Lonestar
09-16-2010, 03:59 PM
Woody's Mailbag: Week 1 didn't change opinion about Broncos or other teams
Randy from Centennial asks Woody about the prospects for the ex-Broncos.
Well, Week 1 is history, and so far Mike Shanahan is 1-0, Jay Cutler is 1-0, Brandon Marshall is 1-0 and Josh McDaniels and the Broncos are 0-1. (Gary Kubiak is also 1-0, but he doesn't count because he wasn't run out of Denver.) Which of those four teams (Redskins, Bears, Dolphins and Broncos) will finish with the best record?
— Randy, Centennial
Woody Paige: Why would anyone care what I think, Randy? I was so wrong last week. I picked Jacksonville to beat the Broncos 24-16.
You forgot to mention the Broncos' opponent this week. Seattle will have two offensive line starters run out of Denver (Ben Hamilton and Tyler Polumbus) — and the offensive coordinator (Jeremy Bates).
And don't forget Detroit, where tight end Tony Scheffler now lives. I think Houston counts, because the offensive coordinator, Rick Dennison, basically was run out of town.
And remember Peyton Hillis, who was shipped off to Cleveland, where he's playing well. I'm sure I'm forgetting some others.
When I looked at all the schedules of NFL teams before I picked the Broncos 8-8, which still seems about right given the first week of play, I had the Redskins at 8-8, the Bears at 8-8, the Dolphins at 8-8 and the Texans at 8-8. Really. My feelings haven't really changed.
Washington (which has Clinton Portis, who was run out of town by Shanahan, who was then run out of town) may win nine, and the Dolphins could win nine, and the Texans, after that victory over Indy (with Arian Foster running wild with a ZONE-BLOCKING scheme), might be better than I thought.
I have a feeling that Brandon Marshall not only has gotten his money but will get the best record of the bunch. It'll come down to the final weekend, but not one of all those guys will play in the Super Bowl, and they may not play in a postseason game. Misery loves all the company.
Woody, in your opinion, in the long run, how bad will the Alphonso Smith move be? Which do you think Josh McDaniels will regret more: drafting him or trading him for so little? Also, why does everyone say this shows how bad McDaniels' player evaluation skills are when this move was made because three other rookies he evaluated and brought in made the roster ahead of Smith? Shouldn't he be lauded for finding a trio of rookies worth keeping at the CB position?
— Ian John, Pueblo
WP: Ian, Pueblo always has a glass-full attitude. I'm certain Josh McDaniels regrets the Alphonso Smith draft pick. He gave up a No. 1 to get a No. 2. Smith was no help whatsoever last year. If he had stayed, he would have been no help this year, so getting a third-string tight end was about all the Broncos could hope for.
In McDaniels' defense (sort of), when he got here, he didn't like the scouting department and has said he didn't have sufficient time to do anything about it before the draft. But that's no excuse for Smith and Richard Quinn, who will never be much in the NFL.
Robert Ayers and Knowshon Moreno played pretty well at Jacksonville, but Ayers was a flop last year, and Moreno has not yet proven to be the best running back in last year's draft. As everybody knows, neither of this year's No. 1 draft picks helped on Sunday, one because of health and the other because he ran the ball twice and didn't pass once.
I think the Broncos got three outstanding picks in this year's draft in Zane Beadles, J.D. Walton and Perrish Cox. Three selections from last year have already have washed out, and this year one has. I don't believe Syd'Quan Thompson will ever be a player, although people went goo-gah over him in a couple of exhibitions. He was a scratch Sunday and likely will be often unless there are injuries at cornerback.
I guess this year's draft will depend ultimately on Tim Tebow and Demaryius Thomas (who remains hurt). Eric Decker will be a player. David Bruton and Darcel McBath have to come through from last year, although McBath is another injured guy.
Smith was a bust from the get-go. I think when we look back in five years, the Broncos will have gotten nine players from the two drafts, and two will someday play in the Pro Bowl.
Woody, I was watching a rerun of the last exhibition game for the Broncos. I noticed that the center, J.D. Walton, bobbed his head just before he snapped the ball. This happened whether the quarterback was in the shotgun position or under center. Isn't this a flaw that needs correcting? Doesn't this give the opposing team a clue when the snap will happen?
— Jack White, Loveland
WP: Jack, I've looked back at the tape. Walton did do it some of the time, which can be attributed to the center calling assignments for the offensive line. It's not, as they say in poker, a "tell." Centers usually have to look at the ball, look at the defense, look back at the ball, look straight ahead, and that's nothing unusual.
He's probably making some mistakes, given that he's a rookie. But I didn't see anything that will matter, and I didn't see any abnormal head movement in the Jacksonville game. I once told John Elway he tapped the football just before he threw it. If he was faking a pass, he wouldn't tap. When he did get ready to throw, he would tap. His reply: "So?" Seemed to work for him.
Woody, when I watched the preseason film on Denver this year, Kyle Orton showed the poise of Tom Brady in the pocket and the quickness of Peyton Manning. Orton is neither of those men, but he's looking good. So why is everyone down on our passing game? Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Brandon Marshall drop the MOST passes of any receiver on our team in the last three years?
— Alex, Denver
WP: Alex, a cross between Brady and Manning. Wow. Orton is maybe more of a cross between Brady Quinn and Eli Manning.
Did you happen to notice that Orton played well until they needed him late in the fourth quarter against the Jaguars, and his pass on fourth down to Brandon Lloyd at the end zone forced Lloyd to make a circus catch, and he couldn't get his feet inbounds? Then, on the last offensive play the Broncos had, Orton threw an interception.
He remains what he is — an average NFL quarterback. Brady and Manning (Peyton) have played in six of the last nine Super Bowls (and won four). Get back to me when Kyle Orton plays in just one playoff game in his career.
I listened to a couple of talk show hosts last week who said Orton was among the top quarterbacks in the league. Here's my list:
1. Tom Brady.
1A. Peyton Manning.
3. Drew Brees.
4. Philip Rivers.
5. Ben Roethlisberger.
6. Aaron Rodgers.
7. Tony Romo
8. Brett Favre.
9. Carson Palmer.
10. Eli Manning.
11. Matt Ryan.
12. Jay Cutler
13. Matt Schwab
14. Kevin Kolb
15. Michael Vick
16. Mark Sanchez
17. Joe Flacco
18. Donovan McNabb
19. Vince Young
20. Orton, maybe.
Go argue that. Marshall is among the leaders in dropped passes every year.
Woody, let's talk about a college football playoff vs. the BCS. Take the top six BCS teams. First two get byes. The No. 3 seed plays No. 6 in the Orange Bowl. The No. 4 team plays No. 5 in the Fiesta Bowl. Then the top seed plays the lowest remaining seed in the Sugar Bowl, and the No. 2 team plays the highest remaining seed in the Rose Bowl. Finally, the two teams remaining teams play the championship game at the "Plus-1" game. The other minor bowls still have their games, but you will have a true national championship game and the four major bowls and BCS will still be in play. What do you think?
— Jack Tumlinson, Pineville, La.
WP: Jack, I think not. As I've maintained for more than a dozen years, the field should included eight teams. No reason to give anybody byes. The playoff championship rotates among the Rose, Sugar, Orange, Fiesta and Cotton (in the new Cowboys Stadium). The semifinals are played in two of the others.
The quarterfinals are played in two of those stadiums and probably in one of the other bowls in Orlando, San Diego, Atlanta and Houston. And the remaining teams get to play in all those meaningless bowls. Why make it complicated? The system is simple; the solution is easy. National champion.
Randy from Centennial asks Woody about the prospects for the ex-Broncos.
Well, Week 1 is history, and so far Mike Shanahan is 1-0, Jay Cutler is 1-0, Brandon Marshall is 1-0 and Josh McDaniels and the Broncos are 0-1. (Gary Kubiak is also 1-0, but he doesn't count because he wasn't run out of Denver.) Which of those four teams (Redskins, Bears, Dolphins and Broncos) will finish with the best record?
— Randy, Centennial
Woody Paige: Why would anyone care what I think, Randy? I was so wrong last week. I picked Jacksonville to beat the Broncos 24-16.
You forgot to mention the Broncos' opponent this week. Seattle will have two offensive line starters run out of Denver (Ben Hamilton and Tyler Polumbus) — and the offensive coordinator (Jeremy Bates).
And don't forget Detroit, where tight end Tony Scheffler now lives. I think Houston counts, because the offensive coordinator, Rick Dennison, basically was run out of town.
And remember Peyton Hillis, who was shipped off to Cleveland, where he's playing well. I'm sure I'm forgetting some others.
When I looked at all the schedules of NFL teams before I picked the Broncos 8-8, which still seems about right given the first week of play, I had the Redskins at 8-8, the Bears at 8-8, the Dolphins at 8-8 and the Texans at 8-8. Really. My feelings haven't really changed.
Washington (which has Clinton Portis, who was run out of town by Shanahan, who was then run out of town) may win nine, and the Dolphins could win nine, and the Texans, after that victory over Indy (with Arian Foster running wild with a ZONE-BLOCKING scheme), might be better than I thought.
I have a feeling that Brandon Marshall not only has gotten his money but will get the best record of the bunch. It'll come down to the final weekend, but not one of all those guys will play in the Super Bowl, and they may not play in a postseason game. Misery loves all the company.
Woody, in your opinion, in the long run, how bad will the Alphonso Smith move be? Which do you think Josh McDaniels will regret more: drafting him or trading him for so little? Also, why does everyone say this shows how bad McDaniels' player evaluation skills are when this move was made because three other rookies he evaluated and brought in made the roster ahead of Smith? Shouldn't he be lauded for finding a trio of rookies worth keeping at the CB position?
— Ian John, Pueblo
WP: Ian, Pueblo always has a glass-full attitude. I'm certain Josh McDaniels regrets the Alphonso Smith draft pick. He gave up a No. 1 to get a No. 2. Smith was no help whatsoever last year. If he had stayed, he would have been no help this year, so getting a third-string tight end was about all the Broncos could hope for.
In McDaniels' defense (sort of), when he got here, he didn't like the scouting department and has said he didn't have sufficient time to do anything about it before the draft. But that's no excuse for Smith and Richard Quinn, who will never be much in the NFL.
Robert Ayers and Knowshon Moreno played pretty well at Jacksonville, but Ayers was a flop last year, and Moreno has not yet proven to be the best running back in last year's draft. As everybody knows, neither of this year's No. 1 draft picks helped on Sunday, one because of health and the other because he ran the ball twice and didn't pass once.
I think the Broncos got three outstanding picks in this year's draft in Zane Beadles, J.D. Walton and Perrish Cox. Three selections from last year have already have washed out, and this year one has. I don't believe Syd'Quan Thompson will ever be a player, although people went goo-gah over him in a couple of exhibitions. He was a scratch Sunday and likely will be often unless there are injuries at cornerback.
I guess this year's draft will depend ultimately on Tim Tebow and Demaryius Thomas (who remains hurt). Eric Decker will be a player. David Bruton and Darcel McBath have to come through from last year, although McBath is another injured guy.
Smith was a bust from the get-go. I think when we look back in five years, the Broncos will have gotten nine players from the two drafts, and two will someday play in the Pro Bowl.
Woody, I was watching a rerun of the last exhibition game for the Broncos. I noticed that the center, J.D. Walton, bobbed his head just before he snapped the ball. This happened whether the quarterback was in the shotgun position or under center. Isn't this a flaw that needs correcting? Doesn't this give the opposing team a clue when the snap will happen?
— Jack White, Loveland
WP: Jack, I've looked back at the tape. Walton did do it some of the time, which can be attributed to the center calling assignments for the offensive line. It's not, as they say in poker, a "tell." Centers usually have to look at the ball, look at the defense, look back at the ball, look straight ahead, and that's nothing unusual.
He's probably making some mistakes, given that he's a rookie. But I didn't see anything that will matter, and I didn't see any abnormal head movement in the Jacksonville game. I once told John Elway he tapped the football just before he threw it. If he was faking a pass, he wouldn't tap. When he did get ready to throw, he would tap. His reply: "So?" Seemed to work for him.
Woody, when I watched the preseason film on Denver this year, Kyle Orton showed the poise of Tom Brady in the pocket and the quickness of Peyton Manning. Orton is neither of those men, but he's looking good. So why is everyone down on our passing game? Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Brandon Marshall drop the MOST passes of any receiver on our team in the last three years?
— Alex, Denver
WP: Alex, a cross between Brady and Manning. Wow. Orton is maybe more of a cross between Brady Quinn and Eli Manning.
Did you happen to notice that Orton played well until they needed him late in the fourth quarter against the Jaguars, and his pass on fourth down to Brandon Lloyd at the end zone forced Lloyd to make a circus catch, and he couldn't get his feet inbounds? Then, on the last offensive play the Broncos had, Orton threw an interception.
He remains what he is — an average NFL quarterback. Brady and Manning (Peyton) have played in six of the last nine Super Bowls (and won four). Get back to me when Kyle Orton plays in just one playoff game in his career.
I listened to a couple of talk show hosts last week who said Orton was among the top quarterbacks in the league. Here's my list:
1. Tom Brady.
1A. Peyton Manning.
3. Drew Brees.
4. Philip Rivers.
5. Ben Roethlisberger.
6. Aaron Rodgers.
7. Tony Romo
8. Brett Favre.
9. Carson Palmer.
10. Eli Manning.
11. Matt Ryan.
12. Jay Cutler
13. Matt Schwab
14. Kevin Kolb
15. Michael Vick
16. Mark Sanchez
17. Joe Flacco
18. Donovan McNabb
19. Vince Young
20. Orton, maybe.
Go argue that. Marshall is among the leaders in dropped passes every year.
Woody, let's talk about a college football playoff vs. the BCS. Take the top six BCS teams. First two get byes. The No. 3 seed plays No. 6 in the Orange Bowl. The No. 4 team plays No. 5 in the Fiesta Bowl. Then the top seed plays the lowest remaining seed in the Sugar Bowl, and the No. 2 team plays the highest remaining seed in the Rose Bowl. Finally, the two teams remaining teams play the championship game at the "Plus-1" game. The other minor bowls still have their games, but you will have a true national championship game and the four major bowls and BCS will still be in play. What do you think?
— Jack Tumlinson, Pineville, La.
WP: Jack, I think not. As I've maintained for more than a dozen years, the field should included eight teams. No reason to give anybody byes. The playoff championship rotates among the Rose, Sugar, Orange, Fiesta and Cotton (in the new Cowboys Stadium). The semifinals are played in two of the others.
The quarterfinals are played in two of those stadiums and probably in one of the other bowls in Orlando, San Diego, Atlanta and Houston. And the remaining teams get to play in all those meaningless bowls. Why make it complicated? The system is simple; the solution is easy. National champion.