Michael Pittman scores for Denver

Finally!  The pre-season is over and it couldn't have ended fast enough.  Only the unenviable task of trying to cut the Broncos roster from 74 to 53 remains between now and the Broncos doing it for real with the Raiders on September 8.  That cuts have to be announced before 4PM est tomorrow afternoon, and we'll have you covered all day long with breaking news, thought and comment.  Until then, let's take a look back at what turned out to be a fairly entertaining football game despite the void of talent.

1.  I Really Like Darrell Hackney....A lot -- Can someone give me a good reason why #4 shouldn't be the #2 quarterback on this football team?  Hackney was given the opportunity to play all 4 quarters against the Cardinals, who at times played their 1st string offense, and his numbers were fairly impressive - 17/26, 208 yards, 1TD.  He also ran the ball 8 times for 35 yards. 

His lack of height has been discussed at nauseum, but he's a winner.  He always seems to make a play when it needs to be made.  Take the long TD pass to Colbert as an example.  Hackney should have been sacked.  The Cardinals did a great job snuffing out the bootleg.  What does Hackney do?  Stop on a dime, change course, and have enough presence of mind, with a LB bearing down on him, to deliver a strike to Keary Colbert in stride.  87 yards later, the Broncos had taken the lead.  Those of the types of plays winners make.

Let's face reality.  If Jay Cutler would, well, I won't say it.  But if it were to happen, the Broncos would be screwed.  Most teams would be.  Cutty is the franchise.  If that is the reality, then why not have a guy backing him up that can make some plays, a guy that can improvise, a guy that doesn't make the stupid decision.  I have seen enough of both guys to say with confidence that I would rather see Darrell Hackney as the backup QB of the Denver Broncos.

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Hey everyone, I'm back for another Horse Tracks.  I'm not as skilled as the venerable mdierk or the all-knowing Guru, but I did my best!  Hopefully, you all will find these stories as interesting as I did.

  Clear and the Denver Broncos to bring fast pass to the fans this year.

  A betting website gives their take on the 2008 Denver Broncos. By popular demand, this link is just too horrible to be allowed to stay on Horse Tracks.

 Craig, Colorado named by the Denver Broncos as being one of the football team's biggest fans. 

Selvin Young knows history and does not want to become the next discarded running back to have formerly played for the Denver Broncos.

All of Denver's running backs are ready to carry the load in 2008.

More on Tom Nalen's injury troubles here and here.

The Cornerbacks for the Broncos and Packers have one thing in common -- age

I've always preferred using a QB as the holder for the kicker, but I don't recall John Elway ever holding for a kicker...

Ryan Clady and Ryan Harris getting some love from Jim Armstrong.

That's all I got for today.  Have a Great Day!

   @  

  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

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 --

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Here's a Friday edition of Horse Tracks.  Enjoy!

   Anthony Alridge gets to return to his hometown Saturday night.  See here

  We may get to see an Ironman on Saturday and I don't mean Ozzy Osborne or Robert Downey, Jr.  See here and here

  Brandon Stokley wants to focus on third downs this season.  See here

  Stokley is also happy and healthy.  See here

  It's a good thing that Ryan Clady is a big man because the bar is set very high for the rookie LT.  See here

  Here's Clark Judge's "5 things to know" about the Broncos.  See here

  CBS Sportsline also asked if the third year will be a charm for Jay Cutler.  See here

  SI gave a training camp postcard of the Broncos.  See here

  Dewayne Robertson is thrilled to be back in a 4-3 alignment.  See here

Would you believe that the Broncos were somewhat responsible for getting Guru's favorite player to the NY Cropdusters?  See here

  Former Bronco kicker Joe Nedney will be inducted into the San Jose State University Hall of Fame.  See here

The Broncos' roster has transformed substantially since 2006.  See here

With all the new faces on defense, what is thier identity?  See here

Eddie Royal is excited to play and we are excited to see him.  See here

Mike Klis provides a 5-point plan to handle Koob's Troops.  See here

AFC West

  Big Bill Williamson shared a report that the Missouri Indians may have interest in Chad Pennington.  See here

  Didn't people associated with the conquered fader nation last season say Michael Bush will be thier team's future savior at the RB position?  Looks like he will be just a blocker and a short yardage back now.  See here

  Looks like there are still problems with Phyllis and his merry men getting a new home.  See here

  Antonio Cromartie is shooting his mouth off and predicting 15 interceptions this season.  I guess Phyllis' ego rubbed off on this merry man.  See here

AROUND THE NATION

   The defending Champs got started on the wrong foot thanks to the Lions
(PrideOfDetroit)

   The Vikings wanted Brett Favre.  They may have to settle for the man Favre replaced in NY. (DailyNorseman)

   The Bears lost to the Chiefs last night, but the longterm loss of a 1st Round pick could be alot geater. (WindyCityGridiron)

That is all I have today.  Have a great weekend and GO BRONCOS!!!

The Broncos suffered their most significant injury of Training Camp when rookie RB Ryan Torain broke a bone in his elbow this morning during 9-on-7 work, Head Coach Mike Shanhan announced after practice.

Torain was running with the football when he was knocked off-balance.  Using his left arm in an attempt to steady himself, he was hit by LB's Nate Webster and Jamie Winborn.  Torain immediately grabbed his left arm before crumbling to the turf.  He was attended to by the Broncos' Training staff before being carted off the field.

The 6-8 weeks is an optimistic assessment, with a real time line to be determined by the amount, if any, of ligament damge has been done to the elbow.  Shanahan expressed his disappointment in the loss, saying that Torain was in the competition for the starting HB job and his loss was a big one despite the fact that Torain was a rookie.

via extras.mnginteractive.com

With Torain out, the weight of the running game falls square on the shoulder of Selvin Young, Andre Hall and undrafted free-agent Anthony Alridge.  Alrdige has been impressive this summer in his own right and will surely get a close look during the pre-season.

I was completely impressed by Torain during the practice sessions I watched and felt he had a huge opportunity to get some major playing time.  Now, Selvin Young has to, and I mean HAS TO, be the real deal atrunning back.

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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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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Can Young be "The Man"?

In an earlier breakdown focused on the Offensive Line I talked about the Broncos needing to get back to what they do best, to what they are -- a running football team.  While the line is obviously an important part of that, you had better have someone carrying the rock that can get the job done, consistently, game after game.  The Broncos had that when they were winning Super Bowls, and while you simply can't plug someone in to replace a player like Davis(if you could he would in no way be a Hall of Famer), the Broncos have swung and missed and at times relied too much on what I call T.D. Syndrome, thinking you can grab another diamond in the rough at running back simply becuase you did it  with Davis.

What do I mean?  Let's take a look at the past 9 seasons since the Broncos won their two Super Bowl titles and who led the team in rushing each year, as well as the team's record  --

1999 - Olandis Gary             -  1159 yds -  7 tds     -  6-10
2000 - Mike Anderson          -  1487 yds - 15 tds  - 11-5
2001 - Terrell Davis              -    701 yds  -   0 tds  -    8-8
2002 - Clinton Portis            -  1508 yds -  15 tds  -    9-7
2003 - Clinton Portis            -  1591 yds -  14 tds  - 10-6
2004 - Reuben Droughns  -   1240 yds -    6 tds   - 10-6
2005 - Mike Anderson         -   1014 yds -  12 tds - 13-3
2006 - Tatum Bell                -    1025 yds -   2 tds  -    9-7
2007 - Selvin Young            -      729 yds -   1 tds  -    7-9

A couple of things pop out immediately to me.  First, over the past 9 seasons, 7 different running backs have led the team in rushing.  In 5 of those years, the elading rusher had fewer than 10 TDs, and only once, when Clinton Portis was toting the rock, did the same player lead the team in rushing back to back.  It also struck me that, other than Portis and Mike Anderson, the running back getting the majority of the carries could not consistently get into the end zone.  That affects the offense, folks, and if your premier back can't punch it into the end zone you are probably going to struggle in the red zone.

Heading into 2008, the Broncos look to be committing to Selvin Young.  I am a big fan of Young, always have been.  That said, he still needs to prove he can be an every down back.  He still needs to prove that he can have a big run, a big quarter, a big half, a big game and come back and do it the next play, quarter, half, game and week.  Game after game, month after month.  The proof is in the pudding.   If the Broncos are going to snif the playoffs, Young, or whoever is the feature back, needs to be the guy to carry the load.  I think Young has the ability, he needs to prove it.  There are other candidates as well.  Let's look at them.

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