Don't forget Broncos' stellar defense
Posted: Tuesday October 27, 1998 10:15 AM
This week's unsung coach is Denver Broncos defensive
coordinator Greg
Robinson, who's quietly done his part to keep the Super Bowl champions
unbeaten this season. Everyone who brings up the Denver Broncos think of John Elway, Terrell Davis, Shannon Sharpe, Mike
Shannahan and anything to do with offense. The truth is that they have a
very impressive defense led by Robinson. The 1996 season ended with a
disappointing lose to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Since then the Broncos are 23-4 and the defense has played very well. In
three playoff wins and the Super Bowl last year, the Bronco defense held
their opponents to an average of 18 points, and created a blueprint for how
to play the Green Bay
Packers offense. The return of Jacksonville to Mile High reminds me of
how much Greg has developed as a head coach candidate in this league. In
the past two years, he has kept his unit in the top five in the NFL.
Another unsung Bronco is punter Tom Rouen -- when kicker
Jason Elam tied one of
the NFL's great records with his 63-yard field goal, you might not have
noticed, but the snap was high and Rouen got it down and turned the laces.
Sounds like an easy job, but if you ask the kickers, they don't take the
holders for granted. Elam hasn't missed this season, going 30-for-30 on
extra points and 8-for-8 on field goals. Rouen does more than just hold,
though -- he's averaging 47.6 yards on his punts, best in the AFC and well
above his career average of 43.1 yards entering the season.
Raiders quarterback Donald
Hollas hadn't thrown a touchdown pass since 1992, but he threw two on
Sunday in leading Oakland to a 27-10 win over his old team, Cincinnati.
He's taken over for an injured Jeff George and guided the
Raiders to a surprising 5-2 start. Hollas completed only nine passes (for
173 yards) Sunday with coach Jon Gruden stressing the running game, but he
also scrambled for 45 yards.
Jets rookie tackle Jason
Fabini, a fourth-round pick, has earned the starting right tackle job.
Early on, he struggled as any rookie would, and the Jets needed to give him
some help, but with each week he's improved and should be a long-term
answer at right tackle for the Jets.
Dolphins kicker Olindo
Mare, signed last year as a free agent out of Syracuse, scored all of
Miami's points in Sunday's 12-9 overtime victory over division-leading New
England. Mare, who kicked 28 field goals as a rookie, is perfect inside the
40 this year and extended his career-long with a 48-yarder in the second
quarter Sunday.
Bills rookie fullback Jonathan Linton, a
fifth-round pick out of North Carolina, carried the ball 10 times for 53
yards in the second half of the Bills' 30-14 victory over Carolina on
Sunday night. Linton's senior year at North Carolina -- 1,004 rushing yards
-- was the best by a Tar Heels back since Natrone Means in 1992.
Linton had just one carry for 2 yards in the first six games of the season,
but after outgaining starter Antowain Smith on Sunday,
he's sure to see more carries ahead.
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