Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Prater Suspended Four Games
The Broncos found out on Sunday that K Matt Prater will be suspended for the first four games of the season due to a violation of the NFL's Substance Abuse Policy. As a result, the Broncos traded a conditional 7th round pick to the Giants for K Brandon McManus. It looks like McManus will head into the season as the kicker until Prater comes back. It could be a very key storyline for the Broncos because their first four games are not easy at all. They host Indy, KC, at Seattle, and host Arizona. There is a good chance that those games could come down to a big kick and having a young kicker out there could be an ominous move.
Broncos Preseason Game #3 Review
There is a lot to take in about the Broncos game against the Texans on Saturday night. The fact that they lost the game 18-17 is meaningless. The two big stories that come from this game is the fact that Peyton Manning got his rhythm going with new wideout Emmanuel Sanders, and Wes Welker suffered another concussion. That is all you really need to take from this game. Here are my quick thoughts on the game...
1) Manning looked good once again this preseason. His 67 yard touchdown pass to Sanders in the second quarter was a thing of beauty. He followed it up with a sweet 29 yard touchdown pass to Sanders again later in the quarter. The Broncos are going to need Sanders to step up in their passing game this year.
2) Wes Welker suffered his 3rd concussion in the last 10 months. It sounds like Welker is in good spirits and there is a chance that he will be able to play Week 1. There is a lot that has to happen before we get there, but you hope Welker is okay for the Indy game. If he can't go, then you just hope he doesn't have any setbacks and can play as quickly as possible. We know how important he is for this offense and for Manning, and hopefully he can comeback and play well and stay healthy.
3) I love that Manning drew a taunting penalty for yelling at Houston defender D.J. Swearinger after throwing a touchdown pass to Sanders the play after Swearinger knocked out Welker. It is good to see Manning get feisty like that, and maybe that is a harbinger of the way Manning acts and feels as the season progresses.
4) The Broncos finish off the preseason with a game at Dallas. Most of the big name starters won't be in action, but the game will be big for some guys on the fringe of the roster. I'll have a final breakdown of the Broncos 53 man roster selection once that becomes official.
1) Manning looked good once again this preseason. His 67 yard touchdown pass to Sanders in the second quarter was a thing of beauty. He followed it up with a sweet 29 yard touchdown pass to Sanders again later in the quarter. The Broncos are going to need Sanders to step up in their passing game this year.
2) Wes Welker suffered his 3rd concussion in the last 10 months. It sounds like Welker is in good spirits and there is a chance that he will be able to play Week 1. There is a lot that has to happen before we get there, but you hope Welker is okay for the Indy game. If he can't go, then you just hope he doesn't have any setbacks and can play as quickly as possible. We know how important he is for this offense and for Manning, and hopefully he can comeback and play well and stay healthy.
3) I love that Manning drew a taunting penalty for yelling at Houston defender D.J. Swearinger after throwing a touchdown pass to Sanders the play after Swearinger knocked out Welker. It is good to see Manning get feisty like that, and maybe that is a harbinger of the way Manning acts and feels as the season progresses.
4) The Broncos finish off the preseason with a game at Dallas. Most of the big name starters won't be in action, but the game will be big for some guys on the fringe of the roster. I'll have a final breakdown of the Broncos 53 man roster selection once that becomes official.
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Broncos Preseason Game 2 Review
The Broncos defeated the Niners 34-0 in Week 2 of the preseason on Sunday. The good news is that the Broncos are now 2-0 in the preseason and their first team offense scored 10 points on the Niners, but the bad news is that it is the preseason and that means absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things. Here are my quick thoughts on the game...
1) Peyton Manning and the first team offense looked really good in their two drives on Sunday. Manning finished 12-14 for 102 yards and a 17-yard touchdown pass to Julius Thomas to finish the day. I know the 49ers were playing a very vanilla defense, but it is nice to see the first team move the ball and score points when they were out their out there.
2) If there was one guy on the first team defense that stood out it was LB Brandon Marshall. He is getting the chance to replace injured LB Danny Trevathan, and I thought Marshall really played well. If the Broncos can get something out of him the first five or six weeks when Trevathan is out, then that will be a good sign for the defense going forward.
3) The Broncos looked pretty sharp on offense and defense but remember that these teams play each other on October 19th, so their is no way that the 49ers are going to show Manning anything before they meet up on that date.
4) You have to give Brock Osweiler some credit for his performance. He played well (10-13 for 105 yards and 1 TD) and he generated a couple of scoring drives. He threw a great touchdown pass to Cody Latimer in the the 3rd quarter to give the Broncos a commanding 24-0 lead. We know that whatever Osweiler does in preseason won't matter until he finally becomes the starter, but it was good to see him come in and play well.
5) The Broncos have to happy that they won in convincing fashion, but the big picture is that the 49ers will be a really tough game for them in October, and this matchup really meant nothing in relation to the game that counts when they play in Denver.
1) Peyton Manning and the first team offense looked really good in their two drives on Sunday. Manning finished 12-14 for 102 yards and a 17-yard touchdown pass to Julius Thomas to finish the day. I know the 49ers were playing a very vanilla defense, but it is nice to see the first team move the ball and score points when they were out their out there.
2) If there was one guy on the first team defense that stood out it was LB Brandon Marshall. He is getting the chance to replace injured LB Danny Trevathan, and I thought Marshall really played well. If the Broncos can get something out of him the first five or six weeks when Trevathan is out, then that will be a good sign for the defense going forward.
3) The Broncos looked pretty sharp on offense and defense but remember that these teams play each other on October 19th, so their is no way that the 49ers are going to show Manning anything before they meet up on that date.
4) You have to give Brock Osweiler some credit for his performance. He played well (10-13 for 105 yards and 1 TD) and he generated a couple of scoring drives. He threw a great touchdown pass to Cody Latimer in the the 3rd quarter to give the Broncos a commanding 24-0 lead. We know that whatever Osweiler does in preseason won't matter until he finally becomes the starter, but it was good to see him come in and play well.
5) The Broncos have to happy that they won in convincing fashion, but the big picture is that the 49ers will be a really tough game for them in October, and this matchup really meant nothing in relation to the game that counts when they play in Denver.
Friday, August 15, 2014
Trevathan Out 6-8 Weeks
Arguably, one of the most important players on the Broncos defense-WLB Danny Trevathan-will miss anywhere from 6-8 weeks after suffering a fracture in the bone just below his knee on Tuesday during a training camp practice. Apparently, it looked really bad as it happened and it looked like he might be lost for the season, but ultimately it was only a fracture and that should shelve Trevathan until at least the Broncos bye week in Week 4 of the season. Look for Trevathan to return to action either in Week 5 at home vs. Arizona on October 5th or Week 6 at the Jets on October 12th.
Friday, August 8, 2014
Broncos Preseason Game 1 Review
The Broncos defeated the Seahawks in the preseason opener last night 21-16 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The game featured a 45 minute lighting delay and 25 combined penalties. There were so many penalties that I actually considered just turning the game off in the first quarter and boycotting it. It was that bad. Onto the game, where the Broncos exact some revenge from last year's Super Bowl defeat......
1) Peyton Manning looked really good and in sync with Demaryius Thomas. Manning finished 10-13 for 78 yards and led the team to a touchdown on their second drive of the game. Thomas finished with 5 catches for 52 yards on two series. It was a nice start to the preseason for this offense.
2) Brock Osweiler got the rest of game for the Broncos and it was up and down to say the least. It is really hard to know if Osweiler is the answer post-Manning, but he ended his evening with a 34 yard touchdown pass to Jordan Norwood to give Denver the lead for good in the 4th quarter. He did throw a bad interception and finished 6-12 for 85 yards. The bottom line is that the jury is still out on Brock.
3) Another young standout on offense was RB Juwan Thompson. The undrafted rookie really improved his chances of making the team with a solid night on the ground.
3) Another young standout on offense was RB Juwan Thompson. The undrafted rookie really improved his chances of making the team with a solid night on the ground.
3) A few defensive players stood out for the Broncos. Demarcus Ware made his presence known in his two series. T.J. Ward was an animal all over the field. He looked dominating at times. As I said a few months, he might be the best offseason addition to this team.
4) DT Marvin Austin has become a story in training camp and it carried over to last night's game. He was all over place, penetrating at will, and added a sack to boot. Look for Austin to get more rotational reps with the first team defense. He could become a huge factor this year.
5) The game was ugly and sloppy at times, but that is what you expect out of the first preseason game. The Broncos scored a touchdown with their first team offense, showed some good things on defense, won the game, and came out healthy. I'll take that for a preseason opener.
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Pat Bowlen Steps Down in Role as Broncos Owner
The Broncos started training camp on a somber note as Pat Bowlen steps down from day-to-day responsibilities as the Owner of the Broncos due to his battle with Alzheimer's Disease. It has been speculated for a long time that Bowlen was suffering from this horrible condition, but yesterday the Broncos and Bowlen's family made it official. Bowlen will no longer be at the Broncos facility and he is stepping away from his ownership duties to fight the illness. Bowlen still owns the Broncos, and he intends to keep the team in his family. One of his five children will eventually take control as Owner of the franchise, but that is something that is down the road. Joe Ellis will replace Bowlen's Chairman duties on a day-to-day basis. Ellis has become the defacto Owner of the Broncos the past few years as Bowlen's condition has worsened. Ellis even made the trip to the Owner's Meetings a few months ago in Bowlen's place. It is definitely a sad day for the Broncos and their fans, and John Elway's emotional press conference was an example of that. Bowlen was one of the best owners in the entire NFL and in professional sports. I always told people that were fans of other teams that the reason why the Broncos have been so successful in my lifetime is that Bowlen is a great owner and it starts at the stop. Since 1984, the Broncos have the second highest winning percentage in the NFL. They have been to the playoffs 16 times, won 11 AFC West crowns, appeared in 6 Super Bowls, and won 2 Super Bowls. Bowlen always seemed to "get it" as an owner. He would do what he had to do to help the Broncos succeed. If that meant hiring the right coaches or getting the best players he did what it took to make the Broncos a competitive team every year. If it wasn't for Bowlen's leadership and vision, then who the hell knows what type of franchise the Broncos would be. Also, Bowlen did a great job of staying out of the spotlight. He hired people, trusted them, and stood by their work and decisions. He was really the perfect type of owner in that regard. On a league scale, Bowlen was a visionary in terms of growing the NFL. He was instrumental in adopting free agency and he came up with the idea of the Franchise Tag to protect teams from losing start players. He was very important in growing the game on the television side and adding NFL football to the primetime structure that it dominates in today's landscape. He surely is a Hall of Famer by any standards.
The Broncos won't change much now that he has stepped down. Joe Ellis has been running the business side for the past few years, and John Elway is running the football side. Ellis will have final say on big decisions that Elway presents to him-just like it has been for the past few years. The key question will be in the future when Bowlen passes his ownership down to one of his children. It will be interesting to see how that dynamic plays out, but that is a discussion for the future not now. The Broncos are still in good hands with the current situation they are in, and there is no reason to see that changing in the near future. The best way to honor Bowlen this season is to go out and win a Super Bowl for him and claim "This one's for Pat."
The Broncos won't change much now that he has stepped down. Joe Ellis has been running the business side for the past few years, and John Elway is running the football side. Ellis will have final say on big decisions that Elway presents to him-just like it has been for the past few years. The key question will be in the future when Bowlen passes his ownership down to one of his children. It will be interesting to see how that dynamic plays out, but that is a discussion for the future not now. The Broncos are still in good hands with the current situation they are in, and there is no reason to see that changing in the near future. The best way to honor Bowlen this season is to go out and win a Super Bowl for him and claim "This one's for Pat."
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Denver Broncos 2014 Training Camp Preview
The Broncos will begin the run at Super Bowl XLIX in Glendale, Arizona this Wednesday as they open up training camp and the 2014 season begins. The Broncos enter training camp a much different team that entered last year's Super Bowl. Denver looks to defend their AFC Championship crown and add another Lombardi Trophy in the ashes of the Super Bowl debacle at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks. To say that training camp is meaningless is very inaccurate. This is where the team comes together, puts in the work, and establishes itself as it prepares for the real games to start in September. Here is a little primer as we get set to officially start the 2014 season.
Where We Left Off: The last time we saw the Broncos, they were walking off the field at Metlife Stadium under a sea of confetti as the Seahawks thoroughly destroyed them 43-8 in the Super Bowl. As hard as that game was to watch, the worst part was just how badly they played and how it marred such a wonderful 2013 season. The Broncos got their asses handed to them that day and suffered a record 5th Super Bowl defeat in franchise history, but you could tell from that game that they will use that as motivation all year-especially as they start training camp this week.
What Happened Since: For the third straight year, the Broncos made plenty of headlines in the offseason. They signed Aqib Talib, T.J. Ward, and DeMarcus Ware to shore up their defense. They also added Emmanuel Sanders to their receiving corps. They had CB Bradley Roby drop to them at #31 in the first round of the NFL Draft in May. On the other hand, the Broncos lost several key players from their 13-3 squad a year ago. Eric Decker, Knowshon Moreno, and Zane Beadles all left their record-setting offense via Free Agency. Denver also lost key players on defense like Wesley Woodyard, Shaun Phillips, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and of course Champ Bailey. That is a lot of turnover for a team that went to the Super Bowl. The feeling is that the players they signed and the combination of younger guys stepping up will replace those players that left, but only time will tell. Some of the new guys have a lot to prove to replace some of those key contributors from last year's team.
Position Battles at Camp: It seems like every year we start this section by talking about the MLB position. Denver never really seems to adequately address this spot. In camp, the battle will involve Nate Irving, Steven Johnson, and rookie Lamin Barrow all seemed to be battling for this spot. If one of them doesn't win it outright, then don't be surprised to see the Broncos find a veteran to sign to fill that spot late in the preseason. Another spot to look at is at LG. Denver is trying to move RT Orlando Franklin over to that spot to replace Beadles. If that doesn't work out, then look for the possibility of Manny Ramirez moving over there from center.
Surprise Roster Cuts: I don't know if this would be a major surprise, but I could see Andre Caldwell being a casualty. If rookie 2nd round pick Cody Latimer steps up in camp, then maybe Caldwell gets whacked. Also, don't be surprised if a veteran like Kevin Vickerson gets shown the door if some of the younger guys on the defensive line play well in camp and if Vickerson can't fully recover from his hip injury that ended his 2013 season.
Out of Nowhere Players: This name was brought up in OTAs and it is worth watching during camp: Isaiah Burse. He is an undrafted free agent WR out of Fresno State. Burse could make an impact in the return game, and don't be surprised if he dazzles once he gets on the field with the rest of those receivers.
Biggest Questions That Need To Be Answered: What is the mental makeup of this team? After doing everything that they were supposed to do in 2013 (13-3 record, #1 seed in AFC, AFC Champions) this team got embarrassed in the Super Bowl by the Seahawks. It is very hard to go back to square one and make it back to the Super Bowl after losing the year before. Does this team have it in them to get back? Can they get that game out of their minds and focus on the week-to-week grind of a NFL season? We all know that Peyton Manning will be focused and hungry to get to the Super Bowl and finish the job this time, but can everyone else on the roster follow his lead? That is the question that will plague the Broncos all year, and it won't be answered until next February in Arizona.
Where We Left Off: The last time we saw the Broncos, they were walking off the field at Metlife Stadium under a sea of confetti as the Seahawks thoroughly destroyed them 43-8 in the Super Bowl. As hard as that game was to watch, the worst part was just how badly they played and how it marred such a wonderful 2013 season. The Broncos got their asses handed to them that day and suffered a record 5th Super Bowl defeat in franchise history, but you could tell from that game that they will use that as motivation all year-especially as they start training camp this week.
What Happened Since: For the third straight year, the Broncos made plenty of headlines in the offseason. They signed Aqib Talib, T.J. Ward, and DeMarcus Ware to shore up their defense. They also added Emmanuel Sanders to their receiving corps. They had CB Bradley Roby drop to them at #31 in the first round of the NFL Draft in May. On the other hand, the Broncos lost several key players from their 13-3 squad a year ago. Eric Decker, Knowshon Moreno, and Zane Beadles all left their record-setting offense via Free Agency. Denver also lost key players on defense like Wesley Woodyard, Shaun Phillips, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and of course Champ Bailey. That is a lot of turnover for a team that went to the Super Bowl. The feeling is that the players they signed and the combination of younger guys stepping up will replace those players that left, but only time will tell. Some of the new guys have a lot to prove to replace some of those key contributors from last year's team.
Position Battles at Camp: It seems like every year we start this section by talking about the MLB position. Denver never really seems to adequately address this spot. In camp, the battle will involve Nate Irving, Steven Johnson, and rookie Lamin Barrow all seemed to be battling for this spot. If one of them doesn't win it outright, then don't be surprised to see the Broncos find a veteran to sign to fill that spot late in the preseason. Another spot to look at is at LG. Denver is trying to move RT Orlando Franklin over to that spot to replace Beadles. If that doesn't work out, then look for the possibility of Manny Ramirez moving over there from center.
Surprise Roster Cuts: I don't know if this would be a major surprise, but I could see Andre Caldwell being a casualty. If rookie 2nd round pick Cody Latimer steps up in camp, then maybe Caldwell gets whacked. Also, don't be surprised if a veteran like Kevin Vickerson gets shown the door if some of the younger guys on the defensive line play well in camp and if Vickerson can't fully recover from his hip injury that ended his 2013 season.
Out of Nowhere Players: This name was brought up in OTAs and it is worth watching during camp: Isaiah Burse. He is an undrafted free agent WR out of Fresno State. Burse could make an impact in the return game, and don't be surprised if he dazzles once he gets on the field with the rest of those receivers.
Biggest Questions That Need To Be Answered: What is the mental makeup of this team? After doing everything that they were supposed to do in 2013 (13-3 record, #1 seed in AFC, AFC Champions) this team got embarrassed in the Super Bowl by the Seahawks. It is very hard to go back to square one and make it back to the Super Bowl after losing the year before. Does this team have it in them to get back? Can they get that game out of their minds and focus on the week-to-week grind of a NFL season? We all know that Peyton Manning will be focused and hungry to get to the Super Bowl and finish the job this time, but can everyone else on the roster follow his lead? That is the question that will plague the Broncos all year, and it won't be answered until next February in Arizona.
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