Broncos Defense Not Ready for Primetime

With all anger still simmering at the surface after the Chargers loss last Thursday night I decided to postpone writing about it. I’m sure many Broncos Fans felt the same as I did about the game going in, that another win was imminent.

As we learn every Sunday there are no locks, no gimme’s and that on any given Sunday anything can happen. You never assume anything and you must take them one at a time. You must be able to win the games you’re supposed to win at home late in the season to solidify your position in the playoffs.

Peyton Manning and company were coming off a short week and an impressive win over the Titans last Sunday on a cold day in Denver. He was a completely different QB than the one in the Patriots game a few weeks ago when it was apparent his game and his psyche were on ice.

But from the opening snap of the Chargers game it was obvious they wanted the game far worse than the Broncos did. The Broncos defense and special teams were horrendous. They let Ryan Matthews one of the must inconsistent RB’s in the NFL run wild for 127 yards. The Safety’s and Corners particularly Rookie Kayvon Webster gave up big pass plays to help keep drives alive. The Front 7 of the Broncos did get 2 sacks on Philip Rivers but for most of the game they couldn’t get to him. The tackling by the LB’s at the second level was as bad as you’ll see. Danny Trevathan seemed to be the only player that was willing and able to make some stops.

The first half turned into a field position game and the Broncos started drives inside their own 20 to many times and had too many 3 and outs. Manning was being contested on every passing play and the Broncos running game could never get any traction. Despite the bad start the Broncos made a run in the 4^th Q but came up short.

The worse part of the loss came when Rivers was on the NFL Network after the game talking smack and hamming it up with the panel. You’d think his team had just won the Super Bowl the way he was acting but it was nothing more than an opportunity for him to enjoy the spotlight for 20 minutes because he knows that his team won’t make it to the playoffs. He likely won’t get another nationally televised interview because all he and his team can do now is be a spoiler. I can’t stand Rivers and his appearance after the game on the NFL Network flipped the switch that ignited my mushroom cloud.

Thankfully this Sunday the Broncos got a reprieve as the Dolphins did them a big favor and beat the Patriots. They still hold the #1 seed going into the last 2 games and must hold onto it. After seeing just how bad the D can play against one of the bottom feeder teams of the NFL if the Broncos have to go on the road to face New England my money would be on Tom Brady and the Patriots.

Let’s hope the Broncos can close the deal by beating the Texans and Raiders and securing home field. Wouldn’t it be a disaster if the Broncos tanked and fell into the Wildcard Spot if they lost them both? The Chiefs are not going away and are playing good football right now.

The other hope is that Fox and Del Rio can come up with a better defensive scheme so when the playoffs start Manning won’t have to score 50 points to win a game.   

Broncos 9th Victory of the 2013 Season the Best Team Win So Far

I said before the game that the Chiefs offense was no match for Peyton Manning and if the Broncos Offensive Line protected him they'd win. I also commented that the Broncos had to run the ball straight at the Chiefs with Knowshon Moreno and Montee Ball to control the clock. Both of these key parts of the game played out for the Broncos but the big momentum change came down to just a one key play in a hard fought game that was much closer than most Broncos Fans would have wanted.

In the 1^st quarter Manning and Ball botched and fumbled a simple hand off exchange that gave the Chiefs the ball on the Broncos 18 yard line. It looked like the Chiefs were in a perfect position to score a TD, go up 7 to 3 and take control of the game early.

Then the game changing play sealed the Chiefs fate. The Chiefs 1^st play from scrimmage after the Ball fumble was a screen pass to FB Anthony Sherman. Sherman run down the field and was quickly grabbed by the ankle by CB Quentin Jammer. Within a split second LB Danny Trevathan came crashing into Sherman’s chest with a hard text book tackle that forced a fumble that Jammer recovered.

That play devastated the Chiefs, had they scored on that possession, their confidence going forward might have possibly changed the outcome of the whole game. Even after the swap of back to back turnovers the Chiefs played some D in the first half and gave QB Alex Smith and the Chiefs opportunities to score but they couldn’t convert.

The Broncos D had a lot to do with limiting the Chiefs scoring opportunities and played very well. They had an outstanding goal line stand, shut down RB Jamaal Charles and sacked Alex Smith 3 times. It didn’t help the Chiefs either that WR Dwayne Bowe dropped multiple catchable balls.

The good news for the Broncos was that Manning didn’t get sacked or knocked down or around. The other interesting part of this game is that Manning didn’t have a big game statistically as in many of the other games this year. He missed a few throws short and long but he did manage the game well enough to let his teammates help him win.

Wes Welker didn’t get in the end zone but he caught 8 passes in the game and after almost every catch he was absorbing big hits. Despite his small size he proved once again he’s a warrior over the middle and will make the important receptions to move the changes.

I was so thrilled that the Coaching staff didn’t give up on Montee Ball after the fumble in the 1^st half. He did have some fumbles early in the season but the one in this game belonged just as much to Manning. Each time he gets playing time he produces on the field. In short yardage, goal line situations (he scored 2 TD's on the Chiefs) and in this game finally he had the opportunity to catch some passes from Manning that moved the chains.

Ball is going to be the every down RB for the Broncos by next season. Moreno has played his best football this year but he doesn’t have the speed, power or the big play ability of Ball. He can’t make guys miss and usually goes down with the 1^st hit. Once Manning has more confidence that Ball can block and be a reliable Receiver out of the backfield, Moreno will go back to the bench as a situation RB. Moreno is playing out of his mind right now to hold onto his starting job but his game just isn’t consistently good enough for him to keep it.

This was the best team win of the season for the Broncos by far but in the next 2 weeks they play the New England Patriots at Foxboro and then have a rematch with the Chiefs in KC. Neither one of these games will be gimme’s. Manning historically has had hell against Tom Brady in New England and the Broncos almost always have a fight on their hands at Arrowhead. If the Broncos win both of these games they’ll be in the driver’s seat for home field advantage throughout the playoffs because their remaining schedule is a fairly soft one.

The best strategy of course is just to take them one at time and when the playoffs come play the best football of the season. If they do that and maybe just maybe it’s our year.

Trevathan interception rescues the Broncos

Danny Trevathan makes the game saving interception against Tony Romo.

If your team scored 48 points in the 4^th quarter in any NFL game you’d fully expect to be winning that game, probably even embarrassing the other team. Yesterday in Dallas that score could only secure a tie. And if Danny Trevathan doesn’t make a sensational play with a diving interception with less than 7 minutes to go in the 4^th Quarter 48 points wouldn’t have been enough in this wild Arena Football like game.  

Thankfully for us Cowboys haters Tony Romo is still their QB and will be for the foreseeable future after signing a 6 year, $108 million contract extension with $55 million in guarantees and a $25 million signing bonus this off season. That deal makes Romo the highest paid player in Cowboys history and tops the $52 million in guarantees that Joe Flacco (the next big QB flop) received from the Ravens as part of his 6 year, $120.6 million contract. Hey Jerry Jones, thank you for cementing all your hopes on Romo it’s really working out well for you so far isn’t it?

The X factor in the game as it has been in so many games for the Cowboys is the checkered play of Romo. Despite having a career day throwing for 506 yards and 5 TD’s it took only one bad throw to erase the glory of all his gaudy stats. Romo is one of the most notoriously consistent chokers in the big games. This one has to hurt as bad as any he’s ever had in his career. It didn’t happen in the post season and the 2013 season hasn’t even reached the half way point yet but the devastation is no less humiliating and demoralizing.

Personally every time Romo’s name comes up in a conversation I think of this epic moment in 2006 when the Cowboys were playing the Seahawks in the playoffs.

  

Romo will never live this one down until he leads a Cowboys team to a Super Bowl win and frankly I believe that he’ll never come close to even making it to a Super Bowl game or even a playoff win which is fine with me. Next to the Raiders the Cowboys are 2^nd on the list of most hated teams so that's fine by me.

All of that said as Broncos Fans we come away from this win having serious concerns about the Defense. The Broncos gave up 522 yards of total offense. The Broncos had 4 sacks in the game (2 by Shaun Phillips) but take away those 4 plays and the Broncos were not getting enough pressure on Romo. The Broncos had 4 DL at the line of scrimmage most of the time and even when they blitzed they never really got to Romo or slowed down. The secondary was and still is the achilles heel of the D and they could not cover Jason Witten or Dez Bryant. Tony Carter and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie were beaten up like baby seals.  

It didn’t help that Wesley Woodyard, Chris Harris and Robert Ayers were hurt in the game but we have to expect better overall play by the team regardless.

The Broncos Defense has allowed 27.8 points per game. Once the playoffs start this isn’t going to be good enough and it certainly won’t be if they make it to the Super Bowl. Thankfully the Broncos play the down trodden Jaguars next week so they’ll get a breather. The word is Champ Bailey will be back next week which is good because they need his wisdom and experience but from a speed prospective I still think Harris is just as good a start as Bailey.

Thankfully Von Miller will return from his suspension just in time for the Colts game in Indianapolis. Let’s all hope he’s finally learned his lesson and he understands that the game could be taken away from him for good if he doesn’t fly right. His pass rushing skills and tackling have been sorely missed. The Colts are a good team and his services will be needed.

Knowshon Moreno continues to amaze me. He had a sensational game yesterday, breaking tackles, running with authority and he made key catches to keep drives alive. His performance was overshadowed by Romo and Peyton Manning but he was a big contributor in the win yesterday.

As for Manning he finally threw his first interception of the season but when you consider that he’s thrown 20 TD’s for an amazing 1884 yards you can cut him some slack. He's playing at level right now that is beyond what any QB has done before or since, let’s just hope he can carry it over to the playoffs and a Super Bowl.

If the Defense can regroup and start playing better in the secondary it doesn’t look like anything can stop the overwhelming and unstoppable juggernaut that is Peyton Manning.        

Manning pays back the Ravens with 7 TD's

Revenge was sweet for Manning in season opener.

The Broncos Fans waited 33 minutes for the game to start due to some severe weather. Then they waited another 30 minutes for Manning and company to get into a groove in the 1^st half.

But come the 3^rd Quarter Manning finally unloaded a spectacular barrage of payback on the Ravens scoring 3 TD’s. 7 TD’s total (Tied an NFL Record) against the Super Bowl Champs is no small accomplishment. No, the Ravens are not the same team defensively they were a year ago still… Offensively the Ravens have Ray Rice, Torrey Smith, Dallas Clark and the $120 million dollar QB Joe Flacco as weapons.

The first 3 Broncos offensive series of the game produced nothing and if not for that slow start in the first half Manning could have thrown 10 TD’s. In the second half he was like Darth Vader ripping and shredding the Ravens secondary apart like a man possessed wanting some payback for last year's playoff loss.

His accuracy, his arm strength, his perfect timing, his spot on throws and his wizard like mastery of the hurry up offense was an absolute marvel to behold. It was one of those backside spankings that went well beyond a run of the mill rout. He completely embarrassed them. It was the kind of game that Manning surely said to himself afterwards, “How can I possibly play any better than I did today?” 

Broncos Fans expect great players like Demaryius Thomas and Wes Welker to be on the receiving end of Manning TD’s (2 each) but it’s doubtful they could have imagined the explosive debut of TE Julius Thomas. He caught 2 as well and helped keep the Broncos close in the first half. After watching him in the preseason he impressed me more than any player and if he can clear himself of the legal trouble he’s in and mentally mature he has the potential to be as great a young TE playing for any team in the NFL.

The Broncos running game never really got on track but it didn’t matter because what they lacked in running prowess they made up for in an unstoppable aerial shootout that Manning made look like child’s play. 65 yards rushing isn’t going to be good enough on any other Sunday however and obviously must improve.

The Broncos D shut down Ray Rice and forced Flacco to throw. Most of the time the Broncos went with 4 man lines to pass rush.  They blitzed more in the second half and pressured Flacco. Shaun Phillips had 2 ½ sacks and new Safety Duke Ihenacho led the team with 11 tackles. That’s never a good stat. If your Safety is leading the team in tackles it’s generally because the front 7 were letting running and passing plays break through the first level. Granted some of Ihenacho’s tackles come up at the line of scrimmage but that won’t do against better offensive teams. Ihenacho was all over the field and when he hit someone he’d bring the wood with him.

It was good to see Chris Harris (He had 1 INT) fill in nicely for the injured Champ Bailey. Even better still the Broncos winning a game without the services of Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil is a real confidence builder. The Broncos secondary still needs improvement and is still a big question mark because they played in a rout but in game 1 they did a serviceable job.

The Broncos didn’t play a perfect game. The Welker drop that was clearly a fumble wasn’t called and the Danny Trevathan fumble at the goal line in any other game might of made a big difference but not in this one.  

Manning was not going to be stopped in this game. The mistakes didn’t matter because I’m convinced it was just one of those days where he was in control of the game and would have run up more scores to cover them.

I give Manning all the credit he deserves for having such a great start. I just hope that he can produce games like this in the playoffs and in a Super Bowl for the Broncos because his record isn’t as good in those games. Manning the regular season QB and Manning the playoff QB are 2 different guys.

The running game and the Broncos D must keep improving week to week because they’ll need them come playoff time and I don’t see them going far if they depend on a passing game offense only to win. Great win Manning, no one will deny that your game is there, it’s all there you were incredible.  

Broncos needed more D from 2012 Draft

I spent last night with wife at the Astoria Crab Festival and didn’t get home until late and never saw any of the draft coverage on TV. This morning I purposely didn’t read any scouting reports from the Denver Post or the Broncos official website because I’ve learned over the years that they almost always talk up the strengths of players and never the weaknesses. I wanted to have an objective first look at the players they picked before I engaged in any homerism.

I was happy the Broncos took an interior DL with their first pick because it was the biggest position of need on the D. I’ve been reading about Derek Wolfe today and looking at film. He’s big guy 6’5 295 pounds. His size is certainly not going to be a factor he has all the size we need. Here’s the NFL.com scouting report on him and the rest of the players in my blog.

Overview of DL Derek Wolfe: 2nd Round

Wolfe is a big interior lineman who plays very instinctively to be a factor in the run game. He is a slow-moving, pedestrian athlete, but this doesn't define his ability -- he finds other ways to be a factor. He can get overpowered by double teams and will need to continue to develop his technique to not be erased when he faces them. Based off his frame and potential, he has late-round value in the draft.

Strengths

Wolfe is an instinctive player who understands how to engage a lineman, extend his arms and read the flow of the play to move off his blocks. He sees screens well and can work off his man to disrupt plays inside. He can defeat single blocks well and is a decent pass rusher when put in the right scheme where he can slant and stunt to get in good position.

Weaknesses

Wolfe struggles off the ball to get into his slants. He is a slow mover and will not blow back any offensive lineman off the ball. He sometimes relies too heavily on his ability to diagnose, as it appears he is reading the play so long that blockers negate him. Double teams will give him a lot of trouble and he is on his back often when faced with them; NFL teams will see right through that and get an extra hand on him in the run game.

My spin on Wolfe:

I watched his highlight film and was impressed with what I saw. It was his highlight film so he did show him making sacks, forcing fumbles and playing well between the tackles. He certainly has great size and strength, his speed looks average. It must be pointed out he played in a weak Big East Conference. West Virginia and Cincinnati were the 2 best teams last year so the strength of the foes Wolfe faced in his career is not up to the level of some of big conferences.

Everybody says he has a good motor and whatever he lacks in speed and push maybe this will be the intangible that’ll make him a great player for the Broncos.

Overview of QB Brock Osweiler: 2nd Round

Osweiler is an intriguing early-entry prospect out of Arizona State. A good athlete for the position, Osweiler was originally signed to play basketball at Gonzaga before opting to play football at ASU. He has the arm strength to be a first-day pick but hasn't shown the consistency that is characteristic of guys who deserve first-round money.

Strengths

Osweiler has a very deliberate, quick-twitched setup. He slings the ball naturally, and even though he pats the ball before throwing, his release is so compact and effective he isn't hindered. His shining asset is his arm strength; he can hit nearly any NFL-caliber throw at this point in his career. He is a good leader and looks in control in the huddle and on the field. He has the pocket presence of a first-day pick and doesn't go down easily.

Weaknesses

Osweiler had on-the-field judgment issues and isn't reliable to protect the ball from turnovers. It seems as if he starts to get rolling in a game, and the more confidence he builds, the more of a gunslinger mentality he adopts. This severely hinders his play. When under control, early in the game, he is athletic, accurate, and a good game manager. He is likely a developmental prospect who could struggle if forced to play early.

My spin of Osweiler

I don’t understand this pick at all. Osweiler is more of a project than Tebow was. He only had 15 career college starts. His body of work at ASU is suspect and as the scouting reports says he didn’t play smart in too many games. The Broncos should have gone for a CB or LB in this spot and attempted to get a player who could contribute right away on D. He’s definitely a long term project. The Broncos should have just looked to find a veteran free agent QB to back up Manning and used the pick for D instead. This one had to be Elway’s pick.

Overview of RB Ronnie Hillman: 3rd Round

Hillman is an early entry junior to the draft from San Diego State, where he started every game for the Aztecs in the past two years and was first team All-Mountain West. He is a bit undersized but has the speed and quickness to have an immediate impact in the NFL. He likely won't demand the bulk of the carries for an NFL team but is a good "change of pace" guy who does a lot of things well enough to project to make an impact.

Strengths

Hillman relies heavily on his quickness and immediate vision to find a seam to be an effective runner. He has decent speed for his size, but his quickness is his biggest asset. He has a natural feel for how to find daylight and can be patient to wait for a pulling interior lineman to get to the second level. He has a good burst in a short area to make guys miss, and has the quickness to be an effective short-yardage back in the NFL.

Weaknesses

Hillman is a very smooth mover but is not very explosive with the ball in his hands. He likes to feel his way through the line of scrimmage and usually gets to the second level with ease, but he struggles to run with power or elusiveness to make defenders miss and really break for a big gain. He averaged 5.5 yards per carry in his senior year, but those numbers were a bit skewed thanks to some long runs.

My spin on Hillman:

First of all the guy isn’t 5’9 and 200 pounds, he’s more like 5’7 or 5’8 and 185 to 190 pounds because as we all know in football height and weight for smurfs is always exaggerated. He is very small and not that muscular for his size.

I watched him play a full game against my Wyoming Cowboys last fall. His speed did impress me in that game. Once he gets to the outside (where his strength lies) and gets to the second level not many guys will catch him. I can’t say I know if he’s a good pass receiver or not because in that game I don’t remember it.

Clearly Hillman will be a situational player and not an every down type RB for the Broncos. He isn’t going to be an inside the tackles runner. He may come in on 3rd down and catch passes on short screens. He won’t be an effective blocking back because of his size. Doug Martin from BS was the second best RB with size in the draft and the Broncos couldn’t get him. In the RB rankings Hillman was ranked 10th on most boards so it’s not really a certainty that Hillman will be a big contributor for the Broncos offense other than as a small role player.

In the 4th round the Broncos took Omar Bolden a 5’10 202 pound CB from Arizona State and Philip Blake a 6-3 311-pound C from Baylor. In the 5th round they took Malik Jackson a 6’4 284 pound DT from Tennessee. In the 6th they took Danny Trevathan a 6’ 237 OLB from Kentucky.

Bolden has a knee injury he must overcome. Blake looks to be the best late round pick the Broncos got because he may be able to be a backup Tackle as well as a Center. Jackson is a situational DE and Trevathan while he looked as though he was a great tackler at Kentucky is way too small to be a starting outside LB. He’ll probably play special teams.

In short I’m disappointed the Broncos didn’t go for LB or a CB or even a Safety with the second pick in the second round. The Osweiler pick had to be an Elway invention. Fox surely didn’t want this pick but since Osweiler is supposed to have the best arm strength in the draft, so Elway won out.

The Broncos didn’t draft a WR and Hillman may contribute as a 3rd down back but the Broncos didn’t really improve themselves with any offensive skill players. Maybe Hillman can but he's such a smurf you have to question how good his durability will be in the NFL.

My prediction is Wolfe, Blake and Hillman may be the only guys who make the team by the time they break camp. Osweiler won’t have to prove much, it’s clear he’s a project so he’ll have a spot no matter how he plays. Until the preseason camps I guess there’s not much to add. Let’s hope some of these guys can help us get to the next level.