The Broncos won 10 games in each of the past two seasons in part because their first 22, their starters on both sides of the ball, were solid players.
When injuries hit and as the pressure built in each of those seasons, the 22 wilted and their backups did not provide enough speed and power.
This is common in the NFL.
Several NFL teams can get the first 22 right.
It is the next 31 that fill out an NFL roster, that complete the 53-man squad who often prove a tricky task that turns into a flop.
What the Broncos did to the Patriots on Sunday is what the Patriots have been doing to the league for much of the past four seasons. Denver excelled using interchangeable parts, backups in the middle of the ruckus, ones with more speed and power and athleticism than we have seen in recent Broncos teams.
Simple, really.
The deeper your team, the deeper you can go.
There were a few successful plays against the Patriots, for example, in which the Broncos’ defensive backfield featured cornerbacks Darrent Williams and Domonique Foxworth and safety Curome Cox. The first two are rookies, and Cox is an undrafted free agent from a year ago who this season has been waived twice.
Tatum Bell entered as a backup running back and razed the New England defense.
The Denver defensive line keeps rotating, maintaining freshness and toughness, reminding me of the approach Dallas employed during its Jimmy Johnson Super Bowl runs.
Depth creates in-house competition.
It started in training camp among the receivers with Jerry Rice on board. He pushed the Broncos’ young receivers in ways that were immeasurable.
Bell has reacted to the stiff early competition provided by Mike Anderson and Ron Dayne.
Jake Plummer had to feel the infatuation his teammates, coaches and fans have shown for Bradlee Van Pelt.
Go down the list, and Broncos have been shoved and prodded by teammates first. That has led to winning enough individual and team battles in five of their first six games.
Up next is a scrap at the Giants, a curious opponent for Denver. The Broncos and Giants have peculiar history for having met only nine times overall and only three times since 1992.
The 1987 meeting was Super Bowl XXI where the Giants clubbed the Broncos 39-20. In 1998 Denver was 13-0 and found its hopes of a perfect season ruined by the Giants in New Jersey. And who can forget that the Giants on a Monday night in 2001 helped the Broncos open Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium, accommodating an 11-point Denver victory. Merely hours later, the terrorist attacks in New York and near Washington, D.C., occurred.
Dayne is a Bronco now, but he was a Giant then.
Dayne created a buzz at running back in training camp and in the preseason. He did not dress against Miami in the season opener. He took that quirky fourth-and-1 pitch against San Diego in Game 2 and ran for 10 yards to set up the Broncos’ winning field goal.
And we have hardly heard from him since.
He has dabbled in special teams but primarily has been set aside as insurance for Anderson and Bell. Things collapsed for him in New York, and his spot here with the Broncos is murky.
This is a time to clear it.
When the Broncos won at Jacksonville, offensive lineman Dwayne Carswell was thrown two touchdown passes in his hometown. The Broncos made sure that Marco Coleman dressed for that game in that city where his family has roots. Against the Redskins, the Broncos busted Bell loose against the team from which the draft pick was plucked to select Bell.
Karma often works in the NFL.
Ron Dayne running against the Giants is worth seeing.
The fact we have not seen much of him lately is a testament to the Broncos’ depth.
But football players live for moments like these. So do fans.
Watching players play with matchless purpose is often special. The Broncos as a team have exhibited plenty of that during their current streak. The Broncos should ensure that Dayne gets a few carries against the Giants on Sunday. They might find even more depth at running back than they have envisioned.
Nothing like a man scorned with a football in his hands on old turf.
Staff writer Thomas George can be reached at 303-820-1994 or tgeorge@denverpost.com.
