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Visitors' Chances Regularly Vanish In Denver's Thin Air

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Jay Cutler and the Broncos have created a formidable homefield advantage in the thin air of Invesco Field.

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By IRA KAUFMAN

The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 3, 2008

Updated: 10/03/2008 01:06 am

TAMPA - In seven years on Mike Shanahan's coaching staff in Denver, Bucs assistant Larry Coyer watched with amusement as visiting teams tried to negate one of the NFL's most pronounced homefield advantages.

"Some of them would try to come in a day early and arrive on Friday," Coyer said. "Others would try to load up on the oxygen on the sidelines."

Those tactics tended to vanish into Denver's thin air as the Broncos struck early and often at Invesco Field, which affords opposing players 17 percent less oxygen than is available at sea level.

Since Shanahan was hired in 1995, the Broncos boast the league's best record at home (81-25), including four 8-0 slates and a 2-0 start this year.

"If you look back over the last 30 years, we've got the best homefield record, too," Shanahan said. "I think it has a lot to do with the altitude. I think there's an advantage there. It takes about 10 days to get used to it."

The Bucs will have less than 24 hours.

Tampa Bay is sticking to its normal travel regimen, departing Saturday and hoping to make it a quick, successful business trip to the Rockies.

"This will be my first time playing in Denver and I know they've got a crazy crowd," Bucs defensive tackle Chris Hovan said. "Every time I watch a Broncos game on TV, you can see the cameras shake when that crowd gets going. We know they're banking on getting us tired and jumping on us from the start."

Fellow defensive linemen Ryan Sims and Jimmy Wilkerson already know what to expect. As former members of the AFC West Kansas City Chiefs, both traveled to Denver on an annual basis.

"They've been really, really good at home for a long time," Wilkerson said. "Altitude is a big factor and there's nothing you can do, you just have to fight through it. They like to come out fast at home, so I'm expecting to see it all - reverses, bootlegs, option passes ... the full playbook."

Bucs coach Jon Gruden went 0-4 at Denver when he walked the Raiders sideline and he warns that the co-leaders of the NFC South have more to worry about than thin air and a rabid fan base.

"Forget about the altitude, the crowd noise, the beautiful stadium and the long trip - they're a heck of a football team," he said.

The Bucs haven't visited Denver since 1996, when the Broncos won 27-23, despite 19 tackles by a second-year linebacker named Derrick Brooks.

The Bucs say they are not planning on having extra oxygen available on their sidelines Sunday afternoon. Coyer said the team likely will first become aware of the thin air during pregame warm-ups, when players become a little winded.

That's when the adjustment period begins.

"You won't feel it until you start running," said Sims. "The Broncos can usually start a game out fast because it takes visiting teams a while to get that second wind. We'll be fine. All we have to do is keep our focus, push through it and grab the momentum."

And after 60 minutes, maybe you can breathe easy.

or ikaufman@tampatrib.com.

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