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

After Further Review...

Isn't DVR a wonderful thing? A second/third viewing of the September 14 game between the Broncos and the Chargers has produced the following observations:

• The overall defense wasn't as bad as it seemed in realtime. Run D is much improved.


• Pressure was applied to Philip Rivers, but he just stands in the shrinking pocket and throws the ball. Elvis is banged up and the Broncos need another pass rushing defensive lineman. We are all wondering about Jarvis Moss. Ekuban and Peterson made some big-time defensive plays. Engelberger had a sack. Josh Shaw played some. Robertson and Thomas are doing a good job in the middle and really collapse the pocket on pass plays while remaining solid against the run. The Broncos are playing a three-man odd-front D-Line in passing situations. My jury is still out on that.


• Sproles was mostly contained when he was rushing except for his TD run which must have been a blown play for the D. The Bronco LBs ran themselves out of position in a way that Slowik couldn't have possibly wanted. Aside from the kick return for a TD (oops), he was contained by Denver's ST.


• Denver's LBs may as well be considered as new with Williams and Webster in new spots and Bailey new to the team. Boss was playing in his first game since the first preseason game. It seems that he was manned up on Tolbert when San Diego made a big pass play to him in the third quarter. My take is that the defense will improve as it advances through the season with the backers becoming more comfortable with the system, the calls and each other. One wonders, however, if Webster runs himself out of position to make tackles. DJ was great and got a flag for a hit on Rivers which was duplicated by the Chargers later on, but with no flag on them.


• In spite of big plays by the Chargers in the third quarter, Denver's D held them to two FGs instead of TDs which is huge.


• Karl Paymah doesn't seem to be able to cover as a nickel DB. That's odd because nickel coverage is often cover 1. Paymah was clearly in man several times, especially against Chris Chambers. Eventually Jack Williams may get his chance.


• Safety play appears to be just adequate at the moment. Three of them (McCree, Manuel and Lowry) are new, so maybe we'll see steady improvement. I hope so. Two Safeties (Barrett and Rogers) are on the Practice Squad, so if there is regression at that position ...


• Punting and place-kicking are vastly improved this year. Prater made a 50+ FGA and Kern punted for about 60yds a couple of times. He seems to be a pretty good holder, too. This situation seems fixed. O'Brian seems to be a good coach for kickers/punters.


• Kick coverage is mostly good except for the occasional breakdown (e.g., Sproles' TD). There are many new players on ST (Koutouvides, Woodyard, Larsen, etc.), so maybe more consistency can be anticipated. Punt coverage was pretty good.


• Raving about the "skill" positions aside, the big development for Denver's O is the line. Hey ... , they ARE BIG. The tackles are very young and inexperienced, but the Ryans are playing great right now. Clady is a better pass than run blocker at the moment, but he has much upside. Harris has really stepped up and pleasantly surprised us all after we expected to see Kuper at RT. San Diego's odd-front DL w/a different backer coming each play was a good test for the O-Line. That front is more difficult for the C and Gs than for the tackles. Kuper struggled with it at times, but came out OK. Hamilton's return is doing wonders for the OL. His experience, leadership and consistency are invaluable. Wiegmann is doing a great job, but gets his butt kicked from time to time. An odd front with a big NT and ILBs blitzing the A gap is harder for him than a split-front. Let us hope Nalen can return before much longer and give Casey a break. Lichtensteiger is getting some game time in the backfield on short yardage/in + 20 situations which is interesting.


• Even after trading away Colbert and Jackson injured at the moment, Denver's receivers are a scary bunch especially when you include Scheffler. One of his TDs came on a route he ran as a split-end vs. double coverage. Marshall the Monster, Royal the Rookie (who plays like a vet) and Stokley the Slot Machine are as difficult a group to cover as any in the league because they are all so different from each other. Imagine covering Scheffler on one play and Royal on the next followed by Marshall and, later on, Stokley. Wait 'til Darrell is back at full speed. Graham is stll mostly a blocker (he's SO good at it), but he will get some balls thrown his way in each game. Nate Jackson draws coverage and is an excellent ST player.
• The RB committee is working well, better than most suspected. Hall, Young and Pittman are following their blocks, making the cuts and getting good yards. How did you like that 3rd and 24 situation where the Broncos gave the ball to Selvin who cut back and got blocks from Cutler, Marshall and Royal to run for a 1st down? Sweet! By rotating the backs, Shanahan is keeping them all healthy and using them on ST as well. Just wait until Torain returns ... just wait. Peyton Hillis deservedly earned his roster spot as the "true FB". He is learning as he goes. Sometimes he blocks the wrong guy on a blitz, but he will figure it all out sooner rather than later. His blocking is better than I thought it would be. Also thought he would have a bigger impact as a receiver than a ballcarrier, but so far it's been the other way around. It is inevitable that will change when defenses think they have found a way to cover Marshall, Royal and Scheffler AND stop the run when Hillis is in. That's when Shanahan and Co. will get him the ball through the air. Watch out when Pittman is in the backfield with Hillis.
• If Jay Cutler isn't the real deal as a premier NFL QB, then I haven't seen one lately. He has a ball security issue that I'm sure he will fix (dropped the ball twice vs. Chargers). Averaging over 300 yards per game, he seems to be on a mission to compensate for the defense (which shows signs of improvement). The OL is protecting him well giving ample time to connect with a dangerous group of receivers. The pass is setting up a run game which must be respected at all times. Finally, the playcalling is imaginative and aggressive. Cutler gives Shanahan and Co. the ability to run anything from their playbook from anyplace on the field.

Green Bay Packers vs. Denver Broncos: Second Quarter

Denver defensive coordinator Bob Slowik finally gets it together and the Denver Broncos are able to stop the Packers on 3rd and 16. Packers will punt to Eddie Royal.

Eddie Royal lets his rookie shine and waves off a punt that bounces to the one before the Packers down it. I'd really love to see Royal get a punt return.

Let's see if Denver can do a 99 yard drive.

Jay Cutler yet again guns a pass, incomplete, this time to Tony Scheffler 1-7.

Andre Hall runs up the middle for a gain of two yards. 4rd and 8.

Peyton Hillis! The best hands in the backfield, for the first down, he gets all the way to the 17.

Andre Hall breaks an 18 yard run. Selvin who? He's one player away from going yard.

Next play: Andre Hall again for about seven yards. Mike Shanahan loves to run backs back-to-back.

Selvin Young, yawn, Clifford Russell is wide as Selvin Young gains the three necessary for a first.

Jay Cutler on first from the shot gun, run a draw, Selvin Young takes it for about eight before Charles Woodson attempts to take his head off. Selvin Young runs for two on the next play.

That's the problem with Denver, focused on the first down, not focused on scoring.

Cutler roll and passes to Eddie Royal, Nick Rollins is draped all over him, but there is no passs interference.

Nate Jackson! With an incredible catch for a first down!

Screw Brandon Marshall, Andre Hall is the most dangerous player in Denver. Catching a dump out of the backfield. He goes for 20 to the 17 yard line. Broncos continue to drive off of their 99 yard drive

Hall taken out in favor of Michael Pittman, who gets the two yards the Broncos need for the first down.

Nate Jackson with the touchdown from Jay Cutler!

Matt Prater killed that kickoff, it ended up somewhere near the south standers...

DJ Williams with great coverage! Yet, he gets the pass interference. Yet, it's great to see DJ able to cover a receiver of Donald Driver's ability.

After that horrible play, Brandon Jackson catches a dump off pass, splits Jamie Winborn and Nate Webster and goes forever. Before Hall of Famer Champ Bailey gets him out of bounds.

Jamie Winborn makes up for it on the next play and the Packers still can't run on the Broncos.

No pressure on Aaron Rodgers, Nate Webster wraps up the Packers back on the dump off.

3rd and 6, four men in the box, there's a flag- damnit. I was looking forward to seeing how Denver held them. Off-sides on Green Bay. They're going for it again 3rd and 11. Denver holds! Barely though, Dre Bly missed a tackle on the third-string tight end.

Packers going for it on fourth, quarterback sneak and, Aaron Rodgers gets his second quarter back sneak.

John Engleberger destroys Brandon Jackson on the next play. Nate Webster **** the bed and missed the first tackle. 2nd and 5.

Question marks everywhere... Either Dallas is horrible or Green Bay is really incredibly good. Don't know yet.

When Denver's not rushing, they have four men in the box, the three linebackers way back and they kind of just float there...

Dump pass is swallowed up by Marlon McCree and Kenny Peterson. Fourth down.

Elvis Dumervil hurt a finger, great...

Mason Crosby in for a field goal 10-10.

Two minute offense time, Jay Cutler comes out with 1:41 left on his 20.

Pass play deep to Brandon Marshall and it looks like it's intercepted. However, may have been interference and it is. 1st and 10 on the 48 yard line.

Cutler looks deep TOUCHDOWN BRANDON MARSHALL, same play, same man, defender knocks the ball into Brandon Marshall's hand.

Here's the message to the NFL, give Brandon Marshall on one-on-one coverage and he will destroy you.

Took the Broncos 16 seconds to score, this is Madden '08 type football. I am not kidding, the problem is that Denver only took 16 seconds off, but it gives us a chance to see the number one defense against an urgent offense.

Over the middle, Donald Driver catches one off of Marlon McCree, gave Driver at least 15 yards.

Dump off to Marency, goes for 10. 56 seconds left and two timeouts for the Packers.

Domonique Foxworth yet again shows why he's a number three corner back, letting the Packers catch yet again in front of him, another first and 10.

No pass rush, of course Green Bay gains another 9, Jamie Winborn on the tackle off of the dump off.

This bend but not break defense... I don't know. 14 seconds left and the Packers call a time onut on their own. 34. The tight end hurdles Foxworth on his way to the sideline. Smart attempt, poor execution.

Aaron Rodgers passes deep into the end-zone, but Foxworth blankets Greg Jennings and it goes out of bounds.

Mason Crosby comes in with five seconds left. 13-17 Denver and it's halftime.



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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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Know Your Opponent: Green Bay Packers

Denver Broncos record vs. Green Bay Packers: Home 4-1 Away 0-4-1, overall 5-5-1.

Connections: The Denver Broncos and the Green Bay Packers first met each other in 1974 during the preseason at Lambeau Field, the Broncos won 31-21 (the preseason was 6 games back then). The Broncos and Packers, coupled with the New England Patriots are the top three winning teams in the NFL since 1997 (Patriots: 135-73, Packers: 134-74, Broncos: 130-78). Since the NFL incorporated a 16 game season, Denver holds the most season with an undefeated record at home (4), the Packers are tied for second (3) with the Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs. Broncos are 6-2 in the preseason vs. the Packers and undefeated at home in the preseason.

On Denver's side: Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Bob Slowik came to Denver via Green Bay, where he was the defensive backs coach (2000-2001), assistant head-coach/defensive backs (2002-2003) and defensive coordinator (2004). Denver offensive assistant offensive coach Joe Baker coached the secondary in Green Bay in 2004, where they led the league against the pass. Denver defensive assistant Charlie Jackson also coached with Green Bay in 2006 where he was a defensive assistant/quality control.

Denver safety Marquand Manuel started every game for Green Bay in 2006, totaling a career-high 102 tackles and one interception returned for a touchdown.

History: Most notably Denver defeated Green Bay in Super Bowl XXXII, other than that it seems to be whoever is playing at home historically wins the ball game. With the exception of last season's 82-yard connection courtesy of Brett Favre. Quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler have befriended one another this off-season.

Key contributors: WR- Donald Driver, WR- Greg Jennings, RB- Ryan Grant, OL- Chad Clifton, LB- Nick Barnett, CB- Al Harris, CB- Charles Woodson and S- Atari Bigby.

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TMQ article opens up some old wounds

I might be part to blame, calling that the 2008 Denver Broncos would finish somewhere between 14-2 and 12-4 this season. I predicted nearly every preseason position battles winner (including Marquand Manuel over Hamza Abdullah), I predicted the rise of Jay Cutler and Eddie Royal and I've also predicted that Andre Hall would be the number one back in Denver (okay that one hasn't happened yet, but I've finally got the bandwagon behind me).

An unconscious memory was ripped to the forefront of my brain after reading this afternoon's TMQ Broncos Preview. Dripping in glossy sarcasm ESPN.com Page 2's Greg Easterbrook, points out that amongst other things:

"Bob Slowik is the new guy, and twice already Slowik has been fired after a one-year stint as an NFL defensive coordinator. This makes him an ideal fit for the Denver program."

Ouch, I don't want to point out that once Slowik took over the Broncos defense last season, the running defense specifically bumped up three pegs, from worst in the league to 29th in the league. Granted the Broncos shut down the San Diego Charger's LaDanian Tomlinson in a meaningless game, the same defense shut down Minnesota Viking's Adrian Peterson in a game that would have sent the Vikings into the playoffs.

I'm not here to be a homer or to rebut every point made by TMQ, there are very valid points made in the article. They were valid seven months ago too, but take into account those two games I mentioned in the last paragraph and package them with how Dallas' new one-two-punch did last weekend.

"The Broncos were 7-4 with the inside track to a wild-card berth, quarterbacked by Jake Plummer, a career 41-22 with Denver, and boasting one of the league's top defenses. Then The Ultimate Leader, Mike Shanahan, benched Plummer and sent in rookie signal-caller Jay Cutler. Since that moment, the Broncos are 9-12, their defense has gone Fizzie and even their vaunted rushing game has become mortal, slipping to ninth in 2007."

Need I say more? Jake Plummer was quite a quarterback, but had Denver stuck with Steve DeBerg (another guy who was quite a quarterback) in 1983 John Elway would never have emerged. Plummer had his shot, multiple times in the playoffs and he blew it, multiple times in the playoffs.

It's getting old, fans of Denver are ready to look forward to the upcoming season, why can't the media just let them? Take into account now, not last week, month, year... Right now, that's what matters.

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Denver Turmoil - Gorillas in the Mist

Turmoil
Pronunciation: \ˈtər-ˌmȯi(-ə)l\
Function: noun
Etymology: origin unknown
Date: 1526

: a state or condition of extreme confusion, agitation, or commotion

Ever found yourself scratching at an itch? Minutes later you look down to see why that itch is burning to find a bug bit? When did it get there, why didn't you feel it, why is it throbbing so much and what are you going to do about all the swollen redness? That about sums up my 2007 Denver Broncos review.

In late February the Denver Broncos began their quest to take care of a couple of those scratches, any and every one of the Broncos fans can tell you; Out are troublesome players and veterans on their last leg.

A team that last year was one of the oldest, this year is one of the youngest, I don't agree with that transition year BS. In reality, there is no such thing as a transition year in the NFL, you're telling me that people's lives are on the line and a team's going to tell them that they're playing in a year that doesn't matter?

So Denver's defensive leaders include a man you'll hardly ever get a quote from in DJ Williams and a man who has redefined the corner back position, Champ Bailey. Could be a whole lot worse off. On the offensive side of the ball, we have future Hall of Famer Tom Nalen and the prodigal son himself Jay Cutler. That's two guaranteed Hall of Fame players, last years second leading tackler in the NFL and a man who is primed to, "Beast," this season, as the kids would note.

There are kinks and outside of Denver this is probably laughable, but inside of Denver fans know that whether Andre Hall, Michael Pittman, Anthony Aldridge or Selvin Young is carrying the rock- someone is averaging five yards plus a carry. Whether it is one player rushing for 150 yards per game or four players rushing for 150 yards per game it doesn't matter.

Worried about the offensive line? Ryan Clady looked a little shaky against Mario Williams last week? Too bad, Mario Williams is the next Julius Peterson and Ryan Clady is the next Gary Zimmerman. They've got years to go up against each other. My profound thought of the moment is that despite all of the trouble Williams gave Clady, Jay Cutler was still able to run around Williams' side for 15 yards and dive for a touchdown.

Are fans excited about names like: Wesley Woodyard, Christian Morton, LaMont Reid and Josh Barrett popping off over their 850 KOA's or the KCNC airwaves? Those are third and fourth stringers, a team is determined by their depth and if the upstarts want to shine, let them be bright.

I'm loving it and I'm loving Denver's chances. The best gauge we can possibly get this season is going up against the NFC's best attempt at a Super Bowl contender, next week in the Dallas Cowboys. I have to admit, that I ignored it last season when Dallas handed Denver their asses on a silver platter. This year it won't be ignored, the Broncos will most likely be without DeWayne Robertson, Tom Nalen, Champ Bailey and Boss Bailey this weekend, but those are four of the best starters Denver has. There are no excuses for losing this time. Wade Phillips and the Dallas Cowboys showed no mercy last preseason and I don't expect the Broncos to do the Cowboys any favors this season.

Denver Broncos at Houston Texans: Half Time Notes

• Still no word on Boss Bailey's injury, Denver may be in trouble.
  
  
• Denver is most definitely in trouble at kicker. Matt Prater has now missed his last three field goal attempts in the NFL.
  
  
• Jay Cutler 8-10 for 59 yards, one carry for 15 yards and one touchdown.
  
  
• Patrick Ramsey 4-7 for 23 and two interceptions.
  
  
• Andre Hall 8 for 43 yards.
  
  
• Selvin Young 4 for 3 yards.

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Denver Broncos at Houston Texans: 1st Quarter Notes

Here's the annoying part about the National Football League... Okay, DirectTV has the monopoly on the NFL games, if I'm out of market. So I abide and get Direct TV, guess what? It's cloudy outside, no reception for my satellite.

- SLB Boss Bailey down with a right ankle injury on the first Houston possession. Then was carted off after making it to the sideline. He has a sprained ankle and is questionable to return.

- SLB Louis Green collided with another Bronco and was injured two plays later, while subbing in for the injured Boss Bailey. He was moving around, but he was taken off the field on a stretcher and gave two thumbs up as he left the field.

- FS Marquand Manuel is everywhere early.

- CB Domonique Foxworth was boxed out completely by Houston WR Andre Davis, for a nine-yard catch.

- SS Marlon McCree nearly picked off a Matt Schaub pass, in his own end zone that would have gone yard had he made McCree secured the catch.

- Denver's defense wins out the battle at the goal line to hold Houston to a field goal.

- Backup SLB Louis Green was diagnosed with a concussion and an injury to his head and neck, taken to the hospital in an ambulance.

- WR Eddie Royal makes his first catch as a Bronco, going five yards in the slot.

- LT Ryan Clady, thus far is losing the battle to Houston's DE Mario Williams.

- WR Brandon Marshall made a nice catch for Denver's first first-down.

- QB Jay Cutler and Eddie Royal has some miscommunication around 5:20 in the 1st Quarter. Royal went post and Cutler tossed it ouside.

- Where Selvin Young is looking shaky (mainly due to the poor offensive line) as a runner, he's making it up as a capable receiver.

- On back-to-back plays, Cutler drops it off to Selvin Young for a total of 23 yards on two plays.

- TE Nate Jackson lined up in the slot catches a quick first-down.

- Next play, Eddie Royal makes his second catch for a gain of eight yards.

- The offensive line is protecting very well in pass situations and Jay Cutler's looking poised.

- RB Selvin Young makes his first positive yardage on a seven yard run.

- Cutler narrowly missed TE Daniel Graham for a touchdown. The ball bounced off his finger tips at 01:47.

- 3rd and 8 Jay Cutler in the shotgun, takes off, running 15 yards and leaping for a Denver touchdown. 00:56 left in the 1st Quarter.

- Domonique Foxworth knocked back Houston RB Chris Taylor for a loss of five yards to wrap up the 1st Quarter.

1st Quarter wrap up:

Positives: Denver's passing offense.
Negatives: Denver's rushing defense/rushing offense.

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Denver Broncos Training Camp Day 9 (Morning) Report

Young Broncos are shinning! However, more on that in a bit.

As I stated yesterday, veteran center Tom Nalen's MRI came back negative, but he still sat out today. Nalen was joined on the sideline by: Chad Mustard (hamstring), Boss Bailey (knee), Hamza Abdullah (groin) and Montrae Holland was once again conditioning with Rich Tuten. Rookie linebacker Spencer Larsen was excused from practice, as his wife is having a baby. So congratulations to Spencer Larsen. More good news is that rookie fullback Peyton Hillis and running back Michael Pittman were both in pads and participating in practice today, Cecil Sapp can rest up a bit finally and Brett Pierce can return to only playing tight end.

Now onto training camp notes:

Jack Williams breaks up Keary Colbert's reception

• Rookie corner back Jack Williams and Domonique Foxworth continue to make the best of every opportunity that they get. Foxworth is making a legitimate case for becoming Denver's number two option at corner back. He's said earlier this week that he believes that there are 32 teams in the league that he could start for, which includes Denver. Foxworth and Dre Bly actually both caught the wrath of a peaked Brandon Marshall who shared one of his best days in camp with the extremely accurate Jay Cutler.

• Rookie safety Josh Barrett has also stepped up significantly this week, particularly in the last two days (in the absence of Hamza Abdullah). Having broken passes up, thumping running backs in the backfield and blitzing the quarterback, he's kind of making it look easy. Barrett's jarring hits while performing for the second-team defense didn't prove to be enough to cause tight end Nate Jackson to drop a pass, as he was leveled by Barrett, but managed to hold on to the pass. The young Barrett got his revenge in a goal line situation, preventing Jackson from scoring on a short pass at the three yard line.
  
  
• Position battle wise: Niko Koutouvides suited at middle linebacker with the first-team defense and the two day rotation between Koutouvides and Nate Webster became evident. I'm not sure anymore where Tony Scheffler stands, obviously Daniel Graham is the number one tight end, but did Nate Jackson become the number two for Denver and then lose it? Scheffler played more with the first-team today and Jackson played more with the second-team offense today. Patrick Ramsey's successes continue to pale in comparison to that of third-stringer Darrel Hackney. And as far as the offensive line goes, calls for heads rolling may have been a bit premature... Today Jay Cutler succeeded because the emphasis was on passing and the offensive line looks great in pass protection. However, when Cutler has a bad day it's normally because of the amount of time he has to pass the ball. One last position battle is the number four receiver, Eddie Royal and Keary Colbert, it's too tough to tell.

The crowd collectively asked, "Jason who?"

• Matt Prater went ten for ten in field goal kicks, including one for 68 yards. That's not a typo.
  
  
• Here's the deal on Denver's rookie running backs Anthony Aldridge and Ryan Torain. Bronco fans have every reason to be excited about these two, for many years ahead there will be success, but when they look the best, they're playing against second and third-team defensive players. That being said, I don't believe that anyone should be lobbying for Torain to start immediately, not that anyone is. Selvin Young and Andre Hall are still the guys in Denver and as I've said before, I wouldn't be surprised to see movement at the top of the chart sometime during preseason.
  
  
• The receivers, you've no doubt heard that this was Brandon Marshall's best day of camp, possibly anyone in Denver's best day of camp. The rest of the first-team receivers, Darrell Jackson and Brandon Stokley, both looked great as well. I mentioned the number four spot battle earlier and I think that Keary Colbert might have the edge over rookie Eddie Royal, because of blocking ability. That's just what my instincts are telling me.
  
  
• Jay Cutler's good day was directly due to the strength of the offensive line, who seemed to have finally come together as a unit, despite having their leader replaced by center Casey Wiegmann. That's the first-team offensive line, the second-team offensive line was a mess and the first-team defensive line, led by DeWayne Robertson, made them flat out look bad.
  
  
• Speaking of the defensive line, Jarvis Moss is making it look easy, adding several sacks, pressures and knock downs to his training camp total. Fans can look forward to a very strong interior rotation on the defensive line, consisting of: Ebenezer Ekuban, DeWayne Robertson, Josh Mallard, Marcus Thomas and Alvin McKinley.

Welcome Back (self)!

Okay, a little sunburned, but relaxed four-hundred plus pages later I'm back home and sorry that I have been away so long loyal readers. A lot to catch up on, let me get that out of the way:

• Rookie defensive tackle Carlton Powell is out for the season with a torn achilles, this happened several weeks ago, but Mike Shanahan just announced it.
• Starting right tackle hopeful Chris Kuper has broken his hand (unofficial, but official). This is from his father's mouth, who posts on the Orange Mane message board.
• Right guard Montrae Holland was held out of morning practice for being eight pounds overweight. He did return for afternoon practice, when coaches realized that it was hot as hell and he would most likely lose those pounds shortly after the second practice of the day.
• Glenn Martinez looked impressive to Predominantly Orange.
• Brandon Marshall didn't look so good, but Jay Cutler did.

Here's the function of reporters at training camp, not very much. Aside from the quotes, they're only there to see whether someone gets hurt or who's playing with which team (first team, second team, et cetera).

That being said here's a great picture care of Barry Gutierrez © The Rocky:
My money's still on #23 Andre Hall, don't think that Selvin Young has it in the bag, as Kevin Jones said, he was looking forward to his trip to Denver... Just before he was signed.

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.

Links! (7/21/08)

Bang it right here for the Broncos Denver Broncos Blog!

Hi Everyone!

We've loved the love over the last few months, I think that both Sam and I are enjoying our 20,000th hit as much as possible. The little engine that could is closer to becoming the little engine that can. We have no one to thank but you our loyal readers.

Obviously, you know nothing personal about me, but tomorrow I will be off to the Smokey Mountains in wonderful North Carolina to wrap up a trilogy NFL script that I have been working on. You won't see it any time soon, so don't worry about e-mailing me about anything :) However, of course I'll keep everyone up to date as things become clearer. Just know that if you love movies or you love football, you have a lot to look forward to...

Stay faithful, Sam and I appreciate it, thanks guys. Here's some links (and some attempted humor):

• BroncoTalk really outdid themselves with their 2008 Training Camp Preview, mile high salute to Kyle and Josh.
  
  
• Here is a very lengthy article, which doesn't implicate Broncos rookie Peyton Hillis at all, but as in all NFL related stories, one becomes guilty by association. Basically, his place may have dropped in the draft because teams were worried about the fact that his ex-coach was a douche bag.
  
  
• How smart are NFL players? This wonderful breakdown basically shows you, based on the wonderlic, the further you get away from the ball, the dumber you are.
  
  
• ESPN.com admitted that they were a year behind, stating that this year Elvis Dumervil will break out!
  
  
• What do Broncos tight end Chad Mustard and guard/tackle Chris Kuper have in common? They both dated the same girl in High School! Just kidding, they're both from North Dakota.
  
  
• Last year's rookie Defensive lineman finally got a bit of a break and now they're ready to kick ass. AKA, what's the difference between Jarvis Moss and John Engleberger? About three-million dollars, step up!
  
  
• Klis really came through on his Bailey Brothers feature, I don't care if these guys don't make a splash this year. At some point in the future, I guarantee they're going to be a problem... For opposing offenses. Actually, let me go ahead and mention that they're both going to have career years this year.
  
  
• More Klis, less Momma Bailey.
  
  
• I seriously don't have anything against Jake Cutler or Arkansas, but here you go... The article is about Peyton Hillis by the way, but is it credible? I don't know ask Jake Cutler.
  
  
• This one missed the boat completely, he wants to talk about Jay Cutler's burden, yet not mention the fact that fans are waiting for him to be the next John Elway. By the way, Cutler will go 13-3 this season.
  
  
• Proof that the Rocky Mountain News' Sam Adams reads my blog posts.

And! That's all folks there's more- always so we'll do our best to keep everyone up to date.

Camp Battles- Right Tackle: Ryan Harris vs. Chris Kuper vs. Erik Pears

Ryan Harris, coming out of Notre Dame was described as a 'finesse blocker,' on most scouting reports. He dropped to the Broncos in the third-round because he was considered under-sized. Which scares most teams, but with Denver it's almost a prerequisite.

Young Harris was injured in preseason and was forced to undergo surgery on his back. Which caused him to miss most of the preseason not have an opportunity to play until the game vs. Pittsburgh (which also happened to be the same game Chris Kuper got an opportunity to play).

For most of the season he played predominately on special teams (10 games), but saw time as a right tackle against Kansas City and auditioned at left tackle in the season finale against Minnesota. Prior to the team taking Ryan Clady in the first-round of this years' draft, Shanahan had mentioned Harris as the potential starting left tackle in Denver.

The Upside: We haven't even seen the best out of Harris, his learning curve was steep, missing preseason, where he would have gotten valuable experience. He's fast, and the fact that he's not 300 lbs. doesn't really hurt him with Denver's scheme. He started nearly every game as a left tackle for Notre Dame and put up very impressive numbers. He's also versatile, which makes him a very viable option, as Denver likes to suit as few as six or seven offensive linemen on game day.

The Downside: His health and his salary may force him to either make or break this season. He's not a bruising lineman, he won't be knocking anyone on their butt. He also doesn't have the professional experience that any of the other linemen competing for his position have. Denver did not have enough faith that he could be their starting left tackle and used their first-round pick in this years' draft to replace him.

Chris Kuper exper- ienced a trial by fire last season taking over for former Bronco Chris Myers, who was switched to center to fill-in for the injured Tom Nalen. Kuper played very well for Denver, on a line that had lost its' two best players very early in the season.

Kuper showed why he was a two-time All-American at the University of North Dakota, stepping up in his second season as a Bronco to help Denver once again place amongst the NFL's best in rushing yards.

Kuper is the leader early in the battle for right tackle, but as you can see faces stiff competition.

The Upside: He can play, last season he came in having only had experience blocking on special teams and immediately took over as left guard during the game against Pittsburgh. He has spent time with Denver playing four positions on the offensive line. He's certainly big enough to anchor that right side and can hold his own with out reinforcement from a tight end. This is only his third season and given his proven ability, he doesn't have to start this season to be a force for a long time in Denver.

The Downside: Kuper was also the starting Right Guard going into the training camp last season. However, poor performance led to him being demoted and Montrae Holland quickly took over and never let go of the position. Kuper's trying to take over a position that Erik Pears played the whole season in 2007.

Erik Pears a Colorado native was the starting right tackle for Denver in 2007. Pears is a monster listed at 6'8" 305 lbs. and has the ability to literally manhandle most of what the NFL can throw at him.

He was the undisputed starting right tackle in only his second-season as a professional. In 2006 he took over at left tackle for an injured Matt Lepsis and started 11 games. In 2005 Pears spent time on Denver's practice squad, but made the All-NFL Europe team, playing some tackle, but mostly guard for the Cologne Centurions.

Pears is also believed to be, if there is such a thing, the primary competition for Clady at left tackle as well.

The Upside: As I said, he's a monster, literally possessing the skills to dismantle an opposing defensive end or an eager outside linebacker. He's a "Denver lineman," in every aspect, with the exception that he is so big, but at 6'8", 305 lbs. he's still smaller than most NFL tackles. He's young and has never missed an NFL start due to injury and has been playing in Colorado his whole life.

The Downside: Pears has been a part of an offensive line in Denver that has got progressively worse over the last five years. In both rushing and sacks allowed Denver has went from top 5 to lower top 10. The sacks can be attributed a lot to quarterback Jay Cutler's insistence on playing from the pocket and inexperience, but you can also point directly to a tackle like Pears and scratch your chin a little.

Broncos Denver Broncos Training Camp Battle Winner: The fans of Denver? (just kidding). Erik Pears, unless "Sweet Feet," suffers a setback, then Pears would take over at left and I think Denver takes a shot with Ryan Harris.

Links! 7/16/2008

I've just put up a new article over at Bronco Madness, though it's not posted yet, so I can't link to it. However, by the time you read this, it'll probably be up, so go on over there and check it out. It's about Jay Cutler and the ever persistent third-year in a Mike Shanahan system.

[EDIT: it's up: How Good is Jay Cutler? (A History of Mike Shanahan in one part)]

Seriously, these links aren't much at all, but I will do my best to help you laugh in between:

• Kevin Jones said two days ago that he was looking forward to his trip to Denver, but he signed with Chicago. (Guess Bronco fans can rest assured knowing that Selvin Young's status as the starter is anything but solid.)
  
  
• Brandon Marshall's not the only one in the NFL with a weak story, Luke (McCown) hits his brother Josh (McCown) with an ax, while, "Chopping wood," in 105 degree weather.
  
  
• Scouts Inc. says Denver's Defensive Line is #32, but I'm not going to make you pay for Insider, so here's what they say about Denver:

32. Denver Broncos
The Broncos were a major disappointment on defense last season, ranking 30th against the run (142.6 ypg). They've done little to address the situation during the offseason. Defensive tackles Marcus Thomas and Alvin McKinley are decent players but have not shown the ability to dominate or become players who command special attention. Neither is a physical presence who can overpower blockers or force double-teams. Defensive ends John Engelberger and Elvis Dumervil are both undersized. Engelberger is a bit of a tweener who is not explosive off the edge and lacks the size, strength and bulk to be a top run defender, while Dumervil has excellent burst and acceleration off the edge but struggles when teams run right at him. Thomas and DEs Jarvis Moss and Tim Crowder, all of whom were drafted in 2007, must become more productive if the Broncos hope to play better than last year.

[Guess people have to pay extra to find no mention of one of the biggest defensive acquisitions of the off-season for Denver (DeWayne Robertson). Thanks for the insight ESPN way to not mention Robertson or our newest draft pick to sign a contract, or the fact that Dumervil's a pass rushing specialist. Come to think of it **** ESPN Insider, we promise to have better information than them on the Broncos and it's here for free.]

• This guy just made a commercial with Jay Cutler, a McDonald's Commercial. They didn't want Brandon Marshall or what? Cutler's taking this stuff way too far, I'm sure Marshall got the point the second time you came out to publicly criticize him.

That's it guys (told you that I didn't have much), check back, I'll add more if there is more, because as you can tell, I really went slumming. Just kidding, I would never date a chick from San Diego [zing!?].