BT Stink List-Week 10

Kyle Orton, in D.C. to speak on Health Care.

Note to the crazies: This was written on my bus ride back to NYC from Washington’s FedEx Field. I was of course engulfed by irrational thought and fully primed with $8 Coors Lights. I have since calmed down, thanks to my father, who wisely told me that these were our “growing pains”. This coming from a lifelong Browns fan who could only wish to see “growing pains”, rather than the 40 years of death rattles. It has been my experience that certain fans like to jump on fellow fans for expressing their frustrations. Now, it’s one thing to be frustrated, and another to be down right negative, don’t get me wrong, but how about, instead of putting down our already low Broncos family members, showing a little support to lift them back to their feet. Thanks Dad. That being said, here’s some downright negative thoughts. Enjoy!

There is no “I” in team, but there is an “I” in, “I don’t think were going to make the playoffs”.

I was there, in the flesh, to witness the atrocity that was Sunday’s game. So call me a fair-weather fan if you want, but I have looked the devil in the eyes and seen a Redskins victory. The same Redskins that recently hired an Offensive Coordinator that had previously been calling bingo games.

“Well Orton was hurt”, most will say.
“Be careful what you wish for”, I will say.
How ya feel now Woody?

I must admit that I haven’t been the most fervent Kyle Orton fan, but after Sunday’s 2nd half, give me more Orton. Simms looked like a 3rd string QB. Plain & simple. He couldn’t move the ball. Dirt balls.
I know, I know…
This is his first action in the regular season, he wasn’t taking many reps, Elway seems to have the same thought process about this one.
It doesn’t matter! The back up quarterback should be able to come in & execute plays. Most will blame our coaches, or our line, or our receivers, or our defense (who actually deserves most of the blame). But make no mistake, Chris Simms, Mr. 2 yr/6 million dollar man, was disappointing. He stunk.

Our special teams screwed us again. Yes. They did. Indeed. It’s as if our special teams has an alarm that goes off during each game. That alarm signifies the exact moment they are supposed to screw us over. It goes off every game, at different times. It’s the same sound that wakes you up in the morning. That same god-awful, horrifying, inconsiderate noise that interrupts your gentle slumber, only this alarm doesn’t have a snooze button.
They faked a fake folks. Called a timeout. Then really faked. Wiley rascals.
And, we weren’t prepared at all. Leaving a fullback open with nothing but green pastures in front of him does not constitute as being prepared. The numero uno, the big one, McD has always preached preparation. They even games us some time to sit and think on the fake, and we still couldn’t scheme well enough to hold strong on a 4th and forever.

Are we there yet?

But let’s not to forget to blame our defense. On no, please let’s not forget to blame them. How could I on this 4 hour bus ride back, followed by an hour subway ride, no, I will baste in my disappointment of the defense, all they way to Turkey Day I’m sure.

6:00am Sunday: Board Q train to Manhattan-35 mins
7:00am Sunday: Board BoltBus to DC- 4 hours
11:30am Sunday: Board Metro to FedEx Field- 45 mins
Repeat in reverse order. Only way more disheartened on the way back.

Because if our defense cannot last past two quarters vs. Washington, it certainly cannot last past the surging Chargers next week with the division lead on the line. That BYE screwed with our heads. The first 6 games of the season we were making some miraculous halftime adjustments. I’m not sure if it’s the grueling practices McDaniels put this team through, or the age of the defense showing up, but the second half of the season has brought major problems in the second half’s of these games. Once more, our defense held solid ground for the first half and then allowed Ladell Betts to “run wild”.

Look, there he goes, "running wild" down the field!

Run Wild–the term my supposed friend Jeff used in conversation with me before the game describing the type of play his new castoff Fantasy team running back would need.
I, being the vengeful person I am, called him at halftime to give an “update” that Betts had rushed for 23 yards. Screw your fantasy team, my reality team is winning this game and moving to 7-3.

Then we kicked off to start the third. Betts then ran wild.

My friend is a jerk.

Mr. I got the spins on the bus goes to Washington.

MSM brought the Broncs back down to earth after last week’s game. I wasn’t ready to come back down (Remember that song Come Down by Bush, man that song was good. Sixteen Stone, that album was good). But, now I am. I fell fast today.
Talking to multiple Broncos fans (many were at old RFK), I got the impression that most were happy with 6-3. I can’t say that I am.
“We weren’t picked to win more than some depressing number games, at the beginning of the season, if someone would have asked you…”
Blah blah yeah yeah who cares.
Correct, my pre-season expectations were average. Pre-season.
But my mid season expectations were high. When we beat NE, I believed. I patiently waited. And we beat NE, we were a good team.
Then the BYE happened.
If you can seriously tell me that you would be happy with a possible 8-8 season or a probable 9-7 season, then more power to you, but I BELIEVED in a 6-0 Broncos team. A 6-0, at the BYE, Broncos team that would take the division, and prove something in the playoffs. Superbowl? Well that may be a little much, but a team I believed would fight. I guess I got suckered. I was fooled into following a division-leading team.
Probably my harshest moment in this piece, it happen to come right as the women next to me was blasting GLEE through her computer speakers, so forgive me if I was blatantly angry.

I’ll tell you what, for all crap we got for being Broncos fans at the game, all the smack that was talked, nothing hurt worse than the OVERRATED chant. It rang out like from the other side of the stadium, first faint, but growing fiercely loud. It took me a moment to realize what was being said, it then took me another moment to realize what was being said was true. A moment I wish I could take back.

I just woke up with visible slobber dripping down my face onto my Eddie jersey. We are in the Holland Tunnel and close to our destination, so I’ll wrap this up. It’s been a tough day, a trip to, most likely, the only Broncos game I’ll get to this season was filled with so much promise. The promise of holding true to my number one mantra about this Broncos team: we only lose to good teams.
That is now not the case.
We have lost to a bad team, and in turn, become a bad team ourselves.

note: Like I said, I was on little sleep and running on fumes when I penned most of this. I’ve since recovered and am ready to kick some Chargers bootay! After all, it’s only growing pains!