Broncos

Bowlen's thoughts

2008-01-11T18:13:00.000-07:00

Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen talked for the first time about the 2007 season, and here are some of the highlights of Friday's conversation:

-- On the disappointment of the 2007 season, his 24th as Broncos owner: “This year, at this particular point in time, feels as bad or worse as any of the bad years.”

-- On Broncos coach Mike Shanahan: “He’s frustrated with the season, I’m frustrated with the season, but I have no problems with Mike.”

-- On Broncos coach Mike Shanahan taking the blame for the 7-9 season: “Mike took the blame, but if I had to spread it out, I think Mike was let down by some of his coaches, and he was let down obviously by some of his players. I don’t know, but I think he saw that at some point in the season. But there was very little he could do to right the ship.”

-- On assistant head coach/defense Jim Bates: “I don’t want to point fingers at Jim. He came in with a different defensive style. It didn’t work. He’s been a proven defensive guy for a long time, but it didn’t work here.”

-- On players not having a sense of urgency after some tough losses: “I can understand if you lose to the Green Bay Packers in overtime, but that should impact you. You should say ‘We’re not going to let that happen again.’”

-- On the lack of urgency he saw on the team: “I don’t think it’s a lot of guys. And I’m not trying to make that a big issue, other than it sort of is. We’re all professionals, we’re all getting paid, but there’s a higher goal than that, at least in my mind. It’s your reputation, it’s your career, it’s all these things. I think that some of that was missing.”

-- On the prospects for the team in the future: “I’m not anxiety ridden at all. But I know we have a lot of work to do.”

Smith upset with "individuality"

2007-12-28T14:42:00.000-07:00

In his role observing the third losing season during his 14-year career with the Denver Broncos, receiver Rod Smith said he continues to be upset with the focus on the individual and not the team.

Smith has talked before about the way the Broncos’ championship teams of the 1990s worked out, practiced and conducted meetings with a single purpose, which was winning a Super Bowl.

“Our organization had a certain standard and how we did things,” said Smith, who was named a captain this year even though he hasn’t played. “Somehow we lost that standard. It’s not a matter of not playing hard, but it’s a certain way we conducted business. I know we’re going to get that back.”

Smith said he has tried to instill that attitude with the younger players, but sounded like he didn’t think his message was getting across. Smith said everyone within the organization, including players, coaches and himself, was to blame so he wasn’t pointing his finger at anybody. But he was frustrated because he didn’t think the Broncos’ 6-9 record is indicative of the type of team they have.

“Sometimes you see more individuality,” Smith said. “I’ve seen more individuality in the last four, five years than I have team. That’s a problem with me.”

Week 17 prediction

2007-12-28T14:22:00.000-07:00

The Broncos have almost nothing to play for Sunday, and they’ll be facing a physical Vikings team that could make the playoffs with a win.

The Broncos certainly aren’t entering the offseason on a high note. They’ve been outscored 54-16 by Houston and San Diego the past two weeks. Beating a good Minnesota team would provide some momentum going into 2008, but that won’t be easy. Vikings tailbacks Chester Taylor and Adrian Peterson have 2,066 yards and 19 touchdowns combined running behind a powerful offensive line. The Vikings also lead the NFL in rushing defense by a wide margin.

The Vikings have too much to play for to give a lackluster effort this week.

Vikings 24, Broncos 17

Rivalry heats up

2007-12-26T17:15:00.000-07:00

The shouting match between members of the San Diego Chargers, first and foremost quarterback Philip Rivers, and Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler was still being discussed Wednesday.

In the fourth quarter of Monday’s game, the Broncos were stopped on fourth down and ESPN’s cameras showed an exchange in which Rivers came off the sideline a few yards and yelled in Cutler’s direction. Even though trash talk isn’t uncommon, and was going on for much of Monday’s game, it is rare to see two quarterbacks talk trash to each other.

Cutler didn’t say much about it when asked Wednesday, but said he has never done that with another quarterback, and added it would be remembered when the teams meet next year.

“They talked a lot of stuff and it got heated between the two teams,” Cutler said. “Personally, I don’t think the teams like each other, which is fine. It’s just going to add to it later next year and the year after that.”

Also on Wednesday, safety John Lynch was given the first Darrent Williams Good Guy Award for his cooperation with the media.

“I was very fond of this young man,” Lynch said, holding the plaque with Williams’ name on it. “To win an award in his name is nice.”

Pro Bowl candidates

2007-12-17T15:47:00.000-07:00

The Pro Bowl teams are announced Tuesday, and the Broncos probably won’t have a huge group going to Hawaii after this season.

Champ Bailey led all AFC cornerbacks in fan voting, which counts for one-third of the final vote. Even though Bailey won’t duplicate his numbers from last season, he’ll probably make the team. Nobody else is a favorite.

Receiver Brandon Marshall has had a very good season, but he’ll have a tough time making the squad ahead of New England’s Randy Moss, Indianapolis’ Reggie Wayne, Cleveland’s Braylon Edwards or Cincinnati’s duo of Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. There are four receivers on each conference’s squad.

Defensive end Elvis Dumervil has 11 sacks, but he is also at a crowded position. Houston’s Mario Williams, Kansas City’s Jared Allen and Miami’s Jason Taylor seem to be the candidates to fill the three spots.

Middle linebacker D.J. Williams leads the team in tackles, but the Broncos defense has struggled this season. Williams also doesn’t have big numbers in other categories, with only one sack and one interception.

Punter Todd Sauerbrun, who is second in the AFC averaging 46.8 yards per punt, also should get consideration.

Week 15 prediction

2007-12-12T10:27:00.001-07:00

The Broncos are coming off a very good performance against Kansas City, which means little. Denver has only one two-game winning streak since starting the season 2-0.

The Broncos are also traveling on a short week, a tougher challenge than Houston had hosting tonight’s game. But the Broncos are healthier, which is a major advantage. Houston has suffered many injuries this season. The Texans will be without quarterback Matt Schaub against Denver and might have to start rookie tailback Darius Walker if Ron Dayne can’t play because of an ankle injury.

Denver’s offense has scored at least 27 points in four of its past five games, and as long as the defense does its part, the Broncos should be able to keep their season alive.

Denver 31, Houston 23

Kubiak-Calhoun connection

2007-12-11T17:27:00.001-07:00

Gary Kubiak has plenty of ties to the Denver Broncos, but he also is close to Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun.

Calhoun was hired by Broncos coach Mike Shanahan before the 2003 season to be a part of a staff that included Kubiak, the offensive coordinator. Calhoun spent three seasons with Denver. When Kubiak was hired by the Texans to be their head coach, he hired Calhoun to be his offensive coordinator.

Kubiak praised Calhoun, who was Houston’s offensive coordinator before taking the job with Air Force.

“It’s interesting because when Mike brought him in, Mike told me from day one ‘This guy is going to be a great football coach,’” Kubiak said. “As a staff in Denver we could see that from the get go.”

Calhoun worked on defense for a season, then moved to the offensive staff. Kubiak said that experience helped Calhoun prepare to be a head coach.

"Troy’s knowledge of both sides of the ball and the game of football are tremendous,” Kubiak said. “As a person, this guy is off the charts. You guys see what he’s doing at Air Force. I’m happy for him.”

Week 14 prediction

2007-12-07T19:43:00.001-07:00

The Broncos’ season officially became a disappointment with a two-game losing streak, but they’re still not as bad off as the Chiefs.

Kansas City has lost five straight games. Their quarterback rotation will stop on Brodie Croyle for this week’s game. Damon Huard started the first meeting against the Broncos. Running backs Larry Johnson and Priest Holmes are both out, and rookie Kolby Smith will start Sunday.

The Broncos are at least getting healthy. They should have every player on the active roster available except safety Nick Ferguson. And Denver still has a slight glimmer of hope at winning out and making the playoffs, which is more than the Chiefs have.

Broncos 21, Chiefs 17

Playoff chances dim

2007-12-04T10:48:00.001-07:00

The Broncos’ loss at Oakland on Sunday was a crushing blow to their playoff chances, and not just because they added another loss to their record. They also significantly hurt their chances of winning the tiebreaker against San Diego.

If two teams from the same division are tied, the first tiebreaker is head-to-head record. Denver can even that up with a win at San Diego on Dec. 24. The second tiebreaker is record in division games, and that is where the Broncos blew it Sunday. After losing to the Raiders, Denver’s division record is 2-2. San Diego is 3-1. Even if Denver hands San Diego its second division loss on Christmas Eve, the only way the Broncos win that tiebreaker is if the Chargers lose against Oakland in the season finale.

If the Broncos and Chargers each finish with two AFC West losses, the next tiebreaker is common opponents aside from the AFC West foes. Denver is 1-5 against common opponents (Chicago, Green Bay, Houston, Minnesota, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Tennessee and Detroit) with two remaining, so the best they can finish is 3-5. The Chargers are 3-3 in those games with two remaining. A Chargers win against Tennessee or Detroit – or a Broncos loss to Houston or Minnesota - would clinch that tiebreaker for San Diego.

The fourth tiebreaker is conference record and San Diego has an edge in that as well with a 6-3 record. Denver is 5-4.

So even if the Broncos go 4-0 the rest of the way, they likely either need the Chargers to lose to the Raiders on Dec. 30 or lose each of their other three remaining games for Denver to win the division.

Week 13 prediction

2007-11-30T17:09:00.001-07:00

Based on last week’s results, the Broncos and Raiders appear to be heading in different directions. Oakland got a road win at Kansas City, its first AFC West win since 2004. Denver blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead against the Bears.

But the Broncos have played very well against the Raiders since 1995, when Mike Shanahan became head coach, and are the better team on paper. The best reason to believe the Raiders will win is they should have beat Denver in the second week of the season. That was the game in which Shanahan called a timeout at the last moment as Sebastian Janikowski hit what Oakland thought was a game-winning field goal in overtime. Then Janikowski missed the second attempt and Denver ended up winning.

Based on that near-miss, the Raiders probably feel good about their chances of winning the rematch at home. But the Broncos have treated Oakland like their own home stadium, and have enough left for one more win there.

Broncos 20, Raiders 17

Bailey drop-off

2007-11-29T14:46:00.000-07:00

K.C. Joyner agrees that Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey isn’t having the same kind of season he had in 2006, when he almost won NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

Joyner, who breaks down film for his extensive statistics on thefootballscientist.com, said he has done a full breakdown of three Broncos games. Bailey didn’t play in one, against Pittsburgh. The other two, against Jacksonville and Tennessee, Bailey didn’t dominate. Joyner said Bailey had 11 passes attempted at him when he had direct coverage and allowed nine completions for 76 yards. He also allowed a touchdown to Jacksonville’s Reggie Williams.

Joyner admits two games is a small sample size, but said it’s telling because Jacksonville's and Tennessee’s receivers are mediocre. Bailey allowed 4.7 yards per attempt his way last year, which was the best rating for any cornerback in the four seasons Joyner has kept the stat. The 6.9 yards-per-attempt for Bailey’s two games Joyner has charted is not very good. Joyner considers a 7-yard-per-attempt rating for a cornerback to be average.

Week 12 prediction

2007-11-23T11:49:00.000-07:00

If a team believes in itself, it usually continues to play well. The opposite is true. A losing streak can cause a team to go in the tank once something goes wrong in the next game.

The laws of momentum will be on display this week. Denver has seemingly turned around its season with a two-game winning streak. A modest streak, sure, but it does have the Broncos back in a first-place tie in the AFC West. The Bears have lost two of three since a dramatic last-minute win at Philadelphia. The quarterback situation is a mess, and Rex Grossman is back in the starting job this week. The Bears are 4-6, have no shot of catching Green Bay for the division crown, and after a NFC title last season they are one of the NFL’s disappointing teams.

The Broncos also appear to be a good matchup for the Bears. Chicago has struggled to run the ball all season behind Cedric Benson, and Grossman has a penchant for interceptions. As long as the Broncos offense is efficient and relatively mistake-free, they should continue on the right path in the second half of the season.

Broncos 19, Bears 12

Week 11 prediction

2007-11-16T13:48:00.001-07:00

Predicting what the Broncos will do week to week seems pointless. They’ve been so inconsistent, it’s impossible to tell which team will show up on any certain week.

One thing is obvious, however: when the Broncos get turnovers they win. No interceptions in five losses. Nine interceptions in four wins. Those figures are staggering. And the good news for the Broncos is Titans quarterback Vince Young has 10 interceptions this year. The Broncos will probably stack the line of scrimmage, dare Young to throw, and rely on cornerbacks Champ Bailey and Dre Bly to make plays.

The biggest factor in the game should be if Young avoids any mistakes. That’s not too likely.

Broncos 17, Titans 13

Week 10 prediction

2007-11-09T11:49:00.001-07:00

The Broncos could win this week. True, they haven’t played well, but the Chiefs are vulnerable. Without top tailback Larry Johnson, Priest Holmes and rookie Kolby Smith will carry the load. Holmes was a star once, but nobody knows what to expect from him now. And if the running game struggles the Chiefs probably won’t be carried by quarterback Damon Huard, who has been looking over his shoulder at backup Brodie Croyle most of the year.

However, the Broncos have problems too. Even though quarterback Jay Cutler appears fine after a scare with a leg injury, running back Travis Henry and safety John Lynch are banged up. Even if they play and the Broncos are close to full strength, it’s still Arrowhead Stadium. Since Mike Shanahan took over as Broncos coach in 1995 the Broncos have won only twice there in the regular season.

Maybe Denver can shut down Holmes and the Chiefs’ running game, make the Chiefs throw the ball more and cause some turnovers. But it’s Arrowhead Stadium, and somehow the Chiefs will pull it out.

Chiefs 13, Broncos 10

Walker improving

2007-11-07T18:17:00.001-07:00

Receiver Javon Walker hasn’t run since his knee surgery and the Denver Broncos don’t know if he’s in football shape, but there is some hope Walker can return soon. Walker might return for Denver’s Nov. 19 game against Tennessee, Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said.

Shanahan said Walker will have to start running by the end of the week. Walker had surgery Oct. 19 and doctors thought he might miss six weeks. But if he starts running this week, Shanahan suggested he could quickly come back to practice.

“We won’t know that until later on in the week,” Shanahan said. “We’ll wait and see when he runs and gets into football shape.”

Walker’s return would be a help to Denver’s offense, which scored only seven points against Detroit.

Cheap shot?

2007-11-05T18:06:00.001-07:00

One thing that is tough to tell, even after watching the replay many times, is whether Lions tackle Cory Redding’s hit that knocked Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler out of Sunday's game was illegal.

Cutler said after the game that he was hit on the leg by a helmet. That was by Redding, who was flying into the play when it was obvious Cutler was going to be sacked by tackle Shaun Rogers. Even though it appeared Redding hit Cutler’s leg with his helmet, it also seemed Redding tried to hit with his shoulder pad as Cutler’s legs were being swung forward.

Shanahan said he hadn’t seen the television replays of Redding’s hit. He saw it on the coaches’ film and said he thought Redding led with his helmet but didn’t know that was the hit that injured Cutler’s leg. Using the helmet to unnecessarily and violently butt, spear or ram an opponent is illegal under NFL rules. Shanahan said if the NFL finds anything wrong with the hit, they’ll take action.

“If he did and it’s something illegal, obviously he’ll get fined for it,” Shanahan said. “I can’t tell you for sure.”

Week 9 prediction

2007-11-02T11:00:00.000-06:00

Maybe leaving Denver will help the Broncos. After all, they’re 3-7 in the last 10 home games, 10-5 their last 15 road games.

The problem is the Detroit Lions aren’t a pushover anymore. They are 5-2 and have swept the defending NFC Champion Chicago Bears. The Lions have also been blown out by Philadelphia and Washington, so they are prone to some bad days.

Detroit has many dangerous offensive players and a defense that forces a lot of turnovers. The Broncos have to avoid the turnovers, score when they get close to the end zone and the defense has to avoid giving up big plays. That seems like a tough task on the road, no matter how much better the Broncos have been away from Denver lately.

Prediction: Detroit 28, Denver 24

Week 8 prediction

2007-10-26T12:14:00.000-06:00

Is Green Bay a better team than Denver? Sometimes that doesn’t matter as much as how teams match up.

Monday night’s matchup appears to favor the Broncos. Their biggest weakness, stopping the run, isn’t much of a factor. Unless Green Bay rookie DeShawn Wynn, who has 202 yards this season, has a breakout game, the Packers will still have to gain most of their yards through the air. One thing the Broncos have done pretty well this season is shut down quarterbacks. Denver hasn’t been as effective over the past six quarters against San Diego and Pittsburgh, but cornerback Champ Bailey was out of the lineup with a thigh injury. If Bailey returns – that’s not a given – the Broncos should be able to hold up well against Brett Favre and perhaps create a couple of turnovers.

If Bailey plays, the offense should be able to scratch out enough points against a tough Packers defense to win.

Prediction: Broncos 20, Packers 14

Injury update

2007-10-25T17:37:00.000-06:00

The Broncos are still waiting to see if running back Travis Henry will play this week. Henry didn’t practice Wednesday or Thursday with injured ribs. After practice Thursday, Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said he hoped Henry could practice Friday, then play on Monday against Green Bay.

“Hopefully he’ll be ready to go,” Shanahan said.

The Broncos also are waiting on cornerback Champ Bailey, who was a limited participant in practice for the second straight day Thursday. Bailey, who missed last week’s game, has a thigh injury.

Receiver Rod Smith practiced for the second straight day, and Shanahan said he has looked good in practice. Smith, who had hip surgery in February, practiced for the first time all year Wednesday. Still, Smith will need some time before he is ready to play.

“That’s going to take some time,” Shanahan said. “You just don’t come back from that injury without practicing or trying to get in football shape in a couple days. But if he keeps on pressing like he’s doing, hopefully in three weeks he’ll be ready to go.”

Scouting the Packers

2007-10-24T17:12:00.001-06:00

After the fact, Green Bay Packers cornerback Charles Woodson can say he saw it coming.

Not many others thought Green Bay would have one of the best records in the NFL after six games. But the Packers took the momentum from a four-game winning streak to finish last season and have started 5-1.

“I’m not surprised at all,” Woodson said. “I knew we had it in us.”

The Packers have defeated some good teams, including San Diego and the New York Giants on the road. Offensively, Green Bay has turned to its 38-year-old quarterback Brett Favre to carry the load, mostly because the running game has been ineffective. Favre has thrown 247 passes, and the Packers have 121 rushing attempts.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy said the Packers haven’t been good fundamentally in the running game, and injuries to running backs and the offensive line have hurt continuity.

“It’s something we’re spending extra time at and we look for it to improve as we move on through the season,” McCarthy said.

Green Bay’s defense is the main reason the team is in first place in the NFC North. The Packers have two top-notch cornerbacks in Woodson and Al Harris, two former first-round picks at linebacker in A.J. Hawk and Nick Barnett, and a collection of defensive linemen who can rush the quarterback.

“Their defensive line is exceptional,” Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said.

Week 7 prediction

2007-10-19T12:16:00.000-06:00

Even if the Broncos were at full strength, they would have a tough matchup this week against Pittsburgh. And Denver isn’t full strength.

Center Tom Nalen and receiver Javon Walker are definitely out. Cornerback Champ Bailey practiced only once in the past two weeks with a thigh injury. Meanwhile, the Steelers must be excited to run the ball against Denver’s 32nd-ranked rush defense. Willie Parker is averaging more than 100 yards a game and should get enough carries to get 100 this week.

Offensively, the Steelers don’t have a glaring weakness. Their passing defense is better than the past few years and the run defense is strong, as usual. If the Broncos can’t run the ball that will make things especially tough for quarterback Jay Cutler, who won’t have Walker to throw to.

If the Broncos win, they could start to turn around their season. But against a Pittsburgh team that has few weaknesses and matches up well against Denver, it’s tough to envision that happening.

Pittsburgh 28, Denver 20

Scouting the Steelers

2007-10-17T11:14:00.001-06:00

Some things in Pittsburgh have changed. They spread the field more on offense, the defense moves around before the snap on some plays. But the Steelers, under new coach Mike Tomlin, are still winning with the same basic tenets.

They run the ball very well. They are tough and physical on defense. And, after last year’s post Super Bowl hangover, they’re back among the top teams in the NFL at 4-1.

“We don’t care who gets the credit, we’re just trying to win,” Tomlin said.

Willie Parker has been very good at running back for Pittsburgh this season, with more than 100 yards per game. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s improvement is a big key for the Steelers. His first two years he was mostly a caretaker for the offense. Last year, when he was battling injuries and the Steelers were struggling, he threw a lot more and had 23 interceptions. This year he’s still throwing a lot and has nine touchdowns and three interceptions.

“He overcame adversity, that’s one thing he’s done,” Parker said. “He’s playing at a high level.”

Defensively, the Steelers play the same 3-4 defense they’ve used for many years, with three linemen and four linebackers. They rank in the top five in rush defense and pass defense and are first in the NFL in total defense by more than 20 yards per game.

“They’re playing hard and playing fast and playing together,” Tomlin said of his defense.

Nalen's injury hurts

2007-10-08T16:38:00.000-06:00

Since Mike Shanahan took over as Denver Broncos coach in 1995, either Tom Nalen or Ben Hamilton have started 196 of 197 regular-season games. Nalen and Hamilton, who started nine games at center in 2002 when Nalen was hurt, are both done for the rest of the season, which will affect the entire Broncos offense. Nalen has a torn biceps muscle, and Hamilton is on injured reserve with post-concussion symptoms.

The center position is one of the most important on offense. The center calls out the signals for the rest of the line, something Nalen could do easily after 194 career games. Of the three linemen in the organization who have some experience at center, none of them have played a down at the position in the NFL. Chris Myers is the likely replacement, and the last time he played center was in college. Even then, he split time between center, guard and tackle. Greg Eslinger and Mark Fenton were good college centers, but it’s asking a lot to promote them from the practice squad to the starting lineup. Denver could sign someone, but the available crop is thin five games into the season. And a veteran without knowledge of the Broncos’ zone blocking scheme would need some time to learn.

The change will affect everyone. Shanahan said whoever replaces Nalen will have to spend extra time with quarterback Jay Cutler. Last year, Cutler and Nalen hadn’t worked much together before Jake Plummer was benched, and there were numerous quarterback-center exchange problems in Cutler’s first few games. That could be an issue in the Broncos’ next few games as Cutler gets used to a new center.

And the Broncos’ running game will be affected. Nalen coordinated the calls and executed them well, and Shanahan called him the greatest center to play the game. Nalen doesn’t talk much to the media and hasn’t gotten a lot of attention because he’s a lineman, but his absence will have a huge impact on the rest of the Broncos’ season.

Week 5 prediction

2007-10-05T10:45:00.000-06:00

If the Denver Broncos win this week, it would be a pretty satisfying victory, one that could catapult them into the last two-and-a-half months of the season. Key players are hurting, the team has been getting ripped after two straight losses, and star running back Travis Henry is reportedly in a court battle that could end in him being suspended for a year over a positive drug test.

Will the Broncos pull it together to win? Stopping LaDainian Tomlinson this week seems to be tough to imagine unless there are major improvements in the run defense, which hasn’t been good all season. San Diego is a talented team, capable of breaking out despite a 1-3 record. The Chargers have the same sense of urgency this week as the Broncos, maybe more.

Denver has to get in the end zone a few times, maybe create some turnovers and at least slow down Tomlinson for a chance to win. But this seems like a week that the Chargers finally get back on track.

Prediction: Chargers 28, Broncos 24

Week 4 prediction

2007-09-28T12:22:00.000-06:00

Before last week, I thought the Broncos had a chance at the upset in Indianapolis. But it’s too tough to go on the road and beat a team like the Colts when you can’t stop the run.

The Colts’ passing offense gets all the attention, but they have always been able to run the ball, from Edgerrin James to Dominic Rhodes and now with Joseph Addai. Addai has 271 yards in three games and he should get plenty of carries against Denver’s struggling run defense. So even if the Broncos’ cornerback duo of Champ Bailey and Dre Bly is finally the answer to Denver’s problems stopping Peyton Manning, it might not matter if Addai has a big game.

The Broncos have the offense to compete, unlike their last two playoff debacles at Indianapolis. At some point, the Broncos will put up a bunch of points. It wouldn’t be a surprise if this is the week Denver’s offense breaks out, and it’s still not enough to beat the defending champs.

Prediction: Indianapolis 34, Denver 28