Who do these Broncos think they are? Defenders pump a fist after tackles; they dare to mess with a Hall of Fame tight end; they act as if the 336 points scored by the opposition in a dozen NFL games are some kind of fluke.
It says here Denver cannot possibly win the Super Bowl with this defense.
But what these Broncos lack in talent they have replaced with attitude.
Underdogs? This defense is a Chihuahua convinced it’s a Doberman.
Whether it’s a rookie safety named Josh Barrett getting in the face of superstar Kansas City tight end Tony Gonzalez or 22-year-old Denver linebacker Wesley Woodyard delivering a blow so hard it makes your teeth hurt to watch, there’s a passion for mayhem that was missing earlier in the season.
“We’re playing with more swagger. We know who we are as a defense,” Denver cornerback Dre Bly said Sunday after his fourth-down tackle at the 1-yard line against the lowly Chiefs preserved a 24-17 victory.
Remember when Champ Bailey said this defense’s attitude stunk? And could you blame him? Bailey called out teammates after getting trounced by New England in October, suggesting what the Broncos lacked was a sufficient supply of nasty.
Well, nobody is confusing this group with the Orange Crush. But in the name of Tom Jackson, can somebody give me an amen? Because there’s something you’ve got to like about this we’re-not-gonna-take-it- anymore attitude, a Patchwork Orange defense somehow pulled together from scraps and rejects.
I cannot speak for every Broncomaniac, but the wrecking ball on this too-young, too-brash, too-desperate-to-care group of defenders only a mother could love is Woodyard. The dude plays bigger than he is, if you know what I mean.
“You’ve got to be the bigger man,” said Woodyard, who made the Broncos as a rookie free agent.
Where did Woodyard acquire his nasty streak? It was hard-earned through the bloody knees and skinned elbows in the streets of a small Georgia town.
“I’ve been competing with guys older and better than me since I was 6 years old playing sideline bust. Sideline bust is tackle football in the streets. And the bust is: If you’ve got the ball on the sideline, you get smacked,” Woodyard said. “We used to travel through the neighborhoods, challenging different kids to a game. And I was always the smallest guy in the crew I played football with, so I learned at a young age to play bigger than what I am.”
There are old-school Broncomaniacs, raised on Randy Gradishar and not especially fond of the video- game generation’s sensibility to strike a rock-star pose after dropping a running back with a slobber-knocking tackle on an otherwise forgettable play.
These Broncos, however, needed a little of that edge. And Woodyard brings the lumber. He will jack you up, then let everybody in the stadium know about it, so even the chardonnay sippers in the club seats feel compelled to look up from the BlackBerry and take notice.
This is the beautiful noise that has been missing from Invesco Field at Mile High since Al Wilson left the building.
Through seven games of this season, the Broncos allowed 5.4 yards per rush. Everybody, including coach Mike Shanahan, knew that was a good way to get trampled.
Without the services of Bailey, who, despite a nagging groin injury, is the only man resembling a Pro Bowler on defense, Denver has allowed 4.3 yards per carry. Not exactly Da Bears of Ditka, but a marked improvement.
It’s possible to admire the grit grown by this defense and still doubt it can hold up against Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning, should he be Denver’s destiny in the playoffs.
Is this defense beyond suspicion?
“Everything’s not going to be good and dandy, but as long as we make plays, all that matters is getting those W’s,” responded Bly, who says to heck with all the doubters.
“We don’t plan to fold.”
Are there teeth behind that growl?
Let’s find out.
Mark Kiszla: 303-954-1053 or mkiszla@denverpost.com
