Season Recap - 2010 Denver Broncos

Final Record: 4-12

Finished: 4^th Place in the AFC West

2011 Draft Position: 2^nd

Preseason Ranking: 19  
Preseason Letter of Misfortune:

The Mile High City is enthralled with their latest first-round draft pick, Tim Tebow. Never heard of him? Where have you been all offseason? Even the NFL.com Denver Broncos profile page is enamored with the emerging superstar. Just check out the headlines from last week –

• Elway back in fold with Broncos, will attend training camp. Ready to pass Hall of Fame mantle on to Tebow…
• Harris OK, ready to lead Tebow on rollouts…
• Broncos reward Dumervil with $61.5M contract, but Tebow not yet signed…
• No Tebow in Denver…
• Tebow lands five-year Broncos deal, set to practice Friday…
• Tebow ready for hard hits, ribbing by Broncos teammates…
• Broncos lock up Thomas, rookie wide receiver ready to help make Tebow great…
• Broncos' Moreno, Buckhalter injured, but coach says not to worry. Injuries mean more passing opportunities for Tebow…
• Tebow draws fans…
• Tebow’s first pass incomplete, scientists blame unexpected planet shift…
• What do quarterbacks Orton and Quinn have in common? Neither named Tebow…

Notice a pattern? Since Denver has gone all-Tebow, all the time, so will this letter. Heck, so new to the game, The Art of Creative Misfortune could use the extra traffic from search engines by having Tim Tebow listed in its pages. But why just stop at a few references to the great quarterback of the future? Let’s dedicate an entire paragraph to the rising star!

Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow
Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow
Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow
Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow
Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Tim Tebow

Ok, that’s enough. Tebow. ENOUGH!

Aside from the media hype surrounding the new quarterback in town (who, I might add, still has not thrown a single interception in NFL regular season play), Denver comes off a season filled with disappointment and head cases. After starting 2009 an impressive 6-0 (without Tebow, no less!), they stumbled mightily to only finish 8-8 (9-7 minimum would have been the result had Tebow been on the roster). Dumping Brandon Marshall’s antics will help, but the defense will have to get better if Denver will have any chance to keep pace with San Diego.

In a two team race for the division, Denver has the advantage over San Diego. Why? Yep, you guessed it.

Tebow!

Week 1: Lost at Jacksonville Jaguars, 24-17

Ranked – 25

Power running with the football once in a while, particularly in the red zone, might help you out since Orten, not Elway, is behind center.

Week 2: Defeated the Seattle Seahawks, 31-14

Ranked – 16

I am sorry for your loss. RIP, Kenny McKinley.

Week 3: Lost to Indianapolis Colts, 27-13

Ranked – 22

Nearly 500 yards passing from Kyle Orten is still not enough to get this team closer than two touchdowns against Manning and the Colts. In an upside down AFC West, the Broncos still aren't out of it, but they need a few wins here in a hurry otherwise these horses will need to be put out of their misery.

Week 4: Defeated the Tennessee Titans, 26-20

Ranked – 16

Who needs a running game!

Week 5: Lost at Baltimore Ravens, 31-17

Ranked – 25

Garbage time touchdowns may inflate the passing game numbers, but everybody knows the game wasn't nearly as close as the final score suggested.

 Week 6: Lost to New York Jets, 24-20

Ranked – 24

A tough loss at home to the Jets hurts, but not nearly as much as if the Broncos played in a tougher division.

Week 7: Lost to Oakland Raiders, 59-14

Ranked – 27

That's how you break through after two tough losses against Creative Elite teams - allow your division rival to score a franchise-record number of points against you on your home turf. Ouch.

Week 8: Lost to San Francisco 49ers (in England), 24-16

Ranked – 29

When you leave the country, you're supposed to leave your past behind and start over fresh. That didn't happen in London, unless you count choking away a winnable game in the fourth quarter. The Broncos haven't done that recently.

Week 9: BYE WEEK

Ranked – 29

During the bye week Denver fell further behind their division rivals. Clearly the odd man out in a suddenly strong division, the Broncos will have to run the table to have any shot in 2010.

Week 10: Defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, 49-29

Ranked – 24

The Broncos aren't out of it, but they aren't really in it, either.

Week 11: Lost at San Diego Chargers, 35-14

Ranked – 25

I have never seen a team so devastated by a first quarter fake punt that burned them. It took the Broncos three quarters to recover and by then their season had already been lost.

Week 12: Lost to St. Louis Rams, 36-33

Ranked – 30

Scandals and garbage-time touchdowns won't help McDaniels any. Minnesota and Dallas being 3-1 after coaching changes won't help him, either.

Week 13: Lost at Kansas City Chiefs, 10-6

Ranked – 27 (ROCKY WEEK!)

Josh McDaniels: Hey, yo, Chris, whose lock is this? Whose stuff is this in my locker?

            Denver Equipment Manager, Chris Valenti: It's Studesville's stuff. It ain't your locker no more.

            Josh McDaniels: What are you talkin' about 'it ain't my locker no more'? It's been my locker for nearly two years. Where's my gear?

            Chris Valenti: Bowlen told me to bag it. Hang it.

Josh McDaniels: You put my stuff on skid row? I been in that locker two years; you put my stuff in a bag on skid row?

Chris Valenti: Bowlen tells me what to do. I gotta do it, right, Coach?

            Josh McDaniels: Where is he?

            Chris Valenti: Working with Studesville. He's in a bad mood.

Josh McDaniels: So am I.

Week 14: Lost at Arizona Cardinals, 43-13

Ranked – 31

So much for the perfect opening games for new interim head coaches. Not only did the Broncos lose to a terrible team, they were completely embarrassed and schooled by a kicker!

Week 15: Lost at Oakland Raiders, 39-23

Ranked – 30

TIM TEBOW! Too little, too late to save the season, but maybe he can save the future... unless the new coaching regime decides they don't want to develop a quarterback.

Week 16: Defeated the Houston Texans, 24-23

Ranked – 28

TIM TEBOW!

Week 17: Lost to San Diego Chargers, 33-28

Final Rank - 29

Tomorrow, the 2010 Buffalo Bills...