Denver Broncos Happy 5 Years Later
By Adam Malnati
I am in no way a Jay Cutler defender, and I am certainly not a Josh McDaniels apologist. In fact, seeing McDaniels on TV makes me angry. I don’t think I am much different than most Bronco fans in that respect. Most of us can’t stand the sound of his voice, or the way he tries so hard to be Bill Belichick. Whether you were siding with Cutler or McDaniels in April of 2009, it is clear now that things have worked out pretty well in Denver.
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I moved to the Chicago suburbs in 2005, and struggled every Sunday to find a place to watch my beloved Broncos play. When Pat Bowlen finally decided to make a change and fired Mike Shanahan, it was a strange time for Bronco fans. It was like the final tie to the John Elway Super Bowl teams had finally been cut.
When McDaniels came in, it was strange to watch him put his stamp on the team. He confused everyone by immediately feuding with his new QB. We all know that he eventually traded Cutler to Chicago, and Bronco fans began picking sides. Then the, “I can make anybody a great NFL quarterback except Cutler,” thought (see Matt Castle and Tim Tebow) found its way into McDaniels head. As a result, the crazy circus side show known as Tebow Mania was forced on John Elway and Bronco fans everywhere.
Cutler and the Bears are getting ready to suit up against the Patriots this week. With the Broncos resting on a win against San Diego on Thursday, and with a trip to Foxboro up next, it is interesting to look at the difference between having Peyton Manning under center versus Cutler.
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Just listen to the difference between Cutler and Manning at the microphone during press conferences. Manning is always ready to have the conversation with the media about where his team is at, and what needs to be improved. He is funny and charismatic. Cutler would rather avoid all human contact after a game, even in a win. Manning always looks put together, while Cutler sits there and does not care at all about his appearance.
“So what,” you might ask. Maybe this is simply cathartic for me, or just a way of recognizing how sometimes good things happen to good people (Bronco fans), but I think I might owe an apology to Josh McDaniels. I might also owe him a thank you.
Living in Chicago, I have had the opportunity to watch Jay Cutler fail to mature. He has been stubborn and unwilling to learn from mistakes. After a bad loss last week, Cutler cancelled his weekly radio show, and he appears to be a petulant child.
I am not bashing Cutler. On the contrary, Jay Cutler remains a highly talented quarterback, but I can’t imagine what he would be like today if he were still the signal caller in Denver. I would rather look at these last few weeks of Denver Bronco football, and be thankful that Peyton Manning has found his way to Denver.
Manning has been all class since arriving in Denver. He has been on another level as a quarterback. Denver may not be able to brag about a Super Bowl Championship yet, but the Broncos are clearly the class of the league.
Oct 12, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) looks to pass against the New York Jets during the second quarter of their NFL football game at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports