Broncos Country!!! DNVRNortwoods here, and this week’s UFG is brought to us by quite possibly the Ultimate, Ultimate Fan – Doc LLV.
Doc, I hope you’re ready to be on the opposite side of this equation;
we need a guiding light to get us through these scary times.
*editor’s note: So fun! And so hard, hahaha! But I am so ready. I usually send these really late to all of you (apologies again) and you turn it around in hours! It took me three days to finish this 😉 I also write too much, so there’s that. But it was super fun to try and say something worthwhile, so again, kudos to all of you who have done this for me every week with so much insight, humor and positivity!
You rock, just like the UFG should and our Broncos team will on Sunday!First and foremost….Docllv, can you please reassure all of Broncos Country that everything is going to be okay?! I know you were as devastated as the rest of us after the Bo news. Can you walk us through the emotional rollercoaster and why we shouldn’t panic?
docllv: When have we EVER really panicked over this team? Lol, just kidding. The thing is, I ALWAYS panic because I’ve rarely seen this team win easy. The Broncos just aren’t – and never have been – a put-em-away-early kind of team. I have died a thousand deaths watching them, and I’ll happily die a thousand more because the truth is, my favorite kind of win is the come-from-behind variety.
Last week’s OT roller coaster was so close to being the worst game ever but quickly became the best game ever (and an hour later was the biggest bummer ever, but we’ll talk about that).
To your actual question, one of my favorite MHR commenters on here years ago [Whorfin] used to say that he never worries because that’s just a waste of emotions. As fans we have no control over the game OTHER than to support the guys who do. And anyone who has played even the lowest level of sport knows that when the crowd is behind you, you feel invincible…and often play above your pay grade. With a coach who will make sure this team is prepared and a Mile High crowd that is beyond energized (10 years of pent-up frustration coming through this season!) there is no reason to panic.
Before we move from Bo-Lieving to Stiddytown how would you rate Bo Nix’s season? Are we living in an era that will rival Elway’s and Manning’s Broncos?
docllv: Absolutely. I think Bo has consistently shown growth, and that is all you can ask of a young QB, in my opinion. These guys drafted at the top of the first round generally go to bad teams, and being successful takes a coach with vision and patience to improve the whole team while also developing a promising quarterback. Bo (and Broncos Country) were fortunate to have Sean Payton providing just that. I don’t love everything Payton does, but I do love how he has brought along Bo – making the game manageable as he has added more to the playbook and to Bo’s responsibilities. And I love how he defends his QB. That, along with Bo’s natural talent, leadership quality and clear football IQ, will ensure success for a long time to come.
The narrative around Denver media is this team is going to raise their game for Bo and rally behind Stiddy. How does that look for these Denver Broncos? Should we expect max effort plays and the cleanest game out of our offense yet?
docllv: 100%…but that would be the case even if Bo were playing. It’s the playoffs and every team is good, so to win, the mindset has to be playing to your highest level. And for this Broncos squad, that means the defense has a monster game – sacking the QB, pressuring him from the edge and up the middle into making bad throws, DBs preventing catches and taking the ball away (come on, Hufanga, CATCH those!) – and the offense moving the ball INTO THE END ZONE.
I think it’s clear that Stidham is not the typical backup – a has-been starter relegated to second-string, or an inexperienced rookie being thrust into the limelight for the first time. Instead, he is a talented and smart QB who has the trust of Payton, and that says a lot. I don’t think our offense will be quite as dynamic on Sunday, but I definitely trust Payton to have a game plan ready that Stiddy is comfortable with. Also, I’d be leaning on Davis Webb for designing plays this week. Webb called a great preseason game for Stidham, who went 16-of-23 for 240 yards and two touchdowns. I know it was preseason, but it was excellent play design for Stiddy, and I’d recommend utilizing him as much as possible this week.
This has all the trappings of a legacy game for Sean Payton, what does he dial up to pick apart the Pat’s Defense? How confident are you that he will make this offense look like it hasn’t skipped a beat?
docllv: Those are hard questions, nice job!! I’ll start with the second. I’m confident. As I said above, Payton has a lot of trust in Stidham, which is why he paid him the big bucks to keep him here. And since Stidham has been here all three years of Payton’s tenure, I am sure they have a great working relationship that I think will be reflected in the offensive game plan. Andrew Mason shared an interesting stat – Sean Payton is 12-8 when forced to play a backup due to injury. But that record is 12-3 when the backup has been on his roster for at least two seasons.
I am sure there will be a few more hiccups than usual but hopefully nothing major. And I’ll reiterate again … get Davis Webb on that mic!
As for the game plan itself…don’t do anything stupid or brand new. Use shifts, and motions and play action and all the things that make this offense tough to defend. Utilize McLaughlin’s speed and Harvey’s ability to catch out of the backfield. And for heaven’s sake, throw to Courtland Sutton. The guy is money.
I was just listening to Troy Renck talk about his conversation with Bill Parcels this week where he asked him what he told the team when Jeff Hostetler came in late in the season for an injured Phil Simms to help the Giants win Super Bowl XXV. Parcels told Renck, “I said to them, if we lose this game it will not be because of Jeff Hostetler, it will be because you dumb mother fuckers did something fucking stupid, excuse my language.” Hahaha. Aside from always loving a well-placed f-bomb, I love what that quote means – the coach trusts the QB to run the game plan so everyone else needs to do the same and do their jobs.
Also, no WR screens. I fucking hate those (no apologies for my language!)
How bad do you want to see J.K. Dobbins back?! What does he do for this offense, especially with Stiddy at the helm? Do you want to see him back next year?
docllv: I love Dobbins and it was clear our rushing attack took a big hit when he went down. So I would have LOVED to have him on the field Sunday but only if he was 100%. So I’m glad to see the coaches playing it smart by holding him out. RJ Harvey and Jaleel McLaughlin can run the ball (if Payton will run the ball, lol). I’d prefer to have a very healthy Dobbins down the road if he’s not able to give it everything and stay healthy this week. And I would definitely have him back next year on another short-term deal.
Nik was in full Von playoff form, likely taking out some rage on his all-pro snub. JMAC was the unsung hero of the game and DEFINITELY earned a bag this offseason. Who do you have in those roles on D this week and what kind of effect will they have on the game?
docllv: Definitely whichever DB is covering Boutte. I don’t want to see one of those long bomb, one-handed catches to the end zone on Sunday that Maye-Boutte had last week against the Texans. But honestly, given all the weapons New England has on offense, there’s not one player who needs to step up. They all do and need to recognize when they have an opportunity to make a play – just like PJ Locke and JaQuan McMillian did. We always expect big things from Pat Surtain or assume the play will be in front of Riley Moss, but it’s the other guys being alert that will also surprise the Patriots. I would love to see Greenlaw have a big game and always love watching Hufanga hit people. But honestly, what I really want, is a Bonitto Special where he intercepts the pass in stride and just heads into the end zone. That play last season is one of my favorites ever.
Is Sean Peyton finally going to play his Joker card (Stiddy and Engram connection)? What skill position players are going to help most raise Stiddy’s game?
docllv: Based on the whole season, I would say “doubtful” 😉 BUT…I was reminded that when Davis Webb called the game for Stiddy in the preseason, Engram asked to play in the game, where he got a 58-yard TD on the first series. Maybe he will ask Webb to add a few plays for him and that will get this whole thing jump-started for real.
“MVP Candidate” Drake Maye has been sacked 10 times, thrown 2 interceptions, and fumbled 6 times in the Patriots two playoff games this year. After the turnover-fest we had last week, how do we embarrass Maye again this week? What tweaks do you need to see out of this Defense?
docllv: Our defense is made to embarrass Maye. Between Bonitto and Cooper and the guys in the middle (shout out to Zach Allen, Malcolm Roach and John Franklin Myers), sacks are in the design. There is a reason this team has multiple guys with 7+ sacks on the season. I am currently watching the 2015 AFC Championship (thank you, NFL Network!) and Simms makes a comment that Tom Brady normally has easy throws, but against the Broncos he has “been uncomfortable all day.” That’s exactly how Maye needs to feel. Under constant pressure, nobody open, no good running lanes on the handoffs. If he can beat us then, well…in Parcell’s words, somebody did something f-ing stupid.
Speaking of tweaks, who are the Pat’s biggest threats on Offense? How do they match up against Denver’s Defense and who should we focus on taking away?
docllv: Because I talk too much, I hinted at this already, but I think their running backs could be a problem, and it’s clear that Kayshon Boutte is a big deep threat. And I’m always nervous about tight ends against us.
The Pats (Josh McDaniels) “know Stiddy” … does that really hold water after he’s been in our system for so many years? Honestly, does anyone know Stiddy? Doc please tell us what we need to know about Stiddy.
docllv: He was Payton’s first signing as head coach of the Broncos. That says something. As for tape on him, I agree with the coach that the Patriots are defending the offense, not just Stidham, so it’s not that big of a deal that they haven’t seen a ton of game film with Stidham at QB. The game film they will study is Sean Payton’s offense. So hopefully Payton is on his A-game (and I’ll say it again…consults Davis Webb!) because that’s who the Patriots need to worry about. Peter Schrager on ESPN’s “Get Up” noted that Payton lives for these moments – the “crisis” moments to get a team to believe in itself.
All we need to know about Stiddy is that he is confident in himself, which means this moment won’t be too big for him. Payton will get him ready and as Alex Singleton noted, it’s not like Stidham is walking into the stadium Sunday and someone’s handing him a playbook to teach him about football. I think we’ll see a good QB take advantage of his opportunity. Everyone compares him to Foles or Hostetler. I like to think of him as Kubiak. Those of us old enough to watch Elway in the 80s and 90s remember being really confident if Gary Kubiak had to come in. Kubiak was smart and good and not nearly as flashy or comeback capable as Elway, but he had the clutch gene and was able to compete. That’s what you hope for.
Is Nick Foles a secret Denver fan? If he’s right and Stiddy takes us all the way down Lombardi Lane, how will Stiddy go down in Broncos history?
docllv: A two-game starting championship QB who will be signing a big check for a different team soon after.
Denver is 4-0 against the Pats at home in the Playoffs, does that mean anything? How do you feel about streaks like that? Finally, if Denver keeps the streak alive and lands in the Superbowl, what can we expect from all you amazing writers at MHR?!
docllv: I definitely think it means something because players are just as affected as fans are (if not moreso) by superstitions and mental blocks. If the Patriots are spending any time worrying about how loud the crowd will be or how much altitude will affect them because “it’s tough to play in Denver,” then it’s already in their heads – and that always helps. That said, this is a well-coached team by an experienced former player, so I don’t think it will mean as much as I’d like it to, lol.
Also, as Ted Lasso reminds us, don’t talk about streaks 😉
If we make it to the Super Bowl who do you want to face?
docllv: I am superstitious enough to not want to make any predictions beyond this week. It’s weird, I know. But I don’t want to jinx us.
I’ve seen this all making the rounds on social media… if we win it all is… “this one for Bo!”?
docllv: You keep making me talk about the future I don’t want to jinx!!! 😉 Whenever the Broncos win, it’s for Broncos Country.
Predictions
Stats for Stiddy? 18/27, 180 yards, 2 TDs
Stats for each Broncos RB? RJ Harvey, 75 yards (30 receiving), 1 TD; Jaleel McLaughlin, 60 yards
Number of yards receiving/TDs for the receivers? Courtland, 65 yards, 1 TD; Marvin Mims, 50 yards; Lil Jordan Humphrey, 30 yards; Evan Engram, 40 yards, 1 marvelous TD
Longest FG for Lutz? 54
Number of sacks on Drake Maye? 4
Broncos player with the most tackles? Hufanga
Who gets the most sacks for the Broncos, how many? Bonitto, 1.5
How many times will the announcers talk about Drake Maye’s MVP level play? 45
How many INTs/FF/FR for the Pat’s D? 1/0/0
How many INTs/FF/FR for the Broncos’ D? 2/2/2 (looking for some strip sacks here)
How many times do we see the cameras pan to Bo? Every single time out and after a big play from the QB.
Favorites:
Who’s on your Mount Rushmore of Denver Broncos? And who’s Lincoln? I don’t really want to answer this question, lol. I ask it of everyone else and I always think, “oh that’s a great player I hadn’t thought of” … Four is just not enough and a “Hall of Fame” is much easier to figure out! But in the spirit of what the four stand for – birth, growth, development and preservation – I’ll go with Floyd Little (birth); Randy Gradishar (growth); John Elway (development); and Champ Bailey/Peyton Manning (preservation). Peyton is obviously Lincoln 😉 but I really want to include Champ.
Favorite win this season? Last week against the Bills. OMG.
Favorite non-Super Bowl Winning Denver QB? Jake the Snake. Love that guy’s moxie.
Favorite player on this roster? I don’t have one favorite player. I love this entire team. And I mean that. I would never boo the team or a player for not playing well. I know they are out there trying to win every single play and every single game and I love how much they care…especially the few guys who have been there for years of losing (Sutton, Bolles) and understand really how much it means to win.
Favorite Super Bowl win? This is a tough one. I got to cover SB50, so that was an experience of a lifetime. But, I think the SB32 win was more impactful. After so many losses, we were due. And it was such an exciting game that came down to the last play. I named my new lab puppy “Mobley” because of that game. I can still see that 4th-and-6 pass get batted down and remember spilling every drink in the room of my Packers fan friends when I started screaming and jumping up and down.
Favorite win over the Patriots? Easy. The 2015 regular season game where CJ Anderson demolished all Patriots hopes of a win with his walk-off touchdown in OT. I had to write the game recap for MHR for the first time and it was impressed upon me that I had to get it published within three seconds of the end of the game for SEO. I was so nervous about doing that I kept trying to guess what the end score would be once we went to overtime – at first I thought we’d win by 3, then I thought we’d lose by 3, then I figured we’d get a field goal to win and then CJ ran all the way in…and then in the moment of elation I couldn’t remember if we’d kick an extra point or not so I wasn’t sure if we were winning by six or seven! The drama. It was the most exciting win that I couldn’t get too excited about because I had to publish a story, lol. A month later, I was able to get really excited for the AFCCG, which was a close second favorite.
Favorite non MHR-affiliated Denver Broncos writer/reporter? Locally, Andrew Mason. Mase is absolutely the smartest guy out there covering the Broncos. I also love Nick Kosmider at The Athletic. Nationally, I like anyone who picks the Broncos.
How did you become a fan of the Broncos?
I grew up in Fort Collins, and my parents were always big sports fans. My dad, a native of Texas, was a Cowboys fan but loved cheering on the local team, so naturally we watched the Broncos every Sunday. When I was 7 and the Broncos played the Cowboys in Super Bowl XII, my dad was conflicted but cheered on the Broncos (though I’m sure he was secretly happy for Staubach in the end). That year I had just moved to a new school and scored instant cool points by knowing Orange Crush trivia in our PE class, making for a much easier introduction to a new school in the middle of the year. So the Broncos and I have been best friends ever since. We’ve gone through some tough times but they always come back to reward me for sticking with them.
