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Published on 08/01/2008 at Fri Aug 01 09:20.
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Shanahan: “We Will Not Miss the Playoffs”

Posted Fri Aug 1st by

Mike Shanahan

Denver Broncos Head Coach Mike Shanahan appeared on FM 104.3 The Fan in Denver Friday morning and said, emphatically, “We will not miss the playoffs.” Not only did he assure fans that the Broncos were playoff-bound, but he went on to say (paraphrasing), “We will do something special once we’re there.”

This wasn’t typical Shanahan schtick, the kind you hear so often where he says he has ‘a good team’ with ‘real good guys’ and thinks they can ‘do something special.’ This was a statement, a guarantee if you will. Bold, and to the point. The Broncos are playoff-bound. Mark it down. The type of statement that is simply infectious to both team and fans.

Why shouldn’t he be confident? The Broncos will be improved in almost every position on the field. The offensive and defensive lines are deeper, the Broncos are healthier than they were this time last year, and some of our biggest playmakers are entering that special third season you hear so much about. The defensive scheme change from Jim Bates‘s complicated system that admittedly didn’t fit the personnel has been replaced with a much better-fitting defense by Bow Slowik. There’s a lot to be excited about.

That, along with a big cup of coffee, has me all-a-twitter this morning. Do you agree? Are the Broncos playoff-bound? Take the poll and dish it out in the comments.

UPDATE: Listen to the interview yourself! I’ve posted an MP3 and video here.

Will the Broncos make the playoffs?

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  • http://81trucolors.livejournal.com/ Truman

    I really hate to be Debbie Downer here and I really hope I’m wrong but I just don’t see it happening. The chargers are at least as good as they were last year. Does anyone really think they won’t win the division?

    Secondly, with stacked divisions like the AFC North and AFC South, it’s very unlikely that a wild card will come out of our division.

    Throw in a huge lack of leadership on the broncos and it’s hard to see how the Broncos make the playoffs.

    I hope I’m wrong.

  • http://broncotalk.net Kyle

    Those divisions are stacked, but they’re also playing each other. The weaker divisions – the West and the East – are playing each other.

    The schedule alone gives the Broncos the ability to get into the playoffs over teams like the Steelers, Browns, or Jaguars, because they’re going to be facing tougher opponents.

    Add that to the fact that the Broncos ARE improved – and I sincerely, sincerely believe they are – and I’m buying in. I was on the playoff bubble before but Shanahan’s confidence has tipped the scales. See you in January!

  • http://mrherculesrockefeller.blogspot.com hercules rockefeller

    I’ve never heard Shanny say anything like this. Ever. He never gives up anything to the media. For him to say this is huge. HUGE.

  • Richard

    Wake up folks. The Chargers are not as big a monster as we see in our nightmares. Gates’s toe is still sore and will affect him, as well as Boss covering him. LT was injured last year in the playoffs and he’s another year older. Turner and Neal are gone, replaced(?) by a rook in Hester, will he produce, maybe maybe not. Nick Hardwicke their center won’t be ready for the start of the season, and Newberry is just ok, a backup. Phillis Rivers is coming off a serious knee injury, even though his mouth is working just fine. AJ Smith has a good eye for talent, and a blind eye for the cap. They are going to have REAL problems keeping their team together.

    The Chefs are retooling, rebuilding, reorganizing, (retarding?). They won’t be complete pushovers, but when do they win in Denver?, and we took it to them at Errorhead last year with all the problems we had last year. PS no more Jarrad Allen, Quarterback?, Offensive line?

    The Silver and BLLAAACK? Please!. If you listen to their BS, their First year starting Quarterback is going to wipe the floor with us, yea right. Our Show Blitz system will have that poor kid Russell so turned around by the third quarter he isn’t going to know what to do. Their Rookie RB McFlattened, is going to run all over our D, yea right. We know how to run a one gap, is he going to know how to adjust to that in his first professional game? Justin Fartgas? had some success against us last year, but when else? 19-61 commitment to excrement continues.

    So all you hesitant, doubters out there, buck up, there’s no reason to be a group of Kurt Kobains. We are going to be very good this year.

  • JP

    Isnt this the same radio station which had the phony Marshall report this morning? Who is to say Shanahan really said this? I find it odd that in all these years, including the Superbowl years, this is the first time we’ve heard a comment like this..

  • http://broncotalk.net Kyle

    JP – it was an interview with Shanahan. We all heard him say it. ;D

  • rcsodak

    With all due respect, Richard, having fun with names of the opponents DOESN’T have any bearing on the outcomes of the games.
    All I see happening here, is, instead of a loud mouthed player putting up some lockerroom headlines, it’s the coach.
    The games still have to be played. Injuries still happen. The football still isn’t round.
    I sure hope this doesn’t come back and bite Shanny in the proverbial butt. All the Shanny haters need is for him to say this and the team to take a hard crash again.

  • http://www.broncotalk.net Josh Temple

    The schedule says yes, a wild card I predict.

  • JP

    Then by all means..this pumps me up!! Im thinking Cutler is set to rip the league a new you-know-what and Shanahan knows it. He must see something. Also, Maybe (Im hoping) he said this because he was told by Goodell that Marshall is NOT getting suspended. In any case…this adds some extra excitement. Cant wait to get a look at these guys in pre-season games….unfortunately for me I live in Cincinnati, so unless its on NFL network I wont be seeing anything.

  • http://birty.blogspot.com mikebirty

    last year i said the arrival of simeon rice would have the same impact the arrival of neil smith had.

    I’m steering well clear of predictions.

  • sirsam

    JP, there is always going to a bar to watch the games…just like I have to. :)

  • http://www.broncotalk.net Josh Temple

    NFL Sunday Ticket is a must have for fans outside of Colorado.

  • LorDog

    I have to wonder how much longer Shanny’s going to coach AND how much longer with the Broncs. It’s felt like the last couple of years he’s doing and saying things that are his normal ‘modus operandi’. I kind of get the feeling he’s desperately laying more and more out on the line in an attempt to ressurect his reputation. Don’t hear me wrong…I like Shanny.
    I agree with Josh, “The schedule says yes, a wild card I predict.”

  • LorDog

    Correction; It’s felt like the last couple of years he’s doing and saying things that are *NOT* his normal ‘modus operandi’

  • Trent

    Keep in mind everyone (Truman) that these are all predictions here… As said earlyier football has to be played. And I don’t think that you should say that the chargers are going to be as good as last year. Let’s keep in mind that during their first 8 games they didn’t play anybody that was easily beatable (with the exception of the AFC West) and in the last 8 it was pretty much home free.

    I honestly think that Denver has a good shot at the Division. Like I’ve been saying for a while… Bring you Charger praise back here after a few pre-season games. Then we can dance this dance.

  • http://laprit@lycos.com AtomicLeo

    Gotta agree with Truman the wild card stack looks like to me

    First Tier
    Jacksonville (or Indy if Jacksonville takes the division)

    Second Tier
    Pittsburgh
    Cleveland
    Cincinnatti

    Third Tier
    Buffalo
    NY Jets ( They move up if the Farve trade actually happens)
    Texans
    Titans

    The Broncos are somewhere between the 2nd and 3rd group. The AFC is just too tough right now to make it to the playoffs with such a young team.

    Shanahan is in CYA mode. Mark it down…..Broncos miss the playoffs again and ND puts up another stinker year. Look for Shanny on the North Bend sidelines this time next year.

  • Donut King

    I was plastered at the time, but I remember the Christmas Eve game with the Chargers last year. I saw the Chargers’ little taunting gimmick after the game and found their actions to be more childish than the Denver reaction. I said to myself, and wrote it down, that the Broncos would go 12-4, win the division and beat the Chargers twice in 2008. Good thing I wrote it down, because as I said, I was hammered and wouldn’t have remembered it otherwise.

    Y’know what? Call me drunken crazy . . . but I still believe it. They drafted for needs, upgraded the quality of personnel on their roster at all need positions (especially with the Robertson deal) and it looks like Cutler might actually improve rather than regress.

    While this team doesn’t have everything . . . it has enough to make my drunken premonition possible.

  • http://81trucolors.livejournal.com/ Truman

    Trent:

    “Bring you Charger praise back here after a few pre-season games. Then we can dance this dance.”

    Look I bleed Orange dude, but I won’t be bringing anything back to this convo after a few PRESEASON games. Preseason is just that. PS don’t mean squat.

    Hopefully the drunks, optimists, and homers are right and I’m wrong. But I lost faith in Shanny when we still had a Griese quarterback and I see no reason for a resurgence in confidence. As you say, we’ll see.

  • Richard

    rcsodak. I agree that having fun with opponents names doesn’t affect the outcome, I appreciate your cautious feelings, I just think its time for all Bronco fans to take some emotional aspirin and get over our collective 7-9 hangover. Everybody: its a new year, we have a new infusion of talent, and a relatively easy schedule. Will there be adversity? Sure. Will there be surprises? . Absolutely. Do we have good team chemistry. Certainly better than last year. Will J Russell’s head be spinning in the opener. Count on it. Are we going to lose to the Chefs? No way. Does each Charger have a red “S” on his chest? No and no powder blue cape either. So lets get ready to go to war. The “NO FOOTBALL” season is about to end.

  • robert coate

    No chance. Cutler will be benched by week 3.

  • Raider Ian

    September 8, 2008.

    Monday Night.

    Bronco TOAST Baby!!!!

    Give me extra whipped cream & maple syrup.

    I’ll be there to savor the second straight Raider win over the Donk’s. Be fun to watch the third win at your place.

    SUCKERS!!!

    Cheers,

    Ian

  • HogBlog

    Oh…Faider Ian! Has little Lane guaranteed a playoff spot for you underachievers? How’s Javon working out for you? Any new kids beat him up again? 16M for that broken down excuse of a whiny ass receiver…What grade “Crack” do you guys do out in Oakland? Or maybe Lane prefers “Mushroons”. What ever it is, it’s making you guys delusional…

  • http://www.broncotalk.net scott

    Just look at our 2nd half schedule.. after the bye we got the fins at home, browns & falcons on the road, gayders at home, jets road, chiefs home, panthers road, bills home, sd road.. Im seeing at least 6 wins there.. AT LEAST.. 10 wins and the playoffs are not out of the question at all

  • http://www.fannation.com/blogs/show/183228 Get Real

    RU kidding me? After last years performance suddenly he claims the Broncos are “playoff bound”? Shanny has made many false claims in the past. He once claimed Griese to be comparable to Montana…then regretted that. He is a control freak and should never have been given dual roles. Leave the GM tasks to another person who has an eye for talent and knows how to draft. Shanny is not in building mode he’s in desperation mode. He said inserting Cutler in there gives him the best chance of winning (as opposed to Plummer who had a winning record so far in 2006). Boy did that idea blow up in his face. The Broncos are a bunch of clowns in a circus act. Shanny is painting their faces and getting them ready for another laugher of a season. You donk fans should not put your hope in Shanny anymore. He hasn’t done really a damn thing since Elway left in terms of the playoffs other than go 1-4 in 9 straight seasons with only 1 AFC Division Championship. But by all means you loser donk fans go right ahead and hang your orange jock strap on Shanny’s promises. I can 100% guarantee you the Broncos are not going to make it to the post season this year. Quick fixes have never panned out for Shanny anyways.

  • jason

    well, i see no one has posted since the season has started, so i will take this opertunity to say HAHAHAHA to you all. Mikey was right. Cutler is healthy now, after being diagnosed and treated for diabeties. Royal is the suprise we all have been waiting for. i know its only one game into the season, but the denver broncos are going to the playoffs. Oh, and by the way, Brady is out for the season!!! so the AFC is wide open….one more thing….WE ARE ON TOP OF OUR DIVISION!!!!!! so take that all you sceptics and non belivers, Cutler is the new age and face of the bronco franchise.

  • NoRingNoGlory

    LMAO.
    So much for the defense. Looks like the Bates system proved to be the way to go and Slowiks has been the downfall of yet another epic defense failure on Shanny’s part. Whats the matter with Shanny’s anyways? Did he forget you don’t win World Championships without a defense? I mean getting throttled 1-4 in the playoffs after being touted as the “mastermind of the ages” is nothing to be proud of. The Broncos D is worst than 2007 and its a crying shame Shanny didn’t look in Slowiks past. Shanny has ZERO eye for talent and that coaches for DC’s too.

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  • KMA

    Has anyone e-mailed this to Shanny and asked him to comment?