What Is The Problem For The Broncos; Could It Be The Fans?

Season     |     Record through first 8          | Record through last 8

2006        |      6 - 2                                | 3 - 5

2007        |      3- 5                                 | 4 - 4

2008        |     5 - 3                                 | 3 - 5 

2009        |     6 - 2                                 | 2 - 6

All this may not mean much, besides a headache for Broncos fans, but it strikes me as odd that over the last four years we have not been over .500 once in the second half of the season. We only reached that "lofty" mark once in 2007. Note that that year is somewhat anomalous in more than one way. That is the only year we didn't have a winning record in the first half of the year (probably because it was Cutler's first year starting), and it was also the only year of the four that we did better in the first half than we did in the second.

So after so many coach and player moves, what remains the common denominator in all these years? Why would the pattern be different in 2007?

I suggest it is the fans. We as Bronco fans tend to get prematurely excited when our team is doing well. We say "yep, it's another superbowl year, I can tell already." We start congratulating our players as if they have already accomplished something. We start treating them like they have already won something of importance. They naturally start feeling that way themselves (after all 70,000 plus people all telling you a certain thing is gonna start influencing your opinion no matter who you are). They then begin to get complacent, or in some other way distracted, and begin to fail.

Look at the one exception, 2007. Obviously the weakest team of the four, since that was the only year we had a sub .500 record (I am ignoring strength of schedule because it is such a wishy washy concept; they are all nfl teams - the raiders sucked yet again, but they still put a spanking on good teams that didn't show up to play, such as the steelers, bengals, and us). They started off 3-5. there was no congratulations. there was no sense of victory, and hence there was no distraction. Consequently they got better through the season as a team should, and they had the best second half of the season of the four years.

Conclusion, we as fans should exercise greater forbearance. Sure, be good fans. Show up to the games. Yell yourself hoarse and create that home-field advantage. MAYBE even congratulate a player you see on a good game.  But no fawning. No "you are awesome." No "this is our year."  MAYBE, after we get to playoffs we can start talking to the players as if we believe they have accomplished something so far.  Preferably wait till after we get another Lombardi