Pat Mcafee thinks the Broncos can be a f****** team
The Denver Broncos are on the rise. After a noisy offseason the team from Englewood responded in a big way. Dominating the Giants in Week 1 brought the Broncos acclaim from fans and media alike.
There aren't many bigger names in the NFL media space right now than former Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee. The two-time All-Pro was thoroughly impressed by Teddy Bridgewater and the Broncos' display in the Meadowlands. Reacting to Von Miller's comments comparing his feelings under Bridgewater being similar to when Peyton Manning was in Denver, McAfee too showered Bridgewater with praise.
“Teddy, all he did was win with New Orleans, when he was in Minnesota he was going into the MVP conversation then the devastating injury happened, he bounced around," Mcafee said during his eponymously-titled show on September 16.
"[He] was undefeated in New Orleans and we saw what Jameis did [with] one year behind Drew Brees, Teddy was behind Drew for two years I think. So the thought of Teddy leading a team, that we were told ‘Hey, all they need is a quarterback.' That’s why the Aaron Rodgers conversation was so hot. If Teddy can play good football, that’s a great team."
McAfee, nor Broncos Country, are under any illusions as to how difficult climbing back to the playoffs may be for Denver particularly given the strength of the AFC West and one team in particular.
"Now, will they have enough to be able to withstand the inevitable Kansas City Chiefs flip of the switch…I guess that’s TBD," McAfee said.
"But they’ve got some studs on that team over there. Maybe that Denver Broncos team is everything that everybody was saying about them this offseason, like hey that’s a f****** team."
McAfee isn't the only one feeling good about the Broncos' prospects moving forward. The typically positive Von Miller revealed he actually didn't intend nor want his Bridgewater and Manning comparison to see light in the public domain.
“I kind of forgot that I was mic’d up. I don’t like putting stuff out there. That was a moment for me and Teddy, but it’s out there," Miller said on September 16, via Broncos.com.
"I don’t want anybody to feel a certain way because I told Teddy that. I told Teddy the truth. He definitely has this this vibe about him that guys want to play for. Guys believe in Teddy. He’s a veteran in this league. He’s sat behind [former Saints QB] Drew Brees. He was on track to win MVP with the Minnesota Vikings, so he knows how to do it. He carries himself in a way that people want to play for him, and people believe in him."
One of Bridgewater's defining plays from his Broncos bow included a crucial fourth down conversion after freezing a defender before finding tight end Albert Okwuegbunam for the touchdown.
"It was a fourth down in the game where he kind of like stuttered and stiffed armed a guy and threw it to ‘Albert O’," Miller said. "That’s just heart. Nobody can draw it up. No coach on our coaching staff or in the NFL can teach you how to do that. Teddy had to fight to go out there and win for the football team.
"Some of the things that he says and some of the things he tells everybody before games—me personally, I just believe that and I’m a hard guy to just believe everything that everybody says. You can definitely feel it with Teddy. I told Teddy—I think that was towards the end of the game. I saw him, and I just told him I’m a firm believer in giving people their flowers while they are still here. Teddy, he definitely deserves the love, for sure.”
Bridgewater will be getting more than flowers if he can reproduce Week 1's performance at Jacksonville on September 19.