San Diego – It had not rained like this in at least a couple of months, the locals said. It was a steady rain that fell hard and then lightly and then turned into mist before pouring down once more.
Of course, the Chargers’ playoff hopes were already wet.
And here they were having their faces rubbed into the mud by the Broncos.
This day was like the Chargers’ season.
There were rays of sunshine. There were cool breezes.
But in the end, everything was soaked.
A team that wrecked the Colts’ undefeated plans dropped its last two games, this one on its own turf in a 23-7 affair Saturday that was controlled throughout by the Broncos.
Oh, quarterbacks Jake Plummer threw for 91 yards and Bradlee Van Pelt ran for 41 yards and running back Tatum Bell rushed for three touchdowns. The offense purred and enjoyed the elements and such willing prey.
But this was a day of Broncos defense.
Actually, this has been a season of Broncos defense.
We have not seen many like this one from the Broncos.
This franchise over the last decade and more has been primarily judged by how many points it scores, how stylishly it scores them and how creatively the entire offensive process is served. We saw a Broncos team in 1990 score 485 points and those championship teams score 472 in 1997 and 501 in 1998. Coach Mike Shanahan brought the offense to the Broncos some time ago, and it has remained like a trustworthy friend, reliable, entertaining.
Defense?
More hit and miss. And a lot of misses.
The Broncos allowed 304 points last season and 301 the season before that and 369 in 2000. It has long been termed just good enough to average to poor.
Not this defense. Not this crew.
Denver allowed 258 points through 16 games.
No other team in the AFC West allowed fewer than 300.
None was able to go on the road – Shanahan calls it going into someone else’s “backyard,” – and watch its defense consistently lead whether it was in divisional games, AFC games, NFC games, day games, night games, Saturdays, Sundays …
“I got the chance to watch the whole thing, to take another view,” said middle linebacker Al Wilson, who along with three other Broncos defensive starters nursing injuries, did not play. “All week we heard we have nothing to play for. We showed today, we play football for each other. We take pride in our work.”
Amazing that the Chargers – shooting for their second straight 10-victory season since they did it in 1980 and 1981 – were so feeble. Starter Drew Brees was knocked out early, but the Chargers’ offense was a mess well before that. Philip Rivers entered and was rusty and wobbly, exactly what would be expected from a quarterback so green.
The Chargers were shut out for the entire second half.
This Broncos defense opened the season at Miami uncertain and frustrated. Players pointed fingers at Larry Coyer, the defensive coordinator, for not altering his play calls to fit his reserves.
Coyer kept doing his thing the next week in Denver against San Diego, making an emotional plea at halftime with his team trailing, and the players responded and took control of the defense. As the young players hardened, the defense built unity and depth.
How else can you explain
Curome Cox.
He is a free-agent safety from Maryland who this season has been waived and re-signed and placed on the practice squad and brought up so many times it makes his head spin. He has stuck around now for a while.
And there he was at Qualcomm Stadium intercepting Rivers with 4:38 left, returning the ball 48 yards and setting up the Broncos’ final score.
“This has been a good situation for me,” Cox said. “They stuck with me. It hasn’t always been easy and sometimes it’s been real tough, but that has made me appreciate it that much more.”
Just like the Broncos’ defense. It has not always been easy and sometimes the going has been real tough, but now this defense is confident, soaring. It is a unified defense that appreciates each intricate part.
Safety John Lynch kept coming around the corner against the Chargers and getting there, creating havoc in the pocket with his hits and strips.
“We made up our minds in Game 2 of the season against the Chargers that we were going to become a good defense,” Lynch said. “It has not always been perfect, but we are still getting better. We’re getting that killer instinct now.”
They understand their personnel. They understand their coaching. There is depth. There is a bold pass rush. There is layered pass coverage in blitz disguises.
It is a new day for the Broncos, one where the defense rules.
All of the Broncos know it. It has taken all 16 games to truly believe it.
Staff writer Thomas George can be reached at 303-820-1994 or tgeorge@denverpost.com.
