Finding the Silver Lining in Sunday’s Loss

We’ve all broken down the negatives from this weekend’s past game – the pass protection, the defensive line getting off their blocks, the gap commitment, inability to cover the tight end… yeah, you get the picture. Despite losing handily to the Jaguars at home, there are still several positives worth noting as the team prepares for Indianapolis and The Champs.

1. Brandon Marshall is the next big-time star wide receiver in the NFL

Anyone who watched the game saw that this was pretty apparent. Brandon Marshall tore up the Jacksonville secondary, converting consecutive third downs for big yardage plays and simply dominating his opponent. With his size and speed, he is living up to the “Baby T.O.” nickname he has been given.

After Javon Walker was virtually shut out of the game last week (being covered by Rashean Mathis, arguably the league’s second best corner), Marshall now leads the team in receiving yards. I expect Walker to be the team’s true #1, but Marshall has shown he can get the job done.

2. Jay Cutler is really the real deal

Really. We have a Pro Bowl caliber quarterback at the helm at last, and this team is in for huge seasons in the future. Cutler can get away with throwing across his body to make the big plays and throwing off his back foot to avoid the pressure. His arm strength and accuracy are unbelievable, and he has been able to drive this offense like the well-oiled machine it is (at most times). This kid is special, plain and simple.

3. Elvis Dumervil is a force to be reckoned with

Two sacks in consecutive games brings this talented second year player to 4 for the year, placing him second in the league. Elvis Dumervil may not be the prolific run stopper the team yearns for now, but not since Trevor Pryce went down all those years ago have the Broncos had this kind of pass rush threat.

Once Tim Crowder hits the field at full force, this defensive line could improve in a hurry.

4. End Zone defense still worthy of praise

The defense doesn’t deserve much credit at all for this game, but they did keep the Jaguars out of the end zone completely in the second half, despite Jacksonville threatening several times. How many times were the Jaguars facing Goal to go on the 1? Who knows, but it feels like half the game was played at the 1 yard line. The Broncos defense preventing the Jags from punching the ball in at the end, and they do deserve credit for that.

5. Despite it all, we were still in good position to win

I played the “What If” game a lot after the Pittsburgh-Denver AFC Championship Game in January 2006. “What if Lynch holds onto that errant pass?” “What if that ball doesn’t bounce high for Ward to steal it?” You get the idea.

Play “What If” with me for another moment. What if Daniel Graham holds onto that ball? We’re talking about a re-energized crowd, new hope for the Broncos only down by 6, and a chance for Cutler to work some of his magic. The pass was perfect, and I’m not trying to skewer Graham on this, I just want to make a point. The team was a messed up play away from potentially stealing the game. I believe they would have marched down and scored, hopefully chewing up most to all of the clock along the way (and not giving the opponent a chance to score in return, like Indianapolis and Seattle last year).

This team isn’t as bad as some believe – some are claiming that we really are a rebuilding team and are not ready for a playoff run after two ugly wins and an uglier loss. Don’t lose hope yet – the team overcame the struggles and found a way to win 2 out of 3 times. There’s still a lot of upside for this season, and now isn’t the time to pack it in and declare ourselves preparing for next year.