Broncos' defense was merely a costume

Dave Christie, Special to the News

Published October 31, 2006 at midnight

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The Broncos defense celebrated Halloween by taking off its mask.

Now that's scary.

The costume never was convincing. Sure, if you didn't look closely and if the light was dim, it looked like the best defense in football. There were plenty in this town, fans and media alike, who were drunk on orange Kool-Aid and compared this crew to the best defenses ever. This morning they all called in sick and will spend the day sitting in bed with a bucket of chicken, holding an ice pack to their heads and swearing they'll never drink that stuff again.

(But you know they will.)

This was supposed to be the new model. Sure, the Broncos were passed out of the playoffs the last three years, but this season was going to be different. Denver entered the game against the Colts dressed like a defensive juggernaut, taking on all comers. Even the Colts bought the disguise in the first half, managing only a couple of field goals.

Unfortunately, the Broncos defense left its costume in the locker room at halftime and the jig was up. The only resistance the Broncos could offer came from their offense, suddenly stirred from its coma, conducting lengthy scoring drives that left Peyton Manning on the sidelines. In the end, the game clock was solely responsible for putting a cap on the Colts' score.

Somewhere, Roc Alexander feels vindicated.

The Broncos and their apologists will spin this defensive collapse and claim that Manning does this to everybody. The facts prove them wrong. Jacksonville held the Colts to 21 points in Indianapolis. The lowly Titans went to Indy, and all Manning could muster was 166 yards in the air and 14 points. It can be done, but the Broncos can't do it even when the game is outdoors and a mile high.

The Broncos' weakness defending the pass is not a new problem, and it is not limited to Manning. The smashmouth Steelers won the AFC Championship game last year by picking the Broncos apart through the air. In 2002 the Raiders came to Denver on a Monday night, and Rich Gannon completed 21 straight passes against a defense that was similarly regarded as the best in the league. Through the years the scapegoats, be they coordinators, players or schemes, have changed while the results have not.

Sunday proved that nothing has changed. The Broncos defense that looked like a snarling, ferocious beast transformed into a chihuahua in Paris Hilton's purse at the mere sight of a football in flight.

So nearly halfway into the season, the makeup of this Broncos team has been turned on its head. For the first seven weeks, the game plan was to dominate on defense while imploring the offense not to screw it up. Now that the Broncos defense has once again exposed its vulnerability against the pass, the offense must stay productive against defenses that are far better than the Colts'.

Things aren't always what they appear. Especially around Halloween.

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