eBook
Available on Compatible NOOK devices, the free NOOK App and in My Digital Library.
Related collections and offers
Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781633195813 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Triumph Books |
| Publication date: | 02/15/2016 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 128 |
| File size: | 39 MB |
| Note: | This product may take a few minutes to download. |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Orange Rush
By The Gazette, Matt Wiley
Triumph Books LLC
Copyright © 2016 The GazetteAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-63319-581-3
CHAPTER 1
Super Bowl 50
February 7, 2016 • Santa Clara, California
Broncos 24, Panthers 10
Defense Is Undeniable
Lights-Out Performance from NFL's Top Unit Bolsters Best-Ever Comparisons
By Brent Briggeman
Break out the superlatives, because this Denver Broncos defense just sacked its way into the best-ever conversation.
The defense carried the Broncos past Carolina 24-10 in a star-studded Super Bowl 50. The unit forced four turnovers. It scored a touchdown. It notched seven sacks. It held Cam Newton and the NFL's top-ranked offense to 10 points.
Led by an MVP, 2½-sack performance from Von Miller, the defense even managed to push into the background the ready-made storyline of Peyton Manning quite likely riding into the sunset as a champion.
It was that good. It was as good as any defense on this stage. Ever.
"I've never seen a better one," said John Elway, the architect of this defense. "There's no question that they're in the conversation with how they played today."
The NFL ushered out past Super Bowl MVPs as far back as Joe Namath for its golden anniversary, so maybe that feeling of nostalgia was just in the air. But after the game, the Broncos' defense was talking as much about the 1985 Chicago Bears and 2000 Baltimore Ravens as the Panthers team it just dispatched.
Those defenses are synonymous with greatness. And now this one, directed by coordinator Wade Phillips, is too.
"We dominate," defensive lineman Malik Jackson said. "We're a dominating defense week in and week out. We dominate. That puts us at No. 1."
Added cornerback Chris Harris, "Absolutely we're the best."
The defense had to be historically good, because the offense provided little in the way of support.
Manning and the offense put up just 194 yards. They went 1 for 14 on third downs. The only offensive touchdown came with 3:04 remaining, and came when the defense handed Manning the ball just 4 yards from the end zone.
"Our defense has just been, from the get-go, they've been nothing but awesome," said Manning, who completed 13-of-23 passes for 141 yards and an interception before dodging questions about his future.
Newton, who was named the NFL's MVP less than 24 hours before the game, fumbled twice and threw an interception. His first fumble was recovered by Malik Jackson for a touchdown and put Denver up 10-0 in the first quarter.
Carolina closed to within 10-7 and trailed by just six deep into the fourth quarter, but Newton couldn't manufacture a breakthrough drive against the crush of the Broncos' rush. He finished 18 of 41 with 265 yards and an interception.
"They just played better than us," Newton said. "I don't know what you want me to say. They made more plays than us, and that's what it came down to. We had our opportunities."
After the game, Elway, the team's president and general manager, took the microphone and declared that "this one's for Pat." It was an homage to the same words Bowlen, the team's longtime owner, said about Elway when he quarterbacked the team to a title 18 years earlier.
Bowlen, now ailing with Alzheimer's, wasn't on hand to hear the words. But when Bowlen was still at the helm, he handed the keys to Elway to build this roster. Elway first built the league's best offense, then watched that fall apart in the Super Bowl in 2014.
He then decided the team needed to grow tougher and put his efforts toward building the defense.
He, and Denver, now have a championship to show for it.
"Our defense was just special," coach Gary Kubiak said. "And they have been all year long."
CHAPTER 2Von's Vision No Longer Clouded
Super Bowl MVP Thinks of Others
By Brent Briggeman
Von Miller had a surprising message after his MVP performance in Super Bowl 50.
The message from the linebacker wasn't to Broncos fans. It wasn't to defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. It wasn't even to anybody in the same jubilant locker room.
It was to Johnny Manziel.
"Johnny Man," Miller said in a message to his fellow former Texas A&M Aggie. "I know it's a rough time. I've been in the same situation. Keep grinding. I'm here for you. Keep grinding."
The message to the troubled quarterback was both out of place and perfectly in place, because Miller wouldn't have found himself dancing to a career night without rebounding from his own troubles. He wasn't about to hide from them on this night.
Miller famously battled his own demons. He was suspended. He seemed headed on a path out of the league. But he righted that path, and now, after sacking Cam Newton 2½ times, forcing two fumbles and making six tackles, the only question about his future is just how big the contract will be this offseason.
"As human beings, we're selfish," Miller reflected. "But when you're doing something for somebody else, that's when the magic happens.
"If I could cut this award I would give to Demarius (Thomas), and (Derek) Wolfe and all the other guys. That's what I would do."
Miller's teammates saw the growth. Malik Jackson was with him through the process. And Sunday, it was Jackson who jumped on the ball for a touchdown when Miller stripped Newton of the ball near his goal line in the first quarter.
"He's definitely grown," Jackson said. "He's one of those guys who's definitely a vocal leader. He's calmed down from the partying and getting in trouble and he's taking care of business. It's about growing up, being a pro and taking care of your business. You have ups and you have downs, but as long as you grow from them that's all that matters."
Cam Newton was the top pick in the 2011 draft. Miller was second. There was no doubt on this night who got the better of the two. Miller surged right past his rival, right to the top of the NFL.
And when he got there, he immediately looked down to find a friend to try to lift up. He would have never thought to do that two years ago, when he watched his first Super Bowl from the sidelines.
That transformation, he realizes, has been the most valuable part of Miller's journey.
CHAPTER 3New Blood on the Sideline
Elway Gets His Band Back Together for a Broncos Reunion Tour
By David Ramsey • August 30, 2015
New blood.
That's what many franchises seek when chasing a championship.
The Broncos are going with a radical alternative.
Old blood.
Proven blood. (Broncos fans are hoping there's no over-the-hill blood.)
Gary Kubiak arrived in Colorado in January facing a simple, immense task. He has to outperform John Fox. That's all.
Remember, Fox won the AFC West four times in four seasons. He claimed 38 regular-season wins in the past three seasons. He directed the Broncos to seven playoff games, including a Super Bowl. (The Broncos played in five playoff games, total, from 1999-2010.)
All those accomplishments failed to satisfy Broncos godfather John Elway, who pushed Fox out the door.
The Broncos will be chasing NFL supremacy with what amounts to a reunited band. You know what we're talking about: One of those collections of aging rockers who hit the road one last time, hoping to recapture the magic and the money and the success of yesteryear.
Elway has assembled quite a band.
He and Kubiak traveled to five Super Bowls, three times as teammates and twice with Kubiak running the Broncos offense as coordinator. After convincing Kubiak to return to Colorado, Elway summoned Wade Phillips to lead the Broncos defense.
And the final, giant step, Elway convinced Peyton Manning to take his aching 39-year-old body and powerful right arm on a final quest to rule the football world.
For Kubiak, this is a homecoming. He labored as Elway's backup from 1983-91. He served as lead coordinator for an offense that carried the Broncos to consecutive Super Bowl victories.
"Obviously, I'm very familiar," Kubiak said. "I know where to go. I know where everything is in the building and all those good things, but football is football. There is a lot of work to do and there's a lot of work to do to put this team together."
After Fox departed the Broncos, a disappointed Elway said he was weary of the Broncos getting kicked around in their final game of the season. The Fox-led Broncos boasted many strengths, but finishing strong was not one of them. In 2011, the Broncos ended the season by getting trampled in the playoffs by the Patriots. In 2012, the Ravens came from behind to win on a freezing afternoon in Denver. In 2013, the Seahawks annihilated the Broncos in the Super Bowl.
And in Fox's farewell, the Broncos timidly wandered to a home loss to the Colts.
"I think if there is one thing that you would like to have and you want to feel — at least in the last game you want to feel like you go out kicking and screaming," Elway said. "When you're right there and I think two years in a row it didn't feel like we went out kicking and screaming because of the fact the way we played the last game."
At that instant, Elway formulated the slogan for his 2015 reunion band.
He also placed a burden on Kubiak's shoulders. Elway and Kubiak are close friends, but both men realize winning is a requirement for their professional relationship to flourish.
Phillips is, like Kubiak, familiar with Colorado. He coached the Broncos defense from 1989-92 before a two-season reign as head coach. He worked alongside Kubiak with the Houston Texans. Phillips, 68, is a football lifer who began his NFL coaching career in 1976 in the latter days of the Gerald Ford administration.
"Hopefully, we're kicking and screaming," Kubiak said. "I am really excited about our defense."
Manning will play the central role in this reunion band. He's the NFL's ultimate regular-season quarterback, but he owns only one Super Bowl ring.
He wants another. That's why he returned to this venerable, aging band.
CHAPTER 4Broncos vs. Ravens
September 13, 2015 • Denver, Colorado
Broncos 19, Ravens 13
Love or Loathe It
Your New Broncos Win Ugly
By Paul Klee
It took a while. It took a solid three quarters before the Mile High crowd, full of faith, caught on to the M.O. of these new Broncos.
"DE-FENSE!" the 76,798 bellowed, over and over, until the defense did what it will do a dozen or more times this season — win the game for the Broncos.
"It might have been the greatest defensive football game I've ever been involved in as a coach," coach Gary Kubiak said after he debuted with a 19-13 win against the Ravens and received the game ball from best buddy John Elway in the locker room.
Don't say I didn't warn you. Star Wars numbers are out. Smashmouth is in.
"I think we can be (the) No. 1 (defense), without a doubt, absolutely," said safety Darian Stewart, the man who replaced Rahim Moore and promptly prevented another Joe Flacco heartbreak by intercepting the quarterback in the end zone.
This was a big-picture ballgame if there ever was one. To figure out what it means that the Broncos beat the Ravens by playing beautifully ugly defense, we are smart to forget the present and stop trying to predict the future.
Both are difficult after Week 1, I know.
But we should look at history, and there's enough juicy history between the Broncos and Ravens that we should be able to figure this out. Here's what I thought after Stewart stopped a last-minute Ravens drive, hearts resumed beating and stomachs returned to their upright position:
The Broncos rarely beat the Ravens like they did Sept. 13 at Sports Authority Field. They have beaten the Ravens 49-27, with seven touchdowns flung from Peyton Manning's right arm; they have beaten the Ravens 45-34, with three touchdowns and 326 yards from John Elway. The Broncos usually beat the Ravens by playing pretty and fun and with gaudy fantasy numbers. But they rarely beat the Ravens by thumping them over and over until the Ravens have no choice but to say "Uncle."
"The way we won today is a big step," Kubiak said.
There was a time Broncos Country feared the Ravens the most. The Raiders were still annoying, the Patriots were becoming the Patriots, but the Ravens were just plain ol' bad news around here. Baltimore won four straight, the Broncos managing more than 13 points only once. The Broncos would bring their lunch money to the game just for Ray Lewis to take it.
The game was that, only reversed. It seemed Flacco carried a winning lottery in his pocket, and DeMarcus Ware, Von Miller and Brandon Marshall were hellbent on being the lucky ones to cash it in. The Ravens set franchise records last season on offense. In Week 1, they had 38 total yards at halftime. Flacco was sacked twice and threw two picks. The clincher came from Stewart, who last played for — wait for it — the Ravens.
"Physical, hard-nosed football," Stewart said the previous week. "That's why they're successful."
The crippler came from Aqib Talib, a 51-yard interception return for a TD. Mile High erupted like everyone learned they don't have to go to work Monday.
This defense is the best defense Manning has played with. Is he cool with being the opening act? While it's true Manning and Kubiak appear to be reading from different pages of the playbook, the highway to a championship in Super Bowl 50 was never going to be driven with the 39-year-old quarterback at the wheel.
The defense must do the driving. Against the Ravens, it was vroom, vroom, boom, boom.
Oh, it took the Mile High crowd most of the game to grow comfortable rooting for sacks and fumbles more often than 70-yard bombs.
The Broncos tried to win a Super Bowl by dizzying the scoreboard operator until his typing fingers went numb. Now they will try to win one by thumping the opponent until it waves a white flag, and the defense picks it off.
CHAPTER 5Broncos at Chiefs
September 17, 2015 • Kansas City, Missouri
Broncos 31, Chiefs 24
Kicking and Screaming
Broncos Prevail over Chiefs in 31-24 Win
By Paul Klee
They wanted kicking and screaming.
This was Peyton Manning's tomahawk chop.
"What were we down?" linebacker Brandon Marshall asked late Thursday night in the winning, partying locker room at Arrowhead Stadium. "14-0? 21-0?"
Yes, and almost. The Broncos were down, and counted out. But they kicked, screamed, flailed, thumped, clawed, chopped. They won over the Chiefs, 31-24.
Let him be, let him be. Let Manning be.
In his corner, the ol' quarterback showed grass stains on his left thigh, a hint of blood on his right. He sent text messages, maybe to Tom Brady, maybe to others who speculated loudly for everyone to hear his run was done. Chop that up, too.
"He's been taking so much heat the last couple years," wide receiver Demaryius Thomas said from a few feet away. "He just goes out and does his thing."
His thing is making Missouri miserable: 14-1 against the Chiefs, none more improbable, more Chief-y than this one. What happened to Kansas City?
"The turnovers (five) and penalties (nine) killed us," Hall of Fame quarterback Len Dawson said in an elevator.
So did Manning, again. The Broncos trailed 24-17 when Manning sheriff'ed a 10play, 80-yard drive, capped by a touchdown to Emmanuel Sanders.
Arrowhead Stadium went from red to dread.
Surely the Chiefs would take a knee, force overtime, right? That's what Marshall, Thomas and DeMarcus Ware figured. But Kansas City didn't. Kansas City handed off to Jamaal Charles, a sure thing most nights, but this wasn't most nights.
"I dove and hit the ball out," Marshall said. Bradley Roby, the second-year cornerback, scooped the ball.
"Next thing I see is Roby getting up and running with it," Marshall said.
Nobody wearing red caught him. Two touchdowns in nine seconds. One collective broken heart in a sea of 76,404. One giddy visitors locker room with a 39-year-old quarterback grinning in the corner.
"It just shows the character of this team," Roby said.
The Broncos trailed 14-0, 17-14, 24-17. They looked awful, OK, and, finally, charmed. But they kicked and screamed until Arrowhead became a ghost town.
On "Red Thursday" in Kansas City, the Chiefs shot fire into the sky and banged a drum. They smelled blood, figuratively, and thought this was their chance, literally.
Manning responded: I am old, but I am bold. Let him be, let him be.
Manning was 26 of 45 for 256 yards and three touchdowns and one interception and yada, yada, yada. The way Denver beat the Ravens and Chiefs should be an indication stats are not the thing.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Orange Rush by The Gazette, Matt Wiley. Copyright © 2016 The Gazette. Excerpted by permission of Triumph Books LLC.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
Introduction by Matt Wiley,Super Bowl 50,
Von's Vision No Longer Clouded,
New Blood on the Sideline,
Broncos vs. Ravens,
Broncos at Chiefs,
Broncos at Lions,
Von Miller,
Broncos vs. Vikings,
Broncos at Raiders,
Broncos at Browns,
Broncos vs. Packers,
Broncos at Colts,
Broncos vs. Chiefs,
Broncos at Bears,
Broncos vs. Patriots,
Brock Osweiler,
Broncos at Chargers,
Broncos vs. Raiders,
Broncos at Steelers,
Broncos vs. Bengals,
Broncos vs. Chargers,
Peyton Manning,
AFC Divisional Playoff,
Getting Physical,
AFC Championship,