Wading Toward a Repeat?

Yes, it is my great pride and privilege to recap your 2017, DEFENDING SUPERB OWL L CHAMPION (nevar gets old saying that) Denver Broncos. If there has ever been a more extreme case of “playing with house money,” it escapes my feeble, aged mind.

DENVER, CO - FEBRUARY 09:  Wade Phillips defensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos celebrates on the stage as the Super Bowl 50 Champion Denver Broncos are honored at a rally on the steps of the Denver City and County Building on February 9, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers 24-10 in Super Bowl 50.  (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO – FEBRUARY 09: Wade Phillips defensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos celebrates on the stage as the Super Bowl 50 Champion Denver Broncos are honored at a rally on the steps of the Denver City and County Building on February 9, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers 24-10 in Super Bowl 50. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Let’s recap, shall we. The 2016 Donks were on the verge of losing at home to the woeful San Diego Chargers, and blowing the overall 1 seed in the AFC. Gary Kubiak had the balls to re-insert a scientifically re-animated corpse at QB…and all was saved. Said re-animated corpse was asked to do less and less each round of the playoffs (as teh science apparently wore off), and perhaps the greatest defense of all time (adjusted for era, clearly Top Five) stepped up and up and up. Culminating with America’s Favourite Black Hipster terrorizing Superman en route to the most obvious Superb Owl MVP award selection in many years.

VonHipster

For reasons I can’t quite fathom, the national sports media has more or less written off Denver going forward, at least in the near term. Did I miss something? Is Wade Phillips coming back? YES. Did Von Miller sign a long-term contract, that will happily keep him in mango and navy (and chickens) for the bulk of his playing career? YES. So what exactly is the fucking problem?? Oh yeah, that…

Sanchize

HAI, MARK!!! Yeah, such an easy narrative. I get it. And Saturday night, he fumbled twice (neither out of anyone’s anus, sorry), so…ball security is still an issue. And that chafes Kubes’ ass more than that of even your average NFL coach’s. And being the high weed, low oxygen state that CO is…Donks fans (the Donks internet is nigh intolerable) are not taking the “house money” high road and shitting their pants. Before last night, when Trevor Siemian started and stared down his primary read in a way not seen since He Who Must Not Be Named…we had a Judean People’s Front demanding that a guy who was shitty (in a part-time role) at Northwestern run the team instead, and a People’s Front of Judea (now swelling in their ranks) wanting to throw a raw project out of a C-USA school into the fire right away. By the way, Paxton Lynch is putting up around a 5 YPA against NFL 3s and 4s in his pre-season work.

Child, please.

Mark Sanchez will be fine. He has started before, and on a team with an elite defense, where he is not asked to do too much…he can be an average, even a slightly above average QB. None of the other options available are capable of doing anywhere NEAR that, let alone MOAR. I would politely note that what Sanchez has proven he can do would be a substantial upgrade over what the re-animated corpse, or the stiff who as benched for the re-animated corpse, did last season. And that won a championship.

Yeah, I really just said that. Leave the Sanchize alone and he will be an upgrade over PeyPey and the jackass that an imaginary team stupidly threw $18M per at (signing him to a dumb contract like that was my biggest fear of the Donks’ offseason, but Elway stuck to his guns).

In fact, the only thing that has truly upset me this August (footbaw-wise) is how good Dak Prescott looks. As you know, I shouted incessantly how he was the only QB in the 2016 draft class that I liked. Godfuckingdamnit. But in Our Equine Lord and Saviour I trust. And the championship is forever, no matter what.

One of the things that allows Denver to keep ahead of the cap is Elway’s theory on inside LBs, and how Wade and his assistants mold the talent that the front office finds. They don’t use high round picks, nor do they sign them (but for very few exceptions) when they get expensive. Street free agents come in and end up playing leadership roles on the defense. This season, it’s Todd Davis’ turn, and he looks fantastic. Zaire Anderson has also been turning heads. 2nd round pick Ted Gotsis (an Aussie Rules guy via Georgia Tech) is another new guy to watch on the DL. If the 7th round punter wins his battle against Colquitt (please, please, please), then EVERY draft pick looks to make the 2017 roster. That’s getting value from your cost-controlled assets. It’s also how you avoid the drop when free agency strips your depth after a title run.

Again…I trust the defensive braintrust, and I trust the flexible mind of Gary Kubiak. I love the two-headed monster of CJ Anderson and Utah rookie Devontae Booker at RB. The OL should at least be better than terrible, which would be a nice change. We are finally throwing to Virgil Green!! Denver and Oakland used to have some real “blood and guts” battles historically, and I’m betting those glory days return this season. Whichever team emerges from that scrum with the division title is my pick to take home Lombardi LI.

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King Hippo
Reclusive, vulgar Broncos fan. Also a proud fookin' Evertonian. Likely dropped on my head repeatedly as a small child. [Insert George Carlin quote followed by thoughtful nod.]
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WhyEaglesWhy

Well done, and I agree about Sanchez. He throws too many picks, that’s not debatable. But he’s not one of these guys like Weeden or Manuel or Quinn or Ponder where you look at him and wonder what anyone ever saw in him. I’m not one for QB wins as a stat, but Nacho DID go to two AFC championship games with guys like Shonn Greene, Braylon Edwards, and Jerricho Cotchery as his TOP options. He’s not devoid of talent, he’s simply not lived up to his draft position, and there was that time he ran into a guy’s butt. There are worse crimes, and worse guys to have start for a year while the future of the franchise is learning.

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

He fumbles too. While the defense will probably not be quite as good as it was last year, there were several games where the QB was a turnover machine and many others where they could not make a first down to save their lives. The result was pretty good. Combining several QB stats you could argue that last years QBs were 25 to 27th in effectiveness last year and Sanchez should be around 23 or so. I think that is enough to get them the division. We’ll see what happens from there; last year’s defensive run in the playoffs will be hard to repeat, but they are very deep on that side of the ball and survived a lot of starter missed games. I would not be surprised if one of the others is starting week 10 or so.

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

I’m not sure “fine” is the right descriptor, because we will be pissed at him big time, but like last year they will win with some conservation play and great D, but they’ll be close hard fought games. PREPARE YOUR ANUS and liquor cabinet.

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

Pax is very raw, but the physical talent is there to be really good; dude is an athlete.

Don T

I agree that Sanchez is better than 2015 Peyton. But the D should be less outstanding without Malik Jackson and Talib. Elway the GM drives a hard bargain, unlike this hero of the people:
http://pictures.dealer.com/j/johnelwaydenver/1246/6424efd10a0d028a01bae5f5f60e3b85.jpg

Unsurprised

“Elway stuck to his guns”

Thanks for the excuse for me to post this.
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The Maestro

TREVOR SIEMIAN CONFIRMED AS WEEK 3 STARTER

CHAOS REIGNS

Old School Zero

Looks like you picked the wrong offseason to start sniffing glue.

blaxabbath

Pardon the forced cross-promoting but, yeah, Sanchez will be actually be fine.

http://i0.wp.com/doorfliesopen.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Untitled-1.png?resize=768%2C425

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

THESE BRONCOS FANS I CALL THEM CATHERINE THE GREAT AT THE END OF THE SECOND RUSSO-TURKISH WAR CAUSE THEIR VIEW FROM THE TOP MUST BE PRETTY NICE RIGHT NOW BUT IN THE END THEY’RE GOING TO GET FUCKED TO DEATH BY A HORSE.

blaxabbath

I, too, call them this.

BrettFavresColonoscopy

This is amazing

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

By “horse” I may be speaking metaphorically of John Elway. Not entirely sure.

theeWeeBabySeamus

As a former Baltimore Colts fan, I approve of this message.
That horsefaced fuckwit can eat the whole bag.
/might hold onto grudges too long

Low Commander of the Super Soldiers

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Sill Bimmons

“Mark Sanchez will be fine. He has started before, and on a team with an elite defense, where he is not asked to do too much…he can be an average, even a slightly above average QB.”

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http://www.remnantresource.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Denial_riverinegypt.jpg

Unsurprised

Hey, now. That strategy won him a Heisman.

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh
Covalent Blonde

Welp, look at Blondie’s new Halloween costume!

theeWeeBabySeamus

Yeah…new.

Covalent Blonde

I can’t stop laughing over your Sanchize model…

theeWeeBabySeamus

That looks like a make it snow original to me.
/suspicious

makeitsnowondem

Guilty as charged!

theeWeeBabySeamus

You should have given him the “RAWR”, but very good nonetheless.

Old School Zero

The San-scheisse.

Unsurprised

Take a bow

theeWeeBabySeamus

Ha!!! Wading…I just got that. Hippo is one punny MF’er.

theeWeeBabySeamus

So then I guess we’ll get the DEFENDING SUPERB OWL….YADDA YADDA YADDA stuff literally until Superb Owl LI final whistle?
Yeah, that’s what I’d do, too. No judgements here.

But lord help us all if they repeat.

😉

BrettFavresColonoscopy

As I asked CB, what’s the win/loss prediction?