Lonestar
08-13-2009, 01:13 AM
By Broncos Update Staff (PR)
Posted Aug 12, 2009
Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels addressed the media following Wednesday's afternoon practice, discussing topics that ranged from rookie RB Knowshon Moreno to backup QB Chris Simms. Check out the full transcript.
On whether his team is where it wants to be heading into the San Francisco game
“We’re where I think we could be by now. We’re going to find out a whole lot of what we need to work more on, on Friday night. I don’t know whether I’ve ever been a part of a first preseason game that’s gone exactly the way we wanted it to go. So I would expect there to be plenty of things for us to work on after Friday’s film.”
On how much he finds out in a game versus practice
“We’re not out there yelling and screaming at them behind the huddle. We can’t talk to them too much in-between plays. You really find out who knows kind of what’s going on and if they can handle their role and their responsibility without us being in their ear every play. You’re definitely going to find out some things about players that you may not have already figured out. But that’s preseason.”
On QB Chris Simms
“He’s doing fine. He’s getting better every day. He works extremely hard. He’s very diligent in the meeting room. He’s come out here and he’s had some really good days, and then he’s had some days where, you know, he’s struggled. But that’s kind of training camp. For a quarterback in this offense, that’s kind of how it goes. You put in a bunch of stuff one morning. You go out there and you may not be totally comfortable with all of it. But you get better at it as you go and Chris has worked really hard at it.”
On TE Tony Scheffler
“He can do a lot of things. Tony’s very versatile. He’s a guy, obviously, who’s got very good speed and hands in the passing game. He’s also shown a good solid toughness in the running game for us here in training camp. That will be important because when we’re in those two tight end sets and want to try to run the ball, he and (TE) Daniel (Graham) and our other tight ends are really going to have to do a good job on the edge too. So we ask him to do a lot in our offense, and Tony’s showed up and worked hard every day. He’s getting better just like everybody else is.”
On expectations for special teams in the San Francisco game
“It’s been one of our focal points here in training camp every day. We worked on it for 35 minutes today in practice. (There are) so many areas for us to improve in the kicking game from last year, and we need to improve in them. We weren’t very good last year in the kicking game in any phase. If we can improve in all four core phases and in our specialists’ performances, then it’s going to help our team dramatically. So we put a big emphasis on it, and we really want to see how this thing goes. We’re going to put the best that we’ve got out there Friday night early in the game and see where we can take it.”
On CB Alphonso Smith and WR Kenny McKinley returning punts
“We’re just getting everybody work. (WR) Eddie (Royal) was back there earlier this week and Kenny didn’t get as many earlier this week as Eddie did. So we had the two young kids split a little—well they’re all young—but the two younger kids split the reps today. So you’ll probably see all of them back there at some point in the preseason. But they need the work and they’re willing to go back there and catch them and they’re working hard to get better.”
On how much he anticipates playing RB Knowshon Moreno in Friday’s game
“Plenty. We’re telling everybody to be ready to go for a long time, and Knowshon’s in that group too. All our rookies and all our young kids need to play a lot. This is their first opportunity to play in a National Football League game and find out what it’s all about. There’s really no way to simulate the speed of the game in these kinds of practices and they’re going to find out an awful lot about competition and what this is all about. So he needs to play, just like all the rookies do, and we have no plans on taking those guys out too early.
On whether anyone won’t play/will be held out for precautions
“Nope. We’re going right now. We’re telling everybody to be ready to go.”
http://den.scout.com/2/887738.html
Posted Aug 12, 2009
Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels addressed the media following Wednesday's afternoon practice, discussing topics that ranged from rookie RB Knowshon Moreno to backup QB Chris Simms. Check out the full transcript.
On whether his team is where it wants to be heading into the San Francisco game
“We’re where I think we could be by now. We’re going to find out a whole lot of what we need to work more on, on Friday night. I don’t know whether I’ve ever been a part of a first preseason game that’s gone exactly the way we wanted it to go. So I would expect there to be plenty of things for us to work on after Friday’s film.”
On how much he finds out in a game versus practice
“We’re not out there yelling and screaming at them behind the huddle. We can’t talk to them too much in-between plays. You really find out who knows kind of what’s going on and if they can handle their role and their responsibility without us being in their ear every play. You’re definitely going to find out some things about players that you may not have already figured out. But that’s preseason.”
On QB Chris Simms
“He’s doing fine. He’s getting better every day. He works extremely hard. He’s very diligent in the meeting room. He’s come out here and he’s had some really good days, and then he’s had some days where, you know, he’s struggled. But that’s kind of training camp. For a quarterback in this offense, that’s kind of how it goes. You put in a bunch of stuff one morning. You go out there and you may not be totally comfortable with all of it. But you get better at it as you go and Chris has worked really hard at it.”
On TE Tony Scheffler
“He can do a lot of things. Tony’s very versatile. He’s a guy, obviously, who’s got very good speed and hands in the passing game. He’s also shown a good solid toughness in the running game for us here in training camp. That will be important because when we’re in those two tight end sets and want to try to run the ball, he and (TE) Daniel (Graham) and our other tight ends are really going to have to do a good job on the edge too. So we ask him to do a lot in our offense, and Tony’s showed up and worked hard every day. He’s getting better just like everybody else is.”
On expectations for special teams in the San Francisco game
“It’s been one of our focal points here in training camp every day. We worked on it for 35 minutes today in practice. (There are) so many areas for us to improve in the kicking game from last year, and we need to improve in them. We weren’t very good last year in the kicking game in any phase. If we can improve in all four core phases and in our specialists’ performances, then it’s going to help our team dramatically. So we put a big emphasis on it, and we really want to see how this thing goes. We’re going to put the best that we’ve got out there Friday night early in the game and see where we can take it.”
On CB Alphonso Smith and WR Kenny McKinley returning punts
“We’re just getting everybody work. (WR) Eddie (Royal) was back there earlier this week and Kenny didn’t get as many earlier this week as Eddie did. So we had the two young kids split a little—well they’re all young—but the two younger kids split the reps today. So you’ll probably see all of them back there at some point in the preseason. But they need the work and they’re willing to go back there and catch them and they’re working hard to get better.”
On how much he anticipates playing RB Knowshon Moreno in Friday’s game
“Plenty. We’re telling everybody to be ready to go for a long time, and Knowshon’s in that group too. All our rookies and all our young kids need to play a lot. This is their first opportunity to play in a National Football League game and find out what it’s all about. There’s really no way to simulate the speed of the game in these kinds of practices and they’re going to find out an awful lot about competition and what this is all about. So he needs to play, just like all the rookies do, and we have no plans on taking those guys out too early.
On whether anyone won’t play/will be held out for precautions
“Nope. We’re going right now. We’re telling everybody to be ready to go.”
http://den.scout.com/2/887738.html