It's a bit late, but I'm sure all TWO readers of this site (Hi, Dad! Hi, Big Bro!) aren't upset. To begin we'll bring back the same intro from last year. Spliced with direct quotes from the Bible (okay, maybe that's not true). Nonetheless, due to a diminshing numbers of requests, it's time once again for...

eStragand.com Presents: Denver Broncos 2006 Year-End Awards
(note: the following paragraph is best read in NFL Films Guy Voice over a slow-motion replay of the Broncos running out of their inflatable Donkey Tunnel. Cue up the orchestral music, too.)
After 7 months of professional tackle football, it all comes down to one paramount summation of the season that will define the very character of those brave gridiron warriors who have ventured to snap their chin strap. For it is for the first time in over four long, arduous seasons that we present to you...

Too Much Talent (Again)... the story of the 2006 Denver Broncos Year-End Awards

Not directed by Steve Sabol. The images and sumaries presented herein are the intellectual property of the NFL , the Denver Broncos and Pat Bowlen and are used without consent or, most importantly, monetary pay-outs. The expressed opinions that follow have no official value whatsoever and are simply the work of some asshole with a website.

The eStragand 2006 Denver Broncos Year-End Awards banquet was held on the Back Porch of the ES Complex, catered by a take-out order from the local Blackjack Pizza (famous for TV commercials featuring Rod Smith). No Broncos personnel, players, coaches, cheerleaders or members of the press attended.

• Game of the Year- an award given to the most exciting, emotional game of the season.
  11/05/06 vs.Pittsburgh Steelers
  When the schedule was released, this looked like a sure loss (just as home games against San Diego and San Francisco looked like sure wins), so it was exhilirating when the Broncos were able to outlast the mistake-prone Stillers. The win also essentially knocked the Steelers from postseason contention...in October. Add to that a little redemption from the AFC title game, lots of turnovers and the Coolest Moment of the Year (see below).
   
• Player of the Year- awarded to the club's MVP. The one guy they absolutely NEEDED on the field, every week.
  #24- CB Champ Bailey
  Perfected the Anti-Touchdown Pass and finished #2 in NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting (behind some clown who took steroids).
   
• Offensive Player of the Year- awarded to the team's MVP on offense. If an offensive player garners "Player of the Year" recognition, then this award is replaced by "Defensive Player of the Year", and vice versa. For example, a player can NOT be "Player of the Year" AND "Defensive Player of the Year".
  #84- WR Javon Walker
  Was everything as advertised and more. Broncos finally have the game-breaking receiver they've been searching for since the Tim Brown fiasco of 1994. Or even since... well, 1960. Just keep that knee healthy and he'll be in the Pro Bowl for the next 4 or 5 years.
   
• Coolest Moment of the Year- The one play or nifty thing that had you asking your friends: "Did you SEE that?!! Yay, football!"
  Javon Walker's end-around 72 yard TD run - 11/05/06 vs. Steelers
  
   
• Corey Dillon Award- the one day when you wished you weren't a Broncos fan.
  12/10/065 vs. San Diego Chargers
  Wow. A Marty Schottenheimer team running up the score against the Broncos? Sick. The Chargers also officially clinched the AFC West Title and rubbed the Broncos' noses in it by getting LT into the record books.
   
• Rod Bernstine/Dale Carter Commemorative Award- award given to the newcomer who has little or no effect on the team, despite given a big contract and important status.
  #75 - Adam Meadows
  He wasn't given a big contract, but any money they paid for this putz should be refunded. Coaches fell in love with him during training camp and to hear them tell it, Meadows was the second coming of Willie Roaf. I could reallllly stretch the boundaries of this award and give it to Gerard Warren. Although not a newcomer, Warren was given a large new contract and proceeded to promptly disappear from the defensive front--- a hard task for someone who looks like a waddling hippo in shoulderpads.
   
• Simon Fletcher Award- given to the one player who is often overlooked by the media, but is a vital contributor and in some cases, an impact player or cornerstone of the team. Occasionally goes by the title "my boy"... a title Simon had for years.
  #66- C Tom Nalen
  It's about time I picked an offensive lineman, again. Nalen didn't make the Pro Bowl or anything, but he seemed to be the best of what was a weak offense this year (I'd pick Javon Walker, but that's too obvious). Plus, Nalen always cracks me up with his standard mugshot that's shown on every TV lineup introduction. He looks like a homeless guy who is surprised that he's having his picture taken. Check it out:
  
   
• Cheerleader of the Year (in Honor of Equality)
  I'm sorry, but this award has been discontinued. I'm sick of all the bloggers and message board handjobs dweebs who argue about shit like; "who is the hottest NFL cheerleader" and keep citing Renee Herlocker. The traffic boost has been nice and a fun joke...but it's getting out of hand. After two years, I'm thinking it might be cool to have people drop by my site who, y'know, wanna' read the non-Herlocker stuff that I enjoy babbling about. It is very sad that despite 1,000 or so pages and over 6 years of writing about comic books, concert reviews, Broncos and baseball, that I get most of my traffic from a random picture of some cute broad.

So that's it for YOUR 9-7 2006 Denver Broncos. This was perhaps the most frustrating year of Mike Shanahan's tenure. Even more so than the 2001 and 2002 teams. In the off-season, they started talking about the AFC Title and rightfully so. But they quickly became unfocussed after the loss to the Colts. Suddenly it seemed like the early success of the defense was attributed to luck, or that they had played some teams that were simply sluggish out of the gate.

All of the personnel moves didn't help, either. Last time the Broncos farted around with a QB controversy (1999), they went 6-10. The constant inclusion of Mike Bell really destroyed the runing game. Bell may have had "acceptable" stats at season's end, but his "stand-up and back into the pile" running style is not the tye you want for a primary ball carrier. Bell scored two TD's by leaping on Opening Day in St. Louis. Coaches and Bell belived that this was preview of things to come as they suddenly belived he was this year's Mike Anderson. Several times the Broncos were stuffed on the goalline because of their insistence on going to Bell. It was painfully obvious in the season-ending loss to San Francisco, where even a blind man with dementia living in Oregon with no interest in football could see Bell's stupid "leap" coming.

I also think the haphazard scheduling contributted to the mess. The Broncos are usually good for 2 or 3 primetime telecasts a year. They're usually at their best when they can play the 2pm MST kickoff (or the second batch of Sunday games, for all you non-Mountain Time Zone folks). It allows the players to get into a schedule and a routine. When they're playing at 6pm on a Sunday, then 7pm on a Monday, followed by an 11am Thursday start...it's tough to settle into a groove. It also meant they wore Blue Pants more often!

Plus there were other more obvious problems. The crappy special teams play and the dumping of Todd Sauerbrun. Jake Plummer regressing. Lack of a pass rush. No real option at TE (c'mon...Stephen Alexander? Tony Scheffler looked good the last month, but he was inactive for most of the season). Darrent Williams and his awful one-on-one cover skills (I'm sorry he was murdered and it's a very awful situation, but his on-field play was terrible this year). If Williams was still alive, I'd be calling for his replacement at CB.

If the Renee Herlocker shit dies down, I'll be back to do recaps for YOUR 2007 Denver Broncos. Also, if they have a NORMAL schedule in 2007, I can hopefully get back to a regular recapping system. No more Blue Pant Specials, please.

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Back to Broncos Index
2006 Season Archive
August 11 vs Lions
August 19 vs Titans
August 27 vs Texans
August 31 vs Cardinals
September 10 vs Rams
September 17 vs Chiefs
September 24 vs Patriots October 02 vs Bye Week
October 09 vs Ravens
October 15 vs Raiders
October 22 vs Browns
October 29 vs Colts
November 05 vs Steelers
November 12 vs Raiders November 19 vs Chargers
November 24 vs Chiefs
December 03 vs Seahawks
December 10 vs Chargers
December 17 vs Cardinals
December 24 vs Bengals
December 31 vs 49ers
YEAR_END AWARDS