An interview with Bryan Douglass of Broncos Stable

The G-men next face the Denver Broncos on Turkey Day in the night game on NFL Network.  And as we’ve been doing each week, we have an interview with the opposing blogger, in this case one of the editors of Fanball.com, Mr. Bryan Douglass who runs BroncosStable.com.  Bryan is not particuarly confident about the Broncos’ chances, and I may not be either.  But he and I disagree on how many points the Giants will score.  Here are excerpts from our conversation:

GMenDen: The Broncos have the 3rd best pass defense, right behind the G-men….with a suspect run game, how can the Giants score points against the Broncs?  Looking at the sheer numbers and admitting our run game sucks, I’m worried.

BroncosStable: The formula against the Broncos is known, and I would suggest it was actually revealed not by Baltimore but by this San Diego team that put the whoopin’ on Sunday. You wear them down… the Broncos are, for the most part, happy to let the short-range pass come and go. You can send ‘em over the middle and eat three- and four-yard chunks all day, and on occasion (essentially when the linebackers are engaged elsewhere) you can surge after the catch. The Bolts’ biggest receptions of the day went to Antonio Gates (I know, shocking) with a hit for 24 and Vincent Jackson came in with one for 23. That’s it. Take those catches out of the mix for those two players and Jackson’s average per drops from 14.0 to 11.0, and Gates drops from 13.7 to 8.0. They refuse to give up the big play, and you would think that would work.  But it doesn’t, because the game plan has put ‘em in a bad way. The Broncos are one of the worst teams in the fight for time of possession in the league (the current numbers show the Broncos rank 22nd in the league in offensive time of possession averaging 28:56 minutes per, but against B-more they checked in with 26:23, followed by 26:57 against Pitt, 24:17 against the Skins, and 22:08 against the Bolts). They leave the defense, loaded with veterans that will be considering early-bird specials in the next few years, on the field WAY too long and you can see it in the box scores. ALL of these games the Broncos have dumped have been within reach in the second half and the point differentials get out of hand in the 4th. They are TIRED, not that Orton or Simms could bring ‘em from behind regardless.
 
You wear ‘em down… should play right into Jacobs’ wheelhouse man. The former Saluki (go Southern Illinois) could be the key ingredient for this match up much like Norv’s main weapon of choice ended up being LaDainian.  Tomlinson didn’t’ get huge numbers and they kept him respectable, but they topped his ass off with that pork chop fullback (Mike Tolbert) once the Denver D was beaten down. I would think a nice mix of Ahmad Bradshaw with a healthy side of the Saluki would do the trick.
 
GMD: You’re making me feel confident that we can stop the Broncos’ offense with no problem…. because they don’t have the weapons the last few team we’ve faced have.  I’m just not so sure the G-men can move the ball though.  Is it possible this one could go like 9-6 or something?

BS: At this point I have a hard time believing the Broncos will post more than 21 in a single game… not that they can’t, I just believe they won’t. Two games against KC with one against the Haters left on the plate, and those are the only offerings I see that could put the Broncos’ offense in position to shine (and trust me, as a former resident of the Chicago metro area with an eye slanted towards the Bears, I can submit utmost confidence that Orton is lacking in the ability to improve over the season).
 
If the Giants are struggling on D… and without Pierce I would have to believe they are… your woes could be remedied by what has become the most predictable offense in the land. I must admit the honor of watching Ryan Clady vs. Justin Tuck is all too appealing. Add the Thanksgiving environment and I’m sold. I’d watch the Deadspin mouse play football on Thanksgiving. Outside of the left tackle/defensive end match up I find no source of hope as I scan the battles to be. Elvis Dumervil’s surge has come to rest (touting just 1.5 sacks over these four losses after earning 10 in the first six) and I would bet the oversized tackles from the Big Apple would present another daunting challenge. As feared the addition of Ty Law adds depth and not much else. Brandon Marshall’s frustrations are back and on full display so it seems only a matter of time before he goes Chris Brown. 

GMD: I’m baffled by the Broncos, dude….was it just smoke and mirrors the first few weeks?

BS: At the end of the day there is only so much you can say about a group that spent six weeks earning the “Who the hell are these guys?” tag only to spend four weeks falling right back into the Denny Green “They are who we thought they were” tag… and to be honest, the locals seem all too happy with their fall from grace. Many of ‘em want McDaniels to fail, and I would suggest that tells you all you need to know about that group. I believe Shanny killed the desire and interest from the young legions of fans that wanted a playoff contender and never got one, and now McDaniels is killing the old timer that dreads change and was all too content to miss the playoffs as long as Jay Cutler was posting numbers behind center. I hope I am wrong, but I would bet that the vast majority of fans that show and prove in the Mile High would suggest this town would be happier with the next Elway than a the next Super Bowl contender… and the younger set cut the chord and won’t come back to fight the good fight until Pat Bowlen produces a winner.

GMD: So how long before Brandon Marshall does something that gets him suspended from the team or the league again now that the team is losing?

BS: I’m not sure what to expect. He’s been working rather hard in efforts to improve his image – the guest host spot on the Sports Soup, talking to the press and doing interviews (especially on a national scale, which is so transparent it’s laughable) – and I would doubt his people are going to let his current frustrations ruin all of that. This guy wants to hit the market and he wants to leave, and to be honest I tend to believe this is what the Broncos wanted. They reeled him back in and got him on the field, and at times Orton has been able to utilize his skills. That is no more and now the Broncos can either overpay to lure him back or they can let him go… ultimately they wanted the choice and they have it (don’t forget, they made a rumored attempt to negotiate a long-term deal shortly after he returned to camp and folks laughed out loud with disbelief, but no deal was signed and I would bet the number offered then would have been one the Broncos would prefer now).
 
Besides, he did a solid job of turning his act into a display of passion. He turned it on his teammates and questioned their heart, and that was the only choice to make after the game. I have to admit the guy was well on his way down the Anquan Boldin path and he managed to take the road Boldin missed. We’ll see if he stays true (his emotions have won out in the past… we will see).

GMD: And things must be really bad when the fans cheer as Kyle Orton replaces Chris Simms, no?

BS: There are some that support and were overjoyed to see Orton return, and others who question the choice and the effects that may follow. Personally, I would suggest no desire to question the move. It was obvious the play of Simms was detrimental and I sincerely doubt being pulled was nearly as damaging, in terms of emotion and frustration, as his experience on the field.

GMD: Your take and your pick?

BS: I’m having a hard time with the analysis in terms of making a pick. I
have picked the Broncos in every game thus far but over recent weeks I
have been anticipating a change in the offensive direction of this team that has yet to show… and if they weren’t willing to change against Norv and the Bolts, I don’t feel I can expect it to arrive after a short week of prep coming into Turkey Day.

Still have the full-blown Stable preview coming, but as we sit today I fear the Broncos simply do not have an offense that can generate the points needed to keep pace with Eli and company. The defense will continue to suffer the abuse of extended time spent on the field, the special teams will continue to induce sickness, and there will be no adjustments made in an attempt to stop the bleeding. 

Broncos 10, Giants 34

For more on the Broncos and on Bryan’s interview with me, go to broncosstable.com

Tags: Ahmad Bradshaw, Antonio Gates, Antonio Pierce, Baltimore Ravens, Brandon Jacobs, Brandon Marshall, Broncos, Broncos Stable, Chicago Bears, Chris Brown, Chris Simms, Denny Green, Denver, Eli Manning, football, Giants, Giants Broncos Thanksgiving game, Jay Cutler, John Elway, Josh McDaniels, Justin Tuck, Kansas City Chiefs, Kyle Orton, LaDainian Tomlinson, Mike Shanahan, NFL, Norv Turner, Oakland Raiders, Pat Bowlen, Redskins, Ryan Clady, San Diego Chargers, Southern Illinois, Ty Law, Vincent Jackson