Surprise! Playoffs Are Near

Surprise! The Broncos are going to be in playoff contention.

“How?” you ask.

Well, it’s pretty easy when you look at the stats.

Last year, the Broncos defense finished 29th overall. They also ended 30th in scoring and 26th sacks. The defense cannot get much worse and can only look to improve on these stats.

Then there’s the great Denver offense. A well-oiled machine, Denver moved up and down the field all game long, and ended up being the second ranked offense in the league. They may have been second in raking up yards, but they were an average 16th in overall scoring and red zone scoring. The offense could drive the car, but they had trouble parallel parking.

With a bottom-feeding defense and an average offense, changes were made in coaching and personnel. 

The biggest changes have come on the defense side. New defensive coordinator Mike Nolan will install the 3-4 system he’s used in the past with the 49ers and Ravens.

The secondary added three veterans including seven-time pro bowler Brian Dawkins along with two second-round picks to add some youth.

The front seven added many veterans too and drafted Robert Ayers out of Tennessee with the 18th pick to add size and speed up front.

A big part of the defense getting better will be Elvis Dumervil making the change from defensive end to outside linebacker and getting back into double-digit sacks like the 2007 season.

With the defense looking to be better in the pass and run the offense must adapt from the West Coast offense to the passing attack head coach Josh McDaniels brings from his days as the Patriots offense coordinator.

Even though this new attack will have Kyle Orton or Chris Simms at quarterback instead of Jay Cutler who was traded to the Chicago Bears, the offense is loaded with talent. 

The offensive line which gave up 12 sacks in '08 comes back fully intact. After losing seven running backs to injured reserve last season, the Broncos signed three free agents to compete with Peyton Hillis. They also used their first overall draft pick on Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno who gives them a three-down back, which McDaniels craves.

The receiver core will be back even stronger with a healthy Brandon Marshall and new addition Jabar Gaffney.

A new head coach, a new quarterback and a new running back make the Broncos look a lot like the 2008 Falcons team. That Falcons team was able to go from 4-12 to a playoff team with the same changes the Broncos face.

Another big reason the Broncos can be a surprise team is the AFC West is a weak division. Kansas City and Oakland are rebuilding teams with new head coaches. That leaves a San Diego team that will be going for their fourth straight division title. 

San Diego will be tough to top, but the Broncos have a chance to get off to a fast start playing their first three games against teams who picked in the top 10 of the draft. The rest of the schedule sets up nicely with back-to-back road games only once and two home games in December.

The Broncos have a tough schedule that sets up nicely for them. They have an offense that is loaded and can still improve vastly from last season with a defense that can only get better after being at the bottom for the last two seasons.

Don’t be surprise to hear the Broncos are still in contention come December. The playoffs maybe nearer than you think.