True story.
During one of the Broncos’ string of mini-camps, I asked Mike Shanahan about the team’s decision not to re-sign Jason Elam. After making several points, among them his contention that the Broncos had made Elam a fair offer, Shanahan let go with this zinger: “Besides, we’re going to score touchdowns this season.”
As in, not settle for field goals, a trend that has become alarming in recent Broncos seasons. The numbers: The Broncos scored 43 touchdowns in 2005 when they played for the AFC championship. They scored 32 the next season and 31 last year.
Surprise, surprise, they didn’t make the playoffs in either season.
For all the question marks surrounding this team, the one thing we know is this: If the Broncos are going to make the playoffs, as Shanahan insists, they have to score more touchdowns. They can’t run out of gas in the red zone. They have to have more quick-strike scores, as opposed to last season, when they had a mere six touchdowns of 20-plus yards.
Make no doubt, Jay Cutler is going to put up big numbers. But then, so are a lot of other NFL quarterbacks. The rules are essentially rigged to promote that kind of thing, witness this stat: NFL teams completed 61.2 percent of their passes in 2007, the highest in league history.
Cutler will rack up the yards and pile up the completions. But it’s only going to matter if the Broncos score enough touchdowns to offset a defense that could struggle. Which reminds me. Those 31 touchdowns the Broncos scored last season? That was eight fewer than the other guys.
Follow Jim Armstrong’s Broncos updates on The Jimmy Page at 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday-Friday. And read his columns on Sundays at .
He can be reached at 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com.
