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Denver
BRONCOS
2002 Record: 9-7
Head Coach: Mike Shanahan
89-59 overall, 7-2 postseason
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TEAM LEADERS
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Passing
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Brian Griese
291-436, 3,214 yards, 15 TDs, 15 INTs
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Rushing
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Clinton Portis
273 carries, 1,508 yards, 15 TDs
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Receiving
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Rod Smith
89 catches, 1,027 yards, 5 TDs
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Kicking
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Jason Elam
26-36 FGs, 42-43 PATs, 120 points
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Schedule | Roster |
Statistics | Stadium
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By B. Duane Cross, SI.com
It's out with the old, in with the new at Mile High this year. Gone are QB Brian Griese, DT Chester McGlockton, DT Montae Reagor, DE Keith Washington and CB Tyrone Poole, just to name a handful. In are QB Jake Plummer, DT Daryl Gardener and S Lee Flowers.
Not that Plummer, Gardener and Flowers will fully replace the five notables who were jettisoned, but Mike Shanahan is retooling the Broncos for another championship run -- and longtime staple Shannon Sharpe is back for one for chance at glory.
At least that's the company line. In fact, Denver got fat and sassy after its back-to-back Super Bowl victories -- and five years later, Shanahan is looking to trim the fat and make the Broncos lean and mean. It's no secret that Rod Smith, Ed McCaffery and Sharpe are nearing the end of the line.
Denver hasn't had a quarterback start all 16 regular-season games since John Elway did so eight years ago. Griese missed an average of three games the past four seasons, but free-agent signee Plummer has been a model of consistency by comparison. Since 1997, Plummer has missed 12 games -- none since playing in 14 games in 2000.
Leading the sixth-ranked defense is LB Al Wilson, who had 131 tackles and five sacks last season. Offensively, Clinton Portis returns for his second season after rushing for 1,508 yards and 15 TDs as a rookie.
If Shanahan wants to be know as a coach who won a title without Elway, next year is now.
QB Jake Plummer -- The Snake slithers in from the desert with high expectations. For the first time in his career, Plummer has a complete offensive unit surrounding him. In Arizona, it was feast or, mostly, famine at the skill positions.
Once noted for pulling victory from the jaws of defeat, Plummer is expected to return to his winning ways. "That's why he's here," offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak told The Denver Post this summer. "He's the guy we need to make those plays when it's third-and-5 and we call a bad play and all the guys are covered. We want him to get his butt out of there and move the chains.
"Like we used to tell John all the time, 'Hey, that's a great play.' And he'd say, 'That's what you pay me for,'" Kubiak said. "So, yeah, we expect Jake to add that dimension."
QB Brian Griese -- Even if by default. ... For the most part, the players Denver jettisoned during the offseason were dead weight. However, Griese is an above-average QB, and may have been coming into his own. Thing is, we'll never know what could have been in Denver. After five seasons, Griese is the No. 14-ranked passer of all-time with an 84.1 QB rating, 0.1 behind Trent Green and 0.7 ahead of Roger Staubach.
RB Clinton Portis -- Another year, another huge season from a Broncos running back. Last year's second-round pick wasn't even the starter at the beginning of the season, but eventually finished with 1,508 rushing yards and 17 total TDs. He racked up eight 100-yard rushing games, including five in his last seven outings. He's a solid receiver as well, which enhances his fantasy value. Portis seems on his way to another big season now that he's got the starting job to himself, and he is among the top 10 in a very deep running back class.
WR Ed McCaffrey -- The veteran wideout may be losing a step, or at least losing his role in the Broncos offense. While he did make a good recovery from a broken leg in the first game of 2001, his run of 1,000-yard seasons came to an end despite four 100-yard games. What was disappointing was his two TDs, his lowest full-season total since 1995. With Ashley Lelie emerging, McCaffrey's numbers could take even more of a tumble this season. For as many 100-yard games as he had, there were also plenty of 20- and 30-yard games that help no one, except your opponent.
WR Ashley Lelie -- It's usually that second season when wide receivers start to blossom, which is where last year's first-round pick is at right now. While he was the No. 3 wideout behind the great duo of Rod Smith and Ed McCaffrey, he did have a couple of big games (including a 106-yard effort against the Raiders in Week 16) to close out the season. He may benefit the most with Jake Plummer at quarterback.
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>> Broncos will make the playoffs because ...
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There's too much offense for Denver not to challenge for the AFC West title. Plummer, Portis, Smith, McCaffrey, Sharpe and Ashley Lelie give opposing defensive coordinators a lot of things to consider when gameplanning.
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>> Broncos will miss the playoffs because ...
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The other three AFC West teams -- Kansas City, Oakland and San Diego -- also are offensive-minded and will give Denver a run for its money. And the Raiders and Chargers defenses may prove to be comparable.
| 2003 Draft Picks |
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| Rd. |
Pick |
Player |
Pos. |
School |
| 1 |
20 (20) |
George Foster |
OT |
Georgia |
| 2 |
19 (51) |
Terry Pierce |
ILB |
Kansas State |
| 4 |
11 (108) |
Quentin Griffin |
RB |
Oklahoma |
| 4 |
17 (114) |
Nick Eason |
DT |
Clemson |
| 4 |
31 (128) |
Bryant McNeal |
OLB |
Clemson |
| 5 |
22 (157) |
Ben Claxton |
C |
Ole Miss |
| 5 |
23 (158) |
Adrian Madise |
WR |
TCU |
| 6 |
21 (194) |
Aaron Hunt |
DE |
Texas Tech |
| 7 |
13 (227) |
Clint Mitchell |
DE |
Florida |
| 7 |
21 (235) |
Ahmaad Galloway |
RB |
Alabama |
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