I was a believer
mcgozer
6 and 0 start that this team would lose half of the remaining games after
the bye. The answer to that question is obviously yes. They only need one
more loss to accomplish that feat and they have some serious games yet to
play.
So has anyone figured out just what happened on the bye to bring about this
horrendous turn around? Have other coaches simply figured out the new crew
here? Was it just magic chemistry that worked as long as the team believed
in it, then once they lost a game and saw that they had flaws the whole
magic kingdom fell apart? They don't even look good right now, much less
like a team that was able to pull off such a great start.
My new question is can they manage to win half of the games they have left?
I have my doubts now. You can see on TV that they are beginning to not
believe in each other, do they even believe in themselves?
Simms is awful, today was my first chance to see him as a Bronco. Terrible.
I suppose the best way to look at this is that I expected this team to be
the Broncos this season. That 6 and 0 team that surprised me before the bye
was just a pleasant, unexpected ride.
Cleatarrior
was a nice surprise?
Hillis, Sheffler, where are ya?
Nunya Bidnits
> It's going more the way I thought too, though 8 yds a carry for Moreno
> was a nice surprise?
>
> Hillis, Sheffler, where are ya?
What is it with Hillis? He's supposed to be a beast.
Adam Smith
Maybe it's because McD's offense isn't very friendly to fullbacks?
Cleatarrior
Given this is McHoodie-land we can only speculate.
Last week Spencer Larsen went in at FB instead of Peyton. Odd it is.
Dan Graham is getting lost too.
Btw - quality win over the Stillas, gotta love that.
Nunya Bidnits
Yeah baby, spanked the Stillers and sent them to bed without their dinner!
It just shows what an early score can do for morale and intensity. The
Chiefs were never out of that game, and I'm sure by the time it went to
overtime the Picksbug folks were experiencing an overwhelming sens of the
surreal.
I long for the good old days of bloodthirsty fullbacks who lived for the
chance to crush and mash defenders into the ground. I kinda thought that's
what they had in mind for Hillis, but these days true smashmouth running is
becoming a relic of the distant past.
The Chiefs had a guy at one time, I think during the Okoye era, named Bill
Jones. Even more than Tony Richardson, he thrived on the vicious block to
spring his runner. Unfortunately he couldn't keep his need for violence
confined to the playing field, but damn, he could throw a block.
I like Hillis and if they aren't going to make use of his talent, they
should cut the guy loose and let him find work somewhere he might be
appreciated... maybe SF 49ers, I don't know, but I'd love to see him with
the Chiefs. He's not suited to the pass oriented offense that Haley is
building though, but if he went through Haley's hardass conditioning program
and bought into the system, he's be a hell of a lot better than Mike Cox.
Oh well.
MartyB in KC
Adam Smith
september.invalid> wrote:
> I long for the good old days of bloodthirsty fullbacks who lived for the
> chance to crush and mash defenders into the ground. I kinda thought that's
> what they had in mind for Hillis, but these days true smashmouth running is
> becoming a relic of the distant past.
>
> The Chiefs had a guy at one time, I think during the Okoye era, named Bill
> Jones. Even more than Tony Richardson, he thrived on the vicious block to
> spring his runner. Unfortunately he couldn't keep his need for violence
> confined to the playing field, but damn, he could throw a block.
It's been 9 years now, but I still miss Howard Griffith. The guy was
amazing as a blocking back. I think having him, Mark Schlereth, and
Tony Jones retire at the same time (before the 2001 season) hurt the
Broncos more than most people realize.
Adam Smith
> Ok, I asked on at least two occasions, maybe more, did anyone think after a
> 6 and 0 start that this team would lose half of the remaining games after
> the bye.
Late responding, I know, but I did point out during the winning streak
that the Broncos had a lot of fast starts under Shanahan that turned
into collapses down the stretch. I'll dig up some data and post it
this week if I can.
One way to look at it is that the Broncos got some lucky breaks during
the win streak and some unlucky breaks afterwards. Suppose:
1) The immaculate reception against the Bengals hadn't happened.
2) The gift-wrapped INT Orton threw against Dallas had actually been
intercepted instead of making it to Moreno for a TD, giving the
Cowboys that game.
3) Orton hadn't been injured in Washington and the offense had mounted
just one three-minute field goal drive in the second half. Then the
clock would have run out before the Red***ns could score the go-ahead
TD, and the Broncos would have won 20-17.
These things all could have happened very easily (and before someone
accuses me of wishful thinking about the Redskins game, let me point
out that I'm giving up two wins in exchange for one loss.)
Then the Broncos season would go from
W W W W W W L L L L ...
to
L W W L W W L L W L ...
We would be looking at 5-5 instead of 6-4, but we'd probably be less
bent out of shape about it because it wouldn't be such a sharp
turnaround. We'd be annoyed at blowing a 4-2 start to fall to 5-5,
but I think it would be a lot easier to say "Hey, new coach, what did
you expect?"
That's not to say that the team isn't playing worse recently than it
was earlier; it is playing worse. I'm just saying it's really not as
sharp a difference as the record might indicate.
Cleatarrior
> Cleatarrior said:
>> Nunya Bidnits wrote:
>>> Cleatarrior said:
>>>
>>>> It's going more the way I thought too, though 8 yds a carry for
>>>> Moreno was a nice surprise?
>>>>
>>>> Hillis, Sheffler, where are ya?
>>> What is it with Hillis? He's supposed to be a beast.
>> Given this is McHoodie-land we can only speculate.
>>
>> Last week Spencer Larsen went in at FB instead of Peyton. Odd it is.
>>
>> Dan Graham is getting lost too.
>>
>> Btw - quality win over the Stillas, gotta love that.
>
> Yeah baby, spanked the Stillers and sent them to bed without their dinner!
> It just shows what an early score can do for morale and intensity. The
> Chiefs were never out of that game, and I'm sure by the time it went to
> overtime the Picksbug folks were experiencing an overwhelming sens of the
> surreal.
>
> I long for the good old days of bloodthirsty fullbacks who lived for the
> chance to crush and mash defenders into the ground. I kinda thought that's
> what they had in mind for Hillis, but these days true smashmouth running is
> becoming a relic of the distant past.
Ain't that the truth.
No more Rob Carpenters or Iron Head Heywards...
> The Chiefs had a guy at one time, I think during the Okoye era, named Bill
> Jones. Even more than Tony Richardson, he thrived on the vicious block to
> spring his runner. Unfortunately he couldn't keep his need for violence
> confined to the playing field, but damn, he could throw a block.
I didn't remember him - no wonder, 2 & 1/2 year career?
Another short-timer back in the day was Bill Johnson of the Bungles, but
he could really bring it.
> I like Hillis and if they aren't going to make use of his talent, they
> should cut the guy loose and let him find work somewhere he might be
> appreciated... maybe SF 49ers, I don't know, but I'd love to see him with
> the Chiefs. He's not suited to the pass oriented offense that Haley is
> building though, but if he went through Haley's hardass conditioning program
> and bought into the system, he's be a hell of a lot better than Mike Cox.
>
> Oh well.
>
> MartyB in KC
>
Yeah, wasted on either team it seems, and after the promise he showed
last year, truly baffling.
Cleatarrior
You nailed that one.
Even Detron Smith was sturdy.
I hope Howard's neck has been healthy since - a class act that guy was.