Ron Borges

The Broncos face few major questions marks.

They are the favorite to win the AFC West and among the favorites to win the AFC championship that eluded them a year ago. They are solid on offense and defense and added another weapon in the passing game when they acquired wide receiver Javon Walker from the Packers. So what do they have to be concerned with?

Other than the health of their leading players, not much, but they do have to adjust their running game to the departure of 1,000-yard rusher Mike Anderson. Originally it was assumed he'd be replaced by far quicker Tatum Bell, who ran for 921 yards and a 5.3 yards-per-carry average a year ago. Although Bell's skills are not in question, his durability is, so the Broncos have decided to open the season with undrafted rookie  agent Mike Bell as the lead back instead. This will be the ultimate test of the Broncos' systematic, one-cut, zone blocking running attack, which has produced so many different 1,000 yard rushers it seems as if anyone can get behind their line and produce. Anderson rushed for 1,014 yards and 12 touchdowns, but after he played six years and suffered several knee injuries, the Denver brass decided it was time for a change. They had all summer to get a line on which Bell can take the pounding of an every down back and decided on the one that hasn't tolled it yet.

Quarterback Jake Plummer cut his mistakes down and satisifed himself with managing the game and taking limited risks last season, and what resulted was the best football of his career until he struggled in the AFC Championship Game. The Broncos committed the fewest turnovers in the league wlith 16, and the way Plummer ran the offense had much to do with that. Can he do it again, or might he revert back to the gambling style that got him and his team into so much trouble early in his career?

The receiving corps is as explosive as ever if Walker's surgically repaired knee holds up. He comes along just as Rod Smith, the long-time receiving leader, turns 36 and is beginning to slow down. Smith can still produce, but he's not quite as dangerous as he once was. Walker has shown he can step into that role, but that's why he was brought to Denver to replace problem child Ashley Lelie.

On defense, three areas were addressed in the offseason: improving the red zone defense that allowed teams to score touchdowns 22 times in 33 attempts, bolstering the pass rush and finding better ways to get off the field on third down. No one will know until the season begins if these efforts will pay off, because they didn't add any new players who will make an impact on defense.

Denver hopes to improve its pass rush even without a significant reinforcement in its front four. It will try to do that despite letting defensive end Trevor Pryce, the team's best pass rusher, go. Something has to change because the lack of pressure on opposing quarterback (28 sacks) forced the defense to gamble with blitzes more than Shanahan felt was wise.

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Young cornerbacks Domonique Foxworth and Darrent Williams will see increased playing time with the departure in free agency of Lenny Walls. Champ Bailey is a fixture shutting down one side of the field, but Foxworth and Williams will both be on the field much of the time. The hope is they will show improvement as the season progresses. As worries go, that's a pretty minimal one compared to their competition.

Hot seat
Jake Plummer. Long considered a guy who could implode and make a bad throw at the worst of times, Plummer cut his interceptions down from 20 to seven in 465 passing attempts last season. His quarterback rating was 90.2. His team finished 13-3 and beat the defending Super Bowl champion Patriots in the playoffs. Still, when Plummer fell apart under the Steelers' relentless defensive pressure in the AFC Championship Game at home, all the old doubts about him resurfaced. It didn't help when the Broncos drafted quarterback Jay Cutler in the first round. Cutler isn't yet ready to pressure Plummer, but his selection didn't reinforce a sense that Plummer is on safe ground. Plummer has a 60:34 touchdown pass-to-interception ratio in Denver during the regular season, but its 5:6 in the playoffs, making one wonder if he cracks under intense pressure.

Overheard
Many are interested to see how coach Mike Shanahan's offense fairs without coordinator Gary Kubiak. Shanahan has never been without Kubiak at his side as offensive coordinator or an offensive assistant. There was a comfort level there when times were tight. Shanahan is splitting the duties between line coach Rick Dennison and assistant coach Mike Heimerdinger. One will handle the protection schemes and the running game. The other will oversee the passing game. Time will tell if two heads are better than one familiar old one.

Outlook
The Broncos have the most complete team in the division. They are well coached and well constructed, are coming off a 13-3 season and are improving on defense and steady on offense. What else is there that they need but some luck and some good health?

Prediction
First.

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