Sauerbrun voted worst person in NFL by Oberman on NBC

[Denver724]

For kicking to Hester. I agree.

[Maximus]

He got Vanderjact Comparisons LOL

[bpc]

The coach runs the team, calls the plays. Not the punter. He was only being told what to do. Point the finger at Shanahan.

[The MVPlaya]

The coach runs the team, calls the plays. Not the punter. He was only being told what to do. Point the finger at Shanahan.

So what? Shanahan was supposed to tell him to throw the ball?

Point is, no one here knows the ultimate truth. Shanahan called the right play, did he not? PUNT THE BALL.

How do you know whose responsibility it was to tell Todd where to punt it? Maybe the special team coord?

Point is, your logic is horrible.

Shanahan tells Cutler to throw the ball. Cutler throws an INT.

It's not Cutler's fault, it's Shanahan's for telling him to throw it when he could have ran it!

Yeah...dumbass.

[Sassy]

Knowing Shanahan...he probably asked Todd if he could do it...and Todd has been bragging all week that he could.

[Bronx33]

Hmmmm was todd responsible for the ST tackling? or lack of.

[rugbythug]

That is like the Devil Calling Bellicheck evil

[The MVPlaya]

Hmmmm was todd responsible for the ST tackling? or lack of.

They didn't really even get an attempt to tackle. Chicago has great ST blocking too...and Hester is just fast as ****...

[CSU Husker]

He got the award for running his mouth last week and then coming out today and looking like a total jackoff moron on the field. The ole bull**** on the attempted tackles was just the icing on the god damn cake.

[bpc]

So what? Shanahan was supposed to tell him to throw the ball?

Point is, no one here knows the ultimate truth. Shanahan called the right play, did he not? PUNT THE BALL.

How do you know whose responsibility it was to tell Todd where to punt it? Maybe the special team coord?

Point is, your logic is horrible.

Shanahan tells Cutler to throw the ball. Cutler throws an INT.

It's not Cutler's fault, it's Shanahan's for telling him to throw it when he could have ran it!

Yeah...dumbass.

Have you ever been in a football meeting?

Shanahan has responsibility over the players and coaches. He said pooch it, or he says punt it. Every punt and kickoff until we got burned was right to Hester saying "come beat us".

We lined it up and gave it to Hester on his early punt returns over and over. Same with the kick return. There was no angle kicking until we kicked it right into Chicago's 9th defender on the punt block unit that basically won them the game.

Go learn something about football before you drag your half ignorant-retarded ass into a conversation with me about football. Obviously you have no idea about what you are watching on the field.

[spdirty]

The coach runs the team, calls the plays. Not the punter. He was only being told what to do. Point the finger at Shanahan.

oh BULLSHlT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you really think that the way he kicked to Hester in the first half just went away and Shanny told him its fine to kick to him in the second half???????????

You guys are unbelievable. IT WAS SAUERBRUN!!!!! Not Shanny, not O'Brien, not Bowlen, not anyone BUT SAUERBRUN!

There is only so much you can do, so much you can coach, and all Shanny can do is put his players in the best possible position to win the game, and Shanahan did that. You would have to be stupid to think that Shanny told him to kick to Hester.

We shouldve won that game 34-13, and it was Sauerbrun, and only Saurbrun that f@cked us.

[bpc]

Have you ever heard of angle kicking? They do use that technique in the NFL you know... We did not incorporate that into our approach until it was far too late.

We ran our lips all week about kicking it to Hester and we did for the first half of the game. We only changed when it was too late and the damage had been done. That is a coaching fault, not the player. The player does what the coach tells him to do. Through the 1st half of this game, it was clear, Shanahan was telling Todd to punt it to them. No angle kicking, no pooch punting, none of that.

I don't see why some of you guys are having a hard time understanding that our coaches screwed the pooch on this one. It's not rocket science and it was pretty evident what we were going into the game trying to do.

Maybe we'll learn the next time around to kick it away sooner.

[Billy Clyde Puckett]

Who was the dumb **** here that claimed, not having Saurbutt cost the Broncs 3 games last year. What a moron. I have been in coaches meetings and if Shanahan told Saurbutt to kick it high, short and to the middle of the field to Hester, he deserves criticism, but I don't think he did. i don't think he told Saurbutt to take and extra step and kick it right at a rusher to make sure the punt was blocked. If I were the NFL I would be checking out Suarbutt's gambling to see if he threw that game. it was too obvious.

[bpc]

Well critique away because that is how Sauebrun kicked to him all the first half. Is it maddening? Yes, but that is how it happened. I think a player that is as good as Todd is at punting the ball could angle a little bit better instead of landing the football in the middle of the field so often unless he was instructed to do so.

[Dagmar]

Remember Mr Matt Leinhart? "I wont avoid Champ Bailey". We all know how that turned out. You don't play football with your mouth. Poor poor day from Todd and he knows it. You know it, I know it, Keith Olbermann knows it. You think Shanny gave him a hug? Probably punted him in the balls.

[Don Flamenco]

Special teams needs to do a better job in protecting our kickers and punters. Twice this year punts have been blocked and on numerous times, ffieldgoals look like they are about to.

I thought we signed a really good special teams coach this past off season?

[bpc]

Postgame press conference... FROM SHANAHAN's MOUTH:

"any time a guy returns two kicks, obviously you look back and think, "that wasn't a very good decision", I just thought early in the game, we knew what we had to do and like I said if you don't have a kickoff quite long enough or punt that doesn't hang up in the air, and you give him the ball early enough, he's going to take it all the way..."

Notice that he said nothing about Sauerbrun's lack of ability to angle punt. You can say Sauerbrun didn't get enough distance on a kickoff or didn't hang it up long enough, but those are all factors you can't control easily especially not in a town like Chicago.

Bottom line as Shanahan just reiterated everything I just said and what some of you are fighting so hard to not understand... we screwed up, we never should have put the ball in his hands. Our approach was to go right at Hester and we got f****d in the end because of it. It was a stupid gameplan that was decided by the coaches.

Thats all I have to say about this. The proof is in Shanahan's quote.

[go_broncos]

Postgame press conference... FROM SHANAHAN's MOUTH:

"any time a guy returns two kicks, obviously you look back and think, "that wasn't a very good decision", I just thought early in the game, we knew what we had to do and like I said if you don't have a kickoff quite long enough or punt that doesn't hang up in the air, and you give him the ball early enough, he's going to take it all the way..."

Notice that he said nothing about angle kicking or pooch punting.

You can say Sauerbrun didn't get enough distance on a kickoff or didn't hang it up long enough, but those are all factors you can't control easily especially not in a town like Chicago.

Bottom line as Shanahan just reiterated everything I just said and what some of you are fighting so hard to not understand... we screwed up, we never should have put the ball in his hands. Our approach was to go right at Hester and we got *****d in the end because of it.

Thats all I have to say about this. The proof is in Shanahan's quote.

I believe it is shanny's fault.
We used to Kick to dante hall(irrespective of the situation) and i remember we lost one game because of him.

I watched all bear games and they are winning games due to Hester and he is not even a QB...

It is simple..don't Kick to Hester...:cuss:

[broncolife]

I thought we did the same thing when Dante hall was good(cough cough block in the backs). Kept on kicking to him until we got burnt.

[broncolife]

I believe it is shanny's fault.
We used to Kick to dante hall(irrespective of the situation) and i remember we lost one game because of him.

I watched all bear games and they are winning games due to Hester and he is not even a QB...

It is simple..don't Kick to Hester...:cuss:

lol you were thinking of Dante Hall Too.

[broncolife]

Have you ever heard of angle kicking? They do use that technique in the NFL you know... We did not incorporate that into our approach until it was far too late.

We ran our lips all week about kicking it to Hester and we did for the first half of the game. We only changed when it was too late and the damage had been done. That is a coaching fault, not the player. The player does what the coach tells him to do. Through the 1st half of this game, it was clear, Shanahan was telling Todd to punt it to them. No angle kicking, no pooch punting, none of that.

I don't see why some of you guys are having a hard time understanding that our coaches screwed the pooch on this one. It's not rocket science and it was pretty evident what we were going into the game trying to do.

Maybe we'll learn the next time around to kick it away sooner.

I agree

[bpc]

The Bears had nothing in that game on offense for 55 minutes of that game. If we were stupid and fouled up in our gameplanning of the special teams, we walk out of Chicago with a 34-14 victory. Chicago couldn't sustain a drive at any point during that game. All we had to do was neutralize Hester... instead we made his play an f'n springboard for Chicago's hope. It was stupid and our playoff chances just sustained a major hit.

[go_broncos]

The Bears had nothing in that game on offense for 55 minutes of that game. If we were stupid and fouled up in our gameplanning of the special teams, we walk out of Chicago with a 34-14 victory. Chicago couldn't sustain a drive at any point during that game. All we had to do was neutralize Hester... instead we made his play an f'n springboard for Chicago's hope. It was stupid and our playoff chances just sustained a major hit.

As i said, we used to kick to Dante Hall.

Clearly, it is shanny's fault...

[cabronco]

Postgame press conference... FROM SHANAHAN's MOUTH:

"any time a guy returns two kicks, obviously you look back and think, "that wasn't a very good decision", I just thought early in the game, we knew what we had to do and like I said if you don't have a kickoff quite long enough or punt that doesn't hang up in the air, and you give him the ball early enough, he's going to take it all the way..."

Notice that he said nothing about Sauerbrun's lack of ability to angle punt. You can say Sauerbrun didn't get enough distance on a kickoff or didn't hang it up long enough, but those are all factors you can't control easily especially not in a town like Chicago.

Bottom line as Shanahan just reiterated everything I just said and what some of you are fighting so hard to not understand... we screwed up, we never should have put the ball in his hands. Our approach was to go right at Hester and we got *****d in the end because of it. It was a stupid gameplan that was decided by the coaches.

Thats all I have to say about this. The proof is in Shanahan's quote.

I've agree 100 % and couldnt understand why the hell Shanahan was having Sauebrun kick to Hester like that. Earlier in the week , reporters asked Shanahan are you going to kick to Hester, so yes it is ultimately his decision. But getting toasted by Danty Hall in the past, you would think after the 1st run back that Shanahan would of seen enough and have Sauerbrun kick squibs, or out of bounds. Heck, why couldnt he get imaginative for a change and try an onside kick. If Broncos didnt recover at least it wasnt run back for 6. Way to conservative/ predictable towards the end of the game too.

[SonOfLe-loLang]

As i said, we used to kick to Dante Hall.

Clearly, it is shanny's fault...

I have a hard time blaming a coach for *gasp* trusting his units. Turned out that it bit us in the ass, but I don't know how its CLEARLY all Shanahan's fault when he's just asking his players to go play football. Plus, the turning point of the game was the blocked punt, we were up by 14 at that point despite Hester's returns..you wanna blame that one on Shanahan too?

[ScottXray]

Who was the dumb **** here that claimed, not having Saurbutt cost the Broncs 3 games last year. What a moron. I have been in coaches meetings and if Shanahan told Saurbutt to kick it high, short and to the middle of the field to Hester, he deserves criticism, but I don't think he did. i don't think he told Saurbutt to take and extra step and kick it right at a rusher to make sure the punt was blocked. If I were the NFL I would be checking out Suarbutt's gambling to see if he threw that game. it was too obvious.

I have been thinking along the same lines...wondering if he got PAID!

If not, then he showed absolutely ZERO awarenes of what was happening on the field. How does your punter fall asleep on the field, when he is kicking to a team down 7 late in the game. And he already kicked directly to the most dangerous return man in the NFL twice and had it run back for TD's .

To then turn directly INTO the rush and STILL kick the ball is absolute stupidity.

Those three plays changed the game...and there is NO excuse for them. the STs ALL failed, but Sourbuns was MOST responsible. And if he was told to NOT kick to Hester and still did, then he will be gone by Monday afternoon.:welcome:

I just read more of the thread...If Shanahan told him to kick to Hester then Shanahan is the one who is stupid.
Especially after what happened with Dainty Hall and KC before. That's just plain ignorant and is a sign that Shanny has REALLY gotten stale. When will he learn that THIS is NOT the 98 team out there?

Now I am more pissed than before.

[go_broncos]

I have a hard time blaming a coach for *gasp* trusting his units. Turned out that it bit us in the ass, but I don't know how its CLEARLY all Shanahan's fault when he's just asking his players to go play football. Plus, the turning point of the game was the blocked punt, we were up by 14 at that point despite Hester's returns..you wanna blame that one on Shanahan too?

Why do u trust ur unit when they are not great through out the season?

I saw OAK-CHI game and the only team that is able to contain Hester is Raiders.

Though it is not shanny's fault for Block Punt..it would not have mattered if we didn't kick to Hester..

Don't kick to Hester...He is the only offensive Player that they have..

[Ugly Duck]

When Coach Kiffin announced that Oakland would kick to Hester, nobody said he was the worst person in the NFL. Maybe thats cuz we kicked to Hester 9 times & held him to less than 5 yards per return. Saubraun is only the worst person because Denver couldn't cover, not because he kicked to Hester.

[Paladin]

Yeah. How in the h3ll don't you know that they were not going to send 10 men on that kick? The players even saw that he was coming from the right side. UNTOUCHED. Logan called it on the radio. I saw the set up for the rush. No one even moved towards him. That is poor coaching, or poor teaching. This loss is as much the responsibility of the coaches, especially in the fourth quarter as any player out there. With the exception of Bly and possibly Champ.

[bpc]

I have a hard time blaming a coach for *gasp* trusting his units. Turned out that it bit us in the ass, but I don't know how its CLEARLY all Shanahan's fault when he's just asking his players to go play football. Plus, the turning point of the game was the blocked punt, we were up by 14 at that point despite Hester's returns..you wanna blame that one on Shanahan too?

Make no mistake... the execution by the players was horrible. You can put Sauebrun in that mix as well. I'm not flaming only Shanny. All the players on those units sucked. I saw Mike Bell and Dominique Foxworth getting owned on both punt returns.

[broncolife]

I have been thinking along the same lines...wondering if he got PAID!

If not, then he showed absolutely ZERO awarenes of what was happening on the field. How does your punter fall asleep on the field, when he is kicking to a team down 7 late in the game. And he already kicked directly to the most dangerous return man in the NFL twice and had it run back for TD's .

To then turn directly INTO the rush and STILL kick the ball is absolute stupidity.

Those three plays changed the game...and there is NO excuse for them. the STs ALL failed, but Sourbuns was MOST responsible. And if he was told to NOT kick to Hester and still did, then he will be gone by Monday afternoon.:welcome:

I just read more of the thread...If Shanahan told him to kick to Hester then Shanahan is the one who is stupid.
Especially after what happened with Dainty Hall and KC before. That's just plain ignorant and is a sign that Shanny has REALLY gotten stale. When will he learn that THIS is NOT the 98 team out there?

Now I am more pissed than before.

If Roids got paid on the side then he would not have punted the ball inside the 10 on the previous play. Whoever got the penalty is to blame for the block punt.

[SonOfLe-loLang]

If Roids got paid on the side then he would not have punted the ball inside the 10 on the previous play. Whoever got the penalty is to blame for the block punt.

Sauerbrun wasnt busted for steriods...it was ephedra, a diet pill

[broncolife]

Sauerbrun knows he's marked by steroid scandalhttp://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2182405


Report: Sauerbrun among Panthers prescribed steroids
http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/8338569Sauerbrun wasnt busted for steriods...it was ephedra, a diet pill



CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Carolina Panthers punter Todd Sauerbrun and center Jeff Mitchell and former offensive lineman Todd Steussie had steroid prescriptions filled by a West Columbia, S.C., doctor now under investigation by federal authorities, according to 60 Minutes Wednesday report.



In a release Tuesday, the CBS News show said the players all had prescriptions for testosterone cream filled within two weeks of the Panthers' appearance in the 2004 Super Bowl.

In addition to the cream, which is banned by the NFL, Sauerbrun -- one of the league's top punters -- also obtained syringes and the injectable steroid Stanozolol, which is also banned by the league.

The prescriptions were reportedly written by Dr. James Shortt, who is the subject of a Drug Enforcement Administration probe for allegedly prescribing steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs.

Mitchell, a center, filled a testosterone prescription seven times, while Steussie, an offensive lineman now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, obtained 11 refills over an eight-month period in 2004, CBS reported.

"We've heard rumors and speculation about what was going to be in the CBS report, but this is the first time we've heard the specific allegations," Panthers general manager Marty Hurney said. "Obviously, any time there is a possible connection with alleged actions that violate NFL rules, it concerns us greatly.


Todd Sauerbrun made the Pro Bowl three straight seasons from 2001-03. (Getty Images)
"We are dealing with allegations right now and we will continue to cooperate with the NFL and law enforcement in this matter."

The Panthers have been cooperating with a federal subpoena that sought contact information for several players as part of the probe of Shortt.

Hurney has stressed that none of the team's players have tested positive for steroids.

According to a report last month in The State of Columbia, Shortt has been under investigation since May.

In September, authorities raided Shortt's Health Dimensions office and Congaree Pharmacy near the Columbia Metropolitan Airport. State and federal agents seized computer data, at least 21 boxes of patient and medical records and 256 audio cassettes, the paper reported.

The 60 Minutes Wednesday report also includes an interview with a former employee of Shortt, Mignon Simpson, who says she personally shipped human growth hormone to NFL players and that possibly a half-dozen players received hGH from Shortt.

There is no reliable test for hGH.

CBS said Mitchell and Steussie did not respond to repeated calls and letters seeking comment. The network said that when it contacted Sauerbrun by phone, and asked him about Shortt, the punter said, "I like the guy very much."

Ten minutes later, CBS said, Sauerbrun called back to say he had been confused and that he did not know Shortt.

[SonOfLe-loLang]

oh, forgot about that

[Bronco Yoda]

Lets hope this paid off ALL Sourbunns debt in full to his bookies. I can't take another one of these games this year.

[Dr. Broncenstein]

I honestly think that If we take a knee on every 4th down instead of punting we win the game. Seriously, kick the ball out of bounds and take your medicine. 21 points directly from the special teams.... plus enough momentum to turn Rex Grossman into an all-pro. Hester was the only thing they had, and we give him every oppertunity to destroy us. Un****ingbelievable....

[Dudeskey]

The coach runs the team, calls the plays. Not the punter. He was only being told what to do. Point the finger at Shanahan.

or the ST coach... It definitely wasn't Saurbrun's bright idea to kick it to hester... twice. He's just doing what he's told to do

[The MVPlaya]

Have you ever been in a football meeting?

Shanahan has responsibility over the players and coaches. He said pooch it, or he says punt it. Every punt and kickoff until we got burned was right to Hester saying "come beat us".

We lined it up and gave it to Hester on his early punt returns over and over. Same with the kick return. There was no angle kicking until we kicked it right into Chicago's 9th defender on the punt block unit that basically won them the game.

Go learn something about football before you drag your half ignorant-retarded ass into a conversation with me about football. Obviously you have no idea about what you are watching on the field.

Go learn something about football?

My football knowledge > yours.

Stop talking about football meetings like you're a professional. Quit with that bull****, don't get over hyped with your couple experiences in a meeting.

However, this isn't about knowledge, this is about logic, which is something you are lacking.

You realize, Todd has the power to kick it AWAY from Hester correct?

Let me put this in different terms.

Say you are Todd.

You are told to kick it to Hester. So do you just go out there like a robot and kick it down the center like practice? And then keep doing it until the coaches on the sidelines tell you to do otherwise? Or do you use some skill and talent, in which is EXPECTED of you being payed millions for kicking a damn ball, and kick the ball AWAY from Hester where he actually has to run for the ball?

The point is not, oh we kicked it to Hester! It got screwed up when we decided to kick it DIRECTLY to him. It's HOW you kick it to Hester...short it, what ever you do don't give him the luxury of catching the ball like he does in practice!

Your logic has failed.

Like I said, if you were an RB, and you see no hole, so you just run straight ahead? Or do you try and create something? If you are a QB, you see the WR that you were told to throw to is double covered, but wait the coach told you to do it! So you throw it anyways, looking like a fool.

To fully blame it on Mike is just retarded, you DO NOT KNOW WHO CALLED the shots to even begin with...and because you've been to some football meetings, by default you consider your experiences equivalent to what goes on in the Denver meetings, game plans, etc...:spit:

****in idiot. ha ha hah @ your dumbass.

[vailitaliano319]

He got Vanderjact Comparisons LOL

I guess the only thing worse than that would be getting Janikowski comparisons...picking a FG kicker FIRST round...really? how has that worked out? Al D should move to Tampa FL. with George Steinbrenner, they run 1st class organizations:rofl:

[L.A. BRONCOS FAN]

Sauerbrun voted worst person in NFL by Oberman on NBC

No argument there.

Sauerbrun is scrub of the week.

[L.A. BRONCOS FAN]

The coach runs the team, calls the plays. Not the punter. He was only being told what to do. Point the finger at Shanahan.

How do you know that Shanahan didn't make the correct calls and that Sauerbrun didn't just botch those punts? Were you standing next to Shanahan on the sideline when he made those calls?

[Traveler]

Failing grade for special teams
Hester's returns, blocked punt are costly to Broncos
By Lee Rasizer, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Monday, November 26, 2007


Ridiculous.

The sign on the south side of Solider Field showed duel images of Devin Hester with the accompanying one-word description.

Some in Denver might be uttering similar adjectives to describe the Broncos' decisions to kick to Hester in the first place after the Pro Bowl returner brought back a kickoff and punt for touchdowns Sunday.

It's the first time in Broncos history the club has allowed two runbacks for scores in the same game, never mind the same quarter. Hester's touchdowns tied the score both times, giving Chicago hope on a day there shouldn't have been much.

Add in a blocked punt in the fourth quarter, and the Broncos' special-teams performance was rendered a total disaster as the Bears completed a 37-34 overtime comeback.

"We didn't help, that's the most disappointing part about it," said safety Nick Ferguson, who prevented things from being even worse with two fumble recoveries on special teams. "The offense was moving the ball. The defense was holding. That third wheel on the tricycle was flat. It was just really flat."

Hester had been kept under wraps in the first half, with angled punts and squibbed kickoffs. The returner even gave away a fumble on a misplayed one-hopped punt.

Then the ridiculousness started.

His 75-yard punt return tied the score in the third quarter.

His 88-yard kickoff return gave him even more distance from Gale Sayers in the Chicago record book with his 10th scoring return in his second NFL season. Hester is three from Brian Mitchell's NFL record.

"I don't think the league has ever seen anything like this guy," Broncos safety John Lynch marveled.

The Broncos had watched him all week.

Todd Sauerbrun, the Broncos' kickoff specialist/punter, even came out strongly publicly, saying in so many words it would be cowardly to avoid Hester. Sauerbrun was on the ground twice as Hester ran by, and over, him for the two touchdowns.

It left Sauerbrun, a Chicago resident, to joke afterward he's going to sell his house.

"Hey, Devin did an awesome job, he won the game for them," Sauerbrun said. "It was our fault we let him loose."

But special-teams coach Scott O'Brien insisted the team didn't necessarily "challenge" Hester as much as miss assignments and fail to get off blocks.

The plan of attack was varied with the squibs and angled kicks, even if the execution didn't necessarily pan out.

Coach Mike Shanahan blamed, in part, an inability to get air on punts and length on kickoffs as contributing factors.

"We weren't trying to go after him," O'Brien explained. "We were trying to buy time and do certain situational stuff. . . . We had everything going good in the first half and it kind of worked the way we planned it. And the one early in the second half got it going the other way."

But even with all of Hester's heroics, the Broncos still were holding a 14-point lead as Sauerbrun dropped back to punt from the Chicago 41 late in the fourth quarter. An illegal-formation penalty wiped out Hester's muffed punt the Bears recovered at their 18. And on the rekick, a communication problem led to a crucial turnaround.

O'Brien attempted to signal to the personal protector to get the gunner onto the line of scrimmage, but the message never got through.

It left Broncos safety Steve Cargile, playing right end, in no- man's land, because he isn't supposed to stay on the call once the protection scheme is put in place.

"I knew we'd be in trouble when nobody came in," he said.

Cargile blocked down and cornerback Charles Tillman arrived at Sauerbrun untouched, swatting the ball with this right hand.

"We were punting the ball out of bounds on that one," Sauerbrun said.

Chicago took over at Denver's 18 and scored within four plays, beginning a 17-point, game-ending run.

"We should have gotten our gunner in," O'Brien said. "He never saw the signal and that's my fault. The guy should have been able to see it. It shouldn't have been a problem."

The Broncos' sloppy special- teams effort was somewhat stunning considering the group seemingly had turned the corner.

Before the Broncos' Oct. 14 bye, they were ranked 24th in the NFL with a 25.8-yard kickoff average allowance and 31st in punt return average (20.5). Those numbers had dropped to 19.5 and 6.1 the past five games, sixth place since in both categories.

Hester finished with 282 return yards.

"I don't know if we were too cocky kicking to him or if it was the right thing or wrong thing to do," mused receiver Brandon Marshall, who isn't on the special- teams units. "All I know is a guy like that with the ball in his hands, all you're asking for is something crazy to happen."

Or, say, ridiculous.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2007/nov/26/failing-grade-for-special-teams/

[Traveler]

Special Teams was definitely the culprit in this game. No one here can say for sure if Sauerbrun was told anything or if he has the latitude to kick where he pleases, but one thing for sure is that the tackling was atrocious.

On the play where the kick was blocked, my wife and I and was began yelling that one of Chicago's defenders moved off our gunner and was left uncovered. We both were screaming for someone to notice and make an adjustment, but no ever came. We knew the punt was going to be blocked!

The follow passge speaks volumes:

"An illegal-formation penalty wiped out Hester's muffed punt the Bears recovered at their 18. And on the rekick, a communication problem led to a crucial turnaround.

O'Brien attempted to signal to the personal protector to get the gunner onto the line of scrimmage, but the message never got through.

It left Broncos safety Steve Cargile, playing right end, in no- man's land, because he isn't supposed to stay on the call once the protection scheme is put in place.

"I knew we'd be in trouble when nobody came in," he said.

Cargile blocked down and cornerback Charles Tillman arrived at Sauerbrun untouched, swatting the ball with this right hand.

"We were punting the ball out of bounds on that one," Sauerbrun said.

Chicago took over at Denver's 18 and scored within four plays, beginning a 17-point, game-ending run.

"We should have gotten our gunner in," O'Brien said. "He never saw the signal and that's my fault. The guy should have been able to see it. It shouldn't have been a problem."

My questions are, how hard is it to look to your right and see a guy is uncovered? Was it Cargile's fault? Does he not have the lattitude to change his protection? Are the coaches or players that stupid? And lastly, why not use the last time out?

Ridiculous indeed!

[Beantown Bronco]

Worst person in the NFL? Please.

8 kickoffs and 7 punts. That's 15 kicks throughout the course of the game. And of those 15, only one can even remotely be argued to be a "my bad" on Sauerbraun. The blocked punt was not his fault, and the kickoff return for the TD was the exact same as all his first half kickoffs that got stopped inside the 30. Kicking off to Hester WAS working. He muffed a few and was largely ineffective returning kickoffs. The only time they gave up bad field position was when they squibbed it.....

Honestly, I thought Oberman was going to say that Urlacher was his nominee based off his kicking of Marshall's hand and the ball after the Scheff TD.

[Billy Clyde Puckett]

So after the Urlacher 15 yard penalty, he still can't kick it into the end zone????

He kicked a terrible squib kick and Chicago go the ball outside the 30.

[Beantown Bronco]

So after the Urlacher 15 yard penalty, he still can't kick it into the end zone????

He kicked a terrible squib kick and Chicago go the ball outside the 30.

Actually, it was a fairly effective squib. By design, it didn't make it to Hester and the returner was tackled INSIDE the 30, not outside.

[broncofan2438]

How about the worst people(s) who were the morons who could not tackle him? Its more than just Hester, its a combination of poor tackling, and blockers.

[The MVPlaya]

How about the worst people(s) who were the morons who could not tackle him? Its more than just Hester, its a combination of poor tackling, and blockers.

You have to realize the only person that really got a chance to tackle him was Todd...and we can't expect him to.

Look, we are not the only team to be Hesterized...

No one even touched Hester, the guy is too quick.

[Smiling Assassin27]

this guy was kept to be a kickoff specialist in addition to a punter. the guy wasn't even getting close to a touchback yesterday. hell, anyone can boot it through the endzone in denver but this guy isn't pulling his ample weight.

[Beantown Bronco]

this guy was kept to be a kickoff specialist in addition to a punter. the guy wasn't even getting close to a touchback yesterday. hell, anyone can boot it through the endzone in denver but this guy isn't pulling his ample weight.

It's a league-wide issue now. Since they moved the kickoff back to the 30, there are only a handful of kickers who consistently hit the EZ on kickoffs....and it's not like he was kicking in a dome yesterday. It was cold, rainy and windy. Not exactly ideal conditions.

Now that I think about it, I watched a lot of football yesterday and to be honest, I didn't see any touchbacks on kickoffs. Not one.

And, again, his "short" kickoffs weren't a problem in the first half, or on all but one of his kicks in the 2nd half. And nobody was complaining then.

Hindsight is 20/20.

[Punisher]

The coach runs the team, calls the plays. Not the punter. He was only being told what to do. Point the finger at Shanahan.

Point the Middle finger

[BroncoBuff]

As usual, Kayo is right on.


"Countdown" with Keith Olbermann, MSNBC weeknights at 6 and 10 mountain time. ;D

[BroncoBuff]

I was screeeeeeeeeeeeaming not to kick to him starting in the 1st quarter at the Denver ESPN-Zone. In fact, I had to be restrained. Later, after the returns, they released me and gave me free wings and a beer ...

[Punisher]

I was screeeeeeeeeeeeaming not to kick to him starting in the 1st quarter at the Denver ESPN-Zone. In fact, I had to be restrained. Later, after the returns, they released me and gave me free wings and a beer ...

I just slaped my head everytime i seen a ball going his way