oakland twice, Indianapolis, New York Jets, and San Diego. All of their opponents were pretty tough and their division was even tougher. This team had no gimme games until Arizona in week 17. Just keep in mind that with a lighter schedule this team would have easily made the playoffs.
That?s basically what you need to know about this group. They have one of the best offensive lines in the league which is what allows them to run the ball so efficiently. Anyone from this betting forum could run for more than 1000 yards behind this line. Even Ron Dayne would look good. That?s really the biggest key to their success.
What has Changed?:
Many people believe that the major difference on this year?s squad compared to last year?s squad is Brian Griese. It?s not. I?m sure by now you know that he is no longer with this team and Jake the Snake Plummer has been brought in to replace him. There are a lot of mixed feelings about this move, but it is a good one. First of all what he brings to this team is a knack for winning. Did I just say that? Yes I did. Jake Plummer, when he has a decent team around him, can actually play pretty well. No, he?s no Joe Montana, but if your team is in it in the fourth quarter, Jake is a good guy to lead your offense. He has more passion for the game than Griese did and in a new environment he should thrive. We know that Shanahan knows how to evaluate talent. He wouldn?t have brought Plummer in if he thought he was a bum. Jake Plummer has not had any sort of help around him since the one year that Arizona went to the playoffs. The running game has been non-existent. Literally. Thomas Jones/Thomas Pittman have done nothing to ever take pressure off of Jake, and not only that, besides David Boston, and Rob Moore when he was healthy, Plummer had nobody to throw the ball to. Wait, there?s more. Arizona?s defense has been worse than garbage the past few years so you can?t base any of Plummer?s accomplishments/numbers on what he did in Arizona. In Denver he will have a stout running game (something he?s never had), a pretty good defense (something he?s never had), and three great receivers including a hall of fame tight end (something he?s never had). Better yet, he?ll be playing for an organization that wants to win. ?The Cardinals franchise? and ?commitment to winning? are oxymorons. These are all luxuries that Jake has never felt before, and now we?ll see what he?s truly capable of. In Arizona Jake felt a lot of pressure to guide the offense because he knew nobody would ever step up to help him out. Now he has Rod Smith, Ed McCaffrey, Ashley Lelie, Shannon Sharpe and Clinton Portis to help him out. Although more is expected from him in the Mile High City, it?s hard to fathom that his numbers won?t improve in a better environment.
The offensive line in Denver last year was not as good as it used to be. That is most likely the reason for Griese?s struggles. He was sacked 46 times, and his inability to scramble hurt him. Plummer?s quick feet are another reason why he was given a 7-year contract by this team. He?s used to being on the run, so in this offense he should feel a bit more comfortable. A lot of people are quick to bring up the fact that Plummer throws so many interceptions. On Sportscenter they showed that Plummer leads all active quarterbacks with 20-interception seasons and that he has zero, twenty touchdown seasons. I don?t think I have to remind you where he played. His team was awful. They were always behind in games, and they couldn?t run the ball. Believe me, your passing numbers wouldn?t look that good if you?re constantly behind, and you can?t run the ball. Plummer?s opponents won?t always be expecting passes so it will make an easier time of things for him.
On defense this team is starting quite a few second year players that they plucked from last year?s draft. The line-backing corps looks great with Ian Gold, John Mobley and Al Wilson, but the big questions are in the secondary. I would love to tell you that Deltha O?neal is a top flight corner in the NFL, but it?s not always true. Some plays he looks great, others he is getting burned for touchdowns. When will he finally be consistent? The other starting corner Lenny Walls is also touted to have a lot of talent, but he is inexperienced. Consistency may be a problem there too. The D-line is going to be relied on heavily in the new scheme, but besides Trevor Pryce not much is known about the other linemen. The Broncos plan to get as much pass rush as they can without using blitzes this year. This is an obvious move to help out the secondary, but if they don?t get that pressure then they will be in trouble. A lot of young guys on this defense really means boom or bust for these guys. If they can get solid play out of them then look out because this is a serious team. Until then, they just look like a team with a good shot to make the playoffs.
The biggest change on this team will be their schedule. They get Cincinnatti, Minnesota, Chicago and Detroit on their schedule. Even Cleveland and New England at home should be ?winnable? games for Denver. Last year the easiest teams they played were Seattle and Arizona. The Arizona win didn?t even help them out because by that time it was too late for them to get into the playoffs. A couple of blowouts might help keep this team stay fresh for their important games.
O/U 9.5:
The first inclination by most people is to play under because they don?t like Plummer, but I can tell you that this team won 9 games on a tough sched last year, and this year it is a bit easier. There are no easy wins in their division, but Denver needs to reclaim its home field advantage and get at least 3 wins. That means they?ll need another 7 outside the AFC West and they play: @Bengals, Lions, Steelers, @Vikings, @Ravens, Patriots, Bears, Browns, @Colts, @Packers. If Plummer is a fit, and the offense is in motion, this will be a tough team to stop. Ten wins is definitely not out of the question.
Fantasy Sleeper:
The talk of the town on this offense is Ashley Lelie and how he is ready to emerge. Even if he takes over the 2 job he?ll still be splitting catches with Ed McCaffrey who is far from fallen off. Don?t be shy about taking Jake Plummer. He has so many weapons to work with you?d be foolish not too. Don?t pass up on him because Steve Beuerlein is behind him or because of his large interception numbers in Arizona. A new setting is just what Jake needs and a spot for him on your fantasy team is just what you need.
