TXBRONC
10-14-2008, 03:02 PM
I read Klis' mailbag segment on DP site. He some very interesting answers to the questions that were posed to him.
http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_10712152
Mailbag: Broncos brandish butterfingers
Recent rash of fumbles irritates Bert from Sacramento
By Mike Klis
The Denver Post
Article Last Updated: 10/13/2008 06:35:51 PM MDT
Denver Post sports writer Mike Klis posts his Broncos Mailbag every Tuesday during the 2008 NFL season on DenverPost.com.
Why are we fumbling the ball so much?
-- Bert Benson, Sacramento, Calif.
Bert - In the Broncos' two losses, fumbles could be blamed. Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall had the most crucial fumbles in each defeat. In both instances, he did not have his hand over the tip of the ball, which is fundamental No. 1 to ball security.
The fumble by quarterback Jay Cutler was also crucial because it stalled the Broncos' early momentum. Cutler was carrying the ball as a quarterback would in the pocket, which is with one hand around the laces. Once former Broncos defensive end Reggie Hayward swung his mighty hand at the ball, Cutler had no chance to hold on. Cutler knows now he should have either tucked the ball away or used his second hand sooner than he did. But it's why experience is such a difficult characteristic to attain -- how does anyone really know how far you can go until you go too far?
Mike - I think Michael Pittman and the physical play of the defense were the bright spots in the loss to the Jags. Would you agree? Did you see any others? Thanks.
-- Dan, Denver
Dan - I agree Pittman was a bright spot. The defense wasn't a bright spot until the Broncos got behind 24-10. At that point, Broncos defensive coordinator Bob Slowik sold out on nearly every play -- to great success. The blitzes disrupted Jacksonville
The Broncos seemed to be missing something Sunday — the ball, in this case, as Michael Pittman loses it. The Denver running back made the recovery. (Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post)quarterback David Garrard's passing and provided extra attackers against the running game. Ordinarily it's risky to blitz so often, but there is virtually no risk when you're down two touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
The most overlooked highlight of the game, though, was the Broncos' offensive line. Taking nothing away from Pittman's inspiring performance, but there were three or four running plays in the first half when he got the handoff, only to have the line of scrimmage move three or four yards in Jacksonville's direction. Cutler also wasn't sacked. When a running back goes for 100 yards and the quarterback isn't sacked, the offensive line did its job.
When are Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall going to stop being coddled by the staff and the media in Denver? They are directly responsible for Sunday's loss. The defense played as tough as it could. It was the offense that let them down.
-- Roland, Indio, Calif.
Roland - Cutler and Marshall would take issue with your assertion they have been coddled by the media. The Broncos' two defeats this year, against Kansas City and Jacksonville, were pretty much blamed on the combined six turnovers committed by Cutler and Marshall. The young stars have also made their share of unsavory off-field headlines -- Cutler through comments and Marshall through actions.
As for the coaches, I saw Mike Shanahan give Marshall
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an earful after his fumble at the Jaguars' 7-yard line.
Is Darrell Jackson going to become the No. 2 receiver on the Broncos?
-- Cordell, Minneapolis
Cordell - He was in the two games he's played. Jackson was the so-called "No. 2" receiver against Oakland when Brandon Marshall was serving his one-game suspension, and he was again Sunday against Jacksonville when Eddie Royal was down with injury.
But when the Broncos have their full complement of receivers, then, no, Jackson won't be No. 2. The Broncos' receivers would be listed, in order: Marshall, Royal, Brandon Stokley and Jackson. Problem is, the Broncos haven't had their full complement of receivers once this year. Not once. And for the game Monday night at New England, Royal (sprained ankle) and Stokley (concussion) will be iffy.
What would motivate Jay Cutler to say he has a stronger arm than John Elway? Why go there?
-- Smitty, New York
Smitty - The motivation was a question that directly asked if he had a stronger arm than Elway. Cutler answered honestly. He didn't say he was a better quarterback than Elway -- and he's shy five Super Bowl appearances and a bronze bust from entering that discussion -- but Cutler does feel he has a better arm than Elway.
Cutler happens to be mistaken. No human being alive had a more powerful bazooka than the Duke. But Cutler probably has seen a lot of film of Elway late in his career, when he was helping Mike Shanahan win back-to-back Super Bowls. And even Elway said his arm late in his career was not as strong as Cutler's is now.
As for prime to prime, healthy limbs to healthy limbs, Cutler is Ubaldo Jimenez to Elway's Nolan Ryan. Jimenez throws hard. He throws real hard. But not Nolan Ryan hard.
Cutler was born three days after Elway was the NFL's No. 1 overall draft pick in 1983. So an honest mistake on Cutler's part.
Is it possible that we've got the dead-artist thing going with Ryan Torain? When he got hurt, the consensus seemed to be that it was a shame because he was maybe working his way into playing time. Since the injury, he has steadily grown into the second coming of Terrell Davis. That's a lot of pressure for a rookie who was also around to be drafted in the fifth round.
-- Andrew Thornberry, Enid, Okla.
Andrew - Dead-artist thing. I like it. You made another point that's worth penetrating. The reason why Torain lasted until the fifth round was his injury history. He may have been considered a first- to second-round talent had he stayed healthy. He is quick, 225 pounds and rushed for 553 yards in just six games his senior year at Arizona State.
But he missed four games as a sophomore in junior college with a severe ankle sprain and seven games as a senior at Arizona State with a Lisfranc injury to his foot.
And now Torain has missed all of preseason and the first six regular-season games with a dislocated elbow. Torain is supposed to return to practice this week but I doubt he will play Monday night at New England. After the bye week, he will get a few carries Nov. 2 against Miami. At that point, the legend of Ryan Torain will transform into Broncos running back Ryan Torain. We'll all be curious to see whether Mike Shanahan and Bobby Turner have discovered another running-back gem.
Mike - Do you think that it would be possible to change every wide receiver's number to 15? I really think this would help from locking onto one receiver and distributing the ball.
-- Josh, Tennessee
Josh - Now that's clever. It's indisputable Cutler has been caught trying to force the ball to Marshall a time or two too many in recent weeks. This was never more obvious than Sunday, when Jacksonville cornerback Rashean Mathis was standing directly in front of Marshall near the sideline on third-and-1, and Cutler threw it to Marshall anyway. Fortunately, Cutler threw the ball too hard for Mathis to handle, and Marshall did a nice job breaking it up from behind.
But I will also say I don't blame Cutler for zeroing in on No. 15. Once Marshall learns how to tuck the ball away -- and I'm guessing he will be much better at it from now on -- he will start getting national acclaim as the league's best receiver. The Broncos have never had such a freakish receiving talent in the modern era. They better use him more than anybody else.
Besides Marshall, Cutler also is comfortable throwing to Brandon Stokley, Eddie Royal and Tony Scheffler. None of them was available in the final three quarters Sunday because of injuries. So the passing game pretty much became Marshall or bust.
Mike Klis is in his fourth season of covering the Broncos after previously covering the Colorado Rockies and Major League Baseball for 15 years. To drop a question into his Broncos Mailbag, click here or visit DenverPost.com's Broncos Page.
http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_10712152
Mailbag: Broncos brandish butterfingers
Recent rash of fumbles irritates Bert from Sacramento
By Mike Klis
The Denver Post
Article Last Updated: 10/13/2008 06:35:51 PM MDT
Denver Post sports writer Mike Klis posts his Broncos Mailbag every Tuesday during the 2008 NFL season on DenverPost.com.
Why are we fumbling the ball so much?
-- Bert Benson, Sacramento, Calif.
Bert - In the Broncos' two losses, fumbles could be blamed. Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall had the most crucial fumbles in each defeat. In both instances, he did not have his hand over the tip of the ball, which is fundamental No. 1 to ball security.
The fumble by quarterback Jay Cutler was also crucial because it stalled the Broncos' early momentum. Cutler was carrying the ball as a quarterback would in the pocket, which is with one hand around the laces. Once former Broncos defensive end Reggie Hayward swung his mighty hand at the ball, Cutler had no chance to hold on. Cutler knows now he should have either tucked the ball away or used his second hand sooner than he did. But it's why experience is such a difficult characteristic to attain -- how does anyone really know how far you can go until you go too far?
Mike - I think Michael Pittman and the physical play of the defense were the bright spots in the loss to the Jags. Would you agree? Did you see any others? Thanks.
-- Dan, Denver
Dan - I agree Pittman was a bright spot. The defense wasn't a bright spot until the Broncos got behind 24-10. At that point, Broncos defensive coordinator Bob Slowik sold out on nearly every play -- to great success. The blitzes disrupted Jacksonville
The Broncos seemed to be missing something Sunday — the ball, in this case, as Michael Pittman loses it. The Denver running back made the recovery. (Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post)quarterback David Garrard's passing and provided extra attackers against the running game. Ordinarily it's risky to blitz so often, but there is virtually no risk when you're down two touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
The most overlooked highlight of the game, though, was the Broncos' offensive line. Taking nothing away from Pittman's inspiring performance, but there were three or four running plays in the first half when he got the handoff, only to have the line of scrimmage move three or four yards in Jacksonville's direction. Cutler also wasn't sacked. When a running back goes for 100 yards and the quarterback isn't sacked, the offensive line did its job.
When are Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall going to stop being coddled by the staff and the media in Denver? They are directly responsible for Sunday's loss. The defense played as tough as it could. It was the offense that let them down.
-- Roland, Indio, Calif.
Roland - Cutler and Marshall would take issue with your assertion they have been coddled by the media. The Broncos' two defeats this year, against Kansas City and Jacksonville, were pretty much blamed on the combined six turnovers committed by Cutler and Marshall. The young stars have also made their share of unsavory off-field headlines -- Cutler through comments and Marshall through actions.
As for the coaches, I saw Mike Shanahan give Marshall
Submit a Question
Speak up by sending your Broncos- or NFL-related question to Mike Klis
an earful after his fumble at the Jaguars' 7-yard line.
Is Darrell Jackson going to become the No. 2 receiver on the Broncos?
-- Cordell, Minneapolis
Cordell - He was in the two games he's played. Jackson was the so-called "No. 2" receiver against Oakland when Brandon Marshall was serving his one-game suspension, and he was again Sunday against Jacksonville when Eddie Royal was down with injury.
But when the Broncos have their full complement of receivers, then, no, Jackson won't be No. 2. The Broncos' receivers would be listed, in order: Marshall, Royal, Brandon Stokley and Jackson. Problem is, the Broncos haven't had their full complement of receivers once this year. Not once. And for the game Monday night at New England, Royal (sprained ankle) and Stokley (concussion) will be iffy.
What would motivate Jay Cutler to say he has a stronger arm than John Elway? Why go there?
-- Smitty, New York
Smitty - The motivation was a question that directly asked if he had a stronger arm than Elway. Cutler answered honestly. He didn't say he was a better quarterback than Elway -- and he's shy five Super Bowl appearances and a bronze bust from entering that discussion -- but Cutler does feel he has a better arm than Elway.
Cutler happens to be mistaken. No human being alive had a more powerful bazooka than the Duke. But Cutler probably has seen a lot of film of Elway late in his career, when he was helping Mike Shanahan win back-to-back Super Bowls. And even Elway said his arm late in his career was not as strong as Cutler's is now.
As for prime to prime, healthy limbs to healthy limbs, Cutler is Ubaldo Jimenez to Elway's Nolan Ryan. Jimenez throws hard. He throws real hard. But not Nolan Ryan hard.
Cutler was born three days after Elway was the NFL's No. 1 overall draft pick in 1983. So an honest mistake on Cutler's part.
Is it possible that we've got the dead-artist thing going with Ryan Torain? When he got hurt, the consensus seemed to be that it was a shame because he was maybe working his way into playing time. Since the injury, he has steadily grown into the second coming of Terrell Davis. That's a lot of pressure for a rookie who was also around to be drafted in the fifth round.
-- Andrew Thornberry, Enid, Okla.
Andrew - Dead-artist thing. I like it. You made another point that's worth penetrating. The reason why Torain lasted until the fifth round was his injury history. He may have been considered a first- to second-round talent had he stayed healthy. He is quick, 225 pounds and rushed for 553 yards in just six games his senior year at Arizona State.
But he missed four games as a sophomore in junior college with a severe ankle sprain and seven games as a senior at Arizona State with a Lisfranc injury to his foot.
And now Torain has missed all of preseason and the first six regular-season games with a dislocated elbow. Torain is supposed to return to practice this week but I doubt he will play Monday night at New England. After the bye week, he will get a few carries Nov. 2 against Miami. At that point, the legend of Ryan Torain will transform into Broncos running back Ryan Torain. We'll all be curious to see whether Mike Shanahan and Bobby Turner have discovered another running-back gem.
Mike - Do you think that it would be possible to change every wide receiver's number to 15? I really think this would help from locking onto one receiver and distributing the ball.
-- Josh, Tennessee
Josh - Now that's clever. It's indisputable Cutler has been caught trying to force the ball to Marshall a time or two too many in recent weeks. This was never more obvious than Sunday, when Jacksonville cornerback Rashean Mathis was standing directly in front of Marshall near the sideline on third-and-1, and Cutler threw it to Marshall anyway. Fortunately, Cutler threw the ball too hard for Mathis to handle, and Marshall did a nice job breaking it up from behind.
But I will also say I don't blame Cutler for zeroing in on No. 15. Once Marshall learns how to tuck the ball away -- and I'm guessing he will be much better at it from now on -- he will start getting national acclaim as the league's best receiver. The Broncos have never had such a freakish receiving talent in the modern era. They better use him more than anybody else.
Besides Marshall, Cutler also is comfortable throwing to Brandon Stokley, Eddie Royal and Tony Scheffler. None of them was available in the final three quarters Sunday because of injuries. So the passing game pretty much became Marshall or bust.
Mike Klis is in his fourth season of covering the Broncos after previously covering the Colorado Rockies and Major League Baseball for 15 years. To drop a question into his Broncos Mailbag, click here or visit DenverPost.com's Broncos Page.