And More News On The Broncos...

I've been keeping my eye on the Broncos quite a bit ... this news story for the most part sums up what we've been hearing. But we've been hearing it consistently all off-season. Which to me means

1) Hawks should make sure to be "aware" (not necessarily wary) of the Broncos. And seems Elway made some great pickups in the offseason
2) Hawks should make sure to realize we have the bullseye on our back

which means ..

3) Hawks .. I hope they can stay hungry

Right now this almost feels like the Hawks are the Miami Heat while the Broncos are the Spurs. Does anyone else feel like the Broncos will be super-driven this year because of what happened to them in the Super Bowl? Add to that more talent and a more physical mindset...

I was thinking it would be Colts or Patriots vs Seahawks for the Super Bowl this year, but now I'm re-thinking that.

the defense is faster and more intense than it was last year. Some of that is because of the new acquisitions in the offseason: Ware, safety T.J. Ward and cornerback Aqib Talib, who collectively bring what Ware calls "brutal nasty."

However, some of the defense's attitude owes to its motivation, of which its members are reminded every time a highlight from Super Bowl XLVIII is shown. Nearly six months later, the entire team is driven by the memory of the 43-8 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. It is a scab that has yet to heal. Whether on offense or defense, every Bronco was kicked in the tail and kicked while down -- repeatedly -- for nearly four hours on Feb. 2.

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"Denver defense's inspiration: Remember the Super Bowl"
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/denver-def ... --nfl.html

I'm a fan of their new off-season catch phrase, too.

35!

DO THOSE EXTRA REPS, RIP THOSE MUSCLES APART!

THIRTY-FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!!!!! ARGHAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! WE'RE GONNA WRECK THOSE HAWKS!

In all seriousness, they've improved. No doubt about it. We are not going to dismantle them when they come to our house, but I do feel very good about our chances of winning.

RolandDeschain":35d798i9 said:

I'm a fan of their new off-season catch phrase, too.

35!

DO THOSE EXTRA REPS, RIP THOSE MUSCLES APART!

THIRTY-FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!!!!! ARGHAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! WE'RE GONNA WRECK THOSE HAWKS!

In all seriousness, they've improved. No doubt about it. We are not going to dismantle them when they come to our house, but I do feel very good about our chances of winning.

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Haha.. "35". I know the "35" thing came up in other threads and the .NET-izens joked about it. I did too in a lighthearted manner

But yes, like you say, in all seriousness: I would be surprised if the Broncos got dismantled in any game this season. They have got to feel the magnifying glass on them just as much as the Hawks feel it because of what happened.

And really, whatever it takes to keep you motivated. "35" is a very simple way to bring back all the pain if you're a Bronco and Bronco-fan. That was a serious humiliation and at the highest level of competition, you already have to know how to overcome losses so I expect to see a lot of great things from the Broncos.

RolandDeschain":2z1ysokt said:

I'm a fan of their new off-season catch phrase, too.

35!

DO THOSE EXTRA REPS, RIP THOSE MUSCLES APART!

THIRTY-FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!!!!! ARGHAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! WE'RE GONNA WRECK THOSE HAWKS!

In all seriousness, they've improved. No doubt about it. We are not going to dismantle them when they come to our house, but I do feel very good about our chances of winning.

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You have no clue if we won't dismantle them again. Everything centers around injuries and the like. Their defense is improved but their offense is still the same dink and dunk crap that our defense will murder. We may have lost some depth on defense but that's probably arguable anyway and even without Lynch we will be just fine on offense maybe even better given if he actually holds out during the season it will just mean giving Micheal his shot and giving the reins over to Wilson a year sooner then they planned anyway (getting 2 WR's and Percy Harvin in 2 years? Yeah they're not thinking of evolving the offense at all).

Basically we will still beat them by 10-14 at least unless Peyton implodes again.

MizzouHawkGal":1ii54pi3 said:

You have no clue if we won't dismantle them again.

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Oh, I definitely have a clue. What I don't have is proof or 100% confidence about it; but a clue? Yes.

I'll be shocked if we win by 4+ scores, I'll put it that way. You also don't know that they are still going to run a dink & dunk offense. Nobody does, yet. Just sayin'. Regardless, their defense will be a lot better than last time.

RolandDeschain":1ew239rv said:

MizzouHawkGal":1ew239rv said:

You have no clue if we won't dismantle them again.

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Oh, I definitely have a clue. What I don't have is proof or 100% confidence about it; but a clue? Yes.

I'll be shocked if we win by 4+ scores, I'll put it that way. You also don't know that they are still going to run a dink & dunk offense. Nobody does, yet. Just sayin'. Regardless, their defense will be a lot better than last time.

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I don't expect 4+ scores either that's just silly. But yes that offense will still be dink and dunk because Peyton just doesn't have the arm strength for anything else. They may run the ball more though but that will play into both San Diego's and Kansas City's hands which should be far more important to them then beating us in a regular season game.

Winning the offseason sweepstakes will almost definitely help them.

Except when it doesn't.

Sarlacc83":1mkn72oj said:

Winning the offseason sweepstakes will almost definitely help them.

Except when it doesn't.

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TBH, dropping Chump Bailey and having Von Miller back will make a noticeable difference on their defense; off-season acquisitions aside.

They got better, no doubt. Just getting some hurt players back made them better.

But did they get good enough? There is a chance we see the Broncos 2 times this year. Could be interesting...

Both teams have changed. I'm not worried because short of Clemons being gone, I feel like our pass rush will be comparable and I doubt that Manning's arm has suddenly gotten stronger. Without a deep threat, DEN has to establish a running game to win. We shall see.

peachesenregalia":15zh3vn9 said:

Scottemojo":15zh3vn9 said:

They got better, no doubt. Just getting some hurt players back made them better.

But did they get good enough? There is a chance we see the Broncos 2 times this year. Could be interesting...

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Well....the chance of seeing them 2 times is 100%. Now, 3 times, yeah, that's more of a chance thing....

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Derp. I meant what you said, but, uh, my damn digits.

How often does an NFC team see an AFC team 3 times in one year? Not Many, I would guess.

That first pre season game will be a snoozer, I predict, as nobody will want to give away too much.

Laloosh":3bh2rxdx said:

Both teams have changed. I'm not worried because short of Clemons being gone, I feel like our pass rush will be comparable and I doubt that Manning's arm has suddenly gotten stronger. Without a deep threat, DEN has to establish a running game to win. We shall see.

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Both teams have changed (and I assume you meant rosters) and that by itself to me I think the Seahawks would still win.

However, it's not just roster changes and player additions/subtractions - my original point was that from the article, and from others similar to that all throughout the offseason, it seems there is also a sense of pain and shame going on with the Broncos. And something like that at the highest level can drive you even farther.

On one side, the Hawks have that bullseye now - everyone will get up for playing the Hawks.

On the other side, the Broncos will be extra motivated this year I think against ALL teams to also prove to themselves they are much better than the disappearance they showed in the Super Bowl

Thus my points were

1) Broncos = roster changes aside, they will have extra motivation
+
2) Hawks = roster changes aside, opposing teams will have extra motivation
=
3) The Hawks need to have the same if not even more hunger this year considering points 1) and 2)

byau":2cihm3t4 said:

my original point was that from the article, and from others similar to that all throughout the offseason, it seems there is also a sense of pain and shame going on with the Broncos. And something like that at the highest level can drive you even farther.

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Or it could burrow into your skull and build a nest in your brain. I think they're setting themselves up for a huge collapse, to be honest.

First of all, I think the whole "35" motivation is exactly the wrong idea for preparation, about as wrong as turning the noise down during practice before the Super Bowl.

Think about it -- they've been going through the entire offseason and preseason obsessed with the goal of not letting 35 happen to them again, which means they never let the loss to the Seahawks go. What's going to happen in week 3 the first time Kam tattoos someone going across the middle? the first time Peyton gets intercepted? the first time Percy takes off for a huge gain and perhaps scores? when they have consecutive three-&-outs?

I'll tell you exactly what will happen. They'll talk brave on the sidelines and give it their best face, but deep down, everyone who was on the team last year will be thinking to themselves, "Aw crap, not again! I've seen this movie, I know how it ends, oh God can we please just go home right now!"


P.S. The last time DeMarcus Ware was in Seattle, he did exactly nothing.

BlueTalon":3q6g4y2b said:

byau":3q6g4y2b said:

my original point was that from the article, and from others similar to that all throughout the offseason, it seems there is also a sense of pain and shame going on with the Broncos. And something like that at the highest level can drive you even farther.

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Or it could burrow into your skull and build a nest in your brain. I think they're setting themselves up for a huge collapse, to be honest.

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Very true. I agree. It could really go either way.

For me, what makes me think they will do really well is that this is the highest level of competition. To get to this level players have to overcome ..well, I can't even imagine. Besides being superior athletes, there is a level of competitiveness these guys have to have that I doubt I can fathom.

For one game, yes I can see where it would down you - and they couldn't recover during the Super Bowl. The same thing was said about the Spurs last year after they blew game 6 (what was it, 5 point lead in 31 seconds?). A lot of sports personalities thought... no way Spurs come back in game 7 after that.

But given an offseason to think about it, let it sink in, etc.etc.. my thinking is at that highest championship level, it will turn them for a huge uprising, not a huge collapse

But I wouldn't be surprised if they collapsed to your point

First of all, I think the whole "35" motivation is exactly the wrong idea for preparation, about as wrong as turning the noise down during practice before the Super Bowl.

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Same point... I think it can drive you either way. Pointing back to the Spurs, while they did not let people know in public, after it was all over this past season, you finally saw some of those inklings that the previous year's loss to the Miami Heat drove them. It's not that the Spurs wanted to win the championship, they wanted to beat Miami. They wanted to take back what they felt was theirs.

Anyway: I think we agree that this kind of thing will drive you completely one way or the other, success or failure, we just disagree - I think it will drive them closer to success this year, you think it will drive them to implosion

Fair enough yes? Be interested to see which one of us wins the prize

byau":o6e9zx6a said:

Laloosh":o6e9zx6a said:

Both teams have changed. I'm not worried because short of Clemons being gone, I feel like our pass rush will be comparable and I doubt that Manning's arm has suddenly gotten stronger. Without a deep threat, DEN has to establish a running game to win. We shall see.

Click to expand...

Both teams have changed (and I assume you meant rosters) and that by itself to me I think the Seahawks would still win.

However, it's not just roster changes and player additions/subtractions - my original point was that from the article, and from others similar to that all throughout the offseason, it seems there is also a sense of pain and shame going on with the Broncos. And something like that at the highest level can drive you even farther.

On one side, the Hawks have that bullseye now - everyone will get up for playing the Hawks.

On the other side, the Broncos will be extra motivated this year I think against ALL teams to also prove to themselves they are much better than the disappearance they showed in the Super Bowl

Thus my points were

1) Broncos = roster changes aside, they will have extra motivation
+
2) Hawks = roster changes aside, opposing teams will have extra motivation
=
3) The Hawks need to have the same if not even more hunger this year considering points 1) and 2)

Click to expand...

I understand your points. I guess my line of thinking is that despite their perceived need to set things straight with the Seahawks, they're still facing an incredibly daunting task even with the losses that we've had. On the other hand, our offense has improved in my opinion.

They can get as worked up as they like. Our guys have played some pretty motivated 49er teams that scare me a hell of a lot more than Peyton Manning. I just don't think they have much of a chance in a regular season game unless they can run the ball on us and that's what I'm curious to see.

Not even worried about the Broncos. If the broncos and other teams have extra motivation against the Hawks, then ya better believe the Hawks will be motivated and more importantly trained and prepared to defend, motivation alone won't cut it . Also, if they aren't motivated enough to play well in the Super Bowl then why would they all of a sudden he that much more prepared now just because they got wrecked in that game.

I just think that as motivated as Denver will be, they still have a handful of really bad matchups in the NFC. NO and maybe SF at this point have the LBs and secondary to do something like what Seattle did to Denver defensively (prevent YAC, stop the screen game, force Manning to throw downfield), and it's probably one of those three teams that Denver would see in the Super Bowl.

Naw, sorry Seattle will still mop the turf with donko parts. Seattle defense didn't get softer or slower, and while the Donks D only got slightly better, IMHO. Their 2 big gets, are injury prone and Ware doesn't have much tread left on those tires.

Great! so they've gained 10 points.

For Denver, it starts first with dealing with the AFCW. Maybe they win it again but maybe KC takes them down? Then they still have to beat other AFC division winners or wildcards. If I am them, the Seahawks Superbowl is not what I hang my hat on for motivation. Take care of business in their division and then conference first. None of those guys are Seattle, though I understand the basic premise of the rallying cry.

Who knows who comes out of the NFC if they do win the AFC. As a Seahaawks fan, yes a rematch in the Bowl would be lovely but all of this is so far away. What if they spend the entire year chomping at the bit for revenge against the Seahawks and they end up playing the Lions in the Superbowl? Would that be a let down leading to another curb-stomping?

As the HC or GM, I am not sure I want that out there as my theme for the team this season.