Denver Native (Carol)
12-08-2008, 10:48 AM
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/dec/07/krieger-no-running-backs-no-problem-broncos/
Bronocs' motley crew still finding ways to win
Everybody seems to run the empty backfield set these days. It's the flavor of the month in the NFL.
But only the Broncos really mean it.
When Peyton Hillis limped off the field in the second quarter Sunday with a strained hamstring, it left the Broncos' top three running backs this season - Hillis, Michael Pittman and Selvin Young - on the shelf. Also four of the top five and five of the top seven.
In fact, the Broncos' most productive healthy runner at present is quarterback Jay Cutler, who has 157 yards on 45 carries.
So it seemed natural to ask if he's prepared to be the team's primary ball carrier.
"Might as well at this point," Cutler said. "It seems like we have one go down every game."
So you'd like to carry the ball more?
"Absolutely not," he replied, realizing the question was not a joke. "Let's limit that."
In the interest of saving the quarterback for that other thing he does, it may be time to consider more creative solutions.
Eddie Royal, for instance. He's carried the ball 10 times from the wide receiver position this season, including three for 13 yards Sunday. In fact, he and Cutler combined for 11 of the Broncos' 30 rushing attempts.
"Anytime I get the ball, I love it," Royal said. "It's just a different thing to keep the defense off balance."
So how about doing it way more often?
"Hopefully it doesn't come to that," Royal said. "We've got some good guys. Tatum (Bell) did a good job of stepping up and making plays when we needed him to."
Bell, signed out of an Aurora Mall cell phone store last month, did fine, carrying 11 times for 52 yards. But let's face it: If the season depends on Bell's durability, it's hanging by a thread. Bell once lived in the Mike Shanahan doghouse Young now inhabits, judged too slow to come back from injury.
To review, the Broncos lost Anthony Aldridge (foot) before the season began. They lost Pittman (neck), Andre Hall (hand) and Ryan Torain (knee) in the space of two weeks about a month ago. All four are done for the season (and postseason).
Young remains on the active roster, but Shanahan deactivated him Sunday with a sore groin for the fourth week in a row and seventh in the last eight, even though he was listed as probable on the injury report.
That leaves P.J. Pope, a practice squad refugee. Pope has had a rib injury, but if Hillis is out as long as Shanahan fears, Pope should be in uniform next week.
"Anytime it's a hamstring and they come off the field like (Hillis) did today, normally it's a month at best," Shanahan said. "So it doesn't look good. I'm hoping that it's not quite as bad as I anticipate, but I was not pleased watching him walk off the field.
"We've got a couple guys that we feel like can still go out there and perform. Right now what we would do, which we were planning on doing anyhow, is bring a guy up from the practice squad. Now we have to."
That would be Cory Boyd, an undrafted free agent from South Carolina, who would follow Pope on the road from purgatory.
"And I think we've got a fullback in Andrew Pinnock that can play well, too," Shanahan added. "We've had him on our team now for a couple weeks from San Diego, getting used to our terminology. So with Spencer Larsen and Andrew and we've got a chance for a guy to come up from our practice squad, we'll still be all right."
Having brought Larsen across the line of scrimmage from linebacker the last time the Broncos ran out of runners, I thought I should check with Nate Webster, a bowling ball of a middle linebacker. Could he pull off the same trick in a pinch?
"Yeah, man, why not?" Webster said. "I've got a little history of toting that ball. You seen what I could do when I picked it up vs. the Saints. I'd probably get my head tore off, but if they call for me to fill that void, I will."
Everything else about the Broncos' game seems to be coming together as they hit the season's final stretch. The Cutler- Brandon Marshall connection is back. The Broncos are now 8-0 when Cutler's passer rating is over 90. Even the defense finally stood up to Larry Johnson, a minor miracle all by itself.
At first glance, you might think the attrition at running back is their Achilles' heel, which is one injury they haven't had yet. But even if every running back on the roster goes down, Shanahan can always go empty, as he did in the second half at Cleveland when he ran out of ballcarriers altogether.
For the Broncos, that empty feeling is becoming a way of life.
Bronocs' motley crew still finding ways to win
Everybody seems to run the empty backfield set these days. It's the flavor of the month in the NFL.
But only the Broncos really mean it.
When Peyton Hillis limped off the field in the second quarter Sunday with a strained hamstring, it left the Broncos' top three running backs this season - Hillis, Michael Pittman and Selvin Young - on the shelf. Also four of the top five and five of the top seven.
In fact, the Broncos' most productive healthy runner at present is quarterback Jay Cutler, who has 157 yards on 45 carries.
So it seemed natural to ask if he's prepared to be the team's primary ball carrier.
"Might as well at this point," Cutler said. "It seems like we have one go down every game."
So you'd like to carry the ball more?
"Absolutely not," he replied, realizing the question was not a joke. "Let's limit that."
In the interest of saving the quarterback for that other thing he does, it may be time to consider more creative solutions.
Eddie Royal, for instance. He's carried the ball 10 times from the wide receiver position this season, including three for 13 yards Sunday. In fact, he and Cutler combined for 11 of the Broncos' 30 rushing attempts.
"Anytime I get the ball, I love it," Royal said. "It's just a different thing to keep the defense off balance."
So how about doing it way more often?
"Hopefully it doesn't come to that," Royal said. "We've got some good guys. Tatum (Bell) did a good job of stepping up and making plays when we needed him to."
Bell, signed out of an Aurora Mall cell phone store last month, did fine, carrying 11 times for 52 yards. But let's face it: If the season depends on Bell's durability, it's hanging by a thread. Bell once lived in the Mike Shanahan doghouse Young now inhabits, judged too slow to come back from injury.
To review, the Broncos lost Anthony Aldridge (foot) before the season began. They lost Pittman (neck), Andre Hall (hand) and Ryan Torain (knee) in the space of two weeks about a month ago. All four are done for the season (and postseason).
Young remains on the active roster, but Shanahan deactivated him Sunday with a sore groin for the fourth week in a row and seventh in the last eight, even though he was listed as probable on the injury report.
That leaves P.J. Pope, a practice squad refugee. Pope has had a rib injury, but if Hillis is out as long as Shanahan fears, Pope should be in uniform next week.
"Anytime it's a hamstring and they come off the field like (Hillis) did today, normally it's a month at best," Shanahan said. "So it doesn't look good. I'm hoping that it's not quite as bad as I anticipate, but I was not pleased watching him walk off the field.
"We've got a couple guys that we feel like can still go out there and perform. Right now what we would do, which we were planning on doing anyhow, is bring a guy up from the practice squad. Now we have to."
That would be Cory Boyd, an undrafted free agent from South Carolina, who would follow Pope on the road from purgatory.
"And I think we've got a fullback in Andrew Pinnock that can play well, too," Shanahan added. "We've had him on our team now for a couple weeks from San Diego, getting used to our terminology. So with Spencer Larsen and Andrew and we've got a chance for a guy to come up from our practice squad, we'll still be all right."
Having brought Larsen across the line of scrimmage from linebacker the last time the Broncos ran out of runners, I thought I should check with Nate Webster, a bowling ball of a middle linebacker. Could he pull off the same trick in a pinch?
"Yeah, man, why not?" Webster said. "I've got a little history of toting that ball. You seen what I could do when I picked it up vs. the Saints. I'd probably get my head tore off, but if they call for me to fill that void, I will."
Everything else about the Broncos' game seems to be coming together as they hit the season's final stretch. The Cutler- Brandon Marshall connection is back. The Broncos are now 8-0 when Cutler's passer rating is over 90. Even the defense finally stood up to Larry Johnson, a minor miracle all by itself.
At first glance, you might think the attrition at running back is their Achilles' heel, which is one injury they haven't had yet. But even if every running back on the roster goes down, Shanahan can always go empty, as he did in the second half at Cleveland when he ran out of ballcarriers altogether.
For the Broncos, that empty feeling is becoming a way of life.