Putting the ‘D’ back in enver

Brian Leonard, meet Brian Dawkins. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

Perhaps I’m biased (note: yes, I am), but I’ve always felt the Denver Broncos have a beautiful name. It’s lovely to spell and well-balanced and gracefully simple.

Over the past two seasons, it’s been ironic — no, disgraceful — to start writing the team’s name with a ‘D.’ The team hasn’t had one. Why should the name?

Times have changed.

In Sunday’s 12-7 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, the enver Broncos:

• Pitched a shutout through 59 minutes and 21 seconds.
• Stifled Carson Palmer, one of the league’s best quarterbacks, who finished with 0 touchdowns and a 61.0 passer rating.
• Held Bengals runners to 86 yards on 27 rushes, a 3.2 average.
• Forced two turnovers, both interceptions, one that stopped a Bengals drive when they were at Denver’s 27 yard line and another that ended the game.
• Tallied two sacks and a ton of pressures.
• Allowed one big play, a catch by Chad Ochocinco of 34 yards, but were disciplined against big plays overall, mostly because they…
• Found a leader on defense.  Brian Dawkins was everywhere and had eleven tackles.

In other words, they found their ‘D.’ At least for this week.

Now the Brncs just need to get their ‘O’ back.