I don’t think McD gives a damn either way. Which is why I’m glad that he’s here. Nothing is ever as bad, or as good as it seems.

Rivers can throw over his shoulder, while running backwards, for 80 yards…woohoo…right to Champ, Hill, etc.

Fine with us!

The issue is in two parts.

1) It takes a while for WRs to get deep down the field. Quick pressure forces the QB to throw before the WRs get in place.

2) And of course, quick pressure also forces mistakes.

Right now, it seems that the Denver defense is based on 3 principles. First, we bring a lot of pressure. Second, we fill the secondary (CBs and SAFs) with top tier talent. And third, the front seven show a five man front, plug all the gaps, and allow the two ILBs to make the tackles.

That pressue involves hitting the gaps, and serves to both pressure the QB AND to fill the gaps against the run. It is a nice double edged sword.

That’s also the reason I don’t see the need to run-blitz Dawkins. He can hang back and do the classic safety job – watching for deep throws (which Rivers likes to do) and break away runs (Sproles / LT).

Totaly!

Dawkins – While I don’t expect him to be assigned much blitzing, his speed and reaction skills are so super-human, that even if he gets deep zone, he may see the play develop and dart to the line. This happens a lot with him. It might appear that he was going to make a tackle at scrimmage or even behind scrimmage, but he in fact was set deep and read the play right away.

I wrote this before, and folks seemed to like it, but it is very true. To evaluate a safety, don’t watch the first move they make, watch the second one. The first move is towards their assignnement (likely a zone), but the second move is towards where they think the play is going.

From there, you can evaluate many things. How quick from move one to move two? Did he choose the right direction? Was there just a second move, or did he have to stutter different directions before committing? Etc.

One thing I’ve noticed about Dawkins is that his moves coincide almost instantly with the QBs handling of the ball. He almost never falls for the “QB’s eyes” or the pump fake, and his moves sometimes occur before the QB commitment. You just can’t coach that level of awareness.

My bigger point is that I don’t expect Dawkins to be put in much RB coverage or run blitzes (run blitz is actualy a mis-nomer). But I DO think his reactions to a handoff are so quick, and his speed is so uncanny, that it will appear that he was commited to the run from the huddle. So it will look like he was assigned to the RB anyway.

Jordan – While the DP reports he likely won’t play, I’m wondering if they got it wrong. It turns out he missed practice for a funeral. Most pro players will make a game if it is 3 or 4 days after a funeral, but we don’t know how close Lamont was to whomever passed.

I’m hoping that Lamont can play, but there are things more important than football. I pray for comfort for Lamont and his family.

I think it was early 4th quarter, by Dawkins, with containment provided by Holliday, I think (please forgive memory lapse if I err)…anyway, it was a thing of beauty.

But the guys are right, it’s like candy: sweet at the moment, but can ruin you over time. A safety is aptly named, and BDawk is up there with the best of them all time.

Not every run play needs to be stopped for -2 yards. We just need to have every three run plays total <10 yards. And this years Broncos can actually do that.

We can be giddy about GOOD football this year,

not just on the edge of our seats for occasional miracles.

That was last year’s Broncos, and this year’s Chargers….. and it doesn’t work.

BTW I stick with my earlier prediction of 44-7, same as the recent Giant’s shelacking of the Raiders, and for much the same reasons.