Sam Adams' Open Mic: Broncos slowly breaking in Invesco Field?

By Sam Adams, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published September 18, 2008 at 11:23 a.m.
Updated September 18, 2008 at 11:24 a.m.

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Broncos coach Mike Shanahan gave his team the “2-0” speech on Wednesday morning.

Later, when I asked Shanahan during his news conference how much he speaks to the team about establishing home-field dominance, he answered with excerpts from his “2-0” lecture.

“I think after a game that you play and you win — especially a tight game when you meet a team like San Diego — the players get a chance to enjoy it for a day,” Shanahan said. “You come back to work and you understand how tough of a business this is.

“I could go through a lot of the stats with 2-0 teams. Since 2000, how many have been in the playoffs, how many teams haven’t?

“This is a week-by-week business, and if you get too carried away with yourselves, you can go back very quickly, as we proved last year.”

There was plenty of information in this space last week about 2-0 starts. The coach’s stats might not jibe with mine, but I’ve got 66 NFL teams (since 2000) starting 2-0, with 39 of them making the playoffs.

Last season, 10 teams started 2-0. Three, including Denver, missed the postseason.

Back to the original question about establishing — or re-establishing — dominance at home. Since moving into Invesco Field at Mile High for the start of the 2001 season, the Broncos have gone 41-16 in regular-season home games. That includes an 8-6 mark against NFC opponents.

The Broncos went 60-20 (.750) at Mile High Stadium during the 1990s and 58-19 (.753) there in the 1980s. Denver won nine of its 16 home games (.563) during the previous two seasons.

“At the beginning of the year, every year since I’ve been here, (Shanahan) likes to address the fact that our winning percentage at home is among the highest over the last 20-something years in the NFL,” tight end Nate Jackson said. “We need to maintain that, take that seriously. ...

“As long as we remember that, we can take advantage of it.”

Click here to join the discussion about this story on Sam Adams' Open Mic blog.

• September 18, 2008

  1:14 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  TIMMAH writes:

  Having fans that actually make some noise helps too. I think the north end zone was loud enough last week to affect at least one snap count.
  Since moving to Invesco there are far too many corporate fans who are just there because a client or a company gave them tickets. There are also way more fans from opposing teams then I can remember in the "good 'ol days".
  I was shushed last year by a fan in club level when we played Green Bay on Monday night. The guy told me that I was hurting his wife's ears. It was 3rd down and we were on defense!!!
  That kind of thing is uncalled for. I understand not wanting a steady stream of pofanity and drunkeness, but I deserve to get as loud as possible.
  Old Mile High was known around the league as the loudest outdoor stadium and I want that back!
  GET LOUD!!! GO BRONCOS!!!!

• September 18, 2008

  8:16 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Midnight127 writes:

  Yea wtf. Come one guys...we can be louder than we've been lately...

• September 19, 2008

  7:54 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  vvsignin writes:

  It did seem like a subdued crowd until the final drive by SD. We're not as bad as the wine and cheese crowd of San Francisco but the days of Mile High are gone as long aluminum benches gave way to luxury suites on the club level.

• September 19, 2008

  10:01 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  MTBroncofan writes:

  Couldn't agree more. In the 80's and 90's nobody came to Denver expecting to win... the homefield advantage was just that good, and it had almost everything to do with the crowd noise.

  I can't remember the last time the crowd 'rocked the house' like they did at old Mile High. The commentators on TV would always mention the crowd noise and it was so obvious that it was deafening... the cameras even use to shake from all the ruckus. I can't wait for that to come back - I hope it does this year.

  I wish I could have experienced the crowd noise in person at old Mile High. Please crowd... please make the new house rock like old Mile High!

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