Breaking Down the 2009 Denver Broncos (Part 2)

(Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)

Part I of this series looked at the Denver Broncos offense for the 2009 season.  Part II of this series will turn it’s focus to the defensive side of the ball.

The best part about the 2009 season for the Denver Broncos is that they have a chance to improve from their 2008 performance. 

Realists and cynics alike will say that it’s a tall task at hand for the team to improve from their 8-8 record. However the Broncos should be better in some regard on both sides of the ball, save the quarterback position.

Last season the Broncos finished 26th out of 32 teams with a total of 26 sacks. Kansas City finished dead last with 10 and the Cowboys lead the league with 59. Against the rush, a usual strong point for the Denver defense, opponents gashed them for an average of 146 yards a game. 

Additionally the Broncos finished 30th in scoring defense allowing an average of 28 points per game. 

Needless to say there is much in the way of improvement in the way the Broncos apply pressure to the opposition. Ironically enough however Coach McDaniels chose to forego a number of talented defensive linemen and linebackers through much of the draft. 

They chose instead to draft cornerbacks and safeties with the exception of Robert Ayers a DE/LB out of Tennessee with the 18th overall pick.

On Defense

Defensive Tackle

Since the Broncos appear to be moving to the 3-4, and it being in the first phase, it’s hard to know for sure who will land where given the number of “tweeners” on the defensive side of the ball.

This group is a mixed bag. In part this is why the Denver Broncos defense has fallen under intense scrutiny. It’s not that the Broncos don’t have some size and some talent at the position; it’s more an issue of not having enough of it. 

Additionally to date, no one at the position has taken the bull by the horns. So that gap in leadership on the D-Line needs to be addressed. Whoever steps into the role has to bring the sense of leadership.   

Ronald Fields has begun to build a decent resume with the San Francisco 49ers over the last four seasons.  He is getting a solid look at becoming the starting nose tackle in the 3-4.

Marcus Thomas has shown signs of greatness from time to time. The problem is the defense against the run and against the pass has lacked greatly. Thomas came to Denver from the Florida Gators in the 2007 draft. 

He has always shown promise, but has fallen short of the high expectations, possibly in part due to the desperate need to fill the needs up front. Marcus Thomas has been a developmental project, but he could be on the verge of competing to become the starter at nose tackle. 

Given the amount of pressure he has played under, he has held up relatively well.  Thomas still has much to prove so look for him to make a move this season.

J’Vonne Parker, Nic Clemons, Carlton Powell, Matthias Askew, are all journeymen with varying levels of experience in the NFL.  None of them have started and all are aiming to make an impression.

Chris Baker played at Penn State and was later dismissed because of legal trouble.  Baker wound up at Hampton to finish his collegiate career.  He is seen as having definite NFL talent; the questions about him are mostly related to his off the field character.

Defensive End

The woes along the D-line have been a story with a one word title: Disappointment.  The Broncos defensive ends are undersized to say the least. Consider the following unique deviation for defensive linemen. 

The New York Giants (generally considered one of the bigger D-lines in the league and recent Super Bowl Champion) rate as a team at a +102.  This means their D-Line total weight is +102lbs above the mean of 300lbs. 

The San Diego Chargers are a +37 and the Broncos are a -91.  The group listing of D-linemen follows:

New York Giants +102 above 300lbs

San Diego Chargers +37 above 300lbs

Denver Broncos -91 lbs below 300lbs

Oakland Raiders -145lbs below 300lbs

Kansas City Chiefs -217lbs below 300lbs

There is a quasi-relationship between the deviation number and the number of points defenses allow. Consider the Giants rated number five in average points allowed, San Diego 25th, Oakland 27th, Denver 29th, and Kansas City 31st. 

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