Denver Broncos Discussion

[jCut]

Osweiler still sucks. And Rahim Moore is still a bust.

[Diehard]

Originally Posted by njx9

our depth is pathetic. absolutely pathetic. if anyone in the front 7 on defense goes down, we'll give up 4.5 million rushing yards per game. and from what i've seen so far of our starters, we're not drastically better with them all healthy. i sincerely hope it's just preseason scheme.

The depth I'm worried about is the OL - we cannot afford a single injury on the line. Our 2nd and 3rd team offenses are a disaster because of the **** OL play. Unless they pick their play up, this final preseason game is going to be a horror show to watch.

I was quite mesmerized by all the drops by the backup receivers against the 49ers. The 4th and 5th spots are wide open at this point, but you'd never know it based on their performance. Caldwell, Willis, Hill, Orton, etc... someone needs to step up bigtime in the next game.

I think the DL has a decent rotation. LB is a bigger problem because of all the youth and DJ's suspension. At the same time, there's potential to go with the youth - Steve Johnson from Kansas had a nice game which is encouraging considering we are sorely lacking at MLB.

Moreno seems like strictly a 3rd down back - catch passes and block. He's decent at those things, but is that enough to keep him on the roster? I would say no. McGahee, Hillman and Ball seem like locks. JJ is a better runner and more explosive. If we keep a FB (which I think we will), then we might only keep 3 other RB's anyway. If Moreno could be traded for a low pick or a veteran LB, I think that would be the best solution.

All that being said, our starters looked good against the 49ers. I guess we just have to pray the team stays healthy.

[njx9]

i honestly didn't notice the o-line depth being an issue, but i may have been focused more on osweiler's inability to move in the pocket properly/act like a 6'8" qb. but as soon as the 2nd/3rd team has come in in every game i've watched, we've been gashed on the ground. to the point that i don't know why these groups don't just pass on 1st and second, then pop off a 15 yard run on third down to keep their drive alive. it's not like we can stop them, ever.

hillman is so unimpressive, imo. maybe i've missed his shining moments, but so far he's looked like a 5th string rb. certainly better than moreno, but just not inspiring.

[Diehard]

A few halftime observations:

* Moreno saved his roster spot with his performance tonight

* Danny Trevathan (#59) and Malik Jackson (#70) are rookies who are making strong bids for not only roster spots, but significant playing time come the regular season. Pretty good return on a 5th and a 6th.

* Caleb Hanie is terrible. No pocket presence and slow decision-making. Either Oz or Weber needs to show something... anything... god dammit.

* It's a shame Virgil Green (#85) has a 4 game suspension to start the season, as he's really stepped up his game as both a receiver and blocker. The other TE taken ahead of him in the same draft, Julius Thomas, looks like he wants his sorry ass cut tomorrow.

* The backup OL is ugly to watch. We need help here. Badly.

[njx9]

Originally Posted by Diehard

* Caleb Hanie is terrible. No pocket presence and slow decision-making. Either Oz or Weber needs to show something... anything... god dammit.

i didn't see the game, so maybe this isn't true anymore, but i'd rather go into the season with weber as the #2 and os at #3. weber's the only one i haven't hated so far.

[njx9]

kiz agrees

http://www.denverpost.com/lunchspeci...e-hit-pavement

[CT Bronco Fan]

Final roster is out, here is our 53

QB (3): Peyton Manning, Caleb Hanie, Brock Osweiler
RB (4): Willis McGahee, Ronnie Hillman, Lance Ball, Knowshon Moreno
FB (1): Chris Gronkowski
WR (5): Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, Andre Caldwell, Brandon Stokley, Matthew Willis
TE (3): Joel Dressen, Jacon Tamme, Julius Thomas
OT (3): Ryan Clady, Orlando Franklin, Chris Clark
OG (4): Chris Kuper, Zane Beadles, Manny Ramirez, C.J. Davis
C (2): J.D. Walton, Philip Blake

DE (4): Elvis Dumervil, Derek Wolfe, Robert Ayers, Malik Jackson
DT (4): Ty Warren, Justin Bannan, Kevin Vickerson Mitch Unrein
LB (7): Von Miller, Joe Mays, Wesley Woodyard, Keith Brooking, Steven Johnson, Danny Trevathan, Nate Irving
CB (5): Champ Bailey, Tracy Porty, Chris Harris, Omar Bolden, Tony Carter
S (5): Quinton Carter, Mike Adams, Rahim Moore, Davis Bruton, Jim Leonhard

ST (3): Matt Prater, Briton Colquitt, Aaron Brewer

Suspended Reserve: D.J. Williams, Virgil Green

[CT Bronco Fan]

Kinda shocked we kept 3 QB, even more shocked it was Haine over Weber.

[njx9]

wolfe is now a de? also, ugh hanie. ugh weber on the PS again. i hope we didn't lose anything of value to keep hanie and moreno.

[Rcee]

Wolfe has been playing end in our base and kicking inside for nickle/dime packages.

Love keeping carter over squid/florence. I also like that we held onto steve johnson and trevathon.

Unfortunately we still have hanie, knowshon and old man brooking. Caleb hanie is garbo, jerimiah johnson was my least favorite cut, compound that with holding onto slowshon makes it that much worse. Keith brooking is ancient and pmuch useless at this point. Didn't like signing andre caldwell, then seeing him drop like five very catchable balls in the preseason further reinforced my disdain for him. Julius thomas has shown nothing, once green gets back from suspension I expect he'll take his spot (at least I hope)on the roster.

Just one dudes opinion.

[Jimmy]

sooooo uhhhhh......

wow?

[Timbathia]

If we can figure out how to gt the defense off the field on third and long, we may be onto something.

[Diehard]

Great win to start the season.

* The offense moved the ball pretty much at will. Manning was in full field general mode and made good use of his weapons. It's hard to be critical of anything on this side of the ball.

* Joe Mays either lights it up or looks like a fool. He doesn't seem to have any middle ground. Unfortunately, there was too much "fool" tonight.

* The defense could've easily had 4 picks if they held on to the ball. More focus, please. Giving Big Ben second chances is asking for trouble.

* The Porter/Champ combination looks very good... too bad the safeties aren't anywhere close to that level.

[njx9]

it would be great if we'd stop using linebackers to cover people they can't keep up with. i "can't wait" to watch joe mays try to cover gronkowski or jimmy graham.

everyone but champ and porter looked consistently lost in coverage.

leave peyton in a permanent no-huddle.

moreno actually picked up 4 tough yards! granted, they were spread across 4 different carries.

it's just really nice to see a third and long and actually have confidence in our ability to convert it. and it's even nicer to see it attempted without 437 meaningless spin moves.

[Diehard]

Originally Posted by njx9

it would be great if we'd stop using linebackers to cover people they can't keep up with. i "can't wait" to watch joe mays try to cover gronkowski or jimmy graham.

This seems like it's been a problem since forever. DJ is fast, but can't cover worth ****. Woodyard is a little better, but he got schooled last night by the Steelers. Mays is a disaster. Miller has some potential, but it's almost a victory for the other team to have him in coverage instead of disrupting the play.

I will say this, though, Woodyard was a force in pursuit when he wasn't getting beaten in coverage. That's what you want from your WLB. DJ may have superior athletic ability, but instincts and football smarts count for a lot at LB.

[njx9]

agreed. i thought our entire defense actually did a great job (for the majority of the game) flowing to the play and stuffing up the runs. it was beautiful to watch. and i take back some of what i said about wolfe.

but yeah, if mays is still on the field, we have a serious and severe talent deficiency at LB. i love the guy, but he's just not very good. we really need one of the young guys to be able to run with a TE, or we need to quit putting linebackers on the field on third down.

[Diehard]

Originally Posted by njx9

but yeah, if mays is still on the field, we have a serious and severe talent deficiency at LB. i love the guy, but he's just not very good. we really need one of the young guys to be able to run with a TE, or we need to quit putting linebackers on the field on third down.

I believe they put Adams on Heath Miller later in the game and it worked out better... the old big nickle. It would help if we had a better group of safeties, though.

[jCut]

This lack of a consistent pass rush is completely unacceptable with all of the talent on the d-line. It's mind-boggling. And I hope that's the final nail in Moreno's coffin.

[njx9]

i don't understand why we were constantly dropping the DL into pass coverage. or why we shifted into that god awful zone. i don't think we covered a single falcons wr in the second half because our underneath zones are a pathetic joke. fantastic job by the falcons on defense to start, though. manning looked lost, and those were just abysmal decisions on the ints.

how bad must hillman be if he's inactive while garbage like moreno and ball are actually getting into games? just awesome.

minus the zone crap, i actually thought we did ok. that game should've been a humiliating blowout, and instead came down to the final few plays, in spite of four straight turnovers. if peyton doesn't throw those picks, that was a winnable game.

and yes - the refs were ****. they still didn't force peyton to throw those passes. they didn't force moreno to be the worst player of all time. and they didn't force del rio to shift into a zone with 15 yards of underneath padding on a crucial 3rd and 4.

[Diehard]

Originally Posted by njx9

how bad must hillman be if he's inactive while garbage like moreno and ball are actually getting into games? just awesome.

Hillman's hammy + lack of experience in pass protect means they are going to be cautious about putting him on the field.

and yes - the refs were ****.

They were.... I actually lost my mind watching the early part of the game and had to take a timeout. Not only did they fail to make the calls, but they proved unequal to the task of managing the game as a whole.

they still didn't force peyton to throw those passes. they didn't force moreno to be the worst player of all time. and they didn't force del rio to shift into a zone with 15 yards of underneath padding on a crucial 3rd and 4.

And yet with all of that, we came back and made it interesting. I think that is the positive to take away from the game. There were times in the past when a few bad breaks early pretty much caused the team to give up (e.g. that debacle against the Raiders at home a few years back).

[njx9]

Originally Posted by Diehard

And yet with all of that, we came back and made it interesting. I think that is the positive to take away from the game. There were times in the past when a few bad breaks early pretty much caused the team to give up (e.g. that debacle against the Raiders at home a few years back).

absolutely agree. i still have no idea how we were in that game till the very end. but i don't remember very many teams over the last decade that would've been.

[Rcee]

Agree with everything except there being no pass rush. We were getting consistent pressure against pitt week 1 but ben was ben. Monday was more atl calling a lot of quick pass plays, often with matty ice throwing with someone in his face.

Some things worth noting; walton and beadles have looked so much better thus far this season. Still not sold on either, but it's nice to see.

DT looks like hes peytons go to guy, despite nearly everyone thinking it'd be decker. I hope he can stay healthy the whole year.

Our dt rotation has looked great. Unrein has been a big surprise. Foster/tate are the real test though.

Rahim moore seems to be playing much more instinctive, it'd be nice to see him actually hang onto the ball for the pick just once though.

[njx9]

it would just be fantastic if we would stop being the worst 1st quarter team in the league, and act like we had an interest in winning games before we're down by 14.

also, is kuper really that big a cog? our interior o-line looked horrible.

[Rcee]

Manny looked terrible yesterday. If course he was goin up against probably the hottest defensive player in the league atm.

Mike adams had a bad day.

[njx9]

i thought mike adams outplayed the rest of our garbage safeties.