Looking Ahead

Hello Broncos Country! So I know that we are all wearing big frowns now that our season has come to an end. It’s always hard to envision our lives without football for the next few months. But with the end of a season comes the excitement of preparing for a new one and improving upon our mistakes. And if it makes you feel better, just remember that we are not alone in our sadness – Detroit became the first team in NFL history to go winless and finish 0-16, and both New England, the defending AFC Champions, and Dallas, the preseason Super Bowl favorites, failed to clinch a playoff spot.

And what many people are forgetting is that the Broncos have been playing against some of the league’s biggest talent despite a myriad of injuries. With an appalling number of running backs injured, we still managed to maintain a running game and score two rushing touchdowns in week 17. At the end of the day, not everyone can make the playoffs; but hopefully the disappointment will inspire our team to work vigorously through the off season. And though the season ended on a disheartening note, we can all be proud of the Broncos for prevailing through so much adversity.

When a season comes to an end, it is time for us to look forward; we can bring with us lessons from the mistakes we have made, but we can’t waste our time looking back. As 2009 approaches, the Broncos will now have the opportunity to rest, reenergize, train, improve, and heal those daunting injuries. Having an extra month in the off-season may be just what the Broncos need – the players can use this time to rehabilitate and ameliorate their injuries. They have the desire to improve and make the necessary changes for the 2009 season. There is nowhere to go but up – and that is where the Broncos are going. Something that every football fan looks forward to during the quiet spring months is the NFL draft. And it looks like the Broncos are going to get the opportunity to pick early. We beat out three other teams who also finished 8-8 to get the highest picking rank. In the first round the Broncos will have the number 12 draft pick. Rewind back to 2006 for a moment – the Broncos drafted someone very important with their number 11 pick. Who was that? Oh yes, Jay Cutler! And last year’s number 12 was Ryan Clady!

Though the exact 2009 schedule has not been released, the Broncos already know who they will be facing next season. They are matched up against some tough teams, which is going to make for a very exciting and challenging season! The Broncos are set to play all AFC West teams twice, the NFC East, and the AFC North. Additionally, they will play the number two teams from the remaining AFC divisions (East and South). The match-ups are as follows:

Home: Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants

Away: Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins

As 2008 is coming to a close, I want to thank you all for reading my blog this season and always writing such great responses. I will be sure to write many more blogs throughout the off season. The Cheerleaders continue to work in the community throughout the year, so I will keep you all posted on exciting news from our corner!

Have a safe and happy New Year. Talk to you in 2009!

-Romi (12/30/08)