SB Nation - Calvin Lowry

Thursday Notes: Lions Sign Two, Release Two

Sean Yuille — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:22:29 -0000

Individual game tickets for the Lions go on sale at 10 a.m. on August 27. For more information, check out the Lions' official website.
The Lions have signed offensive guard Milford Brown and safety Calvin Lowry. To make room on the roster for the two new players, the Lions released defensive tackle John Gill, who was the first undrafted free agent to sign with Detroit earlier this year, and tight end Jake Nordin.

Brown started four games for the Jaguars last season and is generally considered to be a guard. He has been in the league since 2002, when he was selected by the Texans in the supplemental draft.

Lowry was a fourth-round pick in 2006 by the Titans, where he played for Jim Schwartz for a couple seasons. He started three games for the Broncos last season. His signing could be a hint that Daniel Bullocks isn't going to return anytime soon. We learned yesterday that Bullocks was out indefinitely, but Schwartz didn't really provide a timetable for his return.
No players were actually ruled out yet, but Tom Kowalski speculates that the list of injuries for Saturday's game against the Falcons will be pretty big.
Usually rookies experience hazing at the hands of veteran players, but that was not the case with the Lions, as Jim Schwartz made sure that didn't happen from the start. He thinks players should be professional and worry more about teaching rookies than messing with them. I like that attitude, as these players are here to do a job, and while hazing can be fun, winning is even better.
Bryant Johnson was able to return to practice sooner than expected thanks to an experimental treatment.
If you're in the main or overflow #1 fantasy football leagues, check your inboxes, as invites have been sent. I will try to get the other two leagues up and running later today, so if you're in one of those leagues, keep on the lookout for it. (Note: The current draft date/time is not set in stone by any means. It is just what the site had when I created the league, as both the date and time will be discussed on here at another time before it is finalized.)
Madden 10 officially comes out at 12:01 a.m. tonight. I probably won't pick it up until tomorrow afternoon, but once I do, expect me to be missing from the site for a few hours. Based on everything I've heard, the game is amazing, so here's to hoping it lives up to its expectations.

Fun Facts About 2008 - A 2009 Denver Broncos Draft Analysis

Douglas A. Lee — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 22:30:10 -0000

More photos » by Ed Andrieski - AP

For many draft "experts" and Broncos fans, the reaction to Denver's choice of Knowshon Moreno at #12 on Saturday resulted in cries of, "Not another running back!!!!!!"

Browse more photos »

Draftivus Weekend 2009 may be over, but it seems to me that the only draft-related activity as fun as predicting the outcome is in sifting through the results and grading them. Sure, it's a little early to do so; but we all do it, and I'm pretty sure we all seek out what the "experts" have to say in order to validate our own opinions (or cast them aside as idiots). Here are some of the reactions I've seen over the past 24 hours on MHR and across the web, and I paraphrase...

How could the Broncos not draft more D-Linemen or Linebackers?
What?! Another running back?! Denver already signed Arrington, Buckhalter and Jordan in addition to having about 12 holdovers.
More defensive backs? What, are they going to start 9 DBs? How many corners and safeties could the Broncos possibly use?
Josh McDaniels is a moron because he didn't draft the guys I wanted him to!!!

Personally, here is what I thought as the Draft approached...

Obviously, we'll come away with at least a couple of D-Linemen, including a nose tackle.
And of course, we'll end up with an excellent new linebacker.

Obviously, I was wrong. But I'm no expert.

Now, let's examine some undeniable facts...

The 2008 Denver Broncos were 8-8
Denver's so-called "explosive offense" scored 370 points, good for 16th-best in the NFL
They allowed 448 points, which was 3rd-worst in the league
The Broncos' point differential was -78, or 25th-best league-wide.
Seven teams had a worse point differential than Denver, and those seven teams all missed the playoffs, averaging a record of 3-13.
Only one team (Green Bay) with a positive point-differential won fewer than 8 games.
The Broncos lost to Oakland by 21 points (at home) and at Kansas City by 14 points. The Raiders and Chiefs combined for 5 wins against teams not named the Denver Broncos.
Denver lost to the Chiefs, Patriots, Raiders, Panthers and Chargers by an aggregate score of 187-67, which averages out to 37.4 to 13.4.
At various points during the 2008 Season, the Broncos were down to running backs such as P.J. Pope, Cory Boyd, a seventh-rounder in Peyton Hillis, a fifth-rounder in Ryan Torain, and a guy who had been selling mobile phones at the mall (Tatum Bell).
Denver had the 5th-fewest rushing attempts in the NFL.
The Broncos' time-of-possession ranked 24th in the league.
During this same season, the Broncos had folks like Vernon Fox (cut by the Skins), Josh Bell (cut by the Chargers), Josh Barrett (a seventh-rounder), Roderick Rogers (dumped by Minnesota), Calvin Lowry (cast aside by Tennessee), and Herana-Daze Jones (dumped by Cincinnati) either starting or playing crucial roles on the defense.
The Broncos' pass defense allowed opponents to connect on 67.3% of their attempts, which was 4th worst in the league.
The Broncos intercepted 6 passes in 2008, 2nd worst only to the Lions. One of those picks was made by DT Marcus Thomas, who promptly fumbled the ball away on the ensuing "runback."

Recognize this 2008 Bronco? Me neither.

I realize these are some depressing numbers, but this is 2009. I offer the stats above to remind everyone that 2008 wasn't such a hot year for our beloved Broncos. The '08 version of the Broncos couldn't control the clock, couldn't produce sustained drives and couldn't hold onto the ball on offense. On defense, they couldn't rush the passer, stop the run, defend the pass or take the ball away. Injuries left us with guys we practically picked up off the street playing running back, safety and cornerback.

Didn't everyone here learn from 2008 that a team can never have enough running backs and defensive backs? Keep in mind that the veterans Denver signed at those positions this offseason, in Correll Buckhalter, LaMont Jordan, Brian Dawkins, Renaldo Hill and Andre' Goodman will all be at least 30 years old this season. They will hopefully provide skill today, but they will definitely not do so in the distant future.

The 2008 Broncos had a lot of holes; while Atlanta and Miami were both wonderful examples of remarkable one-year turnarounds, their stories are exceptions. This team needs to be competitive first; if they can also win more games than they lose in 2009, I see that as a bonus. We're talking about a team which fired almost its entire coaching staff and enters 2009 with a new starting quarterback. For me, the Broncos were so bad in 2008 that I cannot expect every hole to be filled by 2009. We're talking about a process here, and it sure seems that Josh McDaniels, Brian Xanders and Company are making their way towards that end.

Yesterday, we saw a draft strategy we're to this point unfamiliar with. Yes, Mike Shanahan is an all-time great and brought home two Championships. However, when drafting for need over taking the best player, the Broncos ended up with guys like Marcus Nash, Paul Toviessi, Ashley Lelie (over Ed Reed), Jarvis Moss, Tim Crowder, Deltha O'Neal and Willie Middlebrooks. The new regime quite obviously sees the draft through a different viewpoint, and when their top choices went off the board (Raji and Jackson), they chose Knowshon Moreno. Not because they came in wanting a running back, but because they felt he was the best player on the board. That's how Minnesota got Adrian Peterson, by the way.

How about this guy? If you do recognize him, you'll probably be glad to know that he's no longer on the Broncos...

As I mentioned above, I'm no draft maven; but what I like about the "experts" reactions is this - everyone who criticizes the Broncos' 2009 Draft, from Jamie Dukes, to Pete Prisco, to Mel Kiper, to Todd McShay offers this basic thought - they love the players Denver drafted, they just don't think Denver filled the holes they would have chosen to fill. Personally, when I read draft analysis the day after, I want to see that Denver chose players widely accepted as being excellent football players. Used to be that our draft choices were either "undersized," "injured during senior season," "questionable character," "slow for the position," among other lovely tags. Today, they're "solid citizens" and excellent football players, but why do the Broncos need another defensive back or running back? As for where they'll play, I think we should leave that up to the Broncos' Coach and General Manager.

I'm not trying to provide a sunny outlook here; I'm just examining some facts. Some of you are happy about our '09 Draft results, others are bewildered. Both viewpoints are just fine by me - but don't forget the prism of 2008's season when looking at the makeup of the 2009 Broncos.

Three Jaguars to Injured Reserve: Waste of Money edition

River City Rage — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 20:55:35 -0000

The Jacksonville Jaguars made several roster moves today. Wide Receiver Jerry "one million dollars per catch" Porter, Defensive Tackle Tony McDaniel, and Linebacker Daryl Smith were placed on Injured Reserve.

The loss of Smith means that Mike Peterson will make his final game in Jacksonville as the starter. He deserves a standing ovation, his six years with the team have been outstanding and without a doubt he is the best free-agent pickup in the last 8 years.

Losing Porter is far less significant. Jaguars Reporters, the monday radio show, seemed to indicate that Jerry is gone when the season is over. I'd be curious to see where this ranks in the all-time bad free agent signings. I don't care how expensive he was, nobody could be worse than Hugh Douglas.

The Jaguars, for the record, now have seven starters on Injured resrve with a total of 13 players done for the season.

The Jaguars signed DB Calvin Lowry and OG Cameron Stephenson. Ever notice that when the Jaguars put someone on IR, they never sign someone at the position that was cut?

Oh, in 6 minutes, the Pro Bowl roster will be announced. I'm gonna go on a limb and assume there are zero Jaguars on the roster.

-Chris

Broncos Announce Several Transactions -- Waive Calvin Lowery, Promote RB Cory Boyd

John Bena — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 23:56:27 -0000

The Denver Broncos on Tuesday signed running back Cory Boyd to their active roster from their practice squad and placed fullback Peyton Hillis on their reserve/injured list, Head Coach Mike Shanahan announced.

Additionally, the team waived safety Calvin Lowry and signed guard Pat Murray from Seattle's practice squad.

Hillis, a rookie fullback selected by the Broncos in the seventh round (227th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft from the University of Arkansas, suffered a right hamstring injury during the Broncos' 24-17 win against Kansas City on Sunday. He saw time in 12 games (6 starts) for Denver at tailback and fullback, totaling 68 rushes for 343 yards (5.0 avg.) with five touchdowns along with 14 receptions for 179 yards (12.8 avg.) with one touchdown. Hillis had a four-game streak with at least one rushing touchdown and became the first rookie in club history (second player overall) to post both a 100-yard rushing game and a 100-yard receiving game in the same season.

Boyd (6-foot-1, 218 pounds) is a rookie running back who spent the last five weeks on Denver's practice squad after the club signed him on Nov. 4. He entered the NFL with Tampa Bay as a seventh-round (238th overall) pick in the 2008 NFL Draft from the University of South Carolina but was waived by the Buccaneers on July 26. Boyd played 46 games (27 starts) for the Gamecocks and finished his collegiate career with 464 rushes for 2,267 yards (4.9 avg.) with 23 touchdowns along with 117 receptions for 1,303 yards (11.1 avg.) with five scores. He attended Orange High School in Orange, N.J., and was born on Aug. 6, 1985.

Murray (6-foot-3, 310 pounds) is a first-year guard who had been on Seattle's practice squad since Sept. 1. He entered the NFL when Green Bay signed him as a college free agent on May 4, 2007. He was waived by the Packers on Aug. 24, 2007 and spent the remainder of the season out of football. Murray, 24, played in 41 games (32 starts) at Truman State where he earned first-team All-Mid-America honors in 2006. Patrick James Murray, who lettered in football, basketball, track and golf at Pocahontas High School in Pocahontas, Iowa, was born on Oct. 31, 1984, in Fort Dodge, Iowa.

Lowry played in 10 games (3 starts) and totaled 21 tackles (14 solo) and three passes defensed for Denver after joining the team off waivers from Tennessee on Aug. 31.

MHR University - Who Should Start, and Why

Steve Nichols — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 23:00:06 -0000

From Born Orange comes these excellent questions, which are at the heart of much discussion at Milehighreport.com lately:

What's become of K2? He seems to have fallen far from Shanny's grace to have both Larsen and now Haggan starting at MLB in Webster's absence (I still think we're better off without Web in the middle).

Also, what's your take on the status of some of the rookies/backups who've been doing a good job filling in for the injured starters, once the starters are healthy again- primarily the LBs and CBs?

When players go down to injury, a coach has a headache on his hands. If the back-up plays poorly, the coach has to make adjustments to cover for the weakness. If the back-up plays well, a controversy can be in the brewing.

Let's take a look at the issues in BornOrange's questions, and take a look at the thinking that goes into when (and whether) to bring back injured starters.

More below the fold...

Niko Koutouvides

First, let's address the K2 issue.

During the pre-season, Webster and K2 were locked in a struggle to determine who would start at MLB. Webster edged out K2, and the season got started. Fans quickly tired of Webster's missed gap assignments and his overpursuits. But he's an energetic player who fires up his teammates, and folks like keeping count of how many times his helmet flies off (I guess).

K2, on the other hand, is a speedy LB who shines making open field tackles on coverage units. Many folks (including me) were hopeful he would get a shot at starting. Keep in mind, though, that K2 had a shot at starting during the pre-season and during camp, and didn't beat out Webster.

Then came the injuries. K2 had a shot at starting, as did Larsen (who plays at MLB and FB). Larsen proved himself the better MLB, to such an extent that the Denver staff had him play both ways on the field.

In short, as much as some fans may not be thrilled with Webster starting, K2 just hasn't earned the position, having been beat out by Webster and Larsen (and even a virtual unknown Haggan). Sometimes the devil you know is better than the one you don't.

But what about starting Larsen?

Let's stay on the MLB position for a moment. Why isn't Larsen our starter? First, I'm going to grant that Larsen is probably the best MLB we have. But the situation for the coaching staff is more complicated than just "Who is the better player".

Denver has been losing a lot of games to a lot of bad teams throwing the ball "early and often" and "deep". The spread offense is a fine concept, but not for this Denver team, which needs to be pounding the ball after gaining a lead (the formula that has taken Denver to championships). Only lately, Denver has realized the folly of throwing too often (we hope), and discovered the talent of power RB Hillis.

Hillis faced one of the best run stuffing teams against the Jets. Keep in mind that he is a 7th round pick, was meant to be a FB, ran in single back formations (meaning no FB run support) and is somewhere around a 5th string RB for this team. Against the Jets, a lot of fans were reminded of the dominance of a true powerback. Hillis, who was a FB behind two elite RBs at Arkansas, still managed to prove himself in college as a powerful blocker, receiver, and runner. In the NFL, he proved that he deserves to be Denver's #1 RB.

So what does any of this have to do with Larsen not playing at MLB? He's needed at FB even more. Here's why.

Denver's FB Situation

Denver has lost a FB, but in a good way. Hillis is one of those "diamonds in the rough" that has been discovered by Denver. He is a one cut runner who plows over and through defensive players. For readers of Chalk Talk and MHR University, it has been preached time and again how a power running game is needed to wear down defenses, to limit interceptions (defensed can't exclusively play in pass mode), and to set up the break away runs of faster RBs.

With Hillis out of the picture at FB, Denver has only three options.

Play a lot of single back formations
Use Pinnock at FB
Use Larsen at FB

One is to play Hillis in single back formations (as against the Jets). This option worked very well, and took the Jets by surprise. A lot of fans would likely want to continue on this path. But it isn't good coaching.

The Jets assumed that Denver would be their regular pass heavy selves. When they saw three recievers and a single back, they played pass. Denver hit them right in the gut. As pointed out by a couple of astute MHR members, nothing kicks you in the stomach like a powerback charging into a nickle defense. If Hillis is the answer at HB (and I think most of us agree that he is), then teams are going to adjust for him quickly.

Teams were not ready for Jay Cutler and the wild spread offense, but they adjusted, and Denver suffered. The way to stop teams from adjusting is to play a balanced game, where the opposition can't load up a defense against a particular trait. Denver needs to have a FB in to block for Hillis, and also needs to run some pass plays with multiple receivers without a FB. Denver needs to mix it up, instead of relying on a single look.

In other words, we will need a FB in our system.

The second option is to use Pinnock. Who? That's right. A virtual unknown. With Denver near securing a playoff bearth, the time for experimenting is over. Pinnock was brought in because we lost a FB (Hillis, to the starting RB role). But he wasn't brought in to start. He was brought in to back-up Larsen in case Larsen goes down.

The third option is to use Larsen. If we use Larsen, why not use him at MLB too? He's done it already this year! Fans may disagree on the point I'm going to make, but here's the coaching thinking that is likely going into the decision.

Playing Larsen two ways is a fan pleaser, but it isn't good football. Larsen played two ways for Denver because Denver was short handed and desperate, not because they wanted to. Larsen beat the odds and played both positions, and did it very well. To do so game after game though, is to risk injury, not to mention an exhausted player playing at two positions (hurting both sides of the ball).

Like it or not, Larsen can only do so much on a weakened defense. As a FB, he ensures that there are no postions on the offense that aren't elite. Right now, ensuring that our un game can keep up with our pass game is what will make this offense unstoppable.

Take it from me. I'm all about defense, and I would be kicking and screaming to get Larsen in at MLB if I was the defensive coordinator. But for the sake of the team overall, I think Shanahan is making the right move.

What About Other LBs (Haggan, Woodyard, and Winborn)?

Let's assume the obvious. DJ Williams is going to start at WILL. He is a better run stopper than Woodyard, and has more big play potential. He is one of the true elites on the team, and plays his position better than anyone. He never lost his position when he went down. While the WILL position isn't primarily a run stopping position (it zones the weakside and blitzes more often than playing man), my point is that DJ does everything Woodyard does, and more.

Woodyard's best fit is at WILL. He is not really a true MLB, and has an excellent future ensuring depth at WILL and playing coverage for STs. Moving him to MLB would be an adjustment (something we don't want late in the season), and would weaken the depth at WILL.

Haggan is getting a lot of love from the MHR faithful, but there's a catch. He has played on limited downs, and it's hard for a coach to make a major decsion on very limited data. Haggan may have raw talent, but going towards the playoffs (where experience is everything), he just doesn't have a record beyond a few plays. As it is, He is listed as the third string at WILL (an excellent place for a LB with raw talent, but little experience with the team), but can also play third string behind K2 at MLB.

Winborn is the natural fit at SAM. He has played over the talent level of Boss Bailey (IR), and will likely keep his position unless he is bumped by a draft pick in the offseason.

What About the DBs?

This is the most complex issue for me to address.

Let's start with the easy part; Dre Bly. Dre Bly will return and keep his #2 CB position. Bailey and Bly are #1 and #2 in interceptions since 1991. They are both two of the best in the game.

Fans are leary of Bly, pointing out his seeming lack of production in Denver. But in the two years he has been in Denver, Bailey hasn't looked stellar either. I have attributed this to Denver's weak pass rush, and even more to the decision to put the strong safety in the box. (A story on this issue is coming up next week).

Yet, in the last game Bly looked great. Denver had two safeties in deep coverage (despite the rain). Coincidence? No way. Denver respected Favre, and played the right defensive alignments. This allowed Bly to be himself, and it showed. Bailey's return (hopefuly this week) should be a major boost.

But what happens at safety and at nickleback?

Tough call. Very tough call. Let's assume for moment that Denver finally decides to play two safeties out of the box. Lowry would likely have a better showing than his first outing, when he was one of the top tacklers for the Broncos, but whiffed on several tackles trying to guard the entire field horizontaly by himself. As much as I've defended him, I don't think he's the best option.

This leaves McCree and Barrett. Like most fans (I believe), I would like to see Barrett get the call. McCree has the experience, and could play well if he has another safety to take half of the field. Barrett has the advantage in speed and athleticism. All other factors being even (which they aren't), I would like to see Barrett developed. This close to a playoff run, it's a tough call.

At strong safety, Manuel has done a decent job playing in the box. Out of the box, in the Jets game, Fox came out looking like a winner. In my mind, we should play the strong safety out of the box, and play Fox (unless he proves the Jets game was a quirk). My uneducated guess is that Manuel will get the start.

For the safeties, in my mind, the big question is whether we go back to playing 8 in the box or if we go traditional.

At CB, the contenders for nickle are Paymah, Williams, Bell, and Jones. I don't know much about Jones. Bell looked good, but like Haggan, it was in limited action. The competition then comes down to Paymah and Williams, and I would guess Paymah gets the start. My guess is as good (or bad) as anybody's on this topic, and I'll bet readers have some good thoughts on why someone should start over someone else.

So how about it gang? What are your thoughts?

Poll

How many picks should Denver use on LB this reloading season?

None. Several of our back-ups should start next year.

13 votes

One. How can we pass on a LB in a good year for LBs in the draft?

157 votes

At least two. We need major help at LB.

49 votes

219 votes | Poll has closed

The 2008 Broncos - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Steve Nichols — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 22:00:06 -0000

An MHR University Emergency Edition

If you came into this season with great expectations (13-3), you've been brought back to Earth. It's time for an assesment of the team that doesn't swing too far towards fantasy ("But we really can go deep this year") and doesn't fall to the other extreme ("We suck!"). The truth is that what many of us have been saying has been proven, and it isn't such a bad thing. To wit: This is a team that is in full rebuilding mode, and we are right on schedule. If you want a championship this year (or expected it), I'm terribly sorry. If you got overly excited by the first few games (or depressed by the recent losses), I'm also sorry. But the pronouncements of several Broncos writers (Guru chief amongst them) that Denver is building a team for next year or the year after is dead on accurate. Those fans with patience will be rewarded.

It's time to set aside emotion and to hit the books and the chalk board. This is a team that is stocked with massive potential, but still has a lot of house cleaning to do. We are perfectly positioned for a deep run in '09 or '10. The offense is young and dynamic, but still young. The defense took a backseat to repair work in the reloading season to ensure a future dynasty for the offense. Over the next two years, the defense will benefit from a focus that will bring the team into balance soon, but not this year. And that's ok. There is a lot of bad news for Broncos fans, but only fans who live in the present and want it all right now. For those of you who are ok with a 10-6 season, some respectability, and a very, very bright future, you've come to the right place.

First though, I want to start with a little story...

Read on

Once there was a small restaurant owner who loved his little business and slaved over every minor detail. He barely slept, instead focusing on the love of his life, his precious restaurant.

He hired the best chefs and staff that money could buy. He paid them top dollar, and treated them like family. He bought only the best ingrediants. He personaly stopped by each table to ensure that customers were happy. His business soared, and became wildly successful.

One day, word got out that a food critic was coming to dine. The food critic had a reputation for making or breaking a restaurant. People knew and trusted his work, and the owner knew that no matter how good his business was, the critic's articles were going to determine his future.

One night, the critic came to dine. The owner did a smart thing. Instead of catering to the critic, he went about business the way he always did, providing wonderful food and service to each and every customer. He neither ignored nor smothered the critic. But then something happened. Something seemed to go terribly wrong.

The critic, upon receivng he meal, took one quick bite, got up and left. Oh, the horror! The owner and his staff were terrified! After the customers left for the night, the staff sat around and worried. "What did we do wrong?", they asked themselves.

I'll continue the story later. Suffice it to say that I watched the first half of the Monday Night Football game against NE, and saw what I needed to see. Much like the critic that took only one bite to know what he needed to know, I drove home from my father-in-laws house, and went to bed. Was I disgusted by what I saw? You betcha. But I saw enough in that first half to realize that we are right were the Broncos want to be, even if it isn't where the fans want to be. Allow me to explain.

...the bad and the ugly.

First, my disgust. In "MHR Chalk Talk" I wrote the keys for the week. The most prominant key was the first key for Denver (which was so critical I even put it in bold print). It said, "Limit turnovers". Denver allowed two turnovers almost right away (Andre Hall), and lost the turnover battle 5 to 0. This cost us the game more than anything. And what was my first and most important key for NE? "Gain at least 100 yards on the ground (starting RB Maroney may be out this game). NE hasn't had a 100 yard rusher yet this year." So what did we allow the Patriots to do? According to NFL.Com, "New England ran for 257 yards, its highest total since Dec. 22, 1985."

I'm glad that folks read MHR. I just wish that the NE Patriots wouldn't follow my advice.

First, let's agree on a few issues. As a team, Denver has some good points and some terrible points. Most teams do. For example, Denver cannot stop the run to save their lives. We can argue over whether the fault lies with the defensive line, the linebackers, or scheming. But for our discussion right now, that's not important. Let's just admit the obvious. Denver will not be a run stopping team this year, just like last year. In fact, let's just make a list of each premise that I have right now for the team. Some are good, some are bad, and some are just plain ugly.

This defense cannot stop the run.
This defense cannot stop the pass.
Jay Cutler is the second coming. But he isn't old enough or wise enough yet to put it all together for a full season.
We also have some terrific receivers, but they too are young and will improve with age.
Despite the 3 sacks given in the MNF game, the OL remains one of the best pass blocking OLs in the League. Like 3 and 4 above, youth is an issue.
Young and Hall have potential for great break away runs, and are thus fan favorites. But as discussed last year, both are injury prone, and neither is consistent.
Scheffler is one of the best receiving TEs in the League, but is unable to stay on the field.

The underlining theme is our youth. They demonstrate great ability, but are also prone to gaffes. Jay has a rocket arm, and is great whether in or out of the pocket. He still makes "youth" mistakes, but is heading in the right direction, and doing so faster than can be fairly expected. By next year, Cutler will be leading this team to better pastures.

As good as the OL is, they are very young. Wiegmann is not going to be at center much longer, and his replacement (Lichtensteiger?) will be a key. But the tackle positions are set for at least the next 12 years. We are already good, and only going to get better.

But let's face some facts that many of us will have a hard time with. Selvin Young has quite a following. He bulked up in the reloading season because of accusations that he was too light to absorb much punishment. I won't get into the debate in detail here. What I will point out is that he wasn't in this game. A player, no matter how good, is useless if he can't stay healthy enough to play on the field. Selvin's back-up is Andre Hall. In my book, Hall has the speed to be a great change-up. He is not the kind of back I want to run often. Two fumbles cannot be excused. The bare minimum requirement for any running back is that you don't drop the ball.

I like what I saw from Pittman. Against a NE front seven that finally played up to it's star name potential, Pittman was able to gain respectable yards per carry. Again, it may not be the flashy "big play" look that fans want, but a bruising, power, one cut runner is what Denver needs to gain yards, keep the defense off the field, and wear down opposing defenses. Denver's pass game will be even harder to stop if opposing team's respect the run. I don't think that Hall and Young are either healthy enough or consistent enough to run the ball over the course of the game. This team needs Torain to come in healthy and able. Let us hope that he and Pittman can intimidate opposing defenses with a one-two power punch, allowing a Young or Hall to come in late in games for a few designed long yardage plays.

Outside of Marshall, Cutler loves to get the ball to Scheffler. For this reason, a lot of fans love Scheffler as the premier TE on the team. Except that he isn't. Graham is the number one TE on the team. Unlike Scheffler (who suffers from chonic foot problems and was out for this game), Graham is an everydown TE. He blocks better than any other TE in the League (something that most fans file under "who cares" when it comes to comparing a TE to a "receiving" TE). While he doesn't have the flashy catches that many receiving TEs do, he was the lone catch for a TD last night, had the second longest catch for Denver.

The real elephant in the room is the defense. Let's just admit the obvious. We can make all of the analysis that we want. We can see progress here and there (and I have), we can blame play calling or individuals. The bottom line is that this team has very few star talents on defense (DJ Williams and Bailey are solid, while Doom and Thomas continue to improve).

This team does not have a good pass rush. Even in last night's game (which saw 5 sacks for Denver), the sacks did not occur as a result of simple pass rushing. Denver loaded up the line of scrimmage, and brought massive blitzes. Without the blitzing, Denver does not always get effective pressure. Also, Denver continue to toy around with only rushing 3 linemen.

NE (on the other hand) showed a lot of four man fronts (something that NE likes to do against Denver). They got effective pressure against Denver's Secret Service offensive line, even without massive blitzes. Denver needs to have a capable front four, and they just don't.

Denver's DL was pushed out of the way for running plays, and only got pressure on passes when the rest of the team came forward to blitz. This was despite the injured status of a Patriots starting lineman and a starting RB. In a simple power scheme, NE RBs Morris, Green-Ellis, and Faulk each powered through lanes opened up against the defense, and each (often) required multiple tacklers to bring down.

The LBs were also a disapointment. Boss Bailey? Injured (again). Webster? A sack (on a play he wasn't even blocked), but only 3 tackles.

And scheming also seems to haunt this team. NE kept Denver out of the endzone, and helped their DBs get interceptions by doing something that Denver doesn't do consistently. NE puts both safeties deep and they keep the play in front of them (this is not a cover two system; it is the common usage for safeties on any team). This stopped big plays by Denver, and it allowed the CBs to take chances for turnovers.

The Good

The fearless leader of MHR, Guru, has written that Denver is in the third year of a five year rebuilding plan. One could quibble over particulars, but I won't. The fact is that his premise is correct. Denver is building a powerhouse team, and this year's team is not the end goal. As I wrote earlier, Denver has to be pleased with the plan, even if fans are disgusted with the present.

Some folks may be eager to defend the paradigm that Denver is bound for glory this year. They will correctly point out that Denver is leading the AFC West, and has already beaten the main AFC West Rival that can challenge for a playoff spot. But I think this misses the point. I have mantained from before the season that Denver may have a record close to 10-6, with a reasonable (50/50) shot at the playoffs. A playoff appearence should be a minimal goal for any team in the NFL with a good program, but it is also not "glory". I expect Denver to make the playoffs, and to play in the bye round. I give Denver a very small chance of advancing, with little to no chance of getting to the SB. Some may think this is terrible! But I think that would be very short sighted. While Denver will try to advance as far as possible, the rel goal is '09 or '10. And I think that future is more beautiful than a short term desire for glory this year.

We've looked at the bad and the ugly. Let's examine the good.

The offense is pretty much completed. We have youth in just about every key position. The penalties and turnovers were horrible last night, if you were looking at a veteran team. Denver is still a youth movement, and they look pretty decent even though they haven't hit full stride yet.

Cutler is the franchise QB. Marshall is the franchise WR. Royal is the franchise number two WR. Stokley won't be the slot receiver forever (age and concussions), but he will hold the position until the team decides whether to get a "thrid amigo" or to put more emphasis on depth at TE.

At TE, Graham won't be around forever. Whether or not Scheffler's foot improves, I believe that the TE position will get Denver's attention in the next two or three years, and Denver will ensure the pick is one that Denver fans will fall in love with.

Tho offensive line has the youth and talent to play well now, and yet improve for years to come. Losing Nalen (and soon thereafter Wiegmann) will set the stage for a battle at center, but the guard and center positions will do just fine.

I continue to believe that Denver knows how to scout and use RBs. Torain will be a hero or he won't be. I believe that Young is on the bubble right now and needs to stay healthy. I think Hall may be in the doghouse. Pittmann is not going to be the face of our RB corps, but he will be a solid and neccessary part of the team.

No, the real work for this team is the defense. And the good news (as much as it sounds like spin) is that the team can focus much attention on the defense, perhaps for two or three years (given the youth and talent on theoffensive side of the ball).

Marcus Thomas seems to improve each game. I liked what I saw from Thomas last night (four tackles and two assists), though he still has a long ways to go. DRob is not the answer to this team's woes. He plays well enough, but is far from dominating.

Ekuban plays well, but is getting older. Doom has a future if the rest of the line can be improved.

At LB, the only solid play has come DJ. Bailey has turned out to be a continuing injury risk, and both Webster and K2 have proven themselves enough of a non-factor that several other LBs are being tried out in games.

Champ Bailey is highly paid, and coming up on the end of his contract. He presents an intersting dilemna. Do you pay out the nose, and shut down his side of the field? Do you trade him for some picks or players (or both), and improve several positions at the expense of one? Do you let him go, and pocket the cap room to build up the defense that way? Bly (whether because of being overated or not having any support in the pass rush or from two safeties) is also coming up soon for contract considerations.

Lowry and Manual were the stars for Denver last night (though they could have been easily overlooked). Lowry was second only to DJ in tackles (Lowry with 7 tacks, 5 assists) while Manual was third (5 tacks). Still, something is badly wrong when the safeties are getting the tackles.

Denver can devote the draft, free agency, and any potential trades to the defense. I expect to see a major overhaul of the defense in the next two years. Will we lose consistency? Yes. But I expect the decisions will result in Denver gaining several playmakers (whether by intent or accident). If Denver stumbles onto one good DT, the entire defense will improve somewhat. If Denver stumbles onto just one good LB, the LB corps goes from 1/3 talented to 2/3 talented (and can focus attention on just fixing the last position). One good CB can either mitigate the loss of Bailey some day, or complement him better than Bly. If any of the front seven positions are fixed, the safeties may be allowed to play the natural "goalie" position they are supposed to play, negating the need for a great safety. But even so, a good safety pick-up in such a scenario would serve to prevent big plays like we saw in each of our losses.

The offense is already very good, but young enough to make some bone headed errors. By next year, this will be a "NE Brady led" or "INDY Manning led" level talented offense. What reamins to building a SB team is putting a defense with that offense. Give the team one or two years. The offense will still be around, playing very well and with many years left.

Shanahan has bought himself time to fix the defense, while growing the offense. If your goal is a SB appearance in the next few years, than this year is a bright moment because it is part of the path that Mike has built. If this year is your goal, you might not enjoy the season. But if you can look at the big picture, and see that this year is the journey and not the destination, you can smile. Yes, even after last night's game.

The owner called the newspaper and aked to speak with the critic. When the critic answered, the owner apologized for anything that might have been wrong. He told the critic about the hard work, the love, the effort, the time, and the money he had invested.

The critic just laughed. "You must think I had a bad experience! Not at all! The food was great, the atmosphere was great, the service was great, and I loved it all. Your restaurant is in first place in my book, and my article will reflect that. Your phone call tells me that you interested in continuing improvement. Someday, I think your restaurant will be known far and wide. Just keep doing what you are doing".

"But you only had one bite", said the owner.

"That's true. But this isn't my first restaurant I've looked at either. I've been around the block a few times. I know what a good place looks like, and what doesn't work. There are always things that need work, and there are always positives and negatives. I tried the food and it was great. But I also looked ahead. Your business is expanding, and you are making the right moves to put together a chain of restaurants some day. The food is just a part of the equation. I know what it takes to have a successful restaurant. You are a winning owner, and you are willing to do what it takes to always expand and grow."

I've been watching football for a few years. I've been around the block. I've endured losses, both for the Broncos (whom I love) and teams that I have coached at the academic levels (and it is very personal to have a team win and lose when you are one of the coaches). I've learned a few things during that time.

Don't let the wins get you too high. Use your head, not your heart.
Don't let the losses get you down. Use your head, not your heart.
Shoot for the moon, but keep your expectations realistic.
Recognize that there is a trend within a season, but also from season to season. Know the difference.
Sustained improvement from season to season is more valuable than within a season.

Given that., now consider this...

We are a better team than last year.
We can expect to be even better next year.
Who came into this season expecting us to beat NE? (We didn't)
Who came into this season expecting us to beat SD? (We did)
Who came into this season expecting the NFC South to be so good? (Note that we have beaten both NFC South teams we have played).

And now, I want to use our own words from an old article I wrote, called The '08 Schedule Overview (Pt. 1).

First, a poll (that covers our first 8 games, including the upcoming MIA game after the bye):

Denver wins how many games in the first half of the season?

2%

7 or 8

2 votes

32%

6

22 votes

46%

5

31 votes

17%

4 or less

12 votes

67 votes | Poll has closed

If we beat MIA, Denver is meeting or exceeding the expectations of 64% of MHR members who voted.

Here are some other worthwhile quotes from the article. Keep in mind how optimistic people are, even assuming losses to JAX, SD, and NE. (In fact, we beat SD, and lost to JAX and NE as expected. KC is the only real bump in the road here)...

.500 should do the trick.

I think that if the Broncos can manage 4-4 thru there first half of the season, then they should be set up nicely for a playoff run. However, 4-4 leaves little room for error in the second half…5-3 would really be looking pretty good (and allow for the game off the Broncos like to take now and again).

by UnarmingMermaid

Agreed.

I think we manage better than 4-4, but we still have plenty of room for a good season even with 4. I think we get 5 or 6.

by hoosierteacher

Setting aside (for a moment) how good JAX is or isn't...

...I think that from a scheme perspective they match up with us very well. I’ll cover this in detail in the week preceeding the game, but of all the “toss-up” games this one concerns me the most.

by hoosierteacher

I agree with the 5 win prediction.

One area of help is that SD plays two teams with simular records from last year. That may keep us in striking range for a playoff berth. They are as good as last year (or even a little less, with potential season starting injuries), but we should be moderately improved. Relatively, our schedule should (thus) be slightly easier.

by hoosierteacher

bingo

yes, indeed the first 1/4 of the season has 3 important division games. fortunately, we should be able to scrape by the raiders and chiefs in the early going. i still think the sd game will be trouble, being they are a solid team at this point. we are not. yet. the saints could be trouble if we don’t have our o/d-lines and st’s operating smoothly, but we should be settled in enough to take them at home. jax and ne will be the real tests after that. i don’t like either one of those. tb could also be trouble, but we should eke that one out. the fish? pencil that one in as a w. i’m guessing 5-3, and in the second half of the season we should rip off a bunch of wins. even on the road. the offense will be rolling by then, and we should win some games on that alone. i expect a strong finish against very beatable teams. i’ll say 11-5, a playoff wild-card berth, and a 34-20 beating at indy in the wc round(sorry, i had a nightmare). the big dogs will be in the playoffs, and we just don’t look solid enough in all areas. new coaches, players, injury concerns, and rookies in important spots usually doesn’t make for a playoff run. if we can steal the division, this all changes. but sd has a similar schedule, and i just can’t see them stumbling to 5-6 losses. can i?

by davecheffy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My bottom line? We are right were we expected us to be, and we felt good about being here when we predicted it. Now is not the time to be upset! We are in a good position based on our pre-season hopes. Many of us would be happy with 4-4 or 5-3 after the MIA game, according to our pre-season hopes, but when it happens, we express sorrow?

Shake it off Denver fans!

We are right where I thought we would be, and it's a good place.

We lead the division. We are better than last year. We have a shot at a playoff spot to prepare our youngsters for next year. We can reasonably expect to improve next year.

Now get out there and cheer your team on!

Poll

Denver is actually where most MHR fans expected them to be (4 wins) according to an MHR article from the preseason. 4-4 or 5-3 was what most fans expected after the upcoming Miami game, and they felt good about the 2008 team. Are you now thinking...

"Right where we should be"

95 votes

"Not happy"

192 votes

"Very happy"

6 votes

293 votes | Poll has closed