With all of the hoopla surrounding the QB position, one very important aspect of our team has gone largely overlooked. The Offensive Line. Regardless of who takes the snaps, the success of our Quarterback will depend upon the effectiveness of our O Line. I came across this little blurb in Horse Tracks today and thought it was worthy of bringing to everyone's attention.

Clady Showing Old Form For much of training camp last year, it was easy to tell that left tackle Ryan Clady was not 100 percent back from offseason knee surgery. So smooth during his Pro Bowl season in 2009 — just his second year in the league — 2010 was difficult at times as he played while trying to regain full strength in the knee. Clady has looked far more comfortable and balanced this time around, showing the athleticism, the reach and the movement skills to deal with the pass rushers that come his way. He's been consistently strong in rush drills thus far.

In my humble opinion, we are pretty well set at Center and Right Guard. Kuper could be headed to the Pro bowl and with Walton's mean streak I don't think we have to worry about a sophomore drop off. If Beadles continues to improve at the rate he did the second half of last year he will be very adequate at Left Guard. The early reports on the behemoth Franklin have me wondering "Harris? Harris who?" I am anxious to see more reports from Kaptain on Franklin. This little piece of information on Clady from the Denver Post via Horse Tracks is simply enough to get me orange and Blue kool aide drunk. The part about strong in the rush drills is particularly intoxicating. Maybe not Mike Clark 13-3 drunk, but certainly excited about the future. GO BRONCOS

Rumors are spreading that the owners are preparing for an eight game season beginning in October or November. My initial reaction was "Aw, crap!" But then I got to thinking, for the Broncos that might work out to be a pretty good deal.

It gives us an opportunity to sort out the QB situation and to deal one of them.

It gives us a chance to really look at the draft class. We can find out who is teachable, who is not; which of the "projects" with huge athleticism may pan out and can we stop the run?

It gives us second chance to look at free agency to fill holes and a whole other draft before 2012.

I know that when I start to take my beloved Broncos a little too seriously it is time for a little Bronco humor. Sometimes poking a little fun at ourselves is a way to reframe our priorities in life.

 

The Denver Police are cracking down on speeders heading into Denver.

For the first offense, they give you two Denver Bronco  tickets. If you get stopped a second time, they make you use them.

 

Q. What do you call 57 millionaires around a TV watching the Super Bowl?

 A. The Denver Broncos

 

Q. What do the Denver Broncos  and Billy Graham have in common?

 A. They both can make 70,000 people stand up and yell "Jesus Christ."

 

Q. How do you keep a Denver running back out of your yard?

 A. Put up a goal line. 

 

Q. What do you call a Denver Bronco  with a Super Bowl ring?

 A. Old

 

Q. What's the difference between the Denver Broncos and a dollar bill?

 A. You can still get four quarters out of a dollar bill.

 

 

Q. How many Denver Bronco does it take to win a Super Bowl?

 A .Nobody remembers.

 

 

Q. What do the Broncos and a possum have in common?

 A. Both play dead at home, and get killed on the road.

 

 Look at it from the bright side. We won't get beat this week.

And remember, there's always next year!

 

GO BRONCOS!!!

 

"Leading hand sanitizers claim they can kill 99.9 percent of germs. Peyton Hillis can kill 100 percent of whatever  he wants."
 
"Superman owns a pair of Peyton Hillis pajamas. "
 
Ask Peyton Hillis if blood is thicker than water..he will show you.

 
"Peyton Hillis is the reason why Waldo is hiding. "
 
"Peyton Hillis has the eyes of an angel and the soul of a saint.  He keeps them in a footlocker under his bed. "
 
"If it looks like chicken, tastes like chicken, and feels like chicken but if Peyton Hillis says its beef, then it's beef. "
 
"The best part of waking up is not Folgers in your cup, but knowing that Peyton Hillis didn't run over you in your sleep. "
 
"Bill Gates lives in constant fear that Peyton Hillis' PC will crash. "
 
"Peyton Hillis puts the laughter in manslaughter. "
 
"When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night he checks his closet for Peyton Hillis. "
  
"Peyton Hillis died two years ago, but the Grim Reaper can't get up the courage to tell him. "
 
"Peyton Hillis does not hunt because the word hunting implies the possibility of failure. Peyton Hillis goes killing. "
 
"Peyton Hillis' calendar goes straight from March 31st to April 2nd; no one fools Peyton Hillis."
 
"When Peyton Hillis exercises, the machine gets stronger. "
 
“Most people fear the Reaper.  Peyton Hillis considers him a promising rookie.”
 
“There are two kinds of people in the world… people that suck and Peyton Hillis.”
 

“Peyton Hillis doesn’t breath, he holds air hostage.”
 
“Peyton Hillis does not sleep.  He waits.”
 
“Lightning never strikes twice in one place because Peyton Hillis is looking for it.”

"God said: "Let there be light."Peyton Hillis said: "Say please!" 

 

The above was stollen from a tribute to Chuck Norris on the occasion of his 70th B'day.

It fits #22 better

In the off season Denver acquired what many feel is the best modern day safety in the history of the game of professional football. Brian Dawkins is the example for all other safety wannabe’s to follow. He is tough, athletic, full of character and a team leader. He has a team first mentality and is worthy of every accolade heaped upon him. In spite of all that he remains grounded and humble. He is a thirteen year veteran and is a seven time Pro-Bowl selection. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that he is worthy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Dawkins reminds me a great deal of a safety we had years ago. His name was "Goose" Gonsoulin. Austin William "Goose" Gonsoulin (born June 7, 1938 in Port Arthur, Texas) was the original Denver Bronco, selected first in the 1960 season. At the end of his Bronco career, he was the all-time American Football League leader in interceptions with 40. He made the first interception ever in the American Football League, in the first AFL game against the Boston Patriots. He had seven interceptions in his first three games, and his 11 pickoffs in 1960 are still a Denver club record. He shares the team record for interceptions in a game with four, a feat he accomplished 18 September 1960 at Buffalo.

Continue reading this post »

 

As I typed the title to this post I realized that most of the readers of this site will not have a clue what I am talking about. They will probably think it has something to do with Brett Favre breaking the NFL record for the number of unretirements. Allow me to explain.

 

Long, long ago there were no CDs. Cassettes had not even been invented nor 8 track or reel to reel. Sounds were recorded on vinyl discs known as "records". The "record" was rotated on a device known as a turntable and the sound was reproduced through a device known as a "needle". If the record was scratched or cracked it was called broken. The needle would hit the scratch and bounce back and replay the last portion of sound. If someone repeated a phrase or sentence or theme they were said to sound like a broken record.

Continue reading this post »

Following is the letter I wrote to the Senior Committee members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  I publish this now just to keep Floyd's name and accomplishments on the radar of MHR members.

Continue reading this post »

 

In the afternoon of day two of training camp an event occurred which perhaps best defines the 2009 edition of the Denver Broncos. Coach McDaniel was supervising a one-on-one tackling drill. A running back would run directly at a linebacker or defensive lineman defender. The running back was allowed one "move". The defender’s assignment was simply to tackle him. Most defenders charged the running back with the anticipation of a last-second correction to complete the tackle and wrap up the running back.

 

After a few nifty moves by Buckhalter and Jordan, a spectacular spin by Torain and some pretty aggressive tackling, Hillis was lined up to go against Crowder. In the style we have become to expect from Hillis he carried the ball firmly with both hands and ran straight ahead. The two behemoths rushed toward each other at full speed. At the last second, rather than putting on an elusive move, Hillis merely dropped his shoulder and plowed directly into Crowder. The noise of the impact echoed through out the entire complex. Players on adjacent fields stopped to stare. Hillis flattened Crowder and ran over him. Hillis, while hit hard, was able to stumble forward for additional yardage. Crowder lay in a heap.

 

In defense of Crowder, who I think is doing a magnificent job of converting from DE to OLB, it must be pointed out that all of the other running backs had attempted to juke away from the tackle. Only Hillis tried to run over the defender. And this is my point. The 2009 edition of the Denver Broncos may not be flashy or flamboyant. They may not put up 35+ points a game. They may have some weaknesses on defense which will allow other teams to score. But I will predict right now that every Bronco will give 100% on every play. They will face the opposition head-on and deliver crushing blows. After playing the Broncos other teams will say "Damn, I’m glad that game is over." Our AFC West competitors, when faced with the second meeting will say "Oh crap, we have to face those guys again." I will further predict that the 3-41 blowout losses are behind us. This is a well-conditioned team that does not give up and will own the fourth quarter. This is a team steeped in fundamentals.  

 

I make these predictions only partially on the basis of the Hillis hit. It was typical of many plays I observed during the four days I watched camp. I make the predictions just as much on the basis of Crowder’s response. For you see, after getting some oxygen back in his lungs and lining up for the next rotation through the line, Crowder said, "He got me that time, we will see what happens next time". We are still early in training camp, but this is already a team we can be proud of.

 

GO BRONCOS!

 

I spotted papi at the afternoon practice but couldn't muscle my way through the crowd to connect with him so this will just be my observations.

The first players out for the afternoon practice were the three quarterbacks and Ben hamilton.

The practice began once agian with emphasis on special teams. This time KO returns.

During drills Simms collided with royal on an end-around. When they executed it later in 11 on 11 they did it perfectly.

Coach Mcdaniels spent a lot of time with the recievers while on cutting drills. Stokley is a master at cutting and Royal is not far behind. What a tandem!

Stretched to Peal Jam and Beat It! (Should have stayed with PJ)

Right after passing drills went right back to KO retyrn at 6:05

The Tight Ends had a football on a rope that would be jerked to make them hold on.

On 7 on 7's Orton hit Kenny Mckinley with one of the prettiest passesIi have seen since # 7.

In 11 on 11's Jack Williams nearly intercepted the first play.

In 11 on 11's the offense seemed to 'win" more to me.

Quinn absolutely decked C.J. Jones. I think it knocked him silly.

At 7:00 we went back to Kick Offs.

At 7:09 we were back to 11 on 11. Daniel Graham flattened Wesley Woodyard. Eddie Royal got Jack williams turned around and blew by him like he was standing still. Simms delivered a nice pass.

This is going to be a very interesting year. We have returned to the hard-nosed brand of football that always symbolized the Denver Broncos. This group acts like they want to be on the field (with one exception)and wants to win a starting job. They all play with emotion but under controll. I really like what i have seen in one day of training Camp.  More tomorrow.

A dedicated group of MHR "reporters" met today at Dove Valley to watch the first practice of the McDaniels era.  Our consensus is that those who predict a 2-14 Denver record this year are dead wrong. Following are some of our observations:

• There is a big focus on special teams. Practice started at 8:45 with punting and punt returns. This was revisited at 10:00. Paxton made at least three bad snaps. Britton Colquitt looked pretty good as competition at punter.
• Spencer Larson wore the blue of Defense but lined up on offense on numerous occasions and then he called cadence and blocked on the punting team. The rumor that he also sold hot dogs is unfounded.
• Lamont Jordan startyed at RB but split carries with Torrain, who looked spectacular on several lays. It is this writers opinion that if Torrain stays healthy (he wore a big brace on his knee) he will be a huge asset for this team.
• Payton Hillis is everything he was last year. I would hate like hell to try to tackle that man.
• Brandon Marshall practiced and made some electrifying catches that got the whole crowd excited. He is a dominant wide receiver. I felt he was playing with a chip on his shoulder. He seemed arrogant to me.
• Defense front plays both 4-3 abd 3-4. Much of the 3-4 looks like a 5-2.
• Gaffney caught most of the passes
• In general - Our offensive line looked at mid-season form. They still zoneblock. Our defensive front seven is not as bad as we might have feared.

I have much more and will post later, but the overall consensus of our group, Papigrande, posternutbag, mike and myself, is that this team is going to cause problems this year for a lot of teams.

More Later.

Out

 

In 2007 the Broncos entered Training Camp with high hopes. We suffered through two-a-days and did well in our first two preseason games. Then we played Dallas. We trained with the Cowboys most of the week prior and were confident going into the game that we would get a good look at our new talent. We were physically manhandled. We were dominated on both sides of the ball in the trenches in that game. I knew right then and there we were in for a long season. There simply wasn’t enough magic in the Coach Shanahan’s wand to make up for the lack of size, speed and talent in the trenches. 

 

I really wanted to see what progress we had made last year. Denver was doing the same “play with the Cowboys” deal they had done the previous year except in Denver instead of Dallas.  I made the pilgrimage to Denver for Training Camp with the goal of watching the Broncos practice a few times and then watch Denver play the Cowboys at Invesco.  I was greatly impressed.  We won the game, but more importantly we were competitive in the trenches. It was obvious to me at that early point that Clady was the real deal. Nalen was out by then and Wiegmann was picking up our system very quickly. On defense we really hadn’t solidified yet, but we held our own at the point of attack. We were not being pushed off the line of scrimmage five yards as we had the year before.

 

I could have predicted all of this from the four practices I had viewed the week before the Dallas game.  I knew from those practices that Eddie Royal was something special. I got to see many of the things I had learned on the MHR from Hoosier Teacher and styg in action. I had no computer so I had to phone my reports in to Bronco Bear to post for me.

 

Last year’s experience was so fantastic that I have decided to do it again this year. I have my tickets and will be in Denver from July 23rd until August 3rd. I know that multiple sets of eyes will be more effective than mine alone. Is any one willing to join me at training camp during those days? My vision is to have at least seven of us at each practice. I would like to have one set of eyes on O Line, D Line, Linebackers, CB’s and Safeties, WR/TE’s, RB/FB’s, and QB’s.  We would watch drills as well as 7 on 7’s and 11 on 11’s while focusing on our assigned areas. If we are really lucky we can get styg to develop evaluation sheets for each group. I am fairly certain ht will give us help in what to watch for in terms of schemes, such as the TED blocking by our linebackers. This would be key things to watch for such as fluid hips in DB’s or one-cut ability in RB’s.  Are our QB’s effective at looking off a D Back?

 

So, is anyone interested in joining me? Let me know. My email address is on my profile page and I would love to hear from anyone who would like to go. We might even be successful in getting Diehard to join us at The South for a refreshing beverage and the opportunity to shake hands with Jerry Sturm.

 

BTW, please rec. this post to keep it active for a few days so everyone gets a chance to see it. There are so many great posts these days that they drop off the most recent list in a day! Thanks.

This week we look at the Defensive and Offensive lines of the San diego Chargers.

The Chargers line up in a 3-4 on defense. The Nose Tackle is Jamal Williams. He appears to be a prototypical  run-stuffing nose tackle. He is 6’3” and 348 lbs. He wears #76. He is in his 11th year (all with San Diego) out of OK St. We have a lot of film on this guy. He has 55 tackles thus far this year with 1.5 sacks. He is listed as questionable for this week with a foot injury. If he cannot play Sunday he is backed up by #97 Ryan Bingham. Bingham is 6’3” and 303. He is a Defensive End pressed into playing NT. Bingham is in his 4th year (all with San Diego) out of Nebraska. In a back-up role at Tackle and End he has 24 tackles this year and 1.5 sacks.

 

Igor Olshansky #99 normally starts at LDE. He is 6’6” and 309. He has 28 tackles this year and 2 sacks. He is in his fifth year (all with San Diego) out of Oregon.  He has missed practice this week with “illness” and his back-up is, you guessed it, Ryan Bingham. Even though he is listed as questionable I can’t help but think we will see Olshansky starting Sunday.

 

At RDE the Chargers start Louis Castillo. Castillo wears #93 and is 6’3” and 290. He is in his fourth season (all with San Diego) out of Northwestern. He has 38 tackles thus far in 2008

 

At LOLB the Chargers start Saun Phillips who wears #95. Phillips has 71 tackles and 7.5 sacks. At 6’3” and 262 lbs. Phillips is nearly a DE who lines up in a two point stance. He is in his fifth year (all with San Diego) out of Purdue.

 

The Left Inside Linebacker is #54 Stephen Cooper. Cooper is 6’4” and 245 lbs. He is in his sixth year (all with San Diego) out of Maine. Coopper leads the front seven with 92 tackles and 1.5 sacks.  The Right Inside Linebacker is Matt Wilhelm who wears #57. Wilhelm is 6’4” and 245. He is in his sixth year (all with San Diego) out of Ohio. He has 50 tackles.

 

Jyles Tucker #94 starts at Right Outside Linebacker in place of Shawn Merriman. Tucker has 36 tackles and is 6’3” and 258 lbs. He is in his second year (both with San Diego) out of Wake forest.

 

Another Linebacker we cannot omit is Tim Dobbins. I think he comes in on the weak side in the middle in their nickel packages. Dobbins is 6’1” and 246. He is in his third year (all with San Diego) out of Iowa St. He has 53 tackles, three Forced Fumbles and one Interception thus far in 2008. He sure would look good with a horse on his helmet.

 

San Diego’s offensive Line is anchored by their pro-Bowl Center Nick Hardwick. Hardwick is 6’4’ and 295 and wears #61. He was hurt in week 15 against Kansas City but is not listed on the injury report this week at all. Hardwick is in his 5th year (all with San Diego) out of Purdue. If he cannot go he is backed up by #62 Jeremy Newberry. Newberry is 6’5” and 315 and in his 11th year. He is in his first year with the Chargers but is credited with three starts.

 

Mike Goff who wears #61 starts at Right Guard. Goff is 6’5” and 311. He is in his 11th year (five  with San Diego). At Right Tackle is Jeromey Clary wearing 366. Clary is 6’6” and 306. He is in his third year (all with San Diego) out of Kansas St.

 

Kris Dielman starts at Left Guard. He wears # 68 and is 6’4” and 310 lbs. He is in his sixth season (all with San Diego) out of Indiana. The Left tackle is #73 Marcus McNeill who is 6’7’ and 336 lbs. He is in his third year (all with San Diego) out of Auburn.

 

The Tight End is Antonio Gates. Gates is 6’4’ and 260 lbs. He wears #86. He has 57 receptions for 655 yards. He is in his 6th year (all with San Diego) out of Kent State. The other Tight End (the one you don’t hear as much about) is Brandon Manumaleuna who wears #86. This guy is 6’2” and 288 lbs. He is an eight year veteran out of Arizona (three with San Diego). He has 13 receptions for 110 yards.

 

The San Diego front office has been criticized heavily and a good deal of it was rightfully deserved, but no one can deny that from three to six years ago when they had some pretty high draft choices the Chargers quietly built a very solid team in the trenches. This group of men has now played together in the same system and is formidable on both sides of the ball.  

 

Firstfan’s thoughts: For the second week in a row I think we can win in the trenches but only if we play our best game. I think our O-Line can open holes and lanes for our Running Backs, particularly if Williams is slowed and/or if Olshansky is hampered. If we can get Phillips, Cooper and Dobbins to be making tackles six and eight yards from the LOS, then I see us dominating TOP. On the other hand if we throw too many incomplete passes and go three and out too many times I see San Diego jumping to a lead and holding on. Hoosierteacher and Ted Bartlett will have more on the “skilled” positions on other posts but this serves to give us a look at the warriers we face in the real battle ground. This will be a great match up and the victor will be decided In the Trenches.

 

GO BRONCOS!

 

 

 

The Bill’s defensive front seven is somewhat similar to our own. They are on the small side. They have no fat guys. They have been less than stellar at getting to the opposing quarterback. They seem to have a lot of heart, but the front seven is not the strength of the Bill’s team. They are trying to grow their own through the draft as much as possible. They line up in a standard 4-3 and play a base Cover 2.

 

The starter at Left Defensive End is #90 Christopher Kelsay who is 6’4” and 261. He was drafted out of Nebraska in 2003. His backup is Ryan Denney who hails from Brighton CO. Denny is a tall 6’7” and 264 lbs. He was drafted by Buffalo in 2002 from BYU and wears #92.

 

The Left Defensive Tackle is #99 Marcus Stroud. Stroud is 6’6” and 310 lbs. He is perhaps the most recognizable name on the Bill’s front seven. He is in his eighth year in the NFL and spent the first seven with Jacksonville. His backup is Spencer Johnson who is 6’3” and 286 and wears #91.

 

Kyle Williams starts at Right Defensive Tackle. Williams is 6’1” and 306.He was drafted by Buffalo in 2006 out of LSU and wears #95.

 

The Left Defensive End is Copeland Bryan who is in his second year out of Arizona. He is 6’4” and 253 and wears #96. Bryan replaces Aaron Schobel who hasn’t played since week five and was finally placed on the IR last week. The other DE the Bills have is rookie Chris Ellis who is 6’4” and 261 and wears #93.

 

The Weak Side Linebacker is 6’1” 253 lb. Kawika Mitchell. He wears #59 and we are very familiar with Mr. Mitchell from his four years with the chefs. He is in his second year with Buffalo.

 

Paul Posluszny wearing #51 starts at Middle Linebacker. He is 6’1” and 238 lbs. He is in his second year out of Penn State.

 

The Strong Side Linebacker is Keith Ellison. Ellison is 6’ even and 229. He wears #56 and was drafted out of Oregon in 2006.

 

The offensive line is a different story. These guys are huge and will definitely give our D-Line and Linebackers a handful.

 

Starting at Right tackle is Langston Walker, #68. Walker is 6’6” and 366. We recognize Walker from the five years he played for the raiders. This is his second year with Buffalo. His backup is Kirk Chambers #73 who is 6’7” and 315. He is a four year veteran of the NFL and in his second year with Buffalo.

 

The Center is the smallest man on the line at 6’3” and 310 lbs. Melvin Fowler wears #67 and is in his third year with Buffalo. Brian Galliford from the Buffalo Rumblings site didn’t seem to keen on Fowler and if they take him out his replacement is Duke Preston. Preston wears #75 and is 6’5” and weighs 326. Preston was drafted by Buffalo in 2005 from Illinois.

 

The Left Guard is Derrick Dockery #66. Dockery is 6’6” and 330. He is in his third year with Buffalo.

 

The Left Tackle is Jason Peters. Peters is 6’4” and 340. He is in his fifth year, all with Buffalo. He wears #71. Peters was named to the pro-bowl over our Ryan Clady, much to the dismay of the MHR faithful. Even if we feel Clady was overlooked, we still must recognize a formidable opponent this week.

 

Buffalo has three Tight Ends on the roster. Robert Royal is 6’4” and 255lbs. He is a seven year veteran, the last four with Buffalo. #84 has 30 receptions for 313 yards. Ryan Clady might get a chance to reacquaint himself with an old teammate from Boise State, Derek Schouman. Schouman is 6’2” and 223 and in his second year, both with Buffalo. He has 13 receptions so far this year for 147 yards. Look for #80. The third Tight End is rookie Derek Fine. Fine is 6’3” and 247. He wears #86 and has caught eight passes this year for 86 yards.

 

Firstfan’s conclusions: We should be able to move the ball. Our O-Line should be able to give Cutler plenty of time and they should be able to open some cutback lanes for our (could it be seventh?) string running back, whoever that might be. On the other side of the ball things could be different. The Buffalo offensive line matches up well against our defense front seven. These guys could give Edwards or Losman time to exploit weaknesses in our secondary exposed last week by Carolina. In addition, this huge line could open plenty of holes for Marshawn Lynch to blast through. This unit does zone block, but they have the size and strength to pound the line man on man if they need to. In goal line situations we can look for the push to come over Peters and Dockery. We do not want to give these guys a huge TOP advantage. It is really tough for Cutler and Co. to score when they are riding the pine. I am certain that later in the week HT and TedBartlett will give much more in-depth analysis and will include the “skill” positions, but at least this gives us a glimpse at the cast of characters we will face on the lines. I think we can beat the Bills, but not if we don’t come with our “A” game, In the Trenches.

 

 

GO BRONCOS!!

 

We have a unique challenge facing us this week. I know of no other team that has as much experience together in the same system as the Carolina Panthers in the trenches.

 

Carolina O-Line:

At Left Tackle the Panthers start #69 Jordan Gross. Gross is 6’4” and 305. He is in his sixth year, all with Carolina. Gross is backed up by #76 Frank Omiyale who is 6’4” and 310. He is in his fourth season, two with Carolina.

Travelle Wharton wears #70 and starts at Left Guard. He is 6’4” and 312. He is in his fifth year out of South Carolina, all with Carolina. His back-up is Jeremy Bridges who is 6’4” and 326 lbs. He wears #73 and is in his sixth season, three with Carolina.

The starting Center is Ryan Kalil #67 who is 6’4” and weighs in at 295 lbs. He is out of USC and in his second season, both with Carolina. The back up at Center is Geoff Hangartner #63 who is 6’5” and 303. He is in his fourth season out of Tex. A&M, all with Carolina.

The Right Guard is Keydrick Vincent who sport #68. Vincent is 6’5” and 325. He is an eight year veteran from Mississippi and in his second year with Carolina.

The Right tackle is 6’6’ 330 Lb. rookie draft choice Jeff Otah. Otah is sort of the Panther’s version of Clady and wears #79.

The Tight Ends are #47 Jeff King (no, he is not the famous Iditarod dog musher) who is a mammoth 6’3” and 260 lbs. and Dante Rosario who is also large at 6’4” and 250 lbs. King is in his third season, all with Carolina. Rosario is in his second season, both with Carolina. 

The Offensive Line Coach is David Magazu. Some on the MHR might remember him from his stint at CSU from 92-94. He has been with Carolina since 2003.

This unit is big, fast and strong. They have all come up through the Carolina system or have been with the team for a minimum of two years. They Zone Block primarily but will deviate when necessary. There is consistency in coaching and this unit plays together as a unit as well as any in the NFL. The O-Line is the heart of the Carolina offense.

 

Carolina Front Seven:

At Left End Carolina starts #95, Charles Johnson. Johnson is 6’2” and 275. He was drafted by Carolina two years ago. He is backed up by a familiar face. Tyler Brayton, who wears #96, is from Colorado and spent five years in oakland.

The Left tackle is Maake Kenoeatu wearing #99. He is 6’5” and 354lbs. He is a seven year veteran out of Utah, three with Carolina. He is their primary run stuffer.

Damione Lewis is the Right tackle. He is 6’2” and 302 and is in his eighth year out of Miami. He has three years with the Panthers.

Perhaps the most recognizable name on the Carolina front seven is Right End Julius Peppers. Peppers is 6’7” and 283 lbs. He was drafted by Carolina seven years ago out of North Carolina. He wears #90 and has 44 tackles thus far this year and is tied for fourth in sacks in the NFL with 12 ½.

At Weak Side Linebacker Carolina starts Na’il Diggs who is 6’4” and 240 lbs. He is in his ninth year out of Ohio State and has spent the last three years with Carolina.

Jon Beason #52 starts at Middle Linebacker. He is 6’0” and 237. He was drafted by Carolina two years ago out of Miami. He consistently averages between nine and ten tackles a game.

The Strong Side Linebacker is Thomas Davis who wears #58. He is 6’0” and 240. He was drafted four years ago out of Georgia.

Two other Linebackers who might see action are #50 James Anderson who is 6’3” and 235 who was drafted three years ago out of Va. Tech. and Dan Conner #57 a 6’2” 231 lb. rookie out of Penn St.

Carolina plays a standard 4-3 and a Cover 2. This unit is also steeped in the Carolina Defensive system. They have all either come up through the ranks at Carolina or have spent at least two years wearing a Panther jersey.

 

In summary, the Carolina trenches are manned by experienced players who have played together for a minimum of two years. They are big and strong and very physical. We have our work cut out for us this week for sure, in the trenches.

 

#1 Game Ball goes to the Holy Trinity of Wiegmann, Kuper and Hamilton for neutralizing the best nose tackle in the NFL. Kris Jenkins is a monster and at 6'4" and 349 lbs he can control nealy every offensive line. Not today. Our trio not only opened the holes for Hillis to rush for 129 yds. but also kept the #6 jersey clean.

 #2 Game ball goes to Hillis. One play comes to mind. Hillis took a handoff and broke through the line. He was on his way for a nice gain and only # 23 Abram Elam was in front of him. He could have put on some fancy juke and gained a couple of yards but instead he wrapped up the ball, put his head down and headed right at Elam. He ran over Elam and gained an additional six. That, my friends, is Bronco football and earns firstfan's gameball #2.

 #3 Game ball goes to Linebackers Woodyard and Larsen. These guys stopped the run and covered the pass. They played with the passion we have grown to expect of the Denver Broncos.

 This was a great team win and I salute every man with a horse on his helmet!

I enjoy watching the performance of our offensive and defensive lines each week. I try to look ahead to get a feel for our upcoming opponent and then read HT’s Chalk talk to try to make some sense of what might happen once the ball is snapped. Following is what I have come up with for the Jets and if Bronco fans enjoy this or find it useful I will do it each week.

 

When Denver has the ball we will face a Fairbanks-Bullough 3-4 defense anchored by one of the best Nose Tackles in the entire NFL. # 77 Kris Jenkins is 6’4” and 349 lbs. He is in his 8th season and the Jets snared him away from Carolina. He plays the two gap zero technique as well as any NT in the league and is the main reason teams find it difficult to run up the middle against the Jets. He is strong and agile and consumes offensive linemen. This allows the quick linebackers of the Jets to make plays. On the left Jenkins is flanked by #92 Shaun Ellis. Ellis is 6’5” and 285 lbs. and is in his 9th year. At right end the Jets start #93 Kenyon Coleman who is 6’5” and 295 lbs. and in his seventh year. At linebacker the Jets have #97 Calvin Pace on the right outside. Pace is 6’4” and 270 lbs. and is a sixth year veteran. Next to him on the inside is #50 Eric Barton who is 6’2” and 245lbs. and a 10 year veteran. Barton is known to the Broncos from his six years with the raiders right after the turn of the century. The left outside linebacker is 6’4” 266 lb. Bryan Thomas who sports #99. Thomas is in his seventh year. #52 David Harris is the starter at left inside linebacker but he is listed as questionable and only practiced partially. He is 6’2” and 243 lbs. and is in his second year. If he cannot play he will likely be replaced by fifth year man #53 Cody Spenser who is 6’2” and 254 lbs. The other linebacker we might see is rookie Vernon Gholston out of Ohio State. He plays in the middle and is 6’3” and 264 lbs. and wears #56.

 

 

 I really think that HT is on to something when he talks about our need to run the ball. The reason I have listed every players dimensions is to illustrate that while the Jets are an experienced team, our zone blocking offensive line will have a pretty significant size advantage all across the front seven with the exception of Jenkins. I think we can get four and five yards up the middle nearly all the time and as Jenkins wears out we can get downfield blocking and spring some much longer runs in the third and fourth quarter.

 

When the Jets have the ball we will face another experienced offensive line. They are anchored by their center #74 Nicholas Mangold who is 6’4” and 300 lbs. He is in his third year. The right guard is #65 Brandon Moore. Moore is 6’3” and 295 lbs and is a 6th year veteran. The right tackle is Damien Woody who wears #67 and is 6’3” and 335 lbs. He is a ten year veteran. The left guard is the venerable Alan Faneca. Faneca is an 11 year veteran and is 6’5” and 307 lbs. The left tackle is 6’6” 312 lb. D’Brickashaw Ferguson. Ferguson wears #60 and is a third year man. This line has done a great job of run blocking but they have surrendered 25 sacks of Farve. We really need DOOM to have a great game this week.

 

I really think we can do this. We need to win the trenches and we have the size and speed to win both of the wars in the trenches. We need to control the TOP and that means running the ball. We need to stop their running game with seven and get some pressure on Farve. GO BRONCOS!

 

With one day left in the voting for the top four Broncos of all time to appear on the RMN Mt. Crushmore, it saddens me that Floyd Little will not even make it out of the first round. As of today Elway is rightfully in first place of the offensive players with 24% of the vote. The next three are Terrell Davis with 17%, Shannon Sharp with 16% and Rod Smith with 15%. Little is in fifth place with 10%.I will keep my thoughts to myself regarding the questionable timing of this poll but I will note that the vast majority of comments in the News regarding selection of players supported Little.

 

Something needs to be done to increase awareness of how important this man was/is to this franchise. The younger fans need to have a sense that this was a different era and running for 1,000 yards was much more like running for 2,000 yards today. The man was simply electrifying every time he touched the ball whether he was running, receiving or returning kicks. He did all three his entire career with no complaint.

I invite comments.

Going into this season I really felt that the Broncos were on the right track. We saw the departure of some highly compensated veterans who were simply not earning their paychecks. We saw the addition of younger, faster, men with fewer character issues who actually acted like they wanted to play. I was a 10-6 guy. I wanted to see four qualities in the Denver Broncos:

• Hard-nosed players. I wanted to see guys who were not afraid to hit somebody or tackle. They weren’t afraid of being hit or being tackled.
• Team-First players. I was, and remain, sick and tired of the “look at me” mentality displayed by some players. I wanted to see men who put the team goals above their own statistics.
• Character. I wanted to see men you were proud to say were Denver Broncos. We should never even begin to discuss multiple kids from multiple women in multiple states or wife-beaters.
• Players who never quit. I wanted to see men who gave 100% on every play no mater if we were 40 points ahead or 40 points behind.

Unfortunately, (or fortunately, depending upon your point of view) I had to miss the raider game. I hate to loose games and I particularly hate to loose to the raiders, but I will at least be able to chalk it up to experience and growth if we met the objectives above. I would like to hear what you guys have to say.

 

Then we can put this POS game behind us and focus on the Jets.

 

 

According to Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports the Broncos are the most overrated team in the NFL followed closely by the NY Football Giants. The basis of his opinion is that Denver has really not played anybody any good. He rates the Jaguars as vastly underrated due to the fact they have played a much tougher schedule. He predicts Jacksonville will do much better in the weeks after their bye. See HERE for the article. I sure hope our team reads this thoroughly prior to the game on Sunday.

 GO BRONCOS!!

 

I returned from a ten day fly fishing expedition to remote Alaska to find the world has greatly changed. Bronco Bear has moved to somewhere near Sandy Eggo, McCain has selected our very own Saralicious to be his running mate, and aftershocks continue to rumble through the roster after the reduction to 53.

As I reflect on this reloading season and the changes to the Denver Broncos two things stand out. The first is character. All of the “Me First” players are no longer with this team. They have been replaced by men of character who value the accomplishments of the team above their own. I had the privilege to see a real life Mean Joe Green commercial moment. Each day at the end of practice during training camp four players and one coach are selected to sign autographs for the fans for about ten minutes. Kenny Peterson was one of the players selected after the afternoon practice on August 11th. Most of the players went back to the Bronco Headquarters building and then to the autograph area adjacent to the temporary team store. Kenny stayed after practice a little later to have some discussion with a coach and as a result he cut directly across the practice field. A young boy of maybe nine years and his Mom were walking toward the exit. He was a thin boy in a tattered orange Bronco jersey. It was obvious he worshiped the Denver Broncos. Kenny cut directly in front of the boy and his mom and the little boy looked up with eyes the size of dinner plates. Kenny was pulling off his gloves about then and he looked down at the boy and said “It looks like I wore these out today, here kid, Why don’t you take them?” I will be a Kenny Peterson fan forever.  I bet the boy will be also.  The next morning I was impressed with the play of Marquand Manual. Hamza was out for some reason and Marquand did an excellent job of filling in. At the end of practice I was surprised to see him walk directly over to me. I was the only person there with note pads and writing furiously during practice and I was relieved to see he wasn’t walking over to me. He walked up to a pretty young lady and a small girl of maybe 24 to 30 months old. He picked up the little girl and said “Well Hi Madison! You sure look good in your new shoes and new shades”. I could not hear all of her reply but she gave him a big hug and said something like “Hi Daddy, are you coming home now?” I certainly don’t know, but I would postulate that Manual does not have nine offspring with nine different women in several different states.

 

The second thing I noticed was the hard-hitting, tough nature of this team. I was fortunate to watch some truly epic battles between Dewayne Robertson and Chris Kuper. As I watched I had the feeling these men were not only out to prove that they belonged on this team, they were playing hard to make each other better. I observed this attitude of giving 100% on every play throughout the practices and in the preseason games. This was borne out in the Dallas preseason game. Even though DallasDenver on both sides of the ball they never could really push us around. was much larger than

 

Many thanks to Bronco Bear for posting for me while I was computer challenged. Also, many thanks to Denver Diehard for introducing me to Jerry Sturm at The South. BTW, if you haven’t heard Diehard sing you are missing a real treat.

 

In the eyes of the old Firstfan this reloading season is a success. I would love to join Zappa and Mike Clark in la-la land but I have serious concerns at linebacker and defensive tackle. I don’t know what our record will be this year, but I am awfully proud to be a fan of the Denver Broncos.

Bring on the raiders! Go Broncos!!

 

 

 

 

No, this isn't Bronco history; this is a little Alaska history. Our good friend and long time MHR member Jon Tollerud is moving to Cordova, Alaska and I thought he should get a little "Heads Up".

Back in 1923 the President was none other than Warren G. Harding. Harding was a dapper fellow and had quite the reputation as a ladies man. He made Clinton look like a monk. It seems that one of his "friends" turned up pregnant. His advisors thought the best thing was to get him out of Washington until the scandal blew over. Where could they send him? Alaska!! They got him to go to Alaska to drive the Golden Spike which completed the construction of the Alaska Railroad. He was the first President to ever visit the Territory of Alaska. Unfortunately, on the way home Harding died in San Francisco. He died of shell fish poisoning from eating crab in Cordova!!

So Jon, what ever you do, stay away from the crab!

With all of the stress of TC I thought we could use a little diversion.

The first key I see to the success of the Broncos in 2008 is the performance of # 63, Dewayne Robertson. I know that is a lot of pressure to put on the shoulders of one player, but I doubt if the big guy from Tennessee spends a lot of time worrying about what some old codger in Alaska thinks anyway. There is some method to my thinking. The first is the defensive coordinator adage "One great DT is worth two". (I conveniently borrowed this adage from HT). This was further explained by HT in his now epic post Defensive Line Gaps and Techniques published in early March of this year. See here for the entire post and comments. In short HT explains

 

 “While it is nice to have two great DTs, one domineering DT can create enough tension on the line to make an average "other" DT look great.  In short, we really need just one DT to really work out to solve our defensive line woes (and to help out our LBs). “

 

If Robertson is the dominant player envisioned by the Jets when they selected him as the fourth player chosen in the draft, he can make Marcus Thomas great while Thomas continues to mature as a DT. I have a feeling Carlton Powell will make the 53 man roster and that leaves the winner of the McKinley/Harris/Mustard battle as the fourth DT. They will probably all play a great deal to save wear and tear on Robertson’s knee. If our DTs are this dominant we will be stopping the run up the middle. This plays directly into the speed of our LBs. It allows K2 to escape many blocks by OL and to make the number of tackles made by DJ last year, except at the line of scrimmage instead of five yards in our backfield. Boss can deal more effectively with  TEs, blocking as well as covering pass-catching TEs. Now all of a sudden we are putting seven men up front more and more and eight less and less. This allows our Corners to take some chances knowing there are two Safetys behind them. This equates to more picks and more coverage sacks. In addition, the dominance at DT makes Offensive Coordinators focus more on them and then the strength of our DEs really comes out. DOOM gets his 15+ sacks and Moss and Crowder continue to improve.

 

This gets better. With the dominance provided by our DTs thanks to Robertson, we average three more three and outs by the defense per game. This translates into roughly six more offensive plays per game and six fewer defensive plays. I like our chances when Cutler and Co. have six additional snaps per game.

 

 

So what happens if Robertson is merely “very good” rather than dominant? Much of the same as above. The difference is that Thomas will have to take bigger strides sooner to become “very good” also.

 

Lastly, what happens if Robertson is a complete bust? It just means that two of the McKinley/Harris/Mustard battle make the squad instead of one. That is not all bad either. This scenario even leaves room for two season-ending injuries.

 

The second key is the performance of Anchorages’ own, Chris Kuper. If Kuper remains the powerful Offensive Lineman that he was in the Minnesota game last year, it doesn’t make any difference what position he plays. He can play Guard or Tackle, right or left. Hell, he can probably snap the ball as well. (I think he is the back-up to Leach in some situations). My point is that  in short yardage situations we get three yards insterad of one. On first and ten we get six instead of three. In the red zone we get seven instead of three. We go back to the days of Bronco grind it out, own the TOP, keep the other offense on the bench football. In my humble opinion, even if Clady is a total bust, Kuper has the size, speed, strength, and IPS to make the same kind of impact. In pass protection, it will give Cutler the extra few milliseconds to make the life of any DB miserable, regardless of receiver.

 

I conclude by saying that if both of my keys pan out, Mike Clark and Zappa’s la la land is not unrealistic at all. 13-3 is THERE. If one pans out ant the other is a bust, the 10-6 goal is realistic. If they both fall on their kiester, well we just made those boobs at ESPN look smart.

 

I don’t like that outcome.

 

Camp starts soon.

The folks at the RMN report that Brandon Marshall has been cleared medically to participate fully in future team activities. See HERE. As some of you might know, I have not been the greatest Marshall supporter. Don't get me wrong, I like the guy, but I have had doubts as to his maturity and ability to make important decisions. I very much want to believe what he says in the artcle. If he is ready to be as dedicated as Rod Smith I will be the first to eat my words.

So for now...GO BRANDON!!!!

 

Greetings Panther Fans.

I do not know if you are aware, but Carolina has recently added a staff witer to the Panthers.comwebsite. His name is Andrew Mason and he comes from the Broncos. You really have a good guy there and he is a real friend of the fan. Denver's loss is Carolina's gain. He will keep you informed and entertained. He is a good Xs and Os guy and has excellent rapport with the players. He treats the SB Nation well.

Best wishes for the Panthers, at least until Dec. 14. Good luck in '08.

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 Beers.

 

Hoosierteacher stood before the crowded lecture hall at MHR University. Styg, Guru, Zappa, mdierk( the A students) were all in the front row, eager to learn. Firstfan was in the back with his dunce cap on. All of the students were there. Super7 and Jon Tollerud were hoping for an in-depth discussion of the now famous 3-3-5 defense. But instead Hoosierteacher had some unusual items in front of him.

 

When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large, empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. Hoosierteacher then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full . They agreed it was.

 

Hoosierteacher next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “yes”. Hoosierteacher then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. All the students laughed except for Trinidad Jack who cried.

 

“Now,” said Hoosierteacher as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things---the Broncos, your family, your children, your health, and your friends---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.The sand is everything else---the small stuff, things like the guy who cut you off in traffic or oakland or Phyllis and his Merry men.

 

Guru jumped up and shouted “I get it! If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important like the Broncos and MHR.” All of the other students were awed by Guru’s wisdom.

 

“Exactly right!” said Hoosierteacher “'Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your children. Teach them to love the Broncos. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Learn of your Bronco roots. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner and explain the advantages of the 3-4 over the 4-3 given our current personnel. Spend more time on the computer with MHR. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

 

Then from the middle of the room Broncofanstuckinsd raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented. Hoosierteacher smiled and said, “I'm glad you asked. The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of Beers with a friend to talk about the Broncos.”

 

This adaptation of an old Bronco folk tale, passed down from father to son, was submitted by the guy in the back row with the dunce cap and was based on an email from Danver.

 

 

 

 

 

For over twenty years the Denver Broncos enjoyed a significant advantage playing at home. This was due to 1) Altitude and 2) Noise. Much has been written about why this has been deteriorating since the move to the new stadium. I offer the following thoughts. Warning: This article is full of opinions. They are my opinions. And you know what opinions are like.

 

As schemes and tactics evolve on both sides of the ball we see many more substitutions. Specialty players are used in specific situations. This means players are coming off the field and getting oxygen. A Belicheck approach here might be to switch opposing teams’ oxygen bottles with laughing gas, but we probably shouldn’t do that. I will leave the Xs and Os up to ht, but it appears to this casual observer that by running more no huddle we can force defenses to keep the same players on the field longer and therefore wear them out faster. It goes without saying that we should be the best conditioned team in the NFL. Yes, even our “Big Uglies” should be in top shape.

 

As for the noise factor, a few days ago Guru correctly stated

“The “footprint” of the new stadium is twice the size of the old. So the same amount of people have to make double to noise to make it seem so loud. The fans were right on top of the field in “old Mile High”, everything is so spread out in the new stadium it simply is that much harder to get that loud…”  TSG 5/5/08

What can we do about it? We are not likely to make twice as much noise but we can increase the noise level from what it currently is. Noise is not entirely unlike vision. When you go into a dark room it takes a few seconds for your eyes to adjust. The same thing happens with our ears to a much smaller extent. We get used to a certain ambient level of noise. This is why a large bang in a quiet room startles but the same noise at a rock concert is overpowered. As fans we need to be knowledgeable about when to be loud and when to be quiet, and then execute!

It has been stated that there is a difference in the kind of fan we have today. I think this is true. The fans at Mile High tended to be more football savy. They were beer and hot dog guys and gals. One writer characterized todays Bronco fan as more wine and cheese. I subit the wine and cheese crowd can be educated. We need to recreate the culture of the twelfth man. We expect a great deal from our team and I feel they have the right to expect the best from us as fans.

We need to get Klis and Kisla and Paige and the other Denver writers to start educating the fans about behavioral expectations. I will never forget the time at Mile High when I actually HEARD John Elway’s famous hard count. The fans of that era were smart, savy, and understood their impact as the twelfth man. When Cutler steps up under center you should be able to hear a mouse fart at the twenty yard line. At the snap of the ball, mayham. Conversely, when Phyllis and his merry men line up the center should not even be able to hear the cadence. And keep it up the entire game. We need to be in game shape too!!

We need to start getting in fan shape now with twelfth man education. I urge all true Bronco fans to attend training camp. The pre season games should be for getting the wrinkles out of our vocal support. A year or two ago I actually saw some fans trying to start the wave when WE had the ball!! Elimninate those errors in pre season and be ready for Sandy Eggo on Sept. 14th.

Go Broncos!!!