And now for today’s Broncos reality check.
Gone are the days of their 13-game winning streak and back-to-back Super Bowls. These days, they simply aren’t talented enough to dominate teams on a regular basis.
Now for the good news: Neither are most other NFL teams.
According to the league office, 46 percent of games played last season came down to seven points or fewer. Twenty-four percent were decided by a field goal or less.
Moral to the story: With the salary cap defining how games are played, you’d better have quality special teams. As often as not, they decide who wins and loses in today’s NFL.
Which brings us to the Broncos of ’07. Unlike last year’s Broncos, who had the NFL’s worst average starting field position, this year’s Broncos could have some of the best special teams in the league.
Scott O’Brien has been hired to make sure of it. And he’s got Todd Sauerbrun, a Pro Bowl punter during their days together at Carolina, working for him. They can’t help but improve the Broncos’ special teams.
If so, the Broncos will be a better team than last season, when their special teams, as much as any other factor, cost them a playoff spot.
