The Broncos’ 21-3 win over Arizona on Thursday night left them with a 2-2 record in the exhibition season. That marked only the second time in Mike Shanahan’s 13 seasons that they hadn’t had a winning preseason.
Maybe that’s a good thing. They were 3-1 last year and, well, we all know what happened last year.
So how good are these Broncos? Beats me. What’s important is that the Broncos don’t know. How could they?
They’ve had too many injuries in the past month to have their A team on the field. Only one was season-ending, but add them all up and the coaches can’t be sure what kind of team they have.
Truth is, with the regular-season opener barely a week away, the Broncos loom as one of the NFL’s mystery teams. They may win the AFC West and they may struggle to match last season’s 9-7 record.
For every area where they’ve improved, there’s another where they may regress. Their running game figures to be better, but their linebacker play could be worse than last season. Their tight ends are improved, but their offensive line is a question mark.
What is the Broncos’ biggest strength going into the season? I’m thinking Travis Henry will give them a ball-control element to their offense that was lacking last season. If he goes for 1,500 yards and a dozen touchdowns, the Broncos will be serious playoff contenders.
And if not?
How ’bout them Nuggets!
