Broncos not Mile High

By Luke Busovsky Sports Central Columnist

The Denver Broncos' demise started after a victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XXXVI. Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway carried the Broncos to back-to-back championships and then decided to call it a career.

In steps of Elway was the mighty arm of Brian Griese, a second-year pro out of Michigan and son of former Dolphins great, Bob Griese.

Griese proceeded to lead the once invincible Broncos offensive juggernaut to a 6-10 season, good enough for last in the then AFC West division.

One can blame the fact that he was a rookie trying to fill a legend's shoes that were quite large. Elway is a revered name in the Denver metro area, and it would be impossible for Griese to fulfill that role.

Yet, with the kind of talent that the Broncos possessed at that time, this finish seemed unthinkable.

All-Pro Rod Smith was the go-to wideout and deep threat, and, coupled with Ed McCaffrey, a solid possession receiver, the passing game should have been in good hands.

Although 2,000-yard rusher and All-Pro Terrell Davis was experiencing what would ultimately be a career-ending injury, the offensive line was solid enough to allow two virtual no-names, Mike Anderson and Olandis Gary, to reach over 1,000 yards each. The offensive line was not the problem.

Head coach Mike Shannahan has done it all in football, yet he was unable to reach his team during this 1999 season.

Where did it fall apart? Maybe it does come back to the quarterback and his ability, or rather his inability, to lead his teammates in the mold of John Elway. It's unfair, but it is life and football.

In the 2000 season, Griese picked up his play heavily and the Broncos raced to an 11-5 regular season record, only to be derailed in the first round of the playoffs by eventual Super Bowl champ Baltimore. It still sounds funny, even two years later.

The defense started to come around, as well, but these weren't the old Broncos with the Orange Crush defense and a gunslinger behind center. Nobody was afraid of this team, and the 2001 Broncos showed signs of slowing down.

That version of the Broncos finished the season at 8-8, good for third in the division. While having Super Bowl aspirations in the beginning of the season, the Oakland Raiders snagged the division title from them. No playoff appearance again, and a suddenly new quarterback controversy.

In the offseason, Denver signed Steve Beuerlein, most recently playing and having a career year with the Carolina Panthers. Beuerlein impressed in training camp and the preseason, and thus, a controversy was born.

Griese had been so inconsistent in his first three seasons that many fans and critics were calling for the quarterback change before the season even started. It all played out in the season-opener against St. Louis when Griese could not move the offense. The fans begged Shannahan for Beuerlein, but he stuck with Griese.

After posting a rather average 6-4 record going into Week 11, Denver finds themselves in a sticky situation. With quarterbacks falling last week, Tommy Maddox of the Steelers and Donovan McNabb of the Eagles, Griese fell, as well. Beuerlein has taken over the Bronco offense, and that may be a good thing.

The Steelers have former starter Kordell Stewart holding the reigns until Maddox is ready. The Eagles have the heady and capable Koy Detmer at the helm until the playoffs.

The Broncos may be in the best shape of them all. All it took was an injury for the Broncos to upgrade at the most crucial position on the field: quarterback.

Article courtesy of Sports Central.