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As narrow minded as I have been in the past about our beloved Denver Broncos, I am here to say I am officially on board this season and it's not just because of their impressive 5-0 start. The Broncos are beginning to lay down a new foundation that shows promise of Denver making a name and a new identity for themselves. The rash decision that led to the departure of former coach Mike Shanahan left me in a confused and irritated state of mind after last season. Was Shanahan not the man that brought Denver back-to-back Super Bowl titles over a decade ago? How could they let this guy go after all he did to completely overhaul the franchise and eradicate failures Denver had seen in previous decades?

     The conclusion I came to is that the NFL is like a fast-evolving organism. It changes. It adapts. It evolves. What worked well then may not work forever and the release of Shanahan, although hard to swallow, was the right move. His departure brought 33-year old Josh McDaniels, a former assistant at New England for eight years practicing under "Jedi-master" Bill Belichick.

     McDaniels' Broncos don't possess anywhere near the amount of firepower he had at New England, but you don't need to be holding a full-house every hand to win the game. He has been making team adjustments to ensure efficiency at protecting the ball, and maybe Denver's best asset thus far from an offensive standpoint is the diverse use of personnel. Denver changes up their looks with two tight-ends on one series and wide-outs spread out all over the place on the next. I like this because it takes redundancy out of the equation and promotes creative extensions towards the playbook.

     McDaniels is integrating a philosophy that if something isn't working for a series, a quarter, or even a half, try something different. He isn't trying to constantly reinvent the wheel, so if one set of tires isn't moving the offense, he'll put on another and roll with it. This style is a much needed update to Shanahan's old school playbook, which reminded me of Denzel Washington's character, Coach Boone, whose motto in ‘Remember the Titans' was, "I run six plays, split veer, like Novocaine.  Just give it time, always works." Not anymore, Mike, but we still love you.  

     Denver has their work cut out for them as they head into a possible reality check over their next six games but I remain hopeful for them. They will face powerhouse teams such as the San Diego Chargers, Pittsburg Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts and in a potential game of the season match-up, the New York Giants. Denver will need to bring their early season success and momentum into each game to achieve any victories over some of the NFL's best. 

     Overall, I like the Broncos this season and what they have to offer. Whether they finish at 12-4 or 9-7, I will be glued to the tube every Sunday to watch these guys. Sure, it's a rebuilding year with a new coach and new players, but I think Denver is going to stun some people throughout the league. I have faith in newly acquired quarterback Kyle Orton and hope to see him stay with the Broncos for a while. Getting past the disturbing years of quarterbacks Jake Plummer and cry-baby Jay Cutler shouldn't be hard as long as Orton is given the chance to prove he is the man for the job (hopefully permanently).

     I am back on the wagon, and don't plan on getting off anytime soon.