Important crossroad for Broncos
For stretch drive, Broncos are facing a big turning point
By Lee Rasizer, Rocky Mountain News
November 25, 2006
Any questions?
Mike Shanahan's postgame inquiry Thursday night to the media in Kansas City, Mo., didn't draw a response quick enough for his liking, and he was gone without having to sift through the rubble of a two-game losing streak.
But there's plenty to ruminate about in assessing the state of the Broncos, who have lost two in a row in the regular season for the first time since Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2004.
And in most cases, there are no easy answers for a team that's 7-4 but seemingly on the downslope. The key issues include:
• What happened to the sure- tackling defense that went more than a month without allowing an opponent, much less an individual, a 100-yard game? More important, where's the swagger that permeated the unit generally at the beginning of the season?
• Is there anything that can be done in the short term about the mistake-prone coverage and return units that have made field position miserable for an already struggling offense and made life easier for opponents to move in minimal increments to score?
• Is rookie quarterback Jay Cutler the spark needed to lift this team out of its funk, or with the offensive line having problems in protection and opening holes in the running game, is he being thrown to the wolves?
It all leads to this: Where is this season headed?
Right now, the Broncos would be the final wild-card entry in the AFC playoffs after not long ago appearing to be well on their way to a division title and perhaps a No. 2 seed. The bar is lower now - a win will suffice after painful experiences against the San Diego Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs.
It's gut-check time, and not because of a few extra holiday pounds. Or maybe it is, because Thanksgiving has added weight, just not to the waistline.
It's on the collective shoulders of the entire roster and could be felt in a somber Arrowhead Stadium visitor's locker room as the team prepared to break for three days off preceding workouts for the Dec. 3 home game against the -Seattle Seahawks.
"We can't forget we're 7-4. It's not like we're 4-7," said Jason Elam, who has been through the highs and lows of both records during his 14 seasons with the franchise.
"We're right in the thick of everything. We've definitely stumbled the last couple weeks, but we have the month of December to get hot. Look at Pittsburgh last year. Things aren't done, by any stretch."
To repeat the Steelers' improbable, and historic, run, a variety of things are going to have to change, and in a hurry, in the next five weeks, starting with the team's fragile psyche, which first took a hit with the Chargers' 17-point comeback Nov. 19.
"Life is one of monumental change. And it's our job having a great amount of change in a short period of time," fullback Kyle Johnson said. "But in ascertaining the situation, it's a disappointment."
It's difficult to even gauge where that level of distress falls in a locker room where Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer spoke of busting tail and fighting, but just a few feet away, veteran Rod Smith had just told a TV reporter and teammates that he questioned the commitment and effort by many of them in recent weeks.
Wide receiver Javon Walker maintained that "something had to be done . . . across the board," to initiate change.
But Shanahan has shuffled personnel, most notably at running back, tight end and on the offensive line, and season- ending injuries to defensive end Courtney Brown, left tackle Matt Lepsis and safeties Nick Ferguson and Sam Brandon are beginning to take their toll.
The threat of perhaps not making the playoffs, a long-shot possibility just a few weeks ago, is now an open question with teams such as the Jacksonville Jaguars (6-4) and Cincinnati Bengals (5-5) applying the heat behind Denver.
"Obviously, it's a concern," Walker said. "In this division, you've got to win a lot of games, because the teams are so good. And right now, for me, there's a sense of urgency. We've got to run the table. We've got to get some wins so we can get put back in contention and have teams scared to play the Denver Broncos. We've got to strike fear in people."
It isn't like the Broncos core hasn't been through this situation. Denver's calling card in recent seasons often has been fast start, followed by midseason lull and a playoff berth hinging on a strong finish. But it is the first time a potential midseason quarterback change has been sprinkled into the scenario.
Shanahan isn't expected to make any formal announcements on the dynamics of Cutler- Plummer until Monday, but Plummer recently appeared resigned to a switch.
"If I'm starting, I'm going to bust my (butt) for . . . all the guys," Plummer said after the Chiefs improved to 7-4 with their 19-10 victory against the Broncos. "And if I'm not, then, hey, if I have to go back out there for some odd reason, I'm going to go out there and play my (butt) off again."
Linebacker Al Wilson framed the team's future prospects simply.
"We have two choices," he said. "Up or down."
The Broncos are caught between those two directions. There's a feeling of doom and gloom, but the playoffs remain a possibility if the team recaptures its early-season form by the time it plays AFC West leader San Diego on Dec. 10.
"We're in the hunt," defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban said. "It's definitely a great game, and we're on the bad side of it going from first to third in one week. But you know what? We've got five games left, and anything can happen."
Asked if the two-loss stretch resembled a flesh wound and not a fatal blow, Ekuban disagreed.
"It's deeper than that, now," he said. "Division losses count twice in our book. You not only lose a game, but it's in conference. So it's deeper than a flesh wound. But we'll rebound. And the true nature of our team is going to come out."
And that's the biggest question of all.
ETC.: Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams has been fined $15,000 by the league for unsportsmanlike conduct in the Broncos' loss to the Chargers on Sunday. In the final moments, he was flagged for "unsportsmanlike conduct against an official." Field judge Eddy Powers reported to the league that Williams had sworn at side judge James Coleman. Williams has said repeatedly, as has Broncos safety Nick Ferguson, that Coleman had used profanity to Williams first and Williams said he then responded with profanity. League spokesman Greg Aiello said Coleman had denied using profanity. Williams is expected to appeal . . . Broncos right tackle Adam Meadows suffered an injury to his left hamstring Thursday, the same hamstring he injured in training camp. Meadows missed significant practice time and two preseason games because of the injury. He will be evaluated through the weekend. George Foster, who had been replaced by Meadows in the lineup, would play at right tackle if Meadows cannot play against the Seahawks.
Staff writer Jeff Legwold contributed to this report
