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View Full Version : Opening the Doors at MILE HIGH



Lonestar
08-26-2009, 07:15 PM
By Gray Caldwell
DenverBroncos.com

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- When the Chicago Bears come to town this Sunday, there will undoubtedly be several storylines surrounding the exhibition matchup.

One will be Kyle Orton facing his former team. Another will be Jay Cutler doing the same.

But possibly the biggest storyline for the players, coaches and fans alike this weekend will be not only getting another opportunity to improve, but finally entering the friendly confines of INVESCO Field at Mile High.

"I can't wait to get in front of the home crowd," Orton said. "I hope we can put on a good show for them and get them rocking pretty good."

After kicking off the preseason with two straight road games, the Broncos are ready to get a feel for their home turf, even if the games don't count quite yet.

"Getting excited more and more each day," Head Coach Josh McDaniels said. "We put our first day of preparation in for the Bears and we have a lot to get ready for. There are a lot of things they cause you problems with. We're hard at work at that, but we're really excited to play at home finally in front of our fans and hopefully have a big advantage here at INVESCO."

Orton said he felt the team showed improvement from the first preseason game to the second, but he's hoping the offense can have an even better showing on Sunday.

The key, he said, is finishing off long drives, something the team did once against Seattle, and failed to do once against the Seahawks and once against the 49ers.

"As an offense we've gone down there and went on some nice drives -- 12-, 13-, 14-play drives -- and we got stopped twice now down there, one on the turnover and one on four downs, really. So, I'll do whatever I've got to do to help our team finish drives."

And fans could be in for a treat on Sunday. The third preseason game typically highlights the starters the most before the regular season, and both teams could be anxious to get after each other under the bright lights of Sunday Night Football.

So while McDaniels and the team began preparing for the Chicago game on Wednesday, Orton won't need too much extra time in the film room checking out the opposing defense this week.

Though the Bears provide plenty of challenges on the defensive side of the ball, the Broncos signal caller is plenty familiar with what the unit brings to the table.

"It's a great defense that we are facing, and I certainly know that, having to practice against those guys for four years," Orton said. "So this is going to be a good test for myself and our offense. We are definitely looking forward to it."

It will also be a chance for the team to get on the winning track at the midway point of the preseason. Even though the record doesn't matter at the end of the four games, McDaniels and the team stressed that it's always more fun to get a "W."

"I think any time you win, you feel better than you do when you lose," McDaniels said. "We are certainly hopeful that we play well enough to do that."

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