PDA

View Full Version : Physical practices planned for Broncos this week



Lonestar
10-06-2010, 05:02 PM
this week
By Jeff Legwold
The Denver Post
POSTED: 10/06/2010 01:00:00 AM MDT
UPDATED: 10/06/2010 01:35:07 AM MDT


Playing in Baltimore is no easy task, especially going against a physical, dominating defense like the Ravens. (Joe Amon, The Denver Post )
It was the first domino, and when it was toppled just more than a year ago, the rest of the 2009 season went with it for the Broncos.

The Broncos return to Baltimore on Sunday, the place where the Ravens' 30-7 victory put the brakes on the Broncos' 6-0 start and began the 2-8 limp through the rest of the season that pushed Denver's playoff plans off the drawing board.

"You always know what you're going to get there," Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey said. "We got it (last year). You get it any time you go there. You better be prepared for it or bad things will happen."

On Nov. 1, all of those bad things did happen. Jarrett Johnson sacked Kyle Orton on the Broncos' first offensive play. Baltimore safety Ed Reed plowed into Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno in the first quarter, knocking the ball out, a tone-setting collision that led to the Ravens' first points of what became a 23-point victory.

The Ravens returned the second-half kickoff for a touchdown. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco threw only five incomplete passes. A Broncos defense that had owned third down going into the game allowed the Ravens to convert 11-of-18, including 6-of-8 in the second half when Baltimore rushed for 90 yards.

All of which had been seven days in the making, Broncos coach Josh Mc- Daniels said this week.

"We had a bad week of preparation, a bad week of practice last year before we played the Ravens," McDaniels said. "They're a really good football team, a physical football team. We're going to need to be ready to play our most physical game of the year against them."

Last year, the Broncos were coming off a bye week before their trip to Baltimore. They were the talk of the NFL, having opened McDaniels' inaugural season as coach at 6-0 with victories over the Patriots, Cowboys and Chargers along the way.

The Ravens looked to be the far more physical team in last season's meeting, but the Broncos still trailed only 6-0 at the half. That changed in the space of 14 seconds when Lardarius Webb returned the second-half kickoff 95 yards for a score, and the Ravens followed by scoring on three of their last four possessions of the game to close things out.

To try to avoid a potential repeat, McDaniels said he plans to keep the Broncos on the physical edge in practice this week.

"We need to have a great week of practice, so I think we'll be out there in pads," McDaniels said.

Said wide receiver Eddie Royal: "You always want to have a good week of practice because you feel a lot better going into the game about your game plan, about the plays that you want to run, and we didn't have our best week of practice (last season). When you are playing a team like the Ravens, you really have to have a good week of practice and be focused and be ready to come out and compete because it's going to be a tough game."

The Broncos are battling more than a little statistical weight as well. The team is 0-4 all time facing the Ravens in Baltimore, having been outscored 111-39 in those four games.

And despite their hard-earned victory over the Titans this past Sunday, opposing teams have won only 40 percent of the time the week after games against Tennessee, dating to the start of the 1999 season.

"We need that tough mind-set, that we'll do whatever it takes to get it done," safety Brian Dawkins said. "That has to be our mentality this week and every week."

Jeff Legwold: 303-954-2359 or jlegwold@denverpost.com



Read more: Physical practices planned for Broncos this week - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_16263917#ixzz11cQBZjiF

Italianmobstr7
10-06-2010, 05:32 PM
Good article. Hope we're prepared for a battle because that's exactly what it's going to be.

rcsodak
10-06-2010, 05:58 PM
CRAPT! I wonder how many injuries are going to happen before they get there! I'd like to ask the league why iit seems denver has such a disproportionate number of games THERE. Bastages.
Mobile Post via Mobile.BroncosForums.com/forums