Denver Post staff writer Bill Williamson posts his Broncos Mailbag each Friday during the 2005 NFL season on DenverPost.com. Also, check back Sunday for more Q’s and A’s in our Sunday supplement, which runs in The Sunday Denver Post print edition, too.
To drop a question into the Mailbag or visit DenverPost.com’s .
We finally saw some big plays out of the Broncos on Sunday against New England? Was it just a matter of time?
— Mike M., Denver
Yes, for pass plays. The Broncos have been breaking long run plays for several weeks. The team has slowly been trying to get the long passing game awakened. They tried last week against Washington but the weather was so bad, it couldn’t get going. Sunday, though, quarterback Jake Plummer hit both Rod Smith and Ashley Lelie for long plays. If the Broncos can keep this aspect of their game going, it is going to help them win many, many games.
The NFL made some hoopla a couple years ago when Tony Dungy had defeated all 32 NFL teams in his coaching tenure. My belief is that Broncos coach Mike Shanahan has also completed this task; if not, he must be very close?
— Fred, Fort Lupton
Yes, Shanahan has beaten all 32 NFL teams, including the Broncos when he was the head coach of the Los Angles Raiders in 1988.
What is your take on the play of Nick Ferguson? All Broncos fans I talked to were frustrated when the Broncos let Kenoy Kennedy go. I felt Ferguson should have been playing all along because they already had the run-stopping safety in John Lynch. And Ferguson seems much better against the pass than Kennedy. Do you agree?
— Chris Fisher, Palco, Kan.
The Broncos didn’t match Detroit’s offer to Kennedy because they thought Ferguson was a better all-around player. Ferguson doesn’t hit quite as hard as Kennedy, but the team liked his effort, his intelligence and his work ethic. So far, Ferguson has been a good fit in the starting lineup.
Once again the Broncos have had a pretty good start, but the last few years they have failed down the stretch. What has the team done, if anything, to address this? I am tired of barely making the playoffs and then losing in the first round.
— Scott Urbach, Omaha
The Broncos believe they have more talent on defense, more patience on offense and more stability on special teams this year. There is also more depth on both sides of the ball. What I believe will keep Denver from fading is its defense. It starts with the great pressure from the front four. A team with that type of relentless pressure will stay competitive all season.
If the Broncos are so concerned about kickoffs, and Todd Sauerbrun consistently booms punts 60-70 yards in practice, why doesn’t he punt the kickoff? With no rush coming at him, you would think he could just bust one high and deep downfield rather than these line drives that almost look as if they are going to bounce out of bounds.
— Steve O., Naples, Fla.
Maybe Jake Plummer could go out and just throw the kickoffs. Sorry, but expect to see Sauerbrun kick off from that boring old tee.
The Broncos play at Giants Stadium on Sunday. If the Broncos can handle Tom Brady, they can handle Eli Manning. Can we expect a rout?
— Jack, Bailey
Just when the game starts making sense, things fall apart. So, a winning performance against the great Brady doesn’t guarantee a thing.
Bill Williamson is in his second season as a Denver Post NFL writer. To drop a question into the Mailbag .
