Thoughts on Terrell Davis

[cmhargrove]

As I look forward to the draft and next year, I feel the same thing that I do every year - I am looking for the next Terrell Davis. I absolutely love Elway (I have 2 Elway Jerseys), I am incredibly pumped about the future with Cutler (I already have a sewn Cutler jersey), I was excited by Portis (1 jersey), I really liked Mike Anderson's toughness. However, I always find myself wanting to put my TD jersey back on for games. I really miss someone who could be counted on as much as he was. With the background of Mike Bell (loving TD also), I really hope he puts on some weight, lives with Bobby Turner and explodes out of the gates next year, but I just can't be sure if that will happen.

So, this is my tough question from those who loved or admired TD as much as myself. How much of the equation was the Offensive line we had at the time, and how much of it was TD? I am not trying to knock one of my favorite Broncos, i am just wondering where you would put your apples these days. Would you first looke for the next Zimmerman, or the next Davis?

[ludo21]

OL in those days were amazing, but TD made many 4 yards gains when their was nothing there. Thats what makes a great back. And as of now, we dont have that kind of back on the roster (i too am rooting for Bell).

[SoDak Bronco]

interesting question...I'd have to say it is a combo. of both TD and a stellar O-line. I think TD's vision is what is most missed, and his abilityto hit the holes and cut it back. But to answer your question, Denver needs to find the next TD, rather than the next Zimm's. A good RB will make an average o-line look a lot better.

Td I'm not worthy:notworthy

[clarkster]

yeah no ****. TD was like poetry in motion when he was running. the guy made the OLINE look great, even if it was. his vision and instinct, and ability to make ****ers miss was something else.

[dbfan21]

I would love to find another TD. I think our O-line (with exception of Foster at RT) is solid. I agree with clarkster - TD's vision and instinct was awesome. He was born to run in the Broncos system. Too bad his knees gave him problems. It all began with SOB's interception. Dammit!

[OrangeShadow]

i think its about 60-40 TD vs the line. Both were obvioulsy vital to the success and it wouldnt of happened without both. But id really like to find the next TD.

[Spider]

T.D. Who ?

[Ron Mexico]

Yeah, just watched SB XXXII on the NFL Network this week. TD is far better than any back we've had since. Some argument could be made for Portis, but their styles are completely different. TD was powerful and explosive. I also miss Mike Anderson's toughness. I like Mike Bell but he needs a lot of improvement to carry TD's jock. I think it would be hard for anyone to watch that Super Bowl again and disagree. As much as the D-line needs some help, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Broncos take a RB high in the draft.

[Al Wilson]

TD was one of the best RB I've ever seen. His vision, instincts, and patience were amazing for a running back. He weighed at about 215, and no arm tackle would bring the man down. It was a joy watching him run.

[2KBack]

TD is my Favorite Bronco of all time. A combination of me loving Running backs, and I was too young to see Little or any other historical Bronc Back. There will be no finding of the next anything. No next Elway, no Next TD. You want to find firsts. The First Cutler, or the first Rod. People need to allow players to become what they will be. Mike Bell is being written off, even though he has shown as an undrafted rookie that he has the foundation to be special. If you wrote every rookie off because he didn't start his career with a Probowl season, where would you be?

Oh yeah, and TD was listed at like 205 lbs. There's no way he played at that past his rookie season, but it is telling to the kind of power he possessed for his size, and how much being in the league training effected his body.

[clarkster]

the guy was a house. no way 205...

[Atlas]

As I look forward to the draft and next year, I feel the same thing that I do every year - I am looking for the next Terrell Davis. I absolutely love Elway (I have 2 Elway Jerseys), I am incredibly pumped about the future with Cutler (I already have a sewn Cutler jersey), I was excited by Portis (1 jersey), I really liked Mike Anderson's toughness. However, I always find myself wanting to put my TD jersey back on for games. I really miss someone who could be counted on as much as he was. With the background of Mike Bell (loving TD also), I really hope he puts on some weight, lives with Bobby Turner and explodes out of the gates next year, but I just can't be sure if that will happen.

So, this is my tough question from those who loved or admired TD as much as myself. How much of the equation was the Offensive line we had at the time, and how much of it was TD? I am not trying to knock one of my favorite Broncos, i am just wondering where you would put your apples these days. Would you first looke for the next Zimmerman, or the next Davis?

TD would be a great back in any team's system. He was extrodinarily strong. He was able to break tackles, he had a great understanding on how to run the ball and attack the defense.

[Atlas]

Oh yeah, and TD was listed at like 205 lbs. There's no way he played at that past his rookie season, but it is telling to the kind of power he possessed for his size, and how much being in the league training effected his body.

TD weighed 208 for the '98 2,008 season... hard to believe he just played so much bigger.

[Rohirrim]

You don't run into RBs of TDs caliber very often. I'll never forget that excitement I got from watching TD play. Every game, you just waited for him to cutback into that hole and find a seam. The D might catch him after four yards, five yards, eight yards, on various plays, but then, boom!, he's gone, he jukes the safety, and adios. You knew it was coming, you just didn't know when. I haven't felt that way watching a Bronco game since TD left. Such a weapon. He breathed new life into John Elway. He, as much as anybody else, put those two Lombardis in the case at Dove Valley.

[kamakazi_kal]

TD was great at hitting the hole like a freight train and getting to the second level, the man ran with purpose.....................ahhhhhhhhh living my man crush all over again

[Barry Ramey]

I cam remember some 3rd and short runs by TD where he hit the hole so hard, I was surprised he didn't injure more defenders who met him. He sure was a great one.

[BroncoMan4ever]

As I look forward to the draft and next year, I feel the same thing that I do every year - I am looking for the next Terrell Davis. I absolutely love Elway (I have 2 Elway Jerseys), I am incredibly pumped about the future with Cutler (I already have a sewn Cutler jersey), I was excited by Portis (1 jersey), I really liked Mike Anderson's toughness. However, I always find myself wanting to put my TD jersey back on for games. I really miss someone who could be counted on as much as he was. With the background of Mike Bell (loving TD also), I really hope he puts on some weight, lives with Bobby Turner and explodes out of the gates next year, but I just can't be sure if that will happen.

So, this is my tough question from those who loved or admired TD as much as myself. How much of the equation was the Offensive line we had at the time, and how much of it was TD? I am not trying to knock one of my favorite Broncos, i am just wondering where you would put your apples these days. Would you first looke for the next Zimmerman, or the next Davis?

I think it had to be a combination of both, i mean there were times when TD should have been caught behind the line for losses or that he should have barely made it back to the line of scrimmage, but he turned those plays into carries where he would get 4 tough yards and also, and there were times the line created lanes so big that you could drive a truck through them. so i say it was a combination of both, but TD was certainly special.
Think about it, any time Denver had a 3rd and 3 or less, everyone watching the game, everone on the field and in the stadium knew TD was going to get the ball, and everyone knew he was going to get at least the yardage needed or more.
Simply put, had injury not come into the equation, TD would without question own every rushing record in NFL history, not just Denver history.

[BroncoMan4ever]

:bash: T.D. Who ?

Blasphemy

[Jason in LA]

They both made each other look great.

The O line was great, and part of that was TD following their blocks, and when there was no holes, TD had the vision to find the seams. Look at the highlights and you'll see that a lot of times TD wasn't running through huge holes like people like to say. He was going through small cracks. It's amazing to see some of the cracks that he went through. There were a number of plays where there was no set hole. It was on the O line to stay in front of the defenders, and TD to cut back through a crack.

TD was also great at turning a 1-2 yard run into a 4-5 yard run. He could run like he was a scat back when he needed to, and he could run like he was a power back when he needed too.

People always say that TD wasn't as good because of the success of the other RBs from the Broncos. But I haven't seen another 2000 yard back. Not even a 1750 yard back. TD was a special back in a great system. He did as much for the system as the system did for him.

[~Crash~]

TD all the way he made the O-line look great !

[Broncomutt]

As somebody already said, TD turned a stop at the line of scrimmage into a 4 yd gain. If he was hit 4 yds downfield, he ended up with 6, etc.

He had amazing vision, cutback ability and decent speed. But the thing I loved most was he could be a bruiser too.

Those years I knew if we broke the opponent 10 yd line we would score a TD. He could just pound it in.

Personally, I don't see that in either of the Bells.

[Blueflame]

I'm surprised that this thread has gone over 20 posts with no mention of Howard Griffith. While TD was awesome and I really wish we could find another back like him (yeah, I know... it's like trying to find another QB like #7), Howard did make a significant contribution to the equation and I'd also love to find another FB like him.

[dsmoot]

TD is my Favorite Bronco of all time. A combination of me loving Running backs, and I was too young to see Little or any other historical Bronc Back. There will be no finding of the next anything. No next Elway, no Next TD. You want to find firsts. The First Cutler, or the first Rod. People need to allow players to become what they will be. Mike Bell is being written off, even though he has shown as an undrafted rookie that he has the foundation to be special. If you wrote every rookie off because he didn't start his career with a Probowl season, where would you be?

Oh yeah, and TD was listed at like 205 lbs. There's no way he played at that past his rookie season, but it is telling to the kind of power he possessed for his size, and how much being in the league training effected his body.


TD was an outstanding running back, person and one of my favorite Broncos of all time. It is to bad you didn't see Floyd Little. As far as I am concerned Floyd and TD are cut from the same mold, franchise running backs and outstanding people. I can only imagine how Floyd would have done behind that offensive line that TD ran behind.

This is totally subjective, with the offensive line we had, the line was worth 1500 yards and TD 500+ yards extra during that great season.

[Blart]

TD is underrated and too often ignored. All of the credit went to the line, even TD was giving the line credit while he played.

[Sassy]

I'm surprised that this thread has gone over 20 posts with no mention of Howard Griffith. While TD was awesome and I really wish we could find another back like him (yeah, I know... it's like trying to find another QB like #7), Howard did make a significant contribution to the equation and I'd also love to find another FB like him.

That was my first thought when I started reading this thread.

#29....TD gave Howie a lot of credit in those years.

[Natedogg]

Good thread. I think it pry was 60-40 TD, if I have to speculate. That said, what hasn't been mentioned here is that NFL defenses now now how to effectivly shut down the zone blocking sceme. Correct me if i'm wrong, but shanny's system (and at least its effectivness) was new in the late 90s.

[fontaine]

Good thread. I think it pry was 60-40 TD, if I have to speculate. That said, what hasn't been mentioned here is that NFL defenses now now how to effectivly shut down the zone blocking sceme. Correct me if i'm wrong, but shanny's system (and at least its effectivness) was new in the late 90s.

Well depends on who you ask.

Alex Gibbs is widely credited for the zone blocking system in the NFL. Shanahan and Gibbs developed their own version of it in Denver that uses cut blocking as well, but as far as I know the chefs were using it with Gibbs before that.

There are some teams that use zone blocking in the NFL (either exclusively or in some packages) and Gibbs has coached there, but not all of them use cut blocking which is the real controversial part of zone blocking. However cut blocking is used regardless of whether the OL uses zone/man blocking.

Alex Gibbs used to be the real expert in the area and I can't confirm this but I remember reading somewhere that Gibbs was a real hard a$$ when it came to his zone blocking techniques. He wouldn't allow his coaching/drills to be taped so that others couldn't copy it. You had to learn it from him.

I'd imagine the job Shanahan/Dennison have done implementing it in Denver after he left, and then Kubiak probably pissed him off as much as his son getting jacked out of Denver.

[fontaine]

Good thread. I think it pry was 60-40 TD, if I have to speculate. That said, what hasn't been mentioned here is that NFL defenses now now how to effectivly shut down the zone blocking sceme. Correct me if i'm wrong, but shanny's system (and at least its effectivness) was new in the late 90s.


As to whether it was new and its effectiveness in the 90's?

I'm not sure. It was new allright, but it's still very effective even now. The Packers implemented a type of zone blocking system with Gibb's help I think and Green bounces back with a huge season, and they were fielding two new (rookie) Guards.

Zone blocking systems are effective in part because of the NFL's dependancy on having size over speed in the DL trenches. The idea of zone blocking is to get the DL moving in a specific direction. If you want to counter that, then you need to have explosive athletes on the DL that are very quick/light on their feet with excellent leverage and arm strength to fight fire with fire. This is harder and harder to find with bigger DL. Even if you do have a prospect out of college (like Tommie Harris) who fits this description it's harder for this type of player to stay that way. After a few years of wear and tear even genetically gifted freaks like Tommie Harris lose their speed edge. But teams can't just switch to lighter DL because of zone blocking since most other teams have man blocking OL that are 320 lb monsters who would destroy 280/260 lb DTs.

Just my opinion, but I've seen guys like Monte Reagor at 280 at DT have more success preventing our zone blocking system because of his speed/strength and not his size. As long as DL have big 280 DEs and fat DTs they will have trouble countering zone blocking since guys like Peppers who can run like LBers are so rare.

I personally love our zone blocking system. I just think we should get better raw materials in the draft instead of guys with questionable strength like Eslinger.

[Natedogg]

Well depends on who you ask.

Alex Gibbs is widely credited for the zone blocking system in the NFL. Shanahan and Gibbs developed their own version of it in Denver that uses cut blocking as well, but as far as I know the chefs were using it with Gibbs before that.

There are some teams that use zone blocking in the NFL (either exclusively or in some packages) and Gibbs has coached there, but not all of them use cut blocking which is the real controversial part of zone blocking. However cut blocking is used regardless of whether the OL uses zone/man blocking.

Alex Gibbs used to be the real expert in the area and I can't confirm this but I remember reading somewhere that Gibbs was a real hard a$$ when it came to his zone blocking techniques. He wouldn't allow his coaching/drills to be taped so that others couldn't copy it. You had to learn it from him.

I'd imagine the job Shanahan/Dennison have done implementing it in Denver after he left, and then Kubiak probably pissed him off as much as his son getting jacked out of Denver.


Gibbs started using it with the skins, right? Did the 87 team use it? The 91 (or whenever that was)? At anyrate, it seems to me that those broncos teams took it (no doubt, to the cutblock) to a whole new level. TD's 2000 yrd season, case in point.

I think that teams really started gameplanning against it. Every gap always accounted for, never overpursuing, 3-4 D, etc. Very basic stuff, I know. But I think we have to some extent "been figured out."

I'm no expert though. Also I bet Gibbs is more pissed that we stole his sceme than that we canned his kid. Hilarious!

[fontaine]

Gibbs started using it with the skins, right? Did the 87 team use it? The 91 (or whenever that was)? At anyrate, it seems to me that those broncos teams took it (no doubt, to the cutblock) to a whole new level. TD's 2000 yrd season, case in point.

I think that teams really started gameplanning against it. Every gap always accounted for, never overpursuing, 3-4 D, etc. Very basic stuff, I know. But I think we have to some extent "been figured out."

I'm no expert though. Also I bet Gibbs is more pissed that we stole his sceme than that we canned his kid. Hilarious!

Well I would say that other teams are getting more used to it.

I just look at it from the glass half full.

Take any team in the league and and say their stud LT goes down the season and you have an undrafted NFL Europe LT playing. Then the RT who's been playing like a turd gets benched and is in and out of the line up. So then you're starting TB gets turf toes on both feet and you're left with an undrafted FA rookie RB to carry the rock. Yet you still finish in the top ten rushing even with you're QB having a lousy season.

I would look at it from the point of view that we got the absolute most out of the running game with the players we had.

We just need to get better talent at RB/RT and maybe G to get back to our expectations.

[Natedogg]

Well I would say that other teams are getting more used to it.

I just look at it from the glass half full.

Take any team in the league and and say their stud LT goes down the season and you have an undrafted NFL Europe LT playing. Then the RT who's been playing like a turd gets benched and is in and out of the line up. So then you're starting TB gets turf toes on both feet and you're left with an undrafted FA rookie RB to carry the rock. Yet you still finish in the top ten rushing even with you're QB having a lousy season.

I would look at it from the point of view that we got the absolute most out of the running game with the players we had.

We just need to get better talent at RB/RT and maybe G to get back to our expectations.


Point taken. Still, as mentioned before, this line doesnt hold a candle to Nalen, Schlereth, Habib, Jones, and Zim.

I also wonder if any of the backs on our roster have the vision and cuts of TD. My opinion is that Tinker Bell does not.

[fontaine]

Point taken. Still, as mentioned before, this line doesnt hold a candle to Nalen, Schlereth, Habib, Jones, and Zim.

I also wonder if any of the backs on our roster have the vision and cuts of TD. My opinion is that Tinker Bell does not.

Certainly not Tatum. Up until this year he was really struggling with finding cut back lanes and would bounce outside too much. The kid is as talented in his size/speed thing as any other back in the league but he really let me down this year. He seemed to improve on his toughness and interior running this year but was dogged with injuries. I know that's not his fault but it seems like he's injury prone.

Would you keep him around next year? I would keep him around with Mike Bell. There's always an outside chance that he stays healthy and has a monster season with his breakaway speed and he only costs half a million against the cap.

[Natedogg]

Certainly not Tatum. Up until this year he was really struggling with finding cut back lanes and would bounce outside too much. The kid is as talented in his size/speed thing as any other back in the league but he really let me down this year. He seemed to improve on his toughness and interior running this year but was dogged with injuries. I know that's not his fault but it seems like he's injury prone.

Would you keep him around next year? I would keep him around with Mike Bell. There's always an outside chance that he stays healthy and has a monster season with his breakaway speed and he only costs half a million against the cap.

Agreed again. I'd keep him around. Unless we could get another Champ Bailey for him :wiggle: Seriously, I'd trade him for a second, but I don't see that coming. Who know, maybe he'll bulk up and play gangbusters next year. My bet is that Mike Bell will take the load. I like the kid, he actually does remind me a bit of TD. He just lacks the speed IMO. MB does have the bruising back mentaility, just not the body. Hopefully he bulks up...

Or we pick up a bruiser type back. I am not against giving Ricky Williams a shot.

[-Slap-]

TD weighed 208 for the '98 2,008 season... hard to believe he just played so much bigger.

"Be the one who delivers the blow."

Walter Payton-