Return of the Orange Crush?
Aug 7, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos safety T.J. Ward (43) attempts to sack Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) during the first half at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Your 2014 Denver Broncos will end the season the best team in NFL history.
Hold on. Don’t blow a gasket just yet.
If the Orange Crush returns.
All Jack Del Rio and his defense have heard for six months is “43-8.” All they’ve heard for six months is they aren’t good enough to get the Broncos their third Lombardi Trophy.
They’re weak.
They’re soft.
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The noise is still there one day before kickoff to the 2014 season. Some still buy into this continued belief that the Broncos defense is orange slush. This is the defense’s chance to make a statement. This is the time to put the rest of the NFL on notice.
The Broncos defense needs to embarrass the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night. What better way to force everyone to stop in their tracks then with a thorough whooping on a team some think will go to the Super Bowl? There is no better way to make people forget the Super Bowl debacle then make Andrew Luck and that offense appear weak.
More than anything, that is what Broncos Country needs to see in this first game. The Denver offense will continue to put up astronomical numbers. I’m one who thinks that Peyton Manning and his band of merry men will be better than last year’s record-setting unit. At the very least, the Broncos will have an offense that puts around 35 points a game. That won’t change.
That’s where Del Rio and his defense comes in. They need to be mean. They need to be nasty. They need to be the Orange Crush. Del Rio and new defensive end DeMarcus Ware said this week that’s their goal. They want to bring the Orange Crush back.
Aug 28, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Denver Broncos free safety Rahim Moore (26) and defensive end DeMarcus Ware (94) mug for the camera on the sidelines of the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Denver beat Dallas 27-3. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Talk about sweet, sweet music.
Broncos Country has had plenty of reasons to smile this offseason despite how last season ended. They’ve added Ware, Emmanuel Sanders, Aqib Talib and TJ Ward. And Ryan Clady, Rahim Moore, Derek Wolfe, Chris Harris and Von Miller have returned.
But what should make Broncos fans smile brightest is the talk of bringing back the Orange Crush.
This organization is known for defense and one of the greatest defenses in history (even if the rest of the country still refuses to acknowledge that fact). The Orange Crush stacks up against any of the great units to play in the NFL.
The most recent defense for people to put in that discussion is last year’s Seattle Seahawks. That unit allowed 231 points for 14.4 per game. The San Francisco 49ers from a season ago gave up 241 for 15.1 per game.
The 1985 Chicago Bears allowed 12.4 per game. The 2000 Baltimore Ravens 10.3. The 2002 Tampa Buccaneers 9.4.
The 1977 Broncos gave up 6.6.
The 1978 Broncos allowed 6.
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If this year’s unit matched either of those totals, you would see the greatest team in NFL history. Period. If this year’s unit comes close to those totals, you would see the greatest team in NFL history. Period.
The more realistic number is half or a little more than half of the totals of those two Orange Crush units. If Ware and this defense pull off that feat, it will be better than the Seahawks.
That’s why Del Rio showed his unit game film of the Orange Crush. He wants this defense to play mean, nasty and tough. He wants the Orange Crush to return to Denver.
The first chance to put the rest of the NFL on notice is a day away.
Dominate the Colts. Dismantle Luck and that offense. Hit Indy, hit it again and hit it again. No plays off. No series off. Put on a complete and utter whooping for 60 minutes.
Do that and you are one step closer to witnessing the greatest team in NFL history.
Aug 7, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos defensive end DeMarcus Ware (94) during the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos won 21-16. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports