To continue to improve, the Broncos have to find more of the middle ground. The season they completed Saturday night was all about the extremes. All high or low. All yes or no. Not much in the middle.
After the Broncos’ 45-10 loss at New England, 11-time Pro Bowl cornerback Champ Bailey was asked if had ever experienced a season like this one.
“The way we won games, the way we lost games, we win a close one against a good football team and get blown out by another good football team. We’re just really inconsistent,” Bailey said.
“We had a crazy season,” said tailback Willis McGahee. “I think it was a good season, but you still don’t want to come to the playoffs and lose a game like this. So a good season, but crazy. It was fun while it lasted.”
In his first season as Denver’s coach, John Fox earned his players’ trust for what Bailey called “the come-to-work attitude and never letting anybody get down. He kept pushing us without dragging us down. He never got way down when we were 1-4 and he didn’t get all caught up when we won six games in a row.”
Tim Tebow had eight starts this season in which he completed 10 or fewer passes. At this point, Tebow’s game is an all-or-nothing show. Throw it deep or don’t throw it at all.
Denver’s defense also is all or nothing. Some weeks the pass rush is there, some weeks it’s not there.
The NFL is all about consistency, which the Broncos don’t have yet.
“All I know is, I’m going home early. I don’t like it,” Bailey said. “We have to find a way to be that team we can be every week, one that doesn’t make mistakes, one that doesn’t miss tackles. Those are the teams that get the rings. You always want to be on one of those teams.”
Asked to describe the Broncos’ wild ride this season, Tebow said: “A lot of ups and downs.”
Too many, as it turned out.
Jeff Legwold: jlegwold@denverpost.com
