2015 Broncos Season — Week 6


Here's a look at my thoughts on the Broncos' win over the Browns

Week Six: Broncos 26, Cleveland Browns 23
Season Record: 6-0 (2-0 Home)
Key Play: In overtime, after the Browns picked off Peyton Manning, Malik Jackson sacked Josh McCown for an eight-yard loss on second and long, knocking the Browns out of scoring range. The Broncos got the ball back and marched down the field to score the winning field goal.

Recap: By this point in the season, we known who these teams are. The first couple of weeks it was reasonable to wonder if it would just take the Broncos offense a while to get going. Now, it might be time for some genuine concern. The Broncos' offense isn't very good, and it's going to get to them at some point. They need to use the bye week to get better. Part of the problem is Peyton Manning, who threw three more interceptions on Sunday and heads into the bye week with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. That's an alarming number. Less alarming is the Broncos record — 6-0 — and their division lead — 3.5 games — over the Oakland Raiders (2-3). The Broncos are a playoff team. But they have loftier aspirations, as they should with this defense. So far the defense has won all six games. Manning is hardly the only problem — the line doesn't look great and we can't consistently run, which was better on Sunday, but still. You play to win the game, but when you win ugly it's fair to wonder how long the run can last. Getting to the playoffs isn't the goal here — winning in the playoffs is. Defense wins championships, sure, but you have to have some offense at some point. The Broncos second half includes home games with the undefeated Patriots, Packers, and Bengals, and road games with the Steelers and Colts. That's in addition to four division games. It only gets tougher for the Broncos, and they need to improve.

Game Balls:
* Emmanuel Sanders. Sanders continues to shine when he gets the ball. He had a 75-yard touchdown that was the offensive highlight and nearly made another circus catch.
* Ronnie Hillman. 111 yards on 20 carries is impressive. Hillman looked good making runs and cuts and looks like the better running back.
* Aqib Talib. Talib had another interception returned for a touchdown, which was a huge factor in getting the win for the Broncos.
* Shaquill Barrett. Barrett filled in for DeMarcus Ware and looked great. His sack and fumble recovery from McCown was a key moment in the game.

Lingering Concerns:
* Peyton Manning. Manning hasn't looked right for a long time. It's possible the old Manning is gone for good. The question is whether the Broncos can win with this Manning.
* CJ Anderson. We saw some vintage Anderson in overtime Sunday, but he had just 41 yards on 13 carries and that was his best game of the year. I'm bummed at the way he's played.
* Punt and Kick Returns. The Broncos need a spark in the return game, and with Sanders banged up, that's only going to be more of a challenge.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Burial a courtroom drama with heart

Image
Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx) is a brash trial lawyer who is good at rallying a jury to his cause. Jeremiah O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) is a quiet grandfather who is trying to ensure the business his family built remains viable after he’s gone. These two don’t appear to have much in common on the surface. But when they’re brought together by young lawyer Hal Dockins (Mamoudou Athie) brings them together, a connection is formed over their shared background of working hard to become self-made men. And it turned out that Willie was just who Jerry needed in his corner to win the fight of his life. The new Prime Video film The Burial, which opened in theaters October 6 and started streaming October 13, captures that trial against the Loewen Group that changed the course of their lives. The film is based on the true story and covers the trial, but more importantly captures the relationship between the men. The film plays out like a traditional courtroom drama. Foxx is solid as Willie Gary, while Ju...
Read more

Broncos Draft Targets

Image
  The NFL Draft is just a few days away. On April 25, the Denver Broncos will head into the draft in the midst of something of a rebuild. In the draft, the Broncos have the No. 12 pick in Round 1, then have a Third Round Pick, Fourth Round Pick, three Fifth Round Picks, a Sixth Round Pick, and a Seventh Round Pick. So, what might they be targeting? Let's dive in and look at possible positions. Quarterback : The team clearly needs a long-term quarterback. Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci are there but the team could certainly use someone else. Could they move up for Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy? Yes, they could. Will the take Bo Nix at 12? It's possible. Or will the Broncos wait until next off-season to make a move? Anything is in play for the Broncos in 2024, but quarterback is surely a need. Tight End: The team brought back Adam Trautman and still has Greg Dulcich, but it's still a need. Dulcich hasn't been able to get on the field and Trautman hasn't been great. Co...
Read more

Favorite Westerns, No. 43

Image
  Do you like a good Western? It's a classic genre in film and this year I've decided to look at some of my favorite Westerns. So, join me each Friday as I count down my favorite Westerns from No. 50 to No. 1. Rooster Cogburn : [ watching Mattie ford the river hanging on the back of her horse] By God. She reminds me of me. True Grit (1969) Starring : John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper Director : Henry Hathaway About: This is the third straight week with a film from Wayne. As you might guess, we're not done. As I've mentioned, he sets a standard for the genre. Here, we seen him bring to life an iconic character. This one is based on a novel, and it has endured. He's great as Rooster Cogburn, so good that he got a sequel in the same character. But this is a later film in his career. This is a different, more grizzled Wayne. He's still quite good and this is a film that really has stood the test of time. It's not the only ve...
Read more