FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/ New Broncos Defensive Coaches Take Over http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2007/01/11/new-broncos-defensive-coaches-move/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2007/01/11/new-broncos-defensive-coaches-move/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2007/01/11/new-broncos-defensive-coaches-move/#comments Gabe Steinby Gabe Stein

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Well, Shanhan's already been busy this off-season. Following up on the earlier story about the firing of Larry Coyer, yesterday Shanahan also fired defensive line coach Andre Patterson, which I also think is a good move. The line was far in a way the weakest link in the Broncos defense. They were never able to rush four and get any pressure at all on quarterbacks, and Coyer was too predictable and wouldn't call a blitz to make up for it.

Mike Shanahan's new people have now moved in. Taking over as defensive coordinator is defensive back's coach Bob Slowik. I don't know a lot about Slowik, but I think promoting the person who runs one of the best parts of the defensive is, inherently, a pretty solid idea. However, Shanahan also brought in Jim Bates, a 14-year coach in the NFL, to be assistant coach of the defense, and word on the street is that he'll have most of the defensive control, just like Mike Heimerdinger, the assistant coach of the offense, has more control of the offense than the current offensive coordinator.

I don't honestly know a ton about Bates. He was the interim head coach during the 2004 Miami debacle, but his most recent stint was as Green Bay's defensive coordinator. Of course, it's hard to know how much his season at the Pack reflects how good he is, because that team's great defensive tradition has fallen on hard times recently. But what we do know is that Shanahan has been connected to Bates for some time. Bates' son works as an assistant for the Broncos, so it's plausible at least to think that Shanahan has been targeting him since earlier this year when the defense started its collapse.

The one thing I want address about this is that while I agree with the defensive shakeup in general, I don't think that's where the work needs to end. Larry Coyer and Andre Patterson weren't solely responsible for the lack of defense late in the season. I think Shanny's Cleveland experiment has failed. The Broncos need some new personnel on the offensive line, and Shanahan shouldn't stop overhauling the defense until we have the players and the coaches that can put the Broncos in a position to be successful rushing the quarterback.

 

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]]> Andre PattersonAndrePattersonBob SlowikBobSlowikDenver BroncosDenverBroncosGreen Bay PackersGreenBayPackersJim BatesJimBatesLarry CoyerLarryCoyerMiami DolphinsMiamiDolphinsMike ShanahanMikeShanahan Gabe Stein gabe-stein 2007-01-11T08:47:00 00:00 Coyer Done As Broncos Defensive Coordinator http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2007/01/09/coyer-done-as-broncos-defensive-coordinator/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2007/01/09/coyer-done-as-broncos-defensive-coordinator/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2007/01/09/coyer-done-as-broncos-defensive-coordinator/#comments Gabe Steinby Gabe Stein

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Remember a week ago when I posted that the Denver season was defined by defense, not offense? Later on during the this playoff-less post-season stupor, I'll get to dissecting the move to put Cutler in at QB. Afterall, it was a pretty big deal. But it wasn't as big of a deal as the defense that, in the final ten games of the season, could not stop an opponent from driving down the field when it mattered.

The base defense, especially in final-minute situations, was too predictable, too conservative, and well, too basic. The story of the Indy, Kansas City, San Francisco, and at least the first San Diego game was that the defensive line couldn't get near the opposing quarterback, and no one on the sidelines (or up in a box, as the case might be) was adjusting. The story was predictable all throughout the year, and yet the Broncos never blitzed, hurried or even attempted to do more than rush four at the quarterback when it mattered.

I implicated the coaching staff in all of this, and now it looks like someone agrees with me. Coach Mike Shanahan, apparently, because Larry Coyer, the Broncos' four-year defensive coach (and former linebacking coach) is gone.

It'll no doubt be interesting to hear your reactions to this - that is, the fans who prasied Shanahan for being able to win with Plummer early in the season, then begged Shanahan to give Cutler a shot, and then criticized the coach for putting Cutler in and being too conservative with his play calling. So Broncos Country, is this Shanny doing the right thing, or just dumping the blame off on someone else? For what it's worth, my opinion is that this is definitely something that needed to happen this off season.

 

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]]> Denver BroncosDenverBroncosLarry CoyerLarryCoyer Gabe Stein gabe-stein 2007-01-09T19:37:00 00:00 Broncos Season Starts and Ends With Defense http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2007/01/02/broncos-season-starts-and-ends-with-defense/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2007/01/02/broncos-season-starts-and-ends-with-defense/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2007/01/02/broncos-season-starts-and-ends-with-defense/#comments Gabe Steinby Gabe Stein

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I don't want to distract anyone from the real news - Darrent Williams was shot and killed outside of a club in Denver at around 2 a.m on Monday. Our condolences to his family. But regardless of the tragedy, the Broncos will play next year. The show will go on, as they say. And so will this show.

No matter what people tell you, and no matter what the idiots say about the state of the offense or Mike Shanahan's choice to switch quarterbacks, don't believe them. This season was all about defense. At the start of the year, it was about a defense that just didn't let opposing offenses score. By the end of the year, especially after successive injuries to Sam Brandon and Nick Ferguson in the secondary, it was about a defense that couldn't stop the run, and couldn't stop teams in late winning drives.

In fact, I posted about both things last week. And sure enough, the defense couldn't stop Frank Gore (153 yards), and they couldn't stop San Francisco's offense as they drove into field goal range late in the overtime period. As Alex Smith dropped back to pass just outside of field goal range, on third down, the Broncos put no pressure on the young quarterback and he completed the pass that secured the game for San Francisco.

Even when the niners were ahead by four points with ten minutes left in the game, the defense couldn't give the Broncos offense a chance to win, letting San Francisco drive into field goal range to make it a seven point difference. This from a defense that was known early in the season for being able to make up for lackluster offensive play. So when Jay Cutler calmly lead the Broncos on a crucial 80-yard touchdown drive, all he could do was tie the game and send the Broncos into overtime.

You can say all you want about the offense that sputtered in the red zone, and gave up another interception for a touchdown. It's probably true that the Broncos should have scored 20 more points than they did. But with the game and the season on the line, the Broncos defense didn't even try to put pressure on Alex Smith. Whether it's bad coaching or lack of a defensive line, it's clear that the Broncos didn't deserve to go to the playoffs. And you can bet filling the holes on defense will be Shanahan's primary focus this off-season.

 

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]]> alex smithAlexSmithdarrent williamsDarrentWilliamsdenver broncosDenverBroncosfrank goreFrankGorejay cutlerJayCutlermike shanahanMikeShanahannick fergusonNickFergusonsam brandonSamBrandonsan francisco 49ersSanFrancisco49ers Gabe Stein gabe-stein 2007-01-02T14:50:00 00:00 Broncos Get No Relief With Frank Gore http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/29/broncos-get-no-relief-with-frank-gore/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/29/broncos-get-no-relief-with-frank-gore/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/29/broncos-get-no-relief-with-frank-gore/#comments Gabe Steinby Gabe Stein

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I know I just lampooned the defensive line for its lousy pass coverage late in games, but I do have to give them a break because of one thing: the Broncos have faced virtually all of the league's biggest, toughest running backs in the last few weeks, and when you look at it, this schedule could wear out any defensive line.

In case you're wondering, here's the list, starting six weeks ago: LaDainian Tomlinson, Larry Johnson, Shaun Alexander, and a repeat of Tomlinson. Then the Broncos got a "break" against Edge and Rudi Johnson. During the four-game stretch starting and ending with Tomlinson, the Broncos defense allowed an average of 113 rushing yards to their opponent's top runners, and lost all four games.

In the Broncos' longest winning streak this season, a five-game tear from weeks 2 to 7, the defense allowed an average of just 56 yards per game to top backs. Coincidence? Not at all. Even though the Broncos played some of those games against good running backs (they allowed 126 yards in the win over Larry Johnson and the Chiefs), the majority of them were against mediocre ones. When the team has faced a big running back behind a good offensive line this year, they've been absolutely run over.

Next week, the Broncos will face Frank Gore, who despite being on one of the NFC's worst teams (come on, they lost to the Cardinals), is the NFC's lead rusher. Gore can't carry San Francisco alone, but you can bet the Niners will try to exploit the weak running game this Sunday. If they're successful, the game might be a lot closer than anyone in Broncos Country wants.

This all brings me back to my point about the defensive line - something's got to change. The Broncos linebacking corps is really fast, so teams aren't running it outside anymore. They're stuffing it up the middle or running to the middle and cutting outside, and it's working. Yeah, the line has been beat up pretty bad late in the season, but if they can't stop Frank Gore on Sunday, I don't care if they win. They're not going to go very far in the playoffs because almost every playoff team in the AFC has one thing in common - a big running back that has torn up Denver's line.

 

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]]> Arizona CardinalsArizonaCardinalsCincinatti BengalsCincinattiBengalsDenver BroncosDenverBroncosEdgerin JamesEdgerinJamesFrank GoreFrankGoreKansas City ChiefsKansasCityChiefsLaDainian TomlinsonLadainianTomlinsonRudi JohnsonRudiJohnsonSan Diego ChargersSan Francisco 49ersSanDiegoChargersSanFrancisco49ersSeattle SeahawksSeattleSeahawksShaun AlexanderShaunAlexander Gabe Stein gabe-stein 2006-12-29T17:40:00 00:00 Denver's D-Line Should Have Cost Them the Game http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/25/denvers-d-line-should-have-cost-them-the-game/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/25/denvers-d-line-should-have-cost-them-the-game/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/25/denvers-d-line-should-have-cost-them-the-game/#comments Gabe Steinby Gabe Stein

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This is a point that Sam and I disagree on, and he'll post a counterpoint later on, but here's the scenario for me. It's late in the fourth quarter, the Broncos are ahead by a score, and the other team has the ball with two minutes left. Sound familiar? It's the way we lost against Indy and San Diego, and the way we might have lost if the Bengals hadn't miffed an extra point. This years' Bronco defense is fairly good when offenses are in their normal sets. But when they get into their two minute drill, the defense has been powerless to stop teams all season long.

The reason is that our line gets no pressure on the quarterback, and Layer Coyer is too conservative to call blitzes late in the game. Once again on Sunday, Carson Palmer had all the time in the world to sit back and wait for his receivers to find an opening once the Bengals started their last drive from the Broncos' ten yard line. I don't care how good your secondary is - if you give a quarterback, and especially good receivers like Cincinatti has, that much time, they are going to beat you.

During that last sequence, Denver's defensive line didn't get anywhere near Carson Palmer. The key to disrupting a two minute drill is making the quarterback feel rushed - making him really feel the time winding down as he scrambles for his life. And most importantly, you have to get to the quarterback before his receivers find a way to exploit that soft zone, and make him wait to throw until the secondary can recover. But the Broncos haven't done it all season. In fact, they've been down right pitiful at getting to the quarterback, and it's cost the team several games already. It might have cost them this one, too, if Cincinatti hadn't been so self destructive.

In my opinion, this is the team's biggest weakness, and one of the first things Shanahan needs to address during the off-season, either by finding some new personnel or finding a defensive coordinator who's not so conservative late in games. Clearly, Shanny's Cleveland experiment is not working, so the Broncos need to find another way to patch up their D-line if they want to be a complete team next year.

 

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]]> carson palmerCarsonPalmercincinatti bengalsCincinattiBengalsdefensive lineDefensiveLineDenver BroncosDenverBroncoslarry coyerLarryCoyermike shanahanMikeShanahan Gabe Stein gabe-stein 2006-12-25T12:42:00 00:00 Grading Cutler: Week Four http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/25/grading-cutler-week-four/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/25/grading-cutler-week-four/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/25/grading-cutler-week-four/#comments Gabe Steinby Gabe Stein

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Cutler's fourth week marked the rookie's second win, bringing his career numbers to 2-2. Though the Broncos won the game against Cincinatti largely due to the Bengal's own incompetence, Cutler played no small part in the victory. The rookie's line on the day: 12/23, 179 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT. Now he's turning heads - even the gargantuan head of John Clayton.

Positives: Cutler continued to look confident and the complexity of both the plays he ran successfully and the throws he completed increased this week. Jay continued his streak of throwing two touchdowns per game, making him the first rookie in NFL history to do so in his first four starts. Cutler has now thrown eight touchdowns on the season, and just three picks. In 11 games, Jake Plummer had only 11 touchdowns, compared to 12 interceptions. The rookie also showed remarkable poise coming back to lead the Broncos on four scoring drives after being intercepted on the first play of the game.

And in the game's defining moment, with the Broncos down 17-14 and starting from their own one yard line, Cutler lead the Broncos on a 99 yard touchdown drive, passing for 60 of those yards. In addition, Cutler continued to show off his ability to throw down the field, connecting with Javon Walker for 39 yards and Brandon Marshall for 37.

Negatives: Cutler threw an early interception for the second straight week, this time on the first play of the game. This time, the interception was all his fault - he double-pumped and waited too long to throw the ball to Brandon Marshall, allowing Dexter Jackson to make a play on the ball. Cutler also fumbled the ball once under center, proving that he still has work to do getting used to Tom Nalen. On a few plays, Cutler overthrew his target or tried to force balls to receivers that could have been picked off. Once again, he needs to learn to move around a little bit to buy more time, or try using his speed to run the ball for a short gain when receivers aren't open, instead of forcing the ball. Cutler also couldn't lead the team down the field late in the game when another score would have basically sealed the game for the Broncos. A lot of this was very conservative play calling by Shanahan, something that has to stop. But Cutler also has to learn to look for first downs, not big gains or short passes, on those drives late in the game.

Improvement Over Week 3? Not statistically. But remember - even if Cincinatti's defense isn't the best in the league, they are definitely better, or at least played better on Sunday, than Arizona. Mentally, Cutler played another sharp game, and his stats weren't bad at all. He played a large part in all three Broncos touchdowns, and showed his ability to perform well under pressure during the aforementioned 99-yard drive. The real question is, would Plummer have given us a better chance to win the game? The answer is no. Cutler's play was certainly one of the brightest points of the game for the Broncos, and the big drive was by far the best of the season for the Broncos. Plummer never sustained a long drive this season like Cutler did, especially during such a crucial part of the game, and Plummer probably would not have been able to complete the long passes to Walker and Marshall, which lead to the other two Denver touchdowns.

 

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]]> brandon marshallBrandonMarshallcincinatti bengalsCincinattiBengalsdenver broncosDenverBroncosjavon walkerJavonWalkerjay cutlerJayCutlerjohn claytonJohnClayton Gabe Stein gabe-stein 2006-12-25T08:00:00 00:00 Chad vs. Champ: Bailey Comes Out On Top http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/24/chad-vs-champ-bailey-comes-out-on-top/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/24/chad-vs-champ-bailey-comes-out-on-top/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/24/chad-vs-champ-bailey-comes-out-on-top/#comments Gabe Steinby Gabe Stein

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It was the most talked about matchup of the day: recently named pro-bowler Chad "Ocho Cinco" Johnson against recently named pro-bowler Champ Bailey. Even though it wasn't Bailey's best game of the season, he "won" the contest, and it's not even close.

That said, I need to qualify my statement. Chad Johnson did find openings in the defense - enough that had the Bengals offense been able to execute, he would have probably been declared the winner. But as it stands, Chad finished the game with three receptions for just 32 yards. And in a defining moment when the Bengals chose to test Champ Bailey one-on-one by forcing the ball to Johnson, Bailey jumped the ball and recorded his eighth interception of the year.

As I said before, Johnson did get open - but only when the Broncos were playing in zone coverage or when the Bengals ran out of tricky formations to isolate Johnson against a different defensive back. After the interception, the Bengals didn't really test Champ again, and the stats speak for themselves: only three catches on the day for Ocho Cinco.

I think Bailey's performance in this matchup makes a pretty good case for Champ as the NFL defensive player of the year. No one else shuts receivers down, makes the interceptions, and still tackles as well (6 against the Bengals) as Champ Bailey.

 

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]]> chad johnsonChadJohnsonchamp baileyChampBaileycincinatti bengalsCincinattiBengalsdenver broncosDenverBroncos Gabe Stein gabe-stein 2006-12-24T21:00:00 00:00 'There's Going to Be Snow in the Bowl' http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/23/theres-going-to-be-snow-in-the-bowl/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/23/theres-going-to-be-snow-in-the-bowl/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/23/theres-going-to-be-snow-in-the-bowl/#comments Gabe Steinby Gabe Stein

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For all of you who don't know - it snowed hard, really hard, in Denver this week. The city saw at least 24 inches of snow over 48 hours, making the storm one of the worst in Denver history. The Broncos have been practicing in their Dove Valley indoor bubble - but apparently it's been tough for the crews at Invesco Field. Yesterday the Broncos sent an e-mail warning fans of a few things about Sunday's game. But they weren't quite straight forward about it.
We would like all fans to know, that though these efforts continue, we do anticipate that snow will be present in many areas of the stadium, including in seating areas and around individual seats.
We do anticipate that snow will be present? Just give it to me straight, doctor. Will Broncos fans literally be sitting in huge piles of snow? The 'answer' from Joe Ellis, head of business ops:
"We would like everyone to be festive, enthusiastic and understanding."
Uh-oh...
"There's going to be snow in the bowl. People need to wear boots or warm shoes."
There you have it people, there's going to be snow in the bowl. What he really means is, your feet are going to be f--ing cold!! If you're going to the game, you'd better be wearing wool socks and heavy boots with foot warmers - and with the amount of snow that fell, I'd advise sneaking in a shovel too, just in case.

 

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]]> 2006AurariablizzardDenver BroncosDenverBroncosInvesco FieldInvescoFieldPepsi CenterPepsiCenterSix Flags Elitch GardensSixFlagsElitchGardens Gabe Stein gabe-stein 2006-12-23T13:11:00 00:00 Williams, Meadows Likely to Start for the Broncos http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/22/williams-meadows-likely-to-start-for-the-broncos/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/22/williams-meadows-likely-to-start-for-the-broncos/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/22/williams-meadows-likely-to-start-for-the-broncos/#comments Gabe Steinby Gabe Stein

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The injury report for this week's game against the Bengals is in - and it's good news all around for the Broncos. Darrent Williams will likely make his return to the lineup just in time to cover T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and it'll be interesting to see how Mike Shanhan handles the situation. Last week, the Broncos successfully contained the Cardinals' outstanding receiving pair of Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald without Williams, who's claim to fame this season was being torched by Reggie Wayne when the Colts came into town. I'm betting we'll see a lot of Domonique Foxworth (maybe playing safety like he did against the Chargers?) on Sunday, especially because Williams is still recovering from his toe injury.

Adam Meadows will also likely be available this weekend after missing a few games with hamstring problems. Just before Meadows was injured, he was promoted ahead of George Foster, who has been one of the weakest links in Denver's offensive line this year. Last week that line produced just 106 rushing yards for a team that normally racks up at least 150, so we could see Meadows starting ahead of Foster again, or possibly in place of Erik Pears, who took over when Matt Lepsis was injured earlier this season. Either way, the Broncos must re-establish the run if they want to win against Cincinatti.

Other notable Broncos on the list: Stephen Alexander is probable coming off of a rib injury, Jason Elam is still recovering (but probable to play) from his "rainbow right" hammy pull, Javon Walker looks to be ready after suffering a first degree shoulder separation last week, and as always, Al "Ironman" Wilson is ready to play despite his season-long thumb injury.

 

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]]> Adam MeadowsAdamMeadowsAl WilsonAlWilsonAnquan BoldinAnquanBoldinCincinatti BengalsCincinattiBengalsDarrent WilliamsDarrentWilliamsDenver BroncosDenverBroncosDomonique FoxworthDomoniqueFoxworthErik PearsErikPearsGeorge FosterGeorgeFosterJason ElamJasonElamJavon WalkerJavonWalkerLarry FitzgeraldLarryFitzgeraldMatt LepsisMattLepsisMike ShanahanMikeShanahanrainbow rightRainbowRightSan Diego ChargersSanDiegoChargersStephen AlexanderStephenAlexanderT.J. HoushmandzadehT.j.Houshmandzadeh Gabe Stein gabe-stein 2006-12-22T14:53:00 00:00 No Excuse is Too Shallow for Al Davis to Snipe at Mike Shanahan http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/22/no-excuse-is-too-shallow-for-al-davis-to-snipe-at-mike-shanahan/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/22/no-excuse-is-too-shallow-for-al-davis-to-snipe-at-mike-shanahan/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/22/no-excuse-is-too-shallow-for-al-davis-to-snipe-at-mike-shanahan/#comments Gabe Steinby Gabe Stein

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Mile High Report and FanHouse's own Adam Rank have already picked up on this - but Adam Schefter, former columnist for the Denver Post, has clearly struck a nerve with Al Davis by writing on NFL.com that the Raiders...might be firing Art Shell.

Not exactly earth-shattering or confidential news given the Raiders' 2-12 record and the complete disaster that has defined every aspect of Shell's tenure this season. Well, surprise surprise, Al Davis had something to say about this report, unlike everything else involving his team, so the Raiders released this statement in response to Schefter's article:
Adam Schefter has always been a false rumor monger with respect to the Raiders and Anti-Raider bias based upon his relationship with Denver and Mike Shanahan. No decisions have been made relative to the 2007 Oakland Raiders nor will they be made for some time. Adam Schefter could not have gotten his information from a 'reliable source' because there's only one reliable source and he doesn't trust Adam.
I'm glad the Raiders really debunked this "out there" rumor by saying they haven't made a decision yet. But Davis is also using this opportunity to reaffirm a startling policy very few fans knew existed: Al Davis does not like Mike Shanahan. Woh. To quote Ricky Bobby: "That. Just. Happened!"

Hopefully for Broncos fans, Al Davis will be tempted to bring Art Shell back for another season just to spite Mike Shanahan and that 'false rumor monger' he's in cahoots with. Because Art's just done a wonderful job for the Raiders this year - and as a Broncos fan, with all the respect I have for the Oakland organization, I hope to see a lot more of the same from the Silver and Black in years to come.

 

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]]> Adam SchefterAdamSchefterAl DavisAlDavisArt ShellArtShellDenver BroncosDenverBroncosMike ShanahanMikeShanahanOakland RaidersOaklandRaiders Gabe Stein gabe-stein 2006-12-22T05:50:00 00:00 Champ Bailey and Chad Johnson: Best Matchup of the Year? http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/21/champ-bailey-and-chad-johnson-best-matchup-of-the-year/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/21/champ-bailey-and-chad-johnson-best-matchup-of-the-year/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/21/champ-bailey-and-chad-johnson-best-matchup-of-the-year/#comments Gabe Steinby Gabe Stein

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It can't be true - but the words coming out of Chad Johnson's mouth seem to indicate that the league's leading receiver might have some respect for the league's best cornerback. Then again, it could just be a trap. The one thing we do know for sure is that Sunday's game between the Broncos and the Bengals is going to feature one of the most exciting one-on-one matchups of the year between Ocho Cinco and Champ Bailey.

Last time the two met, Johnson torched Bailey, snatching 149 yards and one TD. You can bet Champ remembers it, and this time he'll be pumped to stop Johnson in his tracks. So who has the edge? It depends more on the Broncos offense than anything. We know that the Bengals will go to Johnson regardless of who's covering him - but the Broncos pass defense, which is arguably their strongest unit, gets worse as the game goes on and they get tired out and go to their zone coverage. If the offense stays on the field long enough, the defense might be able to deal with Cincinatti's dynamic passing game - and Champ, for his part, should be able to cover Johnson if the Broncos let him stay in man coverage (he's covered everyone else effectively). If they don't, it usually means the other team's offense is rolling, which in this case could be very bad for the Broncos.

Actually, I'm more concerned about Darrent Williams (who should be healthy again) covering T.J. Houshmandzadeh on the other side. Williams was burned by Reggie Wayne when the Colts rolled into town, while Champ Bailey kept Marvin Harrison fairly silent. Regardless, the Bailey/Johnson matchup is going to be one of the most intriguing of the year - and if Bailey does shut down 85, it'll be interesting to see if the Bengals keep their promise by trying to force the ball to Johnson, or risk pissing him off by exploiting Darrent Williams on the other side with Houshmandzadeh. I guess we'll find out.

 

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]]> 85Chad JohnsonChadJohnsonChamp BaileyChampBaileyCincinatti BengalsCincinattiBengalsDarrent WilliamsDarrentWilliamsDenver BroncosDenverBroncoseighty fiveEightyFiveIndianapolis ColtsIndianapolisColtsMarvin HarrisonMarvinHarrisonOcho CincoOchoCincoReggie WayneReggieWayneT.J. HoushmandzadehT.j.Houshmandzadeh Gabe Stein gabe-stein 2006-12-21T07:30:00 00:00 Podcast: Snow Hits Denver (Almost) As Hard As Jay Cutler Hit the Cardinals http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/21/podcast-snow-hits-denver-almost-as-hard-as-jay-cutler-hit-the/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/21/podcast-snow-hits-denver-almost-as-hard-as-jay-cutler-hit-the/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/21/podcast-snow-hits-denver-almost-as-hard-as-jay-cutler-hit-the/#comments Gabe Steinby Gabe Stein

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Yes, it's that time of year - time for snow, time for the holidays, time for family, and most importantly, time to discuss Broncos playoff implications. Well, that and Jay Cutler's performance against Arizona is the subject of the latest Broncos AOL FanHouse podcast.

Listen to the Broncos AOL FanHouse Podcast.

But the real news around Denver is SNOW, and lots of it (according to Sam's calculations, about a billion inches). Yes, that picture you see above is of my porch, ...or at least, of the mounds of snow covering my porch. Note that the snow inside the porch is almost up over the porch wall, which is in turn covered by a plainly visible, two-foot or so wall of snow. Also take a look at the roof, which has its own massive drift of snow - oh, and to top all of this off, it's still coming down!

But anyhow, thanks to the wonderful technological achievement that is the internet, we've been able to bring you this podcast without roughing the elements. So enjoy, and if you're in Denver tonight, stay inside and stay warm.

 

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]]> Blizzard 2007Blizzard2007Brandon MarshallBrandonMarshallCincinatti BengalsCincinattiBengalsDenverDenver BroncosDenverBroncosJacksonville JaguarsJacksonvilleJaguarsJavon WalkerJavonWalkerJay CutlerJayCutlerKansas City ChiefsKansasCityChiefsMiami DolphinsMiamiDolphinsNew England PatriotsNew York JetsNewEnglandPatriotsNewYorkJetsNFL PlayoffsNflPlayoffsPodcastSan Diego ChargersSanDiegoChargersSnowTony SchefflerTonyScheffler Gabe Stein gabe-stein 2006-12-21T00:15:00 00:00 Denver Broncos: Playoff Bound? http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/19/denver-broncos-playoff-bound/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/19/denver-broncos-playoff-bound/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/19/denver-broncos-playoff-bound/#comments Gabe Steinby Gabe Stein

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The real news isn't that the Broncos beat the Cardinals - I think that was expected. The news is that San Diego beat Kansas City, meaning that if the playoffs started today, the Broncos would be in. This also means that the Broncos control their own destiny. They have two games remaining - one against the Cincinatti Bengals, and one against the San Francisco 49ers.

Neither of the two games will be easy, especially the one against Cincinatti, who played Indy last night. But the good news is that the Broncos have three distinct advantages: first, they have one more day to rest than the Bengals do, second, Jay Cutler now has one more game under his belt, and finally, they will be playing at home. Actually, the Broncos haven't played particularly well at Invesco this year, but you have to bet they'll be pumped to essentially play for a playoff birth in front of the homeys.

Denver should be expected to win the game against San Francisco - but the niners are hardly the horrible team they were a year ago. Alex Smith and Frank Gore are two very good young players that can beat you if you let them, and the defense isn't horrible.

Still, the ball's in our court, the weight is on our shoulders, and with a little luck this team could make it to the playoffs. And if you watched football last year, you know the drill - anything can happen once the playoffs start.

 

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]]> Alex SmithAlexSmithCincinatti BengalsCincinattiBengalsDenver BroncosDenverBroncosFrank GoreFrankGoreJay CutlerJayCutlerKansas City ChiefsKansasCityChiefsNFL PlayoffsNflPlayoffsSan Diego ChargersSan Francisco 49ersSanDiegoChargersSanFrancisco49ers Gabe Stein gabe-stein 2006-12-19T07:40:00 00:00 Grading Cutler: Week Three http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/18/grading-cutler-week-three/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/18/grading-cutler-week-three/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/18/grading-cutler-week-three/#comments Gabe Steinby Gabe Stein

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Jay Cutler's third week of play was against the Arizona Cardinals, and he put on his best performance yet, showing poise and a lot of talent. He also got his first career win of what will be hopefully many more to come, and despite it all, there are still a lot of areas where he can improve. That's really good news.

Positives: The line (21/31, 261 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT) speaks for itself: Cutler played his best game of the year so far against the Cardinals, and indeed the best game a Broncos quarterback has played this year. Part of it can be attributed to a bad Arizona defense, but the Cardinals are still an NFL defense, and Cutler looked entirely calm and completed a lot of tough passes that Jake Plummer could have never made, taking complete advantage of the porous Arizona defense. The big pluses of his performance were two beautiful touchdown passes - one on a timing route to Rod Smith that was thrown perfectly, and another on a long ball where Cutler out-threw the coverage and let Javon Walker run under the ball in stride. Both were passes that Plummer would have struggled to execute.

Cutler showed improved ability to find the open receiver down the field instead of relying heavily on his check-down guys, and it made a big difference in the game: Cutler made several clutch third and long passes that extended drives, something that Jake Plummer could not do this season. Jay also showed his increasing connection between fellow rookies Tony Scheffler and Brandon Marshall, hooking up with the two future staples for 58 yards each on a combined 8 passes. If this trend continues, the future of the Bronco offense is very bright indeed.

Negatives: The interception bug bit again on a throw down the field to Brandon Marshall where Marshall split inside and Cutler thought he was going straight up. The good news is, this is definitely an area where Cutler can easily improve just by playing more games with his receiving corps. Cutler also fumbled the ball again while he was in his throwing motion. Fortunately it was recovered by the Broncos, but the rookie has to learn to make a quick throw or move when the pocket is collapsing around him. This really hurt the team against the Seahawks and San Diego, who both have better pass rushes than the Cardinals.

Improvement Over Week 2? Oh yeah. Not only did he just look generally more confident than last week, but he made better, more complex passes, and saw the field better. In fact, Cutler played almost flawlessly save one interception, and showed why Shanahan made the move to him in the first place. Yes, this is the Cardinals defense we're talking about - but the Cardinals deliberately stuffed the run (pretty effectively, too) and dared Cutler to beat them, and Jay ran all over the 'Birds. Teams did the same thing with Jake Plummer all season long, but he showed no ability to take control of a game and beat another team like Cutler did last Sunday. Jay has already shown that he has the tools to beat you if you dare him too, and you can bet other teams were watching. His performance in this game should really open up the run for the Broncos, because defenses should now be pretty scared of the revitalized passing attack.

 

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]]> Arizona CardinalsArizonaCardinalsCincinatti BengalsCincinattiBengalsDenver BroncosDenverBroncosJake PlummerJakePlummerJay CutlerJayCutlerMike ShanahanMikeShanahan Gabe Stein gabe-stein 2006-12-18T23:05:00 00:00 Broncos Defense or Cardinals Offense Responsible for Arizona's 20 Points? http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/18/broncos-defense-recovery-or-just-the-cardinals-offense/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/18/broncos-defense-recovery-or-just-the-cardinals-offense/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/18/broncos-defense-recovery-or-just-the-cardinals-offense/#comments Gabe Steinby Gabe Stein

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After a few pretty lousy performances on defense, Denver turned in a pretty good game yesterday afternoon, at least on paper. They allowed just 20 points, held the entire Arizona team to exactly 100 yards rushing, picked Leinart off twice, and sacked him three times.

Generally, when you hold an opponent to 20 points, you say it's a good game defensively - but this isn't your average opponent, and for a large part of the season, this wasn't your average defense. And besides, you can make the argument that a lot of the reason the Cardinals only scored 20 points was that our offense held the ball long enough to score 37. The question is really whether the game represents a defensive rebound, or just the same mediocre play in front of a worse opponent.

If you look at it one way, Arizona has so far averaged just 19.1 points per game throughout the season, meaning holding them to 20 points is just, well, average. But Jim Nantz and Phil Simms are right in saying that the team has played much better of late. Coming into Sunday, Arizona averaged 29 points in its last three games - which means that at the very least, Denver's defense was able to stop a sort of a streak. And in a very positive sign, the pass rush put consistent pressure on an offensive line that had been playing very well in the previous three games.

So I guess it's not like the defense was entirely dominant - but they played well, and it's a good start after a series of pretty weak games. It comes at the right time, too. The entire unit is going to need to play better, especially in the secondary, if the Broncos want to win next week against Cincinatti.

 

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]]> arizona cardinalsArizonaCardinalscincinatti bengalsCincinattiBengalsdefensedenver broncosDenverBroncosjay cutlerJayCutlermatt leinartMattLeinart Gabe Stein gabe-stein 2006-12-18T17:54:00 00:00 Grading Cutler: Week Two http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/13/grading-cutler-week-two/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/13/grading-cutler-week-two/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/13/grading-cutler-week-two/#comments Gabe Steinby Gabe Stein

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I know I didn't do this in week one - but from here on out, it's going to be a staple. Last Sunday, Cutler took on (arguably) the best team in the NFL, and the Broncos easily lost to the Chargers. But Cutler's play was one of the few bright points of the game for the Broncos, and with the exception of Tatum Bell, who turned in his usual strong performance, Cutler was the only Bronco on the field who played well. In fact, look at his line: 188 yards, 17/30, 2 touchdowns, no interceptions. This would have been a pretty good day for Jake Plummer, which is exactly why Cutler is in now - because he really isn't a substantial decrease over Plummer, and he can learn for next year at the same time.

Positives: He threw two touchdowns, and lead the team on four scoring drives, two over 70 yards. And all of this when the offensive line could do nothing to stop the fierce San Diego pass rush - hence why he spent most of his time out of the shotgun. He and Tatum Bell were the sole reason that the Broncos even made it a game after the first half where the defense allowed 28 points - his passes were crisp, and he looked much more poised and comfortable in the pocket than he did last week. The other exciting part of his play was that he seemed to be finding open receivers down field. Oh yeah, he didn't throw an interception - the last time Jake Plummer did that was against Pittsburgh, four starts ago.

Negatives: Cutler's still having trouble taking snaps from Tom Nalen - he fumbled snaps twice, which was a problem last week. He was also stripped of the ball late in the fourth quarter when Shawn Merriman came on a blitz, but we can hardly blame Cutler - Merriman was untouched and Cutler didn't have time to throw. Cutler also couldn't convert twice on fourth down. Once was when he was sacked before he even had a chance to look down field, and the other time was when he threw what was probably a poorly-advised ball right into the outstretched arms of Merriman, who was again untouched off the corner.

Improvement Over Week 1? Definitely. Aside from not throwing a pick, Cutler was effective leading the offense down the field four times, against a San Diego defense that has made established quarterbacks look far worse. He showed a good deal more accuracy and touch down the field than last week, and at least in the third quarter, he was hitting every open receiver. He still made a few mistakes, and was almost picked in the end zone (great catch by Scheffler), but overall it was an enormous improvement over his first week, and there were glimpses of the great quarterback he could become. If this is any indication, he'll be even better next week - especially against a lousy Arizona defense.

 

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]]> Denver BroncosDenverBroncosJay CutlerJayCutlerSan Diego ChargersSanDiegoChargersShawn MerrimanShawnMerriman Gabe Stein gabe-stein 2006-12-13T11:08:00 00:00 Two Broncos Play Well As Chargers Dominate Broncos http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/12/two-broncos-play-well-as-chargers-dominate-broncos/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/12/two-broncos-play-well-as-chargers-dominate-broncos/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/12/two-broncos-play-well-as-chargers-dominate-broncos/#comments Gabe Steinby Gabe Stein

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The Broncos got beat by the best team in football Sunday, and, at least late in the game, got ran over by the best player in the game. Mind you, I'm not taking back my previous statements at all - that's because my previous statement was that there's no excuse for this loss, and that we got drummed.

And it's true. In the first half, the defense fell apart. They actually contained LT pretty well - but they couldn't get any pressure on Phillip Rivers, and he ripped this so-called "awesome" secondary apart. The half ended 28-3, making it a pretty tough spot for rookie QB Jay Cutler, who looked rough at best throughout the first half.

But that didn't stay the same - Jay Cutler was one of two Broncos who actually ended up playing well (the other was Tatum Bell). To start the second half, he lead the Broncos on three straight scoring drives, two of over 70 yards. He finished with what we would have called a pretty good day for Jake Plummer - 17 of 30 for 188 yards with two TDs, and more importantly, no interceptions.

 

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]]> denver broncosDenverBroncosjake plummerJakePlummerjay cutlerJayCutlerkansas city chiefsKansasCityChiefsmike shanahanMikeShanahanSan Diego ChargersSanDiegoChargersseattle seahawksSeattleSeahawksShawne MerrimanShawneMerrimantatum bellTatumBell Gabe Stein gabe-stein 2006-12-12T10:42:00 00:00 LT's Record Marred by Shameless Score-Gouging http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/10/lts-record-marred-by-shameless-score-gouging/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/10/lts-record-marred-by-shameless-score-gouging/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/10/lts-record-marred-by-shameless-score-gouging/#comments Gabe Steinby Gabe Stein

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Don't take this the wrong way - I'm not criticizing LaDainian Tomlinson's talent, I'm not disputing his unbelievable record of 29 touchdowns in a season, and yes, I realize this post isn't going to make me very popular. I respect the entire Chargers team for what they've done this season (even if I don't like them that much), and especially LT, who's always given the Broncos fits - and the only reason I'm writing this post before anything else is that I'm lazy and this won't take too long...Anyhow to make a long story short, I'm disappointed with the way Tomlinson got the record.

When the Chargers got the ball back with just over three minutes left in the game and already leading by three touchdowns, they should have run three plays up the middle to take as much time off the clock as they could, and then kick the field goal. Instead, they ran a run to the outside that was designed to get LT the 29th touchdown immediately. I don't have a problem with LT getting the record, he's amazing. But this is supposed to be a professional league, and the coaches are supposed to be the most professional figures. This isn't the Pop Warner Super Bowl, this is the NFL. And as a coach in the NFL you do not uselessly drive up the score like Marty Schottenheimer did, especially if it's to get a record that the player is sure to get in the next three weeks anyways.

Everyone's been talking about how much of a class-act Tomlinson is, how hard he works, and how much he contributes to this team - so the fact that the front-runner for the MVP got his most celebrated touchdown of the season on a useless play that did nothing but drive up the score of a game that was already won must make everyone involved a little bit sick. Yeah, LT's a great back - but the entire team lost a lot of class on Sunday when they drove up the score so that Tomlinson could get a record that he was almost guaranteed to get in the next three weeks anyways - A record that he could have set when it meaned something. Hey, someone had to say it.

 

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]]> denver broncosDenverBroncosLaDainian TomlinsonLadainianTomlinsonmarty schottenheimerMartySchottenheimersan diego chargersSanDiegoChargers Gabe Stein gabe-stein 2006-12-10T19:52:00 00:00 Brandon Marshall's Heroics Could Be the Future http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/05/brandon-marshalls-heroics-could-be-the-future/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/05/brandon-marshalls-heroics-could-be-the-future/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/05/brandon-marshalls-heroics-could-be-the-future/#comments Gabe Steinby Gabe Stein

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Everyone was talking about the future before last week's game. Afterall, Jay Cutler, possible franchise quarterback for years to come, was starting his first game. But overshadowed in the hype over Cutler, and to some degree Tony Scheffler, Cutler's favorite pre-season taget, was wide receiver Brandon Marshall, one of this years' draft picks from Central Florida.

We know that the coaches think highly of Marshall, and with Rod Smith clearly slowing down this season with only 39 receptions and 388 yards so far, the rookie could be the replacement for the man who has defined the Broncos in the post-Elway era. And we got a taste of just what he can do last night. Late in the fourth quarter with the Broncos down by a touchdown, the outcome looked grim for the good guys. The offense, which had done nothing exciting all night, needed a hero.

Enter Brandon Marshall, 6'4", 230 lbs. He had been silent until what turned out to be the final drive of a the game for the Broncos. And then it happened. Marhsall took a little 6-yard out route, and with a brutal combination of speed, strength, and horrible, horrible tackling by Seattle, gave the Broncos a fresh glimmer of hope as he bolted 71 yards down the sideline for the score, which tied the game with the Jason Elam PAT. Of course, there were still over two minutes on the clock, and Seattle, as we all knew would happen, drove down the field and booted the winning fieldgoal with ten seconds left.

But let's not let Marshall's performance go by unnoticed and unexaggerated. It was something pretty special, and speaks highly of the team's future. It was heroic, it was magical, it was...Todd Devoe-esque. But sadly, Marshall wasn't the ultimate hero for the Broncos. No one was, they lost. Damn donkeys.

 

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]]> brandon marshallBrandonMarshalldenver broncosDenverBroncosjay cutlerJayCutlerseattle seahawksSeattleSeahawkstony schefflerTonyScheffler Gabe Stein gabe-stein 2006-12-05T09:00:00 00:00 Broncos Ailing More Than Al Wilson http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/04/broncos-ailing-more-than-al-wilson/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/04/broncos-ailing-more-than-al-wilson/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2006/12/04/broncos-ailing-more-than-al-wilson/#comments Gabe Steinby Gabe Stein

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The good news is that Al Wilson appears to be okay after suffering what's being called a sprained neck in Sunday night's game against the Seahawks. This AP article seems to indicate that the middle linebacker could return to practice as early as this Wednesday, and might even play against San Diego next week. This dude is clearly tougher than a bad piece of steak - he's already been playing through thumb and chest problems this season, and now may even play right on through a sprained neck. But it's great, obviously, for him and his family, to see that Al is alright after a very scary moment when he was strapped down, taken off the field, and rushed to an area hospital.

The bad news is that unlike Wilson, the Broncos are in serious trouble. After Al left and was replaced with Keith Burns, the Seahawks trampled over the defense, which has been struggling to close out games lately. So much for the unprecedented depth of this team. And next week, the Broncos will see LaDainian Tomlinson again, which ends the following string of running backs this defense has had to face in consecutive weeks: LT, Larry Johnson, Shawn Alexander, and an encore of LT. So far they've lost all of those games - coincidence? If the defense isn't completely burned out by now, they will be after next Sunday. Thank goodness they get a break in the following two weeks, before having to deal with Frank Gore, the NFC's leading rusher. Of course, the secondary will get their workout against Cincinatti, when Ocho Cinco and TJ Houshmandzadeh come to town.

In other injury news, Fullback Cecil Sapp is out for the year with a broken leg, meaning the oft-injured Kyle Johnson will be starting for the rest of the season. And Jason Elam should be okay after straining his hamstring on one of the most bizarre series of plays in Bronco history. More on that later.

 

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]]> al wilsonAlWilsoncecil sappCecilSappchamp baileyChampBaileydenver broncosDenverBroncosinjury reportInjuryReportjason elamJasonElamkyle johnsonKyleJohnsonseattle seahawksSeattleSeahawks Gabe Stein gabe-stein 2006-12-04T22:33:00 00:00