Denver, CO. The first six games of the 2012 NFL regular season has been a wild, crazy ride for the Denver Broncos and their fans. The orange and blue have had their moments of looking like pretenders, losing to the likes of Atlanta, Houston, and New England. They have also had times when they have appeared to be coming together, most notably at San Diego, where they came back from a 24-0 deficit to stun the Chargers, 35-24. However you wanna look at it, they are 3-3, and are in a very good position as they have now had a week of rest because of their bye week. The second half against San Diego has all the makings of being “that moment” for this 2012 Denver Broncos…..the moment that catapulted this team for the rest of the season and on to a streak that will make them AFC West champs. But a very dangerous team is heading into Sports Authority Field this week. A team who has won two in a row, and led by an elite NFL quarterback. The New Orleans Saints are coming to town, and could be a fly in the ointment for the Broncos and their hopes of continuing what they began last week against the Chargers.
The very best QB’s in the league have proven to give Denver fits over the last few years. Tom Brady has torched the Broncos a few times, Aaron Rodgers destroyed Denver’s defense last year, and even upper echelon guys like Matt Ryan, Matthew Stafford, and Philip Rivers have had their moments against the Orange Crush. So now enter Drew Brees. Brees, simply put, is one of the top 3 QB’s in the NFL. He has amassed numbers during his time in New Orleans that are truly eye-popping, and he will undoubtedly enter the Hall of Fame exactly five years after he decides to call it quits. He is also playing some great ball right now, as last week is proof of that. He dominated Tampa Bay, throwing for over 300 yards and 4 TD’s….in the first half alone. An elite QB like him is one of the few positions in sports that can carry a team to victory. Brees and the Saints are on a mission of sorts after their 0-4 start. They have won their last two, and are a very dangerous team heading into week 8 versus the Broncos. Denver is the better team on paper, and almost everything points to a Broncos win. However, if the they look past the Saints at all, and think just because they dominated San Diego in the second half last week that everything is ok now, New Orleans is the type of team that can ruin any momentum that the Broncos want to build on now. For Denver to ensure that their win over the Chargers really meant something, they must not overlook the Saints whatsoever.
As great as New Orleans has been playing on offense, and as outstanding of a leader that Drew Brees is, this Saints team is a mess on defense. They have given up huge plays and big-time points to just ordinary offenses so far. They have given up at least 24 points in every single game, even to the likes of Carolina, Kansas City, and Tampa Bay. Basically, Peyton Manning and the rest of the offense has to be licking their chops at what they should be able to do to this awful defense. This game has all the makings of being a back and forth affair, as it is also a rematch of Brees vs Manning, where Brees came out on top and won his only Super Bowl ring just a few years ago. The difference should be the defenses this time around. Although Denver’s D is in the middle of the pack overall, they are far better than what New Orleans has to offer, and they should be able to get some pressure on Drew at times. A few stops here and there is all the Broncos will need from the defense, as the Denver offense should be able to put some serious numbers. This could very well be the week where the Broncos really take off, and build on what they were able to do against San Diego in the second half. The schedule the rest of the way has all the makings of allowing Denver to put a major winning streak together now. There are some dicey road games at Cincinnati and Carolina in November, but nothing will approach the teams they have already had to face. Even that road game at Baltimore in December looks quite a bit different now too. The real blast off to the 2012 season begins this week, as Denver should dominate New Orleans and officially enter into being a legitimate AFC contender for the rest of the year……Denver Broncos 45, New Orleans Saints 24……
Denver Sports by J Simp
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