Denver Post sports writer Mike Klis posts his Broncos Mailbag on Wednesdays during the regular season.
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Really disappointed on a cold, rainy night in Iowa. After watching , I have to wonder: Has the Manning window closed? With this offensive line, I can’t see the Broncos winning this year.
— Jake, Marion, Iowa
Jake – You’re parading out the elephant in the Dove Valley headquarters.
For now, I’d be careful about making declarative statements. The window may be closing on the Manning Broncos Super Bowl run, but I don’t think it’s closed.
The Broncos are capable of making a 3-0 run in the postseason.
Let’s go through this a step at a time. , a playoff game of sorts because it would mean they would advance past the postseason’s first round.
And it would not be an upset if in the second round, the Broncos while playing at home defeat the Bengals, Colts or Steelers. So now our scenario has the Broncos in the AFC championship game.
Right now, it doesn’t look like they can beat the Patriots in New England. Can they beat them there on Jan. 11? It would probably take the Pats committing two turnovers. It would take Aqib Talib and Rahim Moore double-teaming Rob Gronkowski.
Strong safety T.J. Ward (neck) and linebacker Brandon Marshall (foot) would have to come back healthy.
It would take quarterback Peyton Manning having a solid, no-pick game and maybe Julius Thomas or Emmanuel Sanders have a great game (I think Bill Belichick will take away Demaryius Thomas).
And it would take punter Britton Colquitt booting the ball so high Julian Edelman can’t return it, even if it means Colquitt punting a few yards shorter than usual.
Let’s stop there before we talk about the Broncos’ chances against the NFC representative in the Super Bowl.
It would take a lot to get there. But to become Super Bowl champs, you have to do a lot. Including beating the Patriots on the road. Merry Christmas, Jake!
Mike – Pretty much all season I’ve been thinking about a Broncos quarterback, but not the current one. I remember watching as John Elway said something to the effect of his mind wants to and knows what to do, but his body can’t do it anymore. I hope we win the Super Bowl, but what are the chances that John has a talk with Peyton and convinces him the flutter-ball just isn’t going to cut it anymore? I doubt we’ll be a contender next year with Brock Osweiler, but we won’t win a Super Bowl with a 40-year-old Peyton either, so what’s the point?
— Brandon, La Crosse, Wis.
Brandon – Peyton Manning will turn 39 on March 24. I say John Elway sits Manning down in early March and says: “You’re my guy. We’re going to fortify the offensive line. We want you to lead this team for two more years.”
Like most people, Brandon, you’re comparing Manning of 2014 to Manning’s career-best season of 2013. It was the best quarterback season in NFL history, save the Super Bowl.
It’s not falling into place this year like it did last year for Manning. But there’s a reason why they don’t call it a twice-in-a-lifetime season.
Compared to the rest of the NFL, where would you put Manning? Even if you grade him harshly and unfairly and rank him behind Rodgers, Romo, Brady, Brees, Luck, Big Ben, Wilson and Rivers, he’s still a top 9 quarterback. You can win a Super Bowl with a top 9 quarterback.
Looking at that list, I don’t think anyone would rank Manning below the top 5. Maybe top 5 doesn’t seem so good a year after he was No. 1. But he’s still top 5. Merry Christmas, Brandon!
Hi, Mike. Is it me or are the Broncos the most overrated, most overhyped, most overpaid team in the league? I live in Patriots country, and every day I have to listen to these clowns talk about how much better the Pats are than the Broncos with a less talented team. I hate to say it, Mike, but they may have a valid point! Trust me: It kills me to even say that. Thanks, Mike.
— John Miller, Brattleboro, Vt.
John – , most in the NFL. The Patriots had five.
But it was a disgrace that Pats linebacker Jamie Collins didn’t make it. I don’t watch the Patriots but a couple times a year, but doesn’t their defense start with tackle Vince Wilfork?
In New England, the talk is safety Devin McCourty was a major snub. And if I was building a team, I’d want Julian Edelman and Rob Ninkovich on it.
I don’t need the Pro Bowl selections to tell me the Patriots have just as much talent as the Broncos. Merry Christmas, John!
Do we lead the league in special-teams penalties? It seems that all year we take big losses or decent returns back due to dumb penalties on punts and kickoffs.
— Ryan, Littleton
Ryan – The Broncos have committed 20 special-teams penalties, tied for seventh-most in the league. This is especially alarming when considering the Broncos have fewer kickoff-coverage plays than most teams because of their 66.3 percent touchback rate.
Special-teams coverage was a major problem at Cincinnati, where the Broncos surrendered a staggering 206 return yards.
In fairness to special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers, the key players on coverage units are linebackers. The Broncos lost Danny Trevathan and Nate Irving to injury, meaning top special teamers Steven Johnson and Brandon Marshall must be saved for defense.
When Marshall hurt his foot and didn’t play, the Broncos had to call on undrafted rookie Todd Davis to play linebacker. That means special teams are down to their third- and fourth-string linebackers.
This was the problem at the end of last season, too, when the Broncos lost so many defensive starters to injuries. The special teamers have to play defense, meaning special teams have to be filled by rookies or free agents signed off the street.
Still, I think all those touchbacks at home hurt the Broncos’ coverage units on the road. It’s kind of like the Rockies pounding the ball at Coors Field and getting consistently shut down on the road.
The Broncos’ coverage is different at home than it is on the road. That’s my theory, anyway. Then again during my days as a ballwriter, I know people got tired of my altitude at home/sea level on the road explanation as to why the Rockies will always find it difficult to win over a 162-game season. (How many division titles have the Rockies won in 22 years again?)
Merry Christmas, Ryan!
Hi, Mike, love your work and the mailbag. It seems like it has become typical this time of year to hear reports of the Broncos’ coordinators being sought out by other teams for head coaching jobs. As happy as I am that it means the Broncos and their coaches had yet another successful season, the thought of losing Jack Del Rio and Adam Gase does put a bit of a damper on my holiday cheer. Do you think there’s any chance that the Grinch won’t steal our coordinators this year?
— Teresa, San Francisco Bay Area, Calif.
Teresa – With or without Del Rio or Gase, may you have Merry Christmas! There is a real good chance the Broncos lose both Del Rio and Gase after this season. .
Del Rio in particular is ready to move up and move on. He’s an experienced head coach and coming off a nice three-year run with the Broncos that included a 3-1 mark as interim head coach while John Fox was recovering from a heart valve replacement procedure last year.
Gase is the most talented of the young head coaching candidates. With the exception of perhaps the late Bill Walsh, there’s no such thing as an offensive genius. Gase, though, coordinated an offense that set NFL records by passing the ball last year, and he successfully schemed a running game in midseason this year.
I also think it’s time for Broncos running backs coach Eric Studesville to start getting some interviews.
Mike – When Mike Shanahan drafted Jay Cutler, I suspect that he planned on Cutler getting solid expert coaching. But because Shanahan was fired and Josh McDaniels gave up on him quickly and shipped him to Chicago, Cutler never got the top-notch coaching that would have made him a good QB. If Cutler had stayed with Shanahan, he’d be a much better player. Your thoughts?
— Fred Waiss, Prairie du Chien, Wis.
Fred – Teachers matter, no doubt. But the responsibility still lies with the student. I will give you the possibility that had the Broncos kept Shanahan, Cutler would have been a better quarterback.
But it wouldn’t have been better for the Broncos. It was time for Shanny to move on as a coach. I’m glad Shanahan the man is still living in the Denver area. As a head coach, Shanahan had 14 years and it was a successful run. But there was just one playoff win in his last 10 seasons. The Broncos took a step back with McDaniels but it led to John Elway, John Fox, Peyton Manning and better days ahead.
Cutler got good coaching in Chicago. He was a big Jeremy Bates guy here and the Bears brought him in for a year. Lovie Smith was a quality coach before Cutler and in Cutler’s first four years with the Bears.
Cutler has gone through several offensive coordinators and head coaches. Here’s the deal: He throws too many interceptions. He doesn’t have the leadership DNA commonly found in successful quarterbacks.
To a degree those flaws are on his teachers. Mostly I think this is about a student who has been difficult to teach. Merry Christmas, Fred!
Would you support a petition to ask John Elway and the Denver Broncos to retire Terrell Davis’ No. 30 jersey as the greatest running back in Broncos history and to assist in his enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame?
— Rich, Denver
Rich – The Broncos have been relatively inclusive with their Ring of Fame and exclusive with retiring numbers. I like it that way. There are 27 Ring of Famers. There might be one or two from the formative years who wouldn’t have made it given the context of 55 seasons. But they meant a lot to the franchise then.
There are only three numbers retired: Frank Tripucka’s 18; Floyd Little’s 44 and John Elway’s 7. When Peyton Manning retires, maybe they can re-retire 18.
I do think Terrell Davis should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. At the very least, I hope that after making the cut to 25 semifinalists for a ninth consecutive year that Davis will be among the 15 modern-era finalists for the first time when they are announced early next month.
But I say his No. 30 stay with David Bruton. To you, Rich, and to all the mailbaggers, I wish you a Merry Christmas!
for the Broncos Mailbag. Listen to Mike Klis on “Klis’ Korner” on Monday-Friday at 102.3 FM ESPN.
