Doug Baker’s 2009 NFL Midseason Awards

Now it’s time for me to present my 2009 NFL Midseason Awards. I am sure every player has been anxiously waiting to see if they end up on my list and where.

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My Interview With Denver Broncos Ring of Fame LB Karl Mecklenburg

I recently had the privilege of sitting down and having a phone conversation with one of the best players in Denver Broncos history, linebacker Karl Mecklenburg.

Mecklenburg was drafted by the Broncos in the 12th round of the 1983 NFL Draft as a nose guard out of Minnesota. Throughout his NFL career, he proved to be more versatile than a Swiss army knife, playing every position on the defensive front seven.

He performed all the way to a Ring of Fame career with the Denver Broncos that included six Pro-Bowl appearances and four All-Pro selections.

As a player, Mecklenburg helped the Broncos to three AFC titles and a regular season record of 114-65. Still, Mecklenburg didn’t keep the experience of and lessons learned from the NFL to himself, as he has just finished writing his first book entitled Heart of a Student Athlete: All Pro Advice for Competitors and Their Families. 

You can find more information on purchasing the book at www.studentathlete.us , where there is a sample chapter and a guest page. 

I strongly encourage all of you to check out this book even if you are not a parent or a student athlete. The lessons it teaches are absolutely outstanding, and reading the experiences of a professional athlete, to me, are always interesting.

In addition to his book, Mecklenburg operates the REACH (Rewarding Experiences for All Children) Foundation and performs motivational speeches all across the nation. Check out www.karlmecklenburg.org for more information about this program, and see a later segment in the interview for more details.

I am honored to have spoken with him personally, and I would like to share our conversation with you readers after we reminisced about the great city of Sioux Falls.

Sayre Bedinger: What was it like writing this book? What was your experience and what did you learn from it personally?

Karl Mecklenburg: The book was a challenge for me. I have dyslexia, so the writing part was really a challenge. It took more than five years to put together. I had another book from 1987 with a ghost writer and I was not happy about the experience. I really wanted to finish a book myself and I am pretty happy with the result but it was a long haul.

SB: Early on in the book, you state multiple times that success is overcoming obstacles on the way to your dreams. Why do you feel this interpretation of success is so important?

KM: I think a lot of people on the outside looking in, just getting started, they will realize that everybody who is successful has overcome. If you have an extravagant dream, the obstacles can be daunting. Both of my grandfathers worked in the stockyards of south St. Paul (MN), my dad went through grad school in three years then into the Army for med-school, and my mom had a daunting road to her eventual work in the government. 

You decide your own future. God has given us all different talents and abilities, and He also gives us free will. It’s up to you to go out and try new things.

SB: Do you feel, having been drafted in the 12th round that this particular derivative of success was prevalent in your playing career very early on?

KM:  It really was, you know, I went through challenge after challenge after challenge in football. Every one of them reinforced in my mind that I had to decide whether it was important enough for me to go through this. Doing things to get to the next day of practice, it really was a big part of it.

SB: You were part of some of the best teams in Broncos history, winning multiple AFC titles and going to six pro bowls; What is your greatest memory from your experiences with the Broncos?

KM: So many, but the obvious one is “The Drive” game when we went into Cleveland and won that game. It was such a hostile environment with the fans throwing dog biscuits at us, honking their horns outside of the hotel trying to keep us awake—Going into the situation and getting that win on the road; it was just a great feeling and I’ll never forget it.

SB: You have been honored by the Broncos by being named a member of the “Ring of Fame.” Do you feel you should be in the Hall of Fame or is it all just a bunch of politics?

KM: Well, it obviously is a political situation. I mean, if I could vote for me, I would, but you do what you do on the field and it’s out of your hands after that. I have a lot of respect for the players I played with and I feel there are a lot of guys from those Bronco teams that deserve to be in as well. You know, Pat (Bowlen, Broncos owner) has got to be disappointed that only John (Elway) and Zim (Gary Zimmerman)—you know, only two guys in the Hall of Fame. I know he is doing a lot with the committee to get some of these guys in.

SB: You said in your book that you grew up a Minnesota Vikings fan. Does playing for a team for over a decade change your loyalties?

KM: I’m a Bronco guy, there’s no doubt about it. The Vikings passed on me for 12 rounds, and I’m glad they did because with my knees, I probably wouldn’t have been able to play as long as I did on that artificial turf. I love it here in Denver; the people, the fans, being gracious for what this team has done. They have accepted me.

SB: The book talks about how the media favors the negative aspect of off-field life of NFL players in particular, but you go on to make a very compelling argument about how only one player from your team in 1983 has had legal issues. Do you feel that trend is still true in today’s NFL world where it seems like a player is arrested every day?

KM: I think it applies, I really do. The characteristics that allow you to succeed in the NFL are the same characteristics that allow you to succeed in life. The vast majority of NFL players are great guys, wonderful guys. In fact, there is a player from the Minnesota Vikings out of Maryland; young guy (safety Madieu Williams) who has started a foundation for his home town of Sierra Leone where children often die before they turn five years old. I think it’s really admirable what he is doing and, you know, it’s a shame that that sort of thing doesn’t make the news. If he were to hit his wife, it would be the front page headline. I can speak at a church every week, and that barely gets any news but you can guarantee if I were to hit my wife, my name would be all over the place.

SB: Going along with that, what was your reaction to everything that happened in Denver this offseason: The Shanahan firing, the Cutler trade, Brandon Marshall demanding a trade and acting like a fool in practice?

KM: A wait and see attitude. I know Mike had gotten to a point where he’d lost the ear of the team. It became apparent that players were becoming much more concerned with themselves than the team. You know, you saw last year with the Denver Nuggets trading Allen Iverson. Iverson is a great player, but he’s a selfish player. Chauncey Billups is a team player and a leader, but if you were to put him up against Iverson, Iverson would win nine out of ten times. Billups is just a great leader and he is willing to do whatever it takes to win.

SB: It’s interesting that you make that comparison, because some have compared Iverson and Billups to Jay Cutler and Kyle Orton. What do you make of that comparison?

KM: Well, I have gotten to know Jay through the Broncos and golf tournaments, and he is a child still. He is more concerned with himself than the team, and when Josh McDaniels came in, he came in with a system that wasn’t going to throw as much, and Jay saw that and put McDaniels in a tough place where he had really no choice but to get rid of him. He wasn’t happy with his contract or the prospect of not throwing the ball as much as he did in the past.

SB: With the Cutler situation and all of the negativity in the media surrounding for the Broncos—they tried to sugar coat it by saying they didn’t pay any attention to what the media was saying, but it’s got to feel good to stick it to everyone who doubted them.

KM: Certainly, every ball-player can get that blackboard material. We’re competitors, that’s what makes us athletes. You want to succeed. I think they have done an amazing job defensively, the way they play fundamentally. You know, I have been paying attention to the Broncos’ defense since I was drafted in 1983, and I am really impressed with the changes they have made on that side of the ball.

SB: Mike Nolan was a coach while you were there, correct?

KM: Yeah, Mike coached me he was a young guy. He got his first coaching job as a linebackers coach with the Broncos and I think he learned as much from us as we learned from him. He coached fundamental football; a lot of tackling drills, shedding blocks—He has taken things to a whole other level  He’s a good guy and he really cares about his players. 

SB: Talk about the REACH Foundation and what people can do to get involved.

KM: Yeah, we just started a program called “Reach for a Book” where kids in Denver elementary schools are encouraged to read 100 minutes a week. If they complete that goal, they get a free pizza. There is also a scoreboard on the classroom doors, so there is a little competitions between the kids. The top two readers are invited to Invesco Field to be honored for their efforts. The website is www.karlmecklenburg.org , and we would love to hear from people. As far as getting involved, donations help, but we do a golf tournament. This past year we held a poker tournament, and there are other volunteer opportunities. 

 

My interview with Mecklenburg, along with reading his book, have shed a whole new light on professional athletes and the NFL in particular. It has also been a key tool for me in focusing my goals and what I want to do in life.

I hope you all enjoyed this experience as much as I did, and again, I strongly encourage purchasing this book. It is great for aspiring youth, parents, coaches, pastors, or simply someone who is a fan of the NFL and likes a good story. Mecklenburg did an excellent job in his first solo book, and it is a great gift idea for the coming holiday season.

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

Dierdorf and Enberg’s “Nice Thighs” Calendar

Did anyone else raise an eyebrow during the Broncos/Ravens game when Dierdorf began ranting about Le’Ron McClain’s thighs? It even included a prolonged close-up shot of McClain’s butt and thighs. It reminded me of Dick Enberg exclaiming “Look at the size of his thighs!” — or something like that — when calling a Chargers game a few years ago. If Dierdorf and Enberg could put together a NFL “Nice Thighs” calendar, who would they pick?

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Denver-Pittsburgh: Broncos Play in the East As Well As Steelers Do at Altitude

To be clear, this is no attempt to sugarcoat a pretty good thumping that Baltimore put on the Broncos last Sunday. The Denver offense looked terrible.

Aside from one series that was aided by three Baltimore penalties, the Broncos offense was completely dominated by the Ravens defense. Denver didn’t get beyond its own 32-yard line until 4:52 remaining in the first half, and that drive stalled just past midfield.

Denver made it into Ravens territory only twice in the second half—once on the touchdown drive (aided by penalties) and again on the meaningless drive to end the game.

The Broncos defense, on the other hand, played fairly well for three quarters. One sustained drive and a field goal is what the Broncos D surrendered in the first half. The other Ravens field goal was the result of a fumble recovered at the Broncos 23-yard line—the Denver D actually backed Baltimore up a few yards for that field goal.

It’s hard to blame the Denver D too much for wilting in the second half. Time of possession was decidedly in the Ravens favor.

It wasn’t pretty, there’s no denying that.

But let’s keep some perspective. Playing Baltimore IN Baltimore is no easy task. Baltimore lost three games, yeah, but by a combined 11 points. And their losses came at New England, home versus Cincinnati, and at Minnesota. They are far better than their record may indicate. Baltimore is as good as any team in the NFL right now. 

Playing at Baltimore is even more difficult for teams traveling from the western side of the Continental Divide. It’s a lot easier to deal with the time zone differences going west than east.

Consider this. So far this year, teams based on the western side of the Divide are 6-9 in road games on the eastern side of the Divide. Host teams that currently have a winning record are 9-2 against teams traveling from the west.

I know, I know. There are a couple of bad teams on the western side. This year Oakland and Seattle aren’t exactly lighting it up. By the same token, half of the wins by western teams came at Kansas City (2) and at Jacksonville (1). There are bad teams on both sides of the Divide.

Perhaps more telling are games featuring two teams with winning records where the game is played on the eastern side of the Divide.

In those games, the away teams are 2-5 so far this year.

Getting thumped is never a good thing. But going east and playing a winning team on their home turf is very difficult.

This week the Broncos face another good team in the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the game is at Mile High Stadium. Denver is 7-2-1 in the regular season at home against Pittsburgh. The last time the Steelers won in Denver in the regular-season was 1990, and their other win came in 1978.

Apparently the Steelers like the altitude about as much as Denver likes flying east.

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

Broncos Add RB Lance Ball, Re-Sign DL Carlton Powell to Practice Squad

For the second time since the season has started, the Denver Broncos made changes to their roster.  This time, they subtracted and added two players to their practice squad.

Joining the Broncos are running back Lance Ball and defensive lineman Carlton Powell.  Running back Darius Walker was waived from the team and defensive lineman Everette Pedescleaux was placed in injured reserve.

Ball is in his second year in the NFL out of Maryland, and he has spent time with Indianapolis, St. Louis, and Tennessee already. 

In his only NFL action thus far, he helped the Colts’ offense in a 2008 regular season game when he carried the ball 13 times for 85 yards, as well as catching a pass for five yards.

Powell is in his second stint with the Broncos after having spent time on the Cleveland Browns‘ practice squad.  The Broncos selected Powell in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft out of Virginia Tech, where he was a teammate of current Broncos wide receiver Eddie Royal.

Ball will wear No. 35 for the Broncos, and Powell will be wearing his third number with Denver in No. 96.

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

Week 9 NFL Power Rankings: Denver Broncos’ Demise

The Week Nine Power Rankings make sense of it all and set up the lines for Week Nine with a glance back at some of the results from Week Eight that are what make betting football so much fun in the first place.

The biggest demise of all is that of the NFL-Power-Rankings/20091102220003627″ title=”Why ??? Read more here…” target=”_blank”>Denver Broncos. It looks like the Week Nine Power Rankings have had a bit of a change this week, due to some poor performances from teams such as the Seattle Seahawks and the Detroit Lions.

Figuring out how a Philadelphia Eagles team can lose straight up at Oakland, get a healthy road win against a division rival on Monday Night Football, and then completely annihilate the New York Giants is like trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube with your eyes closed. It just won’t happen.

 

Top of the Charts

An offensive production nearly 10 points better than the next closest team can’t last forever, but until it fades to at least less than touchdown, the Saints are No. 1 on the bet republic’s power ranking chart.

New England was off for Week Eight following its London Calling vs. Tampa Bay but Indy’s game against San Francisco has prompted us to put Tom Brady and his crew in an official tie for second place.

Brady vs. Manning is going to be the big story for Week 10 when those teams hook up. And pending straight up wins in Week Nine vs. Miami and Houston, this ranking won’t change until the super power of the AFC is crowned Sunday night.

By the way, this is the only time this year the words “Tampa” and “Bay” will be used in the “Top of the Charts” segment, so we hope you enjoyed it, Bucs fans.

 

Upticks

No ties in this department as the Chicago Bears stop the bleeding and the Dallas Cowboys make a significant jump that solidifies them in our top 10 rankings.

That win over Cleveland is nothing for the Bears to write home about. But they don’t have to write home because they are home again this week against the original Chicago team, the Arizona Cardinals.

A strong game from the defensive front seven and better red zone efficiency against a comparable unit could make the Bears a strong play on option in the back half of the season.

Tennessee gets a mention, too, but it should be noted they just ticked up from 27th to 24th.

The Titans (+4) are getting a ton of action from sports bettors on a line that opened as high as -5.5 at some online sportsbooks, but the anticipation of win No. 2 is nowhere near as great as it was for their first.

 

Downticks

Green Bay’s season wasn’t lost in that game against Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings, but its playoff hopes were. Head coach Mike McCarthy will get another shot, too, since his defense is new this year and QB Aaron Rodgers is young. But a lack of discipline will continue shooting that team in the foot if something doesn’t change.

Jacksonville is now one overtime win better than the Titans and it’s time for head coach Jack Del Rio to go. Really. The Jaguars (-6.5) welcome Kansas City in Week Nine and money line options on the Chiefs are worth considering.

 

Bottom Feeders

If anything, Oakland can have credit for being a good cover team. The Raiders are 4-4 ATS this year and that’s more than we can say for the Detroit Lions (2-5 ATS). Off a bye with QB Matthew Stafford back, the Leos couldn’t game plan for a home win against the previously winless St. Louis Rams.

Now the Lions travel to Seattle (-10) and Minnesota and glancing down their schedule, it’s safe to say the Lions will not likely win another game in 2009.

Read more at Jacksonville …

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

Ravens Out-Hustle, Out-Scheme Streaky Broncos

 

Defense-defense was the theme of the day in the game between the 6-0 Denver Broncos and the 3-3 Baltimore Ravens.  So just for good measure, any way you say it or spell it, you knew it would be prevalent in Sunday’s NFL contest.

 

D-Fence!

 

So now knowing that, the first huge mistake of the Josh McDaniels era in the regular season is that the Broncos did not choose to defer until the second half.  Instead the Broncos chose to get the opening kickoff and go on offense.  They then promptly went three and out with a very poor first series and suddenly the battle of field position was predictably a bigger issue than the credit being given to it.

 

Knowing that field position was going to be an issue in this game going into it, why the Broncos chose to go on offense immediately left a few fans a little baffled at the decision.

 

So maybe you’re surprised, maybe you’re not, but trust this.

 

The game was much closer than the final score indicated, but the team with the better scheme, mental preparedness, and coaching won this game on Sunday.

 

This could have been a statement game for the Broncos, instead the Ravens made the statement and the Broncos organization has to digest a few painful lessons that came out of this game Sunday.

 

The Denver Broncos now have to address how to better complement their short pass game by taking deeper shots down field.

 

The Broncos also learned that they should make a commitment to the run game when it is working, especially against a physical football team.

 

Finally, the Broncos should have learned that if they don’t address what they learned on Sunday they should expect their defense to eventually not be able to cover the shortfalls of the offense.

 

The Ravens Showed Up Ready to Play

Credit the Baltimore Ravens for coming ready to play on Sunday against the Broncos.  From the very first snap to the end, the Baltimore Ravens showed they wanted to desperately win their seventh game of the season against the Denver Broncos.

 

After the opening kickoff the Broncos went on offense and the Ravens sent a message from their defense along with two outside linebackers blitzing from their 3-4 set.  Raven backer Jared Johnson was locked on Brandon Marshall and failed to deliver the ball to him or even look for the safety valve.  The Broncos tried a couple of small screens and that was that on offense until they got their first drive going in the second half.

 

The Baltimore defense was punishing in more than one way and ready for the Broncos short passing game.  Herein lies the fault of the Broncos offensive attack and it will come under future attack as well.  Without the implementation of a deep passing game, defenses like the Ravens can easily and more readily rally from zone coverage to snuff out any short and mid-range plays.  This was the case on Sunday.

 

From the start the Ravens had an intensity that was missing on the Broncos offensive side of the ball, and eventually over time, the Broncos defense couldn’t match their production.

 

While both teams were coming off of byes it looked like the Broncos offense was still on vacation or in serious need of another one.  That sort of effort coming from an undefeated team was pathetic; it showed a group of guys believing more in the press clippings about them than the need to work harder to get the job done right.

 

The Ravens were also able to inflict pain and punishment on the Broncos in forcing the only turnover of the game.  Near the end of the first quarter Knowshon Moreno nullified all the good that was starting to be produced in the ground game.  On a 2nd-and-9, Kyle Orton made a horrible choice on a double pump to Knowshon Moreno.  This gave the play less time to develop and less time for Moreno to control the ball.  Moreno briefly had the ball in his hands with two feet on the ground as his shoulders turned up field; almost as quickly he was lit up like an early holiday greeting and immediately fumbled the ball.  The Ravens All-Pro safety Ed Reed showed his metal on the hit that dislodged the ball from the Broncos rookie running back.  The turnover led to an early 3-0 lead for the Ravens but credit the Broncos defense for being tough in the early going and holding the Ravens to only six points in the first half.

 

Couple the bad field position and the only turnover of the game against the Broncos with poor punting from new arrival, veteran punter Mitch Berger, the Ravens won the battle of field position almost by default alone.

 

Broncos Offensive Line

The Broncos have a very athletic offensive line, but it came under fire on Sunday and a big injury occurred early at right tackle when Ryan Harris went down.  It appears that the injury could be a broken big toe and possibly affecting two of his toes.  On the afternoon the Broncos offensive line had problems mitigating the pass rush of the Ravens especially versus a strong front four and a 3-4 blitz scheme.  This is something that has to be corrected immediately if the Broncos are to have success on offense the rest of this season. 

 

Certainly it’s not a time to panic but a time to give a full evaluation across the board. When one of the stronger offensive lines in football has problems the whole game plan needs some further review.  The Broncos should have had greater anticipation about the Ravens defensive attack and due to the lack of a crisp game plan and proper adjustments along the way the offensive line was made to look as poor as they have been in some time.   

 

Kyle Orton’s Poor Performance

Kyle Orton entered Sunday’s contest with nearly a 64% completion percentage, nine touchdowns, and one interception.  Orton saw his completion percentage fall only two points while his game average in yardage was nearly 110 yards under par. 

 

What this statistic really reinforces is that if the team does not address mixing up the play calling more the overall production will go down.

 

Essentially if you complete 62% of your passes but aren’t moving the ball consistently or causing headaches for the defense then this statistic is irrelevant.

 

The one time the Broncos really did challenge the Ravens was on their first scoring drive of the second half when they opened up the offense and wound up with a touchdown.

 

The overall lack of production from the Broncos clearly stemmed from the lack of a consistent attack to put pressure on a Baltimore defense that was dictating the outcome of the game.

 

Sure the Broncos had 17 first downs to Baltimore’s 16 however the game is about consistency and dictating play.  The Broncos earned the majority of first downs in an inconsistent manner rendering the output useless.

 

Again, the Ravens were able to control the game because they were not being challenged enough on defense to stop the Broncos offense. 

 

Poor Special Teams Play

With the opening kickoff of the second half Ravens cornerback turned kick returner Lardarius Webb went 95 yards after hitting the seam just right and went untouched for a touchdown.  That play put the Ravens in control of the football game with the score 13-0.

Conversely, Eddie Royal returned two punts for two yards and six kickoffs for an average of 18 yards a return.

To add more salt to the wound, the Broncos constantly lost the battle of field position in the kicking game.  Newly aquired punter Mitch Berger could only muster a 36.3 net and an average of 38.4 yards on eight punts.

In a nutshell it was the sort of effort that just isn’t going to get the job done.

 

Broncos Defense Worn Down by Ravens

Don’t misconstrue this point as a problem with the Broncos defense, overall the Broncos still have their MOJO cranking on defense.  The problem here is the failure of the offense to cover the defense.  The utter failure to control the tempo on offense and the clock led to the eventual demise of the Broncos defense.

 

It would be wrong to pin the loss on the Broncos defense entirely.  There is one issue that this team wound up losing down the stretch of the football game.  The Broncos defense began to lose some composure in a mild form as they were eventually losing the battle against the Ravens rushing attack late in the game.

 

The Ravens were more intense on defense than the Broncos were when it came to shutting down the opposition.  This is also a key mental note to make as the team will not be afforded those sorts of opportunities to bounce back from down the stretch.

 

Overall, the Broncos held the Ravens in check with a short field, but they needed to find better ways to disrupt the deeper penetration by Joe Flacco and company.

 

The Final Summary:  Denver’s Schemes Failed Where Baltimore’s Did Not

It all goes back to a good offense being a team’s best defense.  On Sunday the Broncos offense and their play calling were poor at best.

 

The most important point here, however, is that the offense needs to mix up the play calling more.  The offensive scheme should have been more robust and daring in finding a willingness to go deeper with some of the pass routes.  Additionally, the Broncos started to have some good spurts of running the ball but failed to keep the momentum going.  This all happened because the Broncos were forcing short passes when they weren’t really open inside the Ravens short zone coverage.  Additionally the routes the Broncos chose to use had to struggle for first down yardage.

 

In essence that is not the way to attack a team like the Ravens.  Because the Ravens are so intense on defense you have to make a commitment to out physical them and out smart them in the pass game.  The way the Ravens played is the way they always play; there was nothing new under the sun there.  The Broncos needed to be creative in how they schemed for this game and they fell very short of their goal.  Very good defenses like the Ravens will force the other teams’ hand.  Unless there is an adequate response the team is in trouble on offense.

 

The reason the Ravens offense had success was because they weren’t afraid to challenge the defense of the Broncos.  That was the clear difference in the football game.  The Ravens offense decided to get physical in the running game and stretch the Broncos secondary.  The Denver Broncos failed on offense because they failed to execute in a similar fashion to the way the Baltimore Ravens did on offense.

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

We Got Blow’d Up, Sir!

“Intensity, drive, fire, heart, desire”

Uh, I’ll take, “What was missing in the Denver Broncos performance in Baltimore?” for $500 Alex.

Ugh.

Okay, did you really think we would go undefeated?

Did you really think that a team in transition could run the table with a schedule like ours?

More importantly, did you really expect the Denver Broncos to go into Baltimore, for an early game, and play well?

Speaking for myself, I would say no to the first. I did not think we had a shot in hell at going undefeated. There is not a team in this league that is going to do that this year. An undefeated season is an amazing feat, one accomplished by only two teams in the Super Bowl era. Let’s not cheapen it by assuming any team is going to have what it takes until they actually do it.

As to the second question, did I expect our boys to go into Baltimore, with an early start, and win? Early East Coast starts, especially in Baltimore, do not smack of historical goodness for the Broncos. But yeah, I expected the Broncos to win that game. 

Denver is a better team overall than the Ravens.

Despite the rhetorical nonsense that spews from national sports shows, the Broncos have already proven that they are for real. With the conditioning, toughness and the ability to finish, that McDaniels has instilled in Denver, the Broncos have showed me enough through the first six games that I simply didn’t think we would see the same old stuff with this game. 

I mean, the displays of meekness we normally see in this match up were a mark of another regime, right?

Not this week.

One thing we keep saying, week after week, is that this is not a Shanahan team.

Normally that is in response to the rocket scientists who keep trying to dictate what this season is going to be like based on last year’s performance. But in the case of the Broncos at the Ravens: 2009, the indication was a not a good one, we were unprepared coming off a bye.

And that’s what this boils down to: preparation.

We were dominated in all phases yesterday because we were not prepared to play this game. You can blame a small amount of that on hubris, the rest you can place right on the shoulders of Coach McD and his staff.

They did a terrible job with game planning, and ultimately failed to make the in-game adjustments that have been the hallmark of the 2009 Denver Broncos.

I’m not going to go all bibbledy over one loss. I am a firm believer that sometimes you need a slap in the face to bring you off of a pedestal. Sunday was a reality check and, if this team is as good as we think they are, they will learn from it.

Sometimes getting your butt kicked is the best thing for you.

That does not mean I am letting them off the hook. We still should have been better prepared.

 

The Offense

I don’t know about you, but I am getting fed up with the dink and dunk. Yes, I understand that it has been working, and I am not the type to dismiss a positive offensive style simply because it does not have the fantasy football explosiveness that so many seem to think is the ONLY mark of success these days. But dangnabit, there comes a time when you need to go for the jugular. Yesterday was one of those times.

I am not going to pile on Kyle Orton quite yet, as I do not blame him for yesterdays loss. I blame McDaniels for sticking with a game plan that Baltimore had clearly figured out from the first snap.

It was obvious that we were not going to be able to count on screens and three-yard quick outs to carry us. Baltimore was not only in the right place all day, they tackled very well and took away the one thing that has been an absolute must for us all year: yards after catch.

We did not adjust.

I am stymied here. The obvious way to attack the Ravens is aggressive passing. They have a demonstrated weakness for the big play and from what I have seen they have a tendency to panic a bit because of them.

The key to beating them is to spread the field, hit some big passes early and force them into playing the pass, then open up the run. Simplified, I know, but accurate.

We obviously had a game plan that was going to be pass heavy. Yet again we came out with the Dink and Dunk. You have to wonder what that means—does Josh simply believe that his system is flawless? Or is there something more sinister at play? Does he know what so many of us fear? That Kyle Orton is not capable of aggressive down field attacks?

I’m not sure I buy that yet, but I am starting to wonder if McD really trusts Kyle the way he claims he does. It’s unnerving to say the least.

And why did we not adjust to the pressure that the Ravens brought? I think teams are going to start keying on our faith in our offensive line. Yes, we have one of the best in the league, but sometimes even the best need help. 

Moving Kyle around a bit, keeping the RB in to block, and out of the pattern once in a while, would be helpful when a defense decides that killing Kyle is the key to beating the Broncos.

And it just might be.

Orton does not handle pressure well.  He looked spooked all day and I think more than a few of his passes were off because he was rattled. Then again, dropped passes, especially from Brandon “Don’t hurt me Ray Ray” Marshall does not help. It reminded me of the Bengals game.

 

The Defense

Again, preparation and adjustments were lacking. We only got token pressure on Flacco and he picked us apart when he needed to. I am not sure why we did not blitz more because when we did get him out of his comfort zone he was average at best.

Overall, I am disappointed in certain aspects, but the defense was not terrible. They played a solid game for the most part, but were put in too many untenable positions by the offense.

 

Special teams

You know, I thought we had a chance until the Special teams melted down again.

That’s all I have to say about that.

 

Conclusion

For the next seven days we will be treated to evaluation and over-evaluation of what that loss means.

The game will be dissected, bisected, eviscerated, boiled and broiled. Depending on one’s point of view the conclusions will either be that it was a bad day for the boys in orange and blue, or it was a game that exposed the “real” Denver Broncos. Some will shrug it off and move on; Others will gleefully ride the “exposure” as long as they can.

The simple truth here is that it was one game.  Though I have to throw in one caveat, I do not know if I trust this offense. And contrary to the idea that winning games against Dallas, New England and San Diego are the defining moments of our 2009 season I think how they respond after this sole loss will dictate who they are.

We do not know enough about this team to predict what comes next, but in one week, in front of a national audience, we will find out.

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Steelers-Broncos: Follow in the Ravens’ Footsteps for Once

It’s usually unthinkable for the Steelers to follow in the footsteps of rival Baltimore.

But, just this once, it’s imperative that the Steelers do just that.

Are the Steelers a better team than the Ravens? Statistics aside, the Steelers have a much better defensive front than Baltimore and also have a more cohesive secondary.  Offensively, the team is also much more consistent, with the Steelers possessing better threats in the passing game.

But the Steelers will now face another tough test, coming off their bye to face the surprising but suddenly human Denver Broncos on the road.

Denver is human because Baltimore figured out how to finally solve the mystery that had allowed the Broncos to dominate opponents through the first six games.

Now Pittsburgh must take the Ravens’ gameplan and execute it just as effectively.

Here’s a look at how Pittsburgh can improve to 6-2 and firmly assert itself once again as a threat in the AFC:

 

On Offense

The Broncos had trouble with Ray Rice, a tough inside runner who has the speed and explosiveness to hit the hole fast and run past tacklers. Rice never stops his feet from moving, allowing him to gain a few extra yards when he’s not wrapped up low.

Rashard Mendenhall is the same type of runner. Hopefully, the Steelers have sorted out Mendenhall’s fumbling problems. If that is the case, he could be in for a big game against Denver.

The Broncos will have to respect Ben Roethlisberger‘s passing game, so look for them to load up in the secondary to prevent big plays, particularly over the middle to Mike Wallace and Heath Miller. That should open up some running lanes early for Mendenhall, which should in turn open up the play action passing game at which Roethlisberger is so effective.

The Steelers like to execute screen passes. The Broncos have defended these well during the season, but if Roethlisberger can complete a few long strikes downfield, look for the Steelers to utilize the space created by running screens and slants.

Heath Miller could be in for a big game a week after Denver let Todd Heap get loose several times in the middle of the field.

The biggest task for the Steelers will be playing mistake-free football, particularly in the second half. Denver has forced seven second half turnovers this season.

 

On Defense

The Ravens finally found a solution to the Bronco offense, bottling up Kyle Orton’s passing game. 

The Broncos and Orton do not throw deep. Orton has fewer than 20 passes on the season that totalled more than 20 yards. There’s no need to play two deep safeties or to back the corners into deep zones.

The best thing to do is to use William Gay and Ike Taylor to keep the Bronco’s receiving threats (Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal) in front of the defense. Dropping their free safety deep (likely Tyrone Carter with Ryan Clark not playing because of a medical condition), that leaves Troy Polamalu and the linebackers to come up in pressure and alternately to drop into coverage to take away tight end Tony Scheffler in the middle.

The Broncos run the ball well, but the Steelers know how to bottle up rushing attacks. I would say that if they can make the Broncos beat them with their passing game, that they will have little trouble dispatching them. 

The two keys for the Steelers’ defense will be to pressure Orton and to keep the receivers in front of their secondary. Orton doesn’t have the arm for deep throws and won’t escape the pocket very often. 

 

On Special Teams

The Steelers have allowed two touchdowns this season on returns. That has to stop. I’d point to it being a tackling problem, something that shouldn’t happen on a team that utilizes so many sure-handed players on their coverage units.

Jeff Reed should have a nice time kicking in kicker-friendly Denver. Daniel Sepulveda might be even more devastating a weapon with the lighter air. 

If the Steelers can neutralize Eddie Royal in the return game, they have a chance to have a nice day on special teams.

The Broncos allowed the second half kickoff to be returned by Baltimore, so Stefan Logan should have some space to operate. Logan will benefit from taking a more north-south approach on his returns rather than trying to cut back across the field. His speed is his best weapon.

 

Predictions

Based upon the way the Steelers handled the two-pronged attack of the Minnesota Vikings as well as the way the Steelers’ personnel matches up with the Ravens’, I would say that the Steelers could repeat the beating that Denver received yesterday at the hands of the Ravens.

Look for big days by Rashard Mendenhall and Ben Roethlisberger on offense as well as Troy Polamalu, who should be rested and much more effective, and perhaps Lamarr Woodley on defense.

This might also be the week where Stefan Logan breaks loose on a return.

Steelers 38, Broncos 17

 

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Ravens 30, Broncos 7: Denver Handed First Loss of 2009

The Denver Broncos have come crashing down to earth, and rightfully so.

Denver went to M&T Bank Stadium early Sunday afternoon and had their lunch served courtesy of the Baltimore Ravens.

Denver lost its first contest since week three of the preseason in an ugly 30-7 rout by Ray Rice, Joe Flacco, and Baltimore.

Both teams were coming off bye weeks, but it was clear which team was more prepared for this game. Baltimore never trailed in their first victory in four games, and they made the Broncos look silly with their resurgent defense.

Denver had multiple matchups they could have exploited this afternoon, but the Ravens’ pass rush was simply unstoppable. They confused Denver’s usually reliable offensive line, and Kyle Orton (who usually has time enough to knit a sweater) was chased around all day long.

The Ravens were simply better in every facet of the game on Sunday, both offense and defense.

Despite allowing 23 points, the Denver defense actually held their own for the most part. The one area they really struggled was in third-down conversions, where the Ravens were able to convert over half their attempts. 

The Broncos crossed into enemy territory only three times, and entered the red zone only once. 

Their best drive of the game consisted of the biggest play being a 40-plus yard pass interference call on Domonique Foxworth. Denver did capitalize on their only red-zone attempt, which is encouraging, but they had a lot of help from Baltimore in getting there.

This was a very discouraging game for the Broncos and their fans, but all of the pessimism is unwarranted. 

The Broncos are a team that has exceeded all expectations this season, and a 6-1 record is of elite caliber. Denver is behind only Indianapolis in the standings, and they lead San Diego by two games in the AFC West, with a head-to-head victory and a home game left against them.

This loss should be considered a reality-check for the Broncos, who undoubtedly will be more prepared for their Monday night matchup with Pittsburgh next week.

One thing that needs to be fixed is the special teams, believe it or not. Denver has allowed a return touchdown in two straight games, and Eddie Royal could get absolutely no room on his returns today. Simply no blocking was happening.

The Broncos looked lackadaisical and downright undisciplined. One of the reasons Denver has been so good this season is because they have been able to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, and Baltimore simply played Denver’s game today.

Denver got a taste of its own medicine, but this fan thinks a return to the winner’s circle is coming sooner rather than later.

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