Denver Broncos News: Horse Tracks - The little things matter

After going back and watching most of the game through the All-22 filter, here are some things that I noted:

- The main advantage of Virgil Green and 12 personnel was that it kept Seattle's coverage scheme especially in the middle of the field very basic. The linebackers played run first then bailed to zone. Kam Chancellor had to respect the possible receivers and also had to lurk within the box. This basically gave our outside receivers one on one's, and with the extra protection (the 2nd most important aspect of Virgil Green and 12 personnel), it allowed Manning to work the sideline Cover 3 beaters like comebacks, outs, and digs.

- I noted 3-4 times that Peyton Manning released the ball before the receivers even had a chance to THINK about their break. He was throwing to a spot where he trusted his receivers to be. Most of the time it worked out fine. It kept the ball hidden from guys like Sherman in one on one coverage.

- Julius Thomas is absolutely terrible at blocking and he's one of the biggest reasons the running game has suffered so far. Given the fact that he caught 3 balls for a minimum gain--his threat in the passing game was not worth his ineptitude as a blocker on Sunday.

- Thank Seattle for playing soft zone defense on the game tying drive. Three man rush prevent is what allowed Manning and the offense to gain big chunks downfield. The strategy was simple. Use a receiver to clear out the zone, trail Emmanuel Sanders in the same zone and throw it to him wide open. The two point conversion was also an example of some zone, in fact Manning had a wide open receiver to his left. Given that Demaryius Thomas played so poorly, it was still an absolutely wonderful catch he made to tie the game up.

- The Broncos for better or worse seem to be primarily a cover 3 team now. What sucked about Sunday was that Aqib Talib gave so much cushion to the receiver, he hurt himself in coverage. When a corner is charged with protecting deep, they will usually give more ground than necessary. It resulted in a lot of catches against a player who quite frankly is better than that.

- My overall anger at the coaching was inflamed further as my initial impressions were bolstered by more evidence. The Broncos did not use a spy on Russell Wilson most of the game. The ends failed to hold the edge all too often. On the last drive, the Broncos use of Cover 3 ensured the short underneath routes were guarded by linebackers which sucks when Percy Harvin is matched up against Nate Irving. These are simple things that needed to be accounted for or after they happened adjusted to. Didn't happen. This is why a lot of us gripe about the coaching. If it's not the lack of preparation coming into the game that hinders this team, it's complete and utter failure to make simple adjustments during the game that spells doom.

Horse Tracks

Seahawks analysis: Hugh Millen breaks down game-winning drive, Kam Chancellor’s pick | Seahawks | The Seattle Times
First it was Sanders, aligned in the slot to Seattle’s right, who got loose for 42 yards on a "Go" route with a simple twist — literally. The "scissors" or "switch" release he created with Demaryius Thomas to his outside merely exchanged route lanes with Thomas and was poorly played by Byron Maxwell, who had the deepest zone nearest the Broncos’ sideline but was pulled inward by the release. Four plays later, a similar release again victimized Maxwell and also K.J. Wright, who was too wide and too shallow in his underneath curl/flat zone.

Wes Welker wanted flag on Earl Thomas' hit; more - The Denver Post
"Obviously, a fine does us no good at all. I would have liked the flag, but that's the way it goes. I am not looking for a fine," Welker said. "He's trying to make a play like everyone else. At the end of the day we have no say on it."

John Elway sees room for improvement in "little things" for Broncos - The Denver Post
Broncos GM John Elway said he's pleased with the team's competitive nature and toughness this season, but said small improvements, especially on the defen

Broncos Mailbag: Play-calling not always as conservative as it seems - The Denver Post
Now here's the kicker: On second down, the Broncos are passing more than any team in the league through three games — 73.33 percent of the time. Probably because those first-down runs have too often resulted in second-and-9.

Denver Broncos Rewind: Offense - ESPN
The Broncos made at least some concessions to the noise in CenturyLink Field, including silent counts and plenty of hand signals to the receivers. But they also limited the motion in the offense, curtailing most of the pre-snap movement they usually use to move players around the formation. Against the Seahawks the Broncos most often lined up and kept the players where they were. It didn’t give quarterback Peyton Manning some of the coverage tells some motion can reveal, but it allowed the Broncos to play it cleanly for the most part.

Broncos Rewind: Defense, special teams - Denver Broncos Blog - ESPN
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- The Denver Broncos have faced Andrew Luck, Alex Smith and Russell Wilson over the course of their first three games. They've had

Moore: "I'm getting better"
"But I just try to make sure that I keep communicating with my secondary and eliminating mental errors and doing all I can to help win," Moore said. "When you’re flying around and playing fast, great things happen."

Mic'd Up: Malik Jackson
Broncos TV wired Malik Jackson during Sunday's game against Seattle.

Broncos find fuel heading into bye week

With the bye week in the immediate future, the Broncos are looking to take the Seahawks game from Sunday to fuel them going forward.

Upon Further Review: Broncos-Seahawks

The Broncos' loss was still marked by positives, including the pressure from DeMarcus Ware, the shutdown of Percy Harvin and the game-tying play.

Hit on Welker not currently illegal, but it could be in 2015 | ProFootballTalk
Sunday's Broncos-Seahawks game included a hit that has plenty of Denver fans crying foul that a foul wasn't called. Late in the fourth with the Broncos down 17-12 and facing third and 11 from the Seattle 24, quarterback Peyton Manning threw a pass to receiver Wes Welker.

Broncos avoided Super Bowl blowout repeat, but Peyton Manning is still standing on familiar trapdoor - Yahoo Sports
From Yahoo Sports: Without a running game, this version of Peyton Manning can be beaten consistently.

How the Seattle Seahawks neutralized the Denver Broncos' offense - NFL Videos
NFL Media's Brian Baldinger breaks down how the Seattle Seahawks were able to neutralize the Denver Broncos by forcing their offense to be one-dimensional.

Jacob Tamme voted Broncos union rep, Von Miller alternate
Bronco players elected tight end Jacob Tamme as their union rep.

Broncos GM John Elway confident in team's position going into bye week - The Denver Post
As John Elway sits behind his well-kept desktop, to his right are sliding glass doors to a walk-out balcony that overlooks the Broncos' practice field.

This time Denver Broncos coach John Fox wants uneventful bye week - ESPN
The last time the Broncos adjourned for their bye week, Fox ended up facing the sky, wondering if his heart was going to stop beating. Last Nov. 2, with the Broncos in a Week 9 bye, Fox experienced dizziness and lightheadedness during a round of golf in Charlotte, North Carolina, and fell to the ground.

Elway on 2-1 start
John Elway talks about what he took away from Sunday's loss to Seattle.