Broncos, Orton have plenty to prove to fans
By Chris Tomasson 
| August 7, 2009 | 7:28 AM
Broncos coach Josh McDaniels and quarterback Kyle Orton still have to win over fans. (Photo from Newscom)
It also likely was the most fans ever to boo the Broncos during a practice.
A crowd of 13,402 showed up at Invesco Field on Thursday night to see the team scrimmage. By the end, you’d have thought the Broncos were playing at Oakland.
Fans booed when quarterback Kyle Orton, who had a mediocre showing, badly underthew a pass near the goal line and then badly overthrew one. They roared their disapproval when kicker Matt Prater, whose problem last season was an inability to convert between 40 and 49 yards, botched two consecutive 44-yarders.
Seems the Broncos, after last season’s collapse and a turbulent offseason, have some work to do with fans.
“Yeah, we definitely got to win them over,” cornerback Champ Bailey said. “They’re only going to love us as much as our last season, and we weren’t very good last season. So we’ve got to give them a reason to love us.”
It was not an Invesco Field debut to remember for Orton. He underthrew a number of receivers and threw a pair of interceptions to Andre Goodman, one of which was all but certainly a touchdown return, although there was no tackling.
“It’s early in the season, and, with all the offseason shuffling, it doesn’t surprise me that they’re giving people grief,’’ D.J. Williams said of the boos. “(Orton) hasn’t overwhelmed anybody.”
Before the headlines scream, “Teammate rips Orton,” that wasn’t Broncos linebacker D.J. Williams speaking. It was Denver resident D.J. Williams, 37, who is such a fan he’s seen the team practice three times in the first week.
But even the biggest Broncos’ fans these days are skittish. One fan who claims to have lived and died with the team since its 1960 debut painfully predicted a 3-13 season.
“They paid for the tickets,” backup quarterback Chris Simms said of Thursday’s often unenthusiastic response from fans. “They can do whatever they want.”
Uh, Chris, admission was free.
“I got you,’’ Simms said. “You had to take me on that one.”
At least the fans weren’t booing Simms. They were too busy directing wrath toward Orton, who, if he continues to play in a similar manner at Invesco, eventually might be holding a clipboard and watching Simms.
“Fans can cheer. They can boo,” Orton said with a shrug. “We’ve got good fans, and they’re passionate about their football for sure . . . I missed a couple (of passes). We’ll come back and hit those.”
The next time Orton plays at Invesco in front of fans might be a good time to hit some of those. That will be Denver’s preseason home opener Aug. 30 against Cutler’s Bears.
“No, that’s just football,” new coach Josh McDaniels said when asked if he was surprised by the booing. “It is the National Football League, and that is what people do. They will cheer you when you should be cheered, and boo you when you should be booed. I’ve been around for a while, and I understand that it is going to happen. It doesn’t surprise me, and it doesn’t disappoint me.”
But McDaniels’ thinking was not shared by Prater. While he was busy botching his two straight field goals, the crowd let him have it.
These are educated fans, after all. They know Prater had difficulties from that distance last season, making just 5-of-11 attempts between 40 and 49 yards.
“Yeah, it surprised me,” said Prater, who at least followed the misses with three consecutive made from 44 yards. “There were a couple of other guys (who got booed), and then I missed a kick and they booed me, too. It’s something new. It’s something I ain’t used to. But that’s part of the sport and part of the business, something you’ve got to deal with.
“I feel like people feed on negatives more than anything. I kicked off earlier, and I kicked off well. But you could have heard a pin drop. And then I miss one kick and you hear (boos).”
OK, Broncos fans are a knowledgeable lot. But it might be asking a bit too much for an ovation on a well-placed scrimmage kickoff.
Prater, though, did agree with Bailey that the Broncos must win their fans over after last season’s collapse and the uncertainty the offseason provided.
Once the regular season starts, it remains to be seen if the Broncos can break their single-game home attendance mark of 77,160 set Oct. 29, 2007 against Green Bay. One thing they sure don’t want to challenge is any records for most boos heard during a home game.
champ bailey, chris simms, denver broncos, josh mcdaniels, kyle orton, matt prater, scrimmage
