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claymore
11-18-2008, 09:31 AM
Hard contact right method for Broncos
By Lindsay H. Jones
The Denver Post

In his 14 seasons as Denver's head coach, Mike Shanahan has established quite a few traditions around the team's Dove Valley headquarters.

Now, consider one of his major practice tenets to be history.

After disappointing performances by the run defense and too many costly turnovers by the offense in a four-game stretch spanning all of October, Shanahan decided it was time to stop playing it safe.

Grab your pads, guys. It's time to hit. Ever since the defense gave up 257 yards rushing in a 41-7 loss to New England on Oct. 20, Shanahan has reverted to three full-contact practices a week instead of just one practice in pads.

"Our rush defense was going downhill, and we felt like we needed to tighten things up a little bit," Shanahan said.

The previous theory was that lighter midweek workouts helped keep players fresh and prevented injuries.

Yet the result coaches found this year was that those practices were contributing to poor tackling by the defense on Sundays and too many turnovers by offensive players not used to being hit in drills.

"When you're playing the type of rush defense that we were playing for three or four games, you've got to make a decision what direction to go and take a chance on injuries and get better," Shanahan said. "I think we have."

Since making the switch, the Broncos are 2-1, with back-to-back wins on the road, including Sunday's 24-20 victory at Atlanta.

The run defense has noticeably improved. Against the Falcons, Denver held Michael Turner — who was No. 3 in the league in rushing before the game — to 81 yards on 25 carries. More than half of that total came on two carries — a 16-yarder and a 28-yard touchdown run.

"Since we have been going pads during the week and having more physical practices, that's when we've been playing better against the run," defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban said.

The change to tougher practices has coincided with a return to a strict 4-3 defensive scheme

Post Poll - Broncos Safeties

Mark Kiszla wondered in Tuesday's Denver Post whether Hall of Fame-bound John Lynch is the best safety to play for the Broncos. Who do you think is the best to play the position for Denver?

after the team experimented with a 3-4 look for five games.
While it was injuries to linebackers Boss Bailey, D.J. Williams and Nate Webster that forced the Broncos back into their traditional scheme full time, it appears to have rejuvenated the defensive front.

"We didn't really change a lot of principles. What we were trying to do is get a little better at what we do," Shanahan said.

Aside from Turner's 28-yard score in the fourth quarter, the Broncos' linemen bottled him up quickly inside, and linebackers tracked him down when he tried to cut outside.

"We were just hustling as much as we could, keeping our heads in the game and just fighting," said linebacker Jamie Winborn, who led the team with 10 tackles against Atlanta.

Practicing in pads also has seemed to help the offense.

After committing 15 turnovers (seven lost fumbles and eight interceptions) in five games from Weeks 4-8, Denver's offense has only one turnover in the past two games — an interception thrown by Jay Cutler in the second quarter against Cleveland.

"One of the reasons I thought we'd go to pads is so we could practice getting hit," Shanahan said. "So we could learn to hold onto the football better and show them situations in practice they're going to see in games."

http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_11009032

Well IMO its about Damn time. Good lord, hopefully both the O & D come away from this a lot stronger.

Im not a coach or Doc but it seems to me that it would be impossible for the body to go from zero to sixty on game day. It might explain all the pulled muscles that arent used to being used during practice.

BroncoJoe
11-18-2008, 09:34 AM
I heard that on the radio yesterday afternoon and thought the same thing - It's about damn time!

CoachChaz
11-18-2008, 09:40 AM
What do expect when you practice in pads only once a week? Seriously...WTF was SHanny thinking?

claymore
11-18-2008, 09:45 AM
What do expect when you practice in pads only once a week? Seriously...WTF was SHanny thinking?

Hopefully the Club Dove valley stigma is gone....

NightTrainLayne
11-18-2008, 09:48 AM
Go figure huh?

Good thing is we were playing about as bad as we could before, so the difference is pretty stark. That hopefully makes the lesson sink in for the coaching staff a little better.

claymore
11-18-2008, 09:51 AM
Go figure huh?

Good thing is we were playing about as bad as we could before, so the difference is pretty stark. That hopefully makes the lesson sink in for the coaching staff a little better.
Im curious if the Chargers woes are because of the same thing. Or it could just be Norv Turner, or maybe both.

CoachChaz
11-18-2008, 09:58 AM
I seriously never would have guessed that practicing hitting people with your pads on would carry over to what you are suppose to do on the field. It's official...Shanny is a Mastermind

I just hope the rest of teh NFL doesnt catch on to this littl nugget of brilliance

broncofaninfla
11-18-2008, 10:03 AM
I think this has helped us no doubt but I also credit the young LB's we have in now.

BigSarge87
11-18-2008, 10:10 AM
you can definately see the difference in ATTITUDE on the field, huge change, I love it!!

claymore
11-18-2008, 10:11 AM
you can definately see the difference in ATTITUDE on the field, huge change, I love it!!

Teams that tackle together stay together... Thats what Poppa always said.

G_Money
11-18-2008, 10:48 AM
It’s not helping our safeties. Maybe there’s not enough tissue stuffing their shoulderpads.

~G

turftoad
11-18-2008, 11:21 AM
It’s not helping our safeties. Maybe there’s not enough tissue stuffing their shoulderpads.

~G

We have safties?? :confused:

Fan in Exile
11-18-2008, 11:48 AM
We have safties?? :confused:

It's easy to be confused on this one, when it looked like a Bronco scored but they added points to Atlanta it's because they were carrying our safeties into the endzone.

That's how I picked them out on the field at least.

Lonestar
11-18-2008, 12:30 PM
An AMAZING concept actually practicing what your supposed to do..

What your getting paid to DO Tackle..

But then it could be the newbies just not knowing any better.
Because most of them came from college where they actually do wrap and and tackle.. not just make showboat hits and hope they knock the ball carrier down..

lets just hope this does not give slowick an reprieve when the season is over..

I wonder just who suggested this amazing concept?

Davii
11-18-2008, 12:57 PM
I wonder just who suggested this amazing concept?

The New England Patriots.

PatricktheDookie
11-18-2008, 01:04 PM
You know, we did win two super bowls by practicing without pads.

This isn't some sort of "duh" or common sense solution. Walsh (the greatest coach ever and Shanny's mentor) ran his practices without pads so that they'd be quicker and more refreshed on Sunday.

There's upsides to both tactics.

Lonestar
11-18-2008, 01:06 PM
The New England Patriots.

I can't believe it came from the coaching staff at least not slowick..

had to be something dropped into the suggestion box on the wall at dove valley.. by one of the aggressive rookies.. wondering if they had landed in "OZ"

Lonestar
11-18-2008, 01:11 PM
You know, we did win two super bowls by practicing without pads.

This isn't some sort of "duh" or common sense solution. Walsh (the greatest coach ever and Shanny's mentor) ran his practices without pads so that they'd be quicker and more refreshed on Sunday.

There's upsides to both tactics.

how many years ago and then did most of the players at that time still know how to tackle..

Most of those teams were made up of OLDER wiser players..

This team is mostly rookies and second to third year players.. excepting the Older DLine. While Champ and DJ are older also they know how to tackle..

It will bea great carrot down the road..

Win the game we reduce the tackle drill to 2 dyas a week instead of 3.

PatricktheDookie
11-18-2008, 01:14 PM
how many years ago and then did most of the players at that time still know how to tackle..

Most of those teams were made up of OLDER wiser players..

This team is mostly rookies and second to third year players.. excepting the Older DLine. While Champ and DJ are older also they know how to tackle..

It will bea great carrot down the road..

Win the game we reduce the tackle drill to 2 dyas a week instead of 3.

It might be the right decision for this team, that's fine. So much of the NFL is about balancing the coaching tactics and the way the team is run to fit with the personnel you have.

Of course, if Hillis goes down with an injury in practice, I'm sure everyone will come to the forums and scream at Shanahan for practicing in pads when his team is so injured already.

CoachChaz
11-18-2008, 01:16 PM
An AMAZING concept actually practicing what your supposed to do..

What your getting paid to DO Tackle..

But then it could be the newbies just not knowing any better.
Because most of them came from college where they actually do wrap and and tackle.. not just make showboat hits and hope they knock the ball carrier down..

lets just hope this does not give slowick an reprieve when the season is over..

I wonder just who suggested this amazing concept?

I think it was the Allegheny Athletic Association in 1890

Lonestar
11-18-2008, 01:19 PM
It might be the right decision for this team, that's fine. So much of the NFL is about balancing the coaching tactics and the way the team is run to fit with the personnel you have.

Of course, if Hillis goes down with an injury in practice, I'm sure everyone will come to the forums and scream at Shanahan for practicing in pads when his team is so injured already.


considering all the injuries already the other method did not seem to be working either.. so I suspect it would be a moot point..

This is football, tackle football at that, not flag like they have been playing the past few years..

OB
11-18-2008, 01:39 PM
You know, we did win two super bowls by practicing without pads.

This isn't some sort of "duh" or common sense solution. Walsh (the greatest coach ever and Shanny's mentor) ran his practices without pads so that they'd be quicker and more refreshed on Sunday.

There's upsides to both tactics.

Im sure our outstanding OLine and having one of the best QB's and RB's in the history of football only played a small part in that ;)

CoachChaz
11-18-2008, 02:33 PM
You know, we did win two super bowls by practicing without pads.
This isn't some sort of "duh" or common sense solution. Walsh (the greatest coach ever and Shanny's mentor) ran his practices without pads so that they'd be quicker and more refreshed on Sunday.

There's upsides to both tactics.

Yeah, but I think it's safe to say we had a MUCH more veteran roster then.

Italianmobstr7
11-18-2008, 02:39 PM
Im sure our outstanding OLine and having one of the best QB's and RB's in the history of football only played a small part in that ;)

And TE's, and Safeties....