Snatching notes from the jaws of defeat …
Ebenezer Ekuban is on pace for 12 sacks this season. OK, so it’s too early for one of those “on pace” notes. So why mention it this morning? Because Ekuban deserves a little love for being the most honest man in the Broncos’ locker room.
Ekuban is 6-foot-4 and 275 pounds, but he was scared Sunday. Scared that the Broncos were going to start the season 0-2 with New England and Baltimore just over the horizon.
“That’s human nature,” Ekuban said. “I’m not going to lie to you. We were down 6-0 and the offense was struggling. The pressure started kicking in. It crosses your mind because New England is coming up and Baltimore is playing great football right now. To be 0-2 and knowing we have to face New England and Baltimore … Oh, man, that’s tough duty right there.” …
Mike Shanahan says “we dialed it back a little bit” offensively vs. the Chiefs. Well, duh. In case you didn’t notice, that particular process started last season. Fact: The Broncos scored 30-plus points three times in 2005. During their Super Bowl seasons of 1997 and 1998, they racked up 30-plus 18 times. …
Two games into things is no time to go drawing conclusions. Then again, Al Wilson is already convinced that it won’t be as easy for the Broncos as it was in 2005. It’s called the nature of football. “We know that,” Wilson said. “That’s the way it is. I love being in this position, being one of the elite teams, knowing a team is going to come in and play their best game against us.” …
How much did the offense sputter in this one? The Broncos and Chiefs have played 93 games since 1960 and Sunday’s 9-6 score marked the lowest-scoring game in the series. …
Must be the humidor: The last three regular-season games played at Invesco have been the three lowest-scoring games in stadium history. Before Sunday’s slogfest, the Broncos beat Baltimore 12-10 and Oakland 22-3 late last season. …
The most troubling aspect of the first two games? Opposing defenses evidently have figured out how to keep Jake Plummer from running the bootleg. Without the Denver Boot, Jake the Snake isn’t the same quarterback who carried the Bronx to the AFC championship game. …
Did you notice? The Broncos, for all their offensive struggles, didn’t commit a penalty or allow a sack. …
OK, so this isn’t much of a column so far. What can I say? I’m dialing back my offense because I had too many typos on opening day. …
John Lynch: “I was raised on this kind of football. It used to be called Buc Ball down in Tampa.” …
The Broncos were thisclose to starting the season 0-2. They’ve lost their first two games seven times in franchise history, finishing 2-11-1 twice, 4-10 twice, 5-9, 6-10 and 7-9. …
Javon Walker, on his 16-yard reverse on fourth-and-1 that led to the Broncos’ first field goal: “I thought it was a good call. I feel like any time you put the ball in 84’s hands, something is going to happen.” …
Some things you suspect and some things you just know. Which brings us to the Broncos’ return game. If you aren’t convinced the Broncos will sign a new kick returner by Wednesday, you’re not quite, shall we say, grasping the gravity of the situation. …
At 280 pounds, give or take, Chiefs left tackle Kyle Turley fits the profile of a Broncos lineman. So much so that the Broncos tried to sign him before he committed to K.C. …
It was opening day at home, so naturally Invesco was rocking. Or not. I’ve heard wine-tastings louder than that crowd. …
Jason Elam, on the Chiefs trying to freeze him before his game-winning 39-yard field goal: “It was kind of nice Kansas City called timeout. It let me see what the wind was doing.” …
Sunday’s lifetime achievement award goes to Broncos fullback Kyle Johnson. Dude had two carries for 18 yards. Nothing unusual there except that he had four carries in his first three NFL seasons. …
The bottom line: The Broncos, having dodged a disaster and will need a W at New England to avoid a 1-2 start. They’ve never made the playoffs after opening a season 1-2.
Catch Jim Armstrong from 6-9 a.m. during “The Press Box” on ESPN 560 AM. He can be reached at 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com.
