Preseason Football: Denver @ Houston: Observations

Please accept my sincerest apologies for being absent. Unless you'd like to field some questions on The Iliad, let's get to the first Bronco game of '08.

Quarterbacks:

Jay Cutler: 8-10-0, 60 yds, 1 att, 15 yds TD.
Patrick Ramsey: 8-13-2, 49 yds.
Darrell Hackney:5-8-0, 68 yds, 1 att, 16 yds.

Had Jay Cutler played the whole game, Denver victory. What do you want in a backup? A game manager or a guy who can make plays? Darrell Hackney is making a case for the latter. In the event Patrick Ramsey disappears from the roster, he might be going on a secret mission for the CIA; into Iran to overthrow the Ayatollah (who is always wide open).

Running Backs:

Andre Hall: 8 att, 45 yds, 5.6 avg., 1 rec, 0 yds
Anthony Alridge: 3 att, 20 yds, 6.7 avg, F (FR by Polumbus) 3 rec, 21 yds
Micheal Pittman: 6 att, 18 yds, 3 avg, 1 rec, 5 yds
Selvin Young: 4 att, 7 yds, 2 rec, 21 yds.

This would appear to be the committee. Their success is symbiotic with the offensive line which is brand new. Selvin Young and Andre Hall both ran behind 1st team offensive although I didn't notice if Hall was up against Houston's first-team defense the whole time. Ian predicted the emergence of Andre Hall [editors note: fist pump]. Anthony Alridge is super fast and Michael Pittman is tough inside and a capable receiver. Peyton Hillis needs to get well soon. Selvin Young needs to step up.

Wide Receivers & Tight Ends:

Tony Scheffler: 4 rec, 61 yds
Darrell Jackson: 3 rec, 18 yds
Eddie Royal: 2 rec, 13 yds
Nate Jackson: 1 rec, 11 yds
Samie Parker: 1 rec, 10 yds
Brandon Marshall: 2 rec, 8 yds
Daniel Graham: 1 rec, 7 yds

A wide receiver who didn't catch a pass, but made a big play was Cliff Russell who drew pass interference at the +3 giving the Broncos a scoring opportunity in the 4th quarter. He is still very fast as he was at Utah. Eddie Royal looked good. Tony Scheffler is a big part of the passing game as he has always proven to be. Darrell Jackson wasn't used effectively which is a coaching flaw, not his. Keary Colbert drew a pass interference penalty, too, but was otherwise ineffective. It's a good group of receivers who can give Jay Cutler a variety of players to whom to throw.

Offensive Line:

The starting line which played the first half has essentially two rookie tackles (i.e., the Ryans). Houston's upstart defensive lineman Mario Williams pushed Ryan Clady around which was a good experience for Clady. Ryan Harris drew four penalties only two of which he deserved. The illegal formation one could have as easily been given to the other Ryan or the guards. One holding call was a bogus flag thrown by a guy on the sideline who was seeing things. The false start and one holding were deserved. Not too bad; nothing that can't be fixed. In the event Montrae Holland returns and starts and Chris Kuper returns to right tackle, Ryan Harris is definitely the #6 offensive lineman. Casey Wiegmann did a good job as did Ben Hamilton. These guys need chemistry and that will only come with playing together. Stay tuned for what happens with Tom Nalen whose injuries are nagging him to the extent he is sidelined. Depth is good.

Special Teams:

Matt Prater was 3 of 4 on field goal attempts. His kickoffs mostly came down at the +5 to the goal line. Sam Paulescu's one punt was fielded 52 yards from the LOS and was returned. Brett Kern's one punt was fielded 42 yards from the line of scrimmage with more hang time and wasn't returned. Both held for extra points and field goal attempts. Eddie Royal had two kick off returns for 47 yds, Clifford Russell had one for 27, Anthony Aldridge one for 24 and Andre Hall one for 20. Glenn Martinez fielded one punt for two yards. The leading special teams tackler was Wesley Woodyard with three including the stop on Matt Turk who tried to advance a punt attempt for a first down and came up one yard short; ball over to Denver on downs-big play. Clifford Russell had two special teams tackles, and Michael Pittman forced a fumble which Cecil Sapp recovered.

Defense:

The only sack was shared by linebacker Jordan Beck and defensive tackle Steven Harris. There were no picks. Boss Bailey injured his bad ankle and his backup, Louis Green, injured his neck and suffered a concussion. The Broncos are extremely lucky to have Jamie Winborn who switched from DJ Williams backup to first team strong side linebacker and did a great job. That put Jordan Beck as DJ Williams backup where he played as weak side linebacker during the second half. Nate Webster had one tackle and two assists and a flying helmet. Niko Koutouvides and Spencer Larsen each had four assists. The most outstanding starter was Domonique Foxworth with three solo and two assists including a 5 yd tackle for loss. He is making his case. The defense was without DeWayne Robertson and Champ Bailey and very quickly lost Boss and Louis. The interior defensive line played well with Kenny Peterson logging two solos and Marcus Thomas had one. The defensive ends need to step up. I expect some shuffling/experimenting there. Ebenezer Ekuban had two solos and two assists and an offsides penalty.

The second teamers in the second half produced the leading tacklers:
Josh Barrett: 7 solo and 6 assists
Jordan Beck: 5 solo, 3 assists, 1/2 sack
Wesley Woodyard: 5 solo, 1 assist
LaMont Reid and Christian Morton had 4 solos each with the latter including a 7 yd sack.

Josh Barrett's detractors have described him as looking like Tarzan and playing like Jane. If so, Jane had a hearty meal of roast Texan Saturday night which was fresh-kill. He was in the box, often lining up over the TE in a 9 tech on the line of scrimmage. Having heard nothing about Wesley Woodyard from training camp reports, he suddenly exploded during the game making big plays on special teams and defense. On running plays these two totally attack the line of scrimmage. Josh Barrett came down the line of scrimmage several times and I didn't even notice him until he was the last guy to get up from the bottom of the pile. I had to pause the DVR and advance it one click at a time just to figure out where he came from. Wesley Woodyard and Josh Barrett also have great speed for guys their size. They seem to work well with Spencer Larsen and Jordan Beck. The linebacker depth and Jim Ryan's great coaching was very much in need and it all came through.

I expect to see more from the Broncos in next week's game with the Dallas Cowboys besides the vanilla O & D which they showed ... except not during practice ... with Dallas, that is.

CBS Channel 4 in Denver gets a C+/B- and an A for effort. The box guys need binoculars ... or bifocals. The director needs more monitors and helpers and to stop showing graphics instead of THE PLAY WE'RE MISSING. Also, how about more replays? But, hey, thanks for broadcasting the game. Do it again ... please?

There's more! Check out the Broncos Denver Broncos Blog for multiple daily updates.

Want updates on your cell phone? Join us on Twitter and receive updates to your cell phone.

By the way, Brett Favre's a Jet

You heard it here second, though you'll probably read this Thursday and by then you'll already know.

No word on how the Jets will absorb the impact on their salary cap.

UPDATE: Oh, they're cutting Chad Pennington, that frees up 6 million.

THOUGHT: The irony of this whole thing is that Pennington will likely end up with a better team and likely in a better situation than Brett Favre.

Be Alert (we need more lerts) to a future topic:

Is anyone really out there reading this? OK, how many fingers am I holding up? Where are you? What year is it? Man, you guys act like you really got your bell rung this time. Here, smell this, don't sit down and don't go to sleep; the meatwagon will be here shortly.

Ian tells me that there are a lot of readers out there. How can that be? No one ever even says "Hi!" or asks for my phone number. What the ****? Would it be too much to ask for some ... reaction? I thought cyberspace was supposed to be interactive. Anybody LISTENING? Come on. How about some comments like, "Sam, you are full of ****!"

One thing that Ian and I will be discussing in which we invite you to participate is the '09 draft. Yes, I know, that's a long way off, but training camp is a way off, too, and you imaginary people out there ARE NOT HELPING to cultivate intelligent discourse (not to be confused with datcourse).

If you are visiting this site, it's possible you are a football junkie. We are, too. NFL needs college players and following the NFL sort of requires a medium awareness of the college game; guess where college players come from?

Think of it this way, Bronco fans. When the preseason begins we are all evaluating the existing Bronco talent pool. Each position must be studied all players being scrutinized. During the season we must begin to pinpoint areas that need improvement personnel-wise. Simultaneously, we must at least follow FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision/previously known as Div.1A). We will forgive you if you don't include FCS (Football Championship Subdivision/previously known as Div.1AA). Those of you who include FCS, Div.II & III will get kudos from us and our admiration. Pop quiz: What player, from the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, who set an all-time NCAA record was recently signed by the Jets?

The obvious purpose (not porpoise) of this exercise is to figure out who might be able to help our beloved Broncos. We start with the pool of Seniors since they WILL be available. At the end of the college season, there is a deadline (of which Ian can inform us) by which Juniors may officially declare their availability for the next NFL draft.

So, my wonderful deaf-dumb-mute amigos, the '09 draft is a topic open to discussion. You know, like "The Holy-Roman Empire was neither holy nor Roman ... discuss."

What, me worry?

Well, under three weeks 'til training camp with the first preseason game a couple of weeks following. Ian's bold prediction of a 13-3 season has fallen on more than a few deaf ears. I guess some guys don't want their macho image spoiled by some educated optimism. To me, there is one big question mark inside of each of the three keys to the season: Offense; Defense; Special Teams.

On O it all boils down to the line. The OL must get chemistry fast and keep it. Help out the rookie LT who will be schooled by some of the best DEs/OLBs in the game. Daniel Graham can help. For those grousing about whether or not Clady should start w/1st team O, have they considered that 1st team D starts against 1st team O in preseason? If Clady isn't with 1st team, then he won't see "the Dudes". He really needs to see the best of what Houston, Dallas, Green Bay and Arizona have to offer, and then keep playing for at least three whole quarters, maybe four. I'm not worried about RT; there are three who can play that. Got seven who can play G; five who can play C. This may be the most interchangeable OL I've ever seen Denver field. This group can sustain injuries/retirements. They are coached by a trained civil engineer who plans to build roads through opposing defenses and walls for Jay Cutler. The adversity of '07 will help them in '08.

On D, it's all about the front 7/8. Is it time to expect that the Broncos will be in a 4-4/split-six where a S isn't just in the tackle box occasionally in order to give a look, but is there because the O needs to plan on accounting for him in their blocking scheme? When D reads pass, where the heck is he going? Blitzing? Manning? Zoning? Blitz which gap? Man on which receiver? Drop to what zone? Is he always going to line up in the same place? Is he always going to be the key? If I was the DC, I'd mix it up ... all the time, just as I expect Shanahan to order Slowik to do. The front group Bronco opponents will face most likely will have five new faces (Moss, Crowder, Robertson, Koutouvides and Bailey) and one of the old faces (Williams) will be in a new position. It's a new ball game for the Broncos on the defensive side of the LOS. Stopping/inhibiting/controlling the run is Mike Shanahan's priority. Expect to see a big improvement in that area. While front 7/8 is a question, the secondary is up to it even if IT requires much cover 1 & zero. Shanahan's idea of D seems to challenge the other team to throw. With Elvis Dumervil as a PRS and Jarvis Moss and DJ Williams available to rush, pressure on the opposing QB will also be improved. Too, let us not forget that Jim Ryan is coaching the LBs.

Some seem to be focusing too much on who the new punter and placekicker will be. In my opinion, that's not as important as the other ten guys on the field at that time. Yes, Jason Elam is gone. That's what he wanted and we wish him well. Move on. If your drive stalls on the +30, can the PK consistently hit a 47 yd. FGA w/% increasing the closer you get? I don't see why not since the NFL has the ball spotted almost smack in the middle of the field after each play. College kickers have more difficult angles from which to kick if the ball is spotted on the hashmark. They can do it; just keep lining guys up until you find one who isn't a head case or is so crazy he can't remember what happened five minutes ago. KICK IT! Can the the guy kicking off hang it high and have it come down on the GL even w/#s? Hey, have it come straight down on the #10 every time would be a colossal improvement over what we saw at times last year. Punting isn't so much a question of the P as it is: 1) block for him; 2) cover the punt. Those last two items are much more important than trying to outkick the coverage; how high can you kick it? Also, direction is necessary for an NFL P. Help out your lane runners by putting the ball between the #s and the sideline. Hang it high to the side and don't forget to tell your teammates which side it is.

As previously mentioned, the problem w/ST in '07 wasn't so much the PK/P as it was the other guys; Todd Sauerbrun's Chicago performance notwithstanding. ST is not rocket science. If a coach is trying to make it complicated where guys have to think, it ain't gonna work. Running, blocking, tackling. Run your lanes and find the guy with the ball. Right return. Middle return. Left return. ST is basic football skills and sheer enthusiasm on display. Show me a guy who loves to play ST and I'm looking at a football player. Can't remember plays? That's OK. He can play D. Here come the rookies. For at least ten of them, hopes of making the roster depend on how crazy they can be on ST. So, what's the question on ST? Can you guys do these basic things @ 100mph w/no fear? Good, now let's go HIT SOMEBODY! For God's sake, you are covered in protective equipment ... or should be. Everybody got some pads in their pants?

Summer '08. Defending Super Bowl Champions are the New York Giants. Can anyone remember what was going on with them a year ago? Everyone was amazed that Tom Coughlin was allowed to return after the meltdown, media-frenzy 6-10 fiasco of the year before. Tiki Barber had just retired and written a not-too-complimentary book about his NFL career. Names were named; feelings were bruised; retorts made their way back and forth through the headline hungry sporting press of the Big Apple. Teammates were secretly plotting to sew Jeremy Shockey's lips together, or so I've heard. Strahan missed training camp while trying to decide whether or not to retire ... yeah, right. Season didn't get off to a very good start, but the G-men made the playoffs as a wild card. The Giants had carefully drafted eight rookies all of whom made the team. Those guys played a key role in the playoff run right into a Super Bowl they weren't supposed to win, but refused to lose behind the heroics of a 3rd year QB.

Our beloved Broncos have had firings from the coaching staff and front office as well as cuts of high profile players. Jay Cutler discovered he has a medical condition explaining his symptoms and which seems entirely treatable. Tony Scheffler has his annual Adventures of the Foot. Marcus Thomas had an educational experience involving high school buddies and law enforcement officials which seems to have refocused his priorities. Brandon Marshall has offered many bizarre explanations of: how he managed to almost sever his right arm; knocked his teeth out; was in Vegas around the time Javon Walker was almost being beaten to death; how he was the victim of a Play Misty For ME incident in which he got busted: and, other sundry and mysterious misadventures. I would like to ask Brandon and Javon a question. What is it with spraying everyone within range with the bubbly? I know, ... you guys are pretending to be Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen on the podium. Wait, is that the Italian National Anthem I hear? In Marshall's case, we are clearly dealing with someone from another planet. Take it from me, people from NM know about these ... things.

So, all of you crusty old pessimists; break it down: Three AFC West opponents, home & away; AFC East, Bills & Dolphins at home, Pats & Jets away; NFC South, Saints & Bucs at home, Falcons & Panthers away; Jaguars at home; and, Browns on the road. You do the math. It just has to add up to sixteen, Shirley. Worst case scenario, how is it less than ten? Best case scenario ... come on, work with me here. Sweep KC & Oakland and split w/San Diego. Win both home games w/AFC East and split the road games. Sweep the NFC South. Why not? The two tougher games are at Mile High and the two weaker opponents are away. Split the two second place AFC South & North opponents. What is it? Come on ... 5+3+4+1=13, just like Ian said. Grow an imagination. It's a game. Game up. Positive vibes. I don't want the Broncos thinking this way though. They, on the other hand, should take these one game at a time and take the field always KNOWING they will find a way to win. And, as far as being overly optimistic is concerned, I'll borrow a line from Miles Davis and John Coltrane, So What?

BRONCOS: Past, Present and Future

For many, the '07 season is the worst thing that has ever happened to Bronco fans. If you think it was bad for you, the last game vs.Vikings wasn't even telecast in my area thanks to the Cowboys. When the Cowboys were eliminated and Hitler went off about it ... well, that helped. Hey, and the Broncs won that one, too! The NFL Channel is still blacking the game out. Listen up, my brothers and sisters, the best thing about '07 is that it's over. Next year is almost here!

Unfortunately, that doesn't stop much residual whining, crying, bitching and moaning from those who just can't take the trash-talk from their acquaitances who are fans of other teams. Maybe when the Broncos get back on track, we'll remember our pain and be nicer to others who will inevitably experience it in the future ... nah! I will admit that when the Raiders lost to the Bucs in Superbowl Whatever, I couldn't resist the temptation to tease one of my student/football players by saying, the day after Super Sunday, "Hey, don't you know that when Rich Gannon wakes up this morning and looks in the mirror, he'll say, 'I set a Super Bowl record ... for interceptions.'" Sorry, Luis, what goes around comes around, Buddy. You still my bro. And I tease Victoria about her beloved Steelers, but not too much because girls have that Classical goddess thing they do when they get mad ... you know, they turn you into things you don't wanna be.

For me, the football situation was saved by a bunch of great bowl games and ... the Giants! There's a cycle fans go through after each season which is unsatisfactory for everyone except the fans of the team that won it all ... sorry, Adolf. A certain amount of cussing and carrying on is normal. But then, for those of us who ARE normal, we start to look for ways to fix what's wrong rather than constantly calling for the head(s) of the coach(es). Hey, fans, this isn't high school any more and, yes, dad, we CAN hear everything you are saying/screaming from the stands. First we have to argue about what is wrong, and when we finally agree on an area then we have to argue about what to do about it. It's a good thing. That's how Ian and I met; arguing about the draft. Which is mostly phase one, along with the FA market; phase two is arguing about who was acquired/drafted; phase three ended just recently with the mini-camps and cuts leading up to training camp. We are now in the Dead Zone, that darkest hour before first light when the meanest, ugliest, most pessimistic creatures doggedly hang around before Dawn with her rose-red fingertips heralds the onset of the '08 SEASON, BABY, YEAH!!!

Everyone is trying to cope. Even Brandon Marshall is doing his best to distract us and give us something to talk about. What do we say kids? "Thank you, Mister Marshall." Good. Now don't you feel better? No? Don't tell me you're one of those fair-weather fans who jumped on the bandwagon in the late nineties and are now complaining about the ride, are you? It's times like this when I remember that Mile-High Stadium was sold out years before the Broncos even had a winning season; at the end of their first decade when the AFL and NFL had just merged. I guess you had to be there, but you whiners have no idea ... It's hard communicating with people who give you a blank stare when you mention Floyd Little, who DOES BELONG IN THE HOF, DAMNIT!

But, hey, yeah, we are still hearing from people who actually voice the idea that nothing can be solved until after Shanahan is gone. I like Bill Parcells, too, but be careful what you wish for. Besides, my favorite post-game interview guy in the history of post-game interviews is busy with a project right now; one that rather dwarfs the project we are following. Naysayers have been so busy they haven't noticed that, since the beginning of the '07 season, the Broncos have 53 new faces, out of 82 at the time of this post, headed into '08 training camp. That's amazing. That's a whole football team.

That's not all that's new. During the telecast, I am glued to the screen. During '07, I saw Shanahan's face, usually right in front of my neice's father-in-law, HEY, FRED! Don't you love how TV directors love to cut to the face of the coach of the team that just screwed up? I thought I could read his mind. Generally, it was, "What's that? Why did they do that?" OK, this is the guy born on the day Mount Vesuvius erupted ... August 24th, right? Volcanoes are unpredictable with their M-A-G-M-A and everything. I had a feeling that Mike Shanahan was going to do everything in his power to fix his team. So, Bates-gone. Heimerdinger-gone and not replaced. Sundquist-gone and not replaced. New associate head coach, Steve Watson. Wonder what that means? New DC, but new LB coach (Jim Ryan), too. New front office people anwering to ... Mike Shanahan. Several new coaches. Then there were all the players released: Ian Gold, Javon Walker, Travis Henry (tried to tell you), a bunch of others, Myers traded.

It's a message. "I'm the leader of this outfit and we're going in this direction. If you don't like it, step off." At this point, all would be well advised to get on the same page with Mike unless you just happen to like volcanic-seismic cataclysms. He has removed as many layers of bureaucracy as possible between him and the players. Everyone in his front office and on his coaching staff had better be busting their butts as hard as he is. Right now the contracts are being negotiated. Pat Bowlen is tired of fiscal irresponsibility. Those in whom Shanahan has placed his trust to do certain jobs had better do them well now. Whoever goofed on the Josh Barrett contract had better fix the problem and learn from it. Assistant coaches had better take care of every little-bitty thing in preparation for training camp because Mike is overseeing the signings. When camp begins, he will be everywhere: at each position, offense, defense, special teams. I guarantee that he will check every little detail about each phase of the game. Since it is physically impossible for him to be at each position practice and meeting (since they all occur simultaneously), the assistants had better be good at writing playbooks. He will see videos of each practice though, and each assistant will have a list of things to do from Mike each and every day.

The Broncos are over halfway towards their next Super Bowl appearance in terms of having the pieces in place. The biggest puzzle piece is Jay Cutler, the intelligent, strong-armed QB Mike has been looking for since Elway retired. All else is being gathered and it's just a matter of time.

Nickel & Dime/Gun Control and what dialect do you speak?

One reason I love the game of football so much is its seemingly endless capacity for innovation. I was fortunate to work under a brilliant head coach who was steeped in football history. Not who necessarily won what when, but certain coaches at certain schools and what they came up with and what they called it. It wasn't just formations and defenses, it was drills, plays, blitzes, etc. All the stuff he used had the appropriate names paying homage to its originator and place of origin. That's another thing about football, the need to communicate. Certain terminology is ubiquitous while some is local dialect.

Shotgun formation has been around for a long time shooting the ball from the center to the QB. Hey, if you could snap it to a FB in Single Wing and to the punter, why not in ... shotgun. Then came the fairly recent combo of gun + option + spread formation = spread option. Then Chris Ault at Nevada shortens the gun and puts a TB behind the QB, and it's ... pistol. All this stuff is great for the game and you can see it in HS football stadia if you are a student of the game. Try it , football fans. It's not expensive and it won't interfere with college and pro ball. Surely you NFL/fantasy league guys can figure what mere high school football teams are doing. Plus, it's educational; you might learn something ... about football, that is.

Each football team must make up certain terminology. Most defenses have four DBs. So, if you take out a backer or a DL and put in a fifth DB, it got called nickel because the author thought, "One, two, three, four, five pennies make a nickel." Hey, if the HC said it, who's going to argue with his impeccable logic? After all, this is the guy who has the power to name any player anything he wants and to send assistants to scout in Jal. What if you add a sixth DB to that? Another line coach and I used to vehemently insist that you can't call it dime unless you have TEN DBs. If five DBs is nickel, ten DBs is dime. Come on! Be consistent! Actually, we just wanted to see a D w/ten DBs. Didn't Ray Rhodes try that? Once again, logic is defeated and dime is six DBs, usually with four DL and one LB.

There are certain core rules common to all levels of football (not including Arena, Canadian, XFL, etc.). Offense must line up seven players on the LOS who must be set prior to the snap of the ball. Only the players on the ends of this line are eligible to touch the ball before it touches the ground. There are four who line up in back of this line one of whom may be moving when the ball is put into play. Isn't it amazing how much variation has been derived from that? Five WR sets two of whom must be ends; empty backfield; watch out for QB draw.

Given the caliber of NFL WRs today, such an offensive formation needs the best possible defensive coverage. The Broncos' WRs seem quite deep. Could we see five wideout/empty backfield formations this year? If you want to run cover 1 against that it could be done with dime either using one DB as a FS or doubling the most dangerous receiver with one backer as a spy on the QB and rush four DL. You could have nickel cover zero and still keep a couple of backers in. With such limited time between plays, someone in the box with binoculars and a headset must do nothing but watch personnel changes going in. How they get that done amazes me.

NFL teams that run cover 2 have acquired the necessary safeties to cover deep halves. They're really more like corners. The Broncos may play more of a 4-4 w/a box safety and a deep/FS. That works great aginst the run and in cover 3, but what about nickel and dime? If it was cover 1 or zero, I'd pull both safeties and the MLB. Assuming Jack Williams makes the team, the Broncos have five good corners. If you need another DB for dime, put in the best FS type along with the five corners. When an offense lines up with four or five WRs, you don't have to play man. D can play zone even in nickel and dime. Always try to make it look like what it isn't; look like zone, play man; look like man, play zone; man under, zone deep; zone under, man deep.

Around the time of the draft it seemed there were many voicing the idea of trading Domonique Foxworth. I guess at draft time some guys think if they have twenty picks it means they're going to the Super Bowl. KC expressed some interest in Karl Paymah (love the Nordic spelling), but as I recall, Shanahan himself nixed it. Hmmm. You don't suppose any of this had to do with the departure of Ted Sundquist ... do you? I just can't imagine Mike Shanahan wanting to be rid of any of his corners. It was a surprise when Jack Williams was drafted, but it seems that NFL teams can't get enough corners. A bunch of them were drafted rather early. Remember the playoffs? Deep playoff runs like the Giants' require depth everywhere, but especially in the secondary because the teams you're facing have great receivers.

As the Broncos get ready for training camp, cornerback is the strongest, deepest, most settled position they have. This is a good thing, compadres, embrace it and desire to keep it that way as long as possible.

'08 Season Record: Cause for Optimism?

Or delusion? Ever hear the way Lewis Black says that? Delooosion. Well, Ian, I've given some thought to the same topic on which you have held forth so persuasively. This is something you hope the players never do (yeah, right)... prognosticate. Being a creature of habit, there is a certain way I have always broken down the Broncos' upcoming season. The repetitious and structured nature of the schedule lends itself to this.

Division opponents: At this time, a split with San Diego would seem a reasonable goal with game two at Denver being the obvious venue. It comes after a Monday night game at Oakland. Nothing in the NFL is easy. KC and Oakland are in the process of getting better, too, but a sweep of both will be necessary. 5-1?

AFC East: Buffalo and Miami at home; Patriots and Jets on the road. Optimistically speaking, we could say defeats of the home opponents and split the road games. I like the Bills and respect them; always have. But, I think winning at Mile High will be too much for them. At this point few would expect the Dolphins to defeat the Broncos although they did defeat the Ravens ... Cutler's arm should do well in the Meadowlands allowing DeWayne to have a successful reappearance in his old stomping grounds. Realistically, we are expecting an L in New England although the Broncos have had some success even there... 3-1?

NFC South: This is where the luck of the scheduling is most advantageous. The two toughest teams from this group, the Saints and the Bucs, appear in Denver early in the season. The Broncos travel to Atlanta and Carolina during the second half of the season. Would a sweep of this division be too optimistic, especially after '07's unsatisfactory performance vs. the NFC North? Nah! 4-0?

The other two second place teams from AFC divisions: This is the most problematic of these segments. The tougher of the two, Jacksonville, is a home game in the first half of the season. Normally, I would figure that as an L, but the Broncos could conceivably be 5-0 at that point. Momentum and the hysteria of Denver's home fans would be formidable obstacles for the Jags to overcome. The Browns have a weird, symbiotic relationship with the Broncos. The nature of the symbiosis seems to be just when the Browns are starting to get good, the Broncos rain on their parade. Not yet? 1-1? 2-0?

Let's see, 5+3+4+1 or 2=13 or 14. Wow, Ian, you are persuasive!

Well, I was going to write about RBs, but

... this thing with Javon Walker came up and it has me thinking about a bunch of other stuff right now.

Some Bronco fans don't like Javon right now because he wanted out of Denver and he's a Raider now. I really hope that hearing about his assault and injury doesn't have too many gloating or telling anyone "I told you so!".

If we truly love this game, we want to see it played, and for that we need opponents. If we respect players and want to see them treated as people and not slaves, we appreciate what their union has accomplished in the area of free agency.

I read some things recently where a Bronco fan was expressing some kind of perverse pleasure about Philip Rivers' painful recovery from his knee injury. Phil isn't the most popular guy in Denver these days (see game #2 at Mile High '08). However, as a fellow human (kind of) who has had some injuries and surgeries, let me encourage all my brothers and sisters out there to feel sympathy for our fellows in pain.

Javon has a serious and painful injury. Let's hope he plays in the season opener against our beloved Broncos. If he doesn't, that won't be fun.

Javon likes to party as many of us do. If I had his money and body, I don't know if I'd even own a shirt ... well ... anyway. One thing that has crossed my mind is exactly why he was so determined to leave Denver? You don't suppose ...? It IS an unsolved murder case. And now this. I sincerely hope there is no connection.

Ever see that show on ESPN about funny sports stuff? You know like the fly ball that hit a bird which drops on the outfielder's head ... stuff like that? Remember the one at a hockey game where the visitor's penalty box is plexiglass and is surrounded by home fans? One of the fans is talking major trash to the guy in the penalty box and he leans on the side of the box a little too hard and ... be careful what you wish for ... let's wish each other well more often than not.

Fullbacks, Tight Ends and auxiliary blockers

Prior to the '08 NFL draft, there was much discussion amongst Bronco fans about whether or not a "true fullback" was needed. I admit to being one of those who lobbied for Owen Schmitt. The perceived needs were: better lead blocking on run plays especially out of the I or offset I ("jack"/"king") formations; better blocking in max pass pro situations; a reliable outlet/safety valve receiver to keep backers & DL honest; an extra head hunter/blocker on kick coverage and kick return ST; and, someone with lead in his butt who could occasionally grind some tough yards between the tackles.


There are some who think FBs, in-line blocking TEs and H-backs are becoming passe in the NFL where three and four WR formations are seen often and "receiving TEs" who line up split are now common. Bronco fans may remember Daniel Graham lining up off the LOS as a wing, slot, 40/Z back, H-Back going in motion to kick out, lead, seal, arc release on running plays. Shanahan likes to run the ball. I like that Shanahan likes to run the ball. Some running plays can be deceptive, like counter, but most rely on outnumbering the D at the point-of-attack. A common way of doing that is with a player in motion to playside. If you run out of that look, motion can set up play action pass.

The pro game has different rules than lower levels of football and hashmarks aligned with the uprights of the goalposts so that the ball is always spotted in the middle of the field. Even so, football is football and on offense balance is a good thing. A one-dimensional team is much easier to defend against and game plan for. Teams that seem one-dimensional can surprise their opponents by doing the opposite. NFL teams are capable of changing their style from one week to the next as the New England Patriots have demonstrated on both sides of the ball.

The '08 draft had many football players available at most positions; it was very deep. Fullbacks weren't expected to be drafted before the 5th ,or 4th round at the earliest. Only five FBs were drafted in '08, but an additional twenty or so have been signed as College Free Agents. The Chargers surprised by taking Jacob Hester from LSU in the 3rd. Jerome Felton (Lions) from Furman and Owen Schmitt (Seahawks) were both taken in the 5th. The Dolphins drafted Lex Hilliard, Montana, in the 6th. Why Peyton Hillis, whom many regarded as the top FB in '08, lasted until the 7th no one knows. I've heard rumors that Houston Nutt said some uncomplimentary things about him (how nutty!). Who knows? Bottom line, thanks to Jake Plummer, is that Peyton is now a Bronco and, I would venture to guess, has an excellent shot at making the roster for no other reason than he seems to be the lone, "true FB".

I'm sure Denver's offensive coaches will look at formations with Graham lined up as a TE and Hillis somewhere in the backfield as a FB, Z/40 back, H-Back, wing, in motion in order to have the option of a more power-style running attack. It would be nice for Graham to stay on the LOS and concentrate on those blocking angles while Hillis can take care of the rest. I also hear that the former Razorback has a nice set of hands. Sweet! Let the games begin!

Division Rivalry with the Chargers

The Broncos, Chargers, Raiders and Chiefs have played each other home and away every year since 1960. It's a well-developed relationship and seems to go in cycles. During the sixties when I first became a Bronco fan, the Broncos usually couldn't get out of the cellar of the division. That didn't keep us from loving the Broncos and following each little rumor and move concerning the team. Long live Floyd Little! Eventually, after a long process, Chargers, Chiefs and Raiders all learned what it was like to be trampled by the Broncos.


If you listen to the fans ... , if you are able to through all of the ranting, screaming, salivating, manic depressive berserker behavior ... usually what they indicate, if we can get an augur in here to take the auspices, is that the most hated division rival is the Raiders. However, since the Chargers have been division champs lately, and have been beating up on the Broncos in the process, they have earned the most recent wrath of the fanatics and some of the Broncos, too.

Apparently, Bly was at Chapel Hill for an event and just happened to bump into Chris Chambers. The exchange was detected by the media (oops), and now we have lockerroom bulletin board material, as if this issue didn't already exist. Thanks, Dre.

That game at San Diego in '07 quickly got out of hand on the scoreboard in spite of many Broncos giving giving maximum effort right to the last tick. My own memory of that game is marred by Travis Henry's pitiful performance. Yes, I know, Travis who? Philip Rivers is a competitor with much physical courage (see playoffs at New England). After having seen him on the NFL Channel, I can see how some find him annoying and you can multiply that geometrically (is that possible?) during the heat of battle.

It has been said that you can judge yourself by the quality of your enemies. The Chargers are an extremely talented group of football players. Good! That's the way you want it. We should all want the AFC West to get back to being the toughest division in the NFL. You don't get better by playing weak opponents and that's six out of sixteen games each season.

At any level of football it's very important to focus on and respect each opponent one at a time. Sometimes fans look at the schedule and ask, "To which game are you most looking forward?" My answer is always the same ... the next one. The second game of the '08 season is the Chargers at Mile High. Isn't the first one at Oakland?

17th Regular-Season Game a Possibility?

John Clayton at ESPN reports that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, "raised the possibility of having a 17th regular-season game as an option to help settle some of the league's future labor problems."

What this would do is eliminate one of the four preseason games.

"It's on the table," Goodell went on to say. Meaning the players will get to vote on it as well. "We are not satisfied with the quality of the preseason right now. We'd like to improve on that," he went on to say.The rest of the article is below:

"It would create new revenue," Goodell said. "Our thought process was we might reduce preseason by a game in return for that. Actually, the players would still play the same number of games. It could give us an opportunity to play a higher quality of football."

Goodell noted that the NFL used to have six preseason games.

"Now, it's become more of a year-round business," Goodell said. "Athletes come in better prepared for the season both physically and mentally. Is it necessary to play four preseason games to get the players prepared to play in the regular season?"

For competitive purposes, the ninth home game would alternate between the conferences every other year, should the NFL use the 17th game option.

NFL Players Association executive director Gene Upshaw didn't seem thrilled with the possibility of playing 17 regular-season games.

"No, it's great to have more revenue," Upshaw said. "Any discussion we've had with them about playing another game, they've always said, they would like to do it, but they don't want to pay for it. They say, 'Why should you be concerned, you get 60 percent?' But we also get paid on games played.

"We're not going to agree to play an extra game and not get paid for it. That's what they want us to do," he said. "That discussion is going to be very short."

I don't know, of course as a fan, I think it's a great idea. Cutting the already too long preseason down to just three games and creating another game that matters, another game that can get a team into/out of the playoffs.

Of course it's another opportunity to get the starters hurt, but in reality those starters generally play half of the last preseason game. Plus if they're playing that well in the first place, most likely they'll be sitting the whole 17th game as they now sit out the 16th game. So in reality, this 17th game could actually result in more rest for starters at a much more crucial time in the season.

Though opinions vary, a team with 12 wins going into week 16, 17 or (the proposed) 18 could most likely rest their starters the entire time. While bubble teams would get even one more opportunity to battle it out and make it into the playoffs.

Speaking of sitting your starters, I guess one more reason to hate the Patriots, if they hadn't been greedy last year in week 17 and played their starters the entire game, do you think the Giants really would have been as prepared as they were come the Super Bowl?