Josh McDaniels Has Successfully Created The NFL’s Largest Circus

The moment the Denver Broncos fired head coach Mike Shanahan, they lost his two super bowl rings, fourteen years of NFL-experience, and they lost credibility.   

In his place, the organization hired clown Josh McDaniel’s, who had great success with Tom Brady in New England.  McDaniels quickly transformed the Broncos and has assumed popularity with his wild, dumb, and crazy tactics.

Mike Shanahan was known for featuring a west coast offense with plenty of running (usually west coast offenses are known for prolific passing).  Shanahan did not care who ran the ball, as six backs all eclipsed the one thousand mark all in different seasons.  As an avid fantasy footballer, it is understood that you shouldn’t pick a Denver running back because you really have no clue who will get the carries.

McDaniels made sure to pick up right where Shanahan left off as he signed three runningbacks, Corell Buckhalter, J.J. Arrington, and Lamont Jordan.  All of which are mainly backup runningbacks, but nonetheless, McDaniels thought it important to create a logjam and sign all three.  He also released Denver’s top two runningbacks from a season ago, Selvin Young and Ryan Torain, who were both cut by McDaniels to make room for the new three. 

The Broncos did sign all-pro safety Brian Dawkins, although he is at the twilight of his career, and Jabar Gafney, a talented receiver who played for McDaniels in New England. 

McDaniel’s next “brilliant” move was to try and land his quarterback from New England, Matt Cassel.  What is interesting about this is that McDaniels already has a quarterback by the name of Jay Cutler who is younger than Cassel, and also has a better arm and more talent.  But no, McDaniels had to have his guy Cassel and word leaked out to Jay Cutler.  After Cassel was traded to division rival Kansas City, Cutler lashed out at McDaniels for trying to land Cassel. 

Cutler deserves some blame for having an ego as fragile as an antique tea cup, but why on earth would McDaniels even consider this?  Cutler, who the Bronco’s faithful were calling the next John Elway, now had no interest in playing for McDaniels. 

McDaniels obviously then tried his best to keep Cutler, but Cutler and his wimpy ego prevailed and BAM! The Broncos were trading off their young franchise quarterback in exchange for a first round pick, and the average at best Kyle Orton (Orton was last seen throwing three picks in his preseason debut).

So in his first months, McDaniels had completely redone the running back core and ran the team’s most valuable player out of town.  Nice job McDaniels.

Oh, theres more?  You better believe it.

With the trade, the Broncos had gained two picks in the top twenty of the 2009 NFL draft.  With so many new runningbacks you’d think the one position they wouldn’t draft would be runningback.  Wrong!  With their first pick they drafted another runningback, Knowshon Moreno, which brings the total to four new runningbacks.

You’d think McDaniels would have noticed his team was awful on defense last season and ranked 29th overall, but no, he had to have another runningback.

Actually, with the Moreno drafting, the Broncos released J.J. Arrington.  Sorree!  Which brings the total back down to three.   

In his defense, the Broncos next three picks were defensive players including talented cornerback Alphonso Smith and Robert Ayers, a terrific defensive end. 

The last bone-head move the organization has made is the handling of Brandon Marshall.  Marshall does have an inflated ego, but has been a huge distraction this offseason as he has demanded trades, a new contract, and has missed most practices and workouts.

Besides Cutler, Marshall is the team’s most valuable weapon.  McDaniels insists that Marshall has not been a distraction, but the fact remains he has not seen the field this preseason. He doesn’t understand the new playbook, and it is McDaniel’s fault as much as it is Marshall’s. 

McDaniels is on the verge of losing the Broncos two top players from 2008, one is obviously already gone, and the other may go soon.  He has created more drama than a celebrity couple and has successfully been labeled as the NFL’s biggest joke. 

So while McDaniels consoles Orton after yet another pick, his porous defense will be giving up yards and points at will, and the fans in the stands will sit and groan while eating their circus peanuts and Carmel corn.

The Battle at Midway: The Denver Broncos As Seen on The History Channel

In World War II the Battle of Midway marked the point where the US began to assume control of the South Pacific. During the season of ritualized war that is professional football the Broncos may have fought their Battle of Midway and like that more famous battle this one may be the turning point of the war that is a football season.

This Broncos off-season will probably never be matched for sheer drama. Bronco fans were witness to the end of an era.

The Shanahan legacy was more than just two Super Bowls. Shanahan, along with Elway, were the validation of faith of those fans who stuck with the Broncos through all the years under Reeves when the Broncos got close to glory but never quite achieved it. 

More important than anything else Shanahan did was that he brought the Broncos respect. The Broncos could no longer be thought of as the team of also-rans.

World War I was the point at which the United States emerged as a world power. In the football world the beginning of the Shanahan era was the Broncos World War I, the point where the Broncos became serious Super Bowl contenders.

The sad truth is that every era must end but not always quietly. The Shanahan era ended spasming and kicking as two budding stars, absent their mentor, could not accept the inevitable.

Pundits, profits and predictors of all stripe played on every fear that a fan could have. Somehow the new Bronco team would have every flaw that the team had under Shanahan plus whatever new flaws they might ascribe.

The respect the Broncos had earned was gone, an old empire had re awakened to challenge the Broncos now that Shanahan had faded. If Mike Shanahan was a football version of General Pershing the new Bronco head coach, Josh McDaniels, is a brash General Patton out to win this new battle.

Under this new lens of national coverage everything the Broncos organization did was painted as a poor choice or worse yet some evil machination by the young whelp of a coach. Just as General Patton scandalized the army by slapping a soldier he considered a malingerer in the face, McDaniels slapped coddled players Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall in their figurative faces.

The press reviled Patton, he was briefly relieved of command. In much the same way the vast majority of projections were that the new coach must fail well before a preseason game was played.

The lingering drama from the Shanahan legacy reared its ugly head in the form of Brandon Marshall’s petulant attitude.  Soon writers who had never paid attention to the Denver Broncos were experts at predicting gloom for the new Bronco coach.

The first preseason game seemed to fill some of those expectations, with a turnover filled debut by the new quarterback. Contrary to the focus of the press on Kyle Orton’s turnovers there were several glimmers of hope for Bronco fans.

Early on in World War II the Germans were considered to have the best tanks and air force, the Japanese were unbeatable at sea.  The US had to build and improve its military hardware fast.

For the first time in years the Broncos had a defensive line with the size to match up against some of the larger offensive lines in the league. Ronnie Fields, an under the radar free agent acquisition emerged as a solid anchor on the defensive line.

While the fanfare went on about offensive blunders the Bronco defense had accumulated four sacks and established a solid style of play. That four sack effort was followed by a three sack effort in game two of the preseason, a string unheard of by the Bronco defense over the last three years.

The other side of the ball showed Bronco fans some surprises as well. 

While Orton’s interceptions were fodder for the press the fact that Orton’s first drive featured a brilliant passing display went un-noticed. Only on the second game, when Orton managed to sustain his fine display of short passing did the press and fans take notice.

Pundits who had written off the Bronco receiving corps as weak because of the Brandon Marshall debacle were suddenly aware of Eddie Royal, Brandon Stokley, Jabar Gaffney et al. 

The most under reported aspect of the Bronco offensive performances was the complete dominance in the passing game of the Bronco’s offensive line. Through just over two halves of football Orton had not seen any significant pressure.

Steadily over the first two preseason games the Broncos are showing strong improvements on both sides of the ball. The truly remarkable aspect of these improvements are that they have come in only two games from a team who starting lineup features a majority of players who weren’t with the team last year.

Finally there is one last trope that exists. Much like the squabble over control between General Montgomery and General Eisenhower, overarching the entire off-season is the oft-referred to turmoil under which the team supposedly toils. 

Some pundits have gone as far as to claim that all of the off-season drama has produced a sort of team paralysis through which players suffering from the post traumatic stress of the various scandals stumble zombie-like through practices.

People have been led to believe that there is some division between the new coaching staff and his players. This divide is allegedly caused by the player’s concern for the fate of the gravely wounded Brandon Marshall.

In a very recent article by the Denver Post Broncos defensive tackle Kenny Peterson said:

“People might say it’s the kind of thing that has an impact, but when we’re together as players, it’s us, just us, we don’t feel that kind of drama, really, I know people may think that’s crap, but we don’t. That stuff that goes on upstairs, that’s upstairs, and when (Marshall’s) upstairs he deals with that and when he’s down here with us, he’s in there and everybody hopes it all works out. And really, guys have bigger things to worry about in training camp, in the preseason, than somebody else’s situation. It’s none of our concern. As long as he does what he does on the field, the rest of it is none of our concern.”

In the same article running back Correll Buckhalter phrased it this way:

“Here’s the thing. When I was in Philadelphia, there was always talk about the drama with the team and (Terrell Owens) but T.O. was never a problem, day to day, in the locker room. I don’t think people on the outside understand that a lot of the time. The guy didn’t have a problem with anybody on the team inside the locker room when we were inside that locker room. Outside the locker room, I can’t speak to that, but inside the locker room, I don’t think he had a problem with anybody.”

If there is one great thing Bronco fans learned from this off-season it should be that a lot of the hand-wringing and reported turmoil is purely a perception the national press has sold as real. In the locker room and on the field the Broncos are quietly going about building a solid team that will compete this year.

Midway was not the end of WWII but it was the beginning of the end.  Midway through the preseason the Broncos have not won anything yet but they are beginning to win back some respect.

 

Fantasy Football Crystal Ball: Eddie Royal

If you wanted to know the news around the NFL this past summer, you only need to mention four names: Brett Favre, Michael Vick, Jay Cutler, and Brandon Marshall. 

While Favre, Vick, and Cutler are finally back onto the football field (albeit with daily reports still coming out relating to both Favre and Vick), Brandon Marshall seems to be lost in Denver. He did not travel with the Broncos to Seattle for the Broncos’ preseason game against the Seahawks. He isn’t practicing with the team; therefore, he’s not building chemistry with new quarterback Kyle Orton. And, there is just no word as to how the situation will turn out.

The reason for the latest update (of course Brandon Marshall needs to be lowered in your rankings) is because his teammate Eddie Royal needs to be upgraded.

Royal has a similar body type to that of great possession receiver Wes Welker, a man Broncos’ head coach Josh McDaniels excelled at getting a lot of opportunities to rack up some big fantasy numbers. Royal had a terrific rookie year and is quickly becoming a favorite target of Orton’s (he had four catches for 40 yards in limited action against Seattle). Royal will also see less time on the special teams unit, not returning many punt and kick returns to keep him fresh and healthy in order to help him to become a number one wide out. With all this in mind and the troubles Marshall is having, he should see a lot of targets in 2009, meaning his numbers will increase from last year.

In the Bruno Boys Cheat Sheets, Eddie Royal is the 28th ranked wide receiver in the consensus rankings. With the news surrounding Marshall, he needs to be upgraded. In this writer’s opinion, he should slide up seven spots to the 21st rank in a standard scoring league. In a PPR (points per reception) league, he should go as high as 15th. 

As long as the news of Brandon Marshall continues to spiral down, Royal will continue to move up. In any draft, watch where he goes. He is a solid possession receiver who may not put up a ton of touchdowns, but who will have plenty of receptions, which will lead to a large amount of yards.

Others may believe his value remains the same, but with any player news that results from a bonehead move by an individual, there tends to be a benefactor. Royal is the benefactor in Marshall’s never ending saga and needs to move up your cheat sheets before draft day.

 

 

*THIS ARTICLE WRITTEN BY BRUNO BOY GREG WARNOCK. FOR MORE FANTASY FOOTBALL INSIGHT AND ADVICE, CLICK THE LINK BELOW.*

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Let’s Play Some Football: WR Marshall Atop Denver’s Latest Depth Chart

This news should come as no surprise.

When the Denver Broncos’ official team site released their updated depth chart today, misguided wide receiver Brandon Marshall was listed with the first string.

This is a very significant development in the Marshall saga in Denver, as just as recently as last week, he was practicing on the scout team.

Why should Bronco fans be excited about this?

It likely means that we will get our first taste of Marshall in the third preseason game against the Chicago Bears.

It also means that Marshall has gotten a good enough grasp of the playbook that head coach Josh McDaniels saw fit to place him with the first team.

There is something interesting about the depth chart though.

As it is currently listed, Marshall stands alone in his depth chart position, and the Broncos currently boast 12 offensive starters, a strategy that is likely to give many opposing teams fits.

It is likely that wide receiver Jabar Gaffney, also listed with the first team, is going to be the fourth receiver, and the Broncos’ depth chart will go back to its required 11 players.

This is a very positive movement by the Broncos and Marshall, as it currently stands.  This shows the team has given Marshall a vote of confidence, and that they feel he is ready despite not having taken a single snap with the starters in the preseason.

Denver Broncos Acquire OL Russ Hochstein from Patriots for Late Draft Pick

The Denver Broncos shored up their offensive line on Tuesday when they traded for New England Patriots offensive lineman Russ Hochstein.

In return, the Patriots received a late round draft pick according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The arrival of Hochstein makes three former Patriots acquired by the Broncos in a week’s time, and he also brings some much needed depth to the interior of Denver’s offensive line.

In the team’s second preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks, the reserve offensive linemen were unable to keep rookie Tom Brandstater upright, as he was sacked four times.

Thus, trading for Hochstein should come as no surprise.

Over the last seven seasons, the versatile lineman has played in 91 games for the Patriots at multiple positions.  He has played guard, center, fullback, and tight end in his time with New England.

With youngsters Seth Olsen and Kory Lichtensteiger waiting in the wings, it would appear as though veteran guard Ben Hamilton’s days in Denver could be numbered. 

No corresponding roster move has been announced, but to make room on the roster, the Broncos will have to cut another player.

Broncos-Bears: Three Keys for Denver in Jay Cutler’s Return To Invesco Field

For the first time since the second biggest trade in franchise history, Jay Cutler will return to Denver as a member of the Chicago Bears to take on the Broncos.

Cutler’s return is so eagerly anticipated, that NBC selected this contest as their prime time game for week three of the NFL pre-season. The former Broncos quarterback is sure to hear the boo birds, and do not doubt if he gets a bit of a beer shower, maybe a hot dog in the head.

But behind all the drama, there is, believe it or not, a football game to be played. Not only is it critical for Jay Cutler to prove to the Broncos and their fans what they are missing, but it is crucial for the Broncos to show their fans that they are going to be able to win football games without their Pro Bowl quarterback.

Here are some keys for the Broncos, who will likely allow most starters to play roughly three quarters in this the third pre-season contest.

Begin Slideshow

Denver Broncos Claim DB Antwain Spann, Waive WR Travis Shelton

The Denver Broncos brought aboard yet another ex-New England Patriot on Monday when they claimed defensive back Antwain Spann off of waivers from the Buffalo Bills.

To make room on the roster, Denver released wide receiver/kick returner Travis Shelton, an undrafted free agent out of Temple.

Spann was undrafted out of Louisiana Lafayette in 2005 and was signed by the New York Giants. 

He proceeded to spend 2006 through 2008 with the New England Patriots as a special teamer, and recently completed training camp with the Buffalo Bills. 

The six foot, 200 pound Spann has appeared in 19 career games, all with New England, and has recorded 12 total tackles, 11 on special teams.  He has also appeared in three post season contests.

Spann played in a career high 10 games in 2008, and could make the Broncos’ team due to his special teams prowess.

This is a relatively quiet move by the Broncos, and with rosters having to be cut to 75 players after the third pre-season game, many more are sure to come.

 

Simms Injury Update

Reserve quarterback Chris Simms was at the Broncos’ practice facility on crutches, and his left leg injury sustained in the Seattle pre-season game is being classified as a severe left ankle sprain.

 

Sleeping in Seattle: McDaniels Hits “Snooze Button” While Orton Improves.

The “Quit” is Back?

 

Preseason is a difficult time to get a feel for the character and emotional make-up of a team and its players. But if Saturday’s performance by the Broncos in Seattle is any indication, this season could end up being a bad dream. 

 

The Broncos played an uninspired, soft, and mistake-prone game; marred by questionable coaching decisions, and a starting QB that went from improved to lost in a self-induced Seattle fog. 

 

The most worrying aspect of the game was the let down the team had after turnovers and other questionable player and coaching mistakes on both sides of the ball.

 

Bronco fans know all too well, the tendency that past teams had to quit or let up on a game when faced with adversity. Unfortunately, that trait seems to have remained, despite hopes that the problem would leave with Mike Shanahan.

 

It hasn’t, and after the team “gave up” on Seattle’s final drive of the first half, the second half was so bad that it doesn’t even warrant comment or attention (yes, it was that bad).

 

The First Half – Hope Turns to Hopeless

 

The Denver defense opened up the game letting Seattle convert on two third-downs during the first drive; which ended with a third-and-34 yard pass play from Matt Hasselbeck to Deion Butler. The pass was thrown perfectly, but Andre Goodman had a chance to make the play and couldn’t find the ball in the air. 

 

McDaniels’ defense was uninspired on the drive and soft in coverage. It seemed content letting Seattle throw the ball to wide open receivers underneath. 

 

There was simply no passion.

 

The first offensive series for Denver saw Kyle Orton lead the Broncos on a 12-play, 78-yard drive. They converted on three third-downs, and Orton threw a perfect pass to Brandon Stokley for a touchdown.

 

The highlight of the drive was a 26-yard screen to Eddie Royal, where he showed his nifty running skills after the catch. The only black mark on the drive was an incomplete pass to the left on second-and-goal from the three. It was thrown right into coverage, but knocked away from Ken Lucas by Tony Scheffler. 

 

Throughout the preseason, Orton has been making his reads without looking defenders off. He seldom goes to a second or third progression even if the initial receiver is well covered.

 

Another flaw in Orton’s game is how lackadaisical he is with his play action technique. Orton doesn’t try to sell it in the least, and the defense gains an extra half step or more as a result.

 

On Seattle’s second possession, the Denver defense forced a punt after DJ Williams sacked Hasselbeck to end the drive.

 

On the second Denver drive, Ryan Clady was called on a rare clipping penalty on a 29-yard run by Peyton Hillis to the Seattle 11. Clady’s clip didn’t aid the run, and was a result of not keeping his head up while falling on the back of the legs of the lineman he was trying to block.

 

Facing a first-and-25, they gave Buckhalter the ball for a four-yard gain and threw a 12-yard pass to Daniel Graham. On 3rd-and-9, McDaniels ran the exact same screen pass to Eddie Royal, which was the same side and third-down situation they’d run the previous series. This time, the Seattle defense was waiting for it and it never had a chance.  

 

Why would you run a gimmick play that relies on catching the defense off guard again? Not to mention, in an identical situation from the previous series? Weird.

 

Lucky for them, Matt Prater kicked a 53-yard field goal to end the drive.

 

Seattle’s next two drives ended in punts, with Denver going for one three-and-out, before putting together a nice drive in the second quarter.

 

Starting on the Denver 13, the Bronco offense pushed the ball all the way to the Seattle four. During the drive, Orton lost his bearings, or more specifically, his awareness of the play clock. The play clock expired four times resulting in two burned time-outs, one delay of game penalty, and one instance where a penalty wasn’t called, even though the play clock was at zero for two seconds when the ball was snapped.  

 

We heard reports of a problem with the helmet communications equipment, but on each play, Orton had plenty of time, and yet was completely oblivious of the play clock. He didn’t even look.

 

On 1st-and-goal at the four-yard line, McDaniels ran Jordan up the middle for three yards to the one. Then, with three downs to punch it in, he had Orton throw three consecutive times. Orton tried to squeeze the first pass into Gaffney between two defenders, putting the ball in danger again. The second pass hit Gaffney in the back of the end-zone but was dropped. And on the third pass, Orton pulled a “Plummer” and tried to throw a left-handed pass to a group of players where it was picked off. The foggy haze of Seattle was seen wafting around Orton’s head as he left the field.

 

Why a coach has a struggling QB throw the ball three times with one yard to go for the score, is the first question; and why Orton throws the ball up for grabs, left-handed, on fourth down—when an incomplete pass gives Seattle the ball at the one with three minutes left in the quarter—is the other question.  It was amateur hour at Qwest Field, and the 13th man was Orton’s brain fart.

 

Needless to say, this is where the Denver defense could have risen to the challenge, but again, they allowed Seattle to get beat on third-down with a screen pass for a big gain. 

 

On the play, it appeared that DJ had the coverage of the back coming out of the backfield, but Denver was on an all-out blitz, and they were burned for the second game in a row on the same play. The coaching cannot be considered effective when they can’t shore up weaknesses like covering the back on an blitz.

 

Seattle took the ball 80 yards in the final three minutes, converting two third-downs and one fourth-down. The Hawks’ threw a touchdown pass over Goodman’s head (again) to T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Goodman was a step late on the coverage, and throughout the drive, the Broncos played 10-15 yards off the receivers, and seemed content to let Seattle score.

 

Even Champ Bailey was caught on a key 4th-and-2, and then a 3rd-and-10 pass was completed right in front of him. It appeared he wasn’t even trying.

 

The first half should have been 17-7, but instead ended 10-14 in Seattle’s favor. 

 

The most disturbing aspect of the first half was the inept play-calling by the coaching staff on the offense; and Orton’s slide from being effective to making bone-head plays in the red-zone.

 

The defense played well against the run and had three quarterback sacks, but played soft in coverage and couldn’t get off the field on third and fourth downs as a result.

 

The Second Half – From Bad to Worse

 

At halftime, I think McDaniels decided to try and run the ball more, and finally use his tight ends in the offense, as there were only two balls thrown to them in the first half; one for the near interception on the first drive, and the other to Daniel Graham for a 12-yard gain. 

 

He kept Orton to start the second half, and after a two-yard carry by Jordan, a short pass to Scheffler was fumbled after the catch, and Seattle returned it to the Denver eight-yard line. The Denver defense stopped Seattle and only allowed a field goal. But you can hear the air being sucked out of them at Qwest Field.

 

Orton played another series after that on a three-and-out, featuring one run by Hillis for a one-yard loss, and two anemic throws by Orton that weren’t even close. 

 

Game over.

 

Unfortunately for the Broncos, they had to continue playing the second half, and those looking for a collapse weren’t disappointed. 

 

The second half low-lights included:

 

• Scheffler’s fumble leading to a Seattle field goal.
• Spencer Larsen forgetting to block a rusher, which resulted in a partially blocked 15-yard punt.
• A Seattle touchdown on 4th-and-1 where the defense again had trouble covering receivers on key downs.
• McDaniels failed to challenge an obvious bobble of a TD reception.  The pass was incomplete, and it wasn’t even close.
• A fumbled punt by McKinley lead to another Seattle field goal.
• An injury to Chris Simms on a late and low hit.
• Four sacks of Brandstater by Seattle.

The slide was steady, it was tangible, and it was complete by the time the game mercifully ended.

 

It is only preseason, and I know you can’t take game results too seriously, but the quit in the team and lackluster job by the coaching staff are areas of concern.

 

Orton is improving, and if he works on his game these next two weeks, he may be productive enough in the first three games of the season (the easiest and must win games) before facing the real beasts on the schedule.

 

The glass is half full because…

 

• Orton was accurate on his throws for the most part, and the offense moved with relative ease.
• The receivers catch most of what is thrown at them and display good moves after the catch.
• The offensive line continues to give Orton good protection.
• The Bronco defense continues to put pressure on the quarterback with three sacks.
• Coverage underneath by the linebackers was improved, although they did miss some key assignments.
• The run defense was solid, although Seattle didn’t really commit much to it.
• Prater hit his only field goal-try, which he needed badly to help his confidence.

The glass is half empty because…

 

• Orton has tunnel vision. He makes his reads at the line of scrimmage and leaves the defense very little guess work.
• Orton puts no effort into his play action, selling fakes, or looking defenders off where he’s going with the ball. The defense takes full advantage of this, and is usually right on top of the receivers when they do catch the ball.
• Orton makes too many mental mistakes in clock management and the red-zone. He is far from comfortable out there, and it shows.
• The offensive line is struggling to open holes for the running game.
• The running backs do not consistently run hard and are tackled too easily; especially Jordan and Buckhalter.
• The offensive play calling is predictable and does not feature the tight ends nearly enough.
• No pass plays are thrown over 10 yards. To call this passing game dink-and-dunk is an insult to Mouse Davis.
• The defense struggles to get off the field on third and fourth downs.
• Pass coverage is as soft as a baby’s bottom. Very few plays are defended aggressively.
• Special teams struggled in finding someone to field punts and kick-offs. Most of the kicks were either bobbled or not fair caught when they should have been.
• Injuries became a factor with Simms, Smith, and Thomas all leaving the game, although Thomas later returned.

No Minerals in Mile High

 

Over the years, the Broncos have not fared well when faced with adversity in game situations. Turnovers or major mistakes seemed to deflate the team’s enthusiasm in the past, and lead to sloppier play. I put that on the coaching staff as much as I do the players. 

 

This game could have been a major step in building confidence at the halfway point of preseason, but instead, it ended up a major disappointment, as play deteriorated after the Orton give-away on the goal line.

 

McDaniels’ play-calling is painful to watch. He throws a lot of “trips” and four-receiver sets out to confuse the defense, but where the ball is going is usually easy to forecast. Defenses have already figured out the Broncos’ simple offense.

 

In the game, Knowshown Moreno wasn’t in the line-up, and that’s probably an indicator that McDaniels doesn’t trust the three backs he has fighting for playing time. But with more passes than runs (23 vs. 11), the offensive line will have a hard time getting in sync. When they do attempt running plays, they are slow developing, and most of the time out of the delay/draw/counter shotgun formation, which has yet to work.

 

McDaniels is also struggling with his overall game management. 

 

Plays are coming in later than they should, substitutions are late, and reviews of plays for possible challenges are not being handled properly. I’m not saying he is the second-coming of Herm Edwards, but he has two more games to improve and get the feel for managing the game from the head coaches’ position.

 

This team is on the precipice; they could be very good or they could be very bad. The resilience that good teams display was absent in this game, and with a difficult schedule this year, the Broncos are going to have to learn to deal with and overcome adversity. The Head Coach and his staff need to set the tone, and lead by example by game-managing better on all levels.

 

Orton improved from last week, but seemed to go backwards after the interception. I’m sure he wishes he could have it back, but that isn’t reality. 

 

On the other side, Hasselbeck continually looked defenders off receivers and kept the defense guessing where the ball was going on each throw. I hope Orton reviews the defensive tapes of the game and watches how a good veteran does the little things well: ball handling, play fakes, progressions, reads, and handling adversity. Nobody talks about Hasselbeck as being strong-armed, or mobile, but he’s always a winner when he’s healthy, and Orton could learn a few things by studying him.

 

Cutler comes to town this weekend, and the comparisons are unavoidable. But Orton needs to show his mental toughness, and work hard on his weaknesses. He needs to come out strong, or I’m afraid his confidence going into the season will be shot. 

 

Orton is not exhibiting the toughness he had in the Windy City. Even though it is only preseason, the whole team and coaching staff needs to grow a pair and toughen up, or this could be a long season for Bronco fans.

Report: Jets, Ravens Interested In Marshall, Denver Staying Put??

With less then three weeks away from the beginning of the 2009 season, the Denver Broncos have fallen to 0-2 in the preseason, with questions surrounding the offense.

Quarterback Kyle Orton did struggle in his second start, while Chris Simms went down to injury in his stint.

Surely the offense could have been better if Brandon Marshall cooperated with the team during the off season, instead of being placed on the scout team.

The trade talks have continue to be known, as Marshall still wants out of Denver, as he feels he is not a good fit for a new offense.

Over the past week, a few teams have been rumored to have interest in Marshall, and is willing to make an offer that could interest the front office.

The New York Jets seem to be the most interested, as they are in need of a dominant presence on the receiving end.

It is also believed that the Baltimore Ravens have interest in Marshall, and could have a good match that Denver is looking for as well.

Yet, the Broncos organization is still going to hold onto Marshall. Even with the troubled past Marshall has shown the front office, and is still a distraction the team has to face, the team still holds on to the receiver most likely for the start of the season.

Denver is going to want a deal like Cutler, where multiple draft picks needs to be involved, but would need a receiver/quarterback in return as well.

The team said that Cutler was staying in Denver, and he found a new home at some point.

Marshall, however, may not have the same luck, which could lead to a long season for the receiver in Denver.

 

Matt Miselis is an NFL writer for BleacherReport.com

Broncos-Seahawks: Poor Coaching Does Denver in Against Seattle

SEATTLE, Wash.: The Denver Broncos (0-2) dropped their second pre-season game, losing to the Seattle Seahawks (2-0), as the Josh McDaniels era continues on without a victory. 

The Seahawks beat Denver pretty convincingly with a final score of 27-13.

The Seahawks began the game with an eight-play drive that was capped off by an unbelievable reception in the end zone by rookie third-round pick Deon Butler out of Penn State, who hauled in the 34-yard Matt Hasselbeck toss to make the score 7-0.

The Broncos would answer right back with an impressive drive that lasted 12 plays, and ended with Kyle Orton’s first-ever touchdown pass in a Denver Broncos uniform. 

Orton found wide receiver Brandon Stokley on a fade route in the right corner of the end zone and made a great throw.

This would be the beginning of what turned out to be quite a night for Kyle Orton.  Orton and the Bronco offense drove into Seattle territory following a three and out by the Seahawks, and but the Broncos were forced to settle for a 53-yard field goal by Matt Prater.

Both defenses got stingy after the three scores, and the Broncos forced two punts while the Seahawks forced just one.

A Denver drive that started at the 13 yard line went for 86 yards, and a fourth and goal attempt by the Broncos’ offense proved to be their demise. 

Orton was flushed out of the pocket, tried to throw the ball left-handed, and the play resulted in an interception by Seattle cornerback Ken Lucas. 

Hasselbeck and the Seahawks marched 80 yards down the field, led by a series of screen passes to running back Justin Forsett, and the drive was capped off with a short touchdown throw to big-money wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

The Seahawks took a 14-10 lead and never looked back.

Denver’s inability to retain possession of the ball gave the Seahawks excellent field position nearly every time they had the ball, and they took advantage, scoring 20 unanswered points to take a 27-10 lead.

Backup punter Britton Colquitt hit a 39-yard field goal to cap off the scoring for the game, and the Broncos played an extremely sloppy second half of football.

 

Injury Notes

• Backup QB Chris Simms went down with what appeared to be a leg injury.  The play was called roughing the passer, and a Seahawk defender may have ended Simms’ 2009 season prematurely.  Judging by Simms’ reaction to the play, he could be out for quite some time.
• Reserve defensive lineman Marcus Thomas went down with an injury, but it was unclear as to the nature.  His status should be updated this week.

Game Notes

 

The Bad

• Head coach Josh McDaniels was a disappointment tonight.  After the Broncos scored on two out of three possessions, McDaniels made a “rookie mistake” when he opted to throw the ball three times with a first and goal to go.  Now, I am no coaching legend here, but if I had Peyton Hillis on my roster, he would be the man getting the ball inside the five yard line, no questions asked.  There was also a very questionable touchdown catch by the Seahawks on third-and-goal in the third quarter, and McDaniels opted not to throw the challenge flag.  Upon viewing the replay, it appeared the Seattle tight end did, in fact, drop the pass.  The offense also looked predictable at times.  I often found myself guessing the plays correctly, and the defense appeared to as well.  First downs were often a short pass, followed by a draw out of the gun, then a play-action on third down.  Many drives were constructed this way, and the Broncos looked stale at times in the second and third units.  It was also odd that the first unit was still playing into the third quarter.  Not a very great job by McDaniels tonight, but I am confident he will rebound next week against the Bears.
• LaMont Jordan continues to show me nothing.  He had four carries for nine yards, but an impressive two catches for 25 yards.  His ball-carrying skills are lacking, to say the least.  He goes down on initial contact, and his game-long run of three yards proves that.  He seems like he is trying too hard to protect the ball rather than gain extra yardage.
• Kenny McKinley had a very rough night.  He muffed two returns, and fumbled away another at a critical juncture in the game.  He finished with two receptions for 19 yards, but for a guy who was supposed to have an impact on the return game, this outing did not bode well for him.
• I will cut Tom Brandstater some slack.  The third-string offensive line was horrendous, and Brandstater was constantly under pressure.  He looked like a statue though, was indecisive, and only threw three passes despite seeing over a quarter of work.  He completed one pass for negative yardage, and the other was nothing to write home about. 
• It is hard to judge the defensive backfield fairly without Brian Dawkins roaming around, but it appeared as though the corners and safeties were playing a little soft tonight.  Perhaps this is to be expected in the pre-season, but the defensive backs were, at times, playing 10 yards off their receivers.  Fans would like to see a more aggressive approach from them, especially with the aggressive pass rush.  Water and oil don’t mix, and neither do soft coverage and heavy blitzing.

 

The Good

• D.J. Williams was all over the place.  He finished the game with six tackles and a sack, and continually made plays all over the field.  He was burned blitzing on a screen play or two, but for the most part he was impressive.
• Kyle Orton had a good game, save for one throw.  However, that throw should have never happened.  A few plays earlier, Jabar Gaffney dropped a pass in the back of the end zone in which he was wide open, and poor play-calling by Josh McDaniels resulted in no touchdown and a turnover in the red zone for the second consecutive week.  Instead of throwing the ball left handed, Orton should have been handing the ball off to Peyton Hillis inside the two yard line.  Orton started the game on fire.  He marched the Broncos down the field in 12 plays on their first drive for a touchdown, and finished the game 18-for-26 for 182 yards, a touchdown, and a pick.  He consistently found the open receivers, and ran the offense quite well.  Turnovers in the red-zone will not fly for long. though.  I said Orton needed to come out firing tonight, and he did just that.  26 passes in just over two quarters is not common in the pre-season for most starting quarterbacks.
• The starting front seven was very impressive for the second consecutive week.  They allowed 20 yards rushing in the first half, and got to Matt Hasselbeck three times.  Kenny Peterson had two sacks, while D.J. Williams had the other. 
• The first offensive unit was quite impressive despite not having the likes of Knowshon Moreno, Brandon Marshall, and Brandon Lloyd.  Jabar Gaffney had five catches for 55 yards, Eddie Royal had four receptions for 44 yards, Brandon Stokley had three, including a touchdown, and Peyton Hillis was up to his usual tricks.
• Darius Walker ran hard all night long, and led the team with 48 yards rushing on 11 carries.  
• The starting offensive line allowed no sacks for the second consecutive game.  They may be the best unit in the league.

 

The Ugly

Do not be at all surprised if the Broncos make a play for now available Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson.  Jackson played well in the Vikes’ recent win over the Kansas City Chiefs, and with the injury to Chris Simms coupled with the poor play of rookie Tom Brandstater, the Broncos could turn to Jackson if the price is right.

The Broncos have yet to win a game under new head coach Josh McDaniels, but the pre-season is what it is:  practice.

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