After a difficult beginning to the 2024 campaign, the Denver Broncos were able to put a tally in the win column on Sunday afternoon. The Denver Broncos were a heavy underdog entering into the heat and humidity of Tampa Bay to take on a Buccaneer team that was playing well in the early stages of the season. Despite the oppressive weather, the Broncos swamped the Bucs in all three phases.
Now Nix Knows
The journey from college superstar to NFL rookie is hard. The journey from college quarterback, Heisman finalist, to NFL rookie is even harder. One of the biggest encouragements for the Denver Broncos was the play of Quarterback Bo Nix. In the first two weeks of his rookie campaign, Bo Nix witnessed firsthand how challenging playing quarterback in the NFL can be. He was throwing off target and off his back foot, things that he rarely did during his time at the University of Oregon.
In the NFL, the defensive backs are bigger, stronger, and faster than in college. There were rumblings about the confidence of a rookie quarterback. Could he handle the speed of NFL defenses and the complexity of Sean Payton’s offense? On Sunday, Nix answered many of those questions right from the first snap. He connected with Wide Receiver Courtland Sutton on a tasty back-shoulder throw up the left sideline for a chunk play. Two plays later, he hit Josh Reynolds up the right sideline for another big play.
Nix now knows what it means to be an NFL quarterback. He knows that there are going to be rocky patches, but he showed the raw talent and decision-making skills the Denver Broncos saw on draft night. There will be growing pains for a rookie quarterback. Success for a rookie quarterback is measured by steady progress through the season. If Bo Nix continues his week 3 leap, it could be a very interesting year for the men in orange.
D – Fence! D – Fence!
Few experiences match the thrill of attending an NFL game in person. The excitement, the competition, and the noise from 80,000 screaming together are electrifying. At some point in the experience, the fans’ electricity will turn on the switch that ignites the chant “D-Fence! D-Fence.” The chant is normally energized by the home crowd, who attempt to encourage their beloved heroes and confuse the villains from the other city who thought it wise to enter this arena.
Something unexpected happened in Tampa Bay. Yes, there was a chant of “D-fence! D-Fence!” that could be heard multiple times throughout the game – even over the television broadcast. But that chant was not coming from the supporters of the local swashbucklers…but rather from Denver Broncos fans! Yes, the Denver Broncos defense was playing lights out, and “Broncos Country” started to chant “D-Fence! D-Fence!”.
It is early in the 2024 season, and there is a lot of football to be played under the bright lights of an NFL season. But if the Denver Broncos defense continues at this pace, they might just join the ranks of legends like “The Orange Crush” and the “No-Fly Zone” as the next dominant defense to light up the “Mile High City.”
Sixth Round Respect
In the old western tales of a dusty old town, bandits like John Elway, Shannon Sharpe, and Rod Smith roamed the NFL. But they needed one more sidekick to hit paydirt. They needed a horse to ride. That horse was a sixth round draft pick out of the University of Georgia who went by the name of Terrell Davis. A player who made the team with a bone-crushing hit on special teams.
For the next four seasons, Davis rode through defenses like a steam train across the prairie. He was a two-time Super Bowl Champion who had to earn every carry that he received. For the last seven seasons, the Denver Broncos have been searching for a similar stallion. There have been some hopes and dreams, but none have come close to matching Davis.
Team Seemingly Finds Answer At Running Back
The Denver Broncos, through the first two games of the season, were once again in the position of searching for a running back. Then, in week 2, a 16-yard gallop caught the attention of the NFL. It was like a whisp of wind; one moment it was there, the next moment…. gone, never heard or seen from again. But, in week 3, another 6th-round draft pick rode through the Tampa Bay Defense for 70 yards on nine carries.
No longer was Tyler Badie a fleeting breeze, but positioned for an opportunity to be the next horse in the large stable of great Denver Broncos running backs. Badie is nowhere near Hall of Famer Davis in terms of accomplishments (he hasn’t even started a game yet), but he has made an impact and deserves the right to ride with the first team.
Final Thoughts
The Denver Broncos have an opportunity to kick up some dust in the next few weeks. They travel to New York to take on the Jets in a game that will show more of what this team is made of before they return to their own barn. They will have divisional games against the Raiders and the Chargers, which appear much more winnable now than they did a few weeks ago. Buckle up Broncos Country; it’s fixin’ to get fun.
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