Greetings from MileHighReport - A few good questions with the Broncos Blogger

We can only hope, can’t we??

3. How strong is the Denver OL? Can we get a brief breakdown?

1. Moreno needs to get reps and lots of them. After briefly holding out in Training Camp, Moreno went through 3 days of practice before playing the first Pre-Season game in San Francisco, where he lasted 3 plays. In other words, Moreno just hasn’t gotten a lot of work, practice or otherwise. Moreno admitted last week he is only at 80% so he should get better as he get healthy, and the Broncos are going to give him as many opportunities within the game plan as possible.

I will say that Knowshon looks to be a little overwhelmed right now, but I expect he’ll get better as he gets more comfortable.

2. I’ll say this about Cincinnati’s defense – they are much faster this year than in the past. With Roy Williams in the back, and Rivers and Maualuga at Linebacker they fly around and are physical. How good they will be long-term remains to be seen but they seem to be buying in to what Mike Zimmer is trying to do.

1) Knowshon didn’t look hampered and he claims to be 100% this week. I think his struggles were due to him missing time because of the injury. He seems to still be adjusting to the game speed of the NFL.

2) I think the Bengals D will be strong again this year. They looked good against us, only giving us 3 decent drives the entire game. They had a mental lapse on the last play of the game, but other than that they were stout. I’m not sure if they will crack into the top 10 as a D this year but it’s possible. I think they are right around that 12 spot they earned last year though.

1. The Bengals did a lot of it to themselves. A chip-shot field goal that blew up because of a bad snap. Dropped passes and ill-timed penalties. It appeared, however, that as the game went on the Broncos got stronger, while the Bengals wilted a bit. The Bengals started having success when they spread the field, forcing the Broncos to play more zone. For most of the game the Benglas were in a 2-1 set(2 TE’s, 1 RB) and the Broncos were able to get to Carson Palmer.

2. Brandon looked a little lost out there to be sure. Despite that, he led the Broncos with 4 catches and had at least 2 drops. The Broncos are still looking for #15 and I think he could have a big game this week.

Yeah, that’s a good question.

Marshall looked like a guy that hadn’t really practiced or played in months. His timing was off and he looked to be thinking more than just playing the game. As I said above, he was still able to lead the team in catches and the Broncos will keep getting him involved. I think he could have a big game this week.

As for Orton, the finger is definitely bothering him. He had the stitches removed yesterday and the hope is, as he gets healthier, he’ll get more comfortable. Sunday was a huge hurdle.

Orton looked competent…the play calling lacking to me. The offense was getting stifled quite a bit by the dink-and-dunk plays being called. We had a couple medium range passes that looked good to TEs, but it seemed like we kept going back to the short game.

I’m hoping the offense starts opening up more as the weeks progress. It should be much more open with Marshall getting comfortable and our running game getting going.

To me, Orton looks a bit over-tentative in throwing downfield. Brandstater and Simms were more willing, and they know the system less than Orton does. But then again, maybe that’s because they know the system less than Orton does. We still don’t have a good idea of what McDaniels’ offensive system is going to be, given that it was so shut down by drops last week.

This one frustrating thing about McDaniel’s offense — RBBC. They seem to game plan from week-to-week and Hillis wasn’t in the plan for running the rock week 1. I agree though, he looks likes a real bruiser RB from what he did last season.

Hillis wasn’t as big a part of the offense as I thought he was going to be, but some of that, well most of that, has to do with he fact the Broncos couldn’t stay on the field offensively. I think it hurts Hillis’ effectiveness to be lined up 5 yards deep and handed the football. He is best when moved around the field, lined up in different spots, and given the ball in space. Because the offense struggled so much, they never really gotten in the rhythm they were looking for, thus Hillis wasn’t a factor.

I saw him blocking on several plays, but his # just wasn’t called more than a couple of times. Our back-up FB got hurt right before the game though so many people think that Hillis being our only FB available was the reason we didn’t lean on him more last game.

I would say easily mid-range pass coverage. Our LBs haven’t seemed to handle pass coverage well so far (probably because so many of them are converted DEs). I have a feeling that we’re going to struggle all year in covering TEs and RBs slipping out of the backfield. We seem to handle RBs receiving in the flats just fine, but the middle of the field hook routes get us.

I think you’d be surprised how many Broncos fans don’t consider QB a ‘weakness’. We may not consider it a strength…but not really a weakness either. Our biggest offensive weakness is a lack of time playing together. Orton missed the last two weeks of preseason. Marshall and Moreno missed most of the preseason. Many other players missed various time due to minor injuries. All that missed time really showed in Cincy. I’m hoping things start to come together this week.

To me, Special Teams is still an area I worry about, though the Broncos did a good job of addressing that in the draft and free agency. With a team like the Broncos, they need all three phases to be playing well to win consistently. Against the Bengals, the coverage units did a solid job. With Josh Cribbs coming up it will be imperative that the coverage units are on top of their game again.

I’m saying this in the most honest of ways. But Andre Davis is one of their top LBs.

The Broncos are using the 3-4 look and a few players in particular are really adjusting well to the switch.

The D-Line consists of Kenny Peterson at DE(Ohio State, Canton McKinley), Ronald Fields at DT and Ryan McBean at the other DE. All three are unspectacular, but efficient and effective – so far.

The LB’s consist of Elvis Dumervil and Mario Haggan at OLB. Dumervil is a solid pass rusher, and while undersized, has used his speed and quickness to his advantage. It has helped him to be standing and further away from opposing LTs. Haggan has been a surprise this season so far, to win the OLB job outright in camp. The team was so impressed with Haggan they gave him a contract extension last week. He has great size(6-3, 270).

On the inside are D.J. Williams and old frienf Andra Davis. I will be perfectly honest, I was not that high on the Davis signing. As many of you know, I live in the Cleveland area and saw a ton of Davis over the past few seasons. I worried about him, especially in the run game after watching him struggle last year behind Rogers and next to Jackson. Through one game, however, I have been wrong. He was all over the field on Sunday against Cincy, even registering his first sack since 2006.

The DBs are the strength of the defense. The Broncos are using Champ Bailey and Andre Goodman at CB. 2nd Round pick Alphonso Smith is the nickel back. At safety, the Broncos have Brian Dawkins, who can still get it done, and Renaldo Hill. It is an aging group, but they are already playing very well together.

They seem to be adjusting well. As I mentioned above, the Linebackers seem to enjoy it much better and I have been really impressed with Mike Nolan’s defense. He is a great coach and a teacher of the game. The Browns O-Line is better than Cincinnati’s, so it should be a good test.

Nolan has the OLB’s on the line of scrimmage in our base D giving it a 5-2 look. This suits our OLB’s well because they are almost all converted DE’s. Lot’s of adjustng before the snap seems to cause good confusion. The O isn’t sure how many of the front 7 are going to be rushing the QB. This is an attacking D so I expect to see the Broncos putting pressure on Quinn. He needs to be able to hit his hot route on those occasions. That was one area that Palmer was very effecient last week.

Let’s not start this. It ends poorly.

It can be said all the time, though I’ll say I was thinking the Browns should have picked Adrian Peterson with the #3 pick a few years ago. After passing on L.T. a few years earlier, I thought AP would have been a great pick. If things played out the same, it could have been Peterson and Quinn coming in together. Kinda like L.T. and Brees coming to S.D.

Joe Thomas is a stud LT, however, so it has turned out well, but damn, Peterson is a generational talent.

We also could have gotten James Harrison in whatever round we wanted to some year.

Who cares about which subpar QB we drafted?

on the right side of the defense, over the LT, though the Broncos do try to move him around.

Wow, there is a lot there.

Of course, Josh McDaniels was coming into a tough situation replacing Mike Shanahan. Then there was the Cutler fiasco. There are fans that will never, and I mean never forgive McDaniels for what happened. Of course, things are rarely the way the MSM portrays them, but there is plenty in the MHR archives about the Jay Cutler situation to hold you over on a rainy day.

I’ll keep this to the football side of things. Personally I think he has handled the football side of things 100% right, and exactly the opposite of the way Mangini has. Take the QB situation. Many believed that Chris Simms was the better bet at QB than Kyle Orton even though he hasn’t played in 2 years. At the least people thought there should be an open competition. Too me, QB controversies are divisive, within the fan-base and the locker room. McDaniels ended all the talk by naming Kyle Orton the QB early on in mini-camp. Coaches can always change their mind, of course, but it removed the daily questions concerning the QB situation – to the players and coach – and the fan frenzy that follows.

As for Brandon Marshall, this situation had nothing to do with McDaniels. Brandon Marshall is unhappy with his contract, and that would have happened no matter who was the coach or QB. What the Broncos want to know, and Masrhall needs to realize, is whether or not Marshall can stay healthy on the field, and out of the police blotter off of it. Two off-seasons in a row Marshall has had to rehab from serious injury. Until last week he hadn’t really practiced since February at the Pro Bowl. His legal issues have been well documented.

As for the game on Sunday, I thought McDaniels did a great job, managing the game and the situations. There was a moment at the end of the game, before the Stokely play, that 18 seconds mysteriously disappeared from the clock. McDaniels questioned the officials at length, and initially was over-ruled before the TV guys on the field had the referees check it out. In other words he was on top of everything and it didn’t seem like the moment was too big.

In all, the guy was born to do this, from his youth at Canton McKinley, to Michigan State under Nick Saban, to New England under Bill Belichick, Josh McDaniels was born to coach and he is going to be great.

It will likely change with each opponent, but this past Sunday we saw a 3-4 very similar to the Ravens style – a ton of pre-snap movement, alot of show-blitz and guys coming from different sides and spots on each play. What the Broncos do not have is a stout DT to clog the middle like Ngata or Hampton. That means the linebackers have to step up and fill gaps. The Broncos can succeed in this because they are still smaller in size which means they are quick.

Against the Browns I expect the Broncos to stuff 8 or 9 in the box and make Quinn beat them over the top. Ironically, I think the Browns will do the same against Denver since Orton and Quinn both have the same rap – they prefer to dink and dunk instead of trying to throw the ball downfield. The team that can make the big plays down field will likely win.

Less pittsgurgh, more Baltimore.

You spent some time exploring whether you want to be a Broncos fan? I can’t see how this is possible. Does this mean you were looking to root for a different team than the Browns, if so, then get out. The last thing that real Browns fans need is some lunatic with off-the-wall ideas who talks excessively to try and make himself look smart and can’t decide where his loyalties are. As if you haven’t heard it already before: you’re a crackpot! You deserve every bit of the criticism that you get from the guys at this site.

http://www.milehighreport.com/2009/9/15/1031831/dawgs-by-nature-ask-questions-to-a

Don’t know if you have visited the post yet or not. A ton of great conversation going on over there from a Browns perspective.

I have to say – excellent first post.

Hard to say, as far as wins go. I think the team could go 8-8(and there is always a 2-game swing either way). Let’s say, for a moment, that the Broncos are fortunate and stay healthy. The offense is only going to get better, and the defense is going to be improved. Something tells me the Broncos could be a team no one wants to face come November and December.

Now, if the Broncos fall flat on their face, they won;t have the fortune of selecting that pick because they traded it to Seattle. The Broncos do own the Bears’ 1st Round pick, so we are keeping very close eye on their season for reasons other than Cutler.

I doubt Andra Davis will help that much, unless it is specific to what to look for in Brady Quinn’s tendencies, etc. He does appear to be a man on a mission, however, and I am interested to see how he plays this week.

You must not be too high on the bears : )

Sunsets are Orange and Blue…There is a reason. ;-)

…and how many virgins do we need to sacrifice to outbid you? ;)

I have watched that clip about 20x times just for the Gus Johnson’s call of it.

And then I wonder if Joe Buck was doing that game. I’d imagine it would be like:
Buck: “Orton…back to pass. Throws it down the left side. And caught by Stokley. TD Broncos.”

(as it was a divisive issue there) but imho, I absolutely LOVE Alphonso Smith. I loved him in college and I love him as a Bronco of the future (and if you saw his first game, of the present). There are arguments either way but when you have a chance to get a player you consider a first round talent anyway, and have two first rounders, you sometimes make that move. Also, the Bears 1st pick next year may not be as low as some people think.

Anyway, I was one in the “in favor” camp because I love A Smith. And it’s about 50/50 on MHR it seemed.

That should make Shaun Rogers ineffective.

But on a serious note, our offensive line should be able to handle him. This is the same line that only gave up 6.5 sacks last season. 12 if you count the TEs and the RBs giving up some sacks. The offense can definitely take care of him in passing situations.

Running situations, we aren’t so sure. We had 75 yards rushing. So, the running game certainly hasn’t found it’s stride. A lot of that could be attributed to the lack of rhythm due to changing running backs so often. The most carries a Denver RB had was 8 (Knowshon Moreno). So, I think it will be alright once we figure out who is actually going to get the majority of the carries.

So, I’m gonna say ……… 2. 1 if we are running the ball outside.

Kinda depends on his foot, to begin with. After that, we will just have to see if our line plays like it did last year.

Our problem is that Quinn was managing the game as well, except we were losing and don’t have any talent.

Thanks for the classy sendoff. Ugly it was.

Thank you bronco fans for doing this post with us. We sure won’t be able
To do this next week

Doom went against John St. Clair. I am still unconvinced he can be anywhere close to that productive against a good OT.

St. Clair sucks. Bigtime. Doom can abuse a terrible RT. We start a terrible OT. We need like 50 draft picks in the first two rounds next year. Doom can dominate that, which he clearly proved on Sunday. I don’t think he proved he is “that good”. He did beat the guy in front of him all day long.

You have the lions, jags and chiefs. That’s three guaranteed right there.

I am not that down on the defense. The offense has been bad beyond my wildest dreams.