Breaking Down The Ravens Vs Broncos Match Up

When I look at the matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and the Denver Broncos, there seem to be several mismatches waiting to be exploited by the Giants.  The Ravens are a tough team to face, but perhaps more so in the past than today, as the Ravens have been vulnerable to the pass in recent games.  They also miss Rex Ryan more than many thought they would.  The Ravens are a team built to apply pressure and take advantage of the mistakes that said pressure forces other teams to make.

However, in this young season the Ravens have not yet applied the desired pressure on opposing offenses, furthermore they have not been as creative in their blitz packages, which is a clear sign of a team missing their former coordinator.

I have broken down this game into four matchups that could very well decide the outcome of this game.

Ravens ground game vs Broncos run D

The Ravens boast a very good and efficient run game, with a one-two punch composed of Ray Rice and Willis McGahee.  The Ravens will pin the 10th ranked rushing attack against the 3rd best rushing defense.  While the ground game does not seem to be the focal point of Baltimore’s offense anymore, it is definitely a crucial part of their attack.

Rice and McGahee each bring something special to the table and they certainly have very different running styles.  They also bring a line very similar to the Cowboys, they are big and strong but not the most athletic group in the world.  When pitted against a Broncos defensive front that is very athletic but not as big the Ravens, Oline should come away with some success.  All in all, this is a matchup to watch and is one area where the Broncos face a disadvantage.

Advantage:  Ravens

Broncos ground attack vs Ravens run D

This is an interesting matchup for me.  While the Broncos do bring the 7th best ground game in the league, they will face the 7th best rush defense in the league.  The Ravens streak of not allowing a 100 yard rusher was broken, and since then they have slowed a bit.  Denver’s one-two punch bears some similarity to that of the Ravens with the different styles and their versatility.

Denvers’ offensive line is among the very best, if not the best in the league and they have helped the Broncos develop a very efficient ground game.  I believe that the new streak for the Ravens continues as their aging defense continues to miss Ryan and the Broncos hit them up foe 100+ yards in the match up.

Advantage: Broncos

Ravens newfound pass attack vs the Broncos veteran secondary

While it might be cheek to say that Baltimore’s passing attack has developed and turn the corner, they are still very much unimpressive to me.  Mason, Clayton, and Heap do not present an elite core of receivers to threaten the Broncos secondary.  While the O line has been good in pass protection, they are far from impregnable and Flacco’s mobility does help, when it comes to getting to the QB the Broncos hold a decisive advantage.

What the Broncos need to watch out for, once again, is the screen game.  Ray Rice has shown a knack for taking screen and short passes and turning them into huge gain, when you add Denver’s aggresive style of defense this could be a problem.  All that said, I think the Broncos veteran leadership in the secondary will be a major asset.

Advantage: Broncos

Broncos spread vs Ed Reed (basically)

When the Broncos lineup to pass the ball there is one man that has to be accounted for at all times, that man is Ed Reed.  Baltimore has chosen to go the young route this off season when they addressed their secondary, it might prove to be a very wise choice in the future but not this season.  The Ravens pass defense is ranked at a very pedestrian 23rd in the league and while the Broncos are not very impressive at number 12th, they have been getting better with each passing week.

Kyle Orton has been very careful with the ball whenever he has dropped back to pass, but the more time Orton and his weapons spend together, the more dangerous they become.  When you look at weapons like Marshall, Royal, Gaffney, Scheffler, and Stokely against a very young and inexperienced secondary, you see some serious mismatches.  The one man that does have to be accounted for at all times is Reed, he can and will cause serious problems for Orton and company if he is not accounted for.

This matchup is one that the Broncos should exploit and handle with ease.  I believe that this week is one that the Broncos show a more cohesive and potent offense.

Advantage: Broncos

I have never been one for predictions and I will not start now, but I will say that while most people seem to be under the impression that the Ravens will win this game I say the the Broncos keep the perfect record after this week.

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Understaning Kyle Orton

During Cutler’s rookie season I attended a Broncos home game and as usual I arrived quite early for the tailgating and to see the team warm up.  Its my own little ritual that I have become accustomed to every time I attend a home game.  During said warm ups Cutler launched a ball from the twenty yard line with a nice ark that landed somewhere between the fifteen and twenty yard line, that’s around seventy five yards.

I turned to my step brother and told him that was one of the strongest arms I have ever seen, he agreed and we went on to see a pretty good game that day.  Yesterday my step brother mentioned that it would’ve been nice to see Cutler and his rifle arm in McDaniel’s offense and that got me thinking, is the difference between Orton’s arm strength and Cutler’s really that much?

No, it is not.

See, arm strength difference is greatly exaggerated by the media and by us fans when in reality Cutler’s arm is stronger but not by as much as we think.

Lets put it this way, on a scale of one to ten, one being a really weak arm (Pennington) and ten being the strongest (young Favre) I would say that Cutler is about an 8.5 and Orton about a 7.  No I’m not crazy and I’m definitely not delusional, I have seen Orton launch a ball that traveled around 60 to 65 yards in the air and for those that simply just won’t believe I suggest looking up “Purdue 2002 Highlights” on youtube and you will see Orton’s arm strength on display with balls that travel 50+ yards.  That is more than enough arm strength.

Perhaps no one has been as critical of Orton as I have been in the beginning, but after I have witnessed his play throughout this season and doing lots of research I have come around.  Orton understands that the ability to throw the ball hard is not everything is this league, he knows that ark, touch and accuracy  are just as important or perhaps even more so.  After all, it was Joe Montana that famously said “I don’t throw darts at balloons, I throw balloons at darts”.

Much of Cutler’s problems are due to his over confidence in his arm strength, he relies so heavily on it that he tries to throw tight ropes at his receivers where a lofted pass is preferred.  We Bronco fans have all witnessed Cutler’s inability to read zone defenses and watched in horror as he tried to zip a ball past a defender only to see batted down, or worse, go the other way.  It is that kind of throw that made me almost have a heart attack every time he dropped back to throw the ball.

With Orton’s this has changed.  He knows when to zip the ball and when to lead his receiver away from coverage and danger and when throw over a defender.  Throughout this season I have seen the Bronco offense get better every week along with Orton. Now I know most of his deep passes, if not all, have been horrible but the deep ball is something that relies heavily on timing and familiarity something that only comes with time.  The more time Orton spends with his receivers the better those deep balls will get.

Orton has shown the ability to read defenses and make the correct throw taking what the defense is giving rather than put the ball, and game, in harms way.  While in Chicago this style of play earned him the title of game manager, it’s a title that no longer fits. 

Game managers are the QBs that play for a ball control and run first and second,only-throw-if-absolutely-necessary style of offense; teams like Chicago, San Fransisco, Tampa, Carolina, Tennessee and Jacksonville.  Those QBs are game managers. I don’t believe that title can be applied to Orton anymore sice this offense is balanced and depends on Orton as much as it depends on its ground game.  Thus, Orton is no longer just a game manager but rather a QB that is allowed to run the offense and make the necessary changes depending on what the defense is doing.

Granted, Orton seems to be on a leash thus far, but like the deep ball, this offense will be his with time.  Tom Brady runs the same offense and we do not see him as a game manager, not to compare Brady to Orton, but it is proof that this style of offense can’t function with a QB that is just a game manager.  With time we will see Orton given more and more freedom to audible and change plays as he reads the defense, this is what the “spread” or “run and gun”, whatever you prefer to call it, is all about.

All in all this is one fan that not only has come around or taken a wait and see attitude with Orton, but is rather glad to see No. 8 under center instead of having a weekly heart attack.

 

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Breaking Down the Defensive Schemes in Today’s NFL

A couple of days ago, I was trying to explain the defensive scheme the Broncos play to my girlfriend, only to get a vacant stare back at me. 

At this time, I remembered reading a few blogs on many different sites, including this one, where a lot of the fans of their respective teams ran into the same issue. 

I took it upon myself to do a serious amount of research and try to point out the differences among the countless schemes being employed in today’s game but found it a bigger task than I anticipated, so I have boiled it down to 4 different schemes in total, within the two main formations, the 3-4 and the 4-3.

Let’s begin.

Not all 3-4 are the same, in fact there are various schemes ran out of this formation, because at the end of the day, the name 3-4 or 34 as some people like to call it, depicts a formation not the scheme. 

One of the schemes employed out of this formation is the two gap system, think San Diego, Cleveland and Miami to name a few.

This system employs three down lineman and four linebackers as their front seven.  The three down lineman are each responsible for two gaps, with the nose tackle (NT for short) being the most important of all, followed closely by the two ends. 

The NT will be responsible for the gaps between the center and each guard while the DEs are responsible for the gaps between the guards and tackles as well as “sealing” the end.

I believe that this the hardest scheme to find players for because the breed of athlete it employs is just hard to find.

This version of the 3-4 relies on the down lineman to “hold” the point of attack, other wise known as the line of scrimmage, making sure to tackle anyone coming down their respective gaps all the while taking on blockers to allow the linbackers (LB) a free path to the ball. 

This requires strong, big, and heavy linemen that can move laterally with quickness, but it does not require penetration, that’s left mostly to the LBs, especially the outside LBs.

In turn, this will require instinctive LBs on the inside and strong LBs on the outside to produce the pass rush. This scheme relies heavily on the OLBs to produce pressure on the QB. 

This style of defense is great against the run but a little vulnerable against the pass.  Another problem with this scheme is depth, as it relies heavily on the NT, which is a rare find in the NFL.

If your NT just happens to get injured the defense will suffer greatly due to the fact that NT are at a premium and very difficult to find, making the building of depth a problem.  If you want an example see the Chargers.

Now a different scheme from the same formation would be the one-gap or “attacking” 3-4.  This scheme was made popular by the Baltimore Ravens after the 2001 season, however, one of the first teams to use it successfully were the 1975 Broncos (although their best season with the scheme came in 1977).

While the same formation is used, the difference lies within the personnel.  In this case the linemen are usually a little lighter and quicker, this is due to the fact that they will be given one gap to defend and will be frequently asked to penetrate and get to the QB. 

This also requires a different type of LB, one that will be able fight off blockers and get to the ball.  This style of defense does require one LB to be fast and instinctive and that’s usually called the “jack” LB.

With this scheme, pressure is put on the QB from all angles making it excel against the pass, but it is vulnerable to the run.  Some of the teams that use this scheme are the Jets, Broncos and Ravens.

The most important position with in this scheme are the LBs, both the ILBs and the OLBs.  Speed and quickness are at a premium among the LBs within this scheme and that’s due to the bevy of things they will be asked to do, anything from blitzing to man to man coverage. 

While the two-gap system is designed to to funnel the ball toward the linemen, the one gap is designed to funnel the ball towards the LBs.

Now in the 4-3 there are four linemen and three LBs representing the front seven.  This formation is a little less varied than the 3-4. 

In most schemes, the four down linemen breakdown as follows, 2 DEs 1 NT and a DT(defensive tackle).  Now I know I said one NT and the truth is, while many think the 4-3 employs two defensive tackles, it actually employs one three-technique DT and a five-technique DT, better known as a nose tackle.

This formation is all about the linemen, and therefore they are the true play makers of this formation.

Take, for instance, the 2002 Tampa Bay Bucs.  That team might have been the truest incarnation of what a 4-3 defense should be, with two true pass rushers in the edges as DEs in Rice and Spires, one good NT in McFarland, and perhaps one of the best three-technique DTs in league history with Sapp.

The LBs also change in this formation. Let’s start with the weak-side LB or “Will;” he must be fast and athletic.

The strong side LB or “Sam” must be big and strong, with the middle LB, or “Mike,” being instinctive and a combination of both, but the linemen are the stars of the show. 

The linemen’s jobs break down as follows, the DEs will be responsible for the edges and applying pressure on the QB while the NT will be responsible for the gaps between the  guard/center and tackle/guard. 

Which brings us to the star of the show the DT, in the 3 technique, the DT is the one lineman that has free reign, he can choose his gap and “shoot” it, applying pressure to the QB and collapsing the pocket from the inside.

This defense is probably the most well rounded of all as it is strong both aginst the run and pass, but that is not to say that it is easy.  Finding a true 3 technique DT, aside from the fact that they are more abundant, is probably just as hard as findinga good NT to play the two gap 3-4. 

Don’t believe me?  Just ask Mike Shanahan or the 2009 Raiders.

Some of the teams that use this style of defense successfully are the Giants, Eagles, Vikings and Bears.

Now I have left my favorite for last, and that is the “zone blitz” scheme.  This scheme was perfected by Dick LeBeau of the Pittsburgh Steelers, actually he might have invented it I’m not sure, but he sure damn perfected it.

While the Steelers use a 3-4 formation, this is a scheme that could be used out of any formation, as long as Mr. LeBeau is teaching it, but for now we’ll go with the two-gap 3-4. 

This scheme is all about deceiving the offense, at any given time anyone on the field regardless of position could drop into a zone coverage or blitz, and yes, that includes the linemen. 

That makes it almost impossible for the offensive line to adjust their protection scheme in order to account for a blitzer, which in turn causes confusion that usually results in pressure, sacks, or turnovers. 

What makes this scheme go is the personnel, and you must have the absolutely correct personnel in order to run this defense and it takes quite a while to learn, that is why you will rarely see a rookie or young player start for the Steelers defense. 

The linemen must be fast, strong, and athletic, along with all the linebackers and safeties.

Corners don’t have to have blazing speed, since they will be responsible for zones and not man-to-man coverage.  Along with all those attributes I mentioned above, perhaps the two most important ones are discipline and trust.

Each player must trust his teammates to be disciplined enough to do their jobs and not free lance, well Polomalu is the only one allowed to free lance, but he is usually right.

When this defense is at its peak it is virtually inpenetrable and perhaps the best defense against both the run and pass, although rarely using man-to-man coverage does have its draw backs, mainly against the pass, this scheme might just be the best of them all or at least its my favorite.

Well, that’s all I have for today, and I hope I helped clarify some of the differences between defenses that sometimes can seem like they are all alike.  Please feel free to comment and discuss.

Thanks for reading.

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San Diego Chargers: A Team In Trouble

Looking ahead to Monday night, when the Broncos take on the Chargers in San Diego, reveals a very interesting matchup. A couple of years ago, if someone would’ve told me the Chargers will be struggling to run the ball I would’ve laughed in their face and called them an idiot—but that’s exactly what is happening.

The Chargers have an aging offensive line to go along with their declining star running back LT. Hampered by nagging injuries and age, LT is but a shell of his former self/ While I will point out he can still be productive, he needs a stellar line to make him more effective. In the past, LT could’ve made even the weakest offensive lines look good.

This will present a problem for the Chargers this Monday night. With a veteran defensive backfield and the league’s top pass rush, the Broncos will challenge the one-dimensional Chargers, who like the to drop back with five and seven-step drops.

The Chargers are coming off a bye week, so they had extra time to prepare for this matchup. And while they do boast an amazing passing attack, when your offense is that one-dimensional the advantage is definitely with the defense.

The Chargers’ problems do not end with the running game. In fact, their biggest issue lies in their porous defense. The run defense is has been heavily affected by the lack of production from Merriman and Phillips, but it’s the absence of Jamal Williams and the lack of depth behind him that is hitting them the hardest. 

The passing defense is a little better than last year’s, but the continued regression of CB Cromartie and the complete ineptitude of their safety play are worrisome. Added to the lack of a dominant pass rush, the defense as a whole leaves much to be desired.

As said before, the Chargers do have weapons on the edges in the form of Jackson and Gates, but the lack of a running game is troubling, to say the least. LT is showing his age and then some, the offensive line is once again regressing, and Sproles is not an every-down back. 

Sproles is more of a change of pace back, and even then he is not a true running back—he is better as a receiver out of the backfield. The Broncos’ run defense has been anything but porous and should be able to handle the Chargers’ running game with ease.

The Broncos should be able to go into San Diego and dominate Chargers and improve to a 6-0 record before heading to their bye week.

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Breaking Down The Patriots at Boncos

When the Patriots (3-1) visit the Broncos (4-0) this Sunday it will represent more than a meeting between student and teacher. It will represent the toughest test the new look Broncos will have faced in this young NFL season.

The Patriots have yet to live up to their advance billing and some might say that the Broncos have surprised, but is it really that tough of a matchup?

I have conducted extensive research on both teams breaking each down to five squads and pinned them against their onfield opponent. Throughout this article I will point out each squad’s weakness and point out who has the advantage.

Let’s begin.

Patriots pass O vs. Broncos pass D

The Patriots boast the 5th best passing attack in the NFL averaging 43.5 apg with 6.5 yards per attempt on average. When looking at this numbers two things jump out. One is the lack of a running game. Secondly, contrary to popular belief Randy Moss is not their biggest weapon.

I know some people might be flabbergasted right now and with reason. Moss still is an elite receiver and a great weapon but not the Pats biggest one. That honor goes to Wes Welker.

The Patriots use the short passing game as a substitute for their lack luster running game and they are excellent at it. Brady will put defenses to sleep with the short passes to Welker and then when they least expect it go over the top for a large gain with Moss. Couple that with their screen game and you got yourself an excellent ball control offense.

Meanwhile the Broncos pass D isn’t anything to scuff at, with veterans such as Bailey and Dawkins in the defensive backfield. Ranked third in the league, the Broncos must contain Welker and the screens the Pats use. They must force them to take more chances down the field if they want to win this part of the game.

The Pats have not done well against aggressive blitzing schemes. Their OL has been vulnerable to the blitz, allowing Brady to get hit often in my eyes. This is an area of concern specially with the Broncos bringing Elvis Dummervile who leads the NFL with 8 sacks.

The entire defense is ranked 2nd in the league in that category and it could pose serious problems for the Patriots. All that said I believe that this in an area the Patriots excel at and with their spread offense should be able win this battle.

Advantage: Patriots.

Patriots run O vs Broncos run D

This is the area where the Broncos should dominate with the 4th ranked run defense against the the Patriots’ unimpressive 17th ranked rushing attack. During the offseason the Pats bolstered up this area of their team but have yet to show consistency. Fred Taylor, Maroney, Morris and Green-Ellis have not lived up to expectations so far and the Pats have struggled some to run the ball.

As previously stated, the Pats use screens and the short passing game to supplement their running game which even the most synical Patriots fan should agree that is seriously lacking.

One thing that the Patriot RBs do well is catch the ball which could pose a problem due to the inexperience of the Broncos OLB in coverage but with veterans like D.J. Williams and Andra Davis along with an underappreciated DL the Broncos should dominate this faze of the game.

Advantage: Broncos

Patriots run D vs Broncos run O

The Patriots have been performing admirably in this area—ranked 11th—considering all the talent they lost among the run stoppers. However with the 4th best rushing attack the Broncos will bring the best running game the Patriots have yet to face and with the afromentioned losses of Bruschie, Mayo, Seymore and Harrison the Broncos should be able to run the ball and control the clock in this one.

That’s not to say the Broncos will dominate. On the contrary, with Buckhalter and Hillis in the proverbial dog house the Broncos will start Moreno with Jordan to back him up.  This to say the least bothers me and presents a problem. I did however hear a rumor that the Broncos might bring Darius Walker up from the practice squad. If they do he is an upgrade over the fat, slow and soft Lamont Jordan.

Advantage: Broncos

Patriots pass D vs Broncos pass O

This is where things get a little dicey. The Patriots are ranked 7th in this category but are tied for 15th in sacks while the Broncos are ranked 18th in passing. The Pats have not been able to put the desired pressure on opposing QBs but have made the best of it.

Corners Bodden and Springs are both good on man coverage but have struggled in the past with zone coverage which is what the Pats like to run. Aside from Buffalo (yes Buffalo) the Broncos will bring the best receiving core the Pats have faced and with the Pats yet to find a consistent pass rush I think this will be the interesting match up to watch.

The Broncos passing game has been average to say the least but with each passing week the team has made strides in that area. Take for instance the Cowboy game, not only did the Broncos passing game look better than in previous weeks but they also took more chances downfield. I believe that as time passes the chemistry between Orton and the receivers gets better as well as their understanding of Mcdaniels’ complicated passing offense.

Like I said before I believe this is the best matchup of the game and is where, if we make some strides, the Broncos can ultimatly win the game.

Advantage: Patriots (slightly)

Special teams

This is a toss up to me. Both teams have shown nothing special in terms of the return game and when it comes to the kickers. Prater has the stronger leg. Gostkowski has the more accurate leg. The punters? Same deal. The only advantage I see is that the Broncos have a better OSP (opponent starting position) average on kick and punt returns that the Pats other than that is a tossup.

Advantage: Tied

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Breaking Down The Patriots at Boncos

When the Patriots (3-1) visit the Broncos (4-0) this Sunday it will represent more than a meeting between student and teacher. It will represent the toughest test the new look Broncos will have faced in this young NFL season.

The Patriots have yet to live up to their advance billing and some might say that the Broncos have surprised, but is it really that tough of a matchup?

I have conducted extensive research on both teams breaking each down to five squads and pinned them against their onfield opponent. Throughout this article I will point out each squad’s weakness and point out who has the advantage.

Let’s begin.

Patriots pass O vs. Broncos pass D

The Patriots boast the 5th best passing attack in the NFL averaging 43.5 apg with 6.5 yards per attempt on average. When looking at this numbers two things jump out. One is the lack of a running game. Secondly, contrary to popular belief Randy Moss is not their biggest weapon.

I know some people might be flabbergasted right now and with reason. Moss still is an elite receiver and a great weapon but not the Pats biggest one. That honor goes to Wes Welker.

The Patriots use the short passing game as a substitute for their lack luster running game and they are excellent at it. Brady will put defenses to sleep with the short passes to Welker and then when they least expect it go over the top for a large gain with Moss. Couple that with their screen game and you got yourself an excellent ball control offense.

Meanwhile the Broncos pass D isn’t anything to scuff at, with veterans such as Bailey and Dawkins in the defensive backfield. Ranked third in the league, the Broncos must contain Welker and the screens the Pats use. They must force them to take more chances down the field if they want to win this part of the game.

The Pats have not done well against aggressive blitzing schemes. Their OL has been vulnerable to the blitz, allowing Brady to get hit often in my eyes. This is an area of concern specially with the Broncos bringing Elvis Dummervile who leads the NFL with 8 sacks.

The entire defense is ranked 2nd in the league in that category and it could pose serious problems for the Patriots. All that said I believe that this in an area the Patriots excel at and with their spread offense should be able win this battle.

Advantage: Patriots.

Patriots run O vs Broncos run D

This is the area where the Broncos should dominate with the 4th ranked run defense against the the Patriots’ unimpressive 17th ranked rushing attack. During the offseason the Pats bolstered up this area of their team but have yet to show consistency. Fred Taylor, Maroney, Morris and Green-Ellis have not lived up to expectations so far and the Pats have struggled some to run the ball.

As previously stated, the Pats use screens and the short passing game to supplement their running game which even the most synical Patriots fan should agree that is seriously lacking.

One thing that the Patriot RBs do well is catch the ball which could pose a problem due to the inexperience of the Broncos OLB in coverage but with veterans like D.J. Williams and Andra Davis along with an underappreciated DL the Broncos should dominate this faze of the game.

Advantage: Broncos

Patriots run D vs Broncos run O

The Patriots have been performing admirably in this area—ranked 11th—considering all the talent they lost among the run stoppers. However with the 4th best rushing attack the Broncos will bring the best running game the Patriots have yet to face and with the afromentioned losses of Bruschie, Mayo, Seymore and Harrison the Broncos should be able to run the ball and control the clock in this one.

That’s not to say the Broncos will dominate. On the contrary, with Buckhalter and Hillis in the proverbial dog house the Broncos will start Moreno with Jordan to back him up.  This to say the least bothers me and presents a problem. I did however hear a rumor that the Broncos might bring Darius Walker up from the practice squad. If they do he is an upgrade over the fat, slow and soft Lamont Jordan.

Advantage: Broncos

Patriots pass D vs Broncos pass O

This is where things get a little dicey. The Patriots are ranked 7th in this category but are tied for 15th in sacks while the Broncos are ranked 18th in passing. The Pats have not been able to put the desired pressure on opposing QBs but have made the best of it.

Corners Bodden and Springs are both good on man coverage but have struggled in the past with zone coverage which is what the Pats like to run. Aside from Buffalo (yes Buffalo) the Broncos will bring the best receiving core the Pats have faced and with the Pats yet to find a consistent pass rush I think this will be the interesting match up to watch.

The Broncos passing game has been average to say the least but with each passing week the team has made strides in that area. Take for instance the Cowboy game, not only did the Broncos passing game look better than in previous weeks but they also took more chances downfield. I believe that as time passes the chemistry between Orton and the receivers gets better as well as their understanding of Mcdaniels’ complicated passing offense.

Like I said before I believe this is the best matchup of the game and is where, if we make some strides, the Broncos can ultimatly win the game.

Advantage: Patriots (slightly)

Special teams

This is a toss up to me. Both teams have shown nothing special in terms of the return game and when it comes to the kickers. Prater has the stronger leg. Gostkowski has the more accurate leg. The punters? Same deal. The only advantage I see is that the Broncos have a better OSP (opponent starting position) average on kick and punt returns that the Pats other than that is a tossup.

Advantage: Tied

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Denver Broncos Continue to Get a Raw Deal from National Media

The Denver Broncos are 3-0, and all the coverage about those games has been on why the Bengals, Browns, and Raiders have lost instead of why the Broncos won.

I find myself annoyed, yet not surprised, about the coverage or comments by the so-called “experts” or “analysts.”

The truth is, from the beginning the Broncos have been considered a small market team by the members of the media, aside from the fact that Forbes lists it at No. 10 on their list of teams with the most value, ahead of such heavyweights like the Steelers, Dolphins, Raiders, Chargers, Colts, and the “most storied team in the league,” the Packers.

Now that’s only measuring the organization’s overall income, fanbase, history, worth, and demographic appeal, but those exact reasons cry out the opposite of what the media has labeled us.

This is no longer a team from a small state (population-wise) that’s just a footnote in comparison to the big boys. The Broncos have played in six Super Bowls, behind only the teams that the media idolize like the 49ers, Steelers, and Cowboys. Denver has become a metropolis with a population that’s growing at an impressive rate, along with the fanbase of this city’s favorite franchise, the Broncos.

Now some members of the media have gone as far as to call the Broncos lucky to be 3-0, and all but guaranteed to be 3-1 by next week. The fact remains that our beloved Broncos are 3-0 with a more than real chance to be 4-0 by next week, and I can’t wait to hear what these pundits have to say if it happens.

Let me take you back to the beginning of the ’08 season, when all this experts speculated that the Denver defensive personnel might be better suited for the 3-4 rather than the 4-3.  They pointed out that Elvis Dumervil’s attributes, along with youngsters like Jarvis Moss and Marcus Thomas and veterans like D.J. Williams and Kenny Peterson, would be better served in the 3-4 scheme.

Well, it turns out that they were right. The new coach realized this and went out and hired himself one of the most respected names not only within the scheme, but also on defense, in coach Mike Nolan. He also enlisted the help of some veterans with experience in the scheme to help smooth the transition.

He paid close attention to Nolan’s advice and got himself a diamond in the rough by the name of Chris Baker, instead of overpaying for guys like Albert Haynesworth or losing too many picks in trading for a guy like Vince Wilfork or Carlos Rogers, who were on the chopping block according to Jason La Canfora of the NFL Network, Rogers more so than Wilfork.

Yet these same so-called “experts” damned the Broncos’ new-look defense for making the switch without doing “enough” through the draft to justify it. Guys like Mel Kiper Jr.—who by the way has never played or coached football at any level, let alone worked as a scout—said that the Bronco draft was bad, if not horrible.

I ask all of you, what was wrong with the draft? 

The fact is with our first pick we not only addressed an area of need but also kept an exceptional talent away from a rival that was clearly targeting him. I’m speaking, of course, about Knowshon Moreno and the Chargers, who had the RB in their crosshairs as a replacement for the clearly aging and declining LT.

Perhaps it was the fact that we selected the second highest rated defensive player according to real and former scouts, GMs, and players in Robert Ayers. Maybe it was the fact that we didn’t follow their heavenly advice and move up to take B.J. Raji, a player that they had overhyped and is clearly not a fit for the scheme we were imposing.

Now I’m not saying that this young defense is the new Ravens D, not at all, but I am pointing out the fact that they themselves, along with some fans, alluded to the fact that the players in our defense were being asked to play a position that did not suit them, which instead held them back.

Now they either act surprised or chalk it up to luck or blame the other teams for making us look good instead of swallowing their pride and admitting they were wrong.

I caution all fans, not just Bronco fans, to tread lightly when watching ESPN or NFL Network. These “experts” are nothing but guys like you and me who got lucky and landed a gig on TV to air their opinions on subjects that they know very little to nothing about (I’m looking at you, Kiper and Todd McShay).

The upcoming contest against the Cowboys is being heralded as a true test for this team; never mind the fact that the Cowboys lack a pass rush and pass defense and their run defense has been shaky.

Honestly, this is a double-edged sword for the simple fact that if the Broncos lose, “I told you so” will fly, and if they win, excuses like, “Well, Marion Barber and Felix Jones are hurt” and “They miss T.O.” will come rushing in.

The truth is that after three weeks the Broncos are a much improved team on both sides of the ball.

I will admit that Kyle Orton’s brand of play, while lacking in excitement, is impressive nonetheless, and I was wrong about him. He is more than just a game manager and has the ability to win games, maybe not in a flashy or made for TV way, but in an efficient and smart way.

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AFC West: Breaking Down the Division by Team, Part Two

Hello ladies and gents, welcome to part two of this AFC West breakdown.  Today I will rating the second place team in the division, the Denver Broncos.

I will be using the same system as before, I will break the Broncos down as follows, HC, QB, RB, WR, OL, DL, LB, DBs, ST and rating them in a scale of 1-10.  1 being terrible and 10 being perfect.  Once again I will try to be completely un-biased and show no favoritism.  I sincerely hope that once again you enjoy this article.

Let’s begin.

 

HC:  Josh McDaniels is an unknown, unproven and so far confusing (although some might say lying) young coach.  So far Josh has made some great off season acquisitions, and gotten rid of part of the reason why, according to him, he took the job.

When you take into consideration, that in the eyes of many, he had a sub-par draft and did not adequately fill the team needs through such medium as expected, Josh is off to a rocky start.

Not so fast.

While it is true that Josh has made some head scratching moves, he has also, in my humble opinion, made the team better all around.  While at the same time he sent his newly acquired team, a strong message.  Scoring him at this point, is both hard and compromising. 

There is no way of knowing at this point, if anything he has done, has truly made the team better, albeit on paper some might argue that it is better, we have to wait until at least, the half-way season mark to truly measure some of the moves.

I will admit, I have liked most of the moves he has made.  That said, I also have to admit, that he has left me scratching my head as well.  When you take into consideration all of the above, plus the fact that no coach from the Belichick tree, has had any substantial success in the NFL, it does not bode well for the Broncos.

Taking all this into consideration I have given the HC the following grade.

HC: 4

 

QB: This position was fairly easy for me to grade. While I have stated in the past, that I never was a big Cutler fan, his talent is undeniable. At this time, I feel that the Broncos have downgraded at this position by, sending Cutler away and having Orton and Sims compete for the position. 

Orton’s recor as a starter cannot be ignored, neither is Sims promising start for the Buccaneers, but, that aside, neither have the talent or ceiling that Cutler had. Both Sims  and Orton played in lack luster offenses’ with their previous teams. 

Sims was in a constant state of looking over his shoulder, do, to coach Gruden’s, small patience in developing QBs. Orton lacked major talent at the WR position while in Chicago. 

Whoever wins this battle is moot point in my opinion. Both are a major downgrade at the position in terms of, arm strength and athleticism.

QB: 6

 

RB: Talent is abound in this position for the Broncos, especially after the team drafted Knowshon Moreno during the draft.  Moreno has the build, quickness, vision and toughness to be a three down back in the NFL.

While the Broncos have stockpiled at this position during the off season, not all of them will make it onto the final roster.  I believe that the RBs that make the team are, Moreno, Buckhalter, Torain and Hillis. 

Hillis will be at FB, while Moreno and Buckhalter share backfield duties. Torain, I believe, is too talented not to make the team, the only problem for him is to stay healthy.

With all this talent at the RB position and a new starting QB, the Broncos look to be a running team, at least until the QB and WRs build some chemistry and learn the system well.

RB: 7

 

WR: This group is actually pretty solid for the Broncos. It looks like the league has taken a wait and see attitude towards Marshall, which is good news for both Marshall and the Broncos. Marshall had off season hip surgery and the reports are excellent coming from both the Broncos and the doctors. 

Eddie Royal was, in my opinion the best rookie receiver last year, ahead of the Eagles’ Jackson.  He should take another step forward, this coming season, specially when it looks like the team will take some of the return duties away from him.

Stokley, is solid at the slot, but don’t overlook Gaffney or McKinley. Overall the starting WRs for the Broncos is among the best young WR combination in the league.

WR: 8

 

OL: In this area, the Broncos have gotten bigger and better. The Ryans, are lock down tackles, Kuper and Hamilton are big athletic bodies and Wiegman is the veteran leadership for the line. That said there is not much depth behind them.

A couple of rookies and a third-year player round out the depth for the Broncos. If this line can remain healthy, it is one of the best in all of football, at both, running and pass protection.

OL: 9

 

DL: This is where the Broncos, according to the experts, did not do enough. I disagree.  The addition of Baker at NT and Fields as a mentor to said young man, coupled with the rumors that Marcus Thomas, a promising DT out of Florida, is putting on weight, per coachs’ instructions, leads me to believe that the Broncos will have a very nice rotation at NT. 

Peterson will kick out to DE in the 3-4, and the acquisitions of some prototypical 3-4 DE as RFA, points to the Broncos upgrading at the DL. Now, at this point, all of the players mentioned or acquired by the team ar either unproven, career backups or rookies.

It is up to Nolan and McDaniels to coach all this young talent and prove that the Broncos’ DL has been upgraded, until then, this is all speculation. For this reasons I have given the DL of the Broncos the following score.

DL: 4 (unproven players and a new system brings down the score)

 

LB: I will take the advise of a reader, that suggested I separate scores for ILB and OLB since they play in a 3-4.  I did not do this for part one, but will correct that.

The ILB for the Broncos look to be Andra Davis and DJ Williams. They are both more than capable to be really solid LBs.  DJ has the chance to truly be special. It looks like Woodyard and Greisen will push Davis for playing time. 

Davis is solid against the run but lacks in the coverage department. Williams is solid (with a chance to be special) at both. Woodyard proved last season that he belonged at LB and not at SS like some people believe. 

If he can add bulk to his frame, which he can handle, and not loose that speed and quickness, Woodyard can eventually be the future for the Broncos along with Williams.

ILB: 7

 

Now to the outside. Dumervil, Ayers (R) and Moss are all trying to make the transition from DE to OLB. Rumor has it that they are all making the transition effortlessly, but, the prove is in the pudding, and until we can see them drop back and cover, at least at pre-season, I will hold my score for this unit.

OLB: N/A (I would give them a 5 if you push me)

 

DB: Champ.  Need I say more.  While he was hurt last season, and therefore missed a few games (seven), this might have been a blessing in disguise. This gave Champ a chance to heal multiple nicks he had acquired through out  the last few seasons, and gives him a chance to truly come back healthy. 

The additions of, Smith and Goodman, round out a solid, if not excellent group of cover corners for the Broncos.

At safety, the Broncos also Upgraded with the additions of, Dawkins and Hill.  More than their play on the field, these veterans were brought in to mentor a couple of young men, Barrett and McBath. 

Barrett showed flashes last season, but was highly inconsistent, enter Hill, one of the most consistent FS in the NFL. Dawkins will mentor a young man very much in his image, at least physically, McBath. Bruton was drafted to push Barrett but he will be mainly a special teams ace.

DBs: 7 (8 if Champ can stay healthy and, Smith, Burrett and McBath develop into their potential)

 

ST: At punter the Broncos uncovered a gem last season with Brett Kern, he was in the top three in almost all punter categories, he will have another solid season, barring injury. At PK is a different story, Prater has a gifted leg no question, the problem with Prater is accuracy.

Rumor has it, he has spent all of the offseason working with a private instructor to better his accuracy. Still this is a wait and see affair, even with his accuracy problems, he did not miss an EP and was a beast in kickoffs, putting him as a prospect but a good one.

Returner is the real issue here.  Royal proved to be a dangerous returner last season, but was unable to as effective as he would of liked, due to his increased roll in the offense. 

Arrington was signed during the offseason to alleviate the return duties from Royal, but was released, due to a failed physical.  McKinley does have return skills and experience he could take over for Royal.

PK: 7

P: 7

RT:6

Well, hope you enjoyed the second edition of this series.

AFC West: Breaking Down the Division by Team Part One

Lately trying to get any bit of football news that is not related to No. 4 or Brady is harder than calculus.  So I’ve decided to do my own research and write this article about the position standings (or battles) in our division; The AFC West.

In writing this article and doing my research, I have tried to stay completely un-biased toward the team that I adore, which is the Denver Broncos.  This, above all,was the hardest thing to do, but I have stayed the course and I believe that I have written and researched a fare and balanced article, one which I sincerely hope you enjoy. 

I decided to work from the top down, meaning I will start with the division winner San Diego Chargers and end with the last place Kansas City Chiefs.  I will break down each team including coach and rate them on a scale of 1-10.  I will break the teams down in the following manner, HC, QB, RB, WR, OL, DL, LB, DBs and ST.

CHARGERS:

Coach: This is where the Bolts’ biggest weakness is.  Even most Charger fans will agree that while Norv is an outstanding OC, his head coaching skills are lacking.  Norv is just to passive to be a good HC in this league, let me elaborate.

While most HCs in the NFL are defined by a certain style, i.e. emotional, mastermind, quite, ect… Norv does not fit into any of this qualities.  He has been the reason, at least on paper, for the Bolts slow starts. 

His lack of aggressiveness at the start of the season and “safe/predicteble” game plans at the start have caused the Bolts to fall behind early.  It is only when the Chargers have their backs against the walls and people start questioning why is he a HC only then does he go into attck mode and takes advantage of the Bolts’ talent.

The Chargers let Marty ball go so they could take the next step, then they hire Norv.  If you look at his play calling as an OC while in Dallas and San Fran, you’ll realize that the Chargers made a lateral move, and did not get the HC that will max out the talent that they have.

HC: 5

QB:  When it comes to young QBs the Chargers, as much as it pains me, have one of the best if not the best.  Rivers’ accuracy and decision making have kept the Bolts from falling apart.  He has also cooled his mouth off as of late.  He has the arm, accuracy, poise and vision to take the next step and be completely dominant in his position.

The one negative that I see in Rivers, is his ability to deal with pressure up the middle.  Rivers is one of the best at avoiding pressure from the edges and stepping up in the pocket to make the throw, he is particularly good at always knowing where his outlet is, but when you cover the flat and collapse the pocket from the middle his numbers change dramatically.

This is where he will have to improve, to truly be in the upper echelon of QBs.

Another chip in the armor is, ever since Rivers came into the league, defenses have very rearly game planned around Rivers.  It has always been stop LT and Gates first then we worry about Rivers. 

How is Rivers going to handle defenses game planning soley around him, and trying to take advantage of his weaknesses ( side arm throwing, lack of mobility, inability to deal with pressure up the middle).  I believe he will fare well.

QB: 8

RB:  This is another area of concern for the Chargers.  LT is on the decline whether fans will admit it or not, the numbers don’t lie, and Sproles’ lack of size worries me a lot.  They will share backfield duties this coming season, that means for the first time since LT arrived the Chargers will truly have a two back system.

The main problems I foresee in this particular situation are, will LT stay healthy?  How will the extra carries affect Sproles in the return game (Hester)? And finally, will Sproles be up to the task when it comes time for blitz pick up?  This are the questions that still bother me at this point.

RB: 6

WR:  When it comes to WR the Chargers don’t have much in terms of proven players, however, they do have talent.  Jackson has the ability to be a fine receiver in the league, not great but well above average.  Chambers is an enigma, sometimes he shows up and others he doesn’t. 

Also I think is safe to say the Osgood and Craig Davis are not as good as advertised and will remain special teamers, while Naanee and Floyd have shown flashes they need to be more consistent to be factors with this team.

All in all the chargers have a pretty average group here unless Gates can get back to his previous form and dominance of the middle of the field, the WR will continue to be just that, average.

WR: 5

OL:  Here is a big question mark for the Bolts.  Will the new acquisitions translate, or will they take another step backwards?  Last season the Bolts OL was lacking.  They were good, but not as good as in the recent past.  The lack of depth and experience in this area makes it a big question mark. 

At center Hardwick is coming of an average season and his back up looks to be McDonald a rookie out of Illinois.  The guard position is in worse shape, Dielman for some odd reason took a step backwards while Forney is getting up there in age, worse yet, there is nothing but rookies behind them. 

The tackles are a mystery to me, age shouldn’t be a factor, yet, both McNeill and Clary digressed last season, with their lack of depth at this position, this could be a real problem for the Bolts.

OL: 7

DL: The loss of Igor is not a big deal, he was serviceable at best.  Luis Castillo in the other hand, has a loads of talent yet he seems incapable of translating that talent onto the field. 

Jamal Williams is and will again be a beast at NT, which is good news for the Bolts since they have virtually no body behind him.  All that said, there is not much to report in this area, besides that Williams will again dominate and make this DL seem a lot better than they will look without him.

JW: 9

rest of DL: 5

LB:  This is the area where San Diego both shines and gives reason to cringe.  Their entire pass rush depends on the return to form of Shawn Merriman.  Last year proved that while Phillips is great with Merriman on the other side he is ordinary with out him. 

History says that athletes with the type of injury that Merriman had, are never the same, Shawn is special and with toady’s medical advances he does have a great opportunity to come back and be a dominant force against the pass.

At ILB, however, there is a different story.  Cooper and Burnett are average at best and while Wilhelm is better against the run he is a liability in coverage.  More often than not he gets burned and beaten by backs and tight ends.  I will hold my grade of Merriman until we can see him play, so I will score the LB core without Merriman.

LB: 6

DB:  Jammer.  He is the only bright spot in the defensive backfield for the Chargers.  Cromartie said he played with a hip injury most of the season, while rookie Cason outplayed him yet is un-proven.  This year Cromartie will be on a short leash, especially if Cason has a good pre-season.

At safety, the Bolts have two young players that have proven to be liabilities, both against the run and pass, they are constantly out of position and are overly aggressive against the run leaving cut back lanes for the opposing RB. 

The Bolts will let the youngsters at safety develop for another season, but there is little hope that they will.  They actually got worse as the season went on and when Rivera took over as DC they kept switching them in and out with their respective back ups.

DB: 5 (7 depending on pass rush)

ST:  The Bolts have in my opinion the best punter in all of football and one of the better kickers.  The return game is where the questions are.  As I previously stated before it all depends on Sproles.  Will he be able to handle the extra work?  History says no.  Other than Sproles the Bolts don’t have another explosive returner in their roster.

ST: 9

Returner: 5 (it depends on Sproles ability to handle the extra work in the backfield)

Well Hope you like part one of this four part series.

DJ Williams: Perfect ILB

AHHHHH! DJ Williams.  The one bright spot at LB for the Broncos for the last few years.  One of the best draft picks of the Mike Shanahan era.  Perfect ILB?

In a word: Yes.

Many of us remember the DJ MLB experiment a couple of seasons ago as a negative, but I don’t see it that way.  I think most of would agree that No. 55 (it’s an old pic, he was No. 52 back in the day) is an aggressive LB, with great speed, vision, tackling ability, intelligence, and of course and awesome burst on the snap.

These reasons are why I think he’ll be a great ILB.

Let me explain.

When DJ played MLB for us, he played under Jim Bates.  While Jim is a great defensive coordinator, his stint here in Denver didn’t go so well.  That’s because Jim runs a read-and-react defense.  A lot of us are familiar with this type of defense, but for those that are not let me give you the basics.

This type of defense requires that all of its players (DL, LBs, SSs, CBs) hold the attack at the snap, read and decipher what the defense is trying to do, and finally react to it and make the stop. 

If you consider the type of defensive players we had then, the only one that could’ve fit the system well was Champ, and that’s mainly because Champ can fit any system.

We did not have the DL, or LBs for this system.  The prove is in, how bad we were at defense that year.  You see in this system there is no blitzing, only the line goes after the QB.  That was a disservice to perhaps our best defensive player. 

DJ’s greatness comes from having in attack mode from the start, and not read and react.  Besides the lack of talent across the defensive line, or the lack of personnel to fit the system, DJ had an amazing season. He recorded 170 tackles, a sack, a pick, three forced fumbles, and four passes defended.

Not bad for a kid who didn’t fit the system. The problem, which a lot of the so called analyst and experts saw, was that most of his plays came after the runner had crossed the line of scrimmage.

They labeled him and “ok MLB” but nothing special. I beg to differ.  A lot of fans have taken this to heart, but i say to you, not so fast, let’s look at this first.

I think DJ can be a spectacular ILB for us.  DJ doesn’t fit the read and react scheme well, not because he’s not smart enough, he’s plenty smart, but because you take away one of the best things about DJ, his burst off the snap.  In a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme that has attacking LBs, DJ’s burst, would be coveted.

See, if we take DJ, and have him in attack mode all the time as an ILB, he will make the plays behind the line that we need him to make.  Another attribute of DJ that makes me believe in his ability to play ILB for us, is his ability to make adjustments on the fly.

If the coach just calls the plays and lets DJ attack the ball, like he has done for us in the past, he adjusts if the play changes.  If you have him read and react, I have notice that he tends to over think things. When he’s just attacking the ball and letting loose DJ is a top three LB in this league.

I write this article because, a lot of the fans that I speak to believe that DJ is best suited for the outside, I disagree, DJ’s talents are many and he can handle the inside.  This is just my opinion, from what I have seen in the games.  So, please let me know what you guys think about this with some comments, thanks.

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