A double-sided test in Denver

By Robert Rousseau  |   Wednesday, October 25, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Denver Broncos
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The Denver Broncos will finally get their chance to silence the critics this weekend. The undefeated Indianapolis Colts are coming to town, which is sure to be a test.

A dual-sided test.

Many of the naysayers believe that the Broncos' defense, despite allowing only an average of 7.3 points per game, isn't as good as it seems. The detractors point to the competition as the main reason for the unit's stinginess thus far.

For sure, the team hasn't exactly played a who's who of professional football (New England being the exception).

But what isn't always mentioned is how poorly the other side of the ball has fared. The Broncos' offense has been a shell of its former self this season. Still, though, the defense has managed to keep opponents from scoring.

Regardless, the Colts' offense is averaging 28.5 points per game. In all likelihood, there is no greater defensive challenge than a Peyton Manning-led offense during the regular season. If the Broncos are able to slow the Colts down, that will go a long way to proving the defense's worth.

So that's the first test.

The second test will take place on the other side of the ball for the Broncos. A team that hasn't scored 20 points all season long may be asked to do just that in order to win. After all, it's hard to imagine the Colts getting completely shut down even if Denver's defense does rise to the challenge.

To boot, the Colts' defense isn't exactly stopping everybody cold. The 'D' is giving up an average of over 20 points per game. In other words, we're not talking about the '85 Bears here (or, for that matter, the 2006 Broncos). So, the question is, Can the Broncos' offense break that 20-point threshold for the first time against such an established club?

That's the second test.

In sum, we're all about to find out what the 2006 version of the Denver Broncos is really about. Are they as good as the record says, or are the detractors correct in their skepticism?

We'll know more on Sunday.

Original Denver Broncos analysis, courtesy of RealFootball365.com
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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 ...
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