For those down on the defense....

[Bacchus]

Let's give them a couple more weeks to show what kind of defense they can be. They could be a top 10 defense when all is said and done.


Third-down breakdowns

The Broncos rank among the league's worst teams at stopping third downs. Four of the Broncos' first five opponents have offenses that rank in the top seven in third-down conversions. (Denver's offense is third, at 47.8 percent.)

Week 1 Pittsburgh: 11-of-19, 57.9 percent. Pittsburgh ranks No. 1 at 51.9 percent for the season.

Week 2 Atlanta: 5-of-13, 38.5 percent. Atlanta ranks No. 2, at 48.5 percent for the season.

Week 3 Houston: 7-of-14, 50 percent. Houston ranks No. 7, at 44.2 percent for the season.

Week 4 Oakland: 1-of-12, 8 percent. Oakland ranks No. 28 at 27.5 percent for the season.

Week 5 New England: 11-of-17, 65 percent. New England ranks No. 4 at 47.1 percent for the season.



Read more: Denver Broncos hoping to eliminate third-down breakdowns - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci...#ixzz29A4GOX6w
Read The Denver Post's Terms of Use of its content: http://www.denverpost.com/termsofuse

The one team Denver played not in the top 7 in 3rd down conversions was the Raiders and the Broncos held them to only ONE thrid down conversion success.

[spdirty]

Sorry. Ive watched Joe Mays for 2 years now and if Fox/JDR think he is the best middle linebacker available to us, and continue to put him on the field during passing situations, we will always be a bottom third in the league defense.

[ZONA]

I was never concerned about the 3rd down defense, you will give some of those up. It's the 3rd and very long defense I'm worried about and that's lost us a few games.

[Bacchus]

Originally Posted by spdirty

Sorry. Ive watched Joe Mays for 2 years now and if Fox/JDR think he is the best middle linebacker available to us, and continue to put him on the field during passing situations, we will always be a bottom third in the league defense.

Woodyard has not been great either and Brookings is old. The LBers will need to be adressed at the end of the season but they will not break the team.

I think they'll be fine this year against inferior competition. As long as Manning and the offense is putting pressure on the teams like they did against Oakland Denver will be fine. The start will be the Chuggers!!

[Bacchus]

Originally Posted by ZONA

I was never concerned about the 3rd down defense, you will give some of those up. It's the 3rd and very long defense I'm worried about and that's lost us a few games.

Yes, that has been very disturbing. Lets see what they do against teams that aren't near as talented as the ones they have played so far, starting with the Chuggers.

[Jetmeck]

29th on third down///......ok I will give ya they are against good teams.

My Memory may be wrong but these third and long issues have been around for years.

[ZONA]

Originally Posted by Jetmeck

29th on third down///......ok I will give ya they are against good teams.

My Memory may be wrong but these third and long issues have been around for years.

To the best of my knowledge, we haven't had many good LB's here for the past several years. DJ has been good but not great, and nobody else. Miller was purely a pass rusher his first year and also injured. Much better this year but now no DJ. So really, we've had 1 good LB on the field. It takes at least 2 I think to have a good defense. That said, you can win with a 15 rank defense, somewhere in that range, but your offense has to be getting after it. Ours can, just have to limit these TO's. But this defense will need to step up to go far in the playoffs, because we'll probably be on the road.

[spdirty]

Originally Posted by Bacchus

Woodyard has not been great either and Brookings is old. The LBers will need to be adressed at the end of the season but they will not break the team.

I think they'll be fine this year against inferior competition. As long as Manning and the offense is putting pressure on the teams like they did against Oakland Denver will be fine. The start will be the Chuggers!!

Well, not since Winborn/Webster has a linebacker given me blood pressure issues.

[DENVERDUI55]

Well first third of season you can get away with scheme's. Second third you can change it up and get a little success and the last third it's all about talent and can you beat the guy accrossed from you one on one. Put it this way the last third of the season scares me.

[go_broncos]

As long as we have players like Mays playing on Defense..forget about the wins.
I am still suprised how experienced coaches like JDR and Fox think Mays is a starter in this league.

[CEH]

That 3rd and 17 with Woodhead running for a 1st down was the back breaker
and took the wind out of the team. Bottomline Just plain unaccpetable

Ironic because Elway is building this team for 3rd and long situations.

[jerseyboiler120]

4 of the 5 teams we've played are in the top 7 in NFL in 3rd down conversions. But how much of how good they are is because we're that bad

[broncolife]

We need to increase the D turnovers. Look at our past winning super bowl teams and Indys you will see Ds that turned the ball over alot. Sheesh our 98 team had 19 ints and in the last 2 1/4 seasons we have had a combined 21 ints.

[DENVERDUI55]

JDR should show pics of these in film this week. I sure as hell haven't seen one.

[chadta]

Originally Posted by jerseyboiler120

4 of the 5 teams we've played are in the top 7 in NFL in 3rd down conversions. But how much of how good they are is because we're that bad

exactly, do we look bad because they are that good, or do they look good because we are that bad.

This not being my first season watching Broncos football, im going to say we are that bad.

[lonestar]

maybe it has been said already in the thread if so sorry that I'm going to repeat it..

while I'm happy to know that lots of the teams we have played are great on third down..

just maybe they are so great is we allowed them to get even better on us..

that in itself probably skewed the number to make them above average..

I'm not going to research it but on a small sample like this our lousy performance just might have made them look bigger than they already were..

[spiralism]

Originally Posted by DENVERDUI55

Well first third of season you can get away with scheme's. Second third you can change it up and get a little success and the last third it's all about talent and can you beat the guy accrossed from you one on one. Put it this way the last third of the season scares me.

yeah, those games @ Oakland, @ Cleveland, Tampa and KC at home are terrifying in fairness.

[razorwire77]

Love the optimism, but we've seen this movie before. Joe Mays can't cover anybody in space, and seems to have gotten worse at tackling the few times he actually touches a ball carrier. WW is a nice guy, a decent situational linebacker, a decent special teamer, but wouldn't start for any other team in the league. Doom is a good situational pass rusher, but a liability in run support and a guy who good tackles simply envelop with their size and footwork.

Adams is an average NFL starter (being generous), Moore is has flashed some potential as of late, but hardly a quality starter (although he is getting better) and nobody on our D-line is any better than a rotational player.

It's not a coaching issue, or a gelling issue, or a motivational issue, it's a talent issue.

[broncosteven]

Originally Posted by razorwire77

Love the optimism, but we've seen this movie before. Joe Mays can't cover anybody in space, and seems to have gotten worse at tackling the few times he actually touches a ball carrier. WW is a nice guy, a decent situational linebacker, a decent special teamer, but wouldn't start for any other team in the league. Doom is a good situational pass rusher, but a liability in run support and a guy who good tackles simply envelop with their size and footwork.

Adams is an average NFL starter (being generous), Moore is has flashed some potential as of late, but hardly a quality starter (although he is getting better) and nobody on our D-line is any better than a rotational player.

It's not a coaching issue, or a gelling issue, or a motivational issue, it's a talent issue.

I hope Brooking is over his Concussion and can play this week I doubt Mays would have played if Brooking was healthy.

Would rather have an old slow dude out there than a young dumb one who can't cover and is just as slow.

[DENVERDUI55]

Originally Posted by spiralism

yeah, those games @ Oakland, @ Cleveland, Tampa and KC at home are terrifying in fairness.

You do realize the overall talent in the NFL isn't that far from the worst team to the best right? I mean the way you talk why even play the games. The fact that you mention KC there as an easy win makes me wonder how long you have been a bronco fan.

[DBroncos4life]

Originally Posted by CEH

That 3rd and 17 with Woodhead running for a 1st down was the back breaker
and took the wind out of the team. Bottomline Just plain unaccpetable

Ironic because Elway is building this team for 3rd and long situations.

It helps if they pass though.

[MagicHef]

Originally Posted by broncosteven

I hope Brooking is over his Concussion and can play this week I doubt Mays would have played if Brooking was healthy.

Would rather have an old slow dude out there than a young dumb one who can't cover and is just as slow.

I don't understand where the idea that Brooking wasn't healthy for this game came from. He got injured in the 3rd quarter against the Patriots. He was perfectly healthy at the beginning of the game, and Mays still started.

[TheReverend]

So we're celebrating holding 2 out of 5 teams below their season average...?

Is this a troll thread?

[Cito Pelon]

I doubt the D will finish top ten in any category. Maybe we'll see a little improvement from today onwards, but I can see teams like SD twice, BALT, NO, CIN, maybe even CAR that can put up 24 PPG.

[CEH]

I thought I was told that JDR was better than Dennis Allen
Looks like the same old defense as last year who can't play with the big boys
and beat up the crappy teams