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.”

NFL to Denver: Still Just Human

It was suggested early last week by me, that, being that the Kansas City Chiefs employed two of the best players in the NFL- maybe they should try getting them the ball. I suggested maybe just passing the ball to Tony Gonzalez and Dewayne Bowe all the time, spell that by handing the ball off to Larry Johnson- couldn't be a worse outcome right? 

Well, slap my ass and call me Herm Edwards.

The problem? The Denver Broncos defense was complacent in their misery, they may have actually gained overall ground in the NFL against the Chiefs; being that the Chiefs only scored 33 points. The Broncos secondary gave up only 160 yards to the Chiefs and only 207 yards to their ground game. By all looks of it, Denver showed vast improvement on defense. As good as the Broncos defense is at being bad, it was ultimately the Broncos offense that lost the game. 

Denver fans were ready to crown Brandon Marshall the messiah and Eddie Royal his second coming. Then they both fumbled, Royal on the Broncos opening drive, deep in Denver territory. Marshall's was even worse though... 

The Messiah's drop cost the Broncos their drive, their forward momentum and their confidence. Quarterback Jay Cutler went on to throw two times as many interceptions to the Chiefs than he has all season, if that wasn't enough, his sack total was doubled as well. 

However, despite it all, Cutler threw for 361 yards, Royal had his second 100-yard game, Selvin Young kept chipping away at his 2,000 yard prediction with 49 yards (only 1,821 to go). So what gives? Brandon Stokley even came out a bit this game, he was worth 80 yards. So improved defense- check. Offensive production- check. Better special teams- check. What's so different this game?

It has become my mantra lately, defense wins championships, but not games- hell, the Philadelphia Eagles just proved it, losing to the Chicago Bears. Offense wins games.

Breaking down my focuses:

• Focus one: Contain Tony Gonzalez.
  
  Throughout all of my scouting on the Chiefs, last week I in advisably said that the Chiefs should just feed Gonzo the ball. Let Johnson and Bowe spell him and just see what happens. The Chiefs did find Gonzalez for a touchdown, but for the most part Boss Bailey kept the man in check. 
  
  
• Focus two: Stop Larry Johnson.
  
  The man went buck wild on that 65-yard run, he shouldn't have, but it happened and he did. He finished with 198 yards. He probably wouldn't have, except Kansas City was leading the whole game, did you expect them to pass? The man has made a career out of teeing off against the Broncos. 
  
  
• Focus three: Cover Dewayne Bowe.
  
  For the life of me I do not know why Bowe caught wild on Denver, but then again, I really do and that brings me to my fourth focus. That was... 
  
  
• Focus four: Incorporate rookie cornerback Jack Williams in as the nickel back. 
  
  Fed up with Karl Paymah getting ran over? Me too, I was the first calling for Jack "Mother F***ing" Williams two weeks ago, he tore it up in preseason and in training camp. However, Jack "Mother F***ing" Williams became Jack "Mother F***er" Williams today. However, what the hell was he doing covering Bowe in the first place? Who the hell was Champ Bailey covering on that play? It got to the point where literally every time Bowe caught a pass, Williams was covering him. What is up with that? Did the Chiefs have two other receivers that I wasn't aware of that warranted Bailey and Dre Bly's attention? 

Let me sum this whole thing up by saying that, I'd rather Denver get humbled in September by the Chiefs then get blown up by the Carolina Panthers in the midst of a playoff hunt. So with that out of the way, I've got plenty of Tampa Bay Buccaneers scouting information to report to you. So keep plugged in, because I'm back. 

Larry Johnson photo courtesy of Reuters.

Brandon Marshall courtesy of A.P./Charles Riedel

Green Bay Packers vs. Denver Broncos: First Quarter

Got started just a bit late, sorry guys.

Broncos D-line looked pathetic on the first series.

Got scored on, where was the covereage?

I don't get why our sweep plays are starting off so deep. It's never worked for us and now we're trying it still in the preseason.

Giant run for the Broncos from Selvin Young, that's what we've been waiting for from Young.

Selvin Young's lining up literally 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage, I don't understand. He runs 13 to gain three yards...

Jay Cutler looks good tucking and scrambling, hasn't been sacked yet ::knock on wood::

Andre Hall gets yet another first and ten, imagine that? Penalties, even with the Packers having 12 men on the field doesn't mean they can stop the inevitable which is Andre Hall. Green Bay's Charles Woodson hurt.

Jay Cutler's 0-3 a very far cry from last weekend. Just complete one man, we'll get back on track.

Cutler to Brandon Marshall! Finally!

Andre Hall was tackled by an unblocked strong safety. Nice!

Brandon Stokley has now missed two passes this series. This one was Cutler's fault.

Selvin Young, got both hands on a pass and can't come up with it. Bring Hall back in!

Here comes Matt Prater, he's missed his first attempt every game so far- He doesn't this time 3-7 Packers.

Let's see how the Denver Broncos defense does on their second series, after adjustments.

Nate Webster just owned someone in the Packer's running system and may have solidified his first-team membership.

DeWayne Robertson with his first major contribution to the defense!

Well, we get to see the Broncos in spread coverage, Marlon McCree proves once again to be useless in man-on-man.

Dre Bly gives Greg Jennings an inch, he takes a mile... Stop them Denver!

Well, Nate Webster and Champ Bailey made sure that the Packers knew they still can't run on us. Now, let's stop the pass.

There was a sack, Kenny Peterson somehow didn't get to him! Either way, Elvis Dumervil got called for off-sides, so it doesn't matter.

Packers are just marching down the field on Denver, this is pathetic. Come on Bob Slowik, figure it out.

Finally a sack! Doom! Elvis Dumervil lining up on the left side to wrap up the first quarter!


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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 8 (Morning) Report

I may have jinxed our gentle giants in Dove Valley and I'm sorry. Starting free safety Hamza Abdullah (groin) and strong side linebacker Boss Bailey (knee) were both added to the list of inactives today, which includes: Tom Nalen (knee), Peyton Hillis (hamstring), Chad Mustard (hamstring), Michael Pittman (too many reps) and Montrae Holland (TFTP).

The good news?:

Brandon Marshall is Magic!

Seriously, Marshall hasn't even caught the ball and the referee is already calling a touchdown. He's so sure of his skill that he doesn't even stand up to catch anymore. Just sits in the end zone and waits. It's a sign, what Marshall is trying to illustrate with this metaphor is that even "sitting" he will be effective. He's telling fans that it's okay, look at the young boy just below the ball, he understands.

Tom Nalen's MRI was negative, which is great news to everyone, except center Casey Wiegmann, who has been filling in for the injured Nalen on the first-team offense.

I proposed this a couple of days ago (maybe even the first day of camp), what do you guys think of this for a front five: Clady, Hamilton, Nalen, Wiegmann and Kuper? Just a through, of course if missing this many reps in training camp does not affect Montrae Holland then of course swap him and Wiegmann. I love Ryan Harris and I'm assuming the coaches do too, because of the amount of first-team reps he is getting at right tackle. However, if Chris Kuper doesn't have to play right guard and the Denver staff can put him on the outside, they probably will. He's playing like a programmed machine, broken hand and all.

Nate Webster is still at middle linebacker on the first-team. As I stated yesterday, as far as I can tell it's two day rotation, Webster plays two days on first-team, then Niko Koutouvides plays two days on first-team. Who's better? Hmm... Webster's certainly more exciting to watch play, while Koutouvides seems to be the more intelligent player. They both come from good NFL pedigrees as far as previous experience, however Webster was an animal for Denver last season. Can he be trusted in pass coverage? Not as much as I would trust Koutouvides in pass coverage and here in lies the problem for Denver's coaching staff. Preseason will sort out the situation, hopefully. Let's not forgot about rookie Spencer Larsen either, while he's most likely going to go head-to-head with Jordan Beck for special teams thriller, Larsen provides nice insurance to Webster and Koutouvides.

Dre Bly's a man on a mission:

Can you imagine the results of the above picture in an actual game? Backup quarterback Patrick Ramsey would most likely have spinal fluid coming out of his nose from the hit he's about to receive. The week old battle between Bly and Domonique Foxworth is only going to get hotter. Only Denver will benefit from this competition, with both Bly and Foxworth playing to beat each other out. Foxworth is in a contract year and fans seemed to have shifted favoring Foxworth over Bly, where as their were rumblings to trade Foxworth for a fourth rounder prior to the draft. I'm hoping that the three along with rookie Jack Williams and Karl Paymah can link to form the iron curtain coverage that any team needs to force an offense to become one dimensional.

With Hamza Abdullah out, rookie Josh Barrett was given an opportunity to shine and he did, nabbing a sack during eleven-on-elevens. Roderick Rogers, whom I haven't brought up as much as I should have in the days since John Lynch evacuated, also picked off a ball today. If I'm the coach, I don't know who stays and who goes, either way, there are going to be some very talented players in a lot of the positions who won't be making the team unfortunately.

On the defensive line, Josh Mallard is continuing reps with the first team. At one point in practice the defensive line consisted of nearly all draft picks from 2007, as Jarvis Moss, Marcus Thomas and Tim Crowder front ended Denver's second-team defense.

Photo credit: Kyle Sonneman © DenverBroncos.com

Calling Out Names: Jarvis Moss, Domonique Foxworth, Andre Hall and Darrell Jackson

I write for the people, the people that want to know what I have to say about the Denver Broncos. I appreciate every single one of you who visit the page every day, seriously, just wish you'd feel the need to comment =)

So here's what I'd like to do, it's been five days and yes, it may be a bit premature, but I feel it's necessary to point out a couple of the Denver Broncos' players who have looked exceptionally well over those five days.

Jarvis Moss - Defensive End

Granted training camp tends to favor the defense, Denver quarterbacks have to favor the fact that they're not allowed to be hit during camp. No matter what the drill it seems that Moss is playing for keeps, a certain Denver paper reported erroneously that Moss was being punished after practice. Moss has stayed late after every practice, the man is on a mission. He's got great competition in Elvis Dumervil, but Moss is excelling in both pass rushing and running situations. Too early to call? No, I don't think so, Denver will not be disappointed in last season's first round pick.

Domonique Foxworth - Corner Back

The Broncos have employed a new defensive scheme in training camp. A 4-3-3-1, if you will, the second three are the corner backs and granted this formation may just be in an effort to stop their own offense... However, in this defense it is Domonique Foxworth, not Dre Bly who shadows the number two wide receiver. It's a contract year for Foxworth and he's making it abundantly clear that he wants an extension in Denver. Rookie Jack Williams can wait and Foxworth is doing his best to make Bly look expendable, Foxworth means business. I only hope that he gets a chance to prove it in the playoffs against Indianapolis.

Andre Hall - Running Back

Andre Hall is the biggest speed bump in Selvin Young's 2,000 yards or bust campaign. Hall may just "accidentally," take the starting spot from Young, once they get in, "Under the lights," as Shanahan says. Hold off on your fantasy drafts my men, I'm not just a member of the Andre Hall Fanclub, I'm the President. He's a triple threat, in that he can run up the middle or off the edge, he can catch and then burn you or he can lay you out in a passing down. It's up to him, I wish I had a clip of him lifting unsuspecting defenders off their feet, but I don't. Even if I did, I'd be scared that I'd get sued for posting it.

Darrell Jackson - Wide Receiver

Proving that there are two constants in life, the sun will rise and Darrell Jackson will prove to be efficient. I've down played the drops that Jackson had in Seattle before, but let this be my thesis, it rains in Seattle, balls get slick- if that's not good enough for you, it might just be that your quarterback sucks (see San Francisco last season). In Jackson there is proof that Denver just may be okay in the event that Brandon Marshall gets suspended and with the consistent Brandon Stokley and the highly likely emergence of rookie Eddie Royal... Denver may not need Marshall at all this season. Take that Denver media, blow his situation out of proportion all you like, but it's not doomsday in Denver until Elvis says so... And even then we'll be okay.

Training Camp: Day 3 (before morning practice)

Defensive tackle DeWayne Robertson will not participate in practice today. Don't know whether to read anything into that or not... Speculating based on OTA's the decision has probably more to do with insuring that Robertson will still be healthy come the regular season.

A note that I missed from yesterday was Mike Shanahan getting on tight end Tony Scheffler, after Scheffler had dropped a deep pass. “I told him don’t throw your helmet down, we don’t do that,” Shanahan said. “You lose your poise, people see it, your teammates see it. He’s going to be an excellent player, we know what type of receiver he is, but if you can’t handle yourself out here, you’re not going to handle yourself in games.”

And some quotes from corner back Dre Bly, "I don't have nothing to prove," he said. "Just be consistent, just keep doing what I've done, make plays and help this team win. Every year, I've been one of the top in making plays and that's what I plan on doing this year."

"I'm glad to be here again this year," he said. "Last year, I was blessed to be here and excited to be here. I told coach Shanahan the other day, even though we struggled last year, it was uplifting for me to be here and be a part of an organization like this.

Training Camp: Day 2 (Morning Report) Part II

More notes from the AM practice:

Brandon Marshall out duels Dre Bly for a reception:

Picture taken by Kyle Sonneman © DenverBroncos.com

• DJ Williams looked so good, no one seemed to notice who's taking the majority of reps at middle linebacker, Niko Koutouvides started off the day with the first team. Are bothKoutouvides and Nate Webster that good or that bad?
  
  
• Coach Shanahan on Koutouvides, "We've been watching him for the last 17 days, and try to get the pads on and the chance the evaluate everybody day by day. That's what all the preseason is about; To get a pecking order and see these guys compete and see what they can do in special situations. It's only the second day."
  
  
• Boss Bailey has done well in pass coverage and loves being back on the field with Champ, "It's a lot more easier for me to be back on the field with my brother. It's a comforting thing for me," he said. "It's just been fun playing with him and watching and learning and trying to steal some moves from him."
  
  
• Here's what Coach Shanahan has to say about the younger Bailey, "He's been great. He did a great job during the offseason conditioning program and adjusted to our system very quickly. He's got the ability to cover the tight end by himself. He plays as a coach... So far so good."
  
  
• Both Domonique Foxworth and Josh Barrett got interceptions in the morning 7 on 7 drills.
  
  
• Jarvis Moss made Ryan Harris look bad more than once, even pushing him to the ground once. Is it that Moss is good or Harris is bad? Or are they both good and Moss is just better?
  
  
• When the first-team offense squared off against the first-team defense, the offense did not score.

Other offensive/defensive scrimmage notes:

• Peyton Hillis scored on a dump pass out of the backfield.
  
  
• Eddie Royal caught a pass in traffic that brought the crowd to their feet.
  
  
• DeWayne Robertson broke through the offensive line to bat down a screen play.
  
  
• John Lynch and Marlon McCree appear to be swapping when the Broncos bring in nickel formation McCree's playing free safety. While Domonique Foxworth,is coming in as the nickel back.
  
  
• Darrell Jackson appears to be the number 2 receiver as of right now.

That's the end from the AM, here's a thought or two from me:

Why isn't Casey Wiegmann filling in for Montrae Holland? Most likely, because it would mean someone else giving snaps for the second-team offense, but if this were the season... I don't know who would be manning the right side of the offensive line.

Are we in trouble at middle linebacker?

Don't be fooled, last year our defensive line was said to be "very impressive." Wait until Denver goes up against Dallas to decide how good the offensive/defensive line is.

Denver Broncos will still go 13-3.

2007 was a dark place for Denver. I hope that I never write about it again in this context, at this point it's been brought up again and again, fans now bat it around lacking the tact it deserves. The night after the Denver Broncos lost the opportunity to go to the playoffs against San Francisco, Darrent Williams was murdered, gangland style and died in Javon Walker's arms.

Barely a moment to recuperate from the fact that they wouldn't be making the playoffs and the 23-26 overtime loss to the San Francisco 49ers- and now this... A man amongst the 60 plus of them that had survived the OTA's, the month long hell-hole known as Training Camp; The five to six practices a week, a man who had rose above his age, above his perceived talent level and who had played so well as a rookie in Champ Bailey's shadow that Denver had almost made it to the Super Bowl- was gone. Forever.

Echoes of his smile, Texas accent and young raw talent were everywhere. The death of a friend is haunting enough, the death of a team mate, a fellow soldier is down right devastating- shaken to the core. Every single one of them reminded of their own mortality. Then, after not even a moment to catch their breath- Damien Nash, collapses during a basketball game. Two of their sixty, gone.

How must Denver go on? A month from the time they must reconvene and face the questions when they yet to even come to grips to find the answers. Jay Cutler, who will start, who almost got them to the playoffs- a rookie by any standards, untested and unproven. The new Defensive Coordinator, the new system, the new back with a history of trouble making...

Finally July, training camp, then they all started dropping like flies, no Rod Smith, no Ebenezer Ekuban, no Ben Hamilton, Al Wilson's gone and DJ Williams is going to play middle and we've got Dre Bly, but even the best corner in the league can't fill the gap that the loss of Williams left.

More season, more injuries, seriously how the hell were they supposed to do well? Walker's gone, Travis Henry's not clean, we've got Cutler running for his life and now Tom Nalen's gone... Oh and Bailey, our corner's leading the team in tackles...

Really? 2007??? Really? That's how you want to judge us? That's what you want to give Mike Shanahan credit for? So called experts would like to point out that we can't stop the run, nor the pass rush, guess we can't take Brett Favre into overtime or knock Minnesota out of the playoffs, beat Pittsburgh and Jay Cutler can't go head to head with Vince Young and show him who deserved to stay in Tennessee. Let Philip Rivers talk, because seriously, look at his numbers, compared to the second year Cutler, that's all he is good at, talking. The San Diego Chargers may very well be favorites to go to the Super Bowl this season, but that's never stopped Denver from knocking them on their ass...

13-3 folks, follow me.

2008 Game by Game Preview: Week 7 New England, Week 8 Bye Week

With the NFL Preseason weeks away we here at Broncos Denver Broncos will be previewing the entire season ahead, two games at a time. This is all in fun, but in reality it will be our best effort at predicting how the 2008 season will actually shape up for the Broncos. It should be fun to look back in January or February and laugh...

So here goes any credibility that we have, hope that you enjoy and feel free to add, subtract or crack my orange tinted glasses in half. Just do it in the comment section:

Week 7 (Mon. October 20th, 2008)
at New England.

some facts: Denver and New England are tied for 2nd in the NFL for Super Bowl berths, with 6. Denver was the 6th team in the NFL to go to back to back Super Bowls, New England was the 7th. Denver was the only AFC team to do it in two decades, until New England joined them. Patriot's coach Bill Belichick and Mike Shanahan are the only active coaches to have won two Super Bowls and are members of an elite fraternity (12 coaches) to have ever won two Super Bowls. Since 1995 (under Shanahan) Denver is third (130-78-0) for most wins in the NFL, New England is first (135-73-0). In that same time span Denver is third in the NFL for points scored (5,079), while New England is fourth (4,883). Shanahan is 8-3 against the Patriots as a head coach, 4-2 at home and 4-1 at Foxborough. In the 2003-2004 seasons New England surpassed Denver's record of most wins in a two-year span (33), setting it at 34. Champ Bailey had one of the most dramatic interceptions in NFL Playoff history picking off New England's Tom Brady in the end-zone on January 14th, 2006, setting an NFL record for longest interception return not for a touchdown. Bailey's career was foreshadowed when he picked off former New England quarterback Drew Bledsoe in his first preseason game, returning it 46 yards for a touchdown. In 2005's regular season corner back Domonique Foxworth had 10 total tackles against New England (the second highest in his career). Denver tight end Daniel Graham was drafted by New England in the first round in 2002. Both safeties John Lynch and Marlon McCree's last interceptions took place against New England. McCree's best game in 2007 was played against New England (10 total tackles, 6 solo).

They're going to 'murdah' me for this one, but it is undeniable that Shanahan has owned the Patriots, whether it be in Denver or Foxborough. Actually the Patriots would probably be better off if this game were in Denver. Last year, as stupid as it sounded, the Patriots were lucky that they didn't have to play against Denver, with the way that teams were playing every game against them as if it were the Super Bowl (see the game vs. the Ravens or any game following week 7).

New England has the least difficult strength of schedule of anybody in the NFL (go figure) and partly because they're playing the AFC West. This is also likely the most difficult game that Denver will have all season, given the respect for the opponent coupled with the fact that the game is on Monday Night Football, the team should shine. That as well as the fact that the team has nothing to look forward to the next week except a well deserved break, following the most difficult stretch of their season.

Expect many players to step up in this game that haven't been necessarily heard from before. As always when Denver plays New England, fans will see formations on both sides of the ball that they haven't seen all season. Look at how great some of these match-ups will be, Champ Bailey vs. Randy Moss, Ryan Clady vs. Richard Seymour/Mike Vrabel, Tom Brady vs. Denver's Secondary, Boss Bailey vs. Ben Watson, Daniel Graham/Tony Schefler vs. Tedy Bruschi/Victor Hobson, Dre Bly vs. Wes Welker, et cetera...

New England for whatever reason, seems to never be able to defend against the safety blitz, when it comes to Denver (or even certain other AFC West teams). Denver had extreme trouble competing with teams that played the 3-4/5-2, the good news is this season, by this game, they will have already faced two of the best 3-4/5-2 defenses the NFL has to offer in Jacksonville and San Diego. So the Broncos offensive line will hopefully be ready for whatever it is that New England has to throw at them.

The scary part is on defense for the Broncos. Do they have what it takes to defend a full-on Brady attack? I think that they do, even with the likely emergence of Chad Jackson and Jabar Gaffney the talent in the secondary in Denver is going to be too much for anyone this season. Couple that with the fact that Brady will be avoiding joint rushes from Marlon McCree and John Lynch the whole game.

In the end, this will be the definitive game that makes the rest of the NFL take a look back and say, "Huh? These guys are really that good," and I'm looking forward to it. Got my tickets to Gillette Stadium already.

Denver emerges from Week 7, victorious 6-1, as they head into a perfectly timed Bye Week.

Week 8 (Sun. October 26th, 2008)
Bye Week.

Denver comes off the most difficult part of their entire schedule with a much deserved one-week vacation. Back to Denver to prepare for Miami and lick their wounds, in the upcoming weeks they face Miami, Cleveland (in Cleveland) and Atlanta (in Atlanta).

Denver is 6-1 with their sights set on Miami.

'08 Denver Broncos' Defense: Position Breakdown

With the possible exception of ST, Broncos D will be the most changed from '07. We will see as many as seven new starters, perhaps as many as eleven new defensive players. When one considers there are four rookies and four players new in '07 left over from last year, that's a major rebuild! There could be as many as 19 new faces among the 25 or so on D, in the past two seasons. Add to that a new DC, LB coach and a couple of new defensive assistants, the Broncos' '08 D will be almost brand new.

The position with the least turnover, and therefore the strongest headed into '08, is cornerback. Two proven veterans, Bailey and Bly, backed up by two experienced young players, Foxworth and Paymah with a promising rookie in Jack Williams. It may be the deepest set of corners in the NFL. Just in case you were wondering how important they are, remember how they came flying off the draft board in April? The Broncos may have the luxury of planning ahead for the future of this position. Not many question marks here ... yet.

The DL was joined by three rookies in '07, ends Jarvis Moss and Tim Crowder and tackle Marcus Thomas. Moss's season ended early with an injury, Thomas was never really in shape having missed '06; he and Crowder got a lot of playing time. DL usually show great improvement in their second season, Mario Williams a case in point. Elvis Dumervil continues to develop as a PRS getting into double-digits in '07. DeWayne Robertson joins the Broncos DL from the Jets switching back to a more one-gap 3 tech. after having been NT a couple of seasons. A rookie DT, Carlton Powell of Va.Tech., was added in the 5th round. Most of us expect to see these six joined by two or three from: Ebenezer Ekuban, John Engelberger, Thomas Harris, Alvin McKinley, Kenny Peterson, Josh Mallard (trying out at LS), Nic Clemons, Larry Birdine and Paul Carrington. Question marks would appear to be: how will Robertson's knee hold up; how well will the sophs (Moss, Crowder and Thomas) mature; will Dumervil morph into a PRS with about 20 sacks; how much will Powell contribute in a DT rotation this year? A DL will need to be drafted or otherwise acquired in '09. After all those Browns' DL, the situation finally starts to look more promising and manageable.

The last time Denver had a great D, there was a high motor/thumper/emotional leader named Al Wilson at MLB. Bronco fans miss him. His replacement is yet to be found. DJ Williams, who has played all LB spots very well, did a good job at MLB in '07. We are all excited about his return (finally) to WLB where his talents can shine. Nate Webster has yet to show he is the answer at MLB. Niko Koutouvides was signed as an UFA from Seattle. He will get his chance to play MLB and maybe we should have the Greek flags, music, food, drink, etc. ready just in case. Spencer Larsen is a 6th round pick from Arizona (which has produced some great LBs) who has the look of a thumper in the middle. The Bailey brothers finally get their wish to play together yet again, maybe even on the same side of the D most of the time. Jamie Winborn (who played very well in relief) and Jordan Beck (who excelled on ST) are in the mix as well. Also listed as a LB is the top-ranked undrafted player in '08, Wesley Woodyard. Is he a LB or a S? The Broncos will retain six or seven on the roster. Louis Green and Nate Webster will have their hands full just making the team.

The defensive position which I and others have no clue about is safety. Part of it is that we out here really don't know what they in there are up to. Hey, send me to Denver with an expense account and a press pass to all practices, and ... There are six of them; seven if you count Woodyard as a S. But, what is a box S in the Broncos' D? Same as a LB in a split-six (4-4)? Even if the the Broncos intend to play eight in the box, they still need a FS type/center-fielder/break on the ball/big hitter. Could Abdullah, Barrett and Rogers be the FS types with Lynch, McCree, Manuel and Woodyard the box/SS types? Who knows? How many will they keep? Four? Five? Who will the '08 Bronco safeties be? Like I said, no clue. Stay tuned. It will be a big surprise, especially to other NFL teams ... I hope.

CBS: DeAngelo Hall is Wrong

Clark Judge a Senior Writer at CBSSports.com has capped off an article, which is (halfway) favorable to Denver, but best of all, here's the first two sentences of the article:

"DeAngelo Hall is wrong.

When the Oakland cornerback said in an ESPN.com interview that the Raiders had the best set of corners in the league, he erred. The Raiders aren't the best at anything unless, of course, you're talking about losing."

If this were a Kay Slay tape then insert the overwhelming, "DAMN!" and let it resonate.

He has this to say about Denver:

"Champ Bailey is still the platinum bar of cornerbacks, the standard by which others are measured, and I don't care if you buy into it or not. Most GMs, coaches and personnel directors do, and that's good enough for me.

"He's an elite player," said one general manager. "He not only makes all the plays; he makes whoever plays with him better."

That would be Dre' Bly, and there's nothing extraordinary about him other than he takes too many risks ("for every five plays he makes, he'll miss on two others," said one GM). But pair him with Bailey, and, suddenly, the conversation changes.

"Dre' Bly is nothing better than OK," said an AFC offensive assistant, "but having him with Champ Bailey makes him look better than he is."

Yes, Bailey was hurt last year. He still was second-team All-Pro. That should tell you something. So should this: He has been chosen to eight consecutive Pro Bowls and four straight All-Pro teams.

"The guy is special," a pro personnel director said. "There's no downside to him."

While Bly did extremely well on his own last year (see the Pittsburgh game) there were times when he left me screaming at my television screen (see the Green Bay game). I'm not ready to give up on a guy who was forced to spend 75% of his pass coverage with his eye in the backfield, for help with run defense.

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?

Shots Fired: Bly vs. Rivers

The writing's on the wall my friends or alea iacta est (the dice is thrown), as my friend Sam might point out. In an article posted yesterday by Yahoo, Dre Bly is quoted and like Champ Bailey, he's definitely not on the Rivers' bandwagon. What's in the cards? What will it be after week three in 2008? We'll see, but it won't be soon that Denver forgets this little incident:

Big mouth has become Rivers' trademark
By Michael Silver, Yahoo! Sports
June 13, 2008

SAN DIEGO – Chris Chambers was at fellow wideout and St. Louis Ram Torry Holt's charity banquet in North Carolina earlier this spring when the San Diego Chargers' key 2007 midseason acquisition suddenly found himself in press coverage. Confronting Chambers was Dré Bly, the veteran cornerback who plays for the Denver Broncos and does not have fond memories of his most recent encounter with the AFC West rival Chargers.

"Why is your quarterback always talking so much mess?" Bly asked Chambers. "Nobody in the league likes that guy."

Chambers smiled and replied, "That's y'all's prerogative. But we love him."

For all of the reasons to celebrate Philip Rivers – his emergence as a Pro Bowl passer in his first year as a starter, his impeccable off-the-field behavior, his exceptionally gutsy effort in last year's AFC Championship game after having torn his anterior cruciate ligament the week before – the fifth-year quarterback heads into the 2008 season as a 6-foot-5, 228-pound target. His well-documented fits of yapping at opposing players and fans has incurred the ire of countless others besides Bly. One veteran defensive back calls Rivers "the most obnoxious dude in the NFL."

Simply put, Rivers' mouth gets more attention than his arm. And thanks to the magic of 24-hour NFL television coverage and readily accessible Internet video, some of his more conspicuous displays of verbal instigation are there for public consumption in a way that, say, infamous Chargers washout Ryan Leaf never experienced.

"When you see it on TV, I'll be the first one to agree, it doesn't look that good," Rivers said Wednesday from the Chargers' training facility. "But there's nothing I say out there that I couldn't tell my six-year-old daughter. I don't curse, and I'm not saying anything out of line at all."

Rivers shook his head, shrugged his shoulders and waited for the inevitable follow-up question. An accessible and engaging interview subject, he typically becomes frustrated when asked to explain his penchant for talking smack, especially when the subject starts to dwarf the elements of his game he holds dearest. There he was on Wednesday, having fully participated in the Chargers' second-to-last offseason coaching session before training camp less than five months after having undergone major reconstructive knee surgery, a recovery that so far has been stunningly smooth and rapid.

"If I had to play a game this Sunday," he insisted, "I could."

That, of course, was the real story. But do a word-association game with the typical NFL fan – or player – outside of San Diego County, and Rivers is likely to provoke a far less complimentary response than courageous or heroic.

Both words applied last January in frigid Foxborough, Mass., where Rivers summoned what seemed to be a medical miracle. Having torn the ACL in his right knee in the Chargers' divisional playoff upset of the defending champion Colts in Indy, Rivers had an arthroscopic procedure to clean out the area the following day and set his sights on playing in the AFC Championship game six days later. With the knee heavily taped underneath a stabilizing brace, Rivers braved the 23-degree temperature (and a wind chill of nine degrees) at Gillette Stadium and hung tough against the undefeated Patriots, completing 19 of 37 passes for 211 yards in a 21-12 defeat.

That effort elevated Rivers in the eyes of his teammates, who already appreciated him for his intelligence and cool under fire. "That he played at all was amazing," Chambers says. "He really proved a lot."

It was a defining moment for Rivers, the No. 4 overall pick in the '04 draft who sat for two seasons as Drew Brees' understudy before taking over as the starter. He played well enough in '06 to make the Pro Bowl but wilted down the stretch as the top-seeded Chargers flopped in their playoff opener against the Pats. Last season, conversely, Rivers was shaky early on as he tried to adjust to new coach Norv Turner's offensive system. But in leading the Chargers to victories in their final six regular season games and first two playoff contests, Rivers completed 133 of 214 passes (62.1 percent) for 1,656 yards, throwing 14 touchdowns and only five interceptions for a cumulative passer rating of 98.2.

Clearly, he had the hot hand. But, as his critics are quick to point out, Rivers tends to come off like a hothead. Some examples:

• After the home playoff defeat to the Pats in January of '07, Rivers, angered by what he felt were taunting celebrations by New England players, approached cornerback Ellis Hobbs and called him "the sorriest corner in the league."

• When the Chargers were booed at home in Week 12 against the Baltimore Ravens, cameras caught Rivers gesturing to San Diego fans and saying "Shut up!" In the regular season finale, he got into it with Raiders fans in Oakland. He also jawed at Colts fans in the playoff game at the RCA Dome, telling them "I'll be back" while heading to the locker room after hurting his knee.

• He had several shouting matches with All-Pro halfback LaDainian Tomlinson on the sidelines, including an oft-replayed tiff during the Chargers' pivotal victory over the Titans in Nashville last December.

• Most notoriously, Rivers walked onto the field to taunt Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler after a Chargers defensive stand late in San Diego's 23-3 victory, an incident that undoubtedly helped shape Bly's unfavorable opinion.

All of which has Rivers, a married father of four who teammates describe as a clean-living homebody, wondering how so many outsiders can be so mistaken about him. Citing Brett Favre's celebrated on-field woofing with Warren Sapp – "Though obviously those guys have earned the right to say whatever they want," Rivers qualifies – he insists that everything he says is in the spirit of good, clean fun.

"You want to make a good impression with the public, and I agree that it's a fine line between playing with emotion and taking things too far," Rivers says. "But I'm not doing it to get attention or for any reason other than to have a good time. If we can't have fun playing the game, then I don't want to play. I really don't. If we have to tone down the emotions to the point where it's no fun, that's just silly."

To his credit, Rivers resists all efforts to play up his improbable effort in the AFC Championship game. This is yet another indication that Rivers, the son of an Alabama high school football coach, doesn't possess the prima donna tendencies expected of him by many of his critics.

"There were a couple of times when the knee buckled (against the Patriots) and I had to catch myself, but I didn't feel like there was any throw I made the whole game that was affected by the knee," he says. "I liked all the compliments I got from my teammates, and I know things like that help you gain respect. But we didn't win, which was the purpose of my playing in the first place.

"The bottom line is: It ain't gonna last forever. Two years from now, people aren't gonna say, 'Oh, he played with a torn ACL, let's give him a free pass.' "

Rivers had reconstructive surgery three days after the New England game, then watched as Eli Manning – the quarterback for whom he was traded on draft day – reinvented himself by leading the Giants to a shocking Super Bowl XLII upset of the Pats. Though it might sound like sacrilege in San Diego, where Manning is reviled for having told the Chargers he wouldn't play for them before the '04 draft, Rivers openly rooted for Peyton's oft-criticized kid brother to beat New England.

"I really was pulling for Eli," Rivers says. "We will always be linked, and I think (the trade) worked out for both of us. I was glad he won a championship, and that's something we can do, too. We're proud of what we accomplished last year, but now anything short of winning it all will be disappointing."

Though Rivers insists he won't curb his enthusiasm, he does plan to make one behavioral modification. "Looking back at the way some of the stuff went down, I may cut out talking to the fans," he says. "I agree that it doesn't look good, and I can probably better direct my energies elsewhere."

Whether Rivers can stick to that plan remains to be seen. Says Chambers: "He'll probably calm down from a little bit of that stuff, but when he gets emotional, I don't see him backing down anytime soon. Guys from all over the league are always telling me, 'I don't like your quarterback,' but personally I like a gutsy, fiery guy – he gets me going.

"He holds no punches, whether he's talking to our guys or guys on (the opposing) defense. It rubs a lot of people the wrong way. But we know him. We know what he's about inside. And that's the guy we want leading our team."