John Lynch likes to call himself a dinosaur. Can you blame him? Most NFL players his age aren’t NFL players anymore.
Lynch is 36 years old. Excuse me, 36 years young. If you’ve watched the Broncos this season, you know the issue of whether Lynch still is an impact player isn’t an issue at all.
The Broncos’ defense is, in a word, shaky. They have allowed 25.8 points per in their first 10 games, way too many for a team with hopes of winning a depleted AFC West. But the defense plays at a higher level, particularly against the run, when Lynch is in the game.
It’s more than that, though. Intimidation is part of the drill in the NFL. Without Lynch in the lineup, opposing teams have no reason to be intimidated by the Denver defense, whose front seven ranks among the lower one-third in the league.
And with Lynch in the lineup? Nothing seems to spark the Denver “D” like a monster hit by Captain Crunch. At Lynch’s age, you have to wonder how much longer he’ll keep banging heads on Sundays. But make no doubt, the Broncos are hoping it’s later, not sooner.
Follow Jim Armstrong’s daily Broncos commentaries on The Jimmy Page at 7 a.m. and noon, and read his columns on Sundays and the day after Broncos games at .
He can be reached at 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com.
