Peyton Manning might be an ideal antidote to what ails the Broncos’ defense.
For those who haven’t choked on their coffee, there may be some backward logic to consider.
Through his hours of film study this week, Manning, the Indianapolis Colts’ star quarterback, no doubt observed how the Broncos can’t stop the run.
Among the 32 NFL teams, only 1-2 Cleveland and 0-3 Buffalo have surrendered more rushing yards than the 2-1 Broncos.
“I felt like the first two games, it was about assignments,” Broncos safety John Lynch said. “Jacksonville was the first game where it looked like we got pushed around. And that’s disappointing because Mike (Shanahan, the Broncos’ coach) clearly stated that whoever was going to be more physical would dictate the outcome of this game. In the second half it looked like we finally stood up. But it took a long time to get going.”
When it comes to running, though, Manning is no David Garrard. Manning is a passer. In a debate that asks whether Manning is the best passer of all time, the Broncos’ defense of recent years would not qualify for argument.
The Broncos’ defense of the present, however, is the league’s stingiest against the pass. No. 1. For every Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison the Colts have running pass patterns for Manning, the Broncos have Champ Bailey and Dré Bly backpedaling to cover them.
Perhaps Manning will be lulled into calling more running plays than usual against the Broncos. With the game on the fast turf of the RCA Dome, and so many Manning passing strikes indelible in the Broncos’ memory, would that be so bad?
“That sounds like a good thing,” Bailey said. “Only problem is, we haven’t stopped the run.”
The tape of the Broncos’ game against Jacksonville should be sent to NFL Films. Steve Sabol could entitle it: “Stopping the run isn’t everything – it’s the only thing.”
The Broncos’ inability to halt the Jaguars’ romp through the grass went beyond yards and points. It affected the Broncos’ offense because it couldn’t get the ball. One Jacksonville drive lasted 11 minutes and 44 seconds – a long march not uncommon when Air Force plays Navy, but rarely observed in the NFL.
“Terrible,” said Jim Bates, the Broncos’ defensive head coach. “The biggest thing is if a team can make 4, 5 or 6 yards on first down, then the sticks are totally in their favor. We have to do a better job of getting the sticks in our favor.”
When the offense must wait, and then wait some more, it has no margin for error when it does get its turn. Not surprisingly, the added pressure of not making mistakes may have led to several mistakes.
“Possessions started counting more and more,” Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler said. “In this game every possession counts, every play counts. The limited times we got them it made them even more valuable. We were killing ourselves with the fumbles and penalties on third down, and it seemed like every time we’d get something together, we’d get a penalty or something would happen to push us back. It was tough. It was tough when you don’t get the ball much. The defense did the best they could. We put them in some bad spots.”
For all the gripes about the Broncos’ troubles against the run, the flipside is there are fewer complaints about their pass rush. The Broncos have nine sacks, which ranks eighth in the league.
Nor has Simeon Rice gotten his first Broncos’ sack. Rice, at right end, will be lined up opposite a rookie this week in left tackle Tony Ugoh. The possibility of applying pressure on Manning while covering Harrison and Wayne leads to another possibility the matchup Sunday in Indy may not be as lopsided as the oddsmakers, or Denver’s D critics, believe.
“Their style of play fits our style of defense,” Rice said. “We’ll see.”
Put that in your coffee.
Staff writer Mike Klis can be reached at 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com.
