Denver Broncos Too Conservative at Times
By Adam Malnati
November 9, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Denver Broncos head coach John Fox (right) celebrates with quarterback Peyton Manning (18) after a touchdown during the third quarter against the Oakland Raiders at O.co Coliseum. The Broncos defeated the Raiders 41-17. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The Denver Broncos have had a pretty good run since John Elway took over as General Manager and Executive Vice President of Football Operations. He was able to weather the storm of Tim Tebow, guide Peyton Manning to Broncos Country, and bring in a respectable coaching staff.
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Led by John Fox, the Broncos have had a lot of success. Elway and Fox would be the first to admit that the success of the Broncos has been largely because of the play of Manning and the offense. However, fans have been quick to point out some glaring holes.
For instance, the defense has been just, “good.” Jack Del Rio has been a good coordinator, and during his tenure in Denver he has presided over defenses that have lost good players to injury and suspension. This year, Elway spent the money and brought in guys like Demarcus Ware, TJ Ward, and Aqib Talib. However, What fans have been treated to is a defense with unfulfilled promise; A Bend-Don’t Break defense (I’m really starting to hate that saying) that broke against New England, and gives up a lot of points.
Broncos Country has been taken on a pretty great ride as fans.
Broncos Country has been taken on a pretty great ride as fans. With a team that is clearly at the top of the league, and a chance to win a Super Bowl every year, fans should have little to complain about. That does not stop them, and the biggest complaint about the Broncos has been this; the Broncos are too conservative.
NFL teams are really not separated by that much talent. Even the worst team in the league has a chance to beat the best team every time the ball is kicked off. That means that a killer instinct is one of the most important attributes a player, team, and coach can have. Ask yourself, do John Fox, or Peyton Manning seem like cold blooded killers? I bet you just shook your head.
Sometimes in the NFL it is necessary to curb stomp an opponent to make a point. Denver has had that chance a few times, and each time Brock Osweiller started running on to the field.
Peyton Manning would gladly throw the ball over and over, but Fox is old school. He believes in playing smart, which is not a bad way to do things, but his conservative approach can be infuriating at times.
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Last week against the Raiders Fox had the chance to make a huge statement about the Broncos, and how good they are. Instead we got the Osweiller head shake controversy as Manning rushed in and stole 40 seconds of playing time. John Fox is not in a hot seat position. If Denver can’t get it done this year, he should not lose his job. However, there needs to be a mandate from up top. Put your foot on opponents necks and crush them. When you are trying to send a message to the rest of the league, it is good to embarrass a few opponents along the way.