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Denver Broncos

Oakland Raiders

CHANGES IN BOLD

For a look at the game from the Raiders view, check out SilverandBlackPride

Denver Broncos

Oakland Raiders

DENVER BRONCOS COACH MIKE SHANAHAN

"Defensively, I believe we did a good job stopping the run. We improved from a year ago. We didn't tackle as well as I would have liked us to. We had some penalties, but I thought the effort was there. We have to tackle much better than we did. Special teams overall had a good game. Right now, I'm not really sure about the injuries. Manuel broke his thumb, I know that. Elvis Dumervil dislocated his finger. Right now with Patrick Ramsey I'm not really sure. I'm not really sure on how his shoulder or elbow is right now."

On S Marquand Manuel Possibly Playing With a Broken Thumb --
"We'll have to see if he needs to have surgery."

On Playing His First Unit in the Second Half --
"No, like I said during the press conference, we just want them to play a half. We had a lot of plays playing against Dallas. I felt pretty good about our football team. We're trying to prevent injuries, obviously. Marquand got hurt in the special teams which was a setback."

On Giving WR Brandon Marshall Playing Time, Despite His Regular Season Suspension --
"I'm just going to treat it like he sprained his ankle. Obviously when we have people go down, we need to have people step up and take the opportunity. WR Darrell Jackson did not play today because of a sprained ankle, hopefully he'll be in full speed and ready to go. We want to get some of those other players some playing time."

On the Possibility of WR Brandon Marshall Playing Against the Arizona Cardinals --
"I'm not going to go into playing time, but from looking at the past history, it's going to be pretty obvious what we're going to do."

On C Tom Nalen's Recent Knee Surgery --
"He had a pretty good surgery. They had to get some bodies out of there. They said that the results were very positive. We just have to see how long it takes."

On DT Ebenezer Ekuban's Status --
"I really don't know. I haven't talked to Greek (Head Athletic Trainer Steve Antonopulos) yet. I think I'll find out in the next half hour or so."

On the Play of TE Nate Jackson --
"I'm very pleased with Nate, and [TE] Tony [Scheffler] has stepped up. [TE] Daniel Graham is obviously out today with a hamstring; he'll be full speed and ready to go next week. Like I said we had little bumps and bruises, I'll find out the status of them in the next hour."

On RB Michael Pittman's Play Tonight --
"Michael played a lot in the second half and did a good job. He got tired and we had to put [RB] Andre [Hall] back in. Hopefully we'll stay healthy at that position. I thought [FB] Peyton Hillis did a good job making a big play to give us that first down, when we were backed up. He made a nice run and nice catch. [FB] Cecil Sapp and Peyton alternated during the first half. Overall I'm very pleased. I'm very pleased with the offense thus far."

On P Brett Kern's Taking Lead in Punting Position --
"Very close, very close."

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  Dallas Cowboys 13      @          Denver Broncos 23

August 16th, 2008 - 7:00pm MST
Invesco Field @ Mile High
Denver, CO

The Broncos don't have much time to enjoy Saturday Night's win over the Cowboys, turning quickly around to prepare for a Friday Night match up with Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.  That means we can't dwell on it for too long, either.  After watching  and studying the game, I did want to take a few moments to break down a few of the things I saw.  At the end, of course, will be a break down of community participation in the Open Threads.  

I have gone on record saying that wins or losses in the pre-season are not as important as playing well for 60 minutes.  I definitely feel that way, but it sure does feel good to win a game.  I am looking for progress as we head through August, and the Broncos improved from Game 1 to Game 2.  Let's break it down --

PASSING GAME(QB and O-Line)

 It was obvious the two teams had different things in mind coming into the game, but it was still the Cowboys 1st team defense that Jay Cutler dissected on Saturday Night.  I can remember back in 1998, after the Broncos had won the Super Bowl and were preparing to defend.  They didn't want to lose any game, ever.  Cowboys fans will say, and they have to me, that the Cowboys took it easy on the Broncos, especially after all the hub-bub last year. Maybe.  But as an athlete, you never want to be embarrassed, and Cutler did a little bit of that.

Jay Cutler has improved just about everything in his game.  Footwork, mechanics, delivery, the way he looks off of receivers.  Yes, we all know about the diabetes stuff, but this is more about Cutler feeling comfortable and confident in the offense than it is about insulin levels.  Cutler is going to the line of scrimmage, reading the defense, and knows at the snap where he is going with the football.  Cutler is also getting the Broncos into the end zone, scoring 3 TD's in 6 offensive possessions.  There could have been more points by the first strong in the 2-minute drill, but Matt Prater's long field goal at the end of the first half went wide.  More on the later.

I thought Patrick Ramsey came in, and after a disastrous beginning that was saved by undisciplined play by the Cowboys, Ramsey settled down and started to make some throws.  He is still slow at reading through his progressions and frequently delivers the ball late.  It pains me to think of how dummied-down the playbook would have to be with Ramsey at the helm.

The Offensive Line once again had its' ups and downs in the passing game.  There were once again way too many penalties, with Ryan Clady and Chris Kuper getting hit with holding penalties.  More importantly, Jay Cutler once again stayed clean as the O-Line did not allow a sack in the first half(the sackless streak ended in the 4th quarter when Darrell Hackney was sacked).  I liked what I saw from Ryan Clady, who did a solid job on DeMarcus Ware.  There were time Ware even stunted inside to try and avoid going up against Clady, a good sign since that means it will usually be Ben Hamilton or Tom Nalen/Casey Wiegmann that the De is going to get a face full of.  I am happy about where the O-line is right now in pass protection, but the penalties need to be cleaned up.

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  Dallas Cowboys 13      @          Denver Broncos 23

August 16th, 2008 - 7:00pm MST
Invesco Field @ Mile High
Denver, CO
ATTENDANCE: 74,484

* - QB Jay Cutler completed his first 12 passes for 142 yards while leading Denver on two touchdown drives to begin the first half. His string was broken by an incomplete pass intended for Broncos RB Andre Hall in the second quarter (7:20 remaining). Cutler's longest streak of consecutive completions in an NFL game is 11, which he did twice last year (vs. Minnesota 12/30/07 and vs. Jacksonville 9/23/07). That was the longest consecutive completion streak by a Broncos QB in any game since Jake Plummer completed 16 consecutive passes vs. Detroit on 9/28/03.

* - Cutler played the entire first half (5 series, 36 plays). He completed 16-of-20 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown with a passer rating of 120.4. Cutler spread the ball around to seven different Broncos receivers.

* - Cutler led the Broncos on a 9-play, 65-yard touchdown drive on the game's opening possession that lasted 5:17 and culminated with Hall's 1-yard touchdown run. Cutler was 5-of-5 on the drive for 61 yards for a 117.5 passer rating, completing passes to four different Broncos (WR Brandon Marshall 2-16, WR Eddie Royal 1-35, WR Brandon Stokley 1-8, FB Cecil Sapp 1-2).

* - The Broncos' Hall converted a fourth-and-1 on the Dallas 7-yard line on Denver's opening touchdown drive. The conversion was Denver's first fourth-down attempt and conversion of the 2008 preseason.

* - Denver's starting wide receivers, Marshall and Royal, combined for six catches for 104 yards and a touchdown during the Broncos' first two drives. Royal had two long receptions of 32 and 35 yards and Marshall scored on a 3-yard touchdown reception in the second drive. Marshall finished the first half with six receptions for 59 yards and a touchdown. Royal had two receptions for 67 yards.

* - Seven different Broncos receivers finished with at least two receptions (Marshall, 6-51 TD; WR Brandon Stokley, 3-34; WR Clifford Russell, 3-28; Royal, 2-67; WR Keary Colbert, 2-30; RB Cecil Sapp, 2-12; TE Nate Jackson, 2-11).

* - Broncos QB Patrick Ramsey completed 8-of-13 passes for 67 yards in four series of work in the second half.

* - Dallas DE Marcus Smith's fourth quarter sack of Broncos QB Darrell Hackney snapped Denver's seven-quarter streak of not allowing a sack to open the preseason. The Broncos have given up one sack though their first two preseason games.

* - The Broncos dominated in time of possession in the first half owning an 18:50-11:10 advantage. They finished the game with a 33:07-26:53 advantage.

* - Denver's defense held the Cowboys to 128 net yards in the first half on 25 plays from scrimmage (5.1 yards per play). The defense also held Dallas to 0-of-5 on third down conversions in the second half and 4-of-12 (33.3 percent) for the game.

* - Denver was 2-of-2 in the red zone (1 rushing TD, 1 receiving TD) in the first half.

* - Denver capitalized on a sloppy game by Dallas penalty-wise. The Cowboys had nine penalties for 78 yards, including two personal fouls. Four of Dallas' penalties led to Denver first downs.

* - Broncos K Matt Prater kicked off six times, with four of his kickoffs resulting in touchbacks. For the second consecutive game Prater connected on 3-of-4 field goal attempts. He is 6-of-8 so far this preseason.

* - Broncos CB Domonique Foxworth recorded six total tackles, all solo, to lead the Broncos.

* - Punting Battle: Broncos P Brett Kern had two punts for a 57.5 average (long of 63), one of which resulted in a touchback. P Sam Paulescu had two punts for a 50.0 average (long of 57) with one punt inside the 20. Kern had a 36-yard gain (miscellaneous yardage) on an aborted punt in the second half after scooping up his punt which was blocked by Dallas RB Tashard Choice. The resulting first down led to a 29-yard field goal by Prater.

* - Turnover Ratio: The Broncos finished the game with a +1 turnover ratio, posting one takeaway (INT) and no giveaways. Rookie CB Jack Williams' fourth quarter interception led to a Prater field foal.

* - Broncos Starting Lineup Changes: LB Jamie Winborn started in place of LB Boss Bailey (injury) at the strongside linebacker position. Foxworth started in place of CB Champ Bailey (injury). C Casey Wiegmann started in place of C Tom Nalen (injury). Royal started in place of WR Darrell Jackson (injury).

* - Broncos injury report: TE Daniel Graham (hamstring, first half, did not return).

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  Denver Broncos 16      @       Houston Texans 19

August 9th, 2008 - 6:00pm MST
Reliant Stadium - Houston, TX

Game 1 of the pre-season is behind us and while the end result was a loss there were some encouraging signs.  There were also some things that concern me a bit.  Yes, it was only the first pre-season game.  Yes, in reality, they don't mean anything.  That doesn't mean, however, that we can't look at the game and find some positives and negatives to carry forward.  There are also some distrubing trends that continue to manifest themselves on this team that need to get worked out over the next 3 weeks. 

Using the games stats as a baseline, lets breakdown the game -

QUARTERBACK PLAY

First off, Jay Cutler is back and better than ever.  After the expected early jitters by the offense as a whole on their first drive, the Broncos first string offense dissected the Texans defense on a beautifully executed TD drive.  Cutler was 7-9 on the drive, and finished it off by running 15 yards for the touchdown.  Cutler 1 - Diabetes 0.  Sure, it was only one game, but the Broncos are also practicing right now alot more than they will during the season.  That leads me to think that Cutler is in for a HUGE season. 

The same can't be said for Patrick Ramsey who was simply awful, and trend that has continued the entire Camp so far.  Both interceptions were ugly, and Ramsey's 2.9 yards per pass are an embarrassment.   Ramsey's feet are all over the place in the pocket and his poor mechanics lead to a horribly inaccurate delivery.  Let's face it, the Broncos would be in trouble no matter what if Cutler went down for a significant amount of time, most teams would be, but if I have to into battle with a backup QB I at least want it to be a guy who will give me the best chance.  Anyone out there NOT THINK the best chance to win is Darrell Hackney??

Hackney played well in his time, was able to move around in the pocket and moved the team very well.  Could he do it against 1st Team defenses?  Good question, but he looks a lot more comfortable in the pocket than Ramsey and seems to have a better handle on the offense, even if it is pared down quite a bit.

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  Denver Broncos      @       Houston Texans

August 9th, 2008 - 6:00pm MST
Reliant Stadium - Houston, TX

Use this thread to talk about the 2nd Half of the Broncos/Texans Game.

   You can keep track of everything Houston Texans related at BattleRedBlog  

First, my apologies for the tardiness of this report.  With the Broncos taking the afternoon off to celebrate Gary Zimmerman's induction into the Hall of Fame, I was fortunate enough to get an early flight back home Saturday afternoon/evening.  Then, of course, I had to get involved with being a dad again, something all fathers know whenever they are away for a few days.  That left little time to get this out and for that I apologize.

That said, I want to take a moment to thank the Denver Broncos Media Relations staff, including Patrick Smythe and his folks for making me feel welcome and giving me anything and everything I needed to make my job easier.  I also want to thank the Broncos internal Media staff, including Kyle Sonneman, Dave Gaylinn and others for making sure I didn't feel the wrath of Fred, the resident bad-ass security guy for the Broncos.  We have talked many times about the CLASSY type of organization the Broncos are, and it doesn't stop on the field.  These guys and gals are all class off the field as well, and it starts at the top with Mr. Bowlen and goes all the way down to the interns in the media room.  Thanks to all of you again!

With all the Thank You's out of the way, let's break down what I saw on my final day of seeing practice up close and in person.....

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Another glorious Colorado morning welcomed all of us to this morning's workout and let me tell ya, it was HOT!  I mean, HOT, HOT!  Yesterday was pretty tolerable because there really isn't any humidity.  In Cleveland, when it gets to 90 or so the weather is almost intolerable becuase of the humidity.  Today feels a bit juicier and I could feel it.  If I could, the players could as well.

I took into account all your requests.  I tried to focus on the O-Line and D-Line, but it gets difficult for 2 reasons.  From the media vantage point, which is from the End Zone to the 20 yard line on either end of the field, it is hard to see the one-on-one battles.  Even more difficult is the practice setup.  While the players are in helmets and pads, it can't really be considered a "full contact" practice, especially on the interior.

I'm afraid to get a true indication of what is going on in the trenches we'll need to pay close attention to the pre-season games.  Some things do stand-out, however, and I will tell you what I saw.

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Shanny readies for practice

My first practice and my goal was to take in as much as possible.  It was great to see the Orange and Blue close up and get a real feel for just how fast, how big, and how powerful alot of these men are.  I have read through the comments and will try and touch on as much as possible.  I focused on the 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills, wanting to see how the team looked when simulating game action.  As the week/weekend moves on I will focus on different parts.

There is hope, with the off-day following on Sunday, that the team may go full-pads on Saturday morning.  I certainly hope that is the case.

Here are some of my musings, in no real order....

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