Broncos.com- A 'Cut' Above- Partying, Sliding, and Bootlegging - The Orange Mane

minibronco · 12-18-2006, 06:55 PM

A 'Cut' Above

Rookie QB, Team Make Beautiful Noise in Streak-Snapping Rout

bowlen_cutler_rm_061217.jpg
President/CEO Pat Bowlen congratulates quarterback Jay Cutler on his first regular-season win as Head Coach Mike Shanahan looks on. PHOTO: RYAN McKEE / RICH CLARKSON AND ASSOCIATES
BRONCOS TV
Broncos TVHear what Jay Cutler had to say in the moments following his 261-yard, two-touchdown performance in the win at Arizona.

12/18: DEN-AZ Postgame
12/17: Postgame: Mike Shanahan
12/17: Postgame: Jay Cutler
12/15: Grounding the Arizona Air Attack
12/14: 'D' Seeks Redemption
12/14: Remembering Lamar Hunt
12/13: Ruling Rookies
FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH
AudioListen to postgame audio snippets straight from the locker room in the moments after Denver's 37-20 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. Click below to listen to streaming audio, or sign up for one of the podcast channels now available to get locker-room interviews and Broncos TV reports straight to your portable device.

12/17: Shanahan | Cutler
12/17: Smith | Bailey
12/17: M. Bell | Foxworth
12/17: Gerard Warren

By Andrew Mason
DenverBroncos.com

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Not even the 63,845 that packed the grandstands at University of Phoenix Stadium for Sunday's game could make as much noise as 53 men did inside a windowless corner of the infant-aged building just moments after the Denver Broncos concluded a 37-20 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

Thick walls and closed doors couldn't restrain the jubilation; the shouts and hollers seemed more worthy of a division- or playoff-clinching win than one that simply got the Broncos to 8-6 and, coupled with a Kansas City Chiefs loss hours later, got them back in control of their playoff future after losing their grasp on it two weeks ago.

They celebrated with as much relief as jubilation.

"It just feels real good," John Lynch said. "(It's) a lot different locker room than it's been of late."

Broncos wins aren't usually accompanied by such a reaction. Then again, Broncos wins usually don't follow a losing streak as lengthy as the one the team lugged into the Sonoran Desert.

"It's nice to win," cornerback Domonique Foxworth said. "I missed it. I almost forgot what it felt like."

The four-game slide had been the longest since the opening quarter of the star-crossed, injury-ruined 1999 season.

"The key (was) just getting off that slide we were on. Somebody put Vaseline on the slide and we were going down it super fast," wide receiver Rod Smith said. "Somehow, someway, guys decided to step up and play some ball, man."

And how.

They sprinted to a 10-0 lead on their first two possessions, rediscovered big-play ability on defense with two interceptions and three sacks, enjoyed a special-teams awakening in the form of their longest kickoff return in 11 days shy of three years. They held Arizona's emerging offense to just one touchdown only seven days after yielding six at San Diego.

"It's been over a month and we haven't won a football game," Smith said, "and right now we feel pretty good."

CUTLER 'KNOWS WHAT'S HAPPENING'

Few could have felt better than quarterback Jay Cutler, who for the first time Sunday saw his rapid progress measured in something tangible for the team -- a win.

From his start against the Seahawks to the following week's defeat at San Diego, he showed signs of growth; he was more judicious in his decision-making and showed persistence in leading the Broncos back into the game with a 17-0 third-quarter run that followed a 28-3 intermission deficit.

But at Arizona, his growth was exponential, beginning with the way he delivered a 54-yard touchdown pass to Javon Walker on the Broncos' first possession, as he absorbed a post-pass shot that had virtually no impact on his delivery of the football, which sailed 63 yards through the air and into Walker's grasp for a seven-point lead just three minutes into the game.

The newcomer was confident before he stepped onto the field. Then he executed a variation on a play that has been a fundamental tenet of their deep passing game in recent years, rolling out before finding Walker upfield.

"I felt a lot more comfortable this week, being my third start. It's just playing more football and getting comfortable under center," Cutler said. "But once we hit that big one I think I got more confidence and we were off to the races."

Cutler ended the day with a 101.7 rating, 261 yards and a completion ratio of 67.7 percent. His progress was obvious to virtually any observer -- but was most evident to a man who's shared a huddle with every Broncos quarterback in the past decade.

"He was so much more (in tune) this week than in the last couple of weeks," Smith said. "You can tell by that confidence in how he called the plays, and how he put guys in spots and things like that. You could see when we called a timeout when something didn't look right, and he'd go over everything that he's supposed to go over to make sure that everybody knew exactly what was going on.

"I think that's a big plus for us, because when he knows what's happening, and the rest of us know what he wants, it makes his job easier, and that's what I told him."

Smith found himself on the receiving end of Cutler's second touchdown pass of the day -- a 10-yard lob that floated to an open Smith, who'd worked his way into open space in the end zone and merely had to wait for the rookie's pass to fall.

From a team perspective,the third-quarter pass was significant. It gave the Broncos a two-score lead that they would hold for the remainder of the game; it also heralded the end of the team's red-zone frustrations -- three first-half drives inside the Arizona 20 yielded three field goals -- and ushered in a dominant second-half effort.

But the score also put Cutler into an exalted place in NFL history, making him the first rookie passer since 1983 -- and second all-time -- to hurl at least two scoring passes in each of his first three starts.

The '83 newbie? Dan Marino. The other was Charlie Conerly. Some other quarterbacks have thrown at least a pair of touchdowns in their first three starts, but they weren't rookies.

Forget about history, though. Forget about numbers, too. Cutler's triumph was also a cerebral run. He proved on an 8-yard, third-quarter scramble that he knew when to take the football and sprint with it. He threw incompletions out of the possible reach of any defender. He only took one sack.

"He had one bad ball the whole day -- and that was the one interception," Smith said.

The next drive, he was in the end zone.

"If he messes up, he just lets it roll of his back," Brandon Marshall said. "That's why he's so good because he's so calm and cool."

There's still more.

"The thing that doesn't show up in the stat sheet, is (that) several times when (Cutler) checked the ball over, there was a couple of times when he was supposed to hand the ball to Brandon on the reverse, and he didn't because he saw blitz," (Smith) noted. "Things like that that are very important to keep your football team on schedule.

"We ended up kicking a field goal instead of him trying to hand the ball off for a possible fumble, so he played very smart, and that's the key to our football team right now -- not hurting ourselves."

SHORT CELEBRATION

The line between congratulation and consolation is as thin as a a grass blade. So while the Broncos temporarily reveled in the return of "Victory Monday" -- and, with the magnitude of the win, a full day off -- there was little revelry beyond the locker room.

"Right now we feel pretty good," Smith said. "I think we can build on that, and that's the key -- is building on that."

For now, the Broncos begin building to next Sunday, for a game with the Cincinnati Bengals, a contest overflowing with postseason significance on both sidelines -- no matter what the tiger-striped helmets do Monday night in Indianapolis.

"It's really sweet, but I think the reality of this sport is that we'll enjoy it on the plane ride back and then it's time to go back to business again," Lynch said. "We understand the situation we put ourselves in. No. 1, we needed to take care of business. As I said last week, we need to win one game three times.

"Now we need to win one game two more times."

Added Champ Bailey: "We feel like we can win. They're winnable games. We've just got to take care of business, go out and have a good week of practice like we did last week."

Only that will give the Broncos a chance to rattle stadium hallways with their celebratory yells once again.

listopencil · 12-19-2006, 01:21 AM

"The thing that doesn't show up in the stat sheet, is (that) several times when (Cutler) checked the ball over, there was a couple of times when he was supposed to hand the ball to Brandon on the reverse, and he didn't because he saw blitz," (Smith) noted. "Things like that that are very important to keep your football team on schedule.

"We ended up kicking a field goal instead of him trying to hand the ball off for a possible fumble, so he played very smart, and that's the key to our football team right now -- not hurting ourselves."

Sounds pretty good to me. Rod Smith giving him praise for making good decisions with the football. How about that rookie two TD thing? The D with the TD streak and now this. What an interesting year to be a Bronco fan!

-Slap- · 12-19-2006, 01:48 AM

Quote:

But the score also put Cutler into an exalted place in NFL history, making him the first rookie passer since 1983 -- and second all-time -- to hurl at least two scoring passes in each of his first three starts.

The '83 newbie? Dan Marino. The other was Charlie Conerly. Some other quarterbacks have thrown at least a pair of touchdowns in their first three starts, but they weren't rookies.

I posted this before the AZ game. Two touchdown passes on Sunday and Jay will set his first NFL record. Not bad for his first month on the job.

Taco John · 12-19-2006, 02:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by -Slap-

I posted this before the AZ game. Two touchdown passes on Sunday and Jay will set his first NFL record. Not bad for his first month on the job.

Every now and again I just break out in fits of delighted laughter at how awesome this all is. I'm sooooo glad we didn't keep this guy on the bench to "watch and learn." What a waste of our time. This kid is strapped with the biggest noisemaker this team has seen in almost a decade on his right shoulder. Time to go make some noise.

This is such an awesome time to be a Broncos fan.

Clockwork Orange · 12-19-2006, 02:23 AM

You know what's really cool? For the first time since I got here, there will be no great QB debate in the offseason.

Jesus, what are we gonna talk about?

Taco John · 12-19-2006, 02:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clockwork Orange

You know what's really cool? For the first time since I got here, there will be no great QB debate in the offseason.

Jesus, what are we gonna talk about?

See you in the MLB forum!

Clockwork Orange · 12-19-2006, 02:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taco John

See you in the MLB forum!

No kidding, I may need to get a fantasy team to fill the time.

theAPAOps5 · 12-19-2006, 02:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clockwork Orange

You know what's really cool? For the first time since I got here, there will be no great QB debate in the offseason.

Jesus, what are we gonna talk about?

I am sure Mock will provide plenty.

Clockwork Orange · 12-19-2006, 02:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ApaOps5

I am sure Mock will provide plenty.

It's a shame that more people don't visit the other sports forums. He's got a real beauty going here.

Popps · 12-19-2006, 03:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taco John

This is such an awesome time to be a Broncos fan.

It's been an awesome time to be a Broncos fan all year, brother. You were just too busy pouting to appreciate the great situation we have.

broncocalijohn · 12-19-2006, 03:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clockwork Orange

You know what's really cool? For the first time since I got here, there will be no great QB debate in the offseason.

Jesus, what are we gonna talk about?

HOCKEY!

Kaylore · 12-19-2006, 03:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clockwork Orange

You know what's really cool? For the first time since I got here, there will be no great QB debate in the offseason.

Jesus, what are we gonna talk about?

The D-line...though if they play the rest of the season like they did last Sunday it will be farm reports and you tube threads for six months.

2KBack · 12-19-2006, 04:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaylore

The D-line...though if they play the rest of the season like they did last Sunday it will be farm reports and you tube threads for six months.

There'll be a nice little RB debate too, but it still won't be as heated

Popps · 12-19-2006, 04:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaylore

The D-line...though if they play the rest of the season like they did last Sunday it will be farm reports and you tube threads for six months.

Yep, that SHOULD be topic number one, as it should have been last off-season. It'll be nice to have the QB situation out of the way to focus on the rest of the issues facing the team.

Hell, this place could almost look like a "football" forum again by this time next year.

Denver Crush · 12-19-2006, 04:58 AM

This team is exciting again in a good way. Out with the old and in with the new. Im happy as hell to be a Bronco fan these days.

Bob's your Information Minister · 12-19-2006, 05:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaylore

The D-line...though if they play the rest of the season like they did last Sunday it will be farm reports and you tube threads for six months.

The Chiefs will sign some free agents. Think how much fun this place will be!

watermock · 12-19-2006, 05:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taco John

Every now and again I just break out in fits of delighted laughter at how awesome this all is. I'm sooooo glad we didn't keep this guy on the bench to "watch and learn." What a waste of our time. This kid is strapped with the biggest noisemaker this team has seen in almost a decade on his right shoulder. Time to go make some noise.

This is such an awesome time to be a Broncos fan.

It wasn't even a matter of that. Again, almost all of us wanted to give Jake his farewell tour and let the kid sit and learn. It simply didn't work out that way, and Plummer can blame himself. I made the call three weeks before he was pulled.

I don't know how big his kazoo is Taco but he's got a cannon and isn't afraid to use it.

He's throwing stuff thru double coverage like a young Brett Favre....he's got to learn not to do that, but dayum...last week he simply stuck it in their stomach.

If he can possibly play better this week we need to fall down and worship hip.

The talking heads can go to hell...I have seen it with my own eyes.

12-18-2006, 06:55 PM	#1
minibronco KFFL Writer/Fantasy Scout Defense: 11 Strong Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: The OC Posts: 2,474	Broncos.com- A 'Cut' Above- Partying, Sliding, and Bootlegging A 'Cut' Above Rookie QB, Team Make Beautiful Noise in Streak-Snapping Rout bowlen_cutler_rm_061217.jpg President/CEO Pat Bowlen congratulates quarterback Jay Cutler on his first regular-season win as Head Coach Mike Shanahan looks on. PHOTO: RYAN McKEE / RICH CLARKSON AND ASSOCIATES BRONCOS TV Broncos TVHear what Jay Cutler had to say in the moments following his 261-yard, two-touchdown performance in the win at Arizona. 12/18: DEN-AZ Postgame 12/17: Postgame: Mike Shanahan 12/17: Postgame: Jay Cutler 12/15: Grounding the Arizona Air Attack 12/14: 'D' Seeks Redemption 12/14: Remembering Lamar Hunt 12/13: Ruling Rookies FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH AudioListen to postgame audio snippets straight from the locker room in the moments after Denver's 37-20 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. Click below to listen to streaming audio, or sign up for one of the podcast channels now available to get locker-room interviews and Broncos TV reports straight to your portable device. 12/17: Shanahan \| Cutler 12/17: Smith \| Bailey 12/17: M. Bell \| Foxworth 12/17: Gerard Warren By Andrew Mason DenverBroncos.com GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Not even the 63,845 that packed the grandstands at University of Phoenix Stadium for Sunday's game could make as much noise as 53 men did inside a windowless corner of the infant-aged building just moments after the Denver Broncos concluded a 37-20 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. Thick walls and closed doors couldn't restrain the jubilation; the shouts and hollers seemed more worthy of a division- or playoff-clinching win than one that simply got the Broncos to 8-6 and, coupled with a Kansas City Chiefs loss hours later, got them back in control of their playoff future after losing their grasp on it two weeks ago. They celebrated with as much relief as jubilation. "It just feels real good," John Lynch said. "(It's) a lot different locker room than it's been of late." Broncos wins aren't usually accompanied by such a reaction. Then again, Broncos wins usually don't follow a losing streak as lengthy as the one the team lugged into the Sonoran Desert. "It's nice to win," cornerback Domonique Foxworth said. "I missed it. I almost forgot what it felt like." The four-game slide had been the longest since the opening quarter of the star-crossed, injury-ruined 1999 season. "The key (was) just getting off that slide we were on. Somebody put Vaseline on the slide and we were going down it super fast," wide receiver Rod Smith said. "Somehow, someway, guys decided to step up and play some ball, man." And how. They sprinted to a 10-0 lead on their first two possessions, rediscovered big-play ability on defense with two interceptions and three sacks, enjoyed a special-teams awakening in the form of their longest kickoff return in 11 days shy of three years. They held Arizona's emerging offense to just one touchdown only seven days after yielding six at San Diego. "It's been over a month and we haven't won a football game," Smith said, "and right now we feel pretty good." CUTLER 'KNOWS WHAT'S HAPPENING' Few could have felt better than quarterback Jay Cutler, who for the first time Sunday saw his rapid progress measured in something tangible for the team -- a win. From his start against the Seahawks to the following week's defeat at San Diego, he showed signs of growth; he was more judicious in his decision-making and showed persistence in leading the Broncos back into the game with a 17-0 third-quarter run that followed a 28-3 intermission deficit. But at Arizona, his growth was exponential, beginning with the way he delivered a 54-yard touchdown pass to Javon Walker on the Broncos' first possession, as he absorbed a post-pass shot that had virtually no impact on his delivery of the football, which sailed 63 yards through the air and into Walker's grasp for a seven-point lead just three minutes into the game. The newcomer was confident before he stepped onto the field. Then he executed a variation on a play that has been a fundamental tenet of their deep passing game in recent years, rolling out before finding Walker upfield. "I felt a lot more comfortable this week, being my third start. It's just playing more football and getting comfortable under center," Cutler said. "But once we hit that big one I think I got more confidence and we were off to the races." Cutler ended the day with a 101.7 rating, 261 yards and a completion ratio of 67.7 percent. His progress was obvious to virtually any observer -- but was most evident to a man who's shared a huddle with every Broncos quarterback in the past decade. "He was so much more (in tune) this week than in the last couple of weeks," Smith said. "You can tell by that confidence in how he called the plays, and how he put guys in spots and things like that. You could see when we called a timeout when something didn't look right, and he'd go over everything that he's supposed to go over to make sure that everybody knew exactly what was going on. "I think that's a big plus for us, because when he knows what's happening, and the rest of us know what he wants, it makes his job easier, and that's what I told him." Smith found himself on the receiving end of Cutler's second touchdown pass of the day -- a 10-yard lob that floated to an open Smith, who'd worked his way into open space in the end zone and merely had to wait for the rookie's pass to fall. From a team perspective,the third-quarter pass was significant. It gave the Broncos a two-score lead that they would hold for the remainder of the game; it also heralded the end of the team's red-zone frustrations -- three first-half drives inside the Arizona 20 yielded three field goals -- and ushered in a dominant second-half effort. But the score also put Cutler into an exalted place in NFL history, making him the first rookie passer since 1983 -- and second all-time -- to hurl at least two scoring passes in each of his first three starts. The '83 newbie? Dan Marino. The other was Charlie Conerly. Some other quarterbacks have thrown at least a pair of touchdowns in their first three starts, but they weren't rookies. Forget about history, though. Forget about numbers, too. Cutler's triumph was also a cerebral run. He proved on an 8-yard, third-quarter scramble that he knew when to take the football and sprint with it. He threw incompletions out of the possible reach of any defender. He only took one sack. "He had one bad ball the whole day -- and that was the one interception," Smith said. The next drive, he was in the end zone. "If he messes up, he just lets it roll of his back," Brandon Marshall said. "That's why he's so good because he's so calm and cool." There's still more. "The thing that doesn't show up in the stat sheet, is (that) several times when (Cutler) checked the ball over, there was a couple of times when he was supposed to hand the ball to Brandon on the reverse, and he didn't because he saw blitz," (Smith) noted. "Things like that that are very important to keep your football team on schedule. "We ended up kicking a field goal instead of him trying to hand the ball off for a possible fumble, so he played very smart, and that's the key to our football team right now -- not hurting ourselves." SHORT CELEBRATION The line between congratulation and consolation is as thin as a a grass blade. So while the Broncos temporarily reveled in the return of "Victory Monday" -- and, with the magnitude of the win, a full day off -- there was little revelry beyond the locker room. "Right now we feel pretty good," Smith said. "I think we can build on that, and that's the key -- is building on that." For now, the Broncos begin building to next Sunday, for a game with the Cincinnati Bengals, a contest overflowing with postseason significance on both sidelines -- no matter what the tiger-striped helmets do Monday night in Indianapolis. "It's really sweet, but I think the reality of this sport is that we'll enjoy it on the plane ride back and then it's time to go back to business again," Lynch said. "We understand the situation we put ourselves in. No. 1, we needed to take care of business. As I said last week, we need to win one game three times. "Now we need to win one game two more times." Added Champ Bailey: "We feel like we can win. They're winnable games. We've just got to take care of business, go out and have a good week of practice like we did last week." Only that will give the Broncos a chance to rattle stadium hallways with their celebratory yells once again.

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12-19-2006, 01:21 AM	#2
listopencil [sarcasm]text[/sarcasm] BOOM! Winner. Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: The People's Republic Of California Posts: 8,580 Adopt-a-Bronco: Broncos FO	"The thing that doesn't show up in the stat sheet, is (that) several times when (Cutler) checked the ball over, there was a couple of times when he was supposed to hand the ball to Brandon on the reverse, and he didn't because he saw blitz," (Smith) noted. "Things like that that are very important to keep your football team on schedule. "We ended up kicking a field goal instead of him trying to hand the ball off for a possible fumble, so he played very smart, and that's the key to our football team right now -- not hurting ourselves." Sounds pretty good to me. Rod Smith giving him praise for making good decisions with the football. How about that rookie two TD thing? The D with the TD streak and now this. What an interesting year to be a Bronco fan!

12-19-2006, 02:23 AM	#5
Clockwork Orange Persona Non Grata I seen him! Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 21,438	You know what's really cool? For the first time since I got here, there will be no great QB debate in the offseason. Jesus, what are we gonna talk about?

12-19-2006, 04:58 AM	#15
Denver Crush THC Content Analyst Bad Moon Rising Join Date: May 2001 Location: Purple Mountains Majesty Posts: 1,462	This team is exciting again in a good way. Out with the old and in with the new. Im happy as hell to be a Bronco fan these days.