The fans proved it when Cutler came to town. I agree – our guys need for the fans to be loud to give our defense all the help they can get.

I’m praying for the run game to really kick into overdrive for this one. A win over Dallas won’t convince the skeptics, but it will convince a lot of fans riding the fence.

I don’t think Williams is as good as Smith, but with better coaching and more stars in the secondary, maybe this could be a break out opportunity.

I also agree that Denver should have the turnover advantage. But it only takes one key turnover to shift a game, and I’m hoping it goes against Dallas.

Can’t edit it.. maybe Staff can?

Weird bug there.

I think we might zone the LBs midfield, but I don’t imagine putting any of the LBs on him on a regular basis. We might use a nickle corner, but that exposes us to the run. This one is a very tough call. He’s a terrific asset for Dallas – anyone we put on him takes from another key area. If we get beat in the air, it will be Witten doing it.

Choice – I think he’s been flying under the radar. I respect what he brings to the field, and I don’t see too much drop off from Barber to Choice. Yep, I said it.

Airing it out – While I’m predicting a heavy running game, you could very well be right. If the run game works, we don’t have to take the chance, but there are 2 reasons to go deep. First, if we start falling behind. Second, if McDaniels thinks Orton feels comfortable enough taking the shots. If Orton has been running some deep pass drills in closed practice, this may very well be the week that Orton has his big “Told you so” week.

Old age has that affect.

: )

I’ve looked forward to this game more than the Oak game. Oak is a rival, but washed up. Cincy was a test, but few see it that way. This is a game where Denver is playing a team that was known to be decent from the start of the year (Cincy is only now getting some credit).

This will be a great test of where we are.

It was good enough to post twice. : )

Agree with the use of sky and robber, and would add cloud coverage with the mix (towards Witten’s side). The big nickle is a thought, but I wouldn’t want the package in against the run. (I think DAL might go no-huddle and hit the gut, assuming a 2 WR set). I’d take big nickle against a lot of teams where we need the balance, but maybe not against DAL. Just my opinion though, and good minds could go either way.

I think the 4 receiver set idea is good, but another possibility is the match-up problem of sending a RB or TE into the slot (in a 2 WR – 2 TE set), with the other TE going into routes. Like you point out, Graham would get a good mis-match, but so would the other TE (or RB).

Very good thoughts as always SWG!

I’ll look it up, and get back with you in just a minute.

…is OL. If we are missing Hamiton AND Harris, that’s a big blow. Other than that, I’ll take Clady over any other OLman in the League.

Good stuff Glyden!

Coaching – Den

Running – Dal (close)

QB – Dal (Please! Romo may throw us a couple if we pressure him, his O-line sucks at pass protection the way ours USED to at run blocking …but Barber is back)

Receivers – Den (close!)

TEs – Dal

OL – Den

DL – Dal

LBs – even

CBs – Den

S – Den

STs – Even

gpe, do you know what Dawk’s history is vs. Dallas? Has he traditionally been able to pick Romo?

…and I think the DAL OL is much better. I also think the 1-2 punch of Barber and Choice are a bigger factor than the other teams we’ve played so far.

Witten is also a better TE (in my opinion), but Romo leans on him a lot and the DAL system schemes the TE more than Cincy does. For those reasons, I think DAL is a bigger threat at RB and TE, but it is just my opinion.

Agree on Denver with the home field edge.

Good stuff Bfree!

I think new players rarely have anything for the coaches from old teams that the coaches don’t get from film study (which is INTENSE at the pro level). However, with Dawkins I see some advantages. Dawkins is, first of all, very, very intelligent. As a FS (especially in a 46), he was basicaly an on field coach. He diagnosed plays, and reacted. But his REAL value to the coaching staff is that he would be aware of any “tells” from Dallas offensive players that the Philly staff focused on. There may be one or two that Denver doesn’t have in their files that Dawkins will know about. He would have more to offer than most players.

I strongly agree with altitude working against the Cowboys. (Are you aware that WR Roy Williams suffers from asthma?). On the other hand, if the game is close and we go into a shoot out, I like our secondary, but think Romo is more of a shoot out player than Orton. It could go either way if it is close near the end.

Scary!

The only thing I would have a minor quibble with is the mid-season form. I actually think the offense is still working out a lot of kinks, mostly communication. The fact that they’ve been able to still be very productive while doing this is amazing. I can see them taking it a lot higher though. Soon, they’ll get to the point where it’ll just be non-verbal queues between KO and the Katchers (too many to list here) and they should be near unstoppable. I know some will shout “KoolAid Drinker!” (lovetowatchthegame ;) ) but McD and his players have said so even themselves.

I hope he leaves it on all season. It’s his good luck charm.

I usually watch the games in my Ed Mccaffrey jersey. The first game I didn’t wear it. So I started each game this season exactly the same: Bronco hat on, son in bronco’s jersey holding bronco football, Bronco’s beer mug exactly half full. McCaffrey jersey on the coffee table. I will admit now, that is the reason for our success….

If Orton comes out without the glove it might throw the mojo off…

Orton has downplayed the effects of the glove, but has also said he doesn’t like it. It causes the ball to stick a little, and can cause the ball to drop early. Orton says the effect is minimal, but HAS been a factor on a very few plays.

Perhaps the glove has a good side effect. With the “handicap”, Orton is extra cautious, which isn’t neccassarily a bad thing.

But the talk is that it isn’t sure, but the glove will likely be off this week.

Awesome praise!

We’re incredibly lucky to have so many coaches and talented folks of all stripes on this site.

I don’t know who all of them are, but several members talk the lingo pretty well and always have sharp comments. I think coaching is a good context for studying the Broncos and watching games, but it certainly isn’t a requirement. A lot of fans have amazing depth when it comes to knowledge of the game.

Some have played in school, some have coached, but some have watched and studied for so long that they know what they’re seeing. Another point to consider is the level of game experience. I’ve been around the HS and middle school levels, but my knowledge of college and pro level coaching only comes from some wonderful seminars we went to each year. And of course, that’s no substitute for really being a college or pro level coach.

So what I’m saying is, I have some background, but in the grand scheme of things, I’m just one part of the puzzle. We have many, many staff and members who know so much about so many facets of the game that I consider it a real priviledge just to come here and soak up as much as I can learn myself.

Guys like SWG are a real blessing, and so are you.

Denver 23, Dallas 17.

Book it – done

I don’t agree with him either. Did he really write that? lol

Seriously, I think I only wrote that we would have to rely on depth, and I certainly wouldn’t mean that as an endorsement.

I thought Smith’s play against Cincy was one of the reasons Denver won. Iput Cincy and Dallas on the same plane so I think the loss of Smith hurts worse than anything.
That being said I was impresses with Jack Williams play in the preseason but a definate downgrade at nickle

When Denvweer put so much emphasis on fundamentals in training camp, I thought that it would add another win or two to their record and this may be one of those. Good point J.

I think that’s our ace in the hole. Romo makes major mistakes (as good as he is), but Orton just doesn’t. That’s a major issue for a game like this. Very good call!

…as well as the CBs, will stop most anything that is a big play. However, even a legendary secondary can give up a big play or two. They key is to create a big play of their own (perhaps a turnover). I’m pretty confident we can stop long run plays, so only a major pass play or two concerns me. I’m more concerned about Witten on short and medium plays.

I very much expect to see some heavy TE formations on offense, as well as some multiple receiver sets.

Good stuff as always 3nS!

And while I don’t want to, I am a little curious to see how this team and the coaching staff handle that sort of adversity. I don’t see them falling apart like last year’s team.

The good news with Dallas is that their defense is (or at least was last season), vulnerable to big plays.

I agree 100%!

and Glory to McDaniels — our secret weapon. Mastermind II.

and Glory to HT — the enlightener of the fanbase!

I was watching one of Dawkins highlight films from his Philly days, and there was a play in there where he lit up Barber and forced a fumble. I believe one of his mates in the secondary scooped it up and ran it in for six.

Can I place my order for some of that?

He had those poor souls tripping over themselves, too.

I forgot to mention the most important player we picked up in the offseason.

Brian Dawkins

I’m going to start calling him The Teacher because he teaches his teammates and takes his opponents to school! I noticed the secondary not communicating very well during the preseason. BDawk, imo, is the difference. He has INSISTED that the DB’s communicate better and has SHOWN them how to do it WITH ENTHUSIASM DEMANDING RESPECT. Champ and DJ are elite players, but they do not have that overpowering and outspoken leadership that BDawk exhibits.

“…why is a quarterbacks coach now a defensive assistant? Maybe because he knows what the QB is looking at and therefore how to defense it.”

A big myth is that coaches “specialize”. The truth is, any coach that is HC, OC, or DC material can coach OC or DC. I never had a passion for offense, but I could run one as good as a defense. I’m not, nor ever was, HC material.

The only exception to the rule is that not every OC or DC is cut out to be a HC. But anybody (ANYBODY) in those three roles can run an offense or defense.

(HC requires much more than pure “coaching”. For example, management skills are a major part of head coaching. Running the coaching staff by itself is a huge undertaking, as well as the day to day grind. For example, at the HS level you have to work the booster club for funds, lobby the activities director, deal with the press, hire and fire, write to colleges interested in your players, deal with difficult parents, and not even mentioning taking the blame for things outside of your total control, like a player who behaves badly away from the team, or a major injury. As a DC, I was able to focus on “football”. The other stuff isn’t my bag.)

…to do play by play and color commentary for Denver games. I’d like to do the play by play part. I think that would rock.

Thanks for the kind words, but you really oversell me. I’ve seen the college and pro guys up close at some of the best football coaching seminars in the United States. Believe me, what those guys do IS rocket science. The leap from HS coaching to the pros is like going from putting a bandaid on a cut to performing brain surgery. For example, I consider myself pretty good at breaking down film when I have the film and several hours. The pros would take the work that I did with one or two assistents, and use computer modeling, a staff of about 6 or 7, and constant analysis throughout the week with or without the coordinators and HC (who have other things to do in addition to film).

One of the most mind blowing things I saw was computer images of what each NFL defensive player’s zone looked like. (It isn’t a perfect circle). Not only does each player have different size and shaped zones (none of which are symetrical, and much of which depends on which “handed” the player is), but the film experts could see a weird shape and say, “Yeah, that’s Dawkins” or “Yeah, that’s Lynch”. Its like a fingerprint. They break it down that far.

Scary!

The rec’d section often turns over entirely in just a single day. There are now so many quality fan posts, that between writing and my full time job, I regret that I just can’t keep up with everything anymore. I used to read every single post, and every single comment on MHR. For me, that’s just become impossible. I try to respond to just about every comment in my own stories, and try to read all of the front page stories and as many of the posts as I can.

Another problem that has cropped up is my e-mail box. Today (for example), I have about 60 messages (all from staff or, almost entirely, from folks who write to me about football from something at MHR or something that linked them to MHR). I answer as many as I can. I don’t regret it, as I am flattered and want to respond to anyone kind enough to write to me. But man, it IS a lot of work!

MHR is a great pursuit for me. It is like a hobby; something I enjoy and can sink my time into. It is a lot of work, but the kind things I hear from folks like yourself make it all very, very worthwhile.

I very much appreciate you taking the time to thank the many wonderful people (too many to name) that make MHR the best site going.

: )

What you’ve described is why MHR is not only the best Broncos site, but quite possibly the best sports site on the internet. And kudos for John for making it so.

posts are often pushed off the screen entirely when they’re only a day or so old, whereas I can scan down the list of “Recent” FanPosts on some sites and find posts that are several weeks old. It’s hard to keep up with all the posts and comments on MHR.

Is there any way to reformat (without a ton of extra work) so that the Rec’d Posts section could hold a few more posts on the front page? I’ve noticed too how many drop off and how quickly.

I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he does a lot of his pass rushing from the strong side. That’s why I was a lot more concerned about Harris than Hamilton.

1) I wrote this in an earlier comment:

1) I think that teams improve throughout the season.

2) The largest improvement comes when the team is on the same page. After that, improvement continues, but at a less steep rate.

3) I think Denver has shaken off the offseason cobwebs that all teams endure, and have made their big jump. I think they are ahead of most other team in this respect. Most teams are still making some early season mistakes.

4) It doesn’t make Denver a better team than everyone else, it just means Denver is further along in their "own" progression than many other teams are. I would call this "mid-season" form.

5) The "scary good" point is (in my mind), that Denver can now start moving in to territory where they start using midseason plays and gameplans ahead of other teams. I didn’t expect the team to take to a new program this quickly, and wouldn’t have even expected them to be this far ahead if they kept the same players and same program as in the previous year.

In other words, this team may or may not be great, but they already know what they are doing, what they are meant to do, and what they can do. While other teams are sorting themselves out, Denver can move forward with a little more complexity. This is an EXTREMELY well coached team, and it shows from week to week by having avoided mistakes and executing se well.

2) It is a nice problem to have! But we vary our looks a lot, often between 2 TE and 3 WR sets.

4) Size is a factor at altitude. Also, Denver’s zone block scheme minimizes size issues. On defense, I think the constant five man rush (out of the 5-2 look) also mitigates the size issue. I think this is a variable that doesn’t change over the course of the season, as five man rushes and zone blocking have always seemed to mitigate perceived size disadvantages for teams throughout football over the years.

5) Adjustments can be very difficult for the running game. While there are some adjustments that can be made, teams typicaly can either run against the opponent or can’t.

6) Harris is the hardest to replace. Smith is a big blow, but that kind of talent at nickle isn’t common anyway. I don’t see Dallas exploiting our nickle with their slot. Right now, I think Hamilton and Smith are the only ones who probably won’t play from your list.

7) Based on a recent McDaniels conference, and based on the on field play I’ve seen so far (despite the few samples and quality of opponents), I’m very on board. Look at just the jump from pre-season to reg season. I’m very impressed by what I’ve seen so far.

But I think we surprise the oddsmakers in Vegas on this one. There will be games where I don’t pick Denver, but this isn’t one of them.

He was smart to bring in Shanahan to get our SBs, and wise to move on too. We are fortunate to have an owner commited to winning, but who also doesn’t micromanage the coaches.