I watched the game last night and here is what stood out:
1. Tampa Bay was relying on its defense and has no offense. For the first time this year, their run defense was shredded by the run game.
2. Johnathon Stewart, Deangelo Hall and Jeff Otah are studs. Most yardage was taken from the right side behind Otah with help from Hooper (FB) or weer pitches and sweeps to the outside. Tampa has slow LB’s and they struggled to seal and contain the running backs.
3. Most of Tampa’s big plays came in the pass game. Carolina’s DB’s looked very suspect.
4. Peppers played well but was not domianant. he struggles with QB’s that have mobility. He was held in check for most of the night by rookie Jeremy Zuttah, and got sacks when he was switched and took advantage of a slower Jeremy Trublood.
5. Steve Smith gashed some big plays against Ronde Barber by simply out running him vertically. Damn, he can play!

In my opinion, we match up pretty well against Carolina. We have speed at LB that should help us seal and contain sweeps, tosses and pitches. We need to be aware when the line Otah and Hooper on the same side. They kick out and block well opening lanes easily. Play 8 in box on early downs, play a safety over the top against Smith, and match WW up on Muhsin. They have no other threats at TE or WR.

With the ball, set the run up with the pass. Take advantage of our TE’s over the middle. if our pass game humms, we match up REALLY well against there defense.

We need an early lead, force Delhomme to pass (2 picks last night) and pressure him.

We will need a running game, but I think we can get it done!

Sorry about that.
Dont worry about Smith. We said the same thing about Braylon Edwards and Roddy White and Dre held them in check pretty well.
We just need to have safety help. I think having Barrett, with his speed and size over the top, would be the play. the kid runs a 4.38 whihc is SUPER quick.
I think we will be OK against Carolina.
They will NOT be overlooking us though……they need the win to contend for the number 1 seed. And we need the win to tie up the AFC West.
Should be a GREAT game!

It is going to be a good game. A key for both teams is to get the early lead.

They are a very scary tandem, Williams has finally become what he was expected to be coming out of Memphis and Stewart is exactly what he was expected to be. It will be a very tough test, if we cant find a stop then we will lose badly.

Yes, they folded a little in the final quarter against Oakland, but that was more on the offense since the inability to hang onto the ball for a while caused the defense to wear down. But in the first half, they allowed just 2.9 YPC, and even in the third quarter it was 3.4.

Against the Jets, a major bulk of the yardage against them from the rush amounted to two plays: a 59-yarder and a 29-yarder, the latter where the defense simply relaxed because they thought the play was over. But you take away those two plays, and the entire rest of the game the Jets accomplished all of a 3.2 YPC.

The Chiefs, and their truly magnificent RB Larry Johnson, managed a team total of 83 yards against the Broncos. Of those yards, 34 were the result of Thigpen’s scrambling, with LJ getting all of 36, with a long of 11.

The defense might not still be the equivalent of the Baltimore Ravens’, but I believe the days of a weak run defense are behind the Broncos.

Nonetheless, my primary concern isn’t the Panthers’ running game, but the Broncos’ running game. If they can manage a decent enough one to implement Jay’s play-actions and bootlegs, then the Panthers have a surprise coming, IMO.

I’ll have more answers up for you in this week’s Chalk Talk, but to answer your question on who Pepper’s lines up against…

Peppers is a R-DE and lines up on the defense’s right. This places him across from LT Clady. As their best pass rusher (one of the best in the League), this is his best placement. He rushes the blind side of most QBs (right handers), but also hits the side that typicaly doesn’t have the TE.

It should be a wonderful match-up to watch for fans of the trenches. If I can see the game, I’ll be watching this part of the field the most.

we have three things to worry about:
1. turnovers
2. slowing the running game.
3. Steve Smith.

We come out on top of those 3 things and we win the game.

We don’t have a running game that will scare people, but we need those dink and dunk passes to make up for it, I think we can do fine on offense scoring, what I worry about is allowing the defense to stay on the field too long, if we control the ball and time or possession, and don’t have turnovers, we will win, but if Carolina can keep our defense on the field for long stretches and the offense goes into the all or nothing mode, long day ahead.

In order to win this game—we not only need to bring our A-game—we need to bring our, ‘slow-down-the-run-with-seven-in-the-box-game.’ We are not going to stop their run game—but we should be able to slow it down. If we give away a couple long free runs—like we did with The Jets—we might be in trouble.

I would feel a little comfortable if Hillis hadn’t been hurt………a lot more comfortable as a matter-of-fact…..but he’s gone so we got what we got. ((((As a side note—I also hope Champ is back—we need to shut down some of their passing game—and Champ can do that.!.)))

That being said, I also think we can win this game! Not because we are going to totally stop their offense—but because our offense can keep up with any team.

Get ready for another ‘nail-chewer’ , this is going to be another one of games that increase the sale of Rolaids.

     Yet, I have a funny feelng………that this game is ours…………love these funny feelings!

Broncos .. 9-5 after this game!!!!!!!!

It simply is not that big a deal! The thing that will happen will be a “MIKE” deal!

So Mike getz the availlable players ready, and those players, given the fact that they R the players,,,,,GIVE everything that they have! Some of them do it, just because they digg deap within themselves and bring it on!

Others do it because they R trying to earn a spot on the team! Everyone does it because they want to win!

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO BRONCOS!

Does that ’R" stand for ROOKIE????
GO ROOKIES!!!!

it’s my way of saying are with an exclamation point without really haveing to type it all out, but then look at what all i had to type out just to explain it all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

too funny! It really does mean that the R’s Rookies have kicked it this year!

And yes, we will PASS this test! Go Broncos!