Eight Bold Denver Broncos Predictions for the 2009 Season

(Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

After easily one of the most eventful offseasons in recent NFL history, the Denver Broncos are a team in turmoil. Longtime head coach Mike Shanahan was fired, franchise quarterback Jay Cutler was shipped to Chicago, and Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall no longer wants to be a Bronco.

I don’t think new head coach Josh McDaniels could have had a rougher start to his head coaching career.

Even so, the Broncos are ready to start their 2009 campaign. They may be without Shanahan, Cutler, and possibly Marshall, but they will be ready to play nonetheless.

Now, since the beginning of training camp, analysts, pundits, and fans alike have beaten to death the same predictions for the season: "The defense will continue to struggle," or "Brandon Marshall won’t play for the Broncos again," or "Kyle Orton will struggle as the starter."

I am here to share my predictions for the season—predictions that don’t follow the conventional wisdom on the Broncos right now.

Here are eight bold predictions for the Broncos' 2009 season.

Brandon Marshall Will Play, and He Will Play Well

Brandon Marshall and the Denver Broncos have had a lot of problems with each other this offseason. Marshall did not like seeing Cutler get shipped out of town, has shown a lot of unhappiness with his contract, and was even suspended for the rest of the preseason. He was also recently quoted as saying he "wants a fresh start," with a team other than the Broncos, obviously.

However, provided McDaniels lets him play, he will absolutely play for the Broncos this season—and he will play very well.

Why? Because Marshall is not stupid. If Marshall ever wants to play for another team or get a new contract, his only choice is to play well this season. If he sits out this season or doesn’t play well, no team will give up what the Broncos are asking for him, and the Broncos will never pay him what he wants.

Marshall wants a new team and a new contract. The only way for him to do this is to show he deserves it with his play on the field.

Kyle Orton Will Finish with 3,300-Plus Passing Yards and 20-Plus Touchdowns

Many people have been down on Kyle Orton’s prospects as a starting NFL QB, but he has been a winner in his career, going 21-12 as a starter for an offensively challenged Chicago Bears team.

Now that Orton has inherited the league’s No. 2 offense, he should substantially improve on his career averages of 2,450 yards and 14 touchdowns as a full season starter.

In Chicago, Orton played in a run-oriented offense and was always surrounded by lackluster receivers. In Denver, he will be playing in McDaniels' Patriot-style offense, where Orton will throw a lot more passes than he has ever thrown in an NFL season.

On top of that, he will have weapons such as Eddie Royal, Brandon Marshall, Brandon Stokley, and Jabar Gaffney, as well as a slew of playmaking running backs.

With all that in mind, it is very easy to see Orton topping the 3,300-yard mark, as well as the 20-touchdown mark. He threw for 2,900 yards and 18 touchdowns in 15 games last season, and seeing as the Broncos will rely on him to throw the ball well and often, these numbers should be very attainable.

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