Denver Native (Carol)
08-30-2010, 10:31 PM
http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/The-Morning-After-Preseason-Week-3/2151592c-db10-48f7-b8b8-d5a1c4a4bee3
LenDale White had a happy homecoming, producing the Broncos' first rushing touchdown of the preseason in the team's win against Pittsburgh.
DENVER -- Just because he'd returned to the Dove Valley practice field this week didn't mean LenDale White was a lock to make his Broncos debut on Sunday against Pittsburgh.
In the days leading up to the team's third preseason game, Head Coach Josh McDaniels said the team would be cautious and make the best decision for the fifth-year running back.
But with the Broncos top two running backs from a year ago still sidelined by injury, White did earn the start against the Steelers. The Denver native responded with 34 yards on 12 carries and the team's first rushing touchdown of the preseason, showcasing the power and tough running ability the Broncos expected when they signed the Denver native on August 4.
"It's good to finally know I'm healthy," White said following the 34-17 win. "I can make some football moves and I can cut, get hit and all that without thinking about it. It was good to do that."
Both McDaniels and White agreed that the running back's hard-nosed style played nicely into the team's plan to attack the visitors in Sunday's nationally televised contest. From the beginning, the Broncos showed a bigger committment to the running game than in their first two preseason games.
Against a Pittsburgh team that has been traditionally stout against the run, White had to earn his yards. The newest Bronco back and Lance Ball shared the bulk of the first-team work as the Broncos finished the game with 128 yards on the ground -- a preseason high.
That included the two yards White picked up on his touchdown run when the 6-foot-1, 235-pound running back smacked into the line and pushed his way into the end zone. White punctuated the score by giving a "Mile High Salute," an homage to Terrell Davis and other Broncos he'd watched growing up in the area.
Even though White acknowledged cracking the end zone wasn't anything extraordinary for a player with 24 career NFL regular season touchdowns, doing it for his hometown team made it special. He said getting his first game reps as a Bronco reminded him of how proud his late grandmother would have been to see him in the orange-and-blue.
"There's so many emotions going through me right now," White said. "I'm not sure if I want to smile, cry, whatever it is. It's surreal. I'm happy to be back home -- Denver."
THE ROOKIE SCORE
Tim Tebow and Eric Decker became connected in Broncos history in April when the team made them members of its 2010 draft class. On Sunday, the quarterback and wide receiver added another page to that lore when they combined on their first career touchdown.
Tebow, who led the first four drives after halftime, capped a five-play, 74-yard drive when he floated a pass to Decker in the corner of the end zone with 10:09 left in the game.
However, neither rookie was too interested in celebrating the play postgame.
When asked about his first career scoring grab, Decker mentioned a pass from Tebow that slid through his hands in traffic near the goal line on an earlier drive.
Tebow, one of the team's two first-round picks, focused on his first career interception, a pick by Pittsburgh's Crezdon Butler on the previous drive that set up the Steelers first touchdown of the night.
"I still made a bad mistake, and I've got to learn from that and get better," Tebow said. "Those things just can't happen."
The rookie signal caller missed last week's loss to Detroit due to injury. On Sunday, he finished the game 5-for-10 for 72 yards with a touchdown and an interception. McDaniels said he left Tebow's second career game encouraged, particularly with the touchdown pass, which Decker pulled down in front of Butler.
"I thought (Tebow) battled, ran the huddle well and made some good throws," McDaniels said. "He moved the ball and then made a good check down there in the red area on the touchdown."
Decker saw his first action last week after missing the first preseason contest because of injury. After pulling down five catches for 66 yards in his debut against the Lions, the rookie from Minnesota scored on his only catch Sunday.
Decker said he'll remember his first career NFL touchdown for the rest of his life but called himself "kind of a perfectionist" when assessing his own contribution.
That didn't stop him from praising the quarterback who tossed the pass. Decker lauded his fellow rookie's presence in the huddle and expressed hope for the future.
"I think (Tebow) was hungry to get back in a game situation," Decker said. "Obviously, sitting out last week hurt him a little bit because he's a competitor, but he came in, practiced well and he was ready to go. It was fun to connect with him on the touchdown."
BRINGING THE HEAT
On another day, Robert Ayers might have been the Broncos' unquestioned defensive star.
The second-year linebacker registered a pair of sacks and proved a disruptive force for most of his roughly three quarters of action in Sunday's win. But in a game when the secondary came up with three interceptions and a pair of defensive scores, he had to share top billing.
Ayers didn't mind at all.
"It all goes together," Ayers said. "If you've got good coverage, you're going to have pressure. If you get pressure on the quarterback, you're going to make him make bad throws. That's the goal of any great defense, you want to do those two things."
Ayers' effort proved just part of Denver's improved pass rush on Sunday. The Steelers used four different quarterbacks in the game, and they all faced stress from Broncos rushers, who registered eight quarterback hurries and a preseason-high three sacks in the game.
The group especially harassed Pittsburgh's Dennis Dixon, who played the majority of the middle two quarters. The mobile quarterback often had to scramble out of the pocket before having time to throw. He was sacked twice, including a fourth-down play in the third quarter on which several Broncos hit him in the backfield before Ayers dropped him for a 6-yard loss. Dixon also threw a pair of interceptions, including one as he rushed a throw with Ayers bearing down on him.
Jason Hunter and Joe Mays also showed an ability to get past the Steelers defensive line as they combined for five quarterback hurries and a sack. The defense as a whole has recorded seven sacks through three preseason games.
While Andre' Goodman and Syd'Quan Thompson got to bask in the glory of putting points on the board on interception returns, that pass rush gives the Broncos front-seven a confidence boost heading into the regular season.
"That's the key to the defense, you've got to get pressure on the quarterback, especially a guy like Ben (Roethlisberger) or the top-notch quarterbacks in the game," Ayers said. "You've got to get pressure on them. You can't just let coverage do everything."
LenDale White had a happy homecoming, producing the Broncos' first rushing touchdown of the preseason in the team's win against Pittsburgh.
DENVER -- Just because he'd returned to the Dove Valley practice field this week didn't mean LenDale White was a lock to make his Broncos debut on Sunday against Pittsburgh.
In the days leading up to the team's third preseason game, Head Coach Josh McDaniels said the team would be cautious and make the best decision for the fifth-year running back.
But with the Broncos top two running backs from a year ago still sidelined by injury, White did earn the start against the Steelers. The Denver native responded with 34 yards on 12 carries and the team's first rushing touchdown of the preseason, showcasing the power and tough running ability the Broncos expected when they signed the Denver native on August 4.
"It's good to finally know I'm healthy," White said following the 34-17 win. "I can make some football moves and I can cut, get hit and all that without thinking about it. It was good to do that."
Both McDaniels and White agreed that the running back's hard-nosed style played nicely into the team's plan to attack the visitors in Sunday's nationally televised contest. From the beginning, the Broncos showed a bigger committment to the running game than in their first two preseason games.
Against a Pittsburgh team that has been traditionally stout against the run, White had to earn his yards. The newest Bronco back and Lance Ball shared the bulk of the first-team work as the Broncos finished the game with 128 yards on the ground -- a preseason high.
That included the two yards White picked up on his touchdown run when the 6-foot-1, 235-pound running back smacked into the line and pushed his way into the end zone. White punctuated the score by giving a "Mile High Salute," an homage to Terrell Davis and other Broncos he'd watched growing up in the area.
Even though White acknowledged cracking the end zone wasn't anything extraordinary for a player with 24 career NFL regular season touchdowns, doing it for his hometown team made it special. He said getting his first game reps as a Bronco reminded him of how proud his late grandmother would have been to see him in the orange-and-blue.
"There's so many emotions going through me right now," White said. "I'm not sure if I want to smile, cry, whatever it is. It's surreal. I'm happy to be back home -- Denver."
THE ROOKIE SCORE
Tim Tebow and Eric Decker became connected in Broncos history in April when the team made them members of its 2010 draft class. On Sunday, the quarterback and wide receiver added another page to that lore when they combined on their first career touchdown.
Tebow, who led the first four drives after halftime, capped a five-play, 74-yard drive when he floated a pass to Decker in the corner of the end zone with 10:09 left in the game.
However, neither rookie was too interested in celebrating the play postgame.
When asked about his first career scoring grab, Decker mentioned a pass from Tebow that slid through his hands in traffic near the goal line on an earlier drive.
Tebow, one of the team's two first-round picks, focused on his first career interception, a pick by Pittsburgh's Crezdon Butler on the previous drive that set up the Steelers first touchdown of the night.
"I still made a bad mistake, and I've got to learn from that and get better," Tebow said. "Those things just can't happen."
The rookie signal caller missed last week's loss to Detroit due to injury. On Sunday, he finished the game 5-for-10 for 72 yards with a touchdown and an interception. McDaniels said he left Tebow's second career game encouraged, particularly with the touchdown pass, which Decker pulled down in front of Butler.
"I thought (Tebow) battled, ran the huddle well and made some good throws," McDaniels said. "He moved the ball and then made a good check down there in the red area on the touchdown."
Decker saw his first action last week after missing the first preseason contest because of injury. After pulling down five catches for 66 yards in his debut against the Lions, the rookie from Minnesota scored on his only catch Sunday.
Decker said he'll remember his first career NFL touchdown for the rest of his life but called himself "kind of a perfectionist" when assessing his own contribution.
That didn't stop him from praising the quarterback who tossed the pass. Decker lauded his fellow rookie's presence in the huddle and expressed hope for the future.
"I think (Tebow) was hungry to get back in a game situation," Decker said. "Obviously, sitting out last week hurt him a little bit because he's a competitor, but he came in, practiced well and he was ready to go. It was fun to connect with him on the touchdown."
BRINGING THE HEAT
On another day, Robert Ayers might have been the Broncos' unquestioned defensive star.
The second-year linebacker registered a pair of sacks and proved a disruptive force for most of his roughly three quarters of action in Sunday's win. But in a game when the secondary came up with three interceptions and a pair of defensive scores, he had to share top billing.
Ayers didn't mind at all.
"It all goes together," Ayers said. "If you've got good coverage, you're going to have pressure. If you get pressure on the quarterback, you're going to make him make bad throws. That's the goal of any great defense, you want to do those two things."
Ayers' effort proved just part of Denver's improved pass rush on Sunday. The Steelers used four different quarterbacks in the game, and they all faced stress from Broncos rushers, who registered eight quarterback hurries and a preseason-high three sacks in the game.
The group especially harassed Pittsburgh's Dennis Dixon, who played the majority of the middle two quarters. The mobile quarterback often had to scramble out of the pocket before having time to throw. He was sacked twice, including a fourth-down play in the third quarter on which several Broncos hit him in the backfield before Ayers dropped him for a 6-yard loss. Dixon also threw a pair of interceptions, including one as he rushed a throw with Ayers bearing down on him.
Jason Hunter and Joe Mays also showed an ability to get past the Steelers defensive line as they combined for five quarterback hurries and a sack. The defense as a whole has recorded seven sacks through three preseason games.
While Andre' Goodman and Syd'Quan Thompson got to bask in the glory of putting points on the board on interception returns, that pass rush gives the Broncos front-seven a confidence boost heading into the regular season.
"That's the key to the defense, you've got to get pressure on the quarterback, especially a guy like Ben (Roethlisberger) or the top-notch quarterbacks in the game," Ayers said. "You've got to get pressure on them. You can't just let coverage do everything."