MANUFACTURED JOY: DENVER BRONCOS

by Zac, Throwing Into Traffic

1. The Ultimate Leader’s ultimate plan comes to ultimate fruition!

Jake Plummer got screwed. That’s just a fact. So if you’re Mike Shanahan, and you took a winning quarterback in a playoff competing year and benched him for an unproven (though wildly talented) rookie who proceeded to lose you out of the postseason, your eggs are all immovably placed in the Jay Cutler basket. The bad news is that no sweets are allowed in that basket (Get it? Because he's got diabetes?). The good news is that of all the QB’s taken in that hyped 2006 draft class, Cutler’s progress has been the steadiest and most productive. In just his Tsecond year, Cutler put up an above average QB rating of 88.1, along with 7.5 YPA and 20 TDs to 14 INTs. Even more interesting is that Cutler’s failings seem to be largely related to his youth, as his performance on the road is significantly worse than at home, something that figures to improve with experience playing in front of hostile crowds. With Brandon Marshall maturing nicely (as a player, anyway), and the run game promising to remain consistent, Cutler could be the centerpiece of a steady offene with one of the best deep arms in league.

2. Insert running back here!

KSK put it best, but I can’t get over seeing Selvin Young on people’s fantasy draft boards. Seriously, this guy is living proof that whatever else we think about him, Shanny is a glorious orange bastard when it comes to creating run blocking schemes. This year, the team not only returns last year’s surprise in Young, but also consistent speed threat Andre Hall and rookie draft pick Ryan Torain. All of this suggest that the ninth best rushing team in the league (I know, it surprised me too), figures to be just as potent this year, meaning that this offense could be scarily versatile.

3. Tony Scheffler FEVER!

Tony Scheffler is the annoying faux-indie band of fantasy football; everyone can tell you things about him, but nobody is really that into him, they just want to look cool. Still, the numbers from week seven on are kind of legit. Five games of five receptions or more, an average of 11.2 YPC, 5 TD, and the size to work in the red zone. Repeat after me: “Yeah, dude, I totally liked him before he was cool.”

4. Exciting back and forth action!

Well, on the bright side, this offense looks to be very difficult to pin down. Trouble is that they also might have trouble getting time on the field. That’s because teams have been able to consistently use the ground game to gouge the Broncos. While the team boasts two top tier corners and speedy linebackers, the center of the defense has been entirely unable to slow down opposing backs. Two things could turn that around this year. First, DJ Williams, a speedy linebacker with the size to bring backs down, returns to the middle of the field, where his range as a player is best suited. Second, and admittedly less certain, DE Jarvis Moss needs to become a more consistent disruption to opposing backfields. While he has the size and speed to do so, he frequently was manhandled by offensive linemen, contributing to the defense’s 30th ranked run stopping unit.

5. By the way, JAY CUTLER HAS A F**KING ARM CANNON!