Apparently a lot of people in this country have a lot of spare time on their hands.
How do I know? Because some guy sent me an e-mail the other day saying he had crunched the numbers and determined the Broncos, with their victory over Kansas City, had increased their chances of making the playoffs to 15.2 percent from 2.7 percent.
Isn’t that special? The Broncos will be home for Christmas and, in all likelihood, the playoffs.
Thus the question: In lieu of making the postseason, what would constitute a successful stretch run for the Broncos? The answer can be found on their defensive line, where the Broncos are counting on a handful of young players to emerge into quality veterans.
The list includes Marcus Thomas, the new starter at left tackle now that Sam Adams is gone, and Elvis Dumervil, well on his way to his preseason goal of 12-15 sacks. Also on the list: second-rounder Tim Crowder, whose playing time at defensive end has increased as the season has progressed.
Feel free to add No. 1 pick Jarvis Moss to the list, too. The development of Moss, whose season was cut short by injuries, and all those other young D linemen is vital to the Broncos’ future, near and distant.
Make no doubt, they’re still a work in progress, witness this stat: Of the Broncos’ 28 sacks, 18 have come at home. As in, those young linemen need to step up and be a bigger factor on the road, where the Broncos historically don’t score as many points.
Home or road, though, there’s no denying the importance of the Broncos’ young linemen. If they turn into impact players, the 2007 season could be viewed down the road as the year in which the front office laid the foundation for a dominating defense. And if they don’t turn into impact players? Then the Broncos could have problems on the defensive side of the ball for years to come.
It’s that important to the future of the franchise. But back to the here and now.
“They’re playing with a lot of hunger right now,” said Champ Bailey. “These guys, they really want to be successful wherever they are. They’re trying to make a name for themselves. … It’s making us look better on the back end. I told them it starts up front. We rely on them heavily.”
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.
