2007 NFL regular season
Week One
With no time outs QB Jay Cutler moves the Broncos into position to try a field goal.
With 8 seconds on the clock Jason Elam hurries the Bronco special teams unit onto the field and boots a game winning field goal, propelling Denver to a 15-14 victory over the Buffalo Bills as time runs out.
Week Two
After tying the game in regulation, Elam seizes the victory, kicking a 23 yarder in overtime, cementing the win over Oakland, 23-20.
Week Six
Elam sinks the Steelers with a game winning field goal from 49 yds out as time expires.
Broncos 31-28.
Week Sixteen
Elam’s 30 yarder in overtime this time steals a "W" from Minnesota, 22-19.
Last year, four games chalked in the Denver Broncos win column thanks to Jason Elam.
Elam was the difference between 7-9 and 3-13, quite literally.
He finished the year 27 of 31for an 87.1% average including a 50 yarder.
Thats nothing compared to the record tying 63 yarder earlier in his career, adding to over 20, 000 points he put up for the Broncos during his time there. He also set the record, scoring more points for a single team than any other man in NFL history.
At least 215 of them against Oakland.
The 3 time Pro Bowler was originally drafted by the Broncos with the 70th selection overall in the 3rd round of the 1993 NFL Draft. Though taken in the 3rd round, he currently has his cleats on display in the NFL Hall of Fame, but starting in 2008, the record setting clutch kicker will be doing his scoring for the Atlanta Falcons.
Some will remember in March, the troubled Falcons signed him away with a 4 year, $9 million dollar contract with a reported $3.3 million guaranteed.
It didn't make much of a wave at the time, so how bad is the news for Denver?
It could be catastrophic. Elam literally held the Broncos from the edge of oblivion last year.
They may have improved their team enough to be more competitive than last year, but judging by their off season moves, it would be a surprise.
Elam is gone and odds are he will be missed.
Taking his place?
That will remain and unknown for now, but currently on the roster...
2nd year kicker out of Central Florida Matt Prater who has been dumped by Detroit, Miami, Atlanta(!) And Miami again before being “snagged” by the Broncs. His NFL experience consists of being 1 for 4 in 2 years with Atlanta.
Challenging him for the starting spot is rookie kicker Garrett Hartley from Oklahoma. Hartley, a free agent, has never kicked in an NFL game.
Last word had it the Broncos were drying out, I mean, "trying out" former Colt K Mike Vanderjagt, but were not impressed enough to sign.
Still early and anything can happen, but at this stage I’d say Elam’s departure could be an ominous portent of the decline to come in Denver.
Week One
With no time outs QB Jay Cutler moves the Broncos into position to try a field goal.
With 8 seconds on the clock Jason Elam hurries the Bronco special teams unit onto the field and boots a game winning field goal, propelling Denver to a 15-14 victory over the Buffalo Bills as time runs out.
Week Two
After tying the game in regulation, Elam seizes the victory, kicking a 23 yarder in overtime, cementing the win over Oakland, 23-20.
Week Six
Elam sinks the Steelers with a game winning field goal from 49 yds out as time expires.
Broncos 31-28.
Week Sixteen
Elam’s 30 yarder in overtime this time steals a "W" from Minnesota, 22-19.
Last year, four games chalked in the Denver Broncos win column thanks to Jason Elam.
Elam was the difference between 7-9 and 3-13, quite literally.
He finished the year 27 of 31for an 87.1% average including a 50 yarder.
Thats nothing compared to the record tying 63 yarder earlier in his career, adding to over 20, 000 points he put up for the Broncos during his time there. He also set the record, scoring more points for a single team than any other man in NFL history.
At least 215 of them against Oakland.
The 3 time Pro Bowler was originally drafted by the Broncos with the 70th selection overall in the 3rd round of the 1993 NFL Draft. Though taken in the 3rd round, he currently has his cleats on display in the NFL Hall of Fame, but starting in 2008, the record setting clutch kicker will be doing his scoring for the Atlanta Falcons.
Some will remember in March, the troubled Falcons signed him away with a 4 year, $9 million dollar contract with a reported $3.3 million guaranteed.
It didn't make much of a wave at the time, so how bad is the news for Denver?
It could be catastrophic. Elam literally held the Broncos from the edge of oblivion last year.
They may have improved their team enough to be more competitive than last year, but judging by their off season moves, it would be a surprise.
Elam is gone and odds are he will be missed.
Taking his place?
That will remain and unknown for now, but currently on the roster...
2nd year kicker out of Central Florida Matt Prater who has been dumped by Detroit, Miami, Atlanta(!) And Miami again before being “snagged” by the Broncs. His NFL experience consists of being 1 for 4 in 2 years with Atlanta.
Challenging him for the starting spot is rookie kicker Garrett Hartley from Oklahoma. Hartley, a free agent, has never kicked in an NFL game.
Last word had it the Broncos were drying out, I mean, "trying out" former Colt K Mike Vanderjagt, but were not impressed enough to sign.
Still early and anything can happen, but at this stage I’d say Elam’s departure could be an ominous portent of the decline to come in Denver.
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3 months ago
You gotta believe in Kickers, thats how they make the field goals, its all about confidence. The kicker is the least of the Broncos worries. The Pats let go of Adam Vinateri, and they still went 16-0 and still are the best in the NFL. Kickers are kind of hard to come by. But Elam had it coming, he is getting up there in age he is gonna be 39 and he has lost some of his leg strength, the Broncos made a good move, cause Elam wanted a longer more lucrative contract and if his leg gave out before the contract ended the Broncos would have lost money. It was kind of dumb giving the face of your team away, but hopefully the Broncos find another kicker.
3 months ago
Accounting for 4 wins and keeping them from 3-13 made him pretty valuable last year. They haven't done alot to remedy the situation so far. If they have another year of close games, they could miss him alot.
With the Pats putting up so much offense having Vinatieri or Foghorn Leghorn kicking wouldn't have made much difference. Kicker was alot less critical for them than it would appear to be for Denver.
Have to wait and see. Theres still lotta time before the season...
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