Why can’t I shake the feeling that there isn’t a feeling to shake?
By Adam Uribes
· Opinion
·
· 5 min read
If I sound conflicted and torn, then I made my point
Taking a peek behind my curtain, so to speak. I have been a Denver Broncos fan since I was 6 days old. I have loved the Orange and Blue since before I knew what love even was. And despite that, I am a mother hen. Kids today would call that “a hater” (I think?). I don’t always drink the orange Kool-Aid. I am not afraid to have my thoughts and opinions, and I will verbally spar with anyone who wants to go down that road with me. With gusto, I might add.
In short, I am a pain in the ass. File that away.
I almost have something to harp on when it comes to the upcoming season. Last year, the question was, “Does this team improve or regress in Year 2 of the Payton Era?” and that was happily answered with a 10-win season and playoff appearance. Some years the gripes are many, and other seasons there are few. My point is, nothing is ever perfect when it comes to football, and there are always places where you can be better.
Even this year, I have some minor nitpicks. Will the depth at inside linebacker be sufficient? Can JK Dobbins stay healthy and for how long? Does Bo Nix regress? Considering the spate of linebacker injuries in camp so far, Dobbins' medical history, and enough 2nd year starters failing in their sophomore season to be concerned, none of those are out of line. And yet, inspecting the roster from top to bottom, checking and rechecking up and down the roster….and I just don’t see much to whine about. I know when my own “Spidey-sense” is tingling, and what has me the most spooked is that I don’t feel any worry at all. Zero.
I hate thinking, much less saying, this because it sets a HIGH standard and not reaching that is more likely to happen than not. But damn, this defense resembles that 2015 team in so many ways. The versatility of the defensive line, the athleticism at linebacker, and the premium collection of talent in the backend, right down to the retread head coach coming back for a stint at Defensive Coordinator in Vance Joseph! I hate hyperbole; the 2015 No Fly Zone defense was special. The Orange Crush were special. If the 2025 Denver Broncos defense gets a nickname...well you know what I mean.
That doesn’t even cover the raw potential of the offense. Since The Sheriff departed, it's been nothing but dust and tumbleweeds resembling the Broncos' attack. But towards the back half of last season, you saw the offense looking more like a Sean Payton-coached unit. With another year for QB Bo Nix and the offense in the same system and continuity being the key to quality offensive football, this year’s offense will be much farther ahead in terms of production and scoring than that last Super Bowl winning team led by Manning in his career twilight, especially if free-agent pickups like Dobbins and Engram play to their capabilities.
Every team needs a break or a bounce to go their way. Hell, two of those Super Bowl teams had backup QBs navigate a chunk of the year successfully. Sometimes, it's better to be lucky than good. And funny enough, the talented team always seems to be on the good side of the bounces or gets a friendly flag here and there. Top to bottom, the 2024 Denver Broncos, with an average NFL age of 26, were the third-youngest team in the league. 80% of that team returns this year and added Pro Bowlers Engram and Dre Greenlaw.
It's all quiet on the Western Front as the first preseason game looms later on this week. This was about the time for me when I knew that Joe Flacco was a band-aid on a battle-axe-sized head wound. This was when I knew we may not even make the playoffs one year after winning the Lombardi because the QB battle was between Mark “Butt Fumble” Sanchez and Trevor Siemian (spoiler, we didn’t), and I could keep on going. The point being, if there was something I knew was going to be a major deterrent to this team, I would’ve said it by now.
THAT is what terrifies me. I talk myself down, and the feeling is still there. Football is a funny game; sometimes the best doesn’t always win the whole thing. I can always see the best in my team, but not at the expense of all the warts being there too. I don’t see enough on the horizon to worry me.
Most of the time, I am ok with being wrong. Put your opinion out on social media, and you are bound to catch some grief for something. Maybe that is what I have been unusually hesitant to be honest about: how I am feeling about Denver going into 2025. Honestly, even typing this out gets me a little fluttery with the emotions.
This Denver team, as constructed, has the chance to be special.
Tags: Broncos, Broncos Country, NFL, Denver, Football, NFL, Blogs