Only half the season is gone and already the Broncos have revealed so much about themselves.
They have shown, for instance, that on every Sunday at Invesco Field at Mile High, the 2005 Broncos are indisputably better than last year’s Super Bowl teams. Even if the current New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles don’t boast the quality of their 2004 versions, no other team has beaten them both this year, much less jumped to leads of 28-3 and 28-0, respectively.
The Broncos have also proved, once again, they can overcome the departures of Terrell Davis, Olandis Gary, Clinton Portis, Reuben Droughns and Maurice Clarett and continue to have one of the league’s most prolific ground attacks. Mike Anderson and Tatum Bell are simply the latest, not the only, tailbacks to flourish in the Broncos’ seemingly unstoppable running system.
Most important, it may safe to presume the Broncos with their 6-2 record have their best team since John Elway retired after the 1998 season. The Broncos won their second consecutive Super Bowl that season, but they haven’t won a playoff game since.
Are the Broncos ready to break their six-year postseason skid by winning the AFC West, hosting a playoff game and advancing to no worse than the NFL’s elite eight?
A nice first half doesn’t have all the answers.
“In this business, when you’ve been in it long enough, you understand we really haven’t done anything,” Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. “We have an opportunity to do something.”
To eventually reach where the Broncos appear to be headed, they must address a few problems they encountered in the first half and confront new challenges in the second.
“You always go back after the first half and look at things you did poorly,” Shanahan said. “One of the things we’ve done a poor job on is third downs.”
The Broncos have the second-best record in the NFL despite their offense ranking 31st in third-down conversions and their defense ranking 31st in red-zone touchdowns.
Is it any wonder the Broncos have struggled to protect big leads?
As for the second half, perhaps no challenge will be stiffer than three road games against their AFC West opponents: Oakland, Kansas City and San Diego.
To which the Broncos might say: Who cares? Beginning with the minute they hit the showers after their hour-long practice today, the Broncos are on vacation. This is their bye week, and Shanahan has given them the next five days off.
“We didn’t get this many days off when we were (7-0) at the time we had the break,” Broncos receiver Rod Smith said about the 1998 season. “Mike recognizes the work ethic guys have brought each and every week, and he gave us a well-deserved break. We’ve got to be smart over that break – we don’t want anything unfortunate to happen – and guys need to come back with their motors revved up ready to go again.”
Until then, here’s a position-by-position, first-half review:
Quarterback
Even when the game plan is conservative, Jake Plummer brings beauty to the passing game with his ball-handling wizardry.
“He’s just a playmaker,” Broncos tight end Stephen Alexander said. “You look at him, he may not have the height, he may not have the size, he may not have the speed, whatever, whatever, but the guy just gets it done.”
The focus has been on Plummer’s streak of six games without an interception, but aside from third down, where his 46.2 completion percentage needs work, Plummer has been an efficient passer since the first preseason game.
Are you ready for this, Broncoland? Plummer is beginning to stir MVP talk from the national media.
Running backs
After the season-opening debacle in Miami, there was fear the Broncos wouldn’t have one decent running back, much less two. Anderson had separated ribs, and Bell was losing yardage on the goal line.
But at the break, Bell is on pace for more than 1,100 yards despite averaging just 10 carries a game, while Anderson has averaged 18.4 carries since the opener and is on pace for roughly 1,200 yards.
“Mike’s more the hard-nosed runner, works the inside,” Bell said. “He loosens them up, and I come in there and find a crease and take it to the house.”
Shanahan said his dad was the latest to second-guess why Bell is asked to get so much out of so few carries.
Said the coach: “He said, ‘Mike, the guy’s averaging 7 yards a carry. I’m not a football guy, but why don’t you give the guy the ball more?’ I didn’t know what to say to the guy.”
Later, Shanahan explained Bell’s chances of busting a big play are enhanced when he has fresh legs.
Receivers
Smith is nothing if not ageless and consistent. He averaged 86 catches in his previous eight seasons. At 35, he’s on pace for 84 receptions this year.
Until the most recent game against the Eagles, there was concern at this position beyond Smith. But Ashley Lelie caught two passes for 32 and 37 yards, Todd Devoe emerged as a secret weapon and Alexander showed with his one-handed touchdown grab that Jeb Putzier isn’t the only tight end with good hands.
Offensive line
The stalwart is in the middle, where other than 10 missed games to injuries, Tom Nalen has been the only starting center Shanahan has known since he became Broncos coach in 1995.
Rarely does anyone actually see a lineman do his job, but there may be no better testimony to the Broncos line’s performance than this: Bell, Anderson and Plummer are on pace to become the only 1,000-yard, 1,000-yard, 3,000-yard trio in NFL history.
Special teams
Had Jason Elam not established himself as one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history the previous 12 years, there might be considerably more concern about his 64.7 percent field-goal accuracy this year that ranks 30th in the league.
The return game hasn’t materialized as hoped. Rookie Darrent Williams got robbed of his only touchdown when the Broncos were flagged for having too many men on the field during the return.
Perhaps in no area have the Broncos improved more than in the punting game, where Todd Sauerbrun has been as good as advertised.
Defensive line
Another area of dramatic improvement. The most dominant players have been defensive end Trevor Pryce and defensive tackle Gerard Warren.
The Broncos rank fifth in stopping the run (88.3 yards per game), but they have only 10 sacks, one more than 32nd- ranked Minnesota.
Linebacker
Speed is what sets the Broncos trio of Al Wilson, Ian Gold and D.J. Williams apart from the others.
They don’t record big tackle numbers, primarily because the Broncos have generally built leads early and large, forcing opponents to abandon the running game.
Still, Wilson leads the team with 46 tackles, and Gold is next with 43. Each has forced a team-high two fumbles. But for this linebacking corps to get recognition as the league’s best, it may need to make more plays against the pass.
Secondary
The biggest playmakers have been Bailey, who has a team- high three interceptions despite missing about 3 1/2 games’ worth of playing time because of a nagging hamstring injury and dislocated shoulder; and Domonique Foxworth, who has two picks.
With so much attention paid to Bailey and rookies Foxworth and Darrent Williams, the solid play of safeties John Lynch and Nick Ferguson has almost been overlooked – which is not a bad thing for the safety position.
Broncos hit halfway mark
MVP – Jake Plummer
With Mike Anderson and Tatum Bell splitting the running back vote, Plummer gets the nod for his unprecedented passing efficiency. In his past six games, he has thrown for 11 TDs and no INTs. Runner-up choice: middle linebacker Al Wilson.
KEY MOMENT – The Champ pick
The Broncos got blown out in the opener and were down 14-3 early in the second half of Game 2 vs. the Chargers when cornerback Champ Bailey stepped in front of a Drew Brees pass and returned the interception 25 yards for a TD. That play ignited a five-game winning streak. Said DE Trevor Pryce: “Champ Bailey was the game. Let’s just call it like it is.”
BIGGEST BLUNDER – Goal-line collapse
Trailing just 6-0 midway through the second quarter at Miami, the Broncos had five tries from the 3-yard line and closer. Tatum Bell got minus.1 yard on three carries, Ashley Lelie dropped a would-be TD, and a play where three linemen went out for a pass fell incomplete. Score then, and it’s a different game in Miami.
BIGGEST SURPRISE – The line play
On defense, Trevor and the Browns were considerably better than preseason periodicals projected. On offense, there was talk after the Miami game that the Broncos’ line had finally reached the twilight of its successful run. Instead, the line is on pace to deliver not one but two 1,000-yard runners from its backfield.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT
You mean, other than Maurice Clarett? Lenny Walls lost his starting cornerback position, and Darius Watts has fallen from No. 3 receiver to the inactive list.
BIGGEST WIN
Their most impressive victories were the 30-10 Monday night shellacking of Kansas City and 20-7 drubbing at Jacksonville in back-to-back weeks. But the biggest win was the comeback in Week 2 against the Chargers. That victory set up the wins against the Chiefs and Jaguars.
TOUGHEST LOSS
No debate here. For a little more than three quarters, the Broncos were playing arguably their best game of the season, leading the New York Giants 23-10. But two Eli Manning-led TD drives sandwiched around a three-and-out by the Broncos’ offense doomed Denver to heartache.
ODD STAT
Broncos fullback Kyle Johnson has just four carries – but five touchdowns. He picked up four TDs from his eight receptions. Johnson is averaging one score every 2.4 touches.
BEST QUOTE
“We would have been out of the playoffs today. Tough? We would have been so far behind the 8-ball, we would have been off the pool table.” – Broncos defensive end Trevor Pryce, on the magnitude of the comeback win against San Diego in Game 2
At the half
TOP THREE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
1. The running committee
The season’s first running back hero was Ron Dayne. Since then, Mike Anderson and Tatum Bell alternated in the lead role. At the midway point, Anderson (projected to have 1,208 yards) and Bell (1,124) are on pace to finish with 2,332 yards.
2. No-mistake Jake
The Broncos tied an NFL record by not committing a turnover in four consecutive games. Most of the credit goes to quarterback Jake Plummer, who has gone six games and a quarter without throwing an interception.
3. Kids on the corner
With Champ Bailey gimpy and veteran Lenny Walls not playing to expectations, the Broncos’ defense was rescued when rookie cornerbacks Darrent Williams and Domonique Foxworth proved they could cover receivers and tackle running backs.
TOP THREE CONCERNS
1. Playing on the road
A 5-0 home record has the Broncos in great shape at the break, but five of their final eight games are away from Invesco Field at Mile High. Their biggest challenge will be back-to-back road games at Dallas on Thanksgiving, then at Kansas City.
2. Finishing them off
In their past four games, the Broncos suffered letdowns after building big leads. Although they held on to beat Washington, New England and Philadelphia, failing to finish cost them a win against the Giants. “We should be 7-1,” Broncos receiver Rod Smith said.
3. Champ’s hamstring
It’s not healing. He missed all four preseason games, and it didn’t heal. He missed the first two regular-season games of his career, and it didn’t heal. A bye week will help, but the hamstring figures to remain tenuous throughout the season.
Staff writer Mike Klis can be reached at 303-820-5440 or mklis@denverpost.com.
