Arms bulging, legs sturdy, chests puffed and heads held high, a Broncos defensive player not only owned this town, he was ready to defend the world.
Or at least halt anyone who dared creep inside the Denver 20-yard line.
So good was the Broncos’ defense through six games, it was compared with some of the greatest units in NFL history.
The Broncos’ defense was lauded for its extreme speed at linebacker and at cornerback, and relentless pursuit from everywhere. Haughty times that disappeared like six weeks of fame.
Up next for the Denver “D” was a seven-game stretch against the likes of Peyton Manning, LaDainian Tomlinson, Larry Johnson, Shaun Alexander and Tomlinson again. Next thing you know, the 2006 Broncos are trending like the 1999 Broncos.
“Yeah, they’re great players, but they’re human – you can beat them,” said Champ Bailey, the Broncos’ left cornerback and best player. “Look what Jacksonville just did to Peyton Manning. Look what Baltimore did to San Diego earlier this year. If you’re going to be a great defense, you don’t measure yourself against a team that’s 31st in the league in offense. You want to measure yourself against the best.”
After allowing a league-low 7.3 points a game through six games, the Broncos have allowed a league-high 27.4 points a game in their past seven.
Still want to put this Broncos’ defense in historical perspective? Think the stock market crash of 1929, or the Chicago Cubs after the Steve Bartman reach in 2003.
“We’re just not making the big plays that we made before,” Broncos defensive end Kenard Lang said. “You look at all the games we’ve won, we made a lot of big plays. The only game we lost where we made a lot of big plays was San Diego at home, but that was like a Nintendo game.”
Not making plays. It has become perhaps the NFL’s No. 1 ambiguous catchphrase of the past decade. There has to be more to it.
Injuries to defensive starters Courtney Brown and Nick Ferguson and top reserve Sam Brandon have been mentioned. Criticism has been zinged continuously at the pass rush and recently at right cornerback Darrent Williams.
Then there’s the schedule. The Chargers have been one of the league’s most talented teams the past three years, but after winning the AFC West in 2004, they played a first-place schedule last year and missed the playoffs.
This year, with the Broncos absorbing the hits of a first-place schedule, the Chargers were free to win the AFC West with weeks to spare, and become the team to beat for the Super Bowl.
Funny thing about facing tough opponents. They usually have plenty of offensive star power.
“From beginning until to the end, you can name them all,” Broncos defensive tackle Gerard Warren said. “Marc Bulger was no slouch. Tom Brady. To me, we’re playing one of the toughest schedules I’ve seen. And to make it even tougher, teams that people never gave a chance seem to be catching fire here in the last quarter of the season.”
He would be speaking about the Arizona Cardinals, the Broncos’ next opponent. The Cardinals are 4-9 but just beat Seattle, and rookie quarterback Matt Leinart is getting better every game.
Leinart also has one of the NFL’s most explosive receiving tandems in Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. And the Broncos’ pass coverage is slumping along with the team.
The Chargers picked on the ever-aggressive Williams in a 48-20 whipping Sunday at San Diego. Bailey and Broncos coach Mike Shanahan each said Williams has the type of characteristics that allows him to overcome a tough game. One of those qualities is courage. Williams didn’t duck the media’s interrogations after the game Sunday and again Monday.
“One thing Champ and Coach talked to me about is I don’t have to try to be on everybody hip-to-hip,” Williams said. “Because of my speed and my quickness, I can have a 2-yard cushion on receivers and still make the plays.”
One correction by one player might be a good start, but when a defense goes from the toughest to score upon to the easiest, in one season, it probably doesn’t bring all problems to an end.
Staff writer Mike Klis can be reached at 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com.
