The Denver Broncos rode their strong defense to a Super Bowl title last season. That unit was highly praised and recognized as the best in football and among some of the best we’ve seen.
TJ Ward, apparently still looking for motivation, believes the media is not giving their defense enough credit.
“Seems like a lot of the media is doing that for us,” Ward said of where the Broncos are getting motivation. “We still don’t get the credit. I don’t know. [We just want to be] better than last year. That’s what we want to do. Be better than last year. We were learning the defense coming in and it’s so much easier coming in that second year [under coordinator Wade Phillips] when you already have the defensive plays and you know what you’re doing.”
The Broncos’ defense led the league in yards allowed per game and was fourth in points allowed. They had 14 interceptions, including four returned for touchdowns, and 52 sacks. Ward, a safety who had two of those sacks, says they want to improve on their interceptions and their interception returns. He also cited cutting down on mental mistakes and missed tackles as areas where they can improve.
But why does Ward feel like they’re not getting enough respect?
“Maybe they like us to play with a chip on our shoulders. It’s more entertaining that way,” he said via Pro Football Talk.
If this line of thinking sounds familiar, it’s because it should. Cornerback Aqib Talib recently voiced the same complaint as Ward. Maybe the Broncos are just trying to psyche themselves into an underdog mentality so they can play their best.
