SB Nation User Blog: maritimebronco

Ben Hamilton

maritimebronco — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:42:22 -0000

I don`t want to hate on the guy because in the past he has been a great Bronco but last night was pretty embrassing for him.

The Sack that Orton took at the tail end of the of the 2nd Quarter was all Hamilton`s fault. Sure the pressure came from his side and Orton may have held on to the ball a little long but Orton made a pretty smart move by stepping up and Scooting (Can`t give Orton`s mobility to much credit) over to the left. Everthing looked to be clear and he might have actually got the ball off if Hamilton has not given up complete on the play. I hope that someone who reads this attaches the game tape because that might better show it but pretty much Hamilton lost his block on his man and started walking on the feild. WALKING!!! The play was still alive he was still close enough to keep on blocking Keisel. The result of the play is Orton is sacked while trying to fight for the line of scrimage while Hamilton is still walking 6 or 7 yards from the tackle. Having someone get off there block is understandable (sometimes) but showing no lack of effort and no hustle until the whistle is a one way ticket out of the NFL or to the Oakland Raiders with all our other washed up O-linemen.

I don`t want to be Hamilton this week during team meeting because he is about to get his ass chewed out. Not only should the coached be pissed for his total incompetence but Wiegman, Clady, Kuper, Harris & Orton should all be giving him some stink eye. You walk off the feild at the end of the game man you don`t walk around when you QB is being sack in front of your eyes.

I`ll leave it up to McDaniels, Xanders, McCoy and Dennison to figure out the solution but the have to fix it.

Think forward to the draft

maritimebronco — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:35:07 -0000

For many of us it is going to be a longgg weekend waiting for the Denver Broncos monday game. And I thought that it might be fun to take a look and hear some people opinions about the upcoming Draft. Come on People it only like 8 months away.

Getting it started it will be important to note that Denver has Chicago's first round pick while Seattle has Denver's.

Chicago is currently 3-1 haveing played: Green Bay (L 21-15), Pittsburgh (W 17-14), Seattle (W 25-19) and Detroit (W48-24)

Looking a head at Chicago's Schedule I would put there up coming games into four categories

Should Win	Advantage Bears	Advantage Opponent	Loss
Cleveland	Arizona	Cincinatti	Atlanta
St. Louis		San Fransico	Philedelpha
Detroit		Green Bay	Minnesota
		Baltimore	Minnesota

Personally when I look at their team and schedule I could see them winning somewhere between 2 to 5 more game putting them somewhere between 6-10 to 9-7. I think that would but Denver pick somewhere between the 10 to 20.

With that you have to look at some Positions that Denver would be interested in upgrading with a pick in the first three rounds.

In madden order the positions would be:

QB - Even if Orton reinvented the wheel there will be some calling for and QB

WR - Denver has a pretty decent WR corp but one more play maker is always welcome

OC - Weigmann is signed thru 2011 but he is 36 and their is no immediate back up

OG - Hamilton's contract is up at the end of the year and it is not clear if he will be resigned. It will be a sad thing to see him go but maybe someone who fits the pulling guard system better will be brought in

DE - I think this is the position that Hoosierteacher calls Defensive Guard.

NT - I like the Fields, Thomas and Baker at this position but I make you a bet that most MSM will have a Nose tackle as one of Denvers top two Draft choices.

ILB - DJ, Davis, Woodyard, Larsen? On paper two Williams are better than one

S - Just like MSM claimed Boss Bailey would start for Denver after he'd already been released or how the Cheifs should trade OLB/ILB Derrick Johnson to the Steelers to replace 3-4 DE Aaron Smith people will be suggesting the Denver find future replacements for Dawkins and Hill.

Kick Returner - A feild position changing KR is the something Denver is currently really missing or is a position that is just waiting to break out.

Players I like:

Eric Berry - If I had the money I would pay Berry millions to spend some time with Dawkins and take his game to an unbelievable level. Also helps that the Ayers in on the team as well.

Brandon Spikes - Would be a great ILB but might not play on passing downs with the Broncos

Questions I have for MHRers:

Who do you like?

Is there anyone who you like for DE (DG/3-4DE)? I find this position hard to evaluate?

What about OG? I don't pay enough attention to the inside O-line players in college to know much.

Poll

What Position would you take with the 10-20 first round pick?

WR

0 votes

C

16 votes

OG

30 votes

DE

32 votes

NT

11 votes

ILB

17 votes

S

23 votes

QB

0 votes

KR

3 votes

Other (Please Explain)

4 votes

136 votes | Poll has closed

Little Curious about Haggan? Good interview from Before he became a Bronco

maritimebronco — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:58:14 -0000

Little Curious about Haggan? Good interview from Before he became a Bronco

http://bulldawgjunction.com/news/story.php?article=1004

Orton's Interceptions

maritimebronco — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 13:57:03 -0000

Everyone is going to be down on this guy for throwing so many interceptions in the first half of the game and it is unfortunate because it overshadows some of the good stuff he did. The one thing I notice about professional football above other sports it that is a game of momentum. Sides seem to play off the changes in momentum. A bad/good play here can feed the rest of the team or suck the wind from their sails. Even with Orton's Intereceptions the team seemed to try and keep the momentum up and Hillis on his own is a momentum changer. Give that guy the ball and the whole team perception changes. Now a look at the three interceptions.

#1.

They were down in the redzone and it seemed like we were going to try another running attempt at the defense. Instead a play-action-fake (faking it to the running back and then throwing it) was the play. If you watch the replay the fake was terrible. This I think had more to do with the running back being out of position than Orton. The fake looked bad and didn't even freeze the defense for a second. With that you are losing a second or two to get the ball out and Orton felt the goaline pressure. As the Guru would say he got happy feet and threw the ball to Graham about 2 feet off target resulting in Clement picking it off. This was a really disappointing end to a really good drive.

This I think was Orton's worse throw of the night. I am not really sure what he was doing here. He dropped back poised to throw the ball and had some decent to time to find an outlet. The thing I noticed before he hefted it to Bly was that the pocket was collapsing on his right and he should have found an open receiver or his check down man. Not sure who he threw to but Bly was right in front of them and easily grabbed the ball.

This play seemed like a fluke. It was a pretty decent throw by Orton but he was staring down his receiver and the 49er defender made a great play by going up and grabbing the football out of the air. If this play had been a little less telegraphed it would have gone for at least 30 yards if not six points.

I'm not a QB expert and if someone noticed something that I didn't please post a reply. All in All it was a great game though great to watch it especially because after the first hour it was my birthday (Atlantic time zone). Hope that we can build on some of the good things and take away the bad.

Jeff Legwold..McDaniels Shadow?

maritimebronco — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 01:59:03 -0000

Jeff Legwold..McDaniels Shadow?

Is it just me or is it when Josh McDaniels has a Q&A session with the media (that I've been watching on denverbroncos.com) Jeff Legwold is always standing behind or just off camera Josh. I've always heard and read good things about him but what's the deal with being McDaniels shadow ???

Unsigned Players

maritimebronco — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 01:45:31 -0000

It's 11pm where I live and I'll soon be going to bed. When I wake up tomorrow it will be the start of the Denver Broncos 2009 season and with all the changes that have happened since Chrismas this will be the most anticipated season I have witnessed as a Bronco fan (since 1999). As I was writing this I just realised that I will have been a Bronco fan for a full Decade how crazy. What I would like to know is what will it mean if one of the current rookies hasn't signed their deal as of the start of training camp, Monday morning?

As I understand it there will a limited number of players at camp for the first few days but what will they be doing? Will a player that has not signed be missing all that much? If a rookie is not signed can they still attend team meeting but not actual training or are they expected to not show up at all. While I hope that all the guys can get signed 5 contracts are a lot to do all in one night. The best to all the Mile High Report brethren and of course to the Denver Bronco Organization. We are just cusping the precipice of the roller coaster!

FanShots - Mile High Report - By The Fans, For The Fans....Your Source For Denver Broncos News and Comment

maritimebronco — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 20:40:35 -0000

FanShots - Mile High Report - By The Fans, For The Fans....Your Source For Denver Broncos News and Comment

How much cap room does Denver currently have? It been hard to track with all the signing and totals you hear about based off lump sums. With Veteran player still waiting to get paid and Rookie signing I sure everyone at MHR would want to know.

Fullback: Half Empty of Half Full?

maritimebronco — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 23:40:07 -0000

So I was watching Spencer Larsen Interview on the Denver Bronco website and I realise that we don't really have a true Fullback like most NFL teams would have. We have a lot of players that can play Fullback and switch into this role along with other duties but we have no true West Coast or Smash Mouth Fullback.

It is funny having played Rugby you think of a Fullback as being the guy who is 'Fully Back' from the line. Think Safety/Speed which is the complete opposite of the Football Fullback.

When you think Fullback in the traditional football sense you think power running and blocking. Players like Jim Brown, Larry Czonka, Mike Alscott and others are the iconic Fullbacks in NFL history. They combined ripping the ball and crashing into the people ahead of you with blocking that knocked Defences on their butts. In more recent times this position has continued to be about those things but has also included catching the ball out of the back feild and crashing it up the field.

While Denver has players that are capable of doing this there is no true Fullback currently on the roster. Players listed at Fullback are Peyton Hillis and Spenser Larsen. While both of these players can play the FB role well they lack aspects of the fullback position to really label them Fullbacks.

Potential Fullbacks

Spencer Larsen - He has great blocking ability and will consistently put someone on their ass. His main fall back at the Fullback position is that he is not comfortable running the ball nor can he really catch the ball. The other thing to remember is that he also plays Linebacker and is a big part of Denver's Special teams. As per HoosierTeacher's posting on the TED LB I think Larsen will play a significant role rotating with Andre Davis. With his other roles tiring him out and draw backs as a FB he is not the quintessential FB.

Peyton Hillis - Hillis blew me away last season as a running back and I'm sure he did the same for many of you. If you haven't checked out some of his highlights (almost every play) from You Tube please do he is awesome. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48HAiaY3vps&feature=related. Hillis is a great runner and catcher but lacks the elite blocking ability to lead the way for the back behind him. I think he could rotate in at a number of positions on the offense if he knee heals up. But I think he is better with the ball in his hands which means fighting for a running back spot.

TE - I suppose we might try to convert one of the Tight Ends on the roster to play Fullback but there might be a problem with them running the football. It might be an interesting idea but I doubt if the team would do it.

Schlueter - this guy runs a 4.7 40 yard dash which is fast enough play Fullback in the NFL. I don't really see him running or catching the ball but he might compete with Lichtensteiger as the Redzone Fullback.

I know that McDaniels typically runs a lot of single set back fields meaning that the Fullback is a position that is not as important in his offense. And it will be interesting to see the Fullback position filled by a versatile rotation. The thing to remember is when Denver breaks the single season rushing record (3165 yards New England 1978) Jamie Dukes and his MSM meatheads are going to be wondering who the Fullback is?

Some Odd Musings

maritimebronco — Mon, 25 May 2009 22:46:20 -0000

I was reading a couple articles that have recently been posted namely ST&NO and some bear and I got to thinking.

1. The old Switcheroo: Would it not be interesting if the Guard (Seth Olsen) we drafted and the Center (Blake Schlueter) we drafted were to switch places. Their scouting report on both these players seem to point to their strength as being the opposite of what they were currently playing.

Olsen was seen as a big strong player who was Great in a PHONE BOOTH. (I remember that quote inparticular). His weakness on the other hand was adjusting his body to play in space. http://www.milehighreport.com/2009/4/26/854507/denver-broncos-select-seth-olsen-g. To me this just screamed Center. The guys will have to play to his weakness to play the Zone as well as Pull if he were to be a guard. The problems of moving him to Center would be the position and Hiking change as well as his Height of 6'6''.

Schlueter other hand is great at playing in space and have the athletic ability and speed to quickly get to the second level. From what I have read about him http://www.milehighreport.com/2009/4/26/854874/denver-broncos-select-c-blake he reminds me of Ben Hamilton who was orginally a center. His 4.7 speed and grittiness will be interest to see at any position.

2. Part of me thinks that one of the two TEs (Graham or Scheffler) will be trade or released before the first game in September. Quinn was drafted quite high and if he makes an early impact I could see Graham being traded away for a drafted pick. I would be really sad to see Graham go but the cost to keep him plus a possible replacement for him and a decent market value for TEs might make him a business casualty.

While Scheffler does have some injury concerns, he is an decent blocker who adds a great versatile receiving threat. I have seen some clips http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3_OP1JCs9o where defenses give him quite a bit of space off the line because they are afraid of his receiving abilities. Scheffler could line up anywhere between the tackles and sideline and be productive.

3. I currently live in Nova Scotia, Canada and I was recently found that we have a real treasure hunt going on out here and it been on going for over 200 years. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oak_Island Oak Island seems pretty crazy if you read the full article. I was ride the bus telling my friend about it today about Oak Island when another passenger started telling me about how he was part of a dig in 1983 that dug down 180 feet and came across steel bars before the water gushed in. The reason I post this is not only might it interest some Bronco Fans but I was interested to know if there were any similar sites out in the rest of the MHR world?

Belichick Coaching Notes

maritimebronco — Mon, 04 May 2009 17:26:38 -0000

Was bored at work and scrolling through NYC's daily update thought this was some great information and you can really see where McDaniels gets some of his core idea's from. Comes from the Mike Lombardi part at the bottom of NYC's list. ALWAYS START WITH SPECIAL TEAMS.

My two favourite sayings have always been:

Born to lose; Live to win.

Adapt or Die!

BILL BELICHICK NOTES

Get people in your program that you can trust. Have a strong core.

Coach the team every week.

§ 15-30 minutes every day talking about and showing the team what we are going to do to be successful.

There is no I in Team. There is an I in WIN. It is about individual performance. Everyone do your job.
Always start with special teams.

§ Ball handling.

§ No penalties.

Uses plays to show his players – your team, other teams.

§ Discipline and judgment.

§ Need to know right and wrong plays.

Expect and Demand.
How to stop players, plays, critical plays. What are we going to do? How are we going to defend it?
Is everyone trying to do what we ask them to do?
Emphasizing Fundamentals:
WR Coach tells the players two things each week:

1. Get open.

2. Catch the ball.

The Patriots do not beat themselves.
Your team has to be adaptable. Every team you play is different.
When putting in a play he asks these two questions:

1. What is the upside on this play?

2. Why are we running it?