Mile High Monday: Bridgewater set to make Broncos history on Sunday

Sep 6, 2021, 7:32 AM

Denver Sports Analyst

We are less than one week away from regular season NFL football. In fact, the regular season kicks off on Thursday, as the Dallas Cowboys take on the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

I like when the regular season is here. All the work from the offseason is done, training camp is done, and the preseason is done. Now, it’s time to see how that hard work pays off in terms of wins and losses.

I also like contemplating life and sports when driving around with the top down on my old Jeep TJ! The following is a result of those trips during the week.

Buckle up, let’s take a ride through my thoughts.

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Broncos History

When Teddy Bridgewater starts against the Giants in Week 1, he will be the first African American quarterback to begin the regular season as the starter for the Broncos. According to my research, 31 of 32 teams have had an African American quarterback to begin the season as the starter – with the Broncos being No. 31.

They were the first team to have an African American starter in professional football back in 1968 when Marlin Briscoe played for the Broncos. That was a few weeks into the season, and now Bridgewater gets to kick things off for the Broncos in 2021.

Bridgewater understands the significance of starting in Week 1.

“Yeah, hopefully it’s not a part of the conversation anymore, but it’s a great milestone, I guess. There will be a ton of young athletes who come after me and hopefully I can just be a source of motivation to them moving forward, whether it’s black quarterbacks who are kids right now. It’s just a unique opportunity that I’m grateful for. I get to go out and compete for this organization and try to hopefully get this organization back to where it was in 2015,” Bridgewater said.

.@teddyb_h2o dropped dimes all #NFLPreseason.

Can’t wait to see what the @Broncos QB1 does in the regular season. pic.twitter.com/JXYfoVLvnE

— NFL (@NFL) September 3, 2021

The Broncos must win now, and they’ve chosen Bridgewater to be the guy to help them do that. He’s got a charisma as a starter that teammates love. Bridgewater is not a yeller, but instead he asks a lot of himself and his teammates – and that leads to strong relationships bonded in the huddle and on the field.

The Broncos staff is getting a “Last Dance” to prove themselves, and Bridgewater is the guy that is going to start the season with the idea things can be much better than many think.

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Howell at the Moon

Things got off to a rocky start for North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell. In the Tar Heels season opener against the Hokies of Virginia Tech, Howell was under duress all game long finishing with three interceptions in the 17-10 loss.

This had “Draft Twitter” in an uproar, as Howell is considered one of the top quarterbacks in the 2022 NFL Draft. The junior was hyped up as a Heisman Trophy contender in 2021 and did not live up to the hype in this game.

Sam Howell's 2021 debut:
🔹 17/32, 208 yards
🔹 1 TD
🔹 3 INTs
🔹 Sacked 6 times pic.twitter.com/ys8ZeVY7tk

— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 4, 2021

Even though his Heisman hopes may be dashed, it doesn’t mean that his draft stock is going to take a tumble. It’s a long season and Howell should still be considered a top quarterback in the 2022 NFL Draft. He’s likely to be a first-round pick, and there’s a good chance that he’s going off the board as a top-10 pick.

He’s arguably the best deep-ball passer in his upcoming draft class. I like the way that Howell leads his receivers and puts plenty of touch on those explosive plays. Simply put, Howell makes it easy with touch and pass placement for his receivers on deep routes. His footwork is clean, and Howell has the athleticism to keep plays alive with his feet while keeping his eyes down the field. There’s a lot to like about his game – and one bad game isn’t enough to overturn the film he already has out there.

Howell will learn from his bad game against Virginia Tech. However, scouts will learn a lot about the young man too. They’ll learn how he performs under pressure (something BYU’s Zach Wilson struggled with yet was taken no.2 overall by the Jets in 2021), and they’ll learn how he responds to adversity.

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The Truth Hurts

One of the most outspoken players on the Broncos roster is defensive end Shelby Harris. He was cut six different times by three NFL teams but has found a home to thrive with the Broncos. Because of his background of grinding it out in the NFL, Harris has no time for small talk.

Last week, when talking about the team’s slow starts in the month of September, Harris did not pull any punches.

“We’ve talked about it before because we’re like, ‘How are we going to change it?’ It’s not a secret. We’ve sucked in September, so we have to get better. There’s no other way about it. We have not won a game in September in the last two years. We have to be better, and we have to come out of the gate faster. That’s something that we’ve all emphasized, and we want to fix and correct it,” Harris said.

Our slow September starts are no secret.@ShelbyHarris93 is determined to not let history repeat itself.

📰 » https://t.co/zoukHwTg4U pic.twitter.com/SILaZWbVh1

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) September 2, 2021

Harris is correct, the team has sucked in September over the past couple of years. They’re 0-7 in the month of September under head coach Vic Fangio. This year, the schedule sets up for the Broncos to win all three of their games in September. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Broncos began the season 3-0 before entering their Week 4 game against the Baltimore Ravens – but that game is in the beginning of October.

Momentum is a powerful tool that teams can use to win games some don’t expect them to. Having leaders like Harris on the roster with a thirst for winning will greatly help this team overachieve in the 2021 season – a year that perhaps ends with a playoff (Wild Card) appearance.

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Another MCU Record-Breaker

It looks like the Marvel Cinematic Universe has done it again. This week, the latest MCU film “Shang Chi: Legend of the Ten Rings” was released to theaters and it looks like a big hit. With the benefit of a four-day weekend box office, “Shang Chi” is on track to make $75-85 million during that time. That would be a record for Labor Day weekend.

Breaking the record would also be a good sign for the movie industry – one of the hardest hit industries during the pandemic. People are warming up to the idea of going back to the movies, and theaters have been doing a good job of making their customers feel safe as we still deal with COVID-19. Having this huge weekend for “Shang Chi” is a sign of a return to normalcy – and the sign of a great film.

I think “Shang Chi” is one of the best MCU films over the last 10 years. I hold a special place in my heart for “Avengers: Infinity War” or “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” and this ranks right up there with them. If you love action movies with great humor and a strong message, then “Shang Chi” is for you. If you’re a big MCU fan, then of course you’re going to see this movie – and multiple viewings are certainly an option!

Many of you are getting out of your #ShangChi showings and asking were my spoiler review is…

HERE YOU GO! 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Let's talk FIGHT SCENES
& CHARACTERS!

So much to discuss!#Marvel #MCU #SPOILERS https://t.co/e4fvSmW2Et

— Grace Randolph (@GraceRandolph) September 2, 2021