Denver vs. Kansas City: Post Game Quotes

HEAD COACH MIKE SHANAHAN

On today’s game: “We talked about the keys to the game. Obviously the first one is you can’t turn the football over. Kansas City has an unbelievable home record when they win the turnover battle, and they won it by three today. Credit that to them. They ran the football exceptionally well. You’ve got to be able to stop the run and you’ve got to be able to run the football. Kansas City made a couple plays on special teams right there in the clutch; a big kickoff return to give them field position. Now we go back, obviously a tough loss. We had our opportunities during the game, credit to Kansas City for fighting like they did and finding a way to win. We’re obviously disappointed, but now we go back and get ready for the next game.”

On the status of WR Clifford Russell: “I really don’t know. I don’t know how he is. I know he was numb on his right side. Had feeling in his toes, and that was it. We’re keeping our fingers crossed.”

QB JAY CUTLER

On if he was pressing today: “I don’t know. You know, you can’t have four turnovers offensively and score a lot of points. You know, one for four in the Red Zone, It’s hard to win ball games that way.”

On if Denver needed to run the football better today: “You know, we don’t know. We had the turnovers, we got in the hole a little bit, you know, we had to start throwing the ball around a little bit. So we should have played better in the first half.”

On what this loss means: “We’re 3-1. There’s a lot of football left. We’re still a good football team. We can’t go into a panic here. We’re going to go back and look at it and get ready for Tampa.

CB CHAMP BAILEY

On being prepared for the game: “You always think you are doing enough. I’ve been around this game long enough to know if we have a good week of practice or we don’t. Coach (Shanahan) came into the game saying stop the run, run the ball, no turnovers, and we’ll win the game. And, we didn’t do the things necessary to win the game.”

CB DRE’ BLY

On today’s game: “They were able to force more turnovers and we still had chance to win. RB Larry Johnson was able to make some runs. For the most part, we were able to keeps things in front of us in terms of our pass defense. But, we didn’t do a good job against the run this week. Larry Johnson is one the better backs in this league. I know he hasn’t gotten off to the good start he has in the past. He’s a big physical guy and he was able to make some plays. Like we say in this league, ‘On any given Sunday, a team can win.’ Just because they were winless doesn’t mean that they couldn’t win the football game. We’ve just got to go back to the drawing board and evaluate this film. Hopefully we can get ready for Tampa next week.

On giving up 30 points or more for three consecutive weeks: “We don’t want to give up as many points as we’ve given up the last three weeks. But, Kansas City was getting good field position. We did good job of holding them to field goals a couple of times. To be good in this league, you have to try to hold teams to under 20 points. Offensively, we couldn’t score the amount of points we have the last three weeks.

C CASEY WIEGMANN

On the Chiefs: “They were 0-3 with their backs against the wall. They had to come out swinging and that’s what they did. The coaches did a good job of preparing them and they were ready to go.”

On playing against his old teammates: “It doesn’t matter. It was fun seeing them after the game. It is what it is. I am a Bronco now.”  

HEAD COACH HERM EDWARDS

On today’s game: “That’s a good football team we played today. I think what we finally realized was we had to play with passion – just play, not worry about doing everything right or the score. I thought for the most part we did that.

“We went in with the mindset that they have a very good offense and were going to move the ball some, but hold them to field goals. If you just hold them to field goals you’re going to have a chance. They’ve been a team that has possessed the ball 10 times per game and they’ve scored five times out of those possessions – touchdowns and field goals. We just tried to reverse it and wanted to make them score two touchdowns and kick three field goals and you’ve got a shot.  We held them to less than that.

“I thought our offense did a great job of running the ball and keeping their offense off the field. That’s another way you combat a high powered offense like that. Our guys played with a lot of emotion and we took the ball away. Turnovers always help you. That was a big key too. Those kids deserve a win; our fans deserve a win, too. We haven’t won a football game in quite some time. I’ve never been in a drought like this before. Now we’ve got to try and build on this win.”

On the difference in the running game today: “I thought we finished our blocks and we’re starting to learn how to run the ball. I thought we ran the ball last week and while we didn’t win the game, we did some things running in the second half and we built on that. That was our mindset. The only way you can run effectively is if you don’t get behind. We weren’t behind and we kept running it. That was our whole emphasis. It was a close game and we wanted to stick to it. We didn’t get down by two scores or anything like that. That was our plan.”

On the play of your linebackers: “They took the ball away; they ran to the ball. We were a little shorthanded at times and not having (DE Tamba) Hali at full speed hurt. Gun (Cunningham) did a good job. They ran to the ball. The fumble the receiver had, that was a lineman (DE Turk McBride) chasing and hitting the ball out.

“I thought our corners did a pretty good job on the receivers. Denver passed the ball some but (CB Brandon) Carr and (CB Brandon) Flowers – two rookie corners – did a good job. The one touchdown pass (by Denver) in the end zone was a big time catch and the young (corner) came back and intercepted one later.”

On Red Zone defense holding Denver to field goals: “That was the key. I’ve always felt that anytime you get in the end zone that it favors you because the field is cut down and there is not room in the back of the end zone. The throws have to be very accurate. Last year we were in the top three in the Red Zone. If you can hold people from scoring and make them kick field goals, that’s the key. For a team like this that was averaging almost 38 points a game, it was pretty good.”

CHIEFS RB LARRY JOHNSON

On today’s game: “Well, we had great balance. We didn’t make a whole lot of plays in the passing game, but we were able to run the football. We fed off our defense’s energy and their ability to create turnovers. We kept fighting, we had the running game going and the passing game picked up there in the second half. It was a great, complete win. Our kicker had a great day today, just all around. All three phases contributed to a much-need win around here.”

On getting the running game going: “I think so. Anytime you get (RB) Larry (Johnson) the ball like we did and the yards he had, we’re going to have a good chance to win. And then our defense’s ability to create turnovers, like I said. We didn’t have a whole lot of turnovers on offense, when you do that you give yourself a chance to win, even against a really good football team.”

On if missing two TD opportunities early might have hurt: “Maybe, we had a lot of energy today. Everybody played with a lot of energy. All the young guys on our defense flying around, our crowd was into it. It was just nice to get a lead early. Even though we only got field goals, we were still ahead early, so that’s the first time that’s happened in a while it seems like. We got that early lead, we got the momentum, we built on it and just put together a great win today.”

On playing with a lead: “I think it relaxes us a little bit. We hone in on our jobs and individually, you know, make a pass, make a run, make a block, do your job. You know, know your role and do your job and we did that today. We executed and we won the game.”

On what this win means in the big picture of things: “It’s one win. We’re 1-3. But it gives us some confidence. We can beat a team that’s 3-0 and playing the way the Broncos were coming in to this game. I think it’s something we’ve got to build on and certainly next week in Carolina.”

On if the offense was feeding off of the defense’s play: “Oh yeah, no question. That’s when you’re at your best when you’re both feeding off of each other; you know offense, defense, special teams. Making plays making hits. (WR Dwayne) Bowe making great catches, (TE) Tony (Gonzalez) (RB) Larry (Johnson) on and on. When playmakers make plays like that you get the momentum and football as we all know is such a game of momentum. We got that early and built on it wouldn’t let down and had a great team win.”

On his performance today: “I think I managed the game well, I didn’t force anything, I was pretty smart with the football for the most part. It was a pretty good game.”

On if this is the most satisfying win he’s had with the Chiefs: “I don’t know. I guess when you lose 12 in a row, this is definitely significant. It’s a nice win. It’s up there.”

LB DERRICK JOHNSON

On the game: “This was a must win game for this football team. We were getting kind of frazzled. We knew our backs were against the wall to win this game. This team came in 3-0 and played good football. The Denver Broncos played good football. They didn’t let us just have it. We just fought. We had fight.”

On his forced fumble play: “We’ve been working on it all week, the toss from the shotgun. He kind of seized up before the play and just anticipated and I shot the gap. It looked like I was back in college at Texas. I was just making a play. I was making a play for this football team stripping it out.”

On the interception? “I was really surprised I caught it. I was just reading my keys. Knowing that it was third-and-long, don’t jump the little routes and stay back with the Defense.”

On playing in the heat: “We were sweating and we were getting really tired out there. A couple of times I had to get to the sidelines a couple of times to gets some oxygen. We’re a well-disciplined football team and we worked our butts off to get this win. We’re just happy right now.”

On what this win means: “It’s something to build on. This is a division opponent too, so this is a big win for this football team. We cannot be satisfied with this football game, we need to build on it. We beat a really good football team.”

G BRIAN WATERS

On the game: “We are just excited that we played a decent game for four quarters on all sides of the ball and made some plays. Special teams really helped us out and settled some scores for us. We got some turnovers, the defense did a great job of getting some turnovers and getting us in the scoring areas. We did a good job finishing off some (drives) we still had some yards, had some points out there. We wish we would have got some of those and maybe we could have made this thing a little easier. A win is a win and we really needed it.”

On having a short field for the offense today: “The great thing about it is that we were able to gain some points and reward our defense by putting some points on the board. We would love to get touchdowns in those areas, but just being able to put points on the board for a team that hasn’t been scoring very many points. Anytime we can put some points on the board after a turnover is a great thing to really salute our defense for the great job well done.

On the offensive line and Larry Johnson’s performance: “I think everyone is starting to get on the same page. We’re getting better knowing exactly where we’re going to and the running backs are getting better at knowing where we’re going to so they can set up things for us a little bit. And really just finishing blocks and running hard. That’s really what we’ve got to do as a team.”

On today’s pass protection: “We felt like coming into this game that this was an area that we could get better. Our biggest area of improvement is going to be pass protection. We’re really upset because the sack we gave up was really a miscommunication between the quarterback and the receiver and we ended up cutting a guy thinking the ball was going to be out and he ended up getting sacked. So even with that we were able to overcome it. The great thing about is that we didn’t let it bother us and we just got back and went back to work. That’s where we got to be in this game, we have to have our head on strong and just focus on the next play.”

WR DWAYNE BOWE

On the game: “It was great. They (Denver) were behind all four quarters. The offense, we scored almost every time we got the ball and they gained confidence to do their job well and fill the gap and they know that the other guy was going to make the tackle.

On getting a victory: “I knew it was going to happen. It was just a matter of time. It was  a big game like this where we needed to show that we can go out and play for four quarters and we did. … It’s nice getting the pressure off of the coaches and staff. We are the one’s that have to go out and do our jobs and make the plays and we showed it.”

On Damon Huard’s performance: “He played like a veteran is supposed to play. He made the throws. He made the checkdowns. Now he has confidence going into next week.”

On wanting to go for it on fourth down during the second drive of the day: “Once you do one thing and it works, and another thing and it works, that builds confidence. That’s what wins games when the whole offensive line and the quarterback is confident. When the quarterback is confident, the receivers are confident. I was just hoping (to go for it), but the coaches made a great decision and kicked the field goal and that kept us in the game.”

On Larry Johnson’s 65-yard run: “It opened up things tremendously, the corners stopped playing back and that just left him with tremendous holes to read. He made some great runs and I made some blocks for him and he finished it off.”

Green Bay Packers vs. Denver Broncos: 4th Quarter

4th and goal from tehe 1. Patrick Ramsey rolls, diving attempt by Clifford Russell is incomplete.

Packers get it from their own one yard line, rush out to their one five-yard line.

Would love to see a pass-rush here, fat chance, but the Broncos and Roderick Rogers stop Green Bay on the next run, next play Brohm's pass is incomplete as he goes 0-4. Packers punt from deep in their own end-zone.

Glenn Martinez drops the punt, but makes it to the Packers 45.

Here we go, would love to see Darrell Hackney in here, but apparently only the Denver Broncos fans can see that he is clearly the number two quarterback in Denver. So Ramsey marches back out.

Ramsey hits Keary Colbert on a deep pass, but Colbert drops it as the Packers safety knocks it loose. Ow well, guys that make the team would have caught that.

Ramsey dumps it off to his old faithful Michael Pittman for about six, follows it up with a nice pass for a Broncos first down. Ramsey is 8-12

Ramsey pitches it out to Michael Pittman for about 6. Pittman's feeling Anthony Aldridge on his heels, so he's running like there is no tomorrow, but barely misses the next down.

Peyton Hillis gets the hand-off, and he gets the first down.

Andre Hall comes in and runs for five yards. Hall on the next play fights through three tacklers for two more yards, to the 19. 3rd and five.

Ramsey to Clifford Russell for nine yards, first down Denver!

Ramsey reads his progressions, dumps it off to Michael Pittman for a touchdown pass. 8:27 left to go 24-20 Broncos.

Domonique Foxworth stays high to stop the first Packers pass for three.

Broncos show blitz and stop the run for two, Packers try to quick pass- Foxworth is not having that. Packers will punt. Packers punt 75 yards out to the one... Wow, John Ryan, of the Packers with an official 72 yard kick.

Ramsey's back out lob to Clifford Russell who catches, then doesn't catch the ball.

Pittman on 2nd down runs for about two.

Ramsey is hit as he throws and bobbles an INTERCEPTION to Jason Humphrey on his own 10 yard line. Mile High Salute Patrick Ramsey! Here's to one more before the end of the game, Jack Williams can't save your ass this time. Well, maybe he can, he is Jack "M****F***in'" Williams. Oh good he's hurt, maybe the Broncos will be forced to cut him.

2nd and goal, Jarvis Moss in on the tackle. Green Bay in the I formation. Hand off fumbles on the one and the refs call Lumpkin down at the one. Niko Koutouvides makes the tackle to savee the touchdown.

3rd and one, the Broncos stop the diving touchdown. Creating 4th and one.

The Bronco crowd is so loud, that I can't hear Lumpkin get the touchdown for the lead. Packers lead 27-24.

Hopefully Darrell Hackney can save our soul now. And he will, time to show and prove my man, you can drunk drive, but can you drive sober. Let's get it! 3:15 left in the game.

Glenn Martinez gets it to the kick-off to the 35, Larry Birdine is now hurt.

Patrick Ramsey's arm is wrapped, 3:08 to go.

Hackney to Michael Pittman passes for negative four.

Hackney to Glenn Martinez and it's 3rd and five.

Slot left, Martinez in motion over the middle, first down to Martinez for 18 yards! Flag down, illegal motion on Denver five yard penalty 3rd down.

Hackney, 3rd and 10. Don't make me look like an asshole, passes deep down field to Keary Colbert at the 20. Hits his hands, Colbert drops is (of course) and the Broncos will punt. No, they're going for it 4th and 10.

Good to see Keary Colbert in on the third-team though, hopefully he'll be cut. Hackney literally has a Packers linebacker hanging on him, he's still up looking for an open receiver, as another Packer's linebacker levels him and he still gets the ball out of bounds.

Patrick Ramsey, notice how he didn't throw an interception.

Packers take over on downs, not on an interception.

First and ten Green Bay, Denver has two time outs and a Green Bay 2nd down with less than 1:45 left in the game.

Clock rolling, Shanahan doesn't care about winning this game as the Packers take a knee.

Truth is, Broncos first-team is better than the Packers' first-team.

Doom's not hurt, Marquand Manuel's not hurt and that's all I really need to know.

UPDATE: Shanahan says Manuel's thumb may have been broken.

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Denver Broncos vs. Dallas Cowboys: 3rd Quarter

Hamza Abdullah was in on the first five tackles in the first drive. Think he wants a shot back at the first team?

Rookie linebacker Wesley Woodyard's getting beat in coverage, but is still tackling well.

Defensive tackle Nic Clemons is quick for a big dude.

We could use someone like Nick Folk on our team.

Did I mention Clifford Russell is my dark horse at wide out this year? I hope we get to see a lot of him this second half. Guy can block too.

How many interceptions do you think Patrick Ramsey throws this game? I got $50 on two interceptions.

Wow, speak of the devil, see who almost came up with the blocked pass? That was Clifford Russell.

Did Brett Kern just become the number one punter or the number two?

Patrick Ramsey just can't stop throwing interceptions can he!?! Pass interference or not, that was illegal contact before the pass was thrown. I guess when you're complaining about the backup... Things could be worse.

They're running Oldman [Michael] Pittman way too much, Denver's going to be down to two running backs by the end of the game. Can Spencer Larsen play tailback?

Clifford Russell with the first down! 19 yards.

If Matt Prater misses this field goal, Mike Shanahan should just cut him here, during the game.

He keeps his job for one more play.

Jack Williams missed a pick six. Come on rookie.

Denver Broncos second-team defensive line is creating major pressure on Dallas' second-team offense and third-string quarterback Richard Bartel.

Keep it on refresh here folks.

Denver Broncos Training Camp Report: Day 16

I've been all over the place since last Friday, so I apologize for the lack of updates. There's not a ton to report from Day 15 or Day 16 for the matter, but I will give tidbits on what should be noted.

I may have jinxed Lamont Reid yesterday, as Denver waived the corner back last night. Reid was waived to make room for Wale Dada, that'll be a fun name to say if he can make an impact. Dada has yet to play a game in the NFL, but spent the second half of last season on the Seattle Seahawks practice squad.

Out of pads today: Hamza Abdullah, Champ Bailey, Louis Green, Boss Bailey, Peyton Hillis, Tom Nalen, Erik Pears and Ryan Torain. It should be noted that while Hillis was listed as out, he did in fact participate in practice at fullback. Noticeably absent from the out of pads list is tight end Chad Mustard, who returned yesterday to practice.

Here are my unsolicited best guesses for winners of position battles at this point:

Fullback: Cecil Sapp will likely walk away with this one. Running back Michael Pittman could have been a dark horse candidate had rookie Ryan Torain not gotten hurt early in training camp. Peyton Hillis, who is the best receiving back Denver has, simply cannot get on the practice field. Without being able to practice, young Hillis will not be able to pass anyone on the depth chart.

Second-string Quarterback: Patrick Ramsey will remain the second-string quarterback going into the season. However, if there ever were a need for a second-string quarterback in the regular season lasting longer than a game Darrell Hackney would get the start. Let us just hope with the open roster spot created with Jason Elam's exodus to mecca (Atlanta) and Matt Prater having the incredible ability as a kicker to both kick-off, attempt extra points and kick field goals, that the open roster spot created goes to a third quarterback.

2nd Tight End: Fan favorite Tony Scheffler does not appear to have this position locked down by any means, the Broncos resigned ("Nasty") Nate Jackson which means that they're going to want a return on their investment. Both tight ends have injury issues, neither one has ever made it through an entire season. Scheffler is great once he gets the ball, Jackson is great at getting the ball. In training camp both tight ends have seen time split out, neither end is known for his abilitiy to block, at the same time neither of them have any problem with blocking. My best guess at this point is that Nate Jackson will see more time on the field, but Tony Scheffler will get the ball more often.

Center: If Tom Nalen's healthy, there is no discussion, he will start. If there is any doubt in his head that he's not healthy I would think that he will retire. Leaving Denver with a very experienced Casey Wiegmann, who has not disappointed yet either in training camp or preseason play. In the very unfortunate event the Tom Nalen does retire, PJ Alexander, who can play any position on the offensive line would back up Wiegmann.

Right Guard: It is not out of the ordinary for Chris Kuper to be listed as the number one right guard in preseason, he was last year as well. Last season Montrae Holland ended up beating him out for the start and started every game in 2007. I don't expect there to be any different this season. Chris Kuper will be a back up, the right tackle position will be discussed a paragraph down.

Right Tackle: The message boards are full of chatter of Chris Kuper moving over from right guard, making room for Montrae Holland and starting in the right tackle position. If Chris Kuper were the number one option at right tackle, he would have been playing right tackle all along and someone would have been filling in at right guard. Mike Shanahan named Ryan Harris the starting left guard in Denver way back in January or February. When Denver drafted Ryan Clady at left tackle the obvious move was to put Ryan Harris at right tackle. Right tackle is in many informed and expert opinions the easiest position on the line, as it is generally the side that also features the blocking tight end. Meaning the right tackle and tight end double-team who ever happens to be the opposing left defensive end. When you read about Ryan Harris being "blown up," in camp, this was happening in the first couple of days of camp during one-on-ones. With last season's starting right tackle Erik Pears, out for a bit this week with a soar back and dedicated to second-team left tackle I don't see Pears passing Harris on the depth chart either.

Running Back: Though I've felt that I've called this one ad nauseum, but Andre Hall will start, Selvin Young is the spell back. It's not going to happen just yet, it'll happen shortly after the Dallas game. However, clever Mike Shanahan may wait until just before the Oakland game to announce it. Leaving Oakland Raider coaches scrambling for film. We got a glimpse of Selvin Young early last season and he was exciting, but he sputtered out at the end of the season, why does no one remember that? He wasn't incredibly exciting going up against the number one defense last weekend in Houston either, he had one exciting run that pushed him into the positive yardage column though. The blueprint is being formed right now in Denver, running by committee is the future. Though we're not likely to see Bo Jackson/Marcus Allen production any time soon, but gone soon will be the days where one back carries thirty times per game. Rookie Anthony Aldridge will see carries here and there, as will Michael Pittman, when Ryan Torain is healthy again, expect him to get more than a few serious looks. I'm anti-rookie hype, especially when it comes to running backs, but Ryan Torain could be a huge threat, no team will have been able to scout him and he comes during a time when there are going to most likely be injuries to starters.

Wide Receiver (Y spot/2nd Receiver): Rookie Eddie Royal is the talk of the town, as he will probably start alongside Brandon Marshall when Denver plays the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday. However, he's just keeping the chair warm. When the season begins, Darrell Jackson will be the number one receiver and Eddie Royal will remain at number two. Week three versus the New Orleans Saints, Brandon Marshall and Darrell Jackson will start with Brandon Stokley in the slot, Eddie Royal will still see plenty of time and opportunities, but Darrell Jackson is the Broncos man. Incredible depth at wide receiver for Denver, Keary Colbert will likely take the sixth spot on the depth chart. My dark horse candidate at wide receiver is Clifford Russell, did you see his tackle at Houston? Russell narrowly missed an over thrown Darrell Hackney pass that would have made Denver fans see what I've been talking about over the last two weeks. He can make the team based off of his special teams contributions and provides good depth at kick returner and punt returner.

Defensive Line: I don't see anything changing here, Denver's first-team did decent, Jarvis Moss will not be an every down defensive end, at least to start the season off, John Engelberger is too much of a warrior. The Josh Mallard that I've crowned messiah did not do me any favors in Vegas last weekend, but you will see him a lot this season. Marcus Thomas is not disappointing and will do well, once DeWayne Robertson is taking on double teams next to him at defensive tackle. I want to see Tim Crowder do as well as he did at the beginning half of last season, but I want to see him do it the whole season. His spot on the depth chart is proof enough that Denver's not happy with what he's shown so far. The blitzing package that Denver occasionally sets up with in training camp is pretty fierce though: Jarvis Moss, Josh Mallard, Ebenezer Ekuban and Elvis Dumervil, that's overwhelming... If those men get organized, look out.

Middle Linebacker: Niko Koutouvides will get the start against Dallas, if my assumptions are correct and fans will call for Nate Webster. Good depth and intense battle, but Denver just doesn't want to see the money spent on Koutouvides go to waste, they want him to be the number one. However, that number one will be Nate Webster. For one reason, where Koutouvides overshadows Webster the most is in coverage, but Denver's not a team that often has a middle linebacker in coverage. In the nickel package, Denver doesn't even have a middle linebacker on the field. Boss Bailey is incredible in pass coverage and DJ Williams isn't to shabby either. If those two are in coverage, you'll want Nate Webster manning the middle, not Niko Koutouvides. Koutouvides is a special teams ace though and coupled with Jordan Beck, if he can somehow manage a roster spot and the youngster Wesley Woodyard, Denver should improve drastically at kickoff coverage.

Cornerback: Domonique Foxworth vs. Dre Bly, going with Dre Bly on this one. This could mean that Denver loses Domonique Foxworth next off-season. I, as many Denver fans, hope not, but I can't imagine him wanting to spend another season here next year as the nickel back. Foxworth believes that there are thirty-two teams that he's capable of starting for in this league and that is true, but he's not beating out Dre Bly, who is in the top five of current NFL corners for interceptions, this year.

Free Safety: Hamza Abdullah is giving his all to returning to practice, but it might be too little too late. Marquand Manuel is looking good filling in for the injured Abdullah. Prior to being injured Hamza Abdullah could be seen ball hawking in Denver's secondary, but in Marquand Manuel, Denver has Dennis Smith hitting ability. I think that it may come down to what situation Denver's in defensively and we'll call this one a draw for now.

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?

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Denver Broncos at Houston Texans: 4th Quarter Notes

• Matt Prater makes his second field goal on the second play of the 4th quarter. Denver 13 Houston 16. 14:52 remaining in the game.
  
  
• WR Clifford Russell makes the tackle on the ensuing kick off return. I'd like to see this guy in at WR.
  
  
• Darius Walker's bell is run by Wesley Woodyard. A nice clean hit. I can't figure out if Woodyard's playing linebacker or safety.
  
  
• Jack Williams is called for holding, giving Houston a first down.
  
  
• Josh Barrett is once again in on a tackle, that's five that he's been in on.
  
  
• Denver's third-team defense can't figure out whether they want to be good or bad against the run. They've had flashes, but so far the bad is out weighing the good.
  
  
• Denver's finally able to stop Houston's run, Wesley Woodyard again in on the tackle. Eight men were in the box.
  
  
• 3rd and 4, off set I, Steve Slaton is stopped once again by Wesley Woodyard, stopping him three yards shy of the first down. Woodyard is in fact playing linebacker.
  
  
• Glenn Martinez is in at punt returner, he's wrapped up immediately at the 20. 10:19 left in the game.
  
  
• Tony Scheffler has a false start to begin the drive with a negative five yards.
  
  
• Anthony Aldridge gains two on 1st and 15.
  
  
• WR Samie Parker catches a Darrell Hackney toss and it's good for about 10 yards. Hackney showed poise in the pocket.
  
  
• Clifford Russell and Tony Scheffler were both moving at the same time, Scheffler kind of fell. This negates Michael Pittman's first down catch. It's 3rd and 9.
  
  
• Darrell Hackney from the shot gun, Hackney connects with Tony Scheffler who is pulled down at the 48 yard line. Hackney had to scramble from the five man rush and floats it to Scheffler. A gain of 38.
  
  
• Holding again on Denver. 10 yards back, fourth holding call on Denver. Mitch Erickson's second holding of the night.
  
  
• Hackney's in the shotgun again, pressure leads to him running, then going air born, picks up again 16 yards, but there's another flag. Penalty's illegal contact on the defense, Denver gets a first down.
  
  
• Hackney's obviously no longer content on the practice squad, rolls out on a bootleg, over throws Clifford Russell, but there's a flag- pass interference inside the five yard line. Tony Scheffler was open in the flat. 07:11 left.
  
  
• Delay of game on the Broncos.
  
  
• First and goal from the eight, Anthony Aldridge gets sandwiched by two defensive linemen who are not blocked at all. Loss of three.
  
  
• Hackney's in the shotgun, but is forced to call a timeout as the play clock pushes towards zero.
  
  
• Hackney throws behind Michael Pittman in the flat. Making it 3rd and goal from the 11.
  
  
• Deep drop, screen pass to Anthony Aldridge, who only gets three yards. Bring on Matt Prater, 06:12 left in the 4th. 26 yard attempt.
  
  
• Matt Prater is good and is 3 of 4 on field goals today. 16 all, 05:50 left in the game.
  
  
• Matt Prater's kickoff is returned at the goal line, Steve Slaton returns it out the the 39 yard-line. Prater actually makes the tackle.
  
  
• Denver's cornerback Christian Morton has looked more than good this game.
  
  
• Wesley Woodyard is another player who has looked impressive for Denver. Woodyard showed great closing speed tracking down Steve Slaton from behind.
  
  
• LB Jordan Beck sacks the quarterback! 2nd and 15.
  
  
• Jordan Beck is called for holding on the next play preventing what would have been 3rd and 15. 03:44 left.
  
  
• Wesley Woodyard again in on a solo tackle, as Houston's QB Shane Boyd rushes for a first down.
  
  
• Christian Morton hogties a Houston receiver preventing a first down. However Houston now has the ball on the Broncos 29. 2nd and 1.
  
  
• Steve Slaton runs for the first and the clock runs, Houston's slow to break their huddle.
  
  
• Steve Slaton gains 16 yards Denver safety LaMont Reid prevents the touch down.
  
  
• Two minute warning and Houston's scarily close to scoring, whether it be on a touchdown or field goal.
  
  
• A four-yard gain by Steve Slaton is stopped by new Bronco safety Vickiel Vaughn.
  
  
• A couple Broncos who's numbers have been consistently in on tackles this quarter: Christian Morton, LaMont Reid, Wesley Woodyard and Jordan Beck.
  
  
• 3rd and 4 Houston gets the first off of fullback Jamiel Cook's run, but there's a late flag.
  
  
• Denver's Jordan Beck leads the Broncos to a negative three yard stop.
  
  
• Steve Slaton is spun to the turf by Wesley Woodyard. The clock continues to tick down at sixty seconds and counting. Houston calls a timeout with 00:27 left on the clock.
  
  
• Denver prevents a bootleg, rookie safety Josh Barrett stays home and prevents a Shane Boyd rushing touchdown.
  
  
• Houston's Kris Brown kicks a game winning field goal as the clock ticks to zero. 19-16 Houston wins.

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Denver Broncos Training Camp Day 12 Report

I had meetings all day today, I'm very sorry that it took until now to get this out today. Everyone knows the terrible news that rookie running back Ryan Torain has broken his elbow and will be out 6-8 weeks. What some may not be aware of is that there's an internet report, at Rotoworld, stating that the Denver Broncos may place Ryan Torain on the injured reserve list. This would make Torain unavailable the entire season. Ignore that one fans. Unless Torain's MRI turns up some type of ligament damage, the rookie could return as early as the game against New Orleans. Coach Mike Shanahan offered us this:

"It's a big loss. I thought he had a chance to compete to be the starting running back. He's one of the most gifted running backs I've been around for a long time. He is very similar to Terrell Davis when he came in. Obviously he has a setback that he has to deal with. It's tough with these guys. He has to take it day-by-day as well, but any time you break a bone in that elbow area obviously it's a setback. I'm just hoping there is not too much ligament damage, but we will find out, obviously, after the MRI."

On to training camp, out today: Chad Mustard (hamstring), Tom Nalen (knee), Hamza Abdullah (groin), Champ Bailey (hamstring), Peyton Hillis (hamstring) and DeWayne Robertson (knee).

That sure is a lot of predicted starters watching from the sideline isn't it? Peyton Hillis and Hamza Abdullah are the only two that worry me out of that list, right now anyway. Hillis has been out a large chunk of training camp and Abdullah has been out at least three days now... Though I love that Marquand Manuel is lining up next to Marlon McCree.

Before diving completely into training camp, back to Mike Lombardi for a second, he says that with the injury to Ryan Torain, Denver should call the New York Giants and inquire about the services of Derrick Ward. There's a back that excites me, seeing him play last year in New York, especially later in the season. He's a guy that could do 2,000 in Denver.

I told you yesterday Eddie Royal was The Future.

• Rookie receiver Eddie Royal spent a couple plays lined up with the first-team offense at the slot position. With Brandon Marshall at the X and Darrell Jackson at the Y.
  
  
• Whether it was youth or actual developed skill something grabbed a hold of rookie corner back Jack Williams today. He stopped running back Michael Pittman cold at the line of scrimmage and earlier had two impressive open field tackles on rookie running back Anthony Aldridge.
  
  
• Speaking of Anthony Aldridge, with Ryan Torain's injury, Aldridge moved up to third on the depth chart and Michael Pittman moved into fourth. Pittman split time today at fullback and running back. Pittman saw a lot more time at running back than he has in the last week. However, the extra work overloaded Pittman, who sat out the afternoon practice and will likely sit out tomorrow as well. Leaving Denver with literally three running backs and the option of switching fullback Cecil Sapp back in. The depth in the backfield is getting a bit scary. Peyton Hillis was out once again and with Michael Pittman nursing a re-aggravated hamstring, Denver currently has one fullback and three running backs at their disposal.
  
  
• I've been saying it for months, but in Boss Bailey, Denver finally has a linebacker that can shut down both Kansas City's Tony Gonzalez and San Diego's Antonio Gates, no more Sundays seeing Champ Bailey line up against Antonio Gates. Boss Bailey looked good today, as he did last season in coverage.
  
  
• With so much thought going into the bottom of the depth chart at running back, my focus is on what's at the top of the Broncos depth chart at running back. Andre Hall might just pull the rug out from underneath Selvin Young's feet and end up being the number one back in Denver.
  
  
• Dre Bly is hearing footsteps and he's not about to give up his spot to Domonique Foxworth, Bly has emerged as a vocal leader on the defensive side for Denver and he's continuing to match up well with Brandon Marshall in training camp.
  
  
• Clifford Russell is my dark horse candidate at wide receiver to make the team. He proved it today, splitting Roderick Rodgers and Jack Williams and coming up with the catch. This guy's playing for keeps and he's playing for a roster spot. Can't wait to see him on Saturday.

For those planning on attending camp tomorrow, the afternoon session has been canceled.

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Denver Broncos Training Camp Day 10 (Morning) Report

The Denver Broncos came back to camp, much appreciative of their day off. The extra day of rest proved to be most beneficial to strong side linebacker Boss Bailey, who was able to return to practice today. Strong safety Hamza Abdullah (groin), center Tom Nalen (knee), tight end Chad Mustard (hamstring) and Montrae Holland continued to work with strength and conditioning Rich Tuten.

If you read the post I had earlier this morning regarding the 2008 Broncos Depth chart, then there really isn't much news as far as starters go. The only real difference is that Niko Koutouvides was starting at middle linebacker, but being the loyal readers that you are, you know that there is a two day rotation at middle linebacker. That doesn't look like it will change until the team gets a look at who steps up when it becomes game time. Either way, the Broncos will be able to add one very strong competitor to the special teams squad. Marquand Manuel started in place of Hamza Abdullah, which is a bit interesting, because Manuel is listed as free safety Marlon McCree's backup. That's a whole lot of hitting power that the Broncos are packing at safety with those two in there together. Casey Wiegmann continued to substitute for Tom Nalen who is resting his knee. I say if Tom Nalen is in shape, let's rest him the whole preseason. There's no point in losing the anchor to our offensive line, in what may be his final season, to a second-team defensive lineman who is employed by the Broncos.

Second year defensive tackle Marcus Thomas cracked into the first-team defensive tackle lineup, replacing Alvin McKinley, who spent time with the second-team.

The practice was heavy on the eleven-on-eleven drills as Denver prepares for their trip to Houston on Friday.

Michael Pittman made his return to the good graces of the Denver coaching staff, catching a touchdown out of the backfield in red zone work. Joining him with touchdown catches were: Andre Hall, Brandon Marshall and Daniel Graham.

Rookie receiver Eddie Royal caught a 35 yard touchdown pass along the sideline. Royal may replace the possibly suspended Brandon Marshall for week one at Oakland and week two vs. San Diego. If the depth chart is correct that is, my belief is that Denver would start Darrell Jackson and Brandon Stokley, running Royal out of the slot. Though that may not make sense, if Royal's learning routes as a number one receiver, the slot routes might be a little too much to remember for the rookie. Can you imagine the possible controversy in Denver week three should Royal be a more than apt replacement for Marshall?

Back to the red zone drill for a second, running backs: Selvin Young, Andre Hall and rookie Ryan Torain all had two touchdowns. Torain nearly had three, but fell just short while diving over a pile at the goal line.

Ryan Torain was not the only rookie back that looked impressive as Anthony "Quick" Aldridge broke a fifty-yard touch down run during eleven-on-eleven drills.

The end of practice featured the two-minute offenses, one led by each starting quarter back. Jay Cutler and Patrick Ramsey were both unsuccessful in scoring. While third-string quarter back Darrell Hackney led the likes of: Clifford Russell, Ryan Torain, Taylor Jacobs and Anthony Aldridge to a touch down.

Denver Broncos Training Camp: Day 4 (Afternoon Practice)

That picture's from the morning practice, but it's of Marcus Thomas doing an impression of a brick wall...

Not a ton of notes from the Afternoon Practice, but- here's what we've got:

• This practice focused on punting and kick offs, specifically the blocking for those specific acts.

• Matt Prater is looking very good on kick-offs. No longer will fans have to suffer through opening kick-offs where teams catch the ball at their ten yard line and end up advancing it to their own 35.
  
  
• We reported earlier that the kick returners looked to have slimmed down (only four practicing in the AM practice), they came out thick for the PM practice though: Anthony Aldridge, Glenn Martinez, Michael Pittman, Eddie Royal and Clifford Russell all returned kicks.
  
  
• Domonique Foxworth did not suit for afternoon practice.

Told you that it was slim pickens this afternoon. Next afternoon will be just a "walk through" as well. So if anyone's planning on going to training camp tomorrow, get those autographs after the second practice when players are good and about as relaxed as they will get.

Credit: DenverBroncos.com for the picture.

Training Camp: Day 3 (Afternoon Practice)

Notes:

• Several of the veterans got the afternoon "off": Champ Bailey, John Lynch, Tom Nalen and DeWayne Robertson, are amongst the most notable. Though the players participated without shoulder pads and only with helmets.

• Nate Webster remained the middle linebacker with the first-team defense.

• Selvin Young:

"I’m not the type of person that stays on one side of the fence my whole life and sees what everybody else sees and tries to accomplish what everyone else tries to accomplish," he explained."I’m the guy who wants to get on the other side of the fence and accomplish what other people never reach for."

• Publicly scorned guard Montrae Holland was allowed to practice and saw time with the first team offense at right guard.

• Eddie Royal, Glenn Martinez, Andre Hall, Clifford Russell and Anthony Aldridge all fielded kickoffs during the PM practice. My money's on Hall and Royal...

• Safety Marquand Manuel:

“You can tell, the pads are on, the gym shorts practices are over with,” Manuel said. “Now we are having real man practices, and you can see who the real men are,” he said. “You can just tell by watching practice that our focus to detail is at an all-time high, the best that I have been around,” he said.

• Mike Shanahan on why Brandon Marshall looks like he's dragging ass:

"Anytime you miss all of those OTA days and the majority of the offseason program, it takes some time to get back in football shape," Shanahan said. "He hasn’t skipped a beat, he’s making plays left and right and he is just going to keep getting better and better as his body gets back into football shape."