View Full Version : Denver/Dallas Replay Notes
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I just watched us punch Dallas in the face on that 4th and 1. BEAUTIFUL blocking and run. If you watch it, watch Kuper, Harris, Graham and Sapp all create a seam. It's just a work of art. Clady gets the cutoff on the backside and honestly, Ham's and Weigman should have been called for a highlow block but I'm not complaining as long as it isn't called.
Harris absolutely creams Bradie James and Sapp is good enough to wall off Zach Thomas.
TD Run:
You want to see a beautiful block on a NT? Watch Weigman on the 1st and goal run by Hall. He rooted Ratliff out and pushed him 3 yards away from the hole and then pancaked him over another player.
Weigman has been a great investment by the FO and may pay off huge dividends this yea.
Side note on another team, Zach Thomas is an animal. I love the way that guy plays and it would have been beautiful to have him manning up the middle of our defense. I know he probably would have chose Dallas over any team but, just payin the man a compliment. He was all over the place.
summerdenver
08-17-2008, 03:42 PM
Side note on another team, Zach Thomas is an animal. I love the way that guy plays and it would have been beautiful to have him manning up the middle of our defense. I know he probably would have chose Dallas over any team but, just payin the man a compliment. He was all over the place.
IIRC we did make run at Zach but he signed with Dallas.
Nice to see Barrett getting back in the game on the 2nd kickoff. After watching a lot of ASU games, this kid gets nicked up like crazy.
I like the base defense. SS moved up on the LOS to TE side. Seems like they are flip flopping the DE's, towards the strong and weak side. Berger is manning the strongside with the TE and Elvis is playing the weak side. It will be interesting to watch how defenses game plan this. In ACE formation the SS moves back off the LOS to LB depth, to protect the crossing routes.
Anyways, I love the aggressive approach much better than the 4 down linemen and 7 yd depth given by Bates' defense last year.
There are not a lot of guys that stop Marion Barber cold but DJ did just that. Earholed him from the side on a 1st down run and knocked him sideways. DJ has shown me a lot over his first four years in Denver. Pay this man. At Will, he'll continue to be a beast.
The DL is showing up. All of them are fitting their roles very well too. Marcus Thomas is sitting over the center taking the DBL team and doing a very good job of it. This style of defense fits John Engelberger (who i've been highly critical of in the past) to a T and he's doing a nice job controlling his side of the LOS. Roberson and Elvis are breaking apart the the running lanes by controlling their guy's as well.
#33, Manual, isn't very physical at the LOS. I don't think Hamza is either. I wouldn't be surprised in this defensive alignment that Denver makes getting a physical SS with coverage skills a higher priority than it has been.
cabronco
08-17-2008, 04:03 PM
TD Run:
You want to see a beautiful block on a NT? Watch Weigman on the 1st and goal run by Hall. He rooted Ratliff out and pushed him 3 yards away from the hole and then pancaked him over another player.
Weigman has been a great investment by the FO and may pay off huge dividends this yea.
Ya I noticed that too, and was thinking what a great pick up he is. I like what Im seeing. Pretty happy with Harris performance too, I will be more than willing to eat crow if this guy develops to be a solid OT for us.
Interesting to see the nickel DL... LDE, Moss, RDE, Elvis, 1 tech, Peterson, 3 tech, Mallard.
Might be something to watch when we are throwing up mock rosters. Mallard came in December did a nice job last year. He reminds me a little bit of Maa Tanuvasa with his size and of course, his number.
Ya I noticed that too, and was thinking what a great pick up he is. I like what Im seeing. Pretty happy with Harris performance too, I will be more than willing to eat crow if this guy develops to be a solid OT for us.
I'll take a dish as well. It's still early but he's proven me wrong. The thing that I don't get is how much savy this kid is playing with going against some of these guys like Ware, Ellis and Williams. Harris was basically non-existant last year. No snaps or anything during games. Now he's playing at a very high level against very good players.
It's crazy honestly. He looks bulked up too. He's one of the better linemen with his hands. He recoils really well. He doesn't always block linemen on his first attempt as he gets bumped around a little bit but he collects himself, coils up and punches back at them.
I like Jamie Winborn's toughness but he needs work with his instincts n the field. We're also going to have some problems with traditionally strong running teams if our SS's don't strengthen up. Manual is getting rag-dolled and the defense is susceptible to counter trey's and pulls. If the SAM plugs the wrong gap and our SS gets owned, we're going to be in trouble. This poses a big issue for me against SD. We're going to have to call a lot of strong side blitzes to interupt running lanes.
We're also going to be almost exclusively tied to a zone coverage with this defense on 1st and 2nd downs unless we want to open up to the deep ball a bunch, so those of you who are hoping for Champ to lock up the #1 WR might be out of luck. We did it a few time but you REALLY REALLY have to trust your corners.
I trust Champ. Bly gives me nightmares thinking about the GB game in OT.
tsiguy96
08-17-2008, 04:20 PM
im really really happy that our tackles, QB, RBs, WRs, TE and most of the DL are in third year or less. its crazy to think about.
Willynowei
08-17-2008, 04:20 PM
There are not a lot of guys that stop Marion Barber cold but DJ did just that. Earholed him from the side on a 1st down run and knocked him sideways. DJ has shown me a lot over his first four years in Denver. Pay this man. At Will, he'll continue to be a beast.
The DL is showing up. All of them are fitting their roles very well too. Marcus Thomas is sitting over the center taking the DBL team and doing a very good job of it. This style of defense fits John Engelberger (who i've been highly critical of in the past) to a T and he's doing a nice job controlling his side of the LOS. Roberson and Elvis are breaking apart the the running lanes by controlling their guy's as well.
#33, Manual, isn't very physical at the LOS. I don't think Hamza is either. I wouldn't be surprised in this defensive alignment that Denver makes getting a physical SS with coverage skills a higher priority than it has been.
I agree that the D-line played well as a whole but I saw Engleberger get sealed in against the stretch and toss numerous times. This issue was not apparent on the weakside where Dumervile played.
On two occasions where they got runs over 5 yards, Engleberger crashed inside and got pancacked likely due to a poor read. Second time he got sealed simply cause he didnt fight hard enough towards the tackle's outside shoulder.
Willynowei
08-17-2008, 04:22 PM
I like Jamie Winborn's toughness but he needs work with his instincts n the field. We're also going to have some problems with traditionally strong running teams if our SS's don't strengthen up. Manual is getting rag-dolled and the defense is susceptible to counter trey's and pulls. If the SAM plugs the wrong gap and our SS gets owned, we're going to be in trouble. This poses a big issue for me against SD. We're going to have to call a lot of strong side blitzes to interupt running lanes.
We're also going to be almost exclusively tied to a zone coverage with this defense on 1st and 2nd downs, so those of you who are hoping for Champ to lock up the #1 WR might be out of luck.
Or our linebackers and DLine can just continue to do a good job on their assignments, since the safety shouldn't be needed in that box to begin with.
And, we've been playing a cover 1 man most of this and last game, and very little if anything indicates that will change.
I agree that the D-line played well as a whole but I saw Engleberger get sealed in against the stretch and toss numerous times. This issue was not apparent on the weakside where Dumervile played.
On two occasions where they got runs over 5 yards, Engleberger crashed inside and got pancacked likely due to a poor read. Second time he got sealed simply cause he didnt fight hard enough towards the tackle's outside shoulder.
I'm still early mind you. He's doing a good job of stacking the LOS and forcing plays back to the LB's.
The problem with Tim Crowder is that he's a bulkier version of Engelberger.
I'm critical of this DL from the standpoint that we have too many spare parts and not a lot of complete players.
Marcus Thomas and maybe Ebeneezer are the only guys that I truly feel can play the run and the pass. The rest of the guys you can divide up into run stoppers and pass rushers.
I agree that the D-line played well as a whole but I saw Engleberger get sealed in against the stretch and toss numerous times. This issue was not apparent on the weakside where Dumervile played.
On two occasions where they got runs over 5 yards, Engleberger crashed inside and got pancacked likely due to a poor read. Second time he got sealed simply cause he didnt fight hard enough towards the tackle's outside shoulder.
I just saw one of the toss plays you were refering to. Tough play for Engelberger because he's playing a tight 5 on the OT with a TE outside of him. His key is to still play the OT's outside shoulder so if the TE down blocks on a pitch, Engelberger won't be able to make that play. That has to be a key that the SS has to read and move quickly on, along with the SAM. Their key's should be the TE. As soon as they see that TE earhole the DE, they should be shooting up the field quickly.
You'll see run blitzes against a team like SD where they try to attack the strongside gaps.
cabronco
08-17-2008, 04:39 PM
I agree that the D-line played well as a whole but I saw Engleberger get sealed in against the stretch and toss numerous times. This issue was not apparent on the weakside where Dumervile played.
On two occasions where they got runs over 5 yards, Engleberger crashed inside and got pancacked likely due to a poor read. Second time he got sealed simply cause he didnt fight hard enough towards the tackle's outside shoulder.
Engleberger was crashing inside sometimes last year too. Again he's doing it on the plays you mentioned. Is he doing it himself intensionally , or is it the play called on defense to knife inside like that ? I thought the DE primary responsibility on run plays was to contain the outside & make the rb go inside for the Lb's to tackle. What he's doing is making it easy for the other team to run outside for big gains.
Engleberger was crashing inside sometimes last year too. Again he's doing it on the plays you mentioned. Is he doing it himself intensionally , or is it the play called on defense to knife inside like that ? I thought the DE primary responsibility on run plays was to contain the outside & make the rb go inside for the Lb's to tackle. What he's doing is making it easy for the other team to run outside for big gains.
CA, check post 17.
kmonty
08-17-2008, 04:44 PM
Ticks me off that we're watching the Dallas broadcast right now. I thought home team got the first half.
Nothing like looking at Tony Romo's face for the majority of a two-minute drill.
rovolution
08-17-2008, 04:46 PM
bpc, ive always been a big fan of your analysis, but i know one thing that makes both you and I happy....PEARS IS NOT PLAYING!!!!!!!!
ERIK PEARS SUX AND DOES NOT DESERVE TO BE ON AN NFL ROSTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HAVE FUN AT SUBWAY ERIK!!!!!!!!!!
Ticks me off that we're watching the Dallas broadcast right now. I thought home team got the first half.
Nothing like looking at Tony Romo's face for the majority of a two-minute drill.
Denvers's lucky we didnt play the whole game otherwise we would have had big plays.
Between he and Pacman, Dallas is sounding just as pathetic as we did last year when we complained about Dallas hitting too hard.
cabronco
08-17-2008, 04:55 PM
CA, check post 17.
Ya , I saw that after I posted, thanks.
bpc, ive always been a big fan of your analysis, but i know one thing that makes both you and I happy....PEARS IS NOT PLAYING!!!!!!!!
ERIK PEARS SUX AND DOES NOT DESERVE TO BE ON AN NFL ROSTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HAVE FUN AT SUBWAY ERIK!!!!!!!!!!
Damn right. Now, if we can just have Tyler step up and kick his ass off the roster, i'll be stoked. We have too many Rams littered on this roster. :) ha ha.
Popps
08-17-2008, 04:56 PM
Did Ekuban play?
This oline is plowing holes and creating a beautiful pocket.
If they continue to play this way, i'm going to be in f'n heaven.
We may have a unit that can stand up to SD.
Did Ekuban play?
I haven't seen him yet, end of the 1st quarter.
kmonty
08-17-2008, 04:59 PM
I'm knocking items off the honey-do list during the game, but I saw two plays where Cowboys #94 (Ware?) beat Clady on an outside move. More like Clady just pushed him and let him continue his pursuit. Once when Cutler was in the shotgun - not good. Anyone else see this?
broncofan2438
08-17-2008, 05:01 PM
This oline is plowing holes and creating a beautiful pocket.
If they continue to play this way, i'm going to be in f'n heaven.
We may have a unit that can stand up to SD.
I hope ur right about that one, I'm tired of SD putting up big numbers on us
SonOfLe-loLang
08-17-2008, 05:02 PM
I'm knocking items off the honey-do list during the game, but I saw two plays where Cowboys #94 (Ware?) beat Clady on an outside move. More like Clady just pushed him and let him continue his pursuit. Once when Cutler was in the shotgun - not good. Anyone else see this?
Dude, Cutler was barely touched the entire first half....relax.
I thought Prater was supposed to be solid at FGs?
I must say, the defense Dallas is throwing out there this preseason vs. last preseason is night and day. No blitz what's so ever.
That's not an excuse for them though. I knew us, playing a vanilla scheme last year, got our ass kicked. That tells you a little bit about the players and the toughness they have.
We are beating the crud out of Dallas in that respect.
kmonty
08-17-2008, 05:04 PM
Dude, Cutler was barely touched the entire first half....relax.
OK cool - thanks! Like I said, not keeping a close eye on it. Got it on DVR. ^5
Denvers first unit caused infighting amongst the Cowboys...at least if you listen to how Greg Ellis talking. Its kind of satisfying to hear we were frustrating them.
I hope ur right about that one, I'm tired of SD putting up big numbers on us
I don't know if our defense can stick with them though. I love this attacking style defense better than last year. We haven't seen the blitzes that we can bring but I think it will put a lot of pressure on run games.
Personnel wise is where we are going to have problems matching up with SD.
The OL, if they continue to play well should be able to handle SD much better. We have two very athletic pass protecting tackles on the field vs. having Pears and the mistake prone Foster on the field like we have had the past two or three years.
cabronco
08-17-2008, 05:14 PM
It brought a tear to my eye seeing our D get pressure to B. Johnson with a 3 man rush. Dont know when the last time Ive seen that with our D. :thumbsup:
One area this line will have to work on going into this season is stunts. I noticed this last week as well but the line gets caught up on different depths which is going to lead to guys getting beat and Cutler getting hit.
It's not a hard thing to stop, they do need to work on it more.
Popps
08-17-2008, 05:34 PM
I haven't seen him yet, end of the 1st quarter.
Hmmm.
Getting ready to watch the game, myself. Been busy with the fam all day, and I want to have a solid block of time to at least watch the first half.
Hope Ekuban can contribute. Engleberger is just so bad, and we are sorely lacking experience in the front seven. Our most experienced is DJ Williams, and he's more of an athletic player than a heady, instincts-type guy like Wilson grew to be. (As far as a leader for the front 7.) By default, Williams will sort of be the leader out there. Not sure how I feel about that. Amazing to me that we didn't make a push for Thomas, Spikes or another vet.
We'll see how this plays out. At least we'll have an offense that's going to make teams work for it this year.
Man-Goblin
08-17-2008, 05:44 PM
Hmmm.
Getting ready to watch the game, myself. Been busy with the fam all day, and I want to have a solid block of time to at least watch the first half.
Hope Ekuban can contribute. Engleberger is just so bad, and we are sorely lacking experience in the front seven. Our most experienced is DJ Williams, and he's more of an athletic player than a heady, instincts-type guy like Wilson grew to be. (As far as a leader for the front 7.) By default, Williams will sort of be the leader out there. Not sure how I feel about that. Amazing to me that we didn't make a push for Thomas, Spikes or another vet.
We'll see how this plays out. At least we'll have an offense that's going to make teams work for it this year.
I agree with everything you say, but it must be noted that DJ has been more vocal in the media lately, which I guess is taking more of a leadership role. Plus, he has been nothing but a team player as he has been jerked around positionally since he got to the Broncos. The young guys on that front seven have to respect him as he is pretty much an elder statesman as this point, even if, as you say, it is somewhat by default.
It's almost unfair to compare him to Al Wilson, though. We have no idea what is going on in the huddle, on the sidelines, or in the meeting room. However, we as fans could visibly see how animated and passionate Wilson was. That doesn't necessarily mean that DJ doesn't have those same attributes.
telluride
08-17-2008, 05:45 PM
Clemons looks pretty good. Who he?
tsiguy96
08-17-2008, 05:49 PM
bpc, ive always been a big fan of your analysis, but i know one thing that makes both you and I happy....PEARS IS NOT PLAYING!!!!!!!!
ERIK PEARS SUX AND DOES NOT DESERVE TO BE ON AN NFL ROSTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HAVE FUN AT SUBWAY ERIK!!!!!!!!!!
way to be extremely disrespectful of a person trying to earn a living playing football. im sure youre job is so much better that you deserve the right to say this to players that are on your own favorite football team.
kmonty
08-17-2008, 05:54 PM
Clemons looks pretty good. Who he?
One of those 20 guys we signed in Jan. actually appears to be panning out...
rovolution
08-17-2008, 07:57 PM
way to be extremely disrespectful of a person trying to earn a living playing football. im sure youre job is so much better that you deserve the right to say this to players that are on your own favorite football team.
Erik Pears was the reason Jay Cutler was on his butt for the majority of the second half of the season.
I know you CSU fans have a lot of emotion for him, but from what pain he caused our franchise QB last season, i have no respect for him. ill be happy the day he is off the roster and that is a fact.
Kampman, Schobel, Williams, S. Phillips...name the pass rusher and they sealed their Pro Bowl ticket with a performance against Pears.
He is a liability for any quarterback who has the unfortunate task of playing behind him.
and if you think what i said about him was bad, you should read some of the things said about Ian Gold on this board.
theAPAOps5
08-17-2008, 08:02 PM
How do you get a CSU graduate off your doorstep?
Pay him for the pizza!
Sorry I had to do it!
no-pseudo-fan
08-17-2008, 08:09 PM
If you here the Cowboy's broadcast, the Cowboy homer's actually say that Jay Cutler is going to be the best out of the 06 QB Class.
Jay, making believers 1 game at a time.
Inkana7
08-17-2008, 08:37 PM
TD Run:
You want to see a beautiful block on a NT? Watch Weigman on the 1st and goal run by Hall. He rooted Ratliff out and pushed him 3 yards away from the hole and then pancaked him over another player.
Weigman has been a great investment by the FO and may pay off huge dividends this yea.
Sapp also killed two guys on that play. Blew the first guy up and stonewalled a LB.
Broncoman13
08-17-2008, 09:01 PM
How do you get a CSU student off your doorstep?
Pay him for the pizza!
Sorry I had to do it!
That's funny, but I'd always heard that one as the CSU GRADUATE!!! Ha!
theAPAOps5
08-17-2008, 09:03 PM
That's funny, but I'd always heard that one as the CSU GRADUATE!!! Ha!
You are right I am retarded today and messed the joke up. Drinking does that to you! :rofl:
kmonty
08-17-2008, 09:50 PM
Sapp also killed two guys on that play. Blew the first guy up and stonewalled a LB.
That play was beautiful execution all the way around. Clady and Wiegmann take out the entire left side of the defense. Hamilton had a sloppy block but then fell, which actually slowed em down. He looked like he was getting trampled in there.
Sapp finished the left side off after knocking a linebacker on his ass. Meanwhile, Kuper and Harris meet their men low, taking them both out (but not at the knees, more like a tackle).
The only guy left was LB Bradie James, who wrapped up Andre too high and Hall just kept his feet churning.
The offensive line, more than the play calling, has been the problem with our red zone woes for the past few seasons. This line looks like the type of group that can have their way with people for the short yards.
Popps
08-18-2008, 01:05 AM
O.K... I watched the first half and came away with some fairly strong impressions in a few areas...
-DJ Williams looks great - You haven't heard a lot of that from me around here. But, he looks very comfortable back at his old spot. He's really seeming to fly to the ball like he used to. No thinking, just attacking.
-Cutler is a freak - Wow, he looks calm... and I didn't notice a single throw off of his back foot tonight that wasn't forced. (There was one, and he was peddling backwards from a rush.. and completed it.) Should be fun to watch him this year.
-Royal Rocks- Jot him down as the #3 starter.
-Andre Hall is the best RB on the roster - Doesn't mean he should get more carries, but it means we've got to give him plenty. He's more fluid than Young, has more moves, hits the hole quicker and doesn't dance around. He's also much quicker. His size keeps him from being an every-down guy, but think of him like the Cowboys used Barber last year. He could really excel in that role.
-The pressure off the ends is still sorely lacking. Not a huge surprise here, but again.. disappointing. Moss sure hasn't shown much. (Or Crowder for that matter.) Elvis looks like Elvis. Great at times, but not a typical 1st down DE. I did notice him getting double-teamed a couple of times, though.
-Engleberger is the worst starter on this team - He is absolutely stalemated on every play unless someone happens to fall into him. I can't wrap my head around how he has a roster spot, much less a starting spot. Watch this **** on Tivo. He's literally forced to the ground on running plays, and can't cross the LOS on passing downs. He is horrifically bad. Anyone, and I mean ANYONE on the roster would be a better option. I hope to god Ekuban can step up.
-The O-line looks pretty solid - Cutler had a little heat on him, but not bad considering the new kid being in there. Really encouraging. Run-blocking decent. Not great, but I also thought Young had a few lanes he didn't take.
-Peterson looks solid. - Nothing ultra-special, but he always seems like he's in there clogging up plays. I like him in the rotation.
-Niko looks so-so - Seems fine. Certainly nothing special, at least on the first couple of looks, here. Looks a little stiff and clunky. Can't quite tell what kind of instincts he's got at this point. He's no Zach Thomas. That much is fairly obvious.
-This just in: Brandon Marshall is good. - If dopey keeps out of the slammer, he'll be a top 5 WR, no question. He looks very comfortable out there. Routes look crisp. He looks less erratic, but still has that freaky energy after the catch. C'mon dude... get it together.
-The CB play really wasn't that bad. Fox had decent coverage. He's an average CB and that's what most teams have. Most teams have a pass-rush, though. Pass rush can sure fix a lot.
-We're going to be a top 5 offense. - I know I keep repeating this, but we're really loaded up, folks. The only thing I think we're missing is a bruiser at RB to put in from time to time. We'll see how Pittman progresses. But, Cutler is just going to have so many options and our line is coming together.
Our defense is probably going to force us to play in high scoring games... and I think we'll be able to do so. Royal adds another dimension, as well. As I've said, we may not make the playoffs, but we'll be a fun team to watch.
Atlas
08-18-2008, 01:35 AM
Now you guys finally see what I have been saying all offseason. Denver is going to be better at almost every position this year. 10 wins is in the bag.
Through both preseason games it's a pleasure to witness that the best player on the team (although Champ has not played) has been Cutler. That's what you want. That's what the 2 most successful teams over the past 5 years have had (INDY, PATS). Their best player is the most important player on the team, the QB. Jay has been poised, smart, accurate and in total control. He really seems to be in total command of this offense and if the running game can improve some, I see alot of sleepless nights for the other teams D Coordinator. If Jay keeps this up, his drafting will easily erase any draft mistakes from the last 3 years. As of now, other then Brady and Peyton, I don't know that there is another QB that would have as good or better chance to do better in Denver then Jay. In other words, if all other teams would offer a straight up starting QB trade for Jay, I would rather have Jay then anybody else but Peyton and Brady would at least make me think about it. Anybody else would be a hands down NO.
WR's - this group should easily be better then last year.
TE's - happy so far, nothing going wrong here.
RB's - still don't think we have a total bad a$$ running for us but these guys should suffice if the blocking is there.
OL - It's already obvious this line can pass protect much better then last year, still needs work on run blocking.
DL - Inside looks better then outside but I am still not going to judge this group until the likes of Champ and Bly take the field. I feel these two guys will cause QB's to hesitate a bit more or have to check down to other options, which could result in more pressures and sacks.
LB's - DJ DJ DJ - everybody else is ho hum. There are probably guys that will be cut from other teams that can do what the other LB's for us have been doing, if not better.
Safety - probably about the same as last year. Nothing great. Will benefit from Bly and Champ on field but not a strong suit for us.
CB's - Bly and Champ have not played. Should say something right there about how important Shanny thinks they are to the success of the defense.
ST - Prater is doing decent for a rookie kicker. He's getting the ball into endzone. Needs a little more consistancy on FG's. Coverage units are weak. Returning is average.
fontaine
08-18-2008, 03:41 AM
Erik Pears was the reason Jay Cutler was on his butt for the majority of the second half of the season.
I know you CSU fans have a lot of emotion for him, but from what pain he caused our franchise QB last season, i have no respect for him. ill be happy the day he is off the roster and that is a fact.
Not really. It was the interior (Myers/Kuper) that missed the key blocks against Detroit that put Cutler out of the game and injured.
Pears is what he is. A backup guy who can play several positions along the line. Any backup tackle starting is going to cause problems for the QB in today's NFL.
Killericon
08-18-2008, 04:18 AM
I didn't get to watch it...Can anyone tell me about Bobby Carpenter?
Broncoman13
08-18-2008, 07:27 AM
I can tell you what the Cowboy's Media, PR personnel, and even some of the Cowboy's staff had to say about Bobby Carpenter... not good things!
The best I can do for you Killer, He looks the part! Dude has great size and is built like nobody else! I think his problem is between the ears.
Broncoman13
08-18-2008, 07:29 AM
One area this line will have to work on going into this season is stunts. I noticed this last week as well but the line gets caught up on different depths which is going to lead to guys getting beat and Cutler getting hit.
It's not a hard thing to stop, they do need to work on it more.
This was a problem in camp as well. I wonder if this is what Clady is having problems with? How often to 3-4 teams stunt? You would think you'd see it more from a 4-3 team but I guess a 3-4 could run it with DE's and an OLB?
This was a problem in camp as well. I wonder if this is what Clady is having problems with? How often to 3-4 teams stunt? You would think you'd see it more from a 4-3 team but I guess a 3-4 could run it with DE's and an OLB?
The cowboys went from a 3-4 look to a nickel on 3rd and 5 or longer. That's when they ran the T/E, E/T twists. It's really a simple thing but because they didn't run it all game, looks like our guys got hung up on it a little bit. You are right though, it wasn't the right side that had problems, just the left and that's because Clady is pretty firm at the LOS but Hamilton has a tendency to get pushed back a little bit. It puts a lot of pressure on the FB and center because if they blitz a guy, there is going to be a bunch of seams the defense can run through and not enough guys to pick it up.
Honestly, its an easy spot especially with a natural 3-4 team that switches into a 4-3 or nickel on 3rd down. They should be expecting it right when they line up like that.
Not really. It was the interior (Myers/Kuper) that missed the key blocks against Detroit that put Cutler out of the game and injured.
Pears is what he is. A backup guy who can play several positions along the line. Any backup tackle starting is going to cause problems for the QB in today's NFL.
I think Pears is a solid backup, but what positions other than LT can he legitimately play?
A backup needs to be serviceable if the starter goes down. In '06 he played 10 games at LT and wasn't bad. In '07 he played 16 games at RT and with one of the best blocking TEs carrying water for him nearly all game every game he still was a weakness.
He obviously can't play an interior position.
He's a solid backup but at LT only. I think he's got one more year here. We'll have Polumbus on the PS this season, get another 10 pounds or so on him, and he'll be our backup LT/RT for '09, battling Harris and possibly still Kuper for a starting job (though I'd like to see Kuper just stay at OG at this point, Hamilton probably doesn't have a ton of years left and Holland has shown himself to be unreliable).
By '09 I think our projected OL should be this:
LT: Clady, Polumbus
LG: Kuper, Gandy
C: Lichtenstieger, Alexander/cheap vet signing/draftee
RG: Holland, Gandy
RT: Harris, Polumbus
Denver724
08-18-2008, 09:59 AM
If you here the Cowboy's broadcast, the Cowboy homer's actually say that Jay Cutler is going to be the best out of the 06 QB Class.
Jay, making believers 1 game at a time.
Did anyone see Vince Young on Friday? Collins looked much better than Young.
rovolution
08-18-2008, 10:36 AM
I think Pears is a solid backup, but what positions other than LT can he legitimately play?
A backup needs to be serviceable if the starter goes down. In '06 he played 10 games at LT and wasn't bad. In '07 he played 16 games at RT and with one of the best blocking TEs carrying water for him nearly all game every game he still was a weakness.
He obviously can't play an interior position.
He's a solid backup but at LT only. I think he's got one more year here. We'll have Polumbus on the PS this season, get another 10 pounds or so on him, and he'll be our backup LT/RT for '09, battling Harris and possibly still Kuper for a starting job (though I'd like to see Kuper just stay at OG at this point, Hamilton probably doesn't have a ton of years left and Holland has shown himself to be unreliable).
By '09 I think our projected OL should be this:
LT: Clady, Polumbus
LG: Kuper, Gandy
C: Lichtenstieger, Alexander/cheap vet signing/draftee
RG: Holland, Gandy
RT: Harris, Polumbus
i think Casey Wiegman will be a reserve in 2009 over Alexander.
He signed a 2 year contract with us and has been playing phenomenal as a starter in the preseason.
BroncoBuff
08-18-2008, 12:27 PM
LB's ... There are probably guys that will be cut from other teams that can do what the other LB's for us have been doing, if not better.
Agree with all your takes except this one ... I think we're loaded with solid/high potential backup LBs.
We already have 3 experienced veteran backups: Green, Winborn, Niko/Webster
And 3 young high potential backups: Woodyard, Larsen, Beck
Two or three of these six gotta go ... it's a shame.
Irish Stout
08-18-2008, 12:40 PM
Agree with all your takes except this one ... I think we're loaded with solid/high potential backup LBs.
We already have 3 experienced veteran backups: Green, Winborn, Niko/Webster
And 3 young high potential backups: Woodyard, Larsen, Beck
Two or three of these six gotta go ... it's a shame.
I agree with you 100% here and I am sad to see some of these guys being cut (when it happens). That being said, I really like our young guys better... they may not be there right now, but they seem to all have a decent head on how to play LB.
gyldenlove
08-18-2008, 12:42 PM
I really liked the way Niko played, I know some people are not high on him, but he looks like he seals the inside much better and consistently forces the play to go to the outside linebackers who are faster.
On the play where DJ blew through the line and nailed Marion Barber in the backfield Niko set up that play by taking on a blocker and sealing the gap.
I have to agree that Engelberger is a liability, you can single block him every play and if you run the ball right at him he will make the tackle, but if you pass or run the ball away from him he will be a non factor every time. Dumervil may be less of a run stopper but at least he demands attention on pass plays.
I thought Moss played well, he got some pressure and when the 2nd unit was on, if there was a good play by the defensive front, it was always Moss at the heart of it taking on two blockers or applying some pressure. He still has a long ways to go to be a solid starter, but I am not ready to give up on him.
PRBronco
08-18-2008, 12:57 PM
I think Pears is a solid backup, but what positions other than LT can he legitimately play?
A backup needs to be serviceable if the starter goes down. In '06 he played 10 games at LT and wasn't bad. In '07 he played 16 games at RT and with one of the best blocking TEs carrying water for him nearly all game every game he still was a weakness.
He obviously can't play an interior position.
Just wanted to mention that after we signed Pears, he was sent to NFL europe where he actually played guard, and was first team NFLE or whatever they called it over there. Not in any way implying he can play guard effectively in the nfl (so tall!), just pointing out that he does have some experience on the inside.
*edit* Checked his bio:
2005: Pears, who entered the NFL with Denver as a college free agent on May 12, spent the season on the Broncos’ practice squad. Following the year, Pears was allocated to NFL Europe and earned All-NFL Europe honors as a standout for the Cologne Centurions. He started all 10 games (first 3 at tackle and final 7 at guard) for Cologne.
I think Pears is a solid backup, but what positions other than LT can he legitimately play?
A backup needs to be serviceable if the starter goes down. In '06 he played 10 games at LT and wasn't bad. In '07 he played 16 games at RT and with one of the best blocking TEs carrying water for him nearly all game every game he still was a weakness.
He obviously can't play an interior position.
He's a solid backup but at LT only. I think he's got one more year here. We'll have Polumbus on the PS this season, get another 10 pounds or so on him, and he'll be our backup LT/RT for '09, battling Harris and possibly still Kuper for a starting job (though I'd like to see Kuper just stay at OG at this point, Hamilton probably doesn't have a ton of years left and Holland has shown himself to be unreliable).
By '09 I think our projected OL should be this:
LT: Clady, Polumbus
LG: Kuper, Gandy
C: Lichtenstieger, Alexander/cheap vet signing/draftee
RG: Holland, Gandy
RT: Harris, Polumbus
I would love to add a beast like Alex Mack or Max Unger to the mix. Unger has versatility across the line as he's played LT all the way to Center, kinda like a better Trey Teague. Shanahan craves those guys. I wouldn't coplain with Mack either. He is a guy that can step in and start from day 1.
09':
LT: Clady, Polumbus
LG: Holland, Lichtensteiger
C: Hamilton, Weigman, Unger (rk)
RG: Kuper, Unger/Lichtensteiger
RT: Harris, Unger/Polumbus
all I have to say is that I had a 'lex' sized meltdown on draft day when we drafted clady over mendenhall.
now, two games into the preseason, i couldn't be happier that we got clady. He is really really really good. all the cutler love(well deserved) is great, but why do you think he looked so calm and completed so many passes? he doesn't even worry about his blind side at all, and when you watch clady you can see why.
even when he makes a mistake or gets beat he recovers beautifully. If he is this good already, we may have one of the best lt's in recent memory for the next few years.
clady and cutler look like 1st round talent out there...and if you can hit on a qb and lt in the first round, it Really pays off down the line.
I will just go ahead and say it. the goodmans may have saved this franchise.
Thank god we ditched that stupid "we don't need to draft linemen high" approach. That was a recipe for disaster and one of the main reasons why we have fell to mediocrity.
The best thing about Clady is you can't replicate his size and quickness. Just like J. Ogden. Big guys can get beat but with good feet and a large wingspan, it's easy to make up for it and get back in position.
I still think moving forward we need that last piece in the middle of our offensive line with Nalen and Hamilton getting older. Do that and you can find some competent guards (easier to draft and develop) later in the draft.
However chalk that up to the other positions that we need moving forward, HB, 3rd WR, DT/DE, MLB and safety.
We'll be better this year, a very good offense. I still think we are just below the 6th best team in the AFC.
Just wanted to mention that after we signed Pears, he was sent to NFL europe where he actually played guard, and was first team NFLE or whatever they called it over there. Not in any way implying he can play guard effectively in the nfl (so tall!), just pointing out that he does have some experience on the inside.
Sure, but thats NFLE, a league that was so obviously a lower grade of football that it doesn't even exist anymore.
He's too tall, too thin, and not strong enough to play inside in the NFL. His best attribute is his lateral mobility and reach, put him inside and you largely negate that. This from a fringe guy at best.
i think Casey Wiegman will be a reserve in 2009 over Alexander.
He signed a 2 year contract with us and has been playing phenomenal as a starter in the preseason.
I'd be all for it, though Wiegman is pretty old, but that is why I included "cheap veteran signing", for a guy like Wiegman if we declines too rapidly.
Thank god we ditched that stupid "we don't need to draft linemen high" approach. That was a recipe for disaster and one of the main reasons why we have fell to mediocrity.
The best thing about Clady is you can't replicate his size and quickness. Just like J. Ogden. Big guys can get beat but with good feet and a large wingspan, it's easy to make up for it and get back in position.
I still think moving forward we need that last piece in the middle of our offensive line with Nalen and Hamilton getting older. Do that and you can find some competent guards (easier to draft and develop) later in the draft.
I've been saying for about three years now that we needed to start drafting OLs higher. Five years ago someone like Joe Thomas doesn't have elite training in college, graduates at 290-295, and is largely overlooked by other teams as he slides down into our laps for a 4th or 5th round pick. Now those guys put on the pounds early and become top 10 picks.
Clady is one of those guys and a great addition to the team.
As for the middle, I really like Lichtenstieger's long term potential. He's powerful and aggressive but mobile enough to still work well in a ZBS. He also spent a lot of time in the shotgun in college and is an excellent snapper in the formation. Most young centers struggle with being reliable in the 'gun, he won't, and that will play a big role in the near future when we become a more passing oriented team that will line up in the gun and attack deep down field much more often.
lostknight
08-18-2008, 05:56 PM
CB's - Bly and Champ have not played. Should say something right there about how important Shanny thinks they are to the success of the defense.
ST - Prater is doing decent for a rookie kicker. He's getting the ball into endzone. Needs a little more consistancy on FG's. Coverage units are weak. Returning is average.
Wasn't bly in the game two nights ago?
Prater looks good. Coverage is still weak.
azbroncfan
08-18-2008, 06:31 PM
Clemons looks pretty good. Who he?
The one play he looked good he just wasn't even blocked. He didn't beat his man it was a blown assignment on the cowboys. Now I didn't watch the last 5 min of game and he could of done something else but I only noticed him on one play.
telluride
08-18-2008, 06:35 PM
Agree with all your takes except this one ... I think we're loaded with solid/high potential backup LBs.
We already have 3 experienced veteran backups: Green, Winborn, Niko/Webster
And 3 young high potential backups: Woodyard, Larsen, Beck
Two or three of these six gotta go ... it's a shame.
Easy: Bye-Bye Green & Beck.