The State of the Denver Broncos
by hoosierteacher
on Sep 29, 2008 2:29 PM MDT
in The Quest
It's time to take an honest self evaluation. There are a lot of good things to take comfort in if you are a Broncos fan. There are also some things that need to be faced that should keep you awake at night. I want to look at both.
Coming from a coach's perspective, folks shouldn't panic over one game. On the other hand, folks shouldn't get too excited over the 3-0 mark we were at before the KC loss. What we have on our hands is a very, very good team that has some terrible flaws. Yes, we beat SD and NO, but the games were close enough to be decided by a two point conversion and missed FGs. We beat Oakland, but that's not much to brag about. We also lost to KC, and that's a concern.
We'll look at what can be adjusted for and what probably can't, and where this puts the team as it continues The Quest.
Read on...
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Should a 3-0 Broncos Team Have Any Concerns?
by hoosierteacher
on Sep 23, 2008 3:00 PM MDT
in The Quest
At this point in the season it feels pretty good to be a Broncos fan. Cutler is playing like a Pro Bowl talent, and his targets are playing at the same level. Perhaps the best news about the Broncos is the youth movement.
Does anyone doubt that Clady and Harris will play at offensive tackle for years to come? How about Marshall and Royal? The team is throwing points at opponents at a staggering rate, and the Broncos faithful are loving it.
But questions remain, even for a team out to a three and zero start. It may not be pleasant to consider, but it bears discussion.
- Some statistics point to an effective defense, and the case can be made that the defense isn't doing so bad. On the other hand, teams are putting up a lot of points.
- Does the offense need balance? Can we really keep winning putting the ball in the air so much?
- Are the Broncos changing their identity on both sides of the ball, leading to new era? Is this a good thing?
Let's look at these points and bring together our community at Milehighreport.com for a discussion.
Read on...
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Denver Broncos 34 - New Orleans Saints 32 - Making the Grade
by TheSportsGuru
on Sep 22, 2008 9:58 AM MDT
in 2008 Post Game Notes
Another nail-biter for the Broncos came down to the final seconds, and again the Broncos survived. Let's take one last look at the 34-32 win over the Saints before getting right back to the AFC West and the Kansas City Chiefs. We'll talk much more about that, but it is time for this week's edition of "Making The Grade" where I will grade the Broncos performance from the day before. The most important "grade" is the one on the scoreboard, and for the Broncos this week it was another W. What about the players performance? Let's take a look....
| QUARTERBACK | |
B- |
Jay Cutler -- 21/34 - 264 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT To be so young and so talented. Jay Cutler had another solid football game, yet the Broncos signal caller still left me a bit wanting. Perhaps because Cutler is so good so young I expect too much. I'll except that reasoning and give you that I am the one with the problem. Still, call me spoiled in what I am looking for from Cutler. As was stated in the open threads yesterday, Cutler has the weight of the football team on his shoulder right now, which magnified every mistake he makes. Yesterday it was the interception on the first play after the Saints had scored a touchdown to cut the Broncos lead to 21-10. That is a big drive for the Broncos at that point because the defense had just spent a long time on the field and needed the break. It was a bad decision to throw into double coverage, but I won't blame Cutler for having confidence in both his arm and his receivers. There were also a couple of throws Cutler flat out missed, leaving yards and points on the field. I know, I'm being overly critical, but Cutler plays quarterback in Denver, it comes with the territory. The offense is still scoring at an impressive clip. They scored points on 5/10 possessions yesterday, including 3/5 for Touchdowns. For the season, the Broncos have scored on 18/29 possessions(62%), with 13/18 resulting in 6 points(72%). Those numbers will win you alot of football games.
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Weekly Presser - The Mike Shanahan Monday Spectacular
by TheSportsGuru
on Sep 15, 2008 8:25 PM MDT
in Weekly Pressers
On if anyone called him and asked him why he went for two against the Chargers -- "Not really. I am pretty happy we made it though."
On if he was planning on attempting the two-point conversion ahead of time --
"We talked about it when we got the ball. I told these guys to get ready for it because if we score a touchdown, we are going for two. I just wanted to get it into the back of their mind. You can always back off of it if you want but I wanted them to be ready. If we scored, to go for two."
On attempting the two-point conversion to win the game --
"As I said before, you kind of have a gut feeling. We have a lot of confidence in our offense, offensive line, your receivers getting open and just coming into an important game. We only got about six plays in the third quarter and we had a bunch of plays in the fourth quarter that got our momentum going. I thought that with the coin flip, it was worth taking the chance."
On if it is in his personality to go for two in a win-lose situation --
"You go with your gut feeling. I remember the one time we were playing the Rams and we had the ball backed up right around the 30-yard line and we went for it on fourth and one. Our defense had been on the field for a long time. Was it a smart call? Probably no. You can kind of get a gut feeling with your football team and you just do what you think is right. I thought that was the right call and thankfully it worked."
On Chargers RB Darren Sproles --
"Sproles is one of the most underrated backs in the National Football League. He has great strength and great speed. When he caught that screen pass he ran away from a couple of our players that can run. He has strength, quickness, agility and if you make one mistake on kickoff coverage, he is gone. I have a lot of respect for him. It is a great one-two punch that they have."
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Denver Broncos 39 - San Diego Chargers 38 - Making The Grade
by TheSportsGuru
on Sep 15, 2008 12:40 PM MDT
in 2008 Post Game Notes
One last look at the Chargers game before moving full throttle to Week 3's Home matchup with the Saints. We'll talk much more about that, but it is time for this week's edition of "Making The Grade" where I will grade the Broncos performance from the day before. The most important "grade" is the one on the scoreboard, and for the Broncos this week it was another W. What about the players performance? Let's take a look....
| QUARTERBACK | |
B |
Jay Cutler -- 36/50 - 350 yds, 4 TD, 1 INT It was another monster performance for Cutler. He was on target all day long, and to throw 50 passes and complete 72% of them is simply amazing. I can't, however, give Cutler anything better than a B because of the Red Zone pick. That play could have easily cost the Broncos the game, had things turned out differently. These things are going to happen with a young quarterback, however, and it is his effort at making a play every time he takes a snap that enables him to make 25 good plays before he makes 1 bad one. The hope is he learns from it and doesn't repeat it. Cutler knows this, and I am confident that we won;t see many more plays like this going forward. As an offense, the Broncos are still rolling, and through two games the team has scored points on 13/19(68%) possessions, with 10/13(77%)scoring possessions resulting in touchdowns. |
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San Diego Chargers @ Denver Broncos -- The Edge
by TheSportsGuru
on Sep 12, 2008 11:04 AM MDT
in 2008 Game Previews
For all your San Diego Chargers News, check out Bolts From The Blue
2008 OFFENSE
| Category | Broncos | Chargers |
| Points Scored | 41.0 (1st) | 24.0 (23rd) |
| Passing | 300.0 (4th) | 211.0 (11th) |
| Rushing | 141.0 (11th) | 105.0 (20th) |
| Total Offense (yards) | 441.0 (4th) | 316.0 (15th) |
2008 DEFENSE
| Category | Broncos | Chargers |
| Points Scored | 14.0 (10th) | 26.0 (25th) |
| Passing | 157.0 (10th) | 246.0 (27th) |
| Rushing | 150.0 (25th) | 142.0 (23rd) |
| Total Defense (yards) | 307.0 (15th) | 388.0 (27th) |
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"?
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MHR Chalk Talk -- Week 2 - San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos
by hoosierteacher
on Sep 11, 2008 9:00 AM MDT
in 2008 Game Previews
YOUR SOURCE FOR THE VERY BEST
IN DENVER BRONCO PRE-GAME ANALYSIS
MILEHIGHREPORT.COM
For all your San Diego Chargers News, check out Bolts From The Blue
So you thought week one was important? Well, it was. After all, Denver was playing a division rival (ok, ok, the division rival), it was a Monday Night Football game, and the first game of the 2008 season. Still, this week's game goes well beyond all of that.
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Denver leads the AFC West. With a win against SD, Denver takes a commanding lead over the team many "experts" pick to represent the AFC West in the playoffs.
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Along with NE, this is supposed to be one of the toughest games on a weak schedule. Did I say NE? They of "Bradyless" fame?
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More than any other game this season, this game should indicate the readiness of Denver to get back to the playoffs. SD is a better team than Oakland.
While many Denver fans waited for the season to start on Monday against the hated Raiders, this is perhaps the game fans have really waited for. Monday was the game we wanted emotionaly. Monday's game was a test. Now the season really starts. This is the game where Denver answers the question, "Are we for real?" This is the game where the quest really takes off.
Let's take a look at both teams; the systems, the players, the Xs and Os, the match-ups. The last game was nice, but against a basement team. This game is against the current AFC West Champions, and we need to know what's in store for the game.
Read on...
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Denver Broncos @ Oakland Raiders - Making The Grade
by TheSportsGuru
on Sep 9, 2008 10:12 AM MDT
in 2008 Post Game Notes
One last look at the Raiders game before moving full throttle to Week 2's Home Opener against the Chargers. We'll talk much more about that, but another new feature here at MHR is "Making The Grade" where I will grade the Broncos performance from the night before. I will also provide the numbers for the team leader in that particular category. While it should be a lot of fun to look back, I will turn a critical eye on the Broncos performance, because the Broncos are going to have to beat teams that are alot better than the Oakland Raiders if they are really going to take that next step.
| QUARTERBACK | |
A |
Prior to the game I talked about Cutlers struggles against the Raiders in 2007. He has just 1 TD pass compared to 4 INTs and the Raiders' pressure seemed to get under Cutler's skin. Not this time. Cutler looked poised and confident. He also knew exactly where to go with the football and has a complete grasp of the offensive game plan. His number could have been even better(hard to believe) if Tony Scheffler hadn't dropped a sure TD, or if Cutler's mechanics hadn't let him down. His consistency level, especially drive to drive, was alot better than in 2007. Cutler was much more of a streaky QB last year, last night he was a consistent quarterback. Regardless of the reason, Jay played great, and great quarterbacks can elevate mediocre talent. A solid A for Cutler. |
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Heavy Heart Leads Andre Hall In Broncos Win
by TheSportsGuru
on Sep 9, 2008 9:37 AM MDT
in Strictly My Opinion
It has come out that Broncos RB Andre Hall played last night's game againt the Raiders with a heavy heart, finding out hours before game time that his mother had passed away.
Hall knew his mother was ill and in a Florida hospital, but her passing came as a shock. After talking it over with several members of the Broncos' coaching staff, front office and teammates in his hotel room Monday, Hall decided to play. He led Denver rushers with 61 yards on 10 carries. Although Selvin Young started, Hall played most of the second and third quarters before Young returned in the fourth. "I think that was huge for him to come out and play with the type of focus and intensity he did, given his situation," Young said of Hall. "I think that brings you closer together as teammates and closer to understanding what life is about. I know what that meant for me personally, and I'm pretty sure it meant a lot to a lot of other guys in there that he went out and played the way he did."
The thoughts and prayers of everyone here at MileHighReport go out to Hall and his family, and a huge MHR Salute to Hall for not only lacing them up last night, but playing at an extremely high level. Thanks Andre, now take care of your business....
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Denver Broncos 41 - Oakland Raiders 14 - Post Game Notes
by TheSportsGuru
on Sep 9, 2008 5:47 AM MDT
in 2008 Post Game Notes
OPENING THOUGHTS
* - With the win, the Broncos improve to 31-17-1 in season openers for a .633 winning percentage, third-best in NFL history.
* - Broncos Head Coach Mike Shanahan improves to 12-4 in season openers in his career, second-best all-time among coaches who began their careers in the Super Bowl era (min. 14 games).
Highest Winning Percentage in Opening Day Games
Mike Ditka 11-3 (.786)
Mike Shanahan 12-4 (.750)
Bud Grant 12-6 (.667)
A ROYAL INTRODUCTION
* - Broncos rookie WR Eddie Royal finished with the most receiving yards (146) and the fourth-most receptions (9) of any NFL player in Week 1. Royal added two rushes for 9 yards, two punt returns for 19 yards and a kickoff return for 11 yards, bringing his all-purpose yards total to 185.
* - Royal’s 146 receiving yards marked the sixth most by a player in his NFL debut in league history with those records dating back to 1960. He posted the first 100-yard receiving game by a player in his debut since Anquan Boldin had an NFL-record 217 receiving yards in his first game with the Cardinals (9/7/03). His 146 receiving yards also were the second most by a Broncos rookie in his first game with that record held by WR Rick Upchurch (153 on three receptions with 1 TD) vs. K.C. (9/21/75).
* - Royal’s nine receptions were the most by a Broncos rookie in his NFL debut.
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