Reevaluating Denver's Crapulence

by Johnny Peel (DKSB) on Sep 21, 2009 2:13 PM PDT in Commentary Comment 35 comments

Slot in which Seattle will use Denver's 2010 1st round pick: 25th-32nd

Players likely available in that slot: OT Charles Brown, (USC), QB Colt McCoy (Texas), FS Myron Lewis, (Vanderbilt)

Well, it's time for a bit of retooling, isn't it? Denver's one of eight unbeaten teams in the NFL, and while I'm not ready to proclaim them a playoff-caliber team, it is probably time to stop hoping for that top 5 pick. Here's why...

I did a little research over at Pro Football Reference, and Denver has started 19 of its 50 seasons 2-0. The best finish after a 2-0 start was the by XXXIII Champion 1998 team, who went 14-2. The worst? The inaugural, vertical-stripe-socked Mustard-and-brown Donkeys, who went 2-9-1 after their 2-0 start (jeebus, I can hardly believe they are going to wear those again this season... They'll need to send out portable eyewash stations to every home in America).

Let's not go back to the era of Mad Men, though... Let's just look at the last 20 years. The WORST Denver finish after a 2-0 start was in 2007, when they limped to a 7-9 record. Now, let's take a quick look at that 2009 Broncos schedule... this should cheer you up, because it's brutal... this is metal on a Dethklok level. I've bolded the ones I think Denver will win.

@ OAK, DAL, NE, @ SD, bye, @ BAL, PIT, @ DC, SD, NYG, @ KC, @ IND, OAK, @PHI, KC

Yes, of course they COULD win more, but I doubt it. This is still a 6-10 team, at best, in my eyes. That's still a top-ten pick, and like Nicholson said in Mars Attacks... That aint bad.

Call me bitter... Call me a homer, but i still think Seattle finishes with a better record than Denver this year. If not, we still have TWO 1st round picks, which we can parlay to move up, or use straight up, or trade for more picks in lower rounds.

As for Denver's game yesterday? It's extremely difficult to evaluate them based on a ass-whomping of one of the NFL's worst teams (That sounds a bit like the Seahawks a week ago, doesn't it?). Cleveland has scored ONE offensive touchdown in its last 33 quarters of play... ONE! I know that confidence goes a long way (that's what those shaving cream ads told me), but at some point Denver's relative lack of talent is going to catch up to them with a vengeance.

I'll be back with more next week (and perhaps in between). The next one's going to be pretty awkward if Denver is 3-0 and Seattle is 1-2, huh?

More Seahawks coverage is available on my home blog... Dave Krieg's Strike Beard.

Poll

What will be Denver's final 2009 regular season record?

12-4 or better

16 votes

11-5 or 10-6

29 votes

7-9, 8-8, 0r 9-7

193 votes

6-10 or 5-11

242 votes

4-12 or worse

69 votes

549 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

If it weren't for Eric Berry, I'd be fine with a top 15 pick instead of a top 5 pick.

by LantermanC on Sep 21, 2009 2:20 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Taylor Mays

will probably be available at 10-15 pick range and he isn’t half bad

by ClaypidgeonCoug on Sep 21, 2009 3:30 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Depends on Al Davis.

And if he can actually run a 4.3 40.

by LantermanC on Sep 21, 2009 4:20 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

4.3 40

if he actually ran that at the combine i would be uncontrollably salivating until he is drafted and Al Davis’ fetish is for fast offensive players though i would not put converting Mays to WR Past him.

by ClaypidgeonCoug on Sep 21, 2009 6:31 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Guys usually run faster on their home turf

Part of it is the use of hand timers and part of it may be faster fields, comfort, etc.

Mike Wahle(OG), Walter Jones(LT), Chris Spencer(C), Marcus Trufant(CB), Deion Branch(WR), Sean Locklear(OT), Brandon Mebane(DT), Leroy Hill(LB), Lofa Tatupu(LB), Josh Wilson(CB), Justin Griffith(FB), Matt Hasselbeck (QB)

by ninjasocks on Sep 21, 2009 6:45 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Can Berry play QB?

Although yes after yesterdays game a competent Safety would be nice.

by russak on Sep 21, 2009 4:11 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't think historical Denver teams have any influence on this Denver team

Crapulence means overindulgence, usually of rich food, and the resulting sick feeling. Crappiness?

by John Morgan on Sep 21, 2009 2:23 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I agree.

Looking at any team that went 2-0 would do just as well, and be a bigger sample size, though it would involved more work as well.

by LantermanC on Sep 21, 2009 2:28 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Crapulence

Yeah, but crapulence SOUNDS cooler, and they used it on The Simpsons once.

"I hate to break it to you, but there is no big lie, there is no system, the universe is indifferent." -Don Draper

by Johnny Peel (DKSB) on Sep 21, 2009 2:25 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

When Burns is trying to steal a lollipop from Maggie

in the second “Who Shot Mr. Burns”.

by John Morgan on Sep 21, 2009 2:28 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

But stealing candy from a baby

…proved to be exceedingly difficult

"I hate to break it to you, but there is no big lie, there is no system, the universe is indifferent." -Don Draper

by Johnny Peel (DKSB) on Sep 21, 2009 2:36 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I still like using the word 'cocktaster'.

Best insult ever! Thanks for adding it to my potty-mouth.

Early prospect watch: RB C.J. Spiller, QB Jevan Snead, OT Ciron Black, DT Gerald McCoy, S Eric Berry, DT Ndamukong Suh, CB Ras-I Dowling 6'2, 200, RB Jonathan Dwyer

by Misfit74 on Sep 21, 2009 3:26 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

When I was in Australia,

everyone called each other Fuckwits.

I think it has a nice ring to it.

Mancrushed. Jake Locker for Heisman 2010.

by whiskey chainsaw on Sep 21, 2009 8:47 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

There's a reason why they do that in Australia

Its an accurate description of Australians.

by ninjasocks on Sep 21, 2009 9:06 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Craptastic

Much better and more accurate word. Although we’d have to nounify it. Maybe “Craptasticity.”

(My wife won’t let me watch Fox, because they own those chemical weapons plants in Syria.)

by robbbbbb on Sep 21, 2009 3:19 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Won't let?????

by Hawkmain on Sep 21, 2009 4:14 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

When we played Denver in the preseason

I started to re-evaluate the idea that they’d be gaming for 1st overall. They stole a win and they beat a bad team, if not two bad teams. But they’ll be able to move the ball in spite of their talent. 6 wins or so, still, I think.

by jacobstevens on Sep 21, 2009 2:46 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Green Bay

probably wouldn’t agree with you that the Bengals are a bad team, seeing how they beat the Pack in their home opener 31-24.

Denver defense is surprisingly solid. Their offense is just beginning to get in synch. I wouldn’t be surprised if they beat the Raiders and Cowboys to start 4-0. Their schedule does look brutal after that. San Diego has a similar schedule and are beat up. Denver and the Chargers will battle again for the division. In many ways Denver is better than last years 8 and 8.

by DBinKC on Sep 21, 2009 3:04 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

But keep a couple things in mind,

Bengals were a 4-11-1 team last year, and Green Bay was 6-10.

People are predicting the Packers will be better, but the fact is that they’re converting over from a 4-3 to a 3-4 which isn’t always a smooth transition, and they still have almost all the same players from last year that finished 22nd in the league in points allowed (23.8 ppg last year, 23.0 so far this year). So Green Bay may very well be overrated coming into this year.

by Mind of no mind on Sep 21, 2009 3:15 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Also looking back on it,

This is the same team that we played pretty closely last year with Charlie Frye as our QB and with Keary Colbert and Koren Robinson (in his first game back) as our WRs.

by Mind of no mind on Sep 21, 2009 3:20 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

they lost 7 of those 10

by 4 points or less. Only their second loosing season in the last 17. Like most NFL teams there not much difference between 6-10 and 10-6.

by DBinKC on Sep 21, 2009 4:35 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

There is no point in playing the "turn these 7 losses to wins" game.

As a Seahawk fan in the 90’s, I used that logic all the time to convince myself that those 6 to 8 win teams were on the verge of turning the corner and becoming a 9-10 win team, since every year they had 4-5 games that they’d lost by 7 points or less.

I’m by no means saying that Green Bay or the Bengals are bad teams with no chance of being good this year. I’m only saying that it’s way to early in the year to try and gauge how good they are based on how they play each other.

And it’s no coincidence that the Packers had a HoF QB who has never missed a game in those 16 years before last season where they only had 1 losing season.

by Mind of no mind on Sep 21, 2009 6:27 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Let me see if I have the logic down

Denver trades Cutler to Chicago, so Denver now sucks. Chicago plays Green Bay, who sucks but intercepts Cutler all night. Denver who is converting over to a 3-4 limits the first two teams it plays to 6.5 points a game, beats the Bengals; who then turns around and beats Green Bay who is converting over to the 3-4?

by DBinKC on Sep 21, 2009 4:47 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Bottom line is

The Bengals have not looked good yet. Dunno if you watched the Green Bay game. Honestly, the Bengals have looked a lot like us. They got started way late in the Packers game. Maybe I’ve underestimated Antwan Odom. I remember not wanting to draft him, and fearing we would according to some amateur draft boards. But I don’t think he’ll keep up this pace. Clifton got injured, although Odom had a good game from the start.

And, the Bengals have faced the Broncos, and the Packers who were kings of the preseason. Who looked good in spurts last year but have a fair number of questions to be answered successfully. The forbearance the Bengals’ victory over the Packers has on our draft pick from the Broncos is very limited on account of several factors.

The Bengals may in fact turn out to be good and in turn the Broncos’ victory over them suggest the Broncos may not be that bad. But the Bengals haven’t proven to be good. They’ve proven to not be prepared for this season, substantially. The Broncos capitalized on that last week whatever the strength of the 2009 Bengals come week 17. The Broncos did not win in convincing fashion in the slightest. They stole a win.

by jacobstevens on Sep 21, 2009 5:25 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Expecting Odom not to keep up a 3.5 sacks per game pace isn't exactly a reach.

;)

Early prospect watch: RB C.J. Spiller, QB Jevan Snead, OT Ciron Black, DT Gerald McCoy, S Eric Berry, DT Ndamukong Suh, CB Ras-I Dowling 6'2, 200, RB Jonathan Dwyer

by Misfit74 on Sep 21, 2009 6:52 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Heheh...

agreed. Unless he’s the greatest EVER.

Mancrushed. Jake Locker for Heisman 2010.

by whiskey chainsaw on Sep 21, 2009 8:49 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Somewhat agree

I didn’t see the Bengal – Packer game, but did see them against the Broncos. I was impressed with their defense, but not their offense until that final drive.

While the Broncos didn’t win convincingly and stole the win with the immaculate deflection, their defense which was horrible last year has dramatically improved to at least average. Denver’s offense is deep and young both on the line and at the skill positions, Orton is truly their only offensive question mark. Throwing with a glove on to protect stitches on the ring finger and still getting a 91 QB rating is a decent start.

by DBinKC on Sep 21, 2009 8:10 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

And I agree on that account

Definitely didn’t expect anything close to mediocre defense from the Broncos, but they’ve been OK.

by jacobstevens on Sep 22, 2009 9:32 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I had them pegged at 6-10 entering the season

and these were two of the games I was giving them, so I’m more worried about us finishing with a top 10 pick than I’m worried about Denver not finishing with one.

by Mind of no mind on Sep 21, 2009 3:04 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs