omac
10-04-2008, 09:38 PM
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/oct/02/on-broncos-front-burner-patience/
On Broncos' front burner: patience
Cutler must use light touch against Bucs' hot defense
By Jeff Legwold, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published October 2, 2008 at 7:25 p.m.
The stove is right there, easy to see for Jay Cutler.
And it's hot. Very hot, very big, very fast, has eight interceptions and 11 sacks. Cutler knows he shouldn't touch it, knows he shouldn't get lured into thinking it won't hurt.
Because when he stands at the line of scrimmage Sunday, it will be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defense across from the third-year quarterback, testing every fiber of patience in his 25-year-old body.
"I know a quarterback has to be patient against that defense, you just have to take your 5-yard completions, your 6-yard completions, and, you know, quarterbacks in the NFL, you get tired of doing that," Cutler said. "You get tired of that, and then you take a shot downfield and that's when they pick you off. Peyton Manning is probably the best in the league at taking what's given, moving the ball down the field however he has to.
"Sometimes, it's not very glamorous, and, in a lot of ways, you have to be the same way on offense. Be careful with what you do."
The Buccaneers' eight interceptions are tied for the league lead, and they have scored three defensive touchdowns already this season - two on interception returns and one on a fumble return.
Defensively, the Buccaneers vary things a little more these days than they did when Tony Dungy was the team's head coach, but at the root of it all is still a cover-2 scheme.
"And they don't make mistakes in it," Cutler said. "They're sound and fast."
In essence, the defense is built - by pushing the two safeties deeper down the field, each responsible for half the field, and dropping seven defenders into the passing lanes on many downs - to take away the big plays.
Even if a receiver escapes a cornerback, he still has a safety waiting well down the field.
A quarterback is then often forced to look at the short or intermediate pass routes, where the defenders then converge on the ballcarrier. A team needs plenty of speed to pull it off - two of the Buccaneers' starting linebackers, Cato June and Derrick Brooks, are former college safeties - and quality tacklers who get the ballcarrier down on first contact.
The Buccaneers also primarily rush with only their front four - also a prerequisite to making the scheme work - and while some believe an offense can take advantage of a little more room to run the ball as the defenders move away from the line of scrimmage, Dungy always has said a front four that "defends the run on the way to the quarterback" can be difficult to run against.
"When a defense is dropping people into coverage, they want to see how good the quarterback is," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. "And, eventually, I believe a quarterback can find somebody if you maintain the line of scrimmage."
But maintaining the line of scrimmage can be difficult against a team built for the scheme. The Buccaneers consistently have generated a pass rush with their front four - nine of their 11 sacks have come from their defensive linemen.
Greg White, who hasn't started a game this season, leads the team in sacks, with 3 1/2, and the two starting ends, Gaines Adams and Kevin Carter, have two sacks each.
"Their defensive ends are really playing well, with a lot of power and speed," Cutler said. "On defense, they're kind of like we are on offense right now, with a good mix of some older guys and some real young guys who are giving them a lot. They're just sound, so you have to stick to what's there - if you miss the big one, you miss the big one.
"If you take a chance down the field in the wrong spot, they'll pick you off and that's that."
Cutler is coming off a two-interception game in Kansas City, with both interceptions coming when he tried to work a ball into coverage.
Quarterbacks have moved the ball some against the Buccaneers - 7.18 yards per attempt - and have seven touchdown passes. But the eight interceptions, two of those by Adams in the defensive front, to go with the sacks have tipped the scales toward Tampa Bay enough times that the team is 3-1 despite nine turnovers of its own this season.
And when it comes to Cutler, Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden already has invoked a name of a noted risk taker at the position to describe Cutler's abilities and potential in the Broncos offense.
"He's got a cannon," Gruden said. "He's just got a cannon. He reminds me so much of Brett Favre when I was at Green Bay in '92, '93 and '94. Creative playmaking ability."
"(The Broncos) are going to attack you. . . . We think we've got a pretty good defensive football team, and we'll try and do what we can to neutralize their big-play ability."
Wow, what a defense! Al is an idiot for not listening to Lane and firing Rob to bring in Lane's dad from Tampa Bay. :laugh:
If only we had their defense ... :D
On Broncos' front burner: patience
Cutler must use light touch against Bucs' hot defense
By Jeff Legwold, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published October 2, 2008 at 7:25 p.m.
The stove is right there, easy to see for Jay Cutler.
And it's hot. Very hot, very big, very fast, has eight interceptions and 11 sacks. Cutler knows he shouldn't touch it, knows he shouldn't get lured into thinking it won't hurt.
Because when he stands at the line of scrimmage Sunday, it will be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defense across from the third-year quarterback, testing every fiber of patience in his 25-year-old body.
"I know a quarterback has to be patient against that defense, you just have to take your 5-yard completions, your 6-yard completions, and, you know, quarterbacks in the NFL, you get tired of doing that," Cutler said. "You get tired of that, and then you take a shot downfield and that's when they pick you off. Peyton Manning is probably the best in the league at taking what's given, moving the ball down the field however he has to.
"Sometimes, it's not very glamorous, and, in a lot of ways, you have to be the same way on offense. Be careful with what you do."
The Buccaneers' eight interceptions are tied for the league lead, and they have scored three defensive touchdowns already this season - two on interception returns and one on a fumble return.
Defensively, the Buccaneers vary things a little more these days than they did when Tony Dungy was the team's head coach, but at the root of it all is still a cover-2 scheme.
"And they don't make mistakes in it," Cutler said. "They're sound and fast."
In essence, the defense is built - by pushing the two safeties deeper down the field, each responsible for half the field, and dropping seven defenders into the passing lanes on many downs - to take away the big plays.
Even if a receiver escapes a cornerback, he still has a safety waiting well down the field.
A quarterback is then often forced to look at the short or intermediate pass routes, where the defenders then converge on the ballcarrier. A team needs plenty of speed to pull it off - two of the Buccaneers' starting linebackers, Cato June and Derrick Brooks, are former college safeties - and quality tacklers who get the ballcarrier down on first contact.
The Buccaneers also primarily rush with only their front four - also a prerequisite to making the scheme work - and while some believe an offense can take advantage of a little more room to run the ball as the defenders move away from the line of scrimmage, Dungy always has said a front four that "defends the run on the way to the quarterback" can be difficult to run against.
"When a defense is dropping people into coverage, they want to see how good the quarterback is," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. "And, eventually, I believe a quarterback can find somebody if you maintain the line of scrimmage."
But maintaining the line of scrimmage can be difficult against a team built for the scheme. The Buccaneers consistently have generated a pass rush with their front four - nine of their 11 sacks have come from their defensive linemen.
Greg White, who hasn't started a game this season, leads the team in sacks, with 3 1/2, and the two starting ends, Gaines Adams and Kevin Carter, have two sacks each.
"Their defensive ends are really playing well, with a lot of power and speed," Cutler said. "On defense, they're kind of like we are on offense right now, with a good mix of some older guys and some real young guys who are giving them a lot. They're just sound, so you have to stick to what's there - if you miss the big one, you miss the big one.
"If you take a chance down the field in the wrong spot, they'll pick you off and that's that."
Cutler is coming off a two-interception game in Kansas City, with both interceptions coming when he tried to work a ball into coverage.
Quarterbacks have moved the ball some against the Buccaneers - 7.18 yards per attempt - and have seven touchdown passes. But the eight interceptions, two of those by Adams in the defensive front, to go with the sacks have tipped the scales toward Tampa Bay enough times that the team is 3-1 despite nine turnovers of its own this season.
And when it comes to Cutler, Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden already has invoked a name of a noted risk taker at the position to describe Cutler's abilities and potential in the Broncos offense.
"He's got a cannon," Gruden said. "He's just got a cannon. He reminds me so much of Brett Favre when I was at Green Bay in '92, '93 and '94. Creative playmaking ability."
"(The Broncos) are going to attack you. . . . We think we've got a pretty good defensive football team, and we'll try and do what we can to neutralize their big-play ability."
Wow, what a defense! Al is an idiot for not listening to Lane and firing Rob to bring in Lane's dad from Tampa Bay. :laugh:
If only we had their defense ... :D