Colorado native Dalton Risner ended his second year in the NFL with a painful 32-31 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders last Sunday. After being selected by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Risner has started all 32 left guard games, bringing stability to a besieged offensive line position room.
Risner will begin his third year with the Broncos, as the team tries to regain its identity. The news that John Elway accepted a senior role in the Denver head office and resigned from GM, combined with that of CEO Joe Ellis, who announced that he had no intention of continuing in his position until 2022, creates more questions you answer for the franchise.
But the Broncos can’t afford a fifth straight season losing. In fact, the Broncos are the first NFL team to win a championship and lose the playoffs over the next five years and if that streak ends, it will take more than a regime change at the top.
On Wednesday, the 25-year-old fan favorite joined 104.3 The fans Nick and Cecil show to reflect on the 2020 season. While Elway and company were looking for a GM, Risner expanded the work needed for players to improve in 2021 and achieve five-year reign in the sucking world.
“Listen, this year we’ve gone from 5 to 11 years,” Risner said The FAN. “Am I marked for that? Yes. I’m even struggling to enjoy the off-season. It’s only been the third day and I want to go back to the gym because I want to be a better football team. It sounds cliché, it sounds easy on the phone. But I promise I’m talking about it.When I look back this year, one thing that makes me proud of the guys is how I got to work every Sunday, not just that, but 365 days a year.You have to work in low season like to a football athlete. You have to work during the week. You have to prepare in the right way. I broke the film every game. “
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According to Pro Football Focus, the 6-foot 5-pound, 312-pound Risner played 1,015 times in the 2020 season. While, at first glance, it may appear to have had a “second-year fall,” a more accurate representation of his performance comes out in cinema and advanced analysis. He allowed six hits in total QB and 28 total pressures. However, he did not register any sanction or permission.
As divided as the fan base is and as disorganized as the team may seem at the moment, Risner says he understands Broncos Country’s frustrations. He should know, growing up on a rural Colorado farm playing six-man football as a fan of the “Orange and Blue.”
“Listen, buddy, it’s special, man,” Risner replied when asked about the difference between Broncos Country and other NFL fan bases. “And guess what? You guys at Broncos Country expect a lot from us and I love it. I wouldn’t want it any other way. I see some of the comments after the games and you know what? I don’t get angry, I respect it. Because they want to that we succeed and that this is resolved and that we look fantastic.I love being Bronco, I never give up on that:
Risner was not afraid to admit the frustration he and his teammates have with the Broncos’ lack of success. But he also revealed the resolution they have to do their part to turn the ship around in 2021.
“We’re fed up with how we are now,” Risner said. “As players, we have to find out. Coaches can call plays and the organization can make positioning needs, draft and get the guys in. But the truth, guys, with the guys we had on our team football this year And I think we are a much better team than 5-11, even with the injuries we have had.It is our job inside the room, it is our job in the low season to find out. watching the Broncos football grow and I was a part of this thing I grew up.I grew up in this thing.I was the kid who every Sunday was ruined, I didn’t want to go to school if the Broncos lost.I know what it’s like to be a Bronco man, I love it. “
Follow Luke on Twitter @LukePattersonLP i @MileHighHuddle.