History
New Head Coach Josh McDaniels beginning of his new career of the Denver Broncos got off to a rough start as the teams Starting QB, Jay Cutler demanded to be traded after McDaniels began looking at adding New England QB Matt Cassel to the roster. Coach McDaniels will have to earn the respect of the ticket holders in Denver if the franchise hopes to get the support from the fans.
Mike Shanahan came into last season with a the knowledge that his job was secure. After all, he had been the man in Denver for 13-years, had two Super Bowls under his belt and a bona fide Hall of Famer in John Elway. The 2007 draft fulfilled huge needs on the D-Line and upgraded with the addition of Jarvis Moss and Marcus Thomas and the O-Line with the selection of Ryan Harris in the draft. The only critical need that was not addressed was the safety position. The class of 2008 Draft didn’t provide much help at the Safety position, at least no one worthy of 1st round draft pick and the end result was an 8-8 record and Coach Shanahan losing his job. Let’s see if new Head Coach Josh McDaniels can clean up a class act.
The 2008 preseason kicked off to a rough start when Starting defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban tore his Achilles tendon putting even more pressure on rookies Jarvis Moss and Tim Crowder to perform in their first NFL seasons. Spotlight is on sacker Elvis Dumervil as well. The D-line still remains a question for Denver, will it be able to hold its own? If it can, the Broncos can definitely give the Chargers AFC West competition. Again, pressure is on, because it is the D-line that will make it or break it for Denver this season.
2005-2006 marks another year in which Denver Broncos football tickets in the Mile High City paid the way to see one of the National Football League’s best teams. Led by quarterback Jake Plummer’s improved season and the second-best rushing offense in the league, the Broncos will make their fourth playoff appearance in the last six seasons. Fans at the recently built INVESCO Field look forward to another exciting year in which they hope their team makes more noise than it managed in its previous two early losses in the wild card playoffs.
After joining the NFL in 1970, the Broncos have one of the league’s most promising short histories, including six trips to the Super Bowl. Head coach Dan Reeves led the team to three appearances but lost all three competitions. Current head coach Mike Shanahan is responsible for the team’s back-to-back Super Bowl victories in 1997 and 1998. Since Shanahan took over in Denver, the Broncos have become known for their strong running backs. In the last decade, the team has had five different players rush for 1,000 yards in a season, including Terrell Davis’ 2,000 yards in 1998.
However, most fans in Denver associate their team’s status in the record books with one man: quarterback John Elway. Elway’s 15 years with the Broncos marked the team’s most successful period in franchise history. Before the end of his career, the quarterback made nine visits to the Pro Bowl and passed for at least 3,000 yards in 12 seasons. Despite ranking first among all quarterbacks for number of times sacked, Elway’s consistent courageous play guided his team to 47 fourth-quarter comebacks and landed him third all-time for career touchdown passes. After winning the MVP award in his second straight Super Bowl victory, Elway retired and was elected to the Hall of Fame just six years later.
Despite losing one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the NFL and running back Davis’ early retirement due to injuries, the Broncos have continued to be an intimidating force for AFC opponents. The atmosphere in the Rocky Mountain stadium, one of the loudest in the NFL, makes Denver an exceptionally challenging city for opposing teams to earn a victory, and the Broncos have only one losing season in the last decade.
Now, Shanahan looks for a better run in the playoffs that the Broncos’ last two years. This year’s Broncos is the first in the last few years to finish strongly; Broncos teams of recent history have struggled near the end of the season. Plummer threw 13 fewer interceptions this year, and the team’s defense ranks third in its ability to stop opposing teams’ running games. The 2005-2006 team sits atop the AFC West and looks to running back Tatum Bell for a strong postseason in hope of another Super Bowl appearance. While the team has missed the Super Bowl since 1998, fans in Denver are proud of what has become a tradition of excellence in just over three decades in the NFL.
