The face of Denver’s defense

By Robert Rousseau  |   Tuesday, October 10, 2006  |  Comments( 1 )

Denver Broncos
Got something to say?

Log In above and share your thoughts on this topic with other fans!

Once again, the Denver Broncos' defense came through in a big way, stopping what had been an undefeated Baltimore Ravens team dead in their tracks, 13-3, on Monday night. During their previous two wins, the 'Mile High' stoppers had silenced the Chiefs and Patriots by taking away their offensive balance. (Either their passing game, in the case of the Chiefs, or their running game, in the case of the Patriots.)

However, against the Ravens, Denver simply silenced their offense, period.

For sure, Champ Bailey had a good game, and for the first time in a long time was actually tested in a contest (McNair challenged him more than once). The end result? Bailey picked off McNair at the end of the first half in the end zone.

The funny thing is, Bailey is by far the most heralded of all the players on a relatively unknown unit. Still, he's not the face of this defense, primarily because he has a face. He's the one guy people know. So who is the frontman for this group of defenders?

How about Al Wilson?

On Monday night, Wilson's 16 tackles (12 solo, four assisted) punctuated the Broncos' outstanding defensive effort nicely. The funny thing about this four-time Pro Bowler (2001-2003, and 2005) is he's not that well-known outside of Colorado. Yes, football fans have heard of him and realize that he's a good player, but he just doesn't come up in many, I'd love to have that guy, conversations.

Wilson should, though, and it's because of his relative obscurity that he is the face of Denver's defense.

Think about the Broncos' defense for a moment. Despite the relative lack of publicity that has come their way, has any team played better defense than the Broncos so far in 2006? They've only given up a total of 34 points through four games. Further, over the last three contests, the 'D' is surrendering an average of a little over five points per game.

By the way, their last three wins have come against the likes of the Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens (no cellar dwellers, here).

So, the fact that Al Wilson can make four Pro Bowls, be named an All-Pro Player (2005), and make over 100 tackles six times in his career without becoming a bona fide superstar isn't all that unbelievable. At least it's no more astounding than the lack of chatter up until now regarding the Broncos' defense.

They're not a 'no-name defense' but they are a 'little-respect defense', for sure.

Get weekly Denver Broncos insights at RealFootball365.com
Got something to say?

Log In above and share your thoughts on this topic with other fans! (1)

About Robert Rousseau

Robert Rousseau is a sports writer that has been published in a variety of print and online venues. He’s been writing for RealFootball365.com for almost three years now. When Rousseau isn’t writing about college football he tends to be penning mixed martial arts pieces for MMAFighting.com or ...
read more
Article Tools Share!   |  RSS  |  Bleacher Report About Bleacher Report