T.J. Ward to Broncos DBs: Don’t worry about expectations
Apr 21, 2021, 11:41 AM | Updated: 11:53 am
T.J. Ward is familiar with lofty expectations, which is to be expected for a former member of the once nearly unstoppable Denver Broncos “No Fly Zone.”
And when Ward, cornerback Aqib Talib and defensive end DeMarcus Ware all joined the Broncos in the 2014 offseason, on paper those expectations were sky-high.
“On paper we thought we were going to be the best defense ever. But our bubble got burst that year,” Ward told “Schlereth & Evans” on Wednesday amid his announcing his retirement from the NFL.
“We were still a top five defense, I believe, but we didn’t put it on the field like we anticipated, like we thought we could, like we knew we could,” Ward added.
Indeed, that season Denver ranked third in total yards given up (4,883) but were tied for 16th for points against (354).
The next season however, under the guidance of defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, the Broncos defense and what would become the legendary “No Fly Zone” was the top unit in the NFL.
Ward credits that leap to throwing the expectations “out the window” and focusing on being the best defense they could be together.
“It wasn’t even about being the best defense of all time, being the best defense in the league,” Ward said. “We just wanted to be the best defense we could be.”
And while not exactly “No Fly Zone” tier expectations, this year’s Broncos secondary has been touted among the most exciting to watch … on paper.
“I’ve been poking my head in and out, hearing some news, paying attention here and there. I think they’ve put together a good secondary,” Ward said. “It’s to be seen what they can do together because everything is about cohesion, how you work with one another.”
Ward offered a word of advice to the newly assembled Broncos defensive backfield: Don’t worry about measuring yourself against the “No Fly Zone.”
“Don’t worry about being anybody else,” Ward said. “Worry about being that group you’ve got in that meeting room and making each other better, and everything else can handle itself.”
