For all your San Diego Chargers News, check out Bolts From The Blue 

2008 OFFENSE

2008 DEFENSE

Week 2, and Broncos fans are riding high after dominating the Raiders.  Can they do it again, and at the same time take a two-game divisional lead over the Poweder Blue???  Let's find out...

It's Broncos/Chargers. Who has "The Edge"?

Continue reading this post »

  For thoughts on the game from a Cardinals perspective, visit Revenge of the Birds!!

The final game of the preseason is upon us, and it's the toughest game to prep for MHR's defensive coordinator in residence.  Why?

1. Chalk Talk likes to analyze teams systems, not so much player match-ups.  This is because player match-ups appear all over sports media (both on and off line).  Arizona has performed so badly over the years, that information about their offensive and defensive systems are very difficult to find.
2. Being a preseason game, teams play very vanilla.  For this reason, preseason Chalk Talks are abbreviated, and treat the game as if starters where playing and systems are in effect.  But game four in a preseason is the toughest of all.  Starters may be rested entirely, and no hint of offensive or defensive styles will be showcased.

What's a game prep writer to do?  Serve his fellow Broncos fans.  After all, the preseason is a "preseason" for Chalk Talk too.  Chalk Talk (like the fans and the players) is gearing up, practicing, and shaking off the cob webs too.  The '08 season is days away, as is the hated raiders (sic).  Which reminds me,

A very special WELL DONE to our Cardinal friends in Arizona.  All of us at MHR send you a Mile High Salute for your blow out of the raiders (sic).  When it comes to beating the raiders (sic), we're ALL Americans. 

Continue reading this post »

      @      

  Denver Broncos      @       Houston Texans

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

At last the time for talk is over and the time to play is upon us.  Regardless of what you personally think the Quest is all about it starts for you and the Broncos tonight with their first pre-season game against the Houston Texans. 

Sure, the first game is usually a time to get your starters in and out without getting anyone hurt, and it is no different for the Broncos, but there are a lot of battle up and down the roster that games like these will help determine.  There aren't many guaranteed roster spots out there once you get past the top 12-15 players.  That means there are 65 guys battling for 38 spots.  Good times to be sure.

As a new practice, I reached out to the main contributors here at MileHighReport to see what they would be watching for tonight.  They are included after the "fold", but here are a few things I am focusing on tonight against the Texans --

1.  Ryan Clady and the O-Line -- I'll start with Clady because he is playing the most important position on the O-Line if you have a right-handed QB - Left Tackle.  The Texans have an elite pass rusher in Mario Williams and he will be a good first test for Clady.  I also expect Clady to see a bit more playing time since he is playing such a high-profile position as a rookie. 

I am also looking to see how Chris Kuper fares with a huge cast on his hand.  While the injury is unfortunate, and Kuper is a true warrior for trying to play through it, if he struggles it could open the door for someone else. 

Ben Hamilton will get his first live action since New Year's Eve 2006 when he laces them up tonight.  He has shown no ill-effects of the concussion that ended his 2007 season before it began, and more importantly he has not looked timid at all.  Even as important as Tom Nalen is to the offense, I look at Hamilton as the most important piece.  If he goes down again, the line really has to start shuffling bodies around.

2.  Rookies Get Their Shot -- So far so good for the rookie class of 2008.  Eddie Royal is going to start at #2 receiver tonight, his first real test of whether he can be a factor on offense as well as special teams.  While some will lead you to believe Royal's promotion is a statement against Darrell Jackson, I think Jackson is firmly entrenched as the #2, and will likely be the #1 while Brandon Marshall serves his suspension.  If Royal proves to be effective at the #2 spot, Jackson, who is already comfortable as a #1, will slide over to fill Marshall's spot. 

I also expect Jack Williams and Josh Barrett to see extended action tonight.  I am high on both players, especially Barrett, and think both can make an impact in some way, shape or form in 2008.  This will be their first chance to prove to everyone they have what it takes to play at this level and I expect both players not to disappopint.

3.  Revamped Defense Needs To Make A Statement -- We've heard a lot of talk from the defense about how much they like the system being installed by Bob Slowik.  Now it is time to prove it works.  The Broncos will only go as far this season as it's defense allows, despite having a solid offensive group.  The Texans do not have a stellar run game, and the Broncos need to start building confidence in their run-d. 

The front 7 also needs to generate pressure on the quarterback to assist what I consider to be an underrated secondary that has a lot more athleticism and speed now that John Lynch is no longer around.  You guys are really going to like Marlon McCree, and his acquisition could be a steal once this season plays out.  Trust me.

4.  Kicking Game - Not just field goals, but kick-offs and punts as well.  The Broncos have been the worst, deal last, horrible, awful, etc when it comes to special teams and starting field position.  An extra 10 yards on a kick return is one less first down the offense needs to try and move the ball down the field.  Same goes for the coverage teams.  The Broncos need to consistently win the field position battle, whether that is by forcing turnovers or by simply turning over the field with solid punt and kick coverage.

Now let's see what Styg50, HoosierTeacher, Zappa and MDierk think about tonight's game --

Continue reading this post »

The Broncos released their initial Depth Chart of 2008, in preparations of their game against the Houston Texans on Saturday Night.  See Below -

There were a couple surprise in my opinion. 

It does make me wonder just how effective a defensive line can be with John Engleberger as a starter at end, and what the hell has happened to Tim Crowder to be listed as the 3rd string LDE.

Another slight surprise is Michael Pittman who comes in listed as the 3rd string FB, while not being listed at all as a HB.

Not a surprise to me was the meteoric rise of Eddie Royal who sits behind Brandon Marshall at WR.  If the reports we hear are true and Marshall is suspended, that would put Royal in line to start Week 1 in Oakland.

Also of little surprise is Nate Webster starting at MLB.  It was obvious to me that Webster was the better player and deserved to get the nod over Niko Koutouvides.

Things are likely to change over the next month, but it sure is fun to talk about stuff on the field, isn't it?!?

Nalen's health will be a huge question in '08

Under Mike Shanahan, the Denver Broncos have been known for a couple things. A strong running game and a solid, if a bit too quiet, offensive line. A group that has been synonymous with imposing their will, despite their lack of pure beef up front, the Broncos' O-Line was an area of the football team that fans could hang their hat on. Over the past several years, however, injuries and age have started to take their toll. Let's look at two different areas that are an indication of O-Line performance. Are these hardened rules when it comes to evaluating an O-Line? Of course not, but I like to keep it simple and let you guys and gals decide.

First, we'll look at sacks allowed, and where the team ranked from 2003 through 2007 --

Sacks Allowed --

2003 -- 25 Sacks -- #6
2004 -- 15 Sacks -- #3
2005 -- 23 Sacks -- #3

2006 -- 31 Sacks -- #13
2007 -- 32 Sacks -- #16

The space between 2005 and 2006 indicates the entrance of Jay Cutler at quarterback, and there is no doubt the combination of youth, and Cutler's style as more of a pocket passer than Jake Plummer had a negative effect on the O-Line.  Need proof?  Cutler was sacked 13 times in the 5 games he started in 2006.  Plummer had been sacked 18 times in his 11 starts.  On average that is a sack a game more with Cutler.  In 2007, that number got even worse, though in my opinion this was more attributed to injuries and youth on the O-line as much as it was to Cutler's "never say die" attitude in the pocket.

How about the running game?  The Broncos have seen a dip that that area, too, during the past 5 years --

Rushing Yards --

2003 -- 2629 yards - 164.3 ypg - #2
2004 -- 2333 yards - 145.8 ypg - #4
2005 -- 2539 yards - 158.7 ypg - #2

2006 -- 2152 yards - 134.5 ypg - #8
2007 -- 1957 yards - 122.3 ypg - #9

Again, there was a lot of consistentcy until 2006.  There are a lot of reason for that, but for the sake of keeping it simple other teams simply stacked the line of scrimmage and forced, at first Jake Plummer, then the rookie Jay Cutler, to beat them.  The Broncos defense wasn't very good either, thus the Broncos were forced to play from behind.  But anyone who watched the games will also admit something was definitely missing from the Broncos running game.  While functional, it wasn't dominant.  Make no mistake, while Mike Shanahan likes to create shock and awe with the passing game early, he wants to smash it down a team's throat late.  Unable to do that, the Broncos offense has sputtered, especially in the red zone and short yardage.  The O-line, with age and injury, has been part of the cause. 

The winds of change are blowing through Dove Valley, however, and the Broncos are addressing their O-Line.  High draft picks(Clady and Harris) along with solid free agent acquisitions(Holland) have injected youth and talent.  Will it be enough to make a difference in '08?  Let's take a look at who will need to move the pile....

Continue reading this post »

Rod Smith makes an appearance, Ebenezar Ekuban is getting frustrated and #20 was barely off the back of Travis Henry before another player laid claim. All that and more in today's Team Camp update!

No one knows exactly what the future is for Rod Smith but one thing's for sure, it will involve helping the Denver Broncos in some way, shape or form. Smith showed up on the practice field yesterday to help out with the receivers and expressed his love for the Orange and Blue -

I love the Denver Broncos, I love the organization, so there ain’t nothing that I wouldn’t do to help. Whether it is on the field or off the field, anything I can do, even just sitting there and talking to some of the guys who are playing receiver now, just giving them little tips and stuff like that. I enjoy that because I know it is going to help them, therefore it helps the organization. There isn’t anything that I wouldn’t do to get us back to where I feel we belong.

Smith already has the attention of one of the Broncos' newcomers, WR Keary Colbert -

Anytime you have a player with the experience like him and the career he has had, you want to listen and take good notes and try to implement them into your game.

He has had a career that has been remarkable. I’m really trying to put in a career and a season like he has done in the past. That’s the start of it really, getting to know how to do it through him. He has the blueprint, and I just have to follow it.

It is impressive that Smith is open to helping the younger guys, and even better that one of those guys is open to listen. Colbert can learn alot from a guy like Smith, and it seems he is willing to be taught.

So what advice has Smith given to Colbert?

Just trusting my speed, trusting the technique in certain routes. I have to come out here the next couple of days and practice it, perfect it.

I’m ready to get it going.

Continue reading this post »

This post is an historic one for me as it is my 100th since joining Mile High Report almost a year ago.  I am currently working on several different upcoming posts and I was wondering if I should make a certain one my historic post, but then I thought I should just stick to what my original schedule was.  This was planned to be my next post, therefore, it will have to be my 100th post. 

I recently posted my positional comparison for the defense along with grading the performance of the 2007 group and also applying a preliminary grade for what I see as potential upgrades or downgrades for each position.  I felt incomplete not having done the offense as well, so here it is.

The 2007 offensive group had a solid core surround by a couple of glaring deficiencies.  The story of our season was told best by a series of posts called “NPTB” or No Points Left Behind that can be found all over the MHR Community during last season.  Our offense racked up the yardage without scoring very many points. 

The Quest for the offense this season is about one thing, getting into the end zone!

Continue reading this post »

The Quest has officially begun. The players were on the field, except Travis Henry of course, and the work of turning around two seasons of simply average(16-16) football is at hand. Here's what was seen and heard on Day 1 of Quarterback Camp --

The biggest news of the day had to be the appearance of Brandon Marshall on the practice field. You can read about it HERE and HERE. Everyone seemed happy to see Marshall, a key component to the Broncos' success in 2008 --

Mike Shanahan was a bit surprised -

"He's doing everything a receiver would do except catch the ball. It's ahead of what I thought initially, I was told he could not work out until a month before we went to training camp. And we still thought we could get him in shape, ready to go for our first practice.

As for when Marshall might be able to catch a ball again, and his availability for Training Camp, Shanny had this to say --

June 22 with will be the first day he'll be able to catch the football, so that will give us plenty of time, obviously, before our summer ball. He's running routes like he normally would, so for him to be able to do that at this time, barring any setback, he should be able to go full speed.

Champ Bailey was happy to see B-Marsh on the field as well --

I saw him out there in cleats and was a little surprised because I didn't think he could do anything for a couple months, that's good. I'm glad things are going well because we're going to need him.

Brandon Stokely knows how important it is to have your #1 guy on the field --

He's our go-to guy, our No. 1 guy and playmaker out there. Every good team needs a guy they can look at and know when you need a play that that guy is going to come up with that play. And he's our guy. It's huge for us. . . . He's back, and it looks like everything is going to go well - that's the most important thing.

Continue reading this post »

Quarterback Camp.  Those words won't spark much of a reaction from mainstream fans, but for us Broncos-Fanatics, any term used to describe on-feild activites is reason to get excited.  For the players, it's time to get down to the business of coming together as a football team.  The Broncos have added 36 new faces to the roster and those guys need to get to know each other a bit.  For the MHR, it means time to get serious about covering the team on a day-to-day basis.  I have officially termed the 2008 season as "The Quest".  It is both direct and to the point, as well as general, enigmatic.  I have purposfully left off what "The Quest" is for.  I leave that to you.  It is far beyond me to tell you what your expectations for 2008 should be.  I have my own, and for me "The Quest" to reach those expectations starts today.  Just like "The Reloading" season before it, 2008 now has a moniker.  Use it with pride!

As with any Quest, there are many questions as the Broncos begin their "journey".  Let's take a look at some of the things to keep your eyes and ears on over the next couple of weeks --

Continue reading this post »

Up next is 2001, a year that might go down as one of the worst in Shanny's tenure.  For the second season in a row the Broncos took a DB in the first round, once again with little success.  How did the rest of the draft go?  Not much better.  Let's take a look.

1st Round -- Pick 15(15) - Willie Middlebrooks, CB (Minnesota) -- I will never understand this pick.  Ever.  People have tried to explain it to me.  I still don't get it.  Middlebrooks was an average DB and a below average school who had missed a significant amount of time because of an ankle injury to boot.  Middlebrooks has decent size, at 6-1, 200, but doesn't have great speed, nor great cover skills.  His career showed as much, with Middlebrooks fighting injury most of his rookie year.  He was active 43 of the next 48 games, playing mostly special teams.  After the 2004 season the Broncos traded Middlebrooks to the 49'ers for DE John Engleberger.  Middlebrooks saw action in only 5 games for a team that was absolutely horrible in 2005.   I think you get the point.  After the 49'ers released Middlebrooks, the Broncos re-signed him, giving him a second chance to do anything with his career.  It just wasn't to be, and Middlebrooks appears to be out of football for good, though I am sure someone will take a look at him as training camp nears.  There have been some bad picks, but at least some of the guys we have discussed previously(Marcus Nash) went on to play well somewhere.  I doubt Middlebrooks would succeed anywhere, even the AFL.  If his on-field play wasn't bad enough, Middlebrooks got into trouble off of it as well, pleading guilty to an assault charge in February 2006.  Career stats - 56 games, 33 tackles, 1 sack, ZERO interceptions.  Great value.

2nd Round -- Pick 20(51) - Paul Toviessi(Marshall) - Hmmm.  Middlebrooks was bad.  But he did see some action in the NFL.  The Broncos second pick in 2001 did not, though it wasn't all Toviessi's fault.  The Broncos were so high on Marshall DE Paul Toviessi that they moved up to draft him in the second round. However, he missed his rookie year as a result of knee problems and rehabilitation to develop his body. After the early part of workouts, when Toviessi had gained considerable weight and strength, the Broncos couldn't stop raving about him. However, his knee problems continued to occur and after his third knee scope or operation in less than a year, the Broncos decided that his knee would never be sound enough for him to be an effective NFL player and released him.   Somehow I have to question whether the Broncos did their homework on Toviessi, and whether or not a  potential injury situation was missed before the draft.  Ironically, the trade the got the Broncos the pick used to get Toviessi also included a pick used by the Buffalo Bills to draft current Broncos running back Travis Henry.  It truly is a small world.

3rd Round - Pick 25(87) - Reggie Hayward, DE(Iowa State) --The Broncos thought they had drafted  a stud on the D-line, and they were right.  It wasn't Toviessi, however, but Reggie Hayward, who has become a solid D-End for the Broncos and Jaguars.  Hayward didn't see much action in 2001 or 2002 for the Broncos and looked early to be another reach in the third round.  It turned around for Hayward in 2003, when Hayward played in all 16 games, racking up 8.5 sacks and 28 tackles..  In 2004, Hayward continued his stellar play, with career highs in tackles(43) and sacks(10.5).  The Broncos, in tight salary cap waters after the 2004 season were unable to keep Hayward, and the DE signed a lucrative deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars.    His first season in Florida was steady, if not spectacular, with 8.5 sacks and 33 tackles.  Last season ended up being a tough one for Hayward when he was lost for the season because of a torn Achilles during the first game of the season versus Dallas.  Now the question will be whether or not Hayward can come back.  The Broncos get credit for this pick, but once again were not able to keep one of their own.

4th Round -- Pick 18(113) - Ben Hamilton, OL (Minnesota) -- The Broncos went back to the Golden Gophers on day 2, this time with much better success.  Hamilton was a standout center in college and the Broncos drafted him to someday take over for Tom Nalen.  Six years later, Nalen is still the center, and Hamilton has become a standout at guard.  Hamilton has played center as well, a couple years ago when Nalen was injured, but no matter where he has played Hamilton has been solid and more importantly, durable, being active for every game of his NFL career.  Hamilton is another example of the Broncos ability to get tremendous value on the offensive line late in the draft.

4th Round -- Pick 25(120) - Nick Harris, P(CAL) -- The Broncos weren't happy with incumbent Tom Rouen, and in an attempt to light a fire under the vet the Broncos decided to waste a fourth round pick on Harris, who, to his credit, has gone on to become a decent punter.   The pre-season battle between Harris and Rouen never really got off the ground, with the rookie struggling to find his form.  The Broncos released Harris during the pre-season, and Harris was quickly picked up by the Cincinnati Bengals, where he proved is was worthy of playing in the NFL.  In 2 seasons for the Bengals, Harris averaged 40.1 yards per kick, not great, but not horrible either.  In 2003, Harris signed with the Detroit Lions, and playing in 9 games a season in-doors has only helped his production.  Harris has continued to get better, peaking last season when Harris finished 5th in net punt average(45.3)  One of those judgment calls, Harris no doubt has lived up to a 4th round pick, but I have to ding the Broncos for giving up on him so early on.

5th Round - TRADE -- The Broncos traded tw0 5th round picks, including this one, to the St. Louis Rams for safety Billy Jenkins.

6th Round -- Pick 27(190) - Kevin Kasper, WR(Iowa) --Tim Dwight started a trend in the NFL where teams draft really fast white guys from Iowa.  Of course, you do have to have some talent, and though very fast, Kasper did not have Tim Dwight's skills as a receiver or return man.  The Broncos once again had a very short leash on Kasper, and after a little more than one year, that included more injuries than catches or solid returns, Kasper was sent packing.  Since, Kasper spent a couple seasons in Arizona, one in new England, one season (2005) completely out of football, before resurfacing last season in Detroit.  Though there always seems to be a market for guys that have any return skills(see Quincy Morgan), I have a feeling the clock has run out on Kasper.

Guru's Take -- Like a CD that skips, these draft looking exactly the same year after year.  Willie Middlebrooks was a huge bust in the first round, and Paul Toviessi didn't play a down in the NFL.  Reggie Hayward and Ben Hamilton, while playing for different teams, saved this draft from being a complete failure.  Hamilton has become a stalwart on the offensive line, and Hayward, before the injury, was a very good pass rusher.  Harris has become a solid pick, but the Broncos didn't give him more than 5 minutes to prove it.  Kasper has speed, but never has become the Tim Dwight-type the Broncos were looking for.  Just remember, I grade these on a curve, with earlier picks getting more weight.  Because of that, I can go no higher than just below average.

Guru's Grade -- C-