Broncos Final Preseason Game Gives Hope

I’m constantly told by my Dallas Cowboy loving younger brothers that they feel bad for me and my team. They see the circus on national T.V. with a rotating center stage act involving Pro Bowl players and Josh McDaniels. Side show acts such as Pat Bowlen’s self proclaimed short term memory loss, and Kyle Orton’s bloody finger help make the Broncos one of the most entertaining sports teams around. Don’t get the popcorn and settle into your seat under the big tent too much though, as there was a glimpse of hope last night against one of last year’s Super Bowl teams.

If you would have told me that the Broncos would’ve shut out the Arizona Cardinals 19-0 with a rookie QB at the reins, I would have told you to take off your predominantly orange colored glasses. Trading in Ordinary Orton for Breathtaking Brandstater? Don’t go there – yet!  The Broncos starters only played one series while the Cardinals had their starters in for the first three series. The score at the end of the first quarter? 10-0. This was a major win in a seemingly meaningless game. Not so meaningless was Josh McDaniels’ preseason record, the running game’s inability to get anything going on the ground, and the defense’s inability to come away with a turnover. Last night, however, the defense came away with 4 turnovers (hopefully, that didn’t suck the well dry), 3 sacks, and 14 defended balls.

It looks like the offense needs an injection of energy now. While Brandstater had a solid game going 16 for 30 and 187 yards, 13 of the team’s 19 points came from field goals. Hats off to Matt Prater, but this offense has got to step foot in the endzone. I know – things should be better when we’ve got a seasoned QB, Brandon Marshall, Jabar Gaffney, and Knowshon Moreno back in the lineup.

Believe me, all was not resolved in last night’s win, but at least that nasty stench that settled around Invesco after the Bears came to town has lifted a little bit.

With at least one win under his belt, McD has to feel better about going into the regular season. The team has 3 winnable games right off the bat that can help them improve for the tougher part of their schedule. Once everyone is healthy (and remains healthy) again, we’ll have a better feel for what kind of Broncos team we’ll see for the remainder of the year. Question is will it be along the lines of the team we saw last night, or will it be along the lines of rampant turnover problems, a lackluster defense, and a team that can’t win a game? As long as the Broncos improve and progress from week to week, I’ll be a happy fan.

Unlike the city of Dubai which seemingly was built in a day, the Broncos are more like Rome. The saying, “Rome was not built in a day” was used by John Heywood who also said, “A hard beginning maketh a good ending.”