Denver Broncos Bye Week Pt II: Stats, Pluses, Minuses, and the Outlook

(Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images)

Statistically Speaking

Certainly the talk of this early 2009 season has been the strength of the Broncos defense. Even after facing a San Diego team that scored more than any other team on the Broncos, the orange and blue still has the first rated scoring defense. The team has only yielded 11 points per game, an astounding number through six games and against good offensive threats like Cincinnati, Dallas, New England, and San Diego.

The Broncos defense is also rated second in total yards allowed, yielding 262.5 yards per game, which certainly is saying something. The Broncos are also tied for first with the Minnesota Vikings in total sacks with 21. Who would have thought that coming into this season?

The Broncos have also forced ten fumbles and recovered six of them on defense while getting six interceptions. That works out to two turnovers per game in the Broncos favor.

The Broncos have also one other amazing stat keeping them in ball games. That being the best thing that Kyle Orton has done thus far. Through six games Kyle Orton has only thrown one interception, which came at the end of the first half against the Patriots to wide receiver turned defensive back Randy Moss.

Think about that, one interception through six games, an amazing statistic for a starting quarterback to have. Now that is not to say Orton hasn’t thrown a few ball that should have been picked off, oh contraire he has put the ball in danger a number of times. Yet somehow, Kyle has been fortunate and careful and has made taking care of the ball a somewhat conscious venture.

Orton is also ranked seventh in total yards and eleventh in average yards per game. Not great, but serviceable. Kyle is also tied with Matt Ryan of Atlanta for tenth in touchdown passes with a total of nine through six games. Matt Schaub of Houston has fourteen for his first place ranking, but his team is struggling to make a playoff run.

Things in the Broncos Favor (Pluses)

Certainly the statistics prove out how good the Broncos defense is playing and how few turnovers the team is committing on the offensive side of the ball. Underneath the surface however are a handful of things that are lending strong thought to the fact that this team can be even better than what’s been seen so far.

To this date in the season the Denver Broncos coaching, execution, attitude, and health of the team are standing paramount to their streak of success. Now all of these attributes don’t entirely make the stat sheet in it of themselves, however they are making their impact on this team and in turn making this team very dangerous indeed.

Coaching perhaps was viewed in a poor light by some, or overlooked by others coming into the 2009 NFL season.

Yet the Broncos through all the turmoil and media frenzy in the off season have occupied the minds of football fans for the first six weeks of the season. Many may have been tempted to think that this defense was not going anywhere, and others probably thought how are they doing so well without Jay Cutler?

This team is filled with surprising responses for the mainstream talking heads and they owe a great debt of gratitude to their coaching staff.

Consider the fact that this staff released over half of the previous regime, integrated new ideas and terminology, and traded a franchise quarterback with a calm cool demeanor to bring on Kyle Orton as the new leader on offense. It’s amazing. Moreover, the Broncos coaches went the distance to ensure that this was going to be a physical football team.

Without a doubt, the Broncos greatest offseason acquisition was future football Hall of Famer Brian Dawkins who not only is a physical presence, but calls upon his teammates to be that way as well.

He is like a coach on the field but more importantly his mere presence has influenced an entire team to take it higher and to literally sell out and make the sacrifices for the sake of the team. That is something that can’t entirely be coached, it has to be lived out on the field and in that is one of the greatest teaching tools for this team to use as a template for being a more physical football team.

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