Broncos Vs Vikings Studs and Duds
by Nick Cast on Sep 3, 2010 4:54 AM MDT
Email
PrintThere you have it folks. The pre season is no more. It is on to the real deal. On Thursday night, the Denver Broncos fell to the Minnesota Vikings 31-24. If I had to describe this game in 1 word, it would be: SLOPPY. It was so sloppy that during the first half, I wasn't sure I was going to be able to do a Studs and Duds column this week. There simply weren't enough studs. However, the team settled down and there were a ton of positives that we can take from this game. There are actually more positives then negatives. Let's jump right into it
Studs
Decker came out of college with the reputation of being the most reliable receiver on the field. Decker's college QB could attest to that and now, so can Brady Quinn. Eric Decker ended the night with 10 catches for 114 yards. He caught 8 passes for 96 yards from Brady Quinn in the 4th quarter. He was without a doubt, Brady's "go to" guy. Decker had been slow to get back from his foot injury. However, since the pre season has started, he has improved each game. He looked rusty against Detroit, caught his 1st TD against Pittsburgh, and against Minnesota, he had his best statistical game as a pro. He now leads all Denver receivers with 16 catches this pre season. He is quickly turning into the sure handed receiver we wanted when we drafted him.
Despite rave reviews in OTA's, breath taking catches in TC, and great performances in the pre season, people have still been questioning whether Willis will make the team. Well, if you still have doubts after Thursday, you clearly aren't watching the same Matt Willis that I am. Willis caught 5 passes for 122 yards and 1 touchdown including a beautiful 39 yard bomb from Tim Tebow. He now has 13 catches for 263 yards on the pre season. In pre season, Willis now ranks 2nd in catches (13) 1st in yards (263) and 1st in yards per reception (20.2). If this isn't a receiver worth a roster spot, then I don't know what receiver is.
Tim Tebow
Fumble? Check. Interception? Check? Bounce back? Check. Typical Tim Tebow rookie night. He mishandled a snap from the center (although the snap didn't look like J.D. Walton's best) and he under-threw his receiver and got it picked off. But then Tim did what he does best. He put his mistakes behind him, recovered, and played good football. In the 1st quarter, Tebow had 1 fumble, 1 interception, and 2 out of 3 passes for 18 yards. After that, Tim did not have another mistake the whole game. He finished with 12 of 16 for 167 yards, 1 TD and 1 int. He also rushed 4 times for 21 yards. Tim made mistakes early, but he remained poised and made some big plays. That 39 yard bomb to Willis was a beauty. If Brady Quinn had played the way we are used to seeing him play, Tim would have likely won the backup position. However, Brady didn't play like we are used to seeing him play. In fact...
Brady Quinn
I don't know what happened to the Quinn we saw the first 3 weeks, but the Quinn vs the Vikings was a total 180 from what we are used to seeing. Quinn looked poised in the pocket and found open receivers (mainly Eric Decker) all day. He ended the game 14 of 21 for 149 yards and 1 touchdown. He even moved away from pressure and threw the ball away a couple times (something that he was incapable of doing the first 3 games). Now, Quinn was playing with 3rd stringers and he certainly hasn't showed he can be a consistent back up. But this certainly makes the back up decision closer. Tebow has big play ability, but he made more mistakes then Quinn did against Minnesota. It should be interesting to see who wins that back up slot.
Total stats for LenDale White: 5 rushes for 19 yards and 1 TD. Nothing that makes you say "WOW". However, that's not White's game. He isn't a wow player. He is a plow player. He is going to take the ball and ram it down your throat until he gets into the endzone. What does it tell you that in 2 games, LenDale White has 2 rushing TD's while no other Bronco RB has TD? It tells me that we have our goal line back. He was hurt during the game and left the game on crutches. However, he is suspended for the first 4 weeks of the season so he has time to heal. LenDale, heal up and I'll be seeing you in 4 weeks. No doubts about it.
He's back and it should bring a smile to everyone's face. Clady started off rusty. He was pushed back on a couple of plays. However, after he played a couple of snaps, he looked good. He made a key block that put LenDale White in the endzone. This was a warm up game for Clady. It was good to get him back on the field. He is probably at about 85% due to not being in football condition. But even at 85%, Clady is better then Polumbus and Batiste....combined....while eating thai food....and watching The Big Bang Theory re runs.
I wish I could say that Phonz had a great game. I wish I could point out all the positives and not have to talk about negatives. Unfortunately, Phonz is an up and down kind of player. First off, he got an interception. I have said before that Phonz needed a big play like the ones that Squid and Cox have had this pre season. He got his big play today. He read the quarterback perfectly and raced towards the endzone. Unfortunately, he got taken down by Joe Webb at the 5. More positives from the game include tying the team high 4 tackles (all solo), had a deflected pass, and looked solid for the majority of coverage. However, with Phonz, there seems to always be downs with his ups. He committed a 3rd down penalty that could have ended the game if Kevin Alexander had not forced a fumble on the next play. Lastly, he got tripped up by Javon Walker, fell, and gave up a 60+ yard TD. He did make up for that penalty be recovering the fumble on the next play. I think we should take this as a positive game from Phonz tonight. Aside from the penalty and the trip, he was solid in coverage all night. Joe Webb was trying to pick on Phonz multiple times during the 3rd quarter, but didn't succeed that much. Additionally, Phonz was decent in the kicking game. He returned a kick 24 yards. It was an up and down night for Phonz, but the ups outweighed the downs. He is definitely going to make this team.
Syd'Quan Thompson
He was .5 seconds away from being the best pre season player. Squid almost followed his pick six last week with a pick six against Minnesota. Almost. Early in the game, Squid read the quarterback perfectly. He sprinted forward and got both his hands on the ball but wasn't able to make the interception. If he had gotten the pick, it would have been returned for six, without a doubt. .5 seconds sooner and he would have had back to back pick sixes. Squid finished the game with 2 tackles. He also displayed his usual shiftiness on ST. He returned 3 punts for just 20 yards, but the stats don't tell the whole story. Each punt that he returned featured one or multiple broken tackles. This guy is lightening in a bottle. We have to keep him. There are teams who would trade just for his ST abilities.
Vaughn had a solid game today. He appears to be the odd man out, but with some luck, Denver will be able to get him on the practice squad. Vaughn finished the game with tying the team high of 4 tackles. He also displayed his explosiveness in the kicking game by returning 3 kickoffs for 94 yards. He had a long return of 50 yards. Cassius is a great special teams player on both sides of the ball. If he is not returning balls, he is the gunner on the other side of the ball. I like this guy a lot. I really hope we can get him on our PS, but I don't know if that's going to happen. I can imagine there are plenty of teams who would love his ST abilities.
When we played against Detroit, Matt missed a 45 yard attempt. On Thursday, he nailed a 49 yard field goal. It was just inside the uprights. The thing that really stuck out to me was how hard he is kicking the ball. On that 49 yard attempt, the ball could have easily gone another 10 yards. Prater has a cannon for a foot. If he can keep his accuracy under control, I can't see us not getting at least 3 points on the board consistently.
Duds
The First 2 Quarters Of Football
U-G-L-Y. Disgusting. Sickening. All of these words could be used to describe the first 2 quarters of the game. The o-line was erratic, the defense was sloppy and we gave up 4 turnovers in the 1st half. It was not good football. Let's hope we are able to clean it up before we travel to Jacksonville to take on MJD and the Jaguars.
Seth Olsen, Eric Olsen, D'Anthony Batiste, Paul Duncan
Basically, every 2nd/3rd string o-lineman we have played terrible. Tebow and Quinn were constantly under pressure. I believe both Seth and Eric Olsen as well as D'Anthony Batiste all were flagged for penalties. On the final day to make impressions, they all made the wrong ones. I wouldn't be surprised if we cut them all and put waivers to find depth. Seriously. These guys were terrible last night.
I can't be too critical of Hall's running since he was running behind the worst pre season o-line ever. However, he finished the game with 15 attempts for 33 yards. He finished with a 2.2 ypc average. Part of that is attributed to the o-line, but part is attributed to Hall. He also had a fumble on the day that was recovered by the Vikings. Not the best impression he could have made, the day before cuts.
He has gotten way more time then Nathan Overbay and Kory Sperry. He was 2nd among our tight ends right behind Marques Branson. 4th quarter. Game winning drive. He has a chance to catch the ball and make an impact that will help us win the game. He drops the ball. It slips right through his hands. I felt bad for him. He knows that that play alone probably cost him a roster spot. We could still try and get him on our PS. He is a Colorado native and I have been pleased with his blocking this pre season. But you can't drop the ball in those situations. You absolutely can't.
Tackling
This has been a problem all pre season. We have to tackle people when we get a chance. 2 times last tonight, we had opportunities to get sacks, but the players missed the tackles and the quarterback got away. Kevin Alexander missed a sack. He left his feet and the quick Joe Webb ran away for a big gain. However, it was the last one that killed me. We had them backed up on their 1. Worrell Williams bursts through the line of scrimmage and totally wiffs on the tackle. That would have been a safety. It would have changed the momentum of the game, but we keep shooting ourselves in the foot with poor tackling.
This is the most intriguing storyline going into cuts. What is going to happen with Brandon Stokley? Stokley has not played since the Bengals game. He has sat out the rest due to a groin injury. He sat out again against the Vikings. While he has sat out, every single wide receiver has made impact plays. They have all made their arguments as to why they should stay on the team. Brandon really needed this game, but he didn't play. McD indicated in the post game press conference that we might keep 7 wide receivers if that's what the coaches decide to do. I don't see it happening. I have made my mock roster and I don't see where we are going to make room for Brandon.
Chris Baker
I will say the same thing I did about Kirlew and Alexander last week. You are fighting for your life. We only kept 2 NT last year. We have Jamal Williams and Ronald Fields (who showed a little fire this week) who are ahead of Baker. So what does Baker do? He doesn't record a single statistic. I wanted to keep Baker because of Jamal's advanced age, but if Baker isn't going to make a difference then there is no point in fighting for him. I would rather go after a proven back up like Ian Scott from the Chargers who was cut in June.
Other Notes
I still love Joe Mays. I remembered why I also love Wesley Woodyard. Joe Mays stuffed a beautiful screen pass that could have gone for six. The running back hesitated and Mays didn't. He simply plowed him over. I love how physical Mays is. Woodyard also impressed me. One play, he took off at full sprint, hit the running back at the line of scrimmage and didn't give up any ground. It was Joe Maysesque
Alric Arnett's TD catch was beautiful. Good throw by Quinn, but excellent catch by Arnett. He will be picked up by someone (assuming we don't keep him).
Bruton and McCarthy were active tonight. Both recorded 4 tackles. I really like McCarthy. He is one of those reliable guys. He doesn't do anything great, but he is solid through and through. We should put him on our PS. Good insurance in case someone gets hurt or if we trade someone *cough cough Nate Jones cough cough*
By the way, Nate Jones didn't play at all tonight....Makes you wonder. Were the coaches just that comfortable with Jones, or is there another motive?
Cox had another solid game. He had a tackle and deflected a pass. This guy is a stud in the making.
Buckhalter made his return against the Vikings. He was fantastic as a screen running back. He caught 2 passes for 26 yards. It was good to see him out there getting his feet wet.
It is now officially Friday. It is 3:40 in the morning pacific time. By the time I wake up (12 noon), I expect the Broncos to have made a few roster moves already. If I had to make a guess it would be Britt Davis, Nathan Overbay, Paul Duncan, and Jeff Stehle are the first ones to go. We shall see. As always, I enjoyed watching the game with you all. I would like to point out that I was 2 of 5 in my predictions while KentuckyBronco was 0 for 5. Until next time MHR brethren.
This is a Fan-Created Comment on MileHighReport.com. The opinion here is not necessarily shared by the editorial staff of MHR
96 comments
|
22 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
You should and in a in between studs and duds.
Thats where I would have put Quinn and Smith for sure. Maybe Oookuds of something. Quinns problem for me was the fact he was only looking at his #1 guy in the pass pattern. Rarely did he check down to someone else. His average starting position was Denvers 47.5 yard line. Didn’t turn the ball over. Managed 10 points. Was 1 for 3 in the redzone, but I blame that first one on the OL and Ball. Got sacked once when his pocket just fell apart in about 3 seconds. Overall, he played his best game, but it was against 2nd and 3rd string guys and playing with a OL that could even protected Tebow.
Smith had his best game, but was it enough? He made an interception which was great, but then got tackled on the return by the QB, who is fast. He looked lost on both kick and punt return. And he fell down in one-on-one man coverage against Walker who scored on the play. He had 1 kick return for 24 yards and 1 punt return for 6 yards. If he was competing with Vaughn for a roster spot in the return game he would have lost out. I think even Thompson is ahead of Smith on the depth chart for CB’s(just my opinion).
Studs, muds and duds
muds – not clear enough to tell good or bad
TIME TO BELIEVE. BRONCO Champions are being forged as we speak
by Broncobh on Sep 3, 2010 10:20 AM MDT up reply actions 3 recs
ah ha! clever!
Last Name: Ever, First Name: Greatest
Nobody Runs On The Denver Broncos
Xbox360 gamertag: SnipeMeHarder
NICK
good stuff, but you forgot to mention that Tebow’s take-down after he threw the pick was the best tackle of the night. Tebow for ILB! :)
I’ll go read the rest now.
Yup, good stuff.
The backup OL is horrid, isn’t it? Once the starters have time to gel, then we’ll be fine. I just hope we don’t have more than one injury to deal with at any point in the season. Poor Zane Beadles looks to be everyone’s backup — maybe even his own. I wonder if he’ll take some 1st string RB reps this week, just in case. :)
by BroncosBassist on Sep 3, 2010 6:11 AM MDT up reply actions
That pick
Happened because the Vike D had a spy on Tebow and Tebow didn’t realize it. Watch the play- the safety’s entire job is to spy Tebow and he shadowed him the entire time. He read and reacted perfectly to Tebow, who was zoned in on the WR and was no doubt thinking “This is gonna be an easy 6”. Yeah um, oooops.
Good lesson for the rook.
by AllBroncsallday on Sep 3, 2010 9:57 AM MDT up reply actions
Actually, Tebow's form-tackle was after Branson's fumble.
Step aside, my friend, I been doin' it for years.
Said sit on down, open ya eyes, say open up ya ears....
Thanks Nick
For staying up all night so I could read this before work.
Tip: Orton memorabilia soon to increase in value, buy now!
It was my pleasure my friend.
Last Name: Ever, First Name: Greatest
Nobody Runs On The Denver Broncos
Xbox360 gamertag: SnipeMeHarder
Great stuff Nick
I didnt see much of the game so its hard to comment. I appreciate you filling us in on how the players looked.
You probably get this a lot. This isn't the real Caesar's Palace is it?....Did Caesar live here?
You know where I wanna go? I'll tell you where. Someplace warm. A place where the beer flows like wine. Where beautiful women instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano. I'm talking about a little place called Aspen
no problem johnnystarr
Glad that you enjoyed it.
Last Name: Ever, First Name: Greatest
Nobody Runs On The Denver Broncos
Xbox360 gamertag: SnipeMeHarder
"Running with the stallions" and "Headed for the glue factory"
Really only applies to preseason.
You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be misquoted and then used against you.
by improv88 on Sep 3, 2010 6:56 AM MDT reply actions 1 recs
Nice
That's quite a long handle there, G Funk. - That's what she said.
First (and only, in our lifetimes) team to three consecutive SB wins!!!! ( =
by PearlJamBroncoGFunk on Sep 3, 2010 9:59 AM MDT up reply actions
I am pretty sure that I saw Nate Jones out there… but I may be confused because I rewatched the steelers game to get ready for this one =)
He was out there at safety
with the starters.
follow me on Twitter: @Sayre_Bedinger
Check me out on Facebook also
XBox LIVE gamer tag as suggested by XBox: SoppiestKibbles
yep....that's for real
by Sayre Bedinger on Sep 3, 2010 8:38 AM MDT up reply actions
was he Sayre?
Me and Guru don’t remember seeing him last night…
Last Name: Ever, First Name: Greatest
Nobody Runs On The Denver Broncos
Xbox360 gamertag: SnipeMeHarder
"Guru and I"
:)
If Taylor Swift were to try and tackle me, I'd let her.
If someone owned an ICEE truck and wanted to kidnap me, I'd let them.
what are you an English major lol
Last Name: Ever, First Name: Greatest
Nobody Runs On The Denver Broncos
Xbox360 gamertag: SnipeMeHarder
Nope, but I am a protector of the grammarian arts. True story. ;)
If Taylor Swift were to try and tackle me, I'd let her.
If someone owned an ICEE truck and wanted to kidnap me, I'd let them.
100 percent positive :)
follow me on Twitter: @Sayre_Bedinger
Check me out on Facebook also
XBox LIVE gamer tag as suggested by XBox: SoppiestKibbles
yep....that's for real
by Sayre Bedinger on Sep 3, 2010 8:52 PM MDT up reply actions
Looked like some type of ankle injury
Harris is starting to worry me, his only healthy season was 2008. He’s starting to show signs of being made of glass. Hopefully Beadles is ready to step it up because I don’t think Harris will make it through the season.
Quitter's People United Member #35
Unfortunately,
I feel like Beadles playing Tackle leaves us a little thin at Guard. Luckily we were deeper there to start with than Tackle, though.
by BroncosBassist on Sep 3, 2010 7:47 AM MDT up reply actions
I think Baptiste is AWFUL. I can’t believe he’ll be on our 53 because he is about as good as Calvin Lowry or Marquand Manual.
Daniels is just bad, like Seth Olsen and the rest of the backups. We have ZERO depth at O-line. I can’t name one backup O-linemen on our team I’m comfortable with.
Denver: 32-32 until we're not.
He's been good as a run blocker and on screens
I watched the Vikings’ telecast today after watching the local telecast last evening, and Mayock was giving Daniels props.
He walked into the locker room under his own power
Probably fine
follow me on Twitter: @Sayre_Bedinger
Check me out on Facebook also
XBox LIVE gamer tag as suggested by XBox: SoppiestKibbles
yep....that's for real
by Sayre Bedinger on Sep 3, 2010 8:38 AM MDT up reply actions
Hopefully fine, but you don't want it to even be a lingering thing.
Josh McDaniels-All he wants to do is win a MF'in game!
by RockyMountainThunder on Sep 3, 2010 9:37 AM MDT up reply actions
Glad you liked it McG
No word on Harris, but then again if there is ever word on an injured player it usually means he is missing extended time.
Last Name: Ever, First Name: Greatest
Nobody Runs On The Denver Broncos
Xbox360 gamertag: SnipeMeHarder
Question
My question, since your thread gets a lot of action:
Is our offensive line worse because of our effort to build versatility?
We keep moving people around and they can’t get used to the players around them. Beadles lined up at LG, LT, and RT yesterday. How are you supposed to get any type of continuity if you are never talking / reacting in the same fashion.
I think our desire for this versatility could really be causing some of our running game woes.
Chemistry means nothing if the guy next to you can't pull his own weight.
The desire, and you can see it if you think about it, is to keep Beadles at LG and let him be the guy there. Unfortunately, the immense suck at backup tackle has left no choice but to use him there.
by BroncosBassist on Sep 3, 2010 7:48 AM MDT up reply actions
Stanley Daniels
He looks like a decent backup. If Beadles ever needs to fill in at tackle, I think Daniels can fill in ok. They played pretty well against the Steelers.
McD appears to be shuffling the O-linemen around to find the right combination for different plays. With 2 starting jobs on the line, it is actually no surprise that he’s done it to this extent. It resulted in poor run-blocking and the stats speak for themselves. But I think it was necessary and I sure hope he has enough film now to make decisions on who needs to play when a guy is nursing an injury.
With Clady out, Beadles can play in his place with Daniels at LG.
With Harris out, Batiste can play RT. Beadles must stay at LT, it’s too important.
If Walton gets hurt, I think Hochstein’s the best backup C. He can also play for Kuper, if he gets hurt.
If Kuper and Walton both go down, Hochstein can play C and Daniels can play RG.
This is how I see it, at least.
Neither Olsen has impressed me.
"All credibility, all good conscience, all evidence of truth come only from the senses." Friedrich Nietzsche
by Horsepower on Sep 3, 2010 8:15 AM MDT up reply actions 3 recs
Eric Olsen is raw
but I think with a year or so, he’ll be ok. Right now, we need a little more game-readiness, though. This is all IMHO, of course.
by BroncosBassist on Sep 3, 2010 8:54 AM MDT up reply actions
Right on the money...My thoughts exactly.
Daniels has really surprised me with his solid play. He’s getting a great push against some very big DL guys.
If Dawk is Wolverine, then Beadles is The Beast! That guy can excel at any position it seems ;)
The Olsen twins do not deserve a roster spot. Especially if it would cost us Stokley.
Just my 2 cents
Officially on record with a 10-6 prediction for 2010! (8/21/10)
"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence."
John Adams
But at this point, it's speculation on who is week -1 starter at LG.
It doesn’t look to me like this is a reflection on Zane’s performance at guard, but rather an admission that we SUCK at tackle depth, and he’s our best option.
by BroncosBassist on Sep 3, 2010 8:52 AM MDT up reply actions
My thoughts exactly
It seemed to me that many of the players were not playing their strongest postition. It appeared that McD saw this as a teaching moment for the O line in particular – move the guys around, see how they react in different combinations, probe for both strengths and weaknesses. This was the last chance to see some of these guys in live action – we have the ‘unit’ so I think McD was looking for skills and weaknesses within the individuals so he can plug and fill holes in the future
by Flunkie on Sep 3, 2010 7:49 AM MDT up reply actions 1 recs
Way I see it....
Each Offensive Lineman is learning their respective position. They are also being taught what their colleagues are supposed to be doing (aka being taught multiple positions, if applicable). By moving around, they also get first-hand experience of what each position’s responsibility is like, and the potential of the problems that can be encountered.
This way, each man knows what the other should be doing, and possibilities, if he’s not…. When they aren’t 100% on what they or their teammate(s) should be doing, that would be a major downfall – so getting these kinks worked out in the preseason is fine with me.
Granted, the fact that we see them with this lack of positional consistency can definitely be a hinderance – I think, at this point, I think it has been highly beneficial.
That's quite a long handle there, G Funk. - That's what she said.
First (and only, in our lifetimes) team to three consecutive SB wins!!!! ( =
by PearlJamBroncoGFunk on Sep 3, 2010 10:08 AM MDT up reply actions
Tebow
While I see the potential in him and he is able to bounce back from mistakes…and yes, he’s just a rookie…I’m afraid we need to hold him accountable for the way he played. And last night, he was a dud.
He fumbled the snap and threw an interception on his first two drives of the game. It’s a good thing it happened in preseason and gives the team more film to do evaluations. It also provides a great learning experience for Tebow in terms of what not to do. So there are positives to take away from it.
I was impressed with his ability to come back and put together a few good drives. But he needs to understand that you can dig yourself a hole in college and can escape from it. You can’t do that in the NFL. If he does that in the regular season, the game is likely a loss.
I agree with Quinn making a case for the backup spot – he was un-Brady-like last night.
"All credibility, all good conscience, all evidence of truth come only from the senses." Friedrich Nietzsche
Tebow not a dud ... just a rookie
My POV … I did not want McD to draft Tebow, thought we had more pressing issues. That being said, I am absolutely excited to have this kid on the roster. He is a bona fide STUD on the feild. Preseason is a great time for him to experiance the differences between college and the pros. After fumbling the snap you saw him working on snaps on the sideline. After the interception he was talking with Orton to address that problem. He has to make these mistakes, it is part of the learning curve. My great hope is that Quinn is competent to be the back up this year and that Tebow is given the chance to really learn the offense and perfect his technique. The kid is smart and competitive, he will challenge Orton for the starting position sooner rather than latter. With Orton, Quinn and McD to tutor him he will reach much higher than his own natural ability could ever take him.
He has all of the intangibles that I want on my team. Like you, I like the guy and I think he’ll learn and eventually be a very good if not great QB. But I’m cautiously optimistic because while he brings great energy and a constant will to win, he also gave some of that energy to the Vikings last night – 2nd and 3rd stringers at that.
I am rooting for him and believe he deserves to be the backup QB, but right now, he is prone to mistakes that you can’t make in the regular season against starters.
Quinn needs to be the emergency QB. Activate Tebow to sprinkle him in some plays when he’s proven to McD that he’s learned to be more careful with the football. This preseason, he has shown improvement in each game that he played (3.) For example, on one scramble last night, he looked to complete a pass before he crossed the LOS and had to tuck it in to get the 1st down. That was a step forward from his game against Cincinnatti.
"All credibility, all good conscience, all evidence of truth come only from the senses." Friedrich Nietzsche
Tebow's mistakes
Here’s my take. Tebow makes mistakes because he is not afraid to make them. While the fumbled snap is just something that he needs to work on, his interception came after he made a quick decision and let fly. He had the guy open, and just before it got picked I said aloud, “Got him!” He quickly recognized where to go and went there, just didn’t get enough on the ball. This wasn’t an arm-strength issue, as his 39 yarder to Willis later in the game can attest, just an experience issue. My point is this, he is not afraid to make the wrong decision, he’s not tentative out there at all, the game isn’t too big for him. He spread the ball around quite a bit and didn’t lock in (though Willis was his most effective target, obviously). After he made his mistakes, he didn’t walk hang-dog to the sideline, he went directly to his coaches and the other QB’s and got their reactions. He craves learning, he’s a sponge out there and it’s obvious he knows he has to get better. I like that; make your mistakes and learn from them. Can anyone argue he doesn’t do that? He gets better as the game goes on.
Plus, he’s in the perfect situation right now, sitting behind and learning from a guy like Orton, who doesn’t possess all the eye-popping physical skills but just works hard and plays smart. This is better than learning behind a John Elway because you’re never going to duplicate what he could do. Tebow can look at Orton and say, “I can do that” and with his physical skills, take it to the next level.
I, too, wasn’t high on drafting him. I wanted some defense. But after watching him this preseason, I’m glad the Broncos listened to Sayre and took him. Tebow to Decker and Thomas should be a thing of beauty for years to come.
Step aside, my friend, I been doin' it for years.
Said sit on down, open ya eyes, say open up ya ears....
by pubkeeper on Sep 3, 2010 8:54 AM MDT up reply actions 2 recs
And he listens
Did you see all those shots of Tebow putting his helmet to his ear to listen whenever a play was being sent in to Quinn? In an interview after his missed game he said he liked looking in on the plays so he could see what he would do.
Always thinking, always listening, and hopefully always sharpening his decision making.
First they ignore you.
They then laugh at you.
Then they fight you.
Then, you win.
--Gandhi
by Santa Fe Bronc on Sep 3, 2010 9:00 AM MDT up reply actions
I like the fact he responds to his mistakes
He’s gonna make mistakes but instead of pouting on the sideline like a certain QB who shall not be named, Tim keeps playing.
Bottom line is Tebow can move the ball and although i’ve seen him make a lot of mistakes. I haven’t seen him make the same mistake twice.
Josh McDaniels-All he wants to do is win a MF'in game!
by RockyMountainThunder on Sep 3, 2010 9:34 AM MDT up reply actions
It wasn't that he underthrew it
It was that the D had assigned a spy to Tebow on that play, and the guy read and reacted perfectly to Tebow’s throw. You’re right that it’s an experience issue, because he clearly didn’t realize that he was being shadowed.
The snap thing was very strange- after watching it 15 times, I still don’t know what happened. But, I chalk that up to experience too.
These things can be addressed and taught. What CAN’T be taught and what I’m most excited about is that the guy is simply a PLAYER, and one that’ll get nothing but better.
by AllBroncsallday on Sep 3, 2010 10:06 AM MDT up reply actions
Nice
I didn’t see the shadow thing at all. That’s why I love this place.
Step aside, my friend, I been doin' it for years.
Said sit on down, open ya eyes, say open up ya ears....
Yeah it was interesting
If you watch the play backwards, ie, from the pick back, you can see that the safety’s only job on that play was to spy Tebow. You can see him looking into the backfield even before the snap, and he never takes his eyes off Tebow. The guy did his job on that play perfectly.
by AllBroncsallday on Sep 3, 2010 1:14 PM MDT up reply actions
Dude...a dud ???
Was that fumble ALL his fault and one interception c’mon man. If that was a dud peformance then I’d hate to think of your opinion of the QB we had in 2007.
by Downunder Thunder on Sep 3, 2010 8:30 AM MDT up reply actions
When you’re hard on him, he is at his best and does what he can to fix his mistakes. Being a dud one night is ok. It doesn’t make him a dud for the whole year, just one night.
Because of all the intangibles, Tebow’s ceiling is probably higher than Cutler’s.
"All credibility, all good conscience, all evidence of truth come only from the senses." Friedrich Nietzsche
disagree - not a dud
Its the preseason. It’s clear that Tebow learns from his mistakes. He underthrew a wide open guy on a 3rd down vs. CInci. Hasn’t done that again. He threw to a slanting WR and misjudged the squatting CB’s speed. Hasn’t done that again. Last night he keyed on on WR and misjudged or didn’t see the safety help. Bet he WILL do that a few times but he’ll eventually learn on that too.
He made a really common error on his pick and it was actually a bad throw too. It cam out wobbly. Not sure if he could have gotten it over the safety help with a well thrown ball, but he got stuck on one WR, just like Cutler used to do. On the fumble, I am not prepared to blame either player and I think they share responsibility. When the ball comes out forward from the Center, it makes me think that the Center moved and clipped the ball with his thingh and Tim couldn’t grab it in time. It’s clear that Tebow needs to take about 1,000 snaps this week too. Fortunately, he’s NOT our #1 guy right now, huh?
Tim threw 4 incomplete balls in 16 attempts. His YPA was over 10. And he showed some of his running skills and picked up 1st downs with his feet AND showed he’s not pulling it down & running with every chance.
You may be critical just to be critical if you like, but I don’t even think this was a gray area. Tebow had a good night last night.
In addition, I thought Quinn has a few good drives, but wasn’t a stud. He wasn’t a dud either, but he threw balls into traffic (he was lucky he didn’t throw two redzone picks last night) a few times and worse, when the D brought pressure late on the last drive, Quinn wasn’t getting set or extending the play, and was just getting rid of the ball. I was hoping he’d cap off the night by making a play or showing us something BETTER than advertised, but he didn’t. I’m not giving Quinn a ‘STUD’ because he didn’t suck. I like him as Denver’s #3 QB, but Tebow’s clearly the #2 QB, imo.
Have some context with Tebow. He’s not going to be Steve Young tomorrow morning. Brees, Manning, Brady, Elway, Young, and Farve all had tons of pick in thier first few years at QB (some still do!) because it took them time to adjust to NFL speed. Aside from Mario, has anyone stepped onto an NFL field as a rookie and not made a lot rookie mistakes? Sanchez has 12 TDs/20 picks as a rookie. Now THAT’S a dud.
When the questions about Tebow seem to be of the accuracy and completion percentage variety and he goes 12-16 1/1 for 167 in 2 quarters, I’d say that’s a VERY successful 3rd time ever stepping onto an NFL field. Now he has to grow over the next 12 months. I’m already impressed with is capacity for learning what NOT to do after he’s done it, but there’s no way for him to learn things without experiencing them. WHat makes/breaks QBs is how they overcome things and react to pressure. So far Tebow’s passing with flying colors.
LOL
Officially on record with a 10-6 prediction for 2010! (8/21/10)
"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence."
John Adams
Great again, Nick
This is the first link I go to now, postgame. I keep reading it thinking, “OK, what can I add?” But you are super thorough already.
Nice job.
Step aside, my friend, I been doin' it for years.
Said sit on down, open ya eyes, say open up ya ears....
I'm glad you love the feature
as long as people keep coming
I’m gonna keep on making them.
Last Name: Ever, First Name: Greatest
Nobody Runs On The Denver Broncos
Xbox360 gamertag: SnipeMeHarder
You’re better than Peter King:) Thanks, Nick.
Always remember Goliath was a 40 point favorite over David.
-- Shug Jordan
by Orange and Blue on Sep 3, 2010 9:29 AM MDT reply actions 1 recs
True dat
Josh McDaniels-All he wants to do is win a MF'in game!
by RockyMountainThunder on Sep 3, 2010 9:35 AM MDT up reply actions
I love how King picks the Steeler to win the SB
Immediately after we dismantle them. I’m not saying he’s wrong but I do know this. They won’t go too far if Dennis Dixon is their quarterback for more than the 4 game suspension.
Josh McDaniels-All he wants to do is win a MF'in game!
by RockyMountainThunder on Sep 3, 2010 9:36 AM MDT up reply actions
haha thanks O and B
Last Name: Ever, First Name: Greatest
Nobody Runs On The Denver Broncos
Xbox360 gamertag: SnipeMeHarder
If it wasn't tied to that movie...
Because the hottie in that movie wasn’t very.
Why does Madden suck at ranking the Broncos so much?
Glad you are doing these!
If either Olsen twin makes this roster, and Stokley doesn’t…..I will be a very sad Broncos fan. Those guys were flat out awful….
Beadles was a VERY good draft pick! We should see if he can return punts!
Nate Jones did play, and didn’t impress me too much…again. If we cut a DB, then I think it should be him.
Quinn made the decision on number 2 a little harder last night. I still think he will be the emergency QB however.
Officially on record with a 10-6 prediction for 2010! (8/21/10)
"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence."
John Adams
Didn't he catch a punt?
Which let the entire team have no curfew?
Why does Madden suck at ranking the Broncos so much?
my pleasure
Olsens were arguably the worst players last night….
Beadles is the most versatile o-lineman on the team.
He played every single offensive line position last night….except mayb center.
Last Name: Ever, First Name: Greatest
Nobody Runs On The Denver Broncos
Xbox360 gamertag: SnipeMeHarder
Nick Cast..great writings. Love the STUDS & DUDS
I think Brandon Stokley does not make it. Or Chris Baker. Or Jarvis Green.
Nate Jones as trade bait?
IMO Cassius Vaughn will not clear waivers, due to teams that NEED DB’s.
I think McD will name a QB bu per each game. Brady & Tim will compete thru the year.
Jarvis Green
i think he’ll make it. I just don’t see much depth that’s better than him. I also think that D Line is an area we HAVE to address in next years draft. Though I think are D line will be above average this year, we need an influx of young talent there.
glad you love it.
Chris Baker didn’t make it.
McD said he might keep 7 WR so who knows. We shall see.
Jarvis Green does.
Nate Jones should be traded for SOMETHING.
Cassius has had a solid off season. I don’t think he makes our PS either…
Last Name: Ever, First Name: Greatest
Nobody Runs On The Denver Broncos
Xbox360 gamertag: SnipeMeHarder
If you trade Jones then you only have 4 S on the roster. Dawkins will probably miss some time due to injury during the season. McBath is already hurt and who knows if/when he will play. We need a 5th S option. (Barret was that guy last year)
So if you trade Jones it doesn’t solve your Smith/Thompson problem. You’ll need another S.
It is going to be a tough choice to carry 10 DBs or cut either Smith or Thompson. Going with 7 DL or 8 OL is risky.
Honestly Smith seems like the best trade bait and maybe that is why they played him so much last night.
by McJay on Sep 3, 2010 4:08 PM MDT up reply actions 1 recs
Not necessarily
Champ Bailey is perfectly capable of playing safety if both Dawkins, McBath, and Bruton were hurt.
We could play Goodman and Cox at starting CB
Champ and Hill/Dawkins at safety.
Last Name: Ever, First Name: Greatest
Nobody Runs On The Denver Broncos
Xbox360 gamertag: SnipeMeHarder
If you trade Jones then you only have 4 S on the roster. Dawkins will probably miss some time due to injury during the season. McBath is already hurt and who knows if/when he will play. We need a 5th S option. (Barret was that guy last year)
So if you trade Jones it doesn’t solve your Smith/Thompson problem. You’ll need another S.
It is going to be a tough choice to carry 10 DBs or cut either Smith or Thompson. Going with 7 DL or 8 OL is risky.
Honestly Smith seems like the best trade bait and maybe that is why they played him so much last night.
by McJay on Sep 3, 2010 4:08 PM MDT up reply actions 1 recs
Britt Davis and Alric Arnett
I hope we can sneak these guys onto the Practice Squad. They’re both intriguing prospects with good size, speed, and athleticism. And you know McD loves to have a DEEP receiver corps and these two could definitely be interesting projects.
Good stuff as always
I like Studs and Duds, myself.
An observation to add- after watching the play a bunch of times, I have come to the conclusion that the early sack on Orton was Eddie Royal’s fault.
I can hear the “HUH?”s now. Let me explain. Eddie’s lined up in the slot on the near side (as far as the camera angle is concerned) and is covered by a CB. As the ball is snapped, the CB covering him blitzes. Orton notices this, and looks in Eddie’s direction, and even pumps the ball that way. Eddie never turns around to look, and Orton goes down.
It looks to me that Eddie was supposed to break off his route as the hot receiver, but he didn’t. Kyle saw the blitz and WANTED to throw the ball to him (pumps it) but couldn’t because Eddie never broke off the route into the flat or looked back. If he had, he’d still be running because there was a HUGE hole in the middle of the field, as it really was a Send The House blitz.
Not a good play by one of my favorite Broncos, unfortunately.
by AllBroncsallday on Sep 3, 2010 10:15 AM MDT reply actions 1 recs
thanks broncsallday
good observation. I didn’t see that play or I don’t remember it. I watch A LOT of football these days…it all starts to blend together lol
Last Name: Ever, First Name: Greatest
Nobody Runs On The Denver Broncos
Xbox360 gamertag: SnipeMeHarder
Great read Nick!!
And good job predicting that Smith interception!!!
I like “Post game dinner…” but remember Desserts is with two s’s….
You’d rather have two desserts, than two deserts. ( =
That's quite a long handle there, G Funk. - That's what she said.
First (and only, in our lifetimes) team to three consecutive SB wins!!!! ( =
by PearlJamBroncoGFunk on Sep 3, 2010 10:24 AM MDT reply actions
thanks PearlJam
I am semi psychic!
I like that Post game dinner name also lol but the people like Studs and Duds
Whoops. I always get those two mixed up…
Last Name: Ever, First Name: Greatest
Nobody Runs On The Denver Broncos
Xbox360 gamertag: SnipeMeHarder
Nice Post
Surprised there wasn’t anything on Ryan McBean, Orton or Ayers.
McBean = stud
Orton = showed more mobility andwillingness to not give up on a play
Ayers= too slow to get to the QB on the outside from the OLB position
thanks agentj
I don’t remember McBean being a stud. He didn’t do much last night from what I remember.
Orton was his typical self. He shouldn’t be judged because he was playing with his starting o-oline for the 1st time.
Ayers is not too slow to get to the QB IMO. He pulled that perfect spin move against Pittsburgh. Perfect exhibition of speed.
Last Name: Ever, First Name: Greatest
Nobody Runs On The Denver Broncos
Xbox360 gamertag: SnipeMeHarder
Ayers isn't too slow
Listen to what’s been coming out of camp. Sometimes they want him simply to push the pocket. He’s been able to do that. If he hadn’t, he’d have been out there longer working at it.
Love this, Nick - Keep it coming!
I’m glad you mentioned out solid “Zo” (Alphonso) was last night. I don’t lay even the two bad looking plays to heavily agains him. The penalty you mentioned should never have been called, IMO. From the replays, it looked like a fantastic defensive play. Even the color man believed that. Far as getting his feet tangled up, I remember that happening to Champ. Stuff happens. In fact, I believe that, after the starters sat down, Zo was the best defender on the field (and I had him as a “dud” up until this game).
As I mentioned, I really enjoyed your post. Rec’d and thanks . . .
BILLY THOMPSON GOT SHAFTED!!
thanks AZDynamics
long as people read it, and like it, I’ma keep writing it.
Zo had an up and down night last night, but he did show some good flashes last night. He definitly showed enough to quiet the “cut Phonz” talk around here.
Last Name: Ever, First Name: Greatest
Nobody Runs On The Denver Broncos
Xbox360 gamertag: SnipeMeHarder
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
Getting Social With MHR
Web Stuff
In Association With
Shutdown Corner - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
- Cliff Avril didn’t mean that thing he said about other teams contacting him
- From Cam to RGIII, and the weird psychology of draft analysis
- UCLA comes down with a case of Tebowmania
- Ellen tries to get Kate Upton to confirm Mark Sanchez is her boyfriend
- Sore loser Bully Ray spits beer in the face of Brandon Jacobs
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
