09-27-2006, 11:03 PM
A PLACE IN HISTORY
How significant was the Broncos' 11-quarter run without allowing a touchdown? Consider this: The last time a team opened a season by not allowing a touchdown for that long, the United States was in the Second World War.
In the 64 years since, mankind went into space. The Berlin Wall rose and fell. The world narrowly avoided nuclear holocaust on multiple occasions. Powerful computers shrank from the size of a large library to the to a thimble's width. Orson Welles went from eminent filmmaker to wine salesman. Ten Presidents occupied the White House. Florida State went from a women's-only college to becoming a two-time national champion in football. Numerous upstart leagues rose to challenge the NFL.
And yet until this month, no one matched the Chicago Cardinals' wartime defensive feat of padlocking the end zone for the first 11 quarters to start a season.
"Wow," Lang said.
Ferguson agreed -- the effort of the defense was an extraordinarily impressive one. Ordinarily we'd put a quote from him here, but the author's explanation of the streak in the context of a query sufficed.
"You answered that question yourself," he said. "Tag my name onto it."
Thy will be done.
"Shoot, '72 would be good, but when you're talking '42, that opens your eyes," said safety John Lynch.
But as quickly as the 14-year veteran expressed amazement at the defense's historical accomplishment, he shifted back into the gear of the present. Even with a bye week on the horizon, there's scant time for self-congratulation.
"It's the NFL and it's something we can hang our hat on for tonight," Lynch said, "but then you move on to the next challenge."
Such as establishing an even longer streak.
"We can get another run going," cornerback Domonique Foxworth said. "We can get four in a row, maybe five. Who knows? We've got a lot more games left."
And with those games come chances for the 2006 defense to make its mark in Broncos history -- and for the team's offense to continue steering its way back onto its more typical path of recent years.
"I feel we haven't scratched the surface of what we can do," Lang said. "The sky's the limit for us."
How significant was the Broncos' 11-quarter run without allowing a touchdown? Consider this: The last time a team opened a season by not allowing a touchdown for that long, the United States was in the Second World War.
In the 64 years since, mankind went into space. The Berlin Wall rose and fell. The world narrowly avoided nuclear holocaust on multiple occasions. Powerful computers shrank from the size of a large library to the to a thimble's width. Orson Welles went from eminent filmmaker to wine salesman. Ten Presidents occupied the White House. Florida State went from a women's-only college to becoming a two-time national champion in football. Numerous upstart leagues rose to challenge the NFL.
And yet until this month, no one matched the Chicago Cardinals' wartime defensive feat of padlocking the end zone for the first 11 quarters to start a season.
"Wow," Lang said.
Ferguson agreed -- the effort of the defense was an extraordinarily impressive one. Ordinarily we'd put a quote from him here, but the author's explanation of the streak in the context of a query sufficed.
"You answered that question yourself," he said. "Tag my name onto it."
Thy will be done.
"Shoot, '72 would be good, but when you're talking '42, that opens your eyes," said safety John Lynch.
But as quickly as the 14-year veteran expressed amazement at the defense's historical accomplishment, he shifted back into the gear of the present. Even with a bye week on the horizon, there's scant time for self-congratulation.
"It's the NFL and it's something we can hang our hat on for tonight," Lynch said, "but then you move on to the next challenge."
Such as establishing an even longer streak.
"We can get another run going," cornerback Domonique Foxworth said. "We can get four in a row, maybe five. Who knows? We've got a lot more games left."
And with those games come chances for the 2006 defense to make its mark in Broncos history -- and for the team's offense to continue steering its way back onto its more typical path of recent years.
"I feel we haven't scratched the surface of what we can do," Lang said. "The sky's the limit for us."
Son, I am Disappoint.
