Words were printed about the Denver Broncos defense yesterday that border on insane. The Denver Post wrote that the Broncos’ secondary could be the best in the league. (The secondary is the last line of defense on an NFL team, and includes the cornerbacks and the safeties.) For the Broncos, that means cornerbacks Champ Bailey and Andre Goodman, and safeties Brian Dawkins and Renaldo Hill.

Rookie Alphonso Smith, a third-string cornerback, could be a star in the next few years and has already proved that his heart is as big as his drive on a 2008 trip to Africa (via the Longmont Times-Call).

Nobody will quibble with the talent and character of the names listed above, but it’s an entirely different thing to actually stop offenses on the field. The Broncos’ defense in 2008 was atrocious, ranking 29 out of 32 teams overall, according to NFL.com. I’ve been a Broncos fan since I was old enough to understand football, and I want nothing more than for the defense to bring this team back to the playoffs. But it’s going to take a lot more than big words in the Post and solid character to do it.