The legend of the Broncos’ defense is a worm. The legend worms its way into the hearts and minds of NFL foes. The worm eats confidence and turns it to fear.
When the Denver defense takes the field for an NFL game, there is a distinct aroma in the stadium. It smells like fear. I smelled it Sunday, when the Broncos played at Cincinnati. More important, cornerback Chris Harris smelled it on the Bengals, too.
After the Broncos exposed Cincy as weak and afraid during a 29-17 victory, I sought out Harris after the media pack had shuffled elsewhere in the locker room, and asked him what he thought of the Bengals’ painfully conservative offensive game plan.