Broncos Preseason Film Study: Defense Gets a “B” Vs. San Fran

“It’s just the preseason” is the cry of every media outlet.  However, try as they might they can’t escape the reality that the preseason is the time to work out the kinks in the game plan and execution.  With that in mind, a new weekly segment called “Film Study” will recap a few plays that impact net results.  This week’s segment on the defense focuses on some of the errors made in the game against the San Francisco 49’ers on Friday night in California.

Correctable Errors

By and large, all of the following errors are correctable.  Some of it could be related to coaching and scheme however the greater void is in play anticipation and scheme execution.  These are all errors that led to big plays for San Francisco.  Ironically enough all of these errors are correctable.

Play #1

On the second play from scrimmage San Francisco QB Shaun Hill picked up on Darcel McBath lining up on the strong-side blitz.  He then calmly hit the tight end Vernon Davis for a twenty-three yard pick-up.   This wound up being a blown assignment as there was no Bronco defender directly picking up the TE as he worked to find a gap in space.  The replay showed Champ Bailey in between an outside receiver running a short out and the TE Davis with LB Andra Davis slow to the punch in coverage and missing the tackle.

Solution #1

This is a play that was flawed from the play call to the execution of the defensive scheme.  If the defense is going to send safety Darcel McBath on a blitz from the outside, they have to have better coverage over the vacated tight end.  That much is obvious.  What should happen is that the Broncos should not have linebacker Andra Davis trying to cover tight ends with receiver type abilities like Vernon Davis. 

The Broncos defense needs to compensate for the gap in space.  Utilizing a faster linebacker in coverage is one option, having the free-safety cover tighter is another option.

Broncos fans will probably see a great deal of Darcel McBath blitzing over the course of his career, however the team must shutdown the open alleys to ensure success. 

The problem really seems to be the play call related to the available personnel on the field.  Champ Bailey is caught in between two wide open receivers and can’t really use his abilities at all on the play.     

In this personnel set the Broncos are probably better off not blitzing the safety but rather a linebacker.

Play #2

After two solid displays of defensive strength in making a run stop and then a sack, the Broncos once again showed they have work to do.

On third and fourteen, the Broncos send four pass rushers as they sit back in the zone defense.  Vernon Davis again is able to find space.  This time he is lined-up on the left-side instead of the right, then worked his way across the middle of the field to find space behind Andra Davis for another first down with a gain of sixteen yards.

Solution #2

If the Broncos are going to hang back in space they need to force the receivers to go underneath and not over the coverage.  Andra Davis should have had a deeper drop to shut down the passing lane.  The Broncos could have also had a little more anticipation on the receiver routes given the down and distance to go for the first. 

Play #3

Kenny Peterson missed QB’s ankles as Hill worked to escape the pocket.  Ron Fields then abandoned the middle of the field to cover the running back, prematurely anticipating a screen dump-off.

Solution #3

The obvious errors here are on tackling and anticipation.  Admittedly, it is hard for D-line players to always wrap up the QB in full, let alone by the shoe laces.  However a better job by the front seven could have forced a short gain, incompletion, or possible interception.  Fields can’t abandon the middle early for the obvious result on the play.  The nose tackle has to plug the middle.  Fields should be applauded for having the anticipation; however he took himself right out of the play.

Play #4

The Broncos were then gashed a few plays later by an inside trap that crossed up the front seven with little support behind them.  The 49’ers rookie running back Glen Coffee was made to look like Roger Craig in open space carrying the rock for a first down.

Solution #4

 The two clear problems on this play are the Broncos not being ready for a trap call and being blocked entirely out of the play.  This a situation where the defensive front seven must take control physically and utilize technique to minimize the overall gain on the play by the 49’er ground game.

Play #5

On the third 49’er offensive series backup QB Alex Smith completes a seven yard hitch to Arnez Battle on second and eight with five Broncos pass rushers on the attack.

Solution #5

It goes back to anticipation.  The Broncos had the 49’ers in a second and long situation.  There should have been better foresight to see the routes that could either give the 49’ers a first down or put them close to it.  Hitches, slants, outs, and hooks, have to be given proper coverage considerations.

Play #6

On third down Glen Coffee runs a dive up the middle for a gain of three and a first down.

Solution #6

This is where the Broncos need to have a greater push up front along the front seven to stuff the run in key situations.

Play #7

Following the third Kyle Orton interception Alex Smith hooks up with TE Britt Miller on a short out route for the touchdown.

Solution #7

The real issue here is that the Broncos have had three turnovers to this point in the game and are on the verge of giving up a big score.  The thing the defensive unit needs to do is anticipate smash runs and quick out routes that are so common in goal line situations.

Overview

On the whole the Broncos defense did play well, in fact keeping the team in the game despite three early Kyle Orton interceptions.  The straw that was breaking the Broncos back however was the minor lapses in communication and scheme execution.  This all led to the defense giving up big plays in late down situations.  Fortunately none of the plays were too big to take the Broncos out of the game.  The Broncos had a number of short stops against the 49’er ground game and had good pressure resulting in sacks against San Francisco.  While not a perfect outing, the Broncos defense showed a lot of positives.

This week’s grade:  B

When Should Josh McDaniels Pull the Plug on Kyle Orton?

Much has been said about Kyle Orton’s performance in the Denver Broncos’ preseason game against San Francisco. And to be sure it was bad. Anything good Orton did was negated by the three interceptions.

For the most part, Broncos fans seem to be willing to excuse this performance and by a fair margin continue to support Orton as the starter. I agree with this assessment.

The question is at what point does coach Josh McDaniels make a switch?

It is obvious that Orton is McDaniels’ first choice. Even after telling us that he would take as much time as necessary to select the starter, Orton was named early on. Clearly McDaniels saw something in Orton that he liked.

Though I have not witnessed it first hand, many have commented on how good Orton has looked in camp. Some of this is based purely in optimism, but he also showed some positive signs in the San Francisco game.

The performance of Chris Simms, or any other backup player, also needs to be put into perspective. Playing against lesser competition, he should look good. The pressure of being number one is also squarely on Orton’s shoulders.

I think Orton deserves a shot at redemption. I also think he needs to make the most of his shot. If he has another outing like last Friday, McDaniels will have to seriously consider his options. Unfortunately Simms is our only other option at this point

We can tell ourselves it is preseason and the games don’t matter. This is true of the outcome but not true of individual performances.

We can tell ourselves that it takes time to develop the timing and chemistry. We also have to admit that this should be nearly accomplished by the second preseason game.

The bottom line is that for the Broncos to have the season we are hoping for Kyle Orton has to be successful. If Simms becomes the better option then it is McDaniels’ obligation to play him. But to pretend that the Broncos will be better because of it is a fallacy.

Jamie Dukes Warns Broncos Fans of “Bombshell Alert;” Brandon Marshall Out?

According to NFL Network’s Jamie Dukes’ Twitter account, the Broncos are in for a big surprise sometime later tonight.

Per Dukes, there is a “BOMBSHELL ALERT COMING OUT OF DENVER.”

Do not worry Bronco fans, this is no tragedy that we have experienced with the likes of Darrent Williams or Damien Nash. Dukes feels this move further proves his pessimistic stance that the Broncos’ management is the worst in football.

“No one died if that’s what you’re worried about, but I just don’t know what they are thinking.”

Since the Broncos traded quarterback Jay Cutler in March, Dukes has been all over the Broncos…and his apparent man-crush for Jay Cutler.

One can only speculate as to the nature of this news, but putting the pieces together, this Broncos fan is bracing for a trade of wide receiver Brandon Marshall.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk thinks it is one of three things: A Marshall trade or suspension, or get this: A signing of quarterback Brett Favre.

At this point, it would not be a surprise if any of the three happened. 

Who in the world knows what is going on in Brett Favre’s head. Maybe not even Favre knows that.

Marshall has missed a ton of camp time, and the Broncos have a solid core of receivers with Eddie Royal, Brandon Stokley, Jabar Gaffney, and Tony Scheffler. 

Still, a trade of Marshall would hurt the Broncos’ offensive unit significantly, as he is in fact a Pro Bowl receiver. His off-field baggage and recent trade request have made him expendable, and next off-season his contract expires.

Maybe the Broncos are smart to get rid of him.

Potential suitors are unknown. It has been speculated that the Bears and Ravens would be the most likely destinations if traded, but who would want to take on this personality?

If this move is made, it will highlight a busy day for the Broncos. Earlier today, they traded a fifth-round pick to the Patriots for defensive end Le Kevin Smith and a seventh-round pick, and they signed rookie running back Marcus Thigpen.

To make room on the roster, they released defensive end Rulon Davis and guard Pat Murray.

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.

Patriots Trade DL Le Kevin Smith to the Broncos for a Draft Pick

The Denver Broncos have struck a deal with the New England Patriots to acquire defensive lineman Le Kevin Smith, the Boston Herald reported Monday. In what will eventually turn out to be a three-player deal, the Patriots will send Smith and a seventh-round pick to Denver in exchange for the Broncos’ 2010 fifth-round pick. 

Smith was a sixth-round pick in 2008 by the Patriots, and, at 6’3″ and over 300 pounds, he provides the Broncos with another big body up front. 

This move is likely a response to J’Vonne Parker going down for the season with an injury, leaving the Broncos a man short on the defensive front.

Kyle Orton’s Day Off: Broncos Throw First Game to 49ers

…the defensive backfield still plays very soft, very soft.  Very few passes were defended aggressively.

Kyle Orton’s Struggles Are All Part of the Process

Truth be told, I got an email last week from B/R asking me to write a preview of all the top matchups that the Broncos are facing this season. Not only am I positive that someone has already written something like that before, but frankly, I just don’t care to write that article. Sorry, Bleacher Report.

Don’t get me wrong, in a few weeks, those matchups will be all that I can think about. I’ll have several alcohol-induced nightmares over the possible thrashings that the Broncos could face and then I’ll be able to write a column about it. Trust me, it’ll be good. 

The truth is, now that we know that Knoshown Moreno’s knee injury isn’t all that serious it’s hard to focus on anything Bronco related right now other than Kyle Orton.

Go on any major sports website that has run a story about Orton and here’s an idea of what you will see in the reader comment section.

“Cut Orton!”

“Orton Sucks!”

“Orton Hears A Boo!”

Yep. I’ve seen them all. By the way, kudos to the guy who first thought up the “Orton Hears A Boo!” one.

The point is, Orton’s first live snaps as the Broncos’ new quarterback didn’t go exactly the way we had all hoped. Now a lot of so called “fans” are already calling for his head.

Get real, Broncos country. It was a dreadful performance by the new starting quarterback, but that game is over. It’s done with. Move on.

John Elway lined up behind the guard thinking he was the center in his first game. Jay Cutler threw a horrible interception that the Seahawks ran back for a touchdown in his.

Orton will never be Elway. He will never throw the ball as hard as Cutler. What he will do is be thoroughly inconsistent as he slowly becomes accustomed to all the changes he is dealing with, which is a lot like how Elway and Cutler started out. 

Doesn’t sound very reassuring does it? Elway is the one of the best, if not the best, of all time. Cutler was a Pro Bowl quarterback. After those interceptions Orton threw on Friday night, reassurance that he’s going to get better and get better fast is all we want to hear.

The truth is, for Orton, success as a Bronco is not a guarantee. Frustration is.

Allow me to explain. If Kyle is frustrating in the way that Brian Griese was, Broncos fans will do everything they can to run him out of town before the season ends. However, if he is frustrating in the mold of Jake Plummer, then maybe an AFC Championship is on the horizon.

I’m not going to bother to predict how Orton’s season will go. Someone else has already written that article too. What I will do is pull a Ben Stiller and hit you with some knowledge (sorry, I just watched Dodgeball)

Orton is going to make a fair share of mistakes in the early going. At times he’ll flash the brilliance that seems to reside within all quarterbacks in Josh McDaniels’ system, and at other times his play will be as ugly as his haircut.

There will be interceptions. There will be poor decisions. There will be Brandon Marshall fumbling when he tries to break too many tackles (too soon?).

The key to being a Broncos fan this season is shaking off the frustration that you will feel. Take a deep breath and let the full picture come together before you react to the situation.

Or maybe that’s the key to being Kyle Orton. Your guess is as good as mine.

Almost.

Denver Fans Are Hoping For a Legacy With McDaniels

This week’s news in Bronco-land centers around three bad passes thrown by Kyle Orton, passes that head coach Josh McDaniels admits were, “three throws that I’ve seen him make every day in practice.  Kyle is a good player.”  

It’s no shock that McDaniels would stick up for his quarterback this early in the preseason, especially with all of the controversy surrounding the position.  But the question must be asked: is this just another case of a head coach trying to calm the media hype, or does he really see something special in Kyle Orton?

Flashback to week seven of the 2008 season.  Broncos fans may have purged their memory of this debacle, but let me refresh it.  It was a Monday night at New England.  As a Broncos fan who lives very far away from Denver, I’ve been in the unfortunate position of trying to see my team at away games on the east coast.  I’ve witnessed far too many losses, including the mess at New England.

At the time, I wasn’t aware I was watching the current and future head coaches of the Broncos on the same field.  But what I did start to realize was that Josh McDaniels had transformed Matt Cassel from a career-backup quarterback into a viable threat who was worthy of starting in the NFL.

Statistics speak louder than words.  Going into their Monday night blowout of the Broncos, Cassel had put up a meager 3 touchdowns and 4 interceptions in 5 games.  That night he put up 3 touchdowns and no interceptions, albeit against a weak defense with an injured Champ Bailey.

Following his spark against Denver, Matt Cassel continued a high level of play by leading the Patriots to a 7-3 win/loss record, including 15 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions.  The Patriots narrowly missed the playoffs and finished with a formidable 11-5 record.  Not bad for the equivalent of a rookie at quarterback.

It would have been easy for the Patriots to make excuses and lose several games after Tom Brady went down in the season opener.  But Josh McDaniels saw something in Matt Cassel and helped him become a better player.  Couple this with a good defense, and suddenly the Patriots no longer needed a Hall-of-Fame quaterback to win games.  

It would not be surprising if all of this was a major factor in Pat Bowlen’s decision to hire Josh McDaniels as head coach of the Broncos.  Bowlen and the fans can only hope that Matt Cassel’s New England performance was not a fluke, but instead a product of excellent coaching by Josh McDaniels. 

Now fast forward to the present, still amidst all of the chaos surrounding the Broncos and their most important position.  Three bad passes aren’t helping to ease the craziness. 

Maybe it would have been much easier for McDaniels to have a more naturally talented quarterback like Jay Cutler to work with.  We are all left to wonder what would have been if Jay hadn’t been so offended by the fact that the NFL is a business where players can be traded.  Instead, Josh McDaniels finds himself in a familiar position of having to take a quarterback, or perhaps two, and make them better players.  Does he see something in Orton?  Does he see something in Simms?

Broncos fans should certainly be hoping that a great player can emerge from the status-quo and help to build the McDaniels legacy.  

Will Pat Bowlen’s risky decisions pay off?  Let’s at least wait until midseason. Historically speaking, that’s when we might see the fruits of Josh’s labor.

Denver Fans Are Hoping For a Legacy With McDaniels

This week’s news in Bronco-land centers around three bad passes thrown by Kyle Orton, passes that head coach Josh McDaniels admits were, “three throws that I’ve seen him make every day in practice.  Kyle is a good player.”  

It’s no shock that McDaniels would stick up for his quarterback this early in the preseason, especially with all of the controversy surrounding the position.  But the question must be asked: is this just another case of a head coach trying to calm the media hype, or does he really see something special in Kyle Orton?

Flashback to week seven of the 2008 season.  Broncos fans may have purged their memory of this debacle, but let me refresh it.  It was a Monday night at New England.  As a Broncos fan who lives very far away from Denver, I’ve been in the unfortunate position of trying to see my team at away games on the east coast.  I’ve witnessed far too many losses, including the mess at New England.

At the time, I wasn’t aware I was watching the current and future head coaches of the Broncos on the same field.  But what I did start to realize was that Josh McDaniels had transformed Matt Cassel from a career-backup quarterback into a viable threat who was worthy of starting in the NFL.

Statistics speak louder than words.  Going into their Monday night blowout of the Broncos, Cassel had put up a meager 3 touchdowns and 4 interceptions in 5 games.  That night he put up 3 touchdowns and no interceptions, albeit against a weak defense with an injured Champ Bailey.

Following his spark against Denver, Matt Cassel continued a high level of play by leading the Patriots to a 7-3 win/loss record, including 15 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions.  The Patriots narrowly missed the playoffs and finished with a formidable 11-5 record.  Not bad for the equivalent of a rookie at quarterback.

It would have been easy for the Patriots to make excuses and lose several games after Tom Brady went down in the season opener.  But Josh McDaniels saw something in Matt Cassel and helped him become a better player.  Couple this with a good defense, and suddenly the Patriots no longer needed a Hall-of-Fame quaterback to win games.  

It would not be surprising if all of this was a major factor in Pat Bowlen’s decision to hire Josh McDaniels as head coach of the Broncos.  Bowlen and the fans can only hope that Matt Cassel’s New England performance was not a fluke, but instead a product of excellent coaching by Josh McDaniels. 

Now fast forward to the present, still amidst all of the chaos surrounding the Broncos and their most important position.  Three bad passes aren’t helping to ease the craziness. 

Maybe it would have been much easier for McDaniels to have a more naturally talented quarterback like Jay Cutler to work with.  We are all left to wonder what would have been if Jay hadn’t been so offended by the fact that the NFL is a business where players can be traded.  Instead, Josh McDaniels finds himself in a familiar position of having to take a quarterback, or perhaps two, and make them better players.  Does he see something in Orton?  Does he see something in Simms?

Broncos fans should certainly be hoping that a great player can emerge from the status-quo and help to build the McDaniels legacy.  

Will Pat Bowlen’s risky decisions pay off?  Let’s at least wait until midseason. Historically speaking, that’s when we might see the fruits of Josh’s labor.

Denver Broncos’ Kyle Orton Looks Bad, But Cutler Struggles In Debut Too

The Broncos marched out onto the field and for the first time, they did so under youngest coach in Denver history Josh McDaniels.

Expectations were high. Many fans took McDaniels on his word and morals that the Broncos would be improved from last year, even on the offensive end, while losing a Pro Bowl QB.

The Broncos first drive of the night was decent, shoot, it was pretty darn good. Denver started on their own 27 and marched methodically down the field to the five yard line.

The drive was good for 13 plays and 69 yards and gobbled up 6:57 of game time, but it culminated in an interception. That’s something that happened all too often the last couple of years in Denver.

The second drive saw a ball forced into an unopen receiver for another pick. Then, during the third drive, it only took Orton three plays to get his third interception of the game. In all, Orton finished going 9-16 for 89 yards and three picks.

This performance brought memories of Brian Griese, Jake Plummer, and heaven forbid, even John Elway. People too easily forget that Elway struggled his whole career with interceptions, but he could also recover from them and pull out wins.

Orton’s struggles has likely brought panic to Denver fans, as many want Cutler back, but he was not strong in his opening performance either.

Jay Cutler threw a pick in his second drive with Chicago, and he nearly had another that would have gone for six easily, but the Bills’ defender could not hang onto a ball that Cutler forced into triple coverage. That’s something he did so many times in Denver the past few years.

Cutler though was saved by a fumbled punt by a Bills’ player, which gave the Bears’ offense great field position. He then made a nice pass to an open Clark. Cutler was forced into the third-down situation on the five yard line, and attempted to force a ball into double coverage, that could have been picked as well.

Cutler’s night finished as 5-10 with 64 yards and in interception.

What’s interesting is the fact that both second-string QBs played better than their starters—though there is only one quarterback controversy, and it’s in Denver.

Chris Simms came in and played quite well, going 11-17 for 142 yards and two touchdowns. He commanded the offense and the 49ers defense, although it was the second-stringers.

Colorado State University Alumn Caleb Hanie, Chicago’s backup, went 8-11 for 87 yards and a touchdown—which came on a bootleg toss while getting hit.

Following the “nightmareish” performance by Orton though, Denver coach Josh McDaniels backed his starting quarterback.

“I feel very confident where we’re at,” McDaniels said after the game. “He made a few mistakes, but we’re not going to go into this thing after the first preseason game and start tailspinning and doing this and that and making knee-jerk reactions.”

And when asked about losing the starting job, Orton said, “I’m not worried about it, I’ve got a lot of confidence in me, and my team has a lot of confidence in me.”

If he does want to keep the spot, he must have a better performance next week.

And either way, Simms showed he deserves at least a few series with the first string offense.

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