Denver Post sports writer Mike Klis posts his Broncos Mailbag each week during the regular season.
for the Broncos Mailbag.
I consider this “new” defense to be a disappointment considering that nobody is picking to get near the Super Bowl this year. This “new” defense is certainly not ready for Seattle, yet I think Seattle’s defense is certainly ready for Denver right now. Thoughts?
— Brad Byers, Las Vegas
Brad – Apparently, everybody is going to compare the Broncos’ performance each week this season to Seattle’s performance in the Super Bowl — which the Seahawks reinforced in their opener against Green Bay.
As the rest of this mailbag will show, the Broncos’ fan base was largely left disappointed by Denver’s 31-24 victory against Indianapolis on Sunday night.
Did the Broncos look like Super Bowl champs after they survived the Colts? No. But perspective is warped here. Week 1 of one season should not be compared to the final game of the previous season.
I know people want to hurry up and believe that will never, ever happen again. I understand that fear. It must have been brutal.
But the idea is to not peak in Week 1. Did I miss something or did the Indianapolis Colts go 11-5 and 11-5 the previous two years?
I promise you, Brad, and everyone else, the Seahawks will have moments this year when they don’t look so hot. They will lose a game or three.
As for the Broncos’ defense, domination does not happen in one week. DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib and T.J. Ward all played well Sunday. It was clear to see they will make a difference. But it was also the first game that new trio played with Terrance Knighton, Chris Harris and Rahim Moore.
Defensive chemistry is forged, not bought. This is a new journey for the Broncos. This is not a 1-0 team that looks like it might lose 43-8 to the Seahawks in the Super Bowl again. The Broncos are 1-0.
At least that’s how to think this week. Next week, when the Broncos get ready to play at Seattle in Game 3, memories of 43-8 will be unavoidable.
My biggest concern Sunday night was Von Miller. One tackle for his total stats … yikes. Was this the result of needing more conditioning, a great player opposite him who held him at bay, or do you think perhaps Von may never be the dominant player he once was?
— Philip, Idaho
Philip – I can explain Miller’s performance in three words: ACL. (What?)
I still have faith in the torn anterior cruciate ligament as a serious injury. I know Adrian Peterson shook that faith a couple years ago with his unprecedented comeback from an ACL injury in 2012.
But Miller’s right knee blew out Dec. 22 of last season. That’s not even nine months ago. He’s still wearing a knee brace, and probably will all year. He’s back playing and he was in for 75.7 percent of the defensive snaps in the opener.
That’s step 1. Step 2 is this week against Kansas City. Peterson aside, it takes half a season if not a full season for a player to regain form from a torn ACL.
Even in Peterson’s 2,097-yard season of 2012, he gained but 499 yards in his first six games, or 83.1 yards per game. He gained 1,598 in his final 10 games — 159.8 yards per.
If Peterson needed six games, I say Miller should get eight.
Hey, Mike. Curious what you make of this. With the exception of Seattle and San Francisco (who played a weak Dallas team), all the projected top teams either lost or struggled: New Orleans, New England, Green Bay, Indy, Chicago and Denver. Are the Seahawks really in a class of their own? (I dread two Sundays from now.) Thanks.
— Ariel, Los Angeles
Ariel – Yes and Baltimore lost at home and Philadelphia was down 17-0 at halftime at home to Jacksonville.
The Patriots in particular can be vulnerable early. They started 1-2 in 2012 and finished 12-4; 5-3 in 2011 and finished 13-3.
I learned quickly how deceiving opening week can be in the NFL. My first game on the beat, Sept. 11, 2005, the Broncos got drilled 34-10 in the muggy afternoon heat of Miami against a Dolphins team that went 4-12 in 2004.
The next week, in Game 2, the Broncos got booed off Sports Authority Field by their home crowd at halftime as they were trailing San Diego, 14-3. Then Champ Bailey opened the second half with a pick-six, and the Broncos went on to a 13-3 record and hosting the AFC championship game.
Beware, opening day. And beware the fast start. In 2007, the Broncos started 2-0 and finished 7-9. In 2009 they started 6-0 — 6-0! — and finished 8-8.
Hi, Mike. I do not think we can win a Super Bowl with John Fox as the head coach. Too conservative when have a lead for both offense and defense. Defense still can not put good pressure on quarterback. Your thoughts? Thanks.
— Peruvian, Utah
Peruvian – My thought is, the next time a player or coach complains about how negative the media is, my response will be: You think we’re bad? You should read my mailbaggers.
Regarding Fox, I disagree. He was good enough to coach two organizations to the Super Bowl. He didn’t win either time, but he’s proven to be good enough to lead a team to the ultimate game. In his first Super Bowl, he had Jake Delhomme, and Bill Belichick had Tom Brady. It was 29-29 with a minute left.
New England won but knowing what we know now, does anybody think Belichick outcoached Fox in that game?
As for his second Super Bowl contest, I guarantee you the problem wasn’t that Fox was too conservative.
Having said that, the Broncos have to figure out how to play better with a 31-10 lead in the fourth quarter. Those final nine minutes against Indy were ugly.
Is there any possibility that the Broncos’ special teams will ever resemble well-coached units?
— Stan, Knoxville, Tenn.
Stan – This is one doozy of a mailbag. But hey, why shouldn’t special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers share in the blame for the Broncos’ victory?
Let’s review the Broncos’ special teams performance Sunday. New kicker Brandon McManus was 6-of-6 in touchbacks. Can’t beat that for kickoff coverage, although it was a shame David Bruton took a cheap shot and wound up with a dislocated shoulder.
Indianapolis also went 4-of-4 in kickoffs so there’s no problem with kickoff return.
Britton Colquitt punted well and his coverage unit limited the Colts’ Griff Whelan to less than 5 yards a return, although Whelan tried to cheat by taking off after Brandon Marshall threw him down first on his knee, then his behind. So the punt team was good.
Yes, rookie Isaiah Burse made a poor decision by not fair-catching a punt in the second quarter. Burse was blasted as he caught the ball and fumbled. Luckily for him, fellow rookie Bradley Roby picked up the fumble so nothing hurt, except for Burse’s body.
But what’s a coach supposed to do there?
Rodgers: “Hey, Isaiah. Next time, you might want to fair-catch that one.”
Burse: “Thanks coach.”
The last thing you want to do there is coach courage out of a returner.
Has anyone thought about how the Harbaughs (Jim and John) have off-field player issues? Is it just coincidence that both teams have domestic-violence issues at the same time?
— Tony Hoffman, Oakland, Calif.
Tony – I’d say it’s 100 percent coincidence. John Harbaugh is one of my favorite guys among the 32 head coaches. Jim Harbaugh seems a bit different. I think it’s because he’s so intense, he’s not always there. His mind is off thinking of something else.
But we all got to meet the Harbaughs’ parents, Jack and Jackie, during Super Bowl week in New Orleans two years ago. I’m telling you, these Harbaugh brothers were raised right.
Why do we always have to blame others for another man’s despicable act? Back in my day, when I had to serve a detention, no one blamed my junior varsity coach.
Mike – Longtime reader and lifelong Broncos fan here. Has coming to Denver made Peyton Manning even MORE popular? When I turn on the NFL and sports shows, it seems like they mention him more than when he was with the Colts. It may just be his recent performances, but it almost seems that the country has embraced him on another level since coming to Denver. Your infinitely wise thoughts please.
— Jeremy M., High Point, N.C.
Now here’s an astute observation. You nailed it, Jeremy. Peyton Manning is more popular with the Broncos than he ever was with the Colts. For one simple reason: For the first time in his life, Manning was an underdog.
With the Colts, Manning was born with the privilege of quarterback genes as Archie’s kid. He was mega-hyped in college, the No. 1 overall draft pick, the smartest guy in the room.
With the Broncos, he’s the quarterback who overcame four neck surgeries that forced him to miss a full season. He’s the quarterback who got kicked out of Indianapolis by Colts management. He was told the kid Andrew Luck was better. He was told he was damaged goods and old.
Against all that, Manning was No. 2 in the MVP voting his first year with the Broncos and the consensus MVP the next. He broke all the passing records last year. People love comebacks. Especially unprecedented comebacks.
With no progress on the contract extensions for the Thomases, would the Broncos trade one of them for future draft picks rather then lose one next year to free agency? They can only franchise one of them.
— Ed Morris, Flat Rock, N.C.
Ed – This ain’t baseball. There ain’t no “wait ’til next year” in the NFL. There is only this year. As they say upstairs in the 32 NFL’s coaches wings: Show me an NFL guy who builds for the future and I’ll show you a guy who won’t be around when the future arrives.
Something like that.
The slogan for the Broncos this season should be: This one’s for Pat.
— Bill Botinelly, Fort Collins
Bill – John Elway is hoping to say those exact words during the Lombardi Trophy presentation on Feb. 1, 2015, at University of Phoenix Stadium in Arizona.
Why do NFL teams persist in carrying a “long snapper” specialist instead of coaching the center to handle those duties and using the position for extra depth at a skill position or position of need?
— Charlie Tango, Greeley
Charlie – I went to the man himself, Broncos offensive line coach Dave Magazu, with this one. First, Magazu said long-snapping is an art. A bulked-up, pot-bellied man built for blocking play after play in the interior of an NFL offensive line is not necessarily properly built to whisk the ball back 15 yards with a tight spiral and strong velocity.
Broncos long snapper Aaron Brewer, at 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, would have a tough time holding up against Ndamukong Suh as Manning took a seven-step drop prior to heaving a go route. But Brewer is sleek enough to get that ball back with authority.
Two, what happens if your starting center who doubles as a long snapper gets hurt? The Raiders lost their long snapper Jon Condo to injury in the opener of the 2012 season and the result was a debacle.
Magazu said when trying to figure out whether an offensive lineman can long snap, one exercise is to have them throw the football. If they can throw the ball pretty well, they have a chance to long snap — because that’s really what they’re doing, only from an inverted position.
One other point Magazu would make: If you want your kid to make it in the NFL some day? Teach him to long snap.
for the Broncos Mailbag. Listen to Mike Klis on “Klis’ Korner” on Monday-Friday at 102.3 FM ESPN.
