Taking the D out of Undefeated (One of them at least)

So.....this is how it's going to be, huh Broncos? I was just wondering so I could, you know, take out a better life insurance policy or buy some stock in Pepto Bismol because if you guys keep up this pace, I'm going to be buying it by the Costco boatload. Bottom line: you won. I don't know how you won, but you won nonetheless. I'm not a religious man by any stretch of the imagination, but after watching the last couple of games, even I'm beginning to wonder whether or not a higher power is wearing orange and blue (or maybe the Mile High Magic is back.) Here are some blatantly true statements about the Broncos that I can safely make as we set our sights onto Week 4.

1) The offense is good.
Not just good, but hella bangin, gnarly, radically tubular good. Though the offense in today's game wasn't as spectacularly sharp as we've seen the first two weeks of the season, it still made enough plays at opportune times to make up for our sieve-like defense. Cutler's numbers of 21-34 for 264 yds and 2 TDs kept up his torrid pace and though his accuracy might have been just a little bit off today, he still captained the Broncos on 3 touchdown drives and without Scheffler's 4th quarter fumble inside the 10 yard line, should have been 4. Brandon Marshall continues to put up Nintendo numbers with a ho-hum 6 reception, 155 yard, 1 touchdown day. That gives him 24 receptions for 321 yards in only 2 games, both leading the league. Cutler's myriad of other weapons (Royal, Stokely, Scheffler, Jackson, Graham) have also done their parts thus far. It should definitely continue next week as we head to Kansas City to face the punchless Chiefs.

2) The defense is bad.
Not just bad, terrible, awful, no good, nauseating frustratingly-bad. Not only did we follow up a game in which we gave up 38 points and 500 yards of total offense with another game in which we gave up 32 points and another 500 yards of total offense, we did it by somehow making game changing plays and pulling out all the stops when the team needed it most. I'm not going to sit here and put lipstick on a pig (to use the parlance of our times) when I'm trying to give excuses for our defense. I'm also not complaining about stopping the Saints on that 4th and goal, or that 3rd and 1, or the 2 point conversion because that saved the game for us in the end. If you guys don't make those plays, we're a 2-1 team with more than a few question marks on your side of the ball. But that's all the more frustrating even for the average fan, not just the die-hards like yours truly. You prove that you can make the big play and shut down a high-octane offense if only for a few plays. Then you're still able to allow 421 yards through the air and another 100 on the ground. Just perhaps put together an entire game where you can do that and we'll be alright.

3) Deja vu isn't cool, but I'll deal.
This game was nearly a carbon copy of the San Diego game, save for the fortuitous call and gutsy last second heroics. We stormed out of the gate and off to a 21-3 lead in both games only to immediately give it back and then some. We finished off the first half with the lead, but in the second half we all of a sudden felt the urge to make it even more interesting. With a slim lead in the final few minutes of the 4th quarter, we were driving once again, looking to put the game out of reach once and for all and get a little breathing room for our defense. Cutler threw a pick in the end zone last week and Scheff fumbled on the 5. Why do we feel the need to do this? Who knows. All I care about is that both games ended in Broncos victories, the ONLY thing that really matters at the end of the day.

4) A real man makes his own luck.
Is it better to be lucky than good? Everyone's opinion is different. I can't argue with the Broncos end results, but much has been made about how these charmed Broncos seem to be winning. Last week it was the blown call by Ed Hochuli who was apparently the only referee to ever make a wrong call in any sporting event ever judging by the national media's response to it. This week it was Martin Gramatica doing his best Scott Norwood impression and man, was it dead on. Wide right. He missed two field goals in a game his Saints lost by 2. The national media will no doubt continue to spout off about how we're winning and if we're for real or not, but I'll tell you one thing. Our defense may not be able to stop you or even hope to contain you, but we sure as hell are going to outscore you. It might not even matter how many points you put up. We're going to do you one better.

Next week is a game the Broncos should undoubtedly roll. I know there are no easy wins in the NFL and everyone on the Chiefs roster is an NFL football player who has a lot of pride and at least a moderate skill set, but the Broncos should have absolutely no problem with this rebuilding franchise. That being said, we're going to come to play. Go Broncos.

Week 3 Preview: Saints at Broncos

This week is going to answer a lot of questions about whether or not the Denver Broncos are legitimate contenders to represent the AFC West in the playoffs this year. The catchphrase of the week coming from all of the Broncos detractors (some who even write for the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News) spouting off about how the Broncos were 2-0 last year and look where it got them: 7-9 and without a date for the big dance for the second season in a row. While their points are somewhat valid, the way the Broncos started 2-0 last year and the way they're doing it this year is wildly different. Apples and oranges. Night and day. Will Smith and Woody Allen. The Dalai Lama and Al Davis. In beating the Bills 15-14 and the Raiders 23-20 to open up last season (both on Jason Elam last second field goals), the Broncos racked up about as many yards as they have thus far this season, but Elam accounted for 12 of our 38 points which means that when we got into the Old Spice Red Zone (brought to you by Old Spice) we were about as successful as a beer vendor at a MADD meeting. In two games so far this year, we've totaled an absurd 80 points and nearly 1,000 yards of total offense. Jay Cutler is leading the league in every stastical category for quarterbacks and Brandon Marshall is the top receiver in football receptions-wise, even after missing the first game due to his league mandated suspension.

Things are looking up for our beloved blue and orange bombers, but this week will be a true test as the N'Awlins Saints fly a mile high to take on the Broncos at Invesco. If the Broncos can take this game, it will put them in a great position with the Chargers two losses already (and the fact they're playing Brett Fav-ruh and the Jets on Monday night.) But it will also be a measuring stick for a defense that looked lost at best and abysmal at worst against San Diego last week. Two of the biggest plays the Broncos gave up to the Chargers was a 67 yard screen pass to the fullback Mike Tolbert and the 66 yard touchdown dump off to Darren Sproles that almost spelled doom for Denver. They will need to make sure they cover all their bases on pass plays to avoid deja vu from the Saints because one of the best check-down receiver/running backs in all of football in Reggie Bush is coming to town and he will run all the way to Aurora if the Broncos let him.

Another way Reggie Bush can beat you is on punt returns as he showed with last week's TD runback against the Redskins. Of course, it's scientifically proven that when Reggie Bush taunts the opposing team before scoring a touchdown as he did last week (and in the NFC Championship game in 2006 against the Bears), the Saints are destined to subsequently give up the lead and lose the game in miserable fashion. The Broncos haven't exactly been solid on special teams coverage so far as evidenced by the 57 yard return in Week 1 by Johnnie Lee Higgins of the Raiders (wasn't he the guitarist in GWAR?) and the 103 yard TD return by Darren Sproles last week. Seriously, that dude can fly. Even if you may be able to pick him up with your thumb and forefinger and put him in your pocket, he'll run between your legs before you even know he's on the field. Champ Bailey, on kickoff coverage because we need at least one guy who knows how to tackle, has saved two touchdowns on kickoffs this year by himself as the last line of defense. I have a feeling this will change on Sunday or else Shanahan's going to lie-detector test every single player until they break down and confess to not doing their job correctly.

We haven't had an offense like this in Denver since the 1998 season and this one may even be better. Don't look now, but we're currently on pace to break the Patriots' single season offensive records set last year. Yeah yeah, it's waaaaaaaaay too early to even think about making those kinds of statements, and I'm sorry I just did it, but with the myriad of weapons that Jay Cutler has at his disposal now (B-Marsh, Royale with Cheese, Scheffler, Stokely, and Pittman using his 97" arms to bulldoze through guys at the goal line), we're able to attack you in many different ways. We might not score 40 points a game like we're averaging right now, but if you give us an inch on offense, we'll take a touchdown. That's how the old saying goes, right?

My prediction: Broncos 35, Saints 27.