2000 season-in-review team reports —
AFC West
As published in print Jan. 31, 2001
|
| Overview |
| Despite major injuries to their top two running backs (Terrell Davis and
Olandis Gary) and starting quarterback (Brian Griese), the Broncos persevered and rallied
to win seven of their last eight games before being shut down by the Ravens in the first
round of the playoffs. Denver did not exactly have the most difficult schedule in the
league, but the Broncos did hand the Raiders two of their four losses. |
| Turning points |
| Denver basically had two different turning points in the 2000 season. The
first came at the hands of Corey Dillon and the hapless Bengals, who beat the Broncos in
Week Eight for their first win, thanks in large part to Dillon’s NFL-record 278-yard
rushing performance. The Broncos went on a tear after the loss, dropping just one more
game the rest of the regular season. The second turning point came in a Week 16 loss at
Kansas City. The defeat snapped the Broncos’ six-game winning streak and prevented
them from winning the AFC West and a first-round playoff bye. |
| Offensive MVP |
| Several players on the Broncos’ well-balanced offense deserve
consideration for this award — QB Brian Griese, RB Mike Anderson, WR Ed McCaffrey or
the entire offensive line. But WR Rod Smith gets the honor based on his overall
contributions, which included his blocking, consistency and big-play production. Smith had
at least five catches in 12 different games, and his 1,602 receiving yards were second
only to the Rams’ Torry Holt. Smith caught 100 passes, rushed for 99 yards and scored
nine total touchdowns. |
| Defensive MVP |
| Trevor Pryce followed up his breakout year in ’99 with another
impressive performance in 2000. The Broncos’ pass defense was atrocious, ranking dead
last in the league. It makes you wonder what the defense would have been like without
Pryce. The fourth-year defensive tackle provided the most consistent pressure along
Denver’s defensive line, finishing with 12 sacks. |
| Biggest surprise |
| What Mike Anderson was able to accomplish in his first season was
remarkable — and very comparable to Kurt Warner’s fairy-tale story of a year
ago. Anderson quit football in high school and joined the Marines before taking up the
sport again and being selected in the sixth round of the NFL draft by the Broncos. When
Denver’s RB position was decimated by injuries early on, Anderson simply stepped in
and rushed for 1,500 yards and 15 TDs, winning the Rookie of the Year award. |
| Biggest disappointment |
| Although something lit a fire under them after their loss at Cincinnati,
the Broncos were humiliated by Dillon. His 278-yard effort on the ground vs. a defense
that still managed to finish seventh in the league vs. the run stunned the Broncos, and
the defense never truly recovered after that. |
| Rookie recap |
| Mike Anderson, the second consecutive gem taken by the Broncos in the
sixth round (after Olandis Gary in ’99), was phenomenal. His durability and hard
running were a perfect fit for Denver’s scheme. Other than Anderson, the team’s
2000 rookie crop was a mixed bag. CB Deltha O’Neal (first-round pick) returned kicks
and punts fairly well but was a little slow to grasp some defensive concepts. LB Ian Gold
(second round) figures to be a very good player and could make veteran free agent John
Mobley expendable. SS Kenoy Kennedy (second round) and WR Chris Cole (third round) did not
contribute much. |
| Free-agent/trade review |
| DE Kavika Pittman, whom the Broncos brought in from Dallas, didn’t
dominate but played well, finishing second on the team with seven sacks. DE Lester
Archambeau, however, was a major bust. QB Gus Frerotte filled in quite well when Brian
Griese was out, but Frerotte turned the ball over too often and did not play well in the
playoffs. CB Terrell Buckley, who was signed to a one-year deal, was hit-and-miss and did
not close out the season as well as he started it. |
Top of page
|
Regular-season record: 11-5
|
| Team leaders |
|
Rushing — Mike
Anderson, 1,500 yards on 297 carries, 5.1 avg., 15 TDs.
Passing — Brian
Griese, 216-336 attempts for 2,688 yards, 19 TDs, 4 interceptions, 102.9 rating.
Receiving — Ed
McCaffrey, 101 receptions for 1,317 yards, 13.0 avg., 9 TDs.
Scoring — Jason
Elam, 103 points on 49 PATs and 18 FGs.
Kickoff returns — Deltha
O’Neal, 46 for 1,102 yards, 24.0 avg., 1 TD.
Punt returns — Deltha
O’Neal, 34 for 354 yards, 10.4 avg., 0 TDs.
Punting — Tom
Rouen, 61 for 40.2 avg., 32.3 net, 9 TB, 18 inside 20, 1 blk., 62L.
Interceptions — Terrell
Buckley, 6 for 110 yards, 18.3 avg., 1 TD.
Sacks — Trevor
Pryce, 12. |
| Results |
|
| Pointspread Shown Refers to Denver. |
| Date |
Opponent |
Spread |
Score |
| Sept. 4 |
At St. Louis |
(+6.5) |
36-41 |
| Sept. 10 |
Atlanta |
(-3.5) |
42-14 |
| Sept. 17 |
At Oakland |
(+3) |
33-24 |
| Sept. 24 |
Kansas City |
(-6.5) |
22-23 |
| Oct. 1 |
New England |
(-8) |
19-28 |
| Oct. 8 |
At San Diego |
(-6.5) |
21-7 |
| Oct. 15 |
Cleveland |
(-12) |
44-10 |
| Oct. 22 |
At Cincinnati |
(-10.5) |
21-31 |
| Oct. 29 |
BYE |
|
|
| Nov. 5 |
At New York Jets |
(+2.5) |
30-23 |
| Nov. 13 |
Oakland |
(-3.5) |
27-24 |
| Nov. 19 |
San Diego |
(-9.5) |
38-37 |
| Nov. 26 |
At Seattle |
(-3) |
38-31 |
| Dec. 3 |
At New Orleans |
(+1.5) |
38-23 |
| Dec. 10 |
Seattle |
(-10.5) |
31-24 |
| Dec. 17 |
At Kansas City |
(-3) |
7-20 |
| Dec. 23 |
San Francisco |
(-7) |
38-9 |
| POSTSEASON |
| Dec. 31 |
At Baltimore |
(+3) |
3-21 |
|
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