Sep 5, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Wes Welker (83) is congratulated after his touchdown reception in the third quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
All is well that ends well.
That was the resounding sentiment for the cynics after the Broncos’ blowout win in week one vs. the Baltimore Ravens, but for at least one half, it was a very close game and even nerve-wracking as the Broncos went into the locker room with a three-point deficit.
That was the one concern I had, other than the pass rush (before the offense opened a can) from the Broncos’ opening game.
It’s unfair to expect perfection immediately, but the Broncos’ play-calling in the early-goings was pretty vanilla, and quarterback Peyton Manning seemed to be forcing the football into tight spots, nearly throwing a pick if I remember right to Julius Thomas.
He tried forcing the ball to a few receivers, leading to only completing 11-of-19 passes at one point, and then the rest is now history–literally.
Manning threw a whopping seven TD passes, which made everyone forget about the lackluster first half, but there’s definitely something to take a look at there.
On the road, fans won’t be so kind to the Broncos obviously. It’s not going to be good if the Broncos get behind in any game, but on the road it simply cannot happen. The Broncos are built to play from behind if they need to with a dominant passing attack, but I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why Manning was having to throw into double coverage when the Broncos have the weapons they do.
Once he started hitting Julius Thomas for touchdowns, things really seemed to open up, and receivers were found wide open on a majority of plays.
From the open, it seemed like the Broncos should probably have that on every play, but in the first half, it appeared as though the Ravens were shutting things down relatively easily (until Julius Thomas happened).
Either way, I think it would be much better for the Broncos to come out with a bang rather than try to ease into their dominance. The Giants’ defense gave up a lot of points to the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, but they still have a very good pass rush and some playmakers on the back end. The Broncos need to neutralize their defensive strengths and get them on their heels immediately.