Denver Falls to San Francisco but Prove They Have Depth

Now that we are a few days removed from the Broncos’ preseason opener, its time to take a look at the game without emotions raging inside of us.

Although Denver lost the game 16-17, the Broncos showed that they have depth at many positions.

The receiving corp looked good throughout the whole game. Despite less playing time, rookies Kenny McKinnley and Nate Swift looked good.

The starters also looked good, even without star Brandon Marshall, who is recovering from a hamstring injury. He is likely to return next week.

The running back position proved to have the same depth as the receivers did. Correll Buckhalter started the game at running back, but only racked up four yards on as many carries.

Fan-favorite Peyton Hillis led the team in yards with 49 yards on 10 attempts, continuing his average of almost five yards a carry.

Rookie Knowshon Moreno looked impressive until he was taken out in the second quarter with a knee injury. He is most likely out for the rest of the preseason, but should be ready for the start of the regular season.

With a great showing by the skill players came an unbalanced performance by starting QB Kyle Orton.

He move the ball down the field very well. He looked very accurate on most of his throws except four three of them. All were interceptions, including one in the endzone by veteran Nate Clemons.

On the other hand, backup Chris Simms looked very impressive. He played the entire second half while throwing for almost 150 yards and two touchdowns.

Let’s flip it over to the defensive side of the ball now.

Recording four sacks on the day, the pass rush was definitely the highlight of the game. Players who helped reach that total were converted DE to OLB Elvis Dumervil and rookie Chris Baker.

Leading the team in tackles was all around player Spencer Larsen. The backup fullback/linebacker got five take-downs versus the Niners’ offense.

All together, the Broncos looked alright vs. San Francisco. Their are still many things to work out before the start of the season, but that’s what preseason is for.

I’m looking forward to seeing what next week has to offer.

NFL’s Top 5 Questions Going Into Training Camp

Mini-camps have closed in the NFL and now we head into the worst four weeks in the NFL all year. These next four weeks are full of anticipation as the players take their break before the start of the grueling five-to-six months of NFL Football.

As it is every year, there are many questions for all franchises heading into this part of the year. It is very hard to single out just a few, but in this article, I will take a look at, what in my view, are the biggest problems teams will be facing.

Before we start, here are some questions that didin’t make the list.

• How will Jay Cutler fair in Chicago?
• How will the three first round picks at quarterbacks do in their first year?
• How will Josh McDaniels do after the controversial off season? 

That’s enough with the questions that didn’t make the cut. So without further adieu, here are the Top Five questions going into training camp.

5. Will Julius Peppers be able to work out a long term deal with Carolina?

The Panthers were finally able to get Julius Peppers to sign his franchise tag contract, and he now says he is happy in Carolina and is looking forward to a long term deal with the franchise. This could be extremely important because it would be very costly to have to franchise tag him again next year. For Carolina it is the sooner the better.

 4.  How will Brett Favre’s re-unretirement unfold with the Vikings?

This year’s sequel to the Brett Favre saga has been less interesting than the box-office sensation that kept us hanging on the edge of our seats last year. With a predictable ending, many fans and viewers will be disappointed with this failed attempt at remaking what was once an amazing thing.

I project this to be rated 2 out of 5 stars by most critics.

 3. What will happen with Brandon Marshall and the Broncos?

“You’re not getting traded! Get your [butt] in training camp and we’ll give you the big money next year!” -Josh McDaniels (Late July, 2009)

This conversation needs to happen in order for Josh McDaniels to gain control of his team. I’m interested in seeing this one play out.

 2. Will Plaxico Burress be suspended? If not, who will he play for?

At this point in time, I feel that Plaxico Burress will not be suspended.

Comissioner Roger Goodell would have done it by now if he was going to do that. That being said, I think that as soon as Goodell says he will not be suspended, teams will forget that they ever said they weren’t interested. I think he will most likely end up in Chicago, Tampa Bay, or Baltimore.

1. Will Michael Vick be reinstated? If so, who will want him?

Michael Vick did a bad thing, and did his time for it. He deserves a second chance and I believe he will be given one. The problem is, who is interested?

With such a troubled past, teams may be afraid to sign the once star quarterback. If he can’t make it into the NFL, he will have to try to make it in the UFL, which is begining its inaugueral season in October.

There it is. Not much surprising but that’s my take. If you disagree, comment or write a whole other article on your opinion. Looking forward to you opinion.

Note to the Editor: I made my article this way because that’s how I wanted it. Please do not edit format.

Matt Prater’s Problem: An In-Depth Look at the Denver Broncos’ Kicker

Mile High altitude is a kicker’s best friend. It may just be a myth, but it does always seem that kickers can get that extra few yards on those long kicks.

In the 2008 offseason, former Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan decided not to re-sign beloved kicker Jason Elam. Elam had kicked four game-winning field goals the previous season, but Shanahan wouldn’t give up the cash. He wanted a player who had a powerful leg and was good at kickoffs, so he let Elam slip away to Atlanta.

How can you replace a player who is the franchise leader in points and games played? It certainly isn’t easy. You need a guy with a powerful leg and an unbreakable spirit. The answer: Matt Prater?

Matt Prater is a simple man from a small town in Ohio. The 5’10”, 180-pound kicker isn’t hard to figure out. Here’s a look at his 2008 statistics:

 

Yard Range: FG Percentage for Yard Range (Makes/Attempts)

1-29 yards: 87.5 percent (7/8)

30-39 yards: 88.9 percent (8/9)

40-49 yards: 45.5 percent (5/11)

50-plus yards: 83.3 percent (5/6)

 

As you can see, Matt Prater had three misses total from 1-39 yards, and 50-plus yards. He had double that in the 40-49 yard range with six!

With a new head coach, the Broncos’ need to be great in all three aspects of the game. In order to be successful, the special teams needs Prater to step up from the 40-yard range.

If Matt Prater wants to continue to be a pro kicker, he needs to prove that he has the heart and mind to be one.

 

Statistics found here.

Broncos Draft: Offensive Mind Overpowers Needs

The end of the ’08 season brought an end to the Mike Shanahan era in Denver.

Historically, Shanahan always had success in drafting offensive players, but when given the chance, he would never pass on a position of need on the defensive side of the ball.

After Shanahan was fired, Broncos’ owner Pat Bowlen made a risky move and hired Josh McDaniels. His main objective was to keep the offense the same and rebuild the defense. After a very successful free agency period, McDaniels made a mistake that has gotten him hated by many Broncos’ fans.

He traded franchise quarterback Jay Cutler.

This past weekend, Josh McDaniels got his first chance to redeem himself. It was simple: If the Broncos had a good draft, he is forgiven; if the Broncos have a bad draft, the fans will want him fired. So, how did it go? Here is a recap of Denver’s 10 picks.

 

Round/Pick – Player, Position, School

1st/12th – Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia

1st/18th – Robert Ayers, DE/OLB, Tennessee

2nd/5th – Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest

2nd/16th – Darcel McBath, S, Texas Tech

2nd/32nd – Richard Quinn, TE, UNC

4th/14th – David Bruton, S, Notre Dame

4th/32nd – Seth Olsen, OT, Iowa

5th/5th – Kenny McKinley, WR, South Carolina

6th/1st – Tom Brandstater, QB, Fresno St.

7th/16th – Blake Schlueter, C, TCU

 

Like stated earlier, McDaniels was hired to rebuild the defense. Yes, he did address the need of defensive end. He also needed a pass catching running back.

But was it necessary to spend six of their 10 picks on offense? The Broncos had the number two ranked offense in the league last year! To go with that, they had the 29th ranked defense!

No one can see what McDaniels is doing… and that is exactly why he will be a successful coach in the NFL.

Josh McDaniels is a product of Bill Belichick. Belichick never did the ordinary thing. No one could ever guess what was coming next. On the other hand, anybody could predict what Mike Shanahan’s next call would be. The weird, the out-of-the-ordinary, and the downright crazy calls are exactly the change the Broncos need.

This should be a fun year for Broncos fans. Don’t be surprised by anything. And most importantly, keep faith.

Jack’s Mock Draft: 4.0

With 10 days until the 2009 NFL Draft, USC Quarterback Mark Sanchez is one of the hot topics in the NFL. Where will he land? Is he better than Matthew Stafford? These are just two of the questions regarding the nation’s most talked about draft prospect. In my past two mock drafts, I have him going to Denver, but where do I have him now? Let’s take a look.

1. Detroit Lions – Jason Smith, OT, Baylor

2. St. Louis Rams – Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia

3. Kansas City Chiefs – Arron Curry, LB, Wake Forest

4. Seattle Seahawks – Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia

5. Cleveland Browns – Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech

6. Cincinnati Bengals – Andre Smith, OT, Alabama

7. Oakland Raiders – Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri

8. Jacksonville Jaguars – Brian Orakpo, DE/OLB, Texas

9. Green Bay Packers – Arron Maybin, DE/OLB, Penn St.

10. San Francisco 49ers – Malcolm Jenkins, FS/CB, Ohio State

11. Buffalo Bills – Everette Brown, DE/OLB, Florida St.

12. Denver Broncos – Mark Sanchez, QB, USC

13. Washington Redskins – Michael Oher, OT, Ole’ Miss

14. New Orleans Saints – Chris “Beanie” Wells, HB, Ohio St.

15. Houston Texans – Tyson Jackson, DE/OLB, LSU

16. San Diego Chargers – B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College

17. New York Jets – Brian Cushing, LB, USC

18. Denver Broncos  – Rey Maualuga, LB, USC

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Freeman, QB, Kansas State

20. Detroit Lions – Clay Matthews, LB, USC

21. Philadelphia Eagles – Ebin Brittin, OT, Arizona

22. Minnesota Vikings – Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee

23. New England Patriots – Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois

24. Atlanta Falcons – Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma St.

25. Miami Dolphins – Percy Harvin, WR, Florida

26. Baltimore Ravens – Darius Heyward-Bay, WR, Maryland

27. Indianapolis Colts – Perria Jerry, DT, Ole’ Miss

28. Philadelphia Eagles – Hakeem Nicks, WR, North Carolina

29. New York Giants – Larry English, DE/OLB, Northern Illinois

30. Tennessee Titans – Kenny Britt, WR, Rutgers

31. Arizona Cardinals – Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia

32. Pittsburgh Steelers – Alex Mack, OG, California

Ha! I got you! Yeah, Mark Sanchez’s stock is rising, but I still don’t think that he will get drafted in the Top 11. All those team, excluding Detroit, do not need a quarterback badly enough to use a first-round pick on one. With Josh McDaniels being a quarterback specialist, I can’t see him passing on the opportunity to mentor this guy. I also see B.J. Raji slipping, and Andre Smith rising.

Thanks for Reading!

Jack M

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