The Raiders had just annihilated the Broncos. Beat them up, kicked them in the ribs.
Remember the offseason?
With the glitz of sparkling silver, the Raiders became the champions of springtime by adding premium players Randy Moss and LaMont Jordan.
The Broncos spent their offseason trumpeting the virtues of better field position.
While the rest of the nation focused on two Denver acquisitions who could no longer play – Jerry Rice and Maurice Clarett – the Broncos were holding up a punter and a bunch of former Cleveland Browns as their marquee additions.
Zzzzz. No wonder everyone from Vegas to the storage-room preseason publication picked the Broncos to finish anywhere from 7-9 to 9-7 this season. Everybody was too bored to look closer at the Broncos’ intentions.
Then came the season, when a funny thing happened. Despite adding the high-profile likes of Warren Sapp, Kerry Collins, Ted Washington, Moss and Jordan the past two years, the Raiders are 3-6 and once again in the AFC West cellar.
The Broncos, who concentrated on making subtle changes with understated veterans such as Ian Gold and rookies, enter their game Sunday against the visiting New York Jets with an AFC West-leading 7-2 record. The Broncos’ most recent victory was a 31-17 thumping of the Raiders in Oakland.
“You look at the Raiders, they have such incredible talent, but we’re playing as a team right now,” Broncos kicker Jason Elam said. “You just don’t know about certain teams until you get into the season and find out if you have the chemistry to do it.”
All 32 NFL teams draw up offseason blueprints detailing their needs for the season. The Broncos highlighted five areas: red-zone efficiency, turnovers, special teams and depth on the defensive line and at cornerback.
It’s one thing to have a plan. It’s another to watch those plans rise into monuments of efficiency.
Compared with last season, the Broncos have jumped 22 spots in the NFL rankings in red-zone touchdown efficiency, 22 spots in turnover differential, 18 spots in average starting field position on offense, 26 spots in average starting field position on defense, and 21 spots in punting.
Weaknesses have become strengths.
“What’s really helped us is the speed we added,” coach Mike Shanahan said.
A review of how the Broncos addressed their most pressing needs during the offseason:
Red zone
The addition of tight end Stephen Alexander, return to health of tailback Mike Anderson and better stream-of-consciousness decisions by quarterback Jake Plummer have helped.
But perhaps the No. 1 reason for the improved red-zone play is the play calling. Conservative last year, Shanahan and offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak have devised seven combined touchdowns for fullback Kyle Johnson and guard Dwayne Carswell.
“The coaches have come up with, I wouldn’t call them trick plays, but just some unconventional ways of getting guys open,” general manager Ted Sundquist said.
Turnovers
Plummer threw 20 interceptions last season, none in his past seven games this year. Any more questions?
Special teams
Thanks to new punter Todd Sauerbrun and return of special-teams ace Keith Burns, the Broncos have picked up an extra 8.7 yards in starting field position – 3 yards closer on offense, 5.7 yards farther for the defense.
Defensive line
The sacks are starting to come – six in their past two games – but even when they weren’t, newcomers Gerard Warren, Mike Myers, Ebenezer Ekuban, Courtney Brown and the return to health of Trevor Pryce, who has played as much on the interior as the end this season, have been a game plan-altering force.
“I think the quarterbacks realize you can’t do the five- to seven-step drops,” Sundquist said. “What I’ve seen is a lot of quick-strike stuff.”
Defensive backs
Lenny Walls was a disappointment, Champ Bailey hasn’t been healthy, and huge leads have them facing a half worth of two-minute offenses. Yet the Broncos’ secondary has held up, thanks to the quick development of rookie cornerbacks Darrent Williams and Domonique Foxworth.
“It’s no longer a case where you’re counting on Champ Bailey and then crossing your fingers,” Sundquist said.
Staff writer Mike Klis can be reached at 303-820-5440 or mklis@denverpost.com.
