This note’s for you, T.D. …
Well, at least the Broncos were consistent Sunday. They executed themselves in all three phases. …
Not only that, they finally put some pressure on the quarterback. Unfortunately, his name was Jay Cutler. …
Nick Ferguson, when asked if the clunker vs. Jacksonville was a cause for concern: “Let me cut you off right there. This is the same conclusion everyone tried to come to in the preseason. Then we played two games, even though they were close games, and people were talking about our defense. I expect people to start second-guessing our defense and second-guessing our team. I’ve been here five years and people have been second-guessing us since I’ve been here.” …
You wouldn’t have known it from the way their defense played Sunday, but the Broncos, going into the game, were the only team in the league that hadn’t allowed a red-zone score. …
The Broncos in their first two games had allowed three scores (two touchdowns, one field goal) in 20 opponents’ drives. Jacksonville scored two touchdowns and three field goals in 10 drives. …
Same old story, same old song and disaster from the Broncos’ special teams. The Jaguars’ second TD came after a 42-yard kickoff return, and their third-quarter field goal came after a fumbled kickoff return. …
Not sure I buy it, but here’s what Brandon Stokley had to say about the Broncos facing first-and-96 to win the game in the fourth quarter: “There wasn’t any doubt in anybody’s mind that we were going to go down and score a touchdown there and win the game. It just didn’t work out that way.” …
Nice halftime ceremony, during which the Broncos inducted Davis into the Ring of Fame. Next up, if there’s any justice in this world, is the ceremony to retire T.D.’s number. …
Most rushing yards per game in NFL history: 1. Jim Brown, 104.3; 2. Barry Sanders, 99.8, and 3. Davis, 97.5. …
The Broncos through three games have been outrushed 498 yards to 399. Nothing out of the ordinary there, except that they haven’t been outgained on the ground once in Mike Shanahan’s 12 seasons. Four times they’ve run for 1,000-plus yards more than their opponents. …
Not that, you know, the Jaguars kept the Broncos’ offense off the field in the early going, but Davis had as many carries as Travis Henry in the first quarter. …
The Jaguars had 11 third-down situations in the first half. Of those 11, seven were third-and-3 or shorter. That, sports fans, is your basic recipe for disaster. …
True, but strange: The Broncos’ coaches scripted a pass to Daniel Graham on the second play of the game – a 34-yard completion nullified by a penalty – then didn’t go to him again until fourth down with the game on the line in the fourth quarter. …
Elvis Dumervil, on why the Jags’ ground game was so successful: “I can’t really say. When you’re out there battling, you can’t really point any fingers. We’ve got to go watch film and hammer on the mistakes we made.” …
So what do you think? One more timely quarterback sneak by Cutler and the Broncos would have had a shot? Yeah, you’re right. Probably not. …
By the numbers: The Broncos didn’t have a single rushing first down in the first three quarters. Said Shanahan, “That’s what we usually do to people, and they did it to us.” …
And finally, a little silver lining amid all the doom and gloom. At least the Colts, next week’s opponents, don’t have a quarterback who runs well.
Read Jim Armstrong’s Third & Short column on Sundays and the day after Broncos games. He can be reached at 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com.
