MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2005
4B THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
Jack Dempsey/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Denver Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey (24) celebrates with teammates Lenny Walls, left, and Nick Ferguson (25) after Bailey intercepted a San Diego Chargers pass and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter in Denver last Sunday.
New players a risk for Broncos
▼ NFL
BY EDDIE PELLS
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DENVER—Courtney Brown saw the ball loose on the ground and pounced. Gerard Warren saw an offensive lineman trying to get the ball from Brown, so Warren pounced on him.
It's still early, but that sequence last week was one of several signs that Denver's decision to make the Cleveland Connection — one of the most questioned and criticized offseason maneuvers in the entire NFL — might actually be working for the Broncos.
Tonight, Warren, Brown and company get their biggest test when the Broncos (1-1) face one of the best offenses in the league, the AFC West rival Kansas City Chiefs (2-0).
"They just needed an upgrade," Chiefs left guard Brian Waters said. "I think they saw an opportunity to upgrade with Cleveland. Denver saw an opportunity to get some parts that were better than the parts they had."
Again, it's early, but thus far, the stats are complimentary.
The Broncos' defense, ranked fourth in the league last year but criticized because it didn't make big plays, has five takeaways through two games. Last season, the Broncos finished with 20 all season.
Last week in a 20-17 win over San Diego, the Broncos had four sacks and held the Chargers to 41 yards over the second half in what several Denver players said was the most dominating half of defense they'd ever seen.
Individually, the decision to pick up Brown, Warren, Ebenezer Ekuban and Michael Myers, all from the Browns' defensive line, made sense. None was an overly expensive move and all
"We've got a great defense, a great front seven," said cornerback Champ Bailey, who returned an interception for a touchdown. "There's no way we shouldn't play the way we did in the second half every week."
four players had pedigrees that were worth looking into. Of the four, only Myers wasn't a first-round pick.
But add them together, and combine it with the fact that the Broncos had earlier hired Browns defensive line coach Andre Patterson, and the move was, well, ripe for ridicule. The Browns, after all, were not very good last year. They had the NFLs worst run defense.
"Really, it was a big risk to gut your defense like they've kind of done by cutting a lot of guys who had been there a while," Waters said. "Not just for the personnel's sake, but how the team feels about playing with guys, and the chemistry on the team."
The Broncos chose not to resign Reggie Hayward, who led the team in sacks last season, in free agency. Those who lost jobs at the most competitive spot in Denver's training camp included veterans Luther Elliss,
Raylee Johnson, Anton Palepoi and Mario Fatafehi, who started all 16 games last season.
He came to camp in shape, earned a starting spot, and if he keeps on this pace — through the first two games of the last year of his contract, he has made seven tackles, has offered strong push up the middle on pass rush and has been an effective run stopper — he will likely earn a lot of money in the offseason.
So far this year, Warren has looked the best in Broncos blue.
"It's the best football I've played since high school," he told the Rocky Mountain News.
Brown, meanwhile, missed most of the preseason with a dislocated elbow. His return last week showed how dominating he can be. Playing about 20 plays, he had the fumble recovery and a sack and was disruptive pretty much everywhere he went.
Still, the task for the Denver defense gets tougher today.
"He's a very physical player like we talked about," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. "If he stays healthy, I think he'll play extremely well."
The Chiefs have not one, but two outstanding running backs in Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson. Trent Green came into the season as the sixth-highest rated passer in NFL history (87.9). Tony Gonzalez. Eddie Kennison. Receiver-returner Dante Hall. The list is long for what has been among the most prolific offenses in the NFL over the last several seasons.
"They've got two great running backs. They've got three great tight ends. They've got a great offensive line," Broncos defensive coordinator Larry Coyer said. "Like any team, it starts right there. Then, you put the skill they've got behind that line, and it gets kind of scary."