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AFC West
2007 was marred by injuries to the offensive line, poor play by the defense, and some questionable calls to boot. This is only the second losing season in Mike Shanahan’s long tenure as the Broncos head man but this was possibly the most difficult season given the circumstances. The offense played well considering the offensive line issues but when a defense gives up 409 points on the year, multiple changes are bound to come into play. The season wasn’t all downhill, as it had some really nice moments, a shining star, and a few crushed playoff dreams.
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| Coach Shanahan won't stand for another 7-9 year. |
The Broncos stumbled into the bye week with a 2-3 record, having their only two wins against Oakland & Buffalo come in overtime. Week 6 was probably one of the Broncos’ better games of the season as they defeated the (then) undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers in a prime time Sunday night game. The Packers traveled to Invesco Field at Mile High and won a close game against Denver the next week. The game against Detroit or the “Slaughter at Ford Field”, as it might later be known in the annals of Bronco-lore, was the second largest margin of defeat for the year but coming against such a mediocre team, it may have been the worst game of the year.
Denver would finish the rest of their games at .500 after starting the first half of the season at 3-5 but two decimating losses to San Diego by a combined score of 64-6 for the year really goes to show how much work Denver must do to gain control of the division. The highlight game of the season came in the home finale against the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings came in with one of the league’s best rushing offenses and one of the better run stopping units, needing a win to keep their desperate playoff hopes alive. Denver turned it on and showed the league why they’re still a more than respectable team at home, finishing the season with a 5-3 record at Invesco.
The Broncos' offensive line, once considered the premier unit in the NFL, has undergone major change and the injuries of ’07 are a major reason why. Pro Bowl Center Tom Nalen suffered a torn biceps and starting left guard Ben Hamilton was out with a concussion. Both players ended up on injured reserve for a majority of the season. Nalen has one more year on his contact and has maintained he will play in 2008. Chris Myers and Chris Kuper replaced Nalen and Hamilton this season. The line was a patchwork unit that played worse as the season went on. To compound problems on the line, Matt Lepsis announced his retirement immediately following the season. Javon Walker only caught 26 passes in an injury plagued season, Rod Smith missed the entire year with hip surgery complications, and Travis Henry missed a mass of time with knee, rib, and back issues. The team also lost 1st round draft pick Jarvis Moss from Florida for the year with a torn ACL and safety Nick Ferguson with another knee injury.
These injuries certainly did not help a defensive unit that finished 30th in against the run and 28th in total points allowed. Losing Al Wilson in the off-season hurt a lot more than Denver brass would like to admit but the addition of Jim Bates as the defensive coordinator didn’t even come close to matching the hype. The linebackers looked lost at times and our lapses in coverage were a liability in some games. There are a multitude of defensive concerns but one of the bigger issues is that John Lynch has lost more than a step and has become the whipping boy of the opposing team’s passing attack. The obvious need for a run stuffing defensive tackle should be blatant by now but a 1st round safety, the ilk of Kenny Phillips from Miami, shouldn’t be out of the question either for this April’s draft.
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| The new star of the Denver offense, Marshall has his sights set high. |
The silver lining of the entire year has been the tremendous play of Brandon Marshall. He has enjoyed one of the best seasons any 2nd year wide receiver has had. Marshall finished with 102 receptions for the season, which makes him just the third receiver in NFL history to accomplish that feat in their second NFL season, trailing only Isaac Bruce (119) and Larry Fitzgerald (103). His 1,325 yards rank as the third-highest single-season total by a Bronco WR. "He played extremely well. He made a number of great plays for us, and I was really impressed by his maturity," Shanahan said. "He will continue to grow on the football field and as a person, and he will be one of our top guys coming back next year." It’s a great thing to see for Marshall and the Broncos, as he has really developed a nice chemistry with QB Jay Cutler.
"We're just on the same page. Sometimes if I see something, he sees something, we kind of improvise a little bit," Marshall said. "That's something we need to carry into the off-season. This off-season we're going to spend a lot of time together and we're going to get better at it. We want to be on that Peyton and Marvin level." It looks like we’ll see plenty more of the Marshall-Cutler tandem for years to come.
This should be an off-season that includes multiple changes in player personnel. Lepsis has retired and kicker Jason Elam might be a cap cut. Javon Walker has already expressed his interest in leaving the team as well as adding that he is no longer the focus of offense. "I just don't see it happening for me here," he said. "What it boils down to at this point is I've got to go where the best fit is for me. ... And if it's not the best situation for me in Denver, it's the best situation for Brandon Marshall."
Both Rod Smith and John Lynch are expected to retire and Walker’s comments are likely to result in his release. A lot of players will be leaving their lockers for the last time in the Dove Valley facility but these losses seem to be inevitable…… a necessary evil if you will. Good things are definitely on the horizon for the Broncos but it will take a lot of work this off-season to turn this group back into winners in 2008.
Thanks for reading this Bronco fan’s take. Enjoy the off-season…and the changes that are bound to come. Please send any questions, comments, or feedback to: footballjunker@gmail.com
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