Strategy dilema against GB .....

[omac]

Against the Steelers, they were a run-first team, so our defense over-played the run and forced them to pass, which they actually did pretty well.

Against Green Bay, they are a pass-first team that has 3 talented receivers and a QB that can pile up yardage, points, and INTs. Some say that they don't run the ball well, but when they faced a team that was not in the top 10 against the run, they rushed for 120 yards.

If our defense overplays the run, that opens up the passing game which will make it doubly dangerous against Favre. If our defense doesn't overplay the run, they have a bruising back in Wynn that can pound the ball for yardage, when they actually call running plays. They might have an easy time running if we don't overplay the run.

So, does Denver overplay the run to prevent GB from having hopes of success at running, but risk turning Favre loose? Does Denver not overplay the run, and risk letting their RBs loose, hoping that Favre would still choose to pass? Does Denver want GB to try and beat them by passing (their strength against our strength) or by running (their weakness against our weakness)?

[Requiem / The Dagda]

I think you'll be surprised at how they might attempt to rush the ball with their young bucks Wynn (now starting) and Jackson, however I think Denver will notice their young backs and focus more on what you alluded to - their potent passing game.

[gobroncsnv]

I think our strength is still pass defense, so I would at least give a nod to overplaying the run. Of course, the other thing that helped to defend against the Steelers was playing with a lead ;). That's a decent strategy as well...

[omac]

I think you'll be surprised at how they might attempt to rush the ball with their young bucks Wynn (now starting) and Jackson, however I think Denver will notice their young backs and focus more on what you alluded to - their potent passing game.

Yeah, Favre just doesn't like running the ball; in the game where he broke Marino's record, there were some critical situations where running would've been the high percentage play, yet he still chose to pass.

Now Wynn's the starter? Grrr ... I got rid of him after I lost an FF game by less than a point due to his poor production, the game after his breakout game. :D

I'm hoping Champ and Dre will be fully healthy; each can handle either Driver or Jennings, and Foxy shouldn't play too badly against Jones.

[omac]

I think our strength is still pass defense, so I would at least give a nod to overplaying the run. Of course, the other thing that helped to defend against the Steelers was playing with a lead ;). That's a decent strategy as well...

I'm not too worried about our offense scoring, so it's not far fetched that we can get the lead. I wouldn't mind overplaying the run either.

[TXBRONC]

Having Champ back will change the entire dynamics how we can attack the Packers. I think we will see eight in the box much of the game with our corners playing a lot of man to man.

[Lonestar]

Having Champ back will change the entire dynamics how we can attack the Packers. I think we will see eight in the box much of the game with our corners playing a lot of man to man.

I suspect that if we do this their number three reeicver will have a banner night..

[TXBRONC]

I suspect that if we do this their number three reeicver will have a banner night..

I suspect not if we get consistant pressure like last week. But that's true of any defense.

[Lonestar]

I suspect not if we get consistant pressure like last week. But that's true of any defense.

Unless we have a blitzers going most of the time the DT position will again fail us and the DE will wind up double teamed IMO I guess we will know for sure on Tuesday morning who was correct.

GB would be stupid not to make adjustments to counter what new changes we had last week. Unless we get lucky again and get up big and early this week it will most likely be more of the same OLD bronco stuff, a close last second win or an ugly loss.

[Grover]

I think the additional week of experience that our rookies have gotten since the last game will make all the difference.:woot:

Truth is, I'm worried about this game. Favre is a crafty old sun of a gun, and I think the Packers will be prepared for what we showed Pit a week ago.

Bailey is questionable for the game according to the main web site. Not sure if that will change for the better by tomorrow. But I think I'd rather have a healthy Foxworth than a really lame Bailey. (I'd give the edge to a somewhat lame Bailey however).

I see us mixing it up again and playing with enthusiasm. The mood of our defense will carry over from the Pittsburgh game and they will be aggressive with the front four, keep their assignments at Linebacker and not hurt us, and Ferguson will have a better game (there's my stretch).

I don't know about overplaying the pass or overplaying the run - I see us putting Lynch or Ferguson up near the line again, and whichever is left to cover - I'm optimistic will play well in that role.

[Medford Bronco]

I think our strength is still pass defense, so I would at least give a nod to overplaying the run. Of course, the other thing that helped to defend against the Steelers was playing with a lead ;). That's a decent strategy as well...

IS Champ Healty? that is huge this week

[TXBRONC]

Unless we have a blitzers going most of the time the DT position will again fail us and the DE will wind up double teamed IMO I guess we will know for sure on Tuesday morning who was correct.

GB would be stupid not to make adjustments to counter what new changes we had last week. Unless we get lucky again and get up big and early this week it will most likely be more of the same OLD bronco stuff, a close last second win or an ugly loss.


And it would be just as stupid for Bates to throw the exact same thing at the Packers that he did against the Steelers.

[Lonestar]

And it would be just as stupid for Bates to throw the exact same thing at the Packers that he did against the Steelers.


TX he does not have a lot of cards to play. We will see Monday night. I hope I'm wrong but I never ever bet against Farve.. He is not HOF material cause he was loaded with teammates all these years/ He made thing happen good mostly and bad with the picks. But he made his own way to Canton..

[broncofanatic1987]

I don't think there is much of a dilemma. I think the Broncos have to continue with the aggressive defense. They can do that without putting eight in the box. They need to blitz the linebackers, making sure to confuse the offense as to which one is blitzing. As long as they maintain their gap responsibilities, they should do fine, assuming the Broncos' offense plays as well as it did against Pittsburgh.

[Joel]

It's the worst rushing offense against the worst rushing D, and I imagine both teams are aware of that. On the other hand, Green Bays only REAL offensive threats are Driver and Favre, while Denvers pass D was first in the League until we sold out on the run against League leading rusher "Fast" Willie Parker (and the pass D is still #2). I don't think the worst rushing offense vs. the worst rushing D is the story here; the story, I expect, will be how well our line deals with their ends and linebackers (or doesn't), whether Champ, Bly and Foxworth are healthy enough to get some picks on Favre and whether those ends everyone demanded while I wanted defensive tackles can get to Favre often enough to get Favre to throw his patented two picks per game when the score is close.

[rcsodak]

Firstly, denver didn't "force" pitt to do anything. Tomlin gameplanned it that way. He outsmarted even himself.

As for "overplaying", denver is going to do what ALL good defenses at least TRY to do. They're going to TRY and make GB one-dimensional. Some would say that's already the case.

I've never seen a good team purposely turn another team's weakness into a strength, and win.
:rolleyes:

[topscribe]

Denver's rushing defense did a pretty good job against Pittsburgh's excellent
rushing offense. I believe they got a lot of problems solved over the bye, so I
don't believe they are going to have extraordinary problems against GB's poor
rushing offense that they probably do not have solved.

Thing about it is, Roethlisberger would be a no-brainer backup to Favre, and
Ben passed the Broncos silly in the fourth quarter. It would seem to me, then,
that the strategy will have to be on offense because the Broncos will have to
score a substantial number of points to beat the Packers, IMO.

-----

[Requiem / The Dagda]

Firstly, denver didn't "force" pitt to do anything. Tomlin gameplanned it that way. He outsmarted even himself.

As for "overplaying", denver is going to do what ALL good defenses at least TRY to do. They're going to TRY and make GB one-dimensional. Some would say that's already the case.

I've never seen a good team purposely turn another team's weakness into a strength, and win.
:rolleyes:

If you're saying that Tomlin game-planned to pass against the worst running defense, but one of the best pass defenses in the league, you have to be kidding me.

[Lonestar]

Firstly, denver didn't "force" pitt to do anything. Tomlin gameplanned it that way. He outsmarted even himself.

As for "overplaying", denver is going to do what ALL good defenses at least TRY to do. They're going to TRY and make GB one-dimensional. Some would say that's already the case.

I've never seen a good team purposely turn another team's weakness into a strength, and win.
:rolleyes:

I agree had they not planned to pass alot they would have not a 6-2 pass run ratio in the first drive.. Perhaps they were gonna run more but when DEN could not stop the pass why not continue until they do..

I also expect when you get to the LOS and see 8 men in the box that also means that passing become much easier..


Good call

[omac]

I agree had they not planned to pass alot they would have not a 6-2 pass run ratio in the first drive.. Perhaps they were gonna run more but when DEN could not stop the pass why not continue until they do..

I also expect when you get to the LOS and see 8 men in the box that also means that passing become much easier..


Good call

So what is it? They lost because they didn't use their run game more often, ala your much earlier post about going back to the run game in the 4th quarter, or they took what the defense gave them ... the passing game, as what their designed defense gambled on to give them?

Either they should've run more despite the defense overplaying the run, or they were right in taking what the defense gave them: the pass.

Can't have it both ways.

[Lonestar]

So what is it? They lost because they didn't use their run game more often, ala your much earlier post about going back to the run game in the 4th quarter, or they took what the defense gave them ... the passing game, as what their designed defense gambled on to give them?

Either they should've run more despite the defense overplaying the run, or they were right in taking what the defense gave them: the pass.

Can't have it both ways.

They went back to the run after half time, I do not think I stated that they did so in the forth Quarter. Perhaps you can show me the post?

they established the run after half time and took DEN out of their defense for teh most part and slowed downteh rush. Afte which they moved the ball at will in the second half scoring 21 point to our 10, 3 of which happened in the last few seconds

3rd Quarter
Start
Time Time
Poss Drive
Began # of
Plays Net
Yards Result
12:21 4:11 DEN 41 7 41 Touchdown
4th Quarter
Start
Time Time
Poss Drive
Began # of
Plays Net
Yards Result
15:00 4:50 PIT 6 10 94 Touchdown
07:47 6:37 PIT 22 12 78 Touchdown


We got out played in the second half after they made adjustments..

[omac]

They went back to the run after half time, I do not think I stated that they did so in the forth Quarter. Perhaps you can show me the post?

You're most likely right on this. The post I saw was ....


Yet they had enough confidence in their running game to go back to it when down by 14. Or perhaps they had more confidence in our run defense to do so.

They were down by 14 after the 1st half, and at the start of the 4th quarter. No matter, like you said, they went back to their run game.


they established the run after half time and took DEN out of their defense for teh most part and slowed downteh rush. Afte which they moved the ball at will in the second half scoring 21 point to our 10, 3 of which happened in the last few seconds

3rd Quarter
Start
Time Time
Poss Drive
Began # of
Plays Net
Yards Result
12:21 4:11 DEN 41 7 41 Touchdown
4th Quarter
Start
Time Time
Poss Drive
Began # of
Plays Net
Yards Result
15:00 4:50 PIT 6 10 94 Touchdown
07:47 6:37 PIT 22 12 78 Touchdown


We got out played in the second half after they made adjustments..

But here's where we disagree; they did NOT establish the run game. They executed rush plays 12 times in the 2nd half, and had HORRENDOUS results 8 of those 12 times. They did NOT establish anything.

They went back to what the defense gave them all day ... the pass. Like you just mentioned, the defense gave them that all day.

So, were the Steelers right in taking what the defense gave them ... the pass ... or should they have forced the run more?

[TXBRONC]

You're most likely right on this. The post I saw was ....



They were down by 14 after the 1st half, and at the start of the 4th quarter. No matter, like you said, they went back to their run game.



But here's where we disagree; they did NOT establish the run game. They executed rush plays 12 times in the 2nd half, and had HORRENDOUS results 8 of those 12 times. They did NOT establish anything.

They went back to what the defense gave them all day ... the pass. Like you just mentioned, the defense gave them that all day.

So, were the Steelers right in taking what the defense gave them ... the pass ... or should they have forced the run more?

Tomlin did what most coaches would have done when they have confidence in their starting quarterback. The defense stacks the box you try to go over the top.

[omac]

Tomlin did what most coaches would have done when they have confidence in their starting quarterback. The defense stacks the box you try to go over the top.

Yeah, that's what I think too; I don't get all this talk about how Tomlin outcoached himself.

Denver set out to stop the run, and they were very successful at it.

[TXBRONC]

Yeah, that's what I think too; I don't get all this talk about how Tomlin outcoached himself.

Denver set out to stop the run, and they were very successful at it.

Denver came in with a good game plan and executed it with enough success to win the game.