True Leadership - Brian Dawkins holds Players-Only meeting

by John Bena on Nov 25, 2009 1:39 PM MST in Broncos in the News Comment 21 comments

Denver Broncos' Elvis Dumervil (92) kneels on the ground after the Broncos lost to the San Diego Chargers in their NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009, in Denver. The Chargers defeated the Broncos 32-3. (AP Photo/Chris Schneider)

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2 months ago: Denver Broncos' Elvis Dumervil (92) kneels on the ground after the Broncos lost to the San Diego Chargers in their NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009, in Denver. The Chargers defeated the Broncos 32-3. (AP Photo/Chris Schneider)

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The leadership of the Denver Broncos has had enough. Not the leadership on the sidelines, or in the front office, but the leadership that has the only chance of getting the Broncos out of the month-long funk they have been in. The players. Led by Brian Dawkins, the Broncos held a players-only team meeting on Tuesday to 'get on the same page'. According to many of the veterans, that is exactly what happened.

"We are on the same page," tight end Daniel Graham said. "There were a lot of emotions out there. No one likes losing. Frustrations came out a little bit. This team will stick together. We are going to fight through this together.

Of course, much is being made about the sideline skirmish between Brandon Marshall and Knowshon Moreno after the two exchanged words (and a couple of shoves) following Moreno's goal-line fumble in the 2nd quarter of Sunday's 32-3 loss to San Diego - easily the low point of the season thus far.

"What we do as a team, we keep that stuff to ourselves," Dawkins said, according to the Denver Post. "But if we're winning and we have that same argument on the sidelines, does anybody report that? If they do, they say it's our passion. But because we lost that game, and guys were a little emotional, then it's a bad thing.

"I don't buy into that. That's not who we are, who we've been throughout this year. I don't worry about that. Those are things that happen on the sideline, that is passion."

I agree with Dawkins 100% on that front (as if he needs my approval). Of course, on Sunday after the game there were tweets coming from local media in Denver saying the incident was an indication of a fractured locker room, or, more specifically, "the state of affairs with the team right now".

I have always been a fan of emotion - both when things are going well and when things turn sour. Sure, Josh McDaniels will tell Knowshon Moreno he cannot, under any circumstances fumble in that situation, but sometimes a teammate's message is the one that hits home - especially coming from Marshall, who has had his share of key fumbles in the past.

As for the meeting, it seemed to be one of your run-of-the-mill, closed-door sessions teams in all sports like to have when a 'slump-buster' is needed.

"Dawk started it off and guys who had something on their heart, they got up and said something whether it’s you’re a captain or practice squad player, whatever the case may be," said Broncos running back Correll Buckhalter.

Perhaps the best perspective comes from Champ Bailey, who knows that tough talk only goes so far. "I was pretty encouraged to talk to some of my teammates, but what’s going to encourage me more is if we play better. It’s not really what people say.’’

The Broncos now know if they are going to turn the season around it has to start tomorrow night, at home, in prime-time, against a team that has done its share of losing this season as well, and needs a win nearly as bad.

Now on the same page, the Broncos can get back to what they were doing for 6 weeks to start the season - winning as a team.

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Thanks John

Let’s hope this meeting is the starting point of a new winning streak. Go Broncos!!

by BroncoTwins on Nov 25, 2009 1:44 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

This is good news

I have to believe this will have a positive impact on our struggling squad

by theflanman86 on Nov 25, 2009 1:47 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

Lets hope they come out on the same page

and run the Giants out of the building. It would be nice to run off 6 more wins and finish 12-4. Oh and how can anyone not love Brian Dawkins. The guy is the MAN.

by gnarlybroncodude on Nov 25, 2009 1:57 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

It matters not what or who tweeted what, what does matter is this team getting to together in the locker room.

And on the field. Whoever the me first player or players needs to understand this is a team first not accolades or honor individually. Those things will happen automatically if they play ‘together’ and do some great things. I am not 100% sure they can do this, but we will see Thursday night. If they don’t then the road will be a rough one from here on out. Thanks John for getting this for us.

by bfree2bronc on Nov 25, 2009 2:01 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

I hope so....

the execution needs to improve greatly…

32-3 at home against a divisional rival is U-N-A-C-C-E-P-T-A-B-L-E.

Verbose in style, dispersion of thought, procrastination in life.

The guy formerly known as ZAPPA

by Tim Lynch on Nov 25, 2009 2:03 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

Couldn't agree more Zappa

"A great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do" Walter Gagenot
"Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible and achieves the impossible."

by bchiper on Nov 25, 2009 2:08 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks for posting this John

and thank you to Brian Dawkins for getting the team together. It’s one thing to be called out by your boss or coach, it’s totally another when it’s your peer or team mate calling you out. Tends to get your attention. I hope it has a positive effect on the field of play…..

"A great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do" Walter Gagenot
"Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible and achieves the impossible."

by bchiper on Nov 25, 2009 2:08 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

Do or do not. There is no try.

Master Yoda said it, and I would bet Master Dawkins said something pretty similar. This team has it in them. They just need to find it again and levitate that damn X-Wing out of the swamp. Oh wait, I mean play football like we know they are capable. They really should win this game.

by OrangeandBlue27 on Nov 25, 2009 2:09 PM MST via mobile reply actions 0 recs

Your weapons. You will not need them.

by Marius on Nov 25, 2009 2:33 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Reading DJ Johnson's comments to the Giants was tough

He told them that the Broncos suddenly went into an emotional funk when they lost the first game. H’es just one guy and he’s being deprogrammed for the info that he has, but it did seem to go that way.

But one thing that often works, as it did earlier this season, is sheer anger. anger at yourself for playing badly, anger at the world for the way they talked about you. If the Broncos can move past the stage of fear and play the way that they are capable of, Thursday could be a very good game.

Moreno/Buckhalter in '09

by Emmett Smith on Nov 25, 2009 2:15 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

Thank you John.

One thing I’m thankful for is that Brian Dawkins is on our team. That dude is a LEADER!

"When you put on that jersey, the name on the front is more important than the name on the back." - "Miracle".

"Winning means you're willing to go longer, work harder, and give more than anyone else." - Vince Lombardi.

by broncoholic on Nov 25, 2009 2:23 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

"I was pretty encouraged to talk to some of my teammates, but what’s going to encourage me more is if we play better. It’s not really what people say.’’

I hope it works, but I tend to also agree with Champ. Rattling sabres is one thing, but words are impotent without works backing them up.

by PredominantlyOrange on Nov 25, 2009 2:31 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

Inertia and Momentum

By stopping and looking back, the team lost a lot of that all-important momentum. Simple physics tells us that it’s much easier to keep mass moving than it is to get it going. I think the team learned that lesson the hard way.

Great writing, and a great premise. Thanks.

- Jason

I gather speed by you f***ing with me - EV

by jubei on Nov 25, 2009 3:35 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

Hmm...

This was supposed to be posted on Styg’s article.

I really need to quit drinking at work.

- Jason

I gather speed by you f***ing with me - EV

by jubei on Nov 25, 2009 4:35 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

lost the fire

I’m not a professional and could be completely off my rocker (I am getting older), but it seemed to me that the majority of the team played like they had no desire to even be on the field let alone to challenge the Chargers. A couple other people I’ve talked to agree. I sure hope this meeting changed some of that. As Vonnie Holliday said in another article, “the eye in the sky don’t lie.”

by ptpete on Nov 25, 2009 3:44 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

Is it me, or don't we have one of these every year

Seems like this is the routine every year, we start losing, have a players only meeting, everybody sings cumbaya and then we still lose…hopefully this will change, but it is annoying that it has taken this long to come to this.

"Me fail english, that unpossible" - Ralph Wiggum
"Duffman is thrusting in the direction of the problem" - Duffman
"Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun" - Ash from Army of Darkness
"H.I., you're young and you got your health, what you want with a job?" - Evelle from Raising Arizona
"It happens sometimes. People just explode. Natural causes." - Agent Rogersz from Repoman

by Broncoman on Nov 25, 2009 4:13 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

We do seem to lose more in the second half of the season

lately but I do not remember previous teams having an all player meeting. This team also has a lot of good veteran leadership that we have missed for a long time

by gnarlybroncodude on Nov 25, 2009 4:23 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

They did it under Al Wilson

I seem to remember players only meetings one or two times, usually called by Al. Man, we really miss that guy. I am so glad Dawkins is here to be the vocal leader.

by OrangeandBlue27 on Nov 25, 2009 4:32 PM MST via mobile reply actions 0 recs

Oh how we eagles faithful miss dawkins. Good luck to your broncos and please beat the ginas. You guys have a much much better team than the one that showed up last sunday, let’s hope for a complete 180 come turkey day. Good luck to you mile high folk.

by notfromphilly on Nov 25, 2009 5:02 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Thank you

and good luck to your Eagles as well

by Whosbob89 on Nov 25, 2009 6:46 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Great

Win the Broncos will win this game but it will be a good game one of the best this year both teams need a win the Giants are just coming off a four game losing streak and the Broncos are trying to break theirs. This will be a true Thanksgiving Day game unlike the sorry Raiders and Lions I’m sick of seeing the Lions on Thanksgiving. The league needs to move the best games on Sunday back to Thursday but thats just my opinion, any love B-Dawk for his leadership now it’s time to show the world who we really are go Broncos!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by thirdandlong303 on Nov 25, 2009 5:56 PM MST reply actions 0 recs