Season-ticket holders grumble that the Broncos have lost their Mile High Mojo in recent years.
But look around. Who does have home-field advantage anymore?
Starting with the 2000 season, NFL home teams have gone 1,493-1,125 with two ties. That’s a decent, not great, .570 winning percentage.
Or viewed another way, a respectable 43 percent of NFL games are won by the visitors.
Sure, home field means something. But it’s not like there has to be a replay of Joe Namath flashing the No. 1 sign as he runs into the locker room every time a road team wins.
“The biggest thing about going on the road is the 12th man,” said Broncos linebacker Jason Hunter, referring to the partisan crowd. “Other than that, if you go in with a good mind-set, your focus can be better on the road.”
The Broncos’ home record since the 2005 season when they took a 9-0 mark into the AFC championship game: 18-17. A .514 winning percentage, or between four and five home wins per season.
Knowing the odds at home are not quite as stacked in their favor as their reputation suggests, the Broncos are pulling out an extra stop by proclaiming “Orange Sunday” for their home game today against the seemingly mighty New York Jets.
Invesco Field at Mile High will be filled with orange-clad, orange towel-waving fans. The Broncos’ players will wear those bright, alternative-orange jerseys.
Whatever it takes to combat the facts that say winning on the road is tough, but not as tough as people think.
“It’s a business trip,” Broncos safety Renaldo Hill said. “It’s what you came there to do. There’s not a lot of distractions when you’re on the road. It’s just you and the team.”
Many businessmen find it easier to relax on the road, knowing they don’t have to mow the lawn, drive the kids from one end of town to another or all the other tasks on a weekend honey-do list.
The road can be both less stressful and easier to get work done. It’s also a place where a team can bond, for better or worse.
“When we’re on the road, we’re together as a team from Saturday morning when we’re on the bus, to three or four hours on the plane, to the hotel,” Hill said. “And you’re definitely thinking about how, ‘I don’t want to be on a plane home for hours with everyone sad and thinking about having to watch the film the next day.’ You want to feel good and talk about those moments in the game you just won.”
The Jets will be the road team today for the game at Invesco Field. They also are favored to win.
Scheffler catches on, cashes in.
Former Broncos tight end Tony Scheffler has found comfort in his new home with the Detroit Lions.
Scheffler, who spent his first four seasons with the Broncos before he was traded just before the 2010 NFL draft in a three-team deal that landed the Broncos a fifth-round draft pick from Philadelphia, signed a three-year contract extension with the Lions, his hometown team.
Scheffler, 27, grew up in Chelsea, Mich., an hour’s drive from Detroit. The 6-foot-5, 255-pound Scheffler is tied for fifth among NFL tight ends with 24 catches — impressive considering that he is the Lions’ “second” tight end to Brandon Pettigrew, who has 26 receptions.
The new deal includes a $2 million signing bonus which will help compensate Scheffler for the team-favorable $1.18 million salary he received as a tendered restricted free agent.
Footnotes.
Think of how well road teams would have fared if not for the Detroit Lions. The record for consecutive road losses is 24, set by the Lions from 2001-03. The current Lions will try to avoid matching dubious history today against the New York Giants. Today’s Lions will go into the new Meadowlands with 23 straight road defeats, dating to 2007. . . .
Turnovers are the key to victory. Unless they’re not. Baltimore’s defense has a league-low three takeaways through five games this season. Yet the Ravens are 4-1. Why? Their defense. Even without turnovers, the Ravens rank No. 2 in total defense and No. 4 in points allowed. They have yet to allow more than 17 points. . . .
The game has changed, all right, never more so than in the past 20 years. To wit: Steve Largent retired in 1989 as the NFL’s all-time leading receiver with 819 catches. He’s now 20th. . . .
Entering this season, Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton had three 300-yard passing games in a career that spanned 49 games. Entering play today against the Jets, Orton has four 300 yard-plus games in a row. . . .
Vikings QB Brett Favre has already committed more turnovers in four games this year (10) than he did all of last season (9). And that’s not the most troubling aspect of his year. What’s alarming is he has bigger problems.
EYE ON
Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Steelers
What’s up: After serving a four-game suspension for repeatedly acting like a jerk to women, Roethlisberger returns today for the Steelers’ home game against the Cleveland Browns.
Background: Roethlisberger was the third QB taken — after Eli Manning and Philip Rivers — in the 2004 draft. Big Ben has won more Super Bowl rings — two — in the previous five seasons than any other quarterback.
Klis’ take: The fact the Steelers went 3-1 without Roethlisberger, losing only to rival Baltimore on a late touchdown, makes them the team to beat now that he’s back. It almost seemed like the NFL orchestrated his return — the week after a bye, at home, against the Browns.
SPOTLIGHT ON . . .
Tsk, tsk
As the season moves past the quarter pole, here are the top five disappointments:
1. San Francisco 49ers
Listed all offseason as 3-point favorite for the Halloween game vs. the Broncos in London. It’s now a pick ’em.
2. Brett Favre, QB, Vikings
It seems that this time, Favre, right, was really intent on retiring. And he’s playing like it.
3. Dallas Cowboys
The pressure of trying to reach the Super Bowl they’ll host is giving Romo’s gang the heebie-jeebies.
4. Darrelle Revis, CB, Jets
Holdout leads to hamstring injury which leads to Percy Harvin assaulting his island.
5. Saints/Colts
The bar is set high for the defending Super Bowl participants, both of whom started 13-0 last season and are 3-2 this year.
THREE UP
1. Falcons: They go together: Rank No. 2 in rushing (148.8 yards) and No. 2 in points allowed (14.0).
2. Jets: A first- and second-down team: Offense ranks No. 20 in third-down conversion (37.3 pct) and defense is No. 6 (42.9).
3. Giants: WR Hakeem Nicks in three wins: 24 catches, 315 yards, five TDs; in two losses: nine catches, 94 yards, one TD.
THREE DOWN
1. Saints: Rank 18th in scoring at 19.8 points/game. They were No. 1 last year at 31.9.
2. Bengals: Took back-to-back losses to Cleveland and Tampa Bay into bye week.
3. Texans: Allowed 88 points against three NFC East opponents.
ON THE HOT SEAT
Good numbers are bad news for Norv
Who: Norv Turner, coach, Chargers
When: 11 a.m. today at St. Louis Rams
Why: For the fourth consecutive season in the four-year Turner era, the Chargers are 2-3 entering Game 6. Which means the Chargers are on their way to winning their fourth consecutive AFC West title. This year’s slow start is especially baffling because the Chargers rank No. 1 in total offense (461.8 yards per game) and No. 2 in total defense (246.2). Yet penalties and special teams — areas specifically reflective of coaching — are killing the Chargers.
