According to ESPN, Travis Henry will not play against the Bears this weekend. Henry was first injured in the game against the Detroit Lions. The result was a partially tore posterior cruciate ligament in his knee. "He's got the flu, he's got the knee, it's not looking good," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said Friday after practice. "Other than that, he's doing fine." This will be his 3rd straight missed game and Selvin Young will get the start if he is healthy enough to play. Henry is still waiting on word from the NFL regarding a possible one year suspension for a violation of the substance abuse policy.
The Broncos are really banged up at the running back position after backup RB Selvin Young injured his knee last week during the Titans game. Young was limited in practice on Friday after missing practice Wednesday and Thursday. Coach Mike Shanahan said that Young will be a game-time decision for Sunday's game against the Bears, which means Andre Hall will start if Selvin can't go. My guess is that we will see split carries 60/40 Young with Andre coming in to give Sevlin some rest. Both are rookie running backs and need to focus on holding on to the ball. Fullback Kyle Johnson was resigned by the Broncos and we still have Mike Bell for additional running back depth. This puts more pressure on Cutler to move the offense effectively. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Friday, November 23, 2007
Travis Henry Sidelined Again
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Javon Walker to play versus Chicago
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Recap: Titans vs. Broncos
The Broncos have now won 2 straight games for the second time this season. The only question is whether they can continue to play inspired football. After defeating the Titans 34 to 20 in front of a national audience, the Broncos are now tied for first place in the AFC West. For the first time this year the Broncos played great in every facet of the game; offense, defense, and special teams. We are now 5-5 after playing one of the most difficult first half schedules in the league.
The Titans are a physical team and have been playing good football, which is what makes this victory all the more sweet. Unlike some of our previous games we got up early and continued to make plays. The offense is finally making big plays and had 3 touchdown plays of more than 40 yards. These big plays are taking the pressure off of the defense and allowing the Broncos to play more physical football. I was fortunate enough to be at the game and I couldn't be happier with the Broncos team that showed up to play this past Monday night. What a BIG win for the Broncos. This team is showing a lot of character and is finally playing physical football. It's a good week to be a Broncos fan.
Defense
The defense played very well overall, however the numbers do not accurately reflect their performance. As we are all aware the primary deficiency in our defense is our inability to stop the run game. We gave up 133 yards on the ground, which does not sound all that impressive until you realize that we held Tennessee's primary rusher to only 42 yards with a 3.2 per carry average. The majority of the rushing yards came via the quick feet of Vince Young in passing situations. VY had 74 yards rushing and one TD. He is a special player and I feel that the Broncos did a very good job containing him. Young passed for 305 yards and a touchdown on 41 attempts, but made his typical mental errors and threw for 2 picks. The Broncos constantly kept a QB spy on Young which allowed him to dump short passes off to the backs or TEs. He received quite a bit of yardage as a result, but only averaged 7.4 yards per pass play.
The defensive line played their second good game in a row. While they did not get a whole lot of pressure on the quarterback, they did play the run well. The lack of pressure is more a result of Young's ability to move around a make plays then an actual lack of execution. Bates has moved away for the big body defensive lineman and has now focused on making speed and strength the core of the defensive scheme. We are playing much better as a result. Good coaches design schemes around the personnel and not the other way around. It took Bates half the season to realize the error of his ways, but at least he was man enough to say "Hey, this isn't working. We need to make an adjustment." Crowder played a great game against his former college teammate and ended the game with 2 tackles and 1 sack. "Johnny Hustle" Engelberger showed some toughness by fighting through a 3rd degree shoulder separation and chalking up 3 tackles to lead all D Lineman.
The linebackers are really starting to step up. It appears that they are finally getting comfortable with Jim Bates scheme. They are no longer hesitating and are attacking downhill. Ian Gold led the team with 8 tackles (7 solo), an interception, and a fumble recovery playing an overall solid game. He is still over running some plays and he missed a few tackles, but has improved 10 fold compared to his early season performances. Welcome back Ian, we missed you. DJ Williams has been playing great football. He seems much more comfortable in the MLB position now and ended the game with 7 tackles (5 solo). His improvement in the passing game is also noticeable. He has been taking deep drops in passing situations and has really made players pay for coming across the middle. I just love the physical play he is bringing to this defense. Webster also played a good game with 5 tackles, which is pretty solid considering the Broncos played a lot of nickel packages (Webster comes off the field in nickel and dime packages).
The secondary is really starting to come together after battling injuries through the first half of the season. Young challenged the secondary with his run/ pass ability and they played solid a game against him. I predicted that Champ and Dre' would both "snag a VY floater." 
Well I was half right, Dre' Bly had a great interception in the 4th quarter to ice the game. Both of our star corners played well with 5 tackles each. Hamza Abdullah continued his high level of play notching 8 tackles (6 solo). He has made a huge difference and is one of the reasons we are playing so much better. Lynch and Foxworth were rotating at free safety when the defense was in obvious passing situations. This is a really good coaching adjustment by Jim Bates. Foxworth had been playing well when Lynch was injured and provides much better pass coverage and ball hawking ability. Lynch had 5 tackles (4 solo) and was a big reason we played the run so well. Foxworth ended the game with 4 (2 solo). I hope we continue the situational rotation at the free safety spot.
Stopping the run was the priority and we were able to do that defensively. The LBs had another good game and made plays. The defense really came out and hit against a physical football team. I think we really made a statement and this should give us some confidence and swagger down the stretch. Still we need to continue to get better and take care of business on Sundays.
Week 10 Defensive MVP
- Ian Gold - 8 tackles (7 solo), fumble recovery, and an interception.
Offense
Due to injuries the Broncos really struggled to find their groove early in the season, but they seem to have found some serious production. We were able to move the ball at will on one of the better defenses in the league and had 3 offensive touchdowns of 40 yards or more. We were effective both on the ground and through the air. Jay Cutler had the best game of his young career by passing 16/21 for 200 yards and 2 TDs. He did a great job managing the game by not turning over the ball and coming up with a number of big plays. Cutler made some spectacular throws and there is no doubt that he has all the skills to be a great quarterback. His first touchdown to Brandon Stokley was thrown over the LBs right into the open zone between the safeties, a great ball. Cutler moved away from pressure in the pocket and was putting balls on the money. He kept the Titans defense off balance the entire game, they simply could not stop him.
Selvin Young and Andre Hall ran the ball effectively and most importantly held on to the ball. Young left the game in the second half with a knee injury after running for 54 yards on 14 carries. This left the door open for Hall who later took a run off the left side for 62 yards and a touchdown. He finished with 7 carries for 89 yards and a TD. I have been impressed with both backs ability to always fall forward to get those extra couple yards. Hopefully we can overcome some injuries and continue to hold on to the ball.
The offensive line played a great game. Granted the Titans best player (Albert Haynesworth) did not play, but they still contained Vanden Bosch and an overall strong unit. Cutler had all day to pass the ball and we were able to get movement on rushing plays. We played a lot of max protect to help out the offensive line and we need to continue to protect Cutler. We have a young line and they are gaining critical game experience.
The TEs and WRs have stepped up since the drop fest in Detriot. Stokley continues to be consistent and seems to catch just about everything thrown his way. He had 3 catches for 75 yards and a touchdown, a 25 yard average. B Marsh is playing great ball right now, especially for a 2nd year player. He has all the skills and a unique blend of size and speed. If we can get Javon Walker back, the Broncos will have one of the most potent 3 WR sets in the NFL. We are really utilizing our best players by playing a lot of single back double tight or I-Form 2 WR. This has really helped to get Scheffler and Graham some quality looks. Scheffler had 3 catches for 38 yards and DG had 2 for 20 yards. The Broncos have been spreading the ball around and getting everybody involved.
Week 10 Offensive MVP
- Jay Cutler 16/21 200 yards and 2 TDs - QB Rating 137.0.
Special Teams
The Broncos have really improved on special teams each and every week so far this season. Some of the free agent pick-ups are playing all out on kickoff and punt coverage. I know that I have not been very high on Glenn Martinez, but he had an excellent punt return for a touchdown by going against the grain and finding a seam. However he did have a critical fumble on a punt that gave the Titans great field position and a chance to cut it close. He still needs to be more consistent, break a big play or two just like this past week and hold on to the ball. His punt return really put the Titans in a difficult situations by giving the Broncos a 14 point lead in the middle of the first quarter.
Going Forward
We are starting to come together as a team. A lot of the media has pointed to the "players only" meeting called by the veterans after the Detroit drumming as the reason for the turnaround. I think that is only part of the story, but certainly it circled the wagons and woke this team from its slumber. I think the coaches have been also doing a good job by making adjustments and that has really corrected a number of issues. We need to continue to focus and play physical football. There are still a lot of work to do, so we need to keep our players healthy and take it one week at a time. The Broncos are right in the mix and if we can get hot the second half of the season, we could really surprise some people come the post season. (AP Photos/Jack Dempsey)
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Yorvit Torrealba Expected to Sign with Mets
ESPN is reporting that Yorvit Torrealba has agreed to a 3 year 15 million dollar deal with the New York Mets. The Ex-Rockies catcher played very well for them last season and was rewarded with a very nice new deal. I don't think the Rockies were willing to pay that much for a catcher that doesn't hit consistently and can't throw out base stealers. Thanks for the great year Yorvit and good luck to you next season. The Rockies might go after Paul Lo Duca or possibly give the reigns to Chris Iannetta.
The Nuggets are beginning to roll!
After the embarrassing loss to the Boston Celtics last Wednesday, the Nuggets have decided they no longer want to play mediocre basketball. They realize when you play mediocre, lazy, energy-less basketball you are bound to get humiliated. It seems that type of play has left a bad taste in their mouths and since then they have reeled of 4 straight wins. Denver can attribute their recent wave of good play to hard-nose defense, unselfishness on the offensive end and great bench play. As long as Denver plays their best all -around game each night and continue to improve they will become major contenders come playoff time.
The Nuggets have the 4th best defensive efficiency in the league according to John Hollinger of ESPN. Their defensive game all starts with energy and effort. Recently, the Nuggets have been all over the court. Allen Iverson is doing more then just scoring points, he has been hounding the opposition's guards and is nabbing balls in passing lanes. This has led to AI being at the top of the NBA in steals. Melo is also doing his part, really showing an increased intensity on the defensive end. Camby and a revitalized K - Mart have been protecting the rim and grabbing every rebound in sight. Camby is in the top 5 in the league in both rebounds and blocks. K-Mart is beginning to show that stellar one-on -one defense that led to his great reputation as a lock-down post defender. The bench has really done a great job of coming in and bringing energy and hustle to the defense end. Guys like Diawara, Klieza, JR Smith and Bobby Jones have been playing perimeter defense extremely well against the oppositions shooting guards and small forwards. Each brings his own style of defense to the table and it seems to wear on the opponents best scorer. It's imperative for our defense to rebound, block shots and steal the basketball. When this happens we get a chance to get up and down the court and score the basketball more easily. All in all its been a great combined effort from all of the Nuggets defensively
I really like what I see on the offensive end as well. I think we will improve on our fast break offense, which has been a little sloppy so far in the early season. We just need to make the best decision and not turn the ball over. But, mostly I am pleased with our 5-5 set offense that we have been running. When the double team comes on Anthony, he quickly passes to either a perimeter scorer or a player slashing to the basket. We move the ball nicely and seem to find the open man a lot more often then I can remember in past seasons. It's also important to mention the play of JR Smith. Smith has been handling the point guard duties for 20 - 25 minutes a night and really has showed what type of skills, as a player, he possesses. He is much more under control then years previous, he is making the extra pass, penetrating and dishing to the open man, and when he is open knocking down the open 3. This team could be unstoppable if JR continues his hot play.
The bench has been big reason why this team has won 4 games in a row. It seems like every night a different player is stepping up and hitting a big 3 pointer, grabbing a rebound in traffic, or keeping a play alive with their hustle. As previously stated JR Smith has been exceptional at the point, shooting the three, penetrating the lane and using his athleticism on the defensive end to get his hands on the ball. Linas Klieza is also started off the season well with getting to the rim and rebounding the basketball. Bobby Jones has been our spark plug on the defensive end, really hustling around making plays. He certainly brings a spark to whichever unit is on the floor. Of course you have to mention Eddie "Hustle" Najera, he has been great coming off the bench giving his usual hustle and energy.
The last couple of years it seemed like it was always about just trying to score as many points as possible while everybody selfishly tries to "get theirs." This year you can really see the team understand what it takes to win on a consistent basis in this league. It takes sound team defense and execution on the offensive end. Both of which the Nuggets have done very effectively in this 4 game winning streak. Let's hope they continue to play with this type of team effort for the rest of the season. We know that this team has talent, the question remains if they can mold that talent into a total team effort. So far, So good.
Go Nuggets!
Game Preview: Titans vs Broncos
Offense
Expect the Broncos to use a lot of double tight sets to provide max protection on passing plays and get mismatches on the TEs. We must get the ball to Scheffler and DG on the short to intermediate routes. They will also utilize those extra blockers in the running game against a very strong Titans run defense. The zone-blocking scheme needs to be effective against Tennessee's front four to open up cut back lanes and wall off defenders. We will run the ball inside to keep the defense honest, however I expect to see more zone stretch plays and off tackle running than normal. We want to attack the edge of the Titans defense and take the pressure off of the replacement interior offensive lineman. The Broncos will game plan around the Titans best defensive player Albert Haynesworth. He is a force against the run and collapses the pocket in passing situations. If we are able to run the ball effectively that should open up plenty of opportunities to get Cutler out of the pocket on play action passes. I expect to see a balanced workload between the two backs Henry and Young until Shanahan can identify which back is more effective against the defense.
The Broncos must get yards on 1st and 2nd down either through the running game or on short to intermediate pass plays. The Titans defense is not nearly as good in 2nd or 3rd and short situations, so we must stay out of 3rd and long to avoid a forced turnover. This game will be more about Cutler than some of our previous games. He needs to make completions and force the defense to play the pass by leaving only 7 in the box. B Marsh will get plenty of looks and he needs to use his athleticism to break a big play or two. We lack a serious deep threat to stretch the defense, but don't be surprised when we take a few shots down field to Marshall or Scheffler on the seam. The Titans will key on Marshall so we need Stokley to continue his consistent play.
If we can not run the ball effectively we need to use the aggressiveness of the defense to our advantage. They will probably blitz to try and keep Cutler off balance. We will need to counter by utilizing screen plays to Young, slants to Marshall, and a variety of quick drop back passes to the TEs. This will be a very physical game, however if we can get on top early that will play right into the hands of our defensive secondary.
Defense
The Titans are not a team that will beat you with offensive prowess, they play hard nose football and make enough plays to win games. There is absolutely no doubt that the Titans will run the ball right at the Broncos. They will try and play physical ball control offense and give the rock to White and Brown. If they can get the running game going, they will run play action and get Vince Young out of the pocket to give him the pass/ run option. We will play 8 men in the box and focus first on stopping the run. If we struggle, we could drop 9 in the box and leave the corners in man to man with no help over the top. Stopping the run is the priority. The LBs need to have another good game and make plays. They must attack the ball inside-out and maintain their lane integrity and gap responsibility. The Titans have big running backs so we must wrap up on tackles and attack the their RBs low.
When the Titans pass the ball the Broncos will leave at least one QB spy to keep VY from making plays with his feet. The Titans have an average receiving core that does not pose a real threat to the strong Broncos defensive secondary. However TE Bo Scaife is VY favorite target and can make some plays, so we need to be aware of him when he's on the field. The issues arise when VY starts making plays with his feet. The Broncos will move towards the line to help contain Young and it will open up holes in the secondary. Both LenDale White and Bo Scaife are Denver natives and will be focused on playing well in front of friends and family.
Obviously Young has not passed the ball well this year and I expect that to continue. We should be able to force a couple turnovers through the air - Bailey and Bly each snag a VY floater. To help the secondary, especially when in man to man, the defensive line needs to get pressure. Dumervil and Crowder need to keep Young in the pocket and close on him fast. My man, Hamza Abdullah will again be playing the strong safety position and needs to play with reckless abandon like he has the last two games. The defense really started to play physical football and that needs to continue. I saw glimpses of the D starting to come together, congratulating each other after plays and helping each other up. They must set the tempo physically and play as a unit.Overall
We have to play mistake free football. The Titans are a good team that can hang around and beat you at the buzzer. We need to get up early and force Vince Young to throw the ball. We have been having way too many mental errors and need to stop receiving so many damn penalties. If we can contain the run and move the ball on offense we should be able to pull out a victory, but this one will be hard fought. (Photo Rocky Mountain News/ Denver Post)
Denver Broncos 23 Tennessee Titans 16
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Another Defensive Tackle Cut from Broncos Roster
Peterson was suspended for the first month of the season after violating the league's substance abuse policy. The suspension was a result of using a banned dietary supplement. Defensive coordinator Jim Bates worked with Peterson while he was the coach in Green Bay. Peterson is familiar with Bates' system, or lack there of, and should be able to step in immediately.
What is strange is the fact that the Broncos felt Peterson could not make an impact and cut him no more than a month ago. Now we turn around and sign him after cutting yet another DT. We find ourselves with only 4 defensive tackles, one of which is not in game shape. Peterson is not the big body Bates supposedly covets, he is the smallest of the DT. Peterson is 6'3" 285 lbs in his 5th year out of Ohio State. I'm obviously concerned that we only have 4 active DT, especially in goal-line and short yardage situations. It appears as if the Broncos have decided the large DT they targeted in the pre-season are now no longer the priority due to the serious lack of personnel. Instead they have now focused on making speed and strength the core of the defensive scheme. What a mess! The personnel decision this year have been beyond horrible. General Manager Ted Sundquist should definitely be on the hot seat.
Broncos and Shanahan support Travis Henry's appeal
In a string of recent "bad luck", this is good news for Travis Henry. While it may or may not impact the final ruling with the NFL, it certainly does not hurt to have your team and one of the most respected coaches in the league backing you. Henry has been dealing with bruised ribs and a bum knee the past few weeks, but is expected to play versus his old team, the Tennessee Titans, on Monday night. However with the emergence of Selvin Young, I would expect the tandem to share the load against Tennessee. (Photo AP)
Monday, November 12, 2007
Broncos Recap: Broncos vs Chiefs
The first half wasn't exactly a barn-burner. Despite numerous early mistakes, 6 penalties in the 1st quarter and a blocked punt for a safety, the Broncos were still in the game with an 8 to 6 Kansas City lead at the end of two. It was the opportunistic defense that opened it up in the 3rd quarter with 14 points coming off forced turnovers. Huard was injured in the 3rd quarter after Elvis Dumervil dropped the hammer on a hard sack and forced a fumble. Nate Webster scooped up the lose ball and brought it 20 yards for 6. The defense didn't give up any big plays and stiffened up in the red zone not allowing a single Kansas City touchdown. The Broncos put the game out of reach by driving 57 yards for a touchdown in the 4th quarter. Baily intercepted a Brodie Croyle pass in the middle of the 4th quarter to finish it off.
Defense
Overall we played a very good defensive game. However it is difficult to assess whether our defense looked good due to significantly improved play or because the Kansas City offense is so pitiful, especially without Larry Johnson. So while we did play well, let's keep in mind we still have a long ways to go defensively. The Broncos held KC to only 67 yards rushing for a 3 yard average. This is the actual number of total rushing yards, I know it is hard to believe with this Broncos rush defense. We continued to stack 8 in the box to stop the run, only this time it actually worked. Kansas City passed for 217 yards on 23 completions, but attempted 45 passes completing just over 50%. The secondary's coverage was quite good and allowed a very low 4.8 yards per pass.
What a difference a week makes. The D-Line played much better. They held the line of attack and did get some pressure on the QB. Elvis Dumervil is an animal, all he does is make plays. He leads the Broncos in sacks and plays hard on every single play. Teams have started keying on him in pass protection and he still continues to get pressure. His outside speed rush beat LT Terry and crushed Huard for a sack and a fumble. That play created 7 Broncos points and 2 TD within 9 seconds, after the first half saw only 13 combined total points. For KC struggling offense, this put the game almost out of reach. Rookie DE Tim Crowder also played well with 3 tackles and 2 sacks. Jim Bates must have seen the error of his ways and placed Crowder back in the rotation at DE. Bates had been playing Crowder out of place as a DT in passing situations, a position he has never played and does not fit. The other D Lineman didn't light up the highlight reel but did consistently play their role and that is all that is required in our defensive scheme.
The linebackers put on a clinic against the Chiefs. They played extremely well as a group. DJ Williams played well again with 7 tackles and was all over the field. He has a nose for the ball and was flying around. Ian Gold finally awoke from his slumber and started to play like we are use to seeing. Gold was chasing down players from the back-side and providing good pass coverage. He had 6 tackles and a sack on a linebacker blitz. Nate Webster also played well, finishing the game with 5 tackles and a 20 yard fumble recovery for a TD. The linebackers are finally attacking the ball inside-out and maintaining their lane integrity and gap responsibility.
When the Broncos can stop the run our secondary is nearly impenetrable. Our starting CB tandem Bly and Bailey both had interceptions in addition to the 5 tackles for Bly and 3 tackles for Bailey. Dre' Bly was matched up against Tony Gonzalez quite a bit during the game and played well against KC. John Lynch did not play, missing his 3rd game this year. Jim Bates made some personnel adjustments at the safety position after having issues there during the first half of the year. Foxworth, who typically plays the nickel corner, played the free safety position replacing Lynch. Foxworth dropped an interception early in the game and had 3 tackles, playing an overall solid game. As good as those 3 were, the best player in the secondary was Hamza Abdullah the 3rd year player out of Washington State. He started at strong safety replacing Nick Ferguson, a change that I feel was long over due. Ferguson had not been playing well in pass coverage and is simply too old (32 years) and slow to play safety in the NFL anymore. Abdullah was all over the field making hits and flying to the ball. He lead the team with 8 total tackles, all solo. He typically played in the box as the 8th man and played very well against the run. Abdullah should start at the strong safety position for the rest of the year. Even the nickel and dime corners played well. Karl Paymah, the nickel corner, had an interception and 3 tackles.
For once I'm really proud of how the defense played against the Chiefs. They played well against the run with 8 in the box and created opportunities on defense (3 INT, 4 Sacks, 1 Fumble, 1 TD). Most importantly they started to bring the wood, they were hitting people and setting the tone physically.
Offense
The offense came out strong by scoring a field goal on our first drive and was able to move the ball against a strong Kansas City defense. Cutler showed a lot of toughness by fighting through his leg injury and playing the entire game. He didn't light it up, but was productive we he needed to be. Cutler passed 29 times and had 17 completions for 192 yards and rushed for 21 yards. He made an early mistake by throwing a pick that resulted in a Kansas City field goal. When he is behind center our offense is potent and well balanced.
The best player on offense was not Jay Cutler, it was the undrafted rookie Selvin Young. This kid is good. Period. He has great vision, explosive speed, and tremendous acceleration. He has the ability to turn a typical 4 yard gain into a 30 yard burst up-field. His ablity to gain ground on the run opened up the Broncos offense and allowed it to get into a rhythm. Young ended the day with 20 rushes for 109 yards 1TD and 3 catches for 20 yards. His 5.5 yards per rush put the Broncos into a lot of 2nd and 3rd in short situation. He was even good in pass protection. Young reminds me of a mix between Maurice Jones-Drew and Brian Westbrook. He is the real deal if he can hold on to the ball.
The offensive line did a good job of opening up holes and protecting Cutler in most passing situations. The Chiefs played with 7 men in the box most of the game and the O-line, with the assistance of Selvin Young, made them pay. The Broncos have to be licking their chops anytime a defense decides to play 7 against the run. We played hard-nose Broncos football and ran at the defense. This helped to open up opportunities for the play action pass.
Shanahan made the necessary adjustments and started utilizing his best offensive play-makers. We played a lot of singleback double tight 2 WR sets. This put our best playmakers on the field with Young, Marshall, Stokley, Graham, and Scheffler. The Broncos would often split out Scheffler and get the mismatch with the linebacker in coverage. This package got the TEs some quality looks. Daniel "DG" Graham had 2 catches for 20 yards and TD. Tony Scheffler had 3 catches for 20 yards. Brandon Marshall rebounded nicely from his drop fest in Detroit. He hauled in 6 balls for 85 yards and continued to get the majority of the looks from Cutler. He is still a young player, but he continues to get better.
Special Teams
With the exception of the blocked punt for a safety, the Broncos special teams have improved each week. They have started to swarm and hit on kick-off return and punt return coverage. The special team player of the game was Andre Hall, the back up running back. He had 4 kick-off returns for 103 yards, a 25.8 yard average. Hall also had 2 special team tackles. We need to get stronger on punt protection and Glenn Martinez was not good in the punt return game.
Going Forward
The Broncos are now 2nd in the AFC West with 7 games remaining. I still feel that the we can play competitive football down the stretch. According to Football Outsiders, a site that analyzes football statistics, the Denver Broncos have had the most difficult schedule of any NFL team over first 8 weeks of the season. The Broncos have the 24th most difficult schedule over the next 8 games, including KC. If the Broncos continue to improve, they have a decent chance of winning 5 or 6 games down the stretch. We just need to take it one game at a time and play solid football. At the end of 16, we could be in a good position for a possible playoff berth. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
Friday, November 9, 2007
Broncos releasing Simeon Rice
Simeon Rice was clearly unhappy playing with the Denver Broncos and the Broncos were unhappy with his performance and attitude this year. Rice signed a one-year $3 million contract with the Broncos after being released by the Tampa Bay at the start of the 2007 season. The 12-year veteran had a lingering shoulder injury and probably should never have been signed by the Broncos in the first place. As previously reported by DMHS, Rice had been voicing his frustration with his lack of playing time despite seriously under-performing on the field (7 total tackles, 0 sacks). He openly acknowledged regretting signing with the Broncos. According to ESPN, the Broncos are negotiating a settlement with Rice after he had requested and was granted his released.
This guy clearly has a bad attitude while with Denver and is way past his prime. Don't let the door hit you on the way out. Good riddance!!! I'm sure the Broncos will come up with another "genius" personnel move to replace Rice. I hear Charles Haley, Bruce Smith, and Alfred Williams are available on the FA market and I'm sure the Broncos will give those young-bucks a tryout.
Nene out 6 weeks
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Simeon Rice complains about lack of playing time
Wow Simeon, you sound like a player really eager to contribute to your team. Let's look at your stats so far this season, 7 tackles 0 sacks. You simply do not deserve to play more because you are not playing well. Not playing well is not a result of not getting enough of snaps. You are averaging a stellar .7 tackles per game. Maybe it is time you stop thinking about other teams/ next year and focus on the one you are currently playing for (that's the Broncos in case you forgot). I wouldn't give you a cracker jack salary to play for my team, and I'm betting other teams will agree. You are past your prime. When you leave at the end of this year please take Engelberger and Adams with you.
Cutler to play vs. KC
Of course the Broncos don't want to tip their hand too early and want to force the Chiefs to prepare for both Ramsey and Cutler. Coach Herm Edwards seems to be confident that Cutler would play, but they are also studying Patrick Ramsey's performance, or lack there of, just in case.
Clearly Cutler is the key to the offense and without him the chances for a Broncos victory are about as good as a one legged man in an ass kicking contest. I think Cutler is sending a message to his team, that he is not giving up on this season and he is going to lead this team injured or not. This is exactly what we want to see. Cutler may not be an "in your face" leader like some QBs or players in the NFL, but he is leading by example. I would rather have a player that can walk the walk then just talk the talk.
I have heard that some fans would like let our young star rest and heal fully since they feel the season is practically a lost cause. That is absolutely ridiculous. We need to give our young players reps because that is the only way they are going to improve. And in case you forgot we are only 1 game out of first place in the pitiful AFC West. The remainder of our games are against teams that are .500 or below, with the exception of the Titans. Character is not made when everything is going right, it's when your backs are against the wall and nobody believes you can win. We will soon see what type of character this team has. (PHOTO: RYAN McKEE / RICH CLARKSON AND ASSOCIATES)
Tulowitzki Robbed of Gold Glove
Jimmy Rollins came away with the award for the NL at Short Stop. Let's compare the two. Below are the #'s starting with Errors, Fielding PCT, Assists, Put Out's, Total Chances and Double Plays:
Troy Tulowitzki - 11 .987 561 262 834 114
Jimmy Rollins - 11 .985 479 227 717 110
In the words of the great Chris Farley......"Hmmmmm That's a mystery."
Troy has a better fielding percentage, more assists, put outs, and double plays. He had over 110 more chances then Rollins - meaning that he got to more balls. Even when Tulo did get all those extra chances he turned them into outs, all while committing the same amount of errors.
It's extremely disappointing that an award of this magnitude (it's very important to many major leaguers), can overlook the best player at his position. Really, it is not even close statistacally. It is very frustrating as a fan, after watching Tulo play well all year and not get recognized for his efforts. It's also important to note that Tulo lead the Majors in all of those categories, not just the National League. Statistically he was the best fielding short stop in all of baseball during the 2007 season.
It baffles me that an award based on performance during the season was given to a player with substantially worse statistics. A fair comparision would be when the movie Braveheart and Babe were both up for an academy award. The award would of gone to Babe. That's right, the talking pig would of beat out one of the best movies ever made. It looks as if the talking pig just walked away with a gold glove. What a sham!
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Broncos Roster Shake-up
After the second humiliating loss in the past 4 games the Broncos are doing what they do best, releasing bad players and replacing them with more bad players. According to the Denver Post, the Broncos released Amon Gordon (DT), Curome Cox (Safety), and Brian Clark (WR). As expected they also placed Jarvis Moss on the injured reserve and as previously reported by DMHS, Tennessee practice squad player Larry Birdine will take his roster spot.
If I were a betting man, and I am, I would bet Jim Bates would give his left nut to have Gerard Warren back. Our defensive line can't stop the run and can't pressure to quarterback. The only healthy talent we have right now is Elvis Dummervil and the undeveloped Tim Crowder and Marcus Thomas. The Broncos have been playing Crowder out of place as a DT in passing situations, a position he has never played and does not fit. Dummervil is a great pass rusher, but his lack of size is a liability against the run. Marcus Thomas is continuing to improve however he still needs to refine his game and become more disciplined. The other defensive line players we have are either way past their prime (Adams and Rice) or will never have a prime (Burton, Engelberger, and McKinley).
The end result of this shake-up? We now have only 4 defensive tackles on the active roster, a serious problem, especially for goal-line and short yardage situations. The Broncos are reaching, we don't have the talent and picking up practice squad players is not going to change anything. We just have to hope that Cutler heals extremely quickly and our offense can outscore the opponent.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Broncos News and Notes
According to the Denver Post the NFL could levy a fine against Cory Redding for leading with his head on the play Cutler was injured. As stated previously on Denver's Mile High Sports, I believe that hit on Cutler from Redding, not Shaun Rodgers, was illegal and should have been called a personal foul. Cory Redding clearly led with his helmet, directly hitting Cutler on the lower left leg after Shaun Rodgers had pulled Cutler to the turf. If this had been a hit on Peyton "any commercial" Manning or Tom "my boys can swim" Brady the flags would have been flying.
The Denver Post is also reporting that DE Larry Birdine will be signed to the 53 man roster to replace the injured Jarvis Moss. Berdine is 6-4 265 lbs and played for the University of Oklahoma. He is an undrafted rookie and has been part of the Tennessee Titans and Green Bay Packers in 2007 .
Nuggets Return to the Garden
The Denver Nuggets start a 4-game road trip out east today against the New York Knicks. I probably don't have to remind you of what happened in December of last year, but in case you don't remember you can check out the youtube clip. Let's rewind to December. Denver was playing some of its best basketball of the season, the Nuggets were winning big and still had all of their starters in the game (a big F-YOU from George Karl to Isiah Thomas). Thomas ordered his players to get rough and JR Smith was horse collared by Mardy Collins. The Denver Nuggets lost two of their best players for a significant amount of time and the franchise decided to pull the trigger on the Allen Iverson trade. We were never able to regroup as we would of hoped and finished the season with a quick playoff exit to the Champion Spurs. Here we are today, Denver stands at 2-1, and the team is predicting a 60 win season.
Believe it or not, I think that since the time of the brawl our team has transformed from a team that was slightly above average, to a team that has the ability and certainly the talent to win an NBA Championship. Due to the loss of our two best scorers (Melo and JR's Suspension), we brought in Allen Iverson. Would we have brought AI in if Melo and JR weren't suspended? No one can definitively answer that question, but my inclination is that it would not of happened. Carmelo Anthony suddenly realized what kind of impact his actions on and off the court affect not only him and his family but also the entire Denver Nugget's franchise, the City of Denver and the NBA. This realization has lead to a more mature, and dedicated Carmelo Anthony. He has become a leader on and off the court and his focus is on becoming not only a great player and great teammate, but a better person.
These two events have led me to believe that because of the brawl in MSG, we have become a better team. Obviously the influx of a talent like AI helps, but I think just as important is the maturation of Carmelo Anthony. Sometimes you have to take a step backward to take two steps forward. Let's hope the Nuggets can take those steps!
Monday, November 5, 2007
Recap: Broncos vs Lions
I had to wait a day to write the Broncos recap after their 44 to 7 loss to the Lions due to the embarrassment and frustration I felt after watching that game. I think Mike Shannahan said it best. "If you play at the level we did, you get embarrassed. I've been embarrassed a couple of times this year. Now, we find out what we're made of."
The Broncos seem to have lost their identity. They use to play physical football, inflicting their will upon the other team by running the ball and dominating the time of possession. This is simply not the Broncos we are used to seeing. There were a few good things and I still think we can play competitive football down the stretch if we fix some of the small things.
Defense
The defensive line has been absolutely horrible, especially the two down tackles. They are getting blown off the ball and man-handled. I have heard a lot of Broncos fans call for the head of Jim Bates, the Broncos new defensive coordinator. While I can agree that we are not good on defense, I do not believe it is his totally his fault. Clearly we have to give the man a chance to implement his system and the players necessary to run it. I do not blame the system, it works in the NFL and Bates has proven that with multiple teams. However, we do not have the personnel to run it effectively and it shows on the field. We are not physical and we give ground on almost every single running play which opens up running lanes. The majority of Denver's problems stem from its weakness upfront. On the Lions first drive 7 of the 11 plays (64%) were rushing plays. Detroit went from their own 11 to Den 24 by running the ball, only 14 yards came via the pass. This was the story all game long. The defensive line was being knocked off the ball into the linebackers lanes. Bates system depends on the LBs scraping and getting into the assigned position. This is very difficult when you have to get around your own players as well as opposing offensive lineman.
I'm not giving the linebackers a clean bill of health either, they have not played up to expectations. DJ Williams is still adjusting to his new MLB role and he still needs to learn to be more physical, especially inside. I do feel however that he will be a good player. DJ Williams led the team with 9 tackles and was excellent against Jones when they tried to get him on the seam. Nate Webster and Ian Gold continue to overrun plays and have been less than spectacular on pass plays. Webster and Gold only had 4 tackles between the two of them versus Detroit. That is just terrible when you face 29 run plays. They need to step up and make plays.
Our secondary was without one of its best players (Lynch) and continued to struggle. However it is due to the defenses inability to stop the run that causes problems in the secondary. We are forced to bring a safety in the box leaving only a single safety for deep help. Teams have noticed this and have been running deep patterns with both their outside receivers forcing the safety to choose. The other receiver is singled up in man to man with no help over the top (see the Green Bay game - twice). We still have two of the best corners in the league, but our problems against the run have seriously reduced their play making ability. If we are going to leave one safety deep then we need to address that position in the draft. We need a safety who can cover more field and play the ball effectively. We did a great job against their best WR, Roy Williams, limiting him to just 3 catches for 44 yards. However the underneath routes and Detroit's ability to get WRs in space was a problem for the nickle and dime corners all game long. Champ Bailey had a solid game with 5 tackles. The issue in my mind still stems from the inability to stop the run and not our secondary performance overall. However we need to improve our tackling in the open field.
Offense
Our running game was not good, period. We got behind early and were forced to play catch up, however we were still not able to get the offense moving through the run game even when the game was in striking distance. We did not control the tempo of the game or play patented Broncos football (run to setup the pass on play action). We need to get outside on screens and stretch plays to keep the defense off balance when they stack the box or bring the blitz. Henry had only 31 yards on 9 carries, most of which came on a long 22 yard run.
After Cutler got hurt we were unable to keep to defense honest and we struggled. The patch work offensive line was dominated by the two down tackles. Our offensive line needs to play more physical, they don't have that fire we are use to seeing from Denver O-lines. They got penetration on running plays forcing the RB to make the first man miss behind the line of scrimmage. On pass plays they collapsed the interior pocket and made it very difficult for the QB. We could have overcame this issue by getting the QB out of the pocket, but Ramsey is not exactly what you would call a mobile QB. His presence in the game led to two defensive touchdowns, one fumble for a TD on the 1 yard line and an intercepted screen pass by Shaun Rodgers for a TD. Mistakes that you simply can not have if you want to win football games in the NFL.
Even when Ramsey (29/46 262 yds 1TD) did find the open man, the WRs continued to drop very catchable balls. I'm looking at you Brandon Marshall, Tony Scheffler, and Daniel "DG" Graham. The WRs and TEs have to make plays. It is that simple. No excuses. They didn't help out Ramsey at all. Marshall (9 catches for 96 yds) is our best WR (excluding the injured Walker) and he has to step up. Scheffler and DG are excellent receiving threats that need to be a serious part of the game plan going forward, especially with Walker out. Stokley is probably our most solid WR and is the go to guy in 3rd and 4th down situations. He had the only TD of the game. Sigh. The Broncos offense is the strongest part of this team and it needs to take the pressure off of the defense. Set the tempo physically and man up!
Special Teams
In my opinion we are playing A LOT better on special teams. Andre Hall played very well on kick-off returns, and he got plenty. We have improved quite a bit from the first 3 games of the season. This was probably the best part of our game on Sunday, which is very sad. We need to continue to get better and improve in this facet of the game.
Going Forward
Personally I would like to see the Broncos start to play with some passion, some enthusiasm, and some heart. They need to play like a team with nothing to lose, because quite frankly they have nothing to lose. Play with some intensity and start playing physical Broncos football. I don't mind losing games, but it makes me sick when we lose games because we are not playing hard-nose physical football. Clean up the little things and start bringing the wood! The rest will follow. This is where we see what type of fortitude we have, we simply need to come together and find our identity. It's not about the individual talent, it's how that individual talent plays together. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Broncos Leave Fans Frustrated
Obviously, injuries have been the major story for Denver this year. Our offensive line has lost veterans Tom Nalen (pro-bowler and anchor of our line), Ben Hamilton and Stephen Alexander (primarily a blocking TE). We have lost Javon Walker, our most explosive player on offense who can stretch the defense and open up the running game. We lost Travis Henry for a game and his suspension still looms over him and the team. Now, we have lost Jay Cutler our prize rookie 1st round pick from last year. His status for next week still remains uncertain, but it appears that he will be okay.
On defense, I think its important to note that we lost our best defensive lineman early in the pre-season, DE - Ebenezar Ekuban. Our 1st round draft pick Jarvis Moss, has played sparingly in passing situations, is also lost for the season with a broken leg. Don't forget we traded away our best defensive tackle in the preseason as well, Gerard Warren. Warren also had an impact for the hated Oakland Raiders. That is 3 projected starters and impact players erased from our starting defensive lineup.
In what was supposedly the best secondary in the league, has also been riddled with injuries. We have lost John Lynch now for 3 games. John Lynch is the captain of the defense and he is responsible for getting the secondary in the correct alignment. The Broncos have had serious issues with substitutions and assignments when Lynch has not been in the game. We even lost Champ Bailey for a couple of games.
When you think about, the only position where our team seems to have not lost out to injury is the linebacking corps. But, then you remember we lost the heart and soul of our defense in the offseason, pro-bowl middle linebacker Al Wilson. The Broncos seriously miss his leadership qualities. Al led with emotion and passion, two qualities that have vanished from our defense. He also was the most physical player on the defense and set the tempo for the rest of the squad.
The Denver Broncos as a team can make excuses and tell themselves that injuries are what derailed them from being what they all told us was a possible Super Bowl team. The Broncos know that injuries are only half the story, not one of them would tell you that they have played a "great" game this year. Not one of they would tell you they were happy with how their unit has played. The Broncos have two choices they can rally and pick themselves off the dirt or they can pack it in and play the same style of football they have played for the first 8 games. The choice is up to them.
Cutler Injury Not Serious
Finally some good news for the Broncos. According to the Denver Post MRI results did not indicate any serious damage to the lower left leg of Jay Cutler. "There's no stress fracture," Shanahan said. "He's a little sore." Obviously Cutler is the most critical component in Denver’s offense and we are all relieved to find out that his injury is only a bruised leg and not something more serious.
Shannahan declined to say whether Cutler would start this weekend against Kansas City. "We'll see how sore it is," Shanahan said. "We'll see how he feels on Wednesday." If he can not play this weekend Patrick Ramsey would get the start in his place. Typically the Broncos only suit 2 QBs on game day, but I expect Darrell Hackney to be activated from the practice squad regardless of whether Cutler plays or not.
For a moment in last weekend’s game against Detroit, Ramsey struggled to get up after taking a hit and fumbling the ball on the Broncos 1 yard line (led to a defensive TD for the Lions). The 3rd string QB was long snapper Mike Leach. Even if Mike had played it probably wouldn't have made any difference, although he might have been able to long snap his way to a Broncos victory. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Cold Shooting Stings the Nuggets
The Nuggs have not started a season 3 -0 since 1985- 86, and that mark will continue to stand after the Nuggets lost an ugly game tonight at the Pepsi Center. Denver finished the game shooting 36 % with Carmelo and AI shooting a nasty 16 - 49 from the field. There were numerous times that Melo' took the ball into the paint and appeared to get mauled, yet he went to the free throw line only 6 times. Not only that, but a ticky tack call on Nene at the end of the 4th quarter when the game was on the line, put Chris Paul to the line with the Hornets up 2. Paul hit both free throws and the game was essentially sealed for the Hornets. I don't care how the referees call the game, but I just ask that they are consistent from the 1st quarter to the 4th. That being said, the Nuggets didn't play their best game offensivly or defensivly and that was the main reason they lost.
The Nuggets came out very strong leading by 7 after the end of the 1st quarter. They were playing with energy on defense and finishing the plays on offense. They seemed to let up as the game wore on and couldn't get the ball in the basket, especially from deep, shooting only 22%. The Hornets did a good job of sending an extra defender at Carmelo as soon as he touched the ball and the Nuggets couldn't seem to find the open man all night. When the Nuggets sent extra defenders at either Chris Paul or David West, the Hornets always seemed to make the extra pass and found the open guy. It was usually in the form of Rasual Butler or Bobby Jackson who hit 6 of 10 from downtown, with most of those coming in the 2nd half. The Nuggets tried to clamp down in the 4th quarter, but fell short after Paul hit the two free throws. Obviously it's still early but Denver really needs to work on it's defensive rotations.
It's important to note that Mike Wilks left late in the first half with an apparent hamstring injury, leaving the Nuggets with only AI as the only ballhandler. I was really pleased with how great Kenyon Martin looked. He was running the court and played with a ton of energy. I am excited to see him play as the season progresses, he brings a lot to our team when he plays like that.
The Nuggets next game is Tuesday as the revisit the Garden for the first time since the brawl, it should be interesting. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Cutler injured during Lions game
This team could not be in worse shape physically. Before the start of the Lion's game the Broncos had 7 starters lost for the season. Now Jay Cutler, Denver's starting QB and 2006 1st round draft pick, could also be in serious jeopardy of being gone for the year. Cutler was injured on a sack by Shaun Rodgersin the second quarter. However it was the boarder line cheap shot by Cory Redding after Cutler was down on the turf that put him out for the remainder of the game. Cory Redding led with his head, directly hitting Cutler on the lower left leg after Shaun Rodgers had pulled Cutler to the turf. He was carted off the field and did not return. Patrick Ramsey replaced Cutler and completed 29 passes on 46 attempts, a touchdown, and a pick 6 to Shaun Rodgers on a busted screen play. Jay Cutler's post game comments were primarily focused around his injury. "I got hit with a helmet on the outside of my leg," he said. "I'll get an MRI. I'm hoping it's not broken, but it could be a hairline. Hopefully, it's just a bruise."
Travis Henry also did not finish the game after hurting his left knee. Henry continued to struggle, only rushing for 31 yards on 9 carries. After the game Henry told the press that he felt fine, but time will tell. We will keep you updated as more information becomes available. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
Update: John Lynch not playing against the Lions
Despite earlier reports that John Lynch would play against the Detroit Lions, he did not suit up for the game. Substitutions have been a problem for the Broncos with Lynch not playing. Foxworth has started in the safety spot.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Lynch Cleared to Play
Finally some good news for the Denver Broncos, John Lynch has been cleared to play this weekend against the Detroit Lions. According the Denver Post, Lynch was cleared to play by the Broncos' neck specialist. Lynch left the Monday night game against Green Bay with a neck stinger while tackling Running Back Ryan Grant. He did not return to the game.
The importance of John's presence on the field can not be underestimated. His leadership and playmaking skills at the line are critical to the defense. Last week after Lynch left the game, the Broncos seemed confused on defense and had a lot of trouble with substitutions. They got caught with 10 or 12 men on the field on multiple occasions, including a critical 3rd down. The defense is simply much better with Lynch on the field despite his coverage limitations.
Travis Henry's Possible Suspension Continues to be Delayed
The possibility of losing Travis Henry for the season for violating the leagues substance abuse policy continues to play out in the courts. The Denver Post reports an NFL spokesman confirmed Henry's league appeal date has been rescheduled for a later date. The hearing is now set to be presented on November 16th in New York, but there is no guarantee that the date would not be pushed back again. The new date of the hearing is 3 days before the Broncos host the Tennessee Titans on Monday Night at Mile High. However, a final decision on Henry's future might not be decided until weeks after the NFL hearing date. Bottom line is Henry's legal battle might prolong his season until week 13 or 14. The results of this hearing will significantly impact the franchises decision to keep Henry after the 2007 season, especially if Selvin Young continues to improve.