SB Nation User Blog: nycbroncosfan

Things I will miss about Shanny (and a few I won't)

nycbroncosfan — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:24:09 -0000

I have been a Broncos fan for nearly twenty-two of my thirty-one years, and Mike Shanahan has been the HC for the last fourteen. Perhaps this is not a good thing, but since John Elway's retirement, Mike Shanahan has been the identity of the Denver Broncos. Hopefully, it will soon be Jay Cutler. That remains to be seen, but obviously things are pointed in that direction and it cannot happen soon enough. I am, like everyone else here, a Broncos fan through-and-through and will remain so for the remainder of my years. I will always root for Mike Shanahan, although that statement will clearly be tested if he were to find employment with the Chiefs, Chargers, Jets or Cowboys. But that's for another day. This has been quite a shocking eighteen hours for me, starting with my brother-in-law's text message "Didn't really see that move coming." I am still shell-shocked, I cannot imagine Denver Broncos Football without Mike Shanahan roaming the sideline, and I am still angry. I awoke this morning hoping to find it was all a dream, but of course that never happens. All that said, here are the things I will miss about Mike Shanahan...

I will miss the Shanahan Death Stare. It surely followed every poor referee's call and every fumble by the hands of a Broncos offensive player. Once a running back met that glare, he was riding the bench for the rest of the game, and more times than not, his career in blue and orange was soon to be over.
I will miss the Shanahan running game. No, you cannot plug any running back into Shanny's offense and expect great things. Shanny and Bobby Turner found the players who they knew would succeed in their offense, and usually those players cost no more than a mid-to-late-round draft choice.
I will miss the scripted 15. We always knew that the Broncos would come out firing, and that they would have the other team on their heels for the entirety of the first quarter of each and every game. Perhaps that had been less the case in recent years, but adding a running back this off-season was likely to remedy those failings.
I will miss Shanny's guts. Mike Shanahan hates to punt. He is a gambler. That's not to say he goes for it on 4th down all the time (rarely this season), but I can honestly say that he always went for it when it made sense. There have not been very many times over the past fourteen years where I disagreed with Shanahan's 4th-down decisions. Obviously, my personal feelings in no way validate Shanny's choices, but I am glad to say we always had a coach who wasn't afraid to go for it. Part of that is his moxie, and perhaps part of it was his job security. Either way, I loved it. Who else in the NFL would have gone for the 2-pointer at the end of the San Diego game?
I will miss Shanahan's killer instinct. One of the best feelings as a Broncos fan has been this...seeing 3rd-and-1 up on the board and knowing that it wasn't usually going to be a QB-sneak or just a RB diving over the top. Sometimes those plays work, but oftentimes they do not. Getting nine yards on 3rd-and-1 after a pitch play left to the HB or fifteen-plus on a play-action over the top to a wide-open receiver are Shanahan staples.
I will miss Shanny's turning water into wine. Think about the following late-round picks, street free-agents and other people's garbage...Ed McCaffrey, Rod Smith, Terrell Davis, Byron Chamberlain, Billy Miller, Desmond Clark, Mike Anderson, Chris Myers, Peyton Hillis,Reuben Droughns, Darrien Gordon, Mark Schlereth and Maa Tanuvasa among others.

And, here are a few things I will NOT miss about Mike Shanahan...

Hot starts and cold finishes. Unfortunately, this was something that occurred not only within games, but also within seasons. How many 13-0 leads have been blown in recent years, and how many 4-0 or 6-1 starts have fizzled into first-round failures or not even making the playoffs at all?
Shanny the GM. Obviously, this is already being hashed and re-hashed countless times and it will be ad nauseum. But I am glad to put the following folks behind us...Dale Carter, Daryl Gardener, Ashley Lelie, Willie Middlebrooks, Deltha O'Neal, Maurice Clarett, Paul Toviessi, Marcus Nash, Mark Campbell, Chris Watson, Chris Cole, Dorsett Davis, Terry Pierce, George Foster, Jeremy LeSueur and Darius Watts. There are also the ones that got away, like Trevor Pryce, Reggie Hayward and Domenik Hixon. But the former certainly outnumber the latter.

Just finished watching the press conference. Which reminds me, I will miss watching Shanny's pressers and it will be beyond strange to see someone else occupying his spot behind the podium or on the sideline. That will be bizarre to say the least. I must admit, I got a little choked up myself along with Shanny when he started talking about Pat Bowlen.

Thanks to Mike Shanahan for all that he brought to the Denver Broncos and us, the fans. Without Shanny, we may still be hoping for that first championship. Instead, we are seeking our third. There is no coach I would trade him for, unfortunately Pat Bowlen doesn't feel the same way. But Mr. Bowlen is a smart man and the finest of owners. I think he will do the right thing. It's too bad Shanny won't get to share the spoils of a championship with Jay Cutler. It's obvious from his comments that he feels the same way.

Thanks for everything, Shanny. We miss you already.

Some defensive questions for the group...

nycbroncosfan — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 14:41:04 -0000

I never played organized football myself, so although I am a serious Broncos fan, I do not break down film or know what's going on beyond missed tackles, blown coverages or maybe bad defensive calls. It's obvious that this Broncos team cannot tackle and could not generate a pass rush - but I have some questions for the more astute members of MHR...

1. Whither Woodyard and Larsen? I can forgive the Broncos getting blown out in Carolina. The Panthers can run the ball on anyone. However, the breakdowns vs. Buffalo and San Diego seemed unforgivable to me. I'm not going to portend to know more than Shanahan and Slowik - so tell me, what could they possibly have seen from Nate Webster to start him ahead of both Spencer Larsen and Wesley Woodyard for the last couple of weeks? Webster seems to me a poor tackler, while the two youngsters are not. What am I missing here?

2. If no pass rush, then why not blitz? I understand that blitzing is quite risky, especially against a cool customer like Philip Rivers. However, if the front 4 are not generating any semblance of a pass rush, and you're giving up a touchdown on every drive anyway, why not send more rushers after the QB?

3. Is DJ Williams really that good? I understand he has a ton of speed and makes a lot of tackles, but does he have what it takes to build a defense around? You don't see him flying around making plays a la Julian Peterson, Brian Urlacher or Kirk Morrison, to name a few. I realize they play different positions in different schemes, and DJ is clearly not surrounded by much talent, but the only time I heard his name called was after his unnecessary roughness penalty (a horrendous play on his part). The one big thing I noticed about DJ was him jogging across the endzone on the Manumaleuna TD reception. In fact, DJ and another LB (maybe Winborn?) were sauntering across as Manumaleuna got open, and their big contribution was trying to tell the refs afterwards that he was out of bounds. Thanks, guys. I'm not expecting DJ to dominate the game at this point, but a big play or two every game would match his salary and reputation, no?

4. Do you keep Champ Bailey? I love Champ, he has been a joy to watch. And, I give him a pass for this year due to his injuries. However, that being said - it seems to me this team is two or more excellent drafts away from fielding a solid defense. By that time, Champ will be 32 or 33 years old. This is not a question about whether Champ is still Champ. My question is this...even if Champ returns somewhat close to form over the next couple seasons, is it worth carrying his giant salary while we try to stockpile defensive talent? I doubt he has much trade value at this point with his contract. My question is just whether it's worth paying Champ while we build a defense?

5. Who do you keep? We came into the season thinking we had 3 defensive stars in Champ, DJ and Dumervil. Today, how many would you say we have? Youngsters like Moss and Crowder had no impact this season, and the backfield aside from Bailey and Bly was a smattering of street free-agents. I don't think there are enough rounds in the draft to blow up the entire defense...it's just not mathematically possible. But considering age, talent and salary, who is really worth keeping? Obviously youngsters like Woodyard, Larsen and Barrett will make the list. But beyond them, whom?

I realize there will be plenty of posts on MHR over the next several months breaking down the Broncos and what they need. Perhaps there are already some in works from HT, Styg, Zappa and the rest of our respected MHR mates. However, I just wanted to get these questions out there because they've been on my mind for the last 13 hours or so and I want some answers!!! Thanks in advance for your responses...

Matt Lepsis

nycbroncosfan — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 14:34:43 -0000

http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_11311183

Well, we now know why Matt Lepsis played so poorly last year. We also know why Mike Shanahan called him out, why he retired and why we drafted Ryan Clady (thankfully). Apparently, rehab from Lepsis' knee surgery was so painful that he became addicted to recreational drugs. Fortunately, he was able to kick his habit and has turned his life around. I'm sorry to hear of Matt's circumstances but thrilled to hear he is on the right track...

My First Victorious Meadowlands Experience

nycbroncosfan — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 13:21:09 -0000

What a great day despite the awful weather. My fiancee and I tailgated with one of my otherwise intelligent friends who somehow roots for the Jets, along with his dad and a big group of other Jets fans. The weather could not have been worse...barely warm enough for it not to snow, and it rained all morning and afternoon long. Naturally, it stopped once we were in the car on the way home.

It was my first time seeing Denver victorious at the Meadowlands...I had seen the '98 crusher vs the Giants and the game vs. the Jets in '02. This one certainly felt a whole lot better.

As for the game...in no clearer terms can I say this - Jets fans are truly pathetic. It's something I've known my entire life and have witnessed almost everyday at work. But this game took things to a new level for me. With the Broncos leading by 13 going into halftime, the Jets fans treated their 8-3, first-place home team to a hearty round of boos. What a joke! We're not talking about a 25 or 30 point game, we're talking about a game where the Jets were still within two scores and a small momentum change from being right back in it (and surely, they would have their chances come the second half). On the Jets' 4th-down attempts, you would not believe how loud the crowd was. It was like they'd never been to a football game before. Making noise while the home team is lining up for a 4th-and-short? HA!

The boos that accompanied the Broncos' numerous injuries were practically the loudest noise the crowd made all day. Again, an amazing lack of football intelligence. With a two-score advantage and all of the momentum, the Broncos are trying to stop the clock and essentially give the Jets an offensive timeout after nearly every play? Blew my mind (Plus, I'm still hearing complaints about this stuff at work from my Jets fan colleagues). If the Broncos have the ball, I want them to have an extra 30 or 40 seconds between each play to talk things over, too!

Well, enough about the Jets fans. What an impressive win! Shanahan, Bates and Dennison gameplanned the snot out of the Jets. There was simply no answer for the two-TE packages. Once again, this offense is so much more effective with a healthy Tony Scheffler. Can we all chip in for a T.O.-recommended hyperbaric chamber? Guy needs to try everything under the sun...I was thrilled to see how aggressive the play-calling was and Cutler's brilliance on such a wet and dreary day.

As for the Broncos fans, what a great turnout! We could not believe how many Elway, Cutler and Bailey jerseys we saw. Even saw an Atwater, a Rod Smith and a McCaffrey or two. Well done, folks! As sidenotes, we had great seats at the 35 yard line, 18 rows behind the Denver bench. Plus what a great way to start off the biggest week of my life - we're heading down to San Juan today to get married later this week in front of our closest friends and family. Amazingly, my fiancee came along for seven hours of cold and wet to see the Broncos with me, with nary a complaint. She is a Wisconsin native and was raised in a Packers household, but she is well on her way to being a true Broncos fan.

I realize I'm getting into more details than most of you will care to read, and for that I apologize. However, as I head off to get married I wanted to share my experience with all of you and say that I will miss reading your posts and brilliant insight over the next couple of weeks. Hopefully the Broncos will not overlook the Chefs as they did the Raiders, and perhaps the division will be sewn up by the time we've returned home (just in time to watch the rescheduled game vs. the Panthers!). What a crazy season, let's not expect too much but hope for everything...the future is so bright!

Peter King on Brandon Marshall (and his glove)

nycbroncosfan — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:37:32 -0000

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/peter_king/11/09/week10/1.html

In this week's Monday Morning QB, Peter King dedicates an entire page to Brandon Marshall, his glove celebration idea (which Marshall ran past King beforehand) and the feelings of some NFL players about the election. I don't want to make this a political conversation, as King and Marshall did not themselves. But it's just another example of Marshall's ongoing maturation and a window into who he is becoming. Yes, he's certainly had his problems...but at the age of 24 and as a WR (that's already starting from behind in the public image department) he's showing a lot. He's growing up and I know this sounds trite, but it's nice to know that he THINKS. Seeing his postgame interview on NFL.com and reading this article (plus the article in the NY Times a few weeks ago) make me want to root just that much harder for him, as both a player and a person.

NY Times article on BMarsh

nycbroncosfan — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:13:12 -0000

NY Times: A Bronco’s Learning (and Teaching) Experience

There's a terrific article in today's NY Times about Brandon Marshall...it covers much of the same material as the DP article from a few days ago. However, it is great to see Marshall featured in a nationally relevant and prestigious paper. Hopefully, there are only more good things to be written about Brandon, and more importantly I hope he earns their praise. I am proud that he's finding a better path and hope he can stay along it for the rest of his life. Obviously he's still got a lot of growing up to do (his comments after the Jags game are a perfect example), but I'm glad he's a Bronco and I'm proud to be a fan...

Stokley's Concussion History

nycbroncosfan — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 01:08:15 -0000

ESPN Story

The AP has posted a story about Brandon Stokley and his concussions yesterday - apparently he's now had 10 in his career, a frighteningly high number. Teams are becoming more and more vigilant regarding concussions, and rightfully so. So little is known about their long-term effects. As a Mets fan, I saw Ryan Church's season for the most part lost to post-concussion symptoms, and of course Ben Hamilton lost his entire 2007 season similarly. Let's hope the Broncos are careful and protective of Stokley, but also wish for him a speedy recovery....JC needs the Slot Machine!

NFL Greatest Games Series: Denver Broncos Greatest Games (A Partial Review)

nycbroncosfan — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:15:16 -0000

via ecx.images-amazon.com

Back in July, I had posted an item about the DVD set that was about to be released featuring the Broncos "3 Greatest Games." I received my DVDs from Amazon last week and figured I should pass along my impressions after having watched one of the discs. The set features 3 discs, each of which is the complete game broadcast of 1. 1977 AFC Championship vs. Oakland 2. SB XXXII 3. SB XXXIII

I am still incredibly irritated that the set does not feature many of the games that will maintain a place in my heart forever, such as The Drive, The Fumble, The Drive II vs. the Oilers, The Revenge Tour of January '98 or TD's 42-carry performance against the Bills or about 50 of Elway's other mind-boggling games. However, I will set those feelings aside and try to give you my impressions on what's there.

I watched the second disc yesterday, as it was naturally my fondest memory as a Broncos fan. Hopefully, I will get to the other discs soon...but what I have to say about Disc 2 surely applies to the others.

1. The ability to watch every play from start to finish on a DVD is something I have been hoping for for quite some time, and in that sense it did not disappoint. Even though I knew the result, it was still a pretty nerve-racking and emotional experience. I know not all of you will feel quite this way, but I couldn't help but get a little teary watching as Mobley knocked down that final 4th-and-6 pass from Favre.

2. There is no bonus material. Zero. Nada. Zilch. While I didn't exactly expect a high-production DVD with lots of goodies, I at least expected to see the Trophy Presentation. Nope, didn't happen. No "This one's for John" or TD getting the MVP Trophy. Nothing. You see the player introductions, the game and then the Broncos celebrating and Elway being carried around the field. And then, the screen goes blue. I think seeing the trophies presented would have been a nice closing touch. Perhaps the discs aren't long enough for that much material?

3. We should feel very grateful to have HD nowadays. Standard definition sucks, with my apologies to those who are still stuck with it. However, there is a positive in that the DVD is formatted to fill the entire screen on a 16:9 ratio widescreen television. This makes a very big difference and makes up somewhat for the lack of HD. Watching XXXII on a big plasma vs. the tiny 27-incher I originally saw it on ten years ago was a nice upgrade.

4. TD really was that good. There needs to be a major push for him to reach Canton. I have personally written several of the voters via e-mail and gotten a response from Dr. Z of SI, but along the way I wondered if I was exaggerating TD's exploits. I never have, because I don't need to. Every time he touched the ball, he was good for at least 3 yards. Meaning, he'd turn a sure zero-gainer into three yards, and everything else went for 5 or 6 if not 15 or 20. It wasn't just the line, and the guys we've had since could not carry his jockstrap.

5. Unimportant observations...Wow everyone looks so young on the disc! My oh my, Shanny has aged a lot without the likes of Elway, Davis and Sharpe to gameplan around. Also, Rod wore some extremely cheesy sunglasses and the concept that Shannon had 21 inch biceps is just mind-boggling. Although Rod didn't have any catches, he was certainly in the gameplan. Elway threw a lot of passes his way, he was just extremely well-covered and Elway missed him on a couple throws. Steve Atwater played a spectacular game, and it would sure be nice for the Broncos to have a great safety again someday soon. The current squad has a long way to go in terms of talent. There's not enough time in my day to expound upon that, but goodness - there was a TON of talent on those SB teams. After watching this DVD, I can't help thinking that I will be THRILLED if this year's edition even makes the playoffs.

Overall, I would say that this DVD set is lacking in many, many ways (not enough games, no bonus material). However, due to the content that IS there, it is a can't-miss for any and all Broncos fans...especially those who are sentimental and/or had the great fortune of seeing the Elway years. I know that sounds ridiculous, but since it HAS been 10 years, I suppose there may be some among us who did not witness the Elway years. But even for those folks out there, here's your chance to watch the victorious Super Bowls and witness the beauty of John Elway and Terrell Davis in tandem. Seriously, it was quite a sight to see.

NO!!!! Not the Orange Jerseys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

nycbroncosfan — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:12:15 -0000

Well, it seems that marketing and the almighty dollar have become more important than winning in our parts. As most of you surely recall, the Broncos have not exactly done very well with throwbacks and orange jerseys. For me, three glaring instances come to mind...a whooping at the hands of the Raiders many years ago (possibly '94 or '95) and a couple of night game disasters - against the Colts and another game vs. the Raiders.

Basically, alternate jerseys have been an absolute disaster in the Shanahan era, and he has very rightly been superstitiously reluctant to put the Broncos into them again.
Unfortunately, the bean-counters have won out in that department, and the Broncos will be wearing Orange jerseys for two home games...vs the Saints and the Chefs. Thankfully, these are not national night games...but still. I am all kinds of nervous about this endeavor and disappointed in the decision makers at Dove Valley. My fingers will have to be crossed for the entire games!

http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_10208381

NFL Greatest Games Series: Denver Broncos Greatest Games

nycbroncosfan — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 18:39:24 -0000

via ecx.images-amazon.com

Well, another one of those NFL Films DVD sets is coming out...and although I've pre-ordered it from Amazon, I am already sorely disappointed. Here is Warner Brothers' description...

"For the first time, the original network broadcast of three classic Denver Broncos games are available to own in this thrilling three-DVD set. Relive the excitement of these unforgettable moments in Broncos history: 1977 AFC Championship Game - After years of waiting, the Broncos defeated the archrival Oakland Raiders 20-17 to clinch their first trip to the Super Bowl. Haven Moses caught 5 passes for 168 yards and his two touchdown receptions from Craig Morton proved to be the difference in the game. Super Bowl XXXII - John Elway and Terrell Davis sparked the team’s first world championship as Denver topped Green Bay 31-24. Davis was named the game’s most valuable player, rushing for 157 yards on 30 carries and a Super Bowl record 3 touchdowns. Super Bowl XXXIII - John Elway retired on a winning note as the Broncos topped Atlanta in Super Bowl XXXIII. Elway, in his final performance, completed 18 of 29 passes for 336 yards and a touchdown. He was named the game’s most valuable player. These broadcasts are an essential piece of Broncos history now available"

The '85 Bears get 12 discs, the Packers get 10 discs, 9 of which are Favre era...and we get a measly 3 discs, none of which include any of John Elway's legendary comebacks. Where is The Drive, The Fumble, the game vs. Houston in the '91 playoffs, the 2 minute 2 touchdown game vs. the Chefs, the 17 point deficit he overcame against the Raiders...not to mention plenty of other great games including the '87 Conf. Championship, the '97 Revenge Tour...I am stunned that NFL Films or Warner Brothers couldn't come up with something a little bit better. Although Supe 33 was quite a sentimental game (especially for me, as I was there)...there are plenty of games that I can objectively say were better games. Let's see some vintage Elway!! Perhaps I'm jumping the gun and they're about to put out an Elway set (I'd love to see a DVD version of John Elway's Greatest Comebacks) but I don't really have my hopes up.