Tues 8/16 Camp news

[Needa Pass Rush]

DENVER (AP) -- Linebacker D.J. Williams caught coach Mike Shanahan's wrath during a not-so-special period of special teams practice at Broncos training camp Tuesday.

Shanahan yelled at Williams for missing an assignment during punt protection drills. A little later, Matt Lepsis snapped the ball over punter Todd Sauerbrun's head.
The Broncos made special teams a point of emphasis in the offseason, bringing in Sauerbrun and drafting Darrent Williams as a kick and punt returner.
Shanahan said he was disappointed in the special teams play Saturday in the preseason opener against Houston.
Williams averaged 25 yards on two kickoff returns and just 2.5 yards on four punt returns. Sauerbrun punted six times for a 40.2-yard average, but his net was only 29 yards, due to a pair of touchbacks on high kicks that bounced in front of the goal line, but went into the end zone after the Broncos couldn't chase the ball down in time.
"When you practice at that level, it's hard to play very good and we were very average on special teams and we will improve," Shanahan said. "You have got to have a unit playing together. You cannot have eight or nine guys doing a lot of good things and you got two guys that are a little off -- that is very poor."
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LYNCH SCARE: Broncos safety John Lynch left Tuesday morning's practice early when he hurt his neck while making a hit on running back Mike Anderson during goal-line drills. Lynch said he left as a precaution and the injury was not serious.
"It's just one of those things that happens," he said. "If it was a game, I wouldn't have missed a snap."
Lynch had bone spurs removed from his neck in January 2004.
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RUN, BRADLEE, RUN: Buoyed by his 40-yard gain on a quarterback draw in the Houston game, second-team quarterback Bradlee Van Pelt was taking off a lot in practice Tuesday.
"If we have the capability of having a scrambling quarterback that can get some quality yards, that puts the defense in a bind and actually makes them get out of the certain defense that they are in," Van Pelt said. "There are some days where they want you to throw your reads and try to make a pass, but then on the flip side they can come back and tell you, `Oh, you should have probably ran that play."'
Van Pelt said he'll get a better feel for when to run and when to pass as he gets more playing time in the preseason.
"My first objective out there is to go through my reads and hit the open receiver if there is one," he said.
Shanahan said the quarterback draw has always been in Denver's playbook.
"We have had it in there all the time," he said. "We don't always use it, but we have had it in. You only have so many quarterbacks, and you have got to keep them healthy."
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BRONCO BRIEFS: The Broncos signed free-agent CB Rod Babers on Tuesday. ... RB Maurice Clarett missed yet another practice with a sore groin. ... QB Matt Mauck had the throw of the day, a crossfield toss way downfield to WR Ashley Lelie. ... CB Domonique Foxworth had a rough practice, getting beat or falling no fewer than three times in team drills. ... The last full two-a-day of camp is Wednesday. On Tuesday and Thursday, the afternoon practices are for special teams. ... The Broncos Web site said S Chris Young is set to be put on injured reserve, the result of a knee injury he suffered Saturday. With Lynch and Young out for the end of practice, CB Curome Cox moved over and played safety.
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SHANNY SAYS: "For him to get back up in that lineup, he is going to have to practice consistently and play consistently."
--On WR Darius Watts, who fell to the No. 4 receiver spot, behind Jerry Rice, after dropping a couple passes Saturday.

[TheReverend]

SHANNY SAYS: "For him to get back up in that lineup, he is going to have to practice consistently and play consistently."
--On WR Darius Watts, who fell to the No. 4 receiver spot, behind Jerry Rice, after dropping a couple passes Saturday.

Good decision... Im very confident at our WR position this year... good talent, good depth. If Watts is playing off, let him sit for a while until he comes back to the level he CAN be playing at. He's got another year before the heat comes on.

[Cito Pelon]

I don't think the coaching staff was real pleased with how the game went against the Texans - for the first teamers anyway. Having to keep the first teamers out there for the entire first Q, and into the 2nd Q for the D first teamers was not ideal.

However, as has been pointed out it took until the 4th preseason game last year for the O to get a TD. And really, the O stepped up their game on the third drive I guess it was to get a TD.

Overall, the team didn't look horrible. Too much stuttering and stammering on O for my tastes, and there were some huge holes available for the Texan RB's. There was still some plays on both O, D, and ST's where NOBODY made a good play, and that's not good enough to win a title of any kind.

[SpringStein]

Interesting that Kaylore reported that it was BJ Johnson that Shanny went after, not DJ.

[ludo21]

Interesting that Kaylore reported that it was BJ Johnson that Shanny went after, not DJ.


it could have been both. :undecided

[broncogary]

it could have been both. :undecided

Excellent use of the smilies, ludo. :thumbs:

[Kaylore]

I'm pretty sure it was BJ.
EDIT* DJ Williams isn't even on the special teams as far as I know.

[Pat Bowlen]

If Watts is playing off, let him sit for a while until he comes back to the level he CAN be playing at. He's got another year before the heat comes on.
Not really, though.

[watermock]

Philly has a second round WR that is a rookie that looks 10x better than Watts so far, and did it against a fine Pittsburg D last night. He ran a bad route the first play, but he had a fine night. I keep thinking Ronnie Brown? Same as the back, something like that. He looked like a true NFL reciever. Watts looks like a college reciever. Sorry. I still hate the pick. It's great he can get open. So can a rabbit but he's not going to snag too many footballs.

[Kaylore]

http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=4452


'Something Serious'


Mike ShanahanBy Andrew Mason
DenverBroncos.com

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- A punt snap flew over Todd Sauerbrun's head and between the uprights. Another player didn't move downfield with enough hustle.

With those two occurrences during special-teams drills, the fans on hand at Tuesday morning's practice were drawn into the tough side of preseason preparation, where the head coach senses the need to crack the whip on his charges. Mike Shanahan was unhappy with the effort, and he saw no other recourse but to call the team together for a rare mid-practice team huddle.
http://www.denverbroncos.com/resources/custom/Images/Top%20Stories/2005/shanahan_mike_050816.jpg

"If you hear him raise his voice," linebacker and longtime special-teams Keith Burns said, "you know it's something serious."

But it wasn't merely Tuesday morning's effort that dismayed the head coach. It was also Saturday evening's, when the Broncos averaged just 2.5 yards per punt return, allowed the Houston Texans a 17-yard punt return and a 31-yard kickoff return, and failed to down a well-placed Sauerbrun punt inside the 5-yard-line.

"We didn't play very well on special teams (Saturday)," Shanahan said, "and you kind of play the way you practice."

Which is why he knew he had to put a stop to the goings-on, especially with kicking, punting, returns and the coverage thereof being high priorities throughout the offseason and into training camp.

"You've got a certain standard that you've got to practice by to play well on game day," Shanahan said. "If you don't practice at that level it's hard to play very well. We were very average on special teams, and we will improve."

Shanahan's message was clear, and it got across.

"He (Shanahan) knows this team and he knows the character of each individual person, so for a guy not to go out and do exactly what that guy can do, it's upsetting," said safety Nick Ferguson, the special-teams captain last season. "So all he's trying to do is get everybody to optimize all their potential."

"It's like the E.F. Hutton syndrome," Burns said. "When he speaks, everybody listens."

Shanahan made one point clear -- if one player fails, the entire unit follows suit.

"You can have eight, nine guys doing a lot of good things, and if you have two guys who are a little off, it's very poor," he said.

The inconsistency among players is something Burns can see at this point of preseason.

"Some guys go out there with the sense of urgency you really need; some of these guys have not even taken a snap at special teams," Burns said. "But that's no excuse; they know what's expected out there. They're not going to do that on offense, and they're not going to do it on defense and my thing is, don't do it on special teams."

And the fact that Shanahan had to resort to stopping practice to exhort that kind of effort on special teams is something Ferguson took personally.

"If you have a job to do and you don't feel like you're doing it effectively and your boss yells at you, how would you feel?" Ferguson said. "Sometimes, some guys need to have a fire lit under them. If there is any person to light their fire, it’s (Shanahan)."

[Mr Chatterboodamn]

"It's like the E.F. Hutton syndrome," Burns said. "When he speaks, everybody listens."


wow

[watermock]

http://www.denverbroncos.com/resources/custom/Images/Top%20Stories/2005/shanahan_mike_050816.jpg

That has to be BVP with the mop and beard. I can't tell if he's listening or getting ready to charge that coach talking to him next to Shanahan like a Bull, looks likes he's listening, but is considering charging...

This reads like a carbon copy of Khans report earlier, but our resident mole got it out first. Outstanding. Shanahan doesn't look that mad, but you don't see it usually, he's alot cooler than say, a Cohwer.

You never drop your eyes. If your getting the business, you man up and listen. I like the fact BVP has his right in the coaches eyes. Dropping your eyes means you can't do it or don't want to hear it. Anyone can tell you, that even if you seriously screwed up, the last thing the boss wants to see is for you to drop your eyes and head. You want a player to keep eye contact, and keep his chin up. That's what they talk about when they say "you have to keep your chin up"...Most of these NFL coaches are pretty smart. They want to see you look them in the eyes. Of course, they don't want them to smart talk like T.O. either, but they want to know they are getting their point across. Maybe a dumb coach would prefer you drop your eyes, but any smart coach wants you to take it with eye contact. You can blink, don't stare them down, drop your eyes for just a moment, but only a moment. That is a recognition of an admonisment. But likely, he isn't done. It's just an acknowlegement of a specific point. You raise your eyes right away and take it. Now this isn't any genius, it's just a fact. Try it if your called on the carpet.

[fontaine]

Philly has a second round WR that is a rookie that looks 10x better than Watts so far, and did it against a fine Pittsburg D last night. He ran a bad route the first play, but he had a fine night. I keep thinking Ronnie Brown? Same as the back, something like that. He looked like a true NFL reciever. Watts looks like a college reciever. Sorry. I still hate the pick. It's great he can get open. So can a rabbit but he's not going to snag too many footballs.

Most people were hanging off of Watt's jock last preseason when he looked solid and some even homered on about how he would take Lelie's spot.

Preseason anti/homers are the worst.

[crazyhorse]

http://www.denverbroncos.com/resources/custom/Images/Top%20Stories/2005/shanahan_mike_050816.jpg

That has to be BVP with the mop and beard. I can't tell if he's listening or getting ready to charge that coach talking to him next to Shanahan like a Bull, looks likes he's listening, but is considering charging...

This reads like a carbon copy of Khans report earlier, but our resident mole got it out first. Outstanding. Shanahan doesn't look that mad, but you don't see it usually, he's alot cooler than say, a Cohwer.

You never drop your eyes. If your getting the business, you man up and listen. I like the fact BVP has his right in the coaches eyes. Dropping your eyes means you can't do it or don't want to hear it. Anyone can tell you, that even if you seriously screwed up, the last thing the boss wants to see is for you to drop your eyes and head. You want a player to keep eye contact, and keep his chin up. That's what they talk about when they say "you have to keep your chin up"...Most of these NFL coaches are pretty smart. They want to see you look them in the eyes. Of course, they don't want them to smart talk like T.O. either, but they want to know they are getting their point across. Maybe a dumb coach would prefer you drop your eyes, but any smart coach wants you to take it with eye contact. You can blink, don't stare them down, drop your eyes for just a moment, but only a moment. That is a recognition of an admonisment. But likely, he isn't done. It's just an acknowlegement of a specific point. You raise your eyes right away and take it. Now this isn't any genius, it's just a fact. Try it if your called on the carpet.

Yet when anyone challenges you, you start talking out of your cats ass.

What do you make of that?