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Posted Sun Sep 26th by Ian Henson
The Broncos defeated the Seahawks 31-14 (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
No one in their right mind (or our comments section) predicted that the Denver Broncos would lose to the Seattle Seahawks. So good job guys, I myself came within seven points of predicting the final score. I also predicted that the Seahawks offensive line would make the Broncos defense look a lot better than it actually is; so keep that in mind as we look from here on with our predictions.
I explained Denver’s defense pretty in depth here, only after calling Wink Martindale out on The Orange Page. What it basically boils down to is this: If the Broncos special teams can stop the opposing special teams at or behind their own 20 yard line; Denver will either come away with a turnover, a stop or the opposing team will have to settle for a field goal.
(Predictions after you click your mouse button… once)
Ian’s Prediction:
These aren’t your Mike Shanahan‘s Indianapolis Colts.
Actually they are (and that’s a good thing).
Now here’s a conspiracy: in 2009 the Colts had home field advantage throughout the playoffs on the line when the Broncos rolled into town. They went all out and as I’ve maintained Denver gave them their best run of the season (with the exception of the New Orleans Saints in the Super Bowl). The reason? Well, you don’t want to see Josh McDaniels boys in the playoffs, that’s for sure. In beating the Broncos, the Colts nearly dictated the AFC Playoff picture; mainly, keeping Denver out and insuring the Jets got in by losing to New York the following week.
A well played gambit, by a well coached team. It almost got the city of Indianapolis another Lombardi Trophy, but the Colts came up short.
So, as of game day it’s looking like it might be de-ja-vu 2004 all over again. Champ Bailey‘s questionable as is Andre Goodman. That leaves rookies Perrish Cox and Syd’Quan Thompson in their place, with veteran Nate Jones to cover Dallas Clark the entire game.
If I’m game planning on this and I have a healthy Bailey, Goodman, Cox, Jones and Thompson. I’m putting Bailey over Clark; Goodman over Reggie Wayne and Cox over Austin Collie with Jones to roam free amongst the others and in between. That’s a whole lot of dime and no safeties. I just don’t think that demigod Brian Dawkins has a place during this game (unless he’s going to spend time at middle linebacker).
Denver will have to throw something at Peyton Manning, that’s obvious. In the Colts the Broncos face a team that completely over matches them on offense to Denver’s defense. I’d say constant corner blitzes, corners playing out of place to replace the corners that are blitzing.
On the offensive side of the ball, look for whomever the Broncos throw in at running back to look incredible; the BT Kyle Orton MVP campaign will continue and gain more weight and Demaryius Thomas will go from 56% owned to 99% owned in fantasy football leagues.
That being said, with the incredible loss of the Kenny McKinley I hope that this doesn’t become a ‘For Kenny’ game. Yes, play this game/ this season in his honor, but the Broncos can honor McKinley in a much more important way. The team does not bounce back from tragedy well, who could expect them to? There’s no reason to sensationalize a loss as detrimental as this.
This game will make a lot of the players on the Broncos offense look really good and be a real show and prove for the rookie class of Broncos’ corner backs. Cox, Thompson and Cassius Vaughn all have an incredible opportunity to show what the current state of the NFL’s next greatest secondary is going to look like. The best thing is that Manning will have seen hardly anything and there would be nothing greater than for them to beast all over the field like Darcel McBath got to do last season.
And they will.
Published on 09/26/2010 at Sun Sep 26 01:03.
Tagged: Andre Goodman,Austin Collie,Brian Dawkins,Cassius Vaughn,Champ Bailey,Dallas Clark,Daniel Graham,Darcel McBath,Demaryius Thomas,Denver Broncos,Indianapolis Colts,Josh McDaniels,Kenny McKinley,Knowshon Moreno,Kyle Orton,Lombardi Trophy,Mike Shanahan,Nate Jones,New Orleans Saints,New York Jets,Perrish Cox,Peyton Manning,Predicting the Future,Reggie Wayne,Seattle Seahawks,Super Bowl,Syd'quan Thompson,Wink Martindale.