Lonestar
09-09-2009, 11:05 PM
By Zach Eisendrath
DenverBroncos.com
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- When the Broncos take the field Sunday afternoon at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, there won’t be a shortage of challenges awaiting the team’s defensive unit.
The club’s regular season debut under defensive coordinator Mike Nolan will be a good test for the unit, as the Bengals offense is loaded with talent across the board.
“They’re definitely a powerhouse on the offensive side of the ball,” Andre Goodman said “We’re going to get tested from every angle.”
From an outsider’s perspective, the Bengals -- once again running with Carson Palmer behind center -- appear to have plenty going for them offensively, from down in the trenches to their skill positions.
Drawing the most discussion Wednesday at Dove Valley was the Bengals wide receiver corps, which goes six deep.
At the forefront of the unit is Chad Ochochinco, who looks focused and eager to return to Pro Bowl form this season. Then there is Laveranues Coles, a proven commodity in the passing game that was brought to Cincinnati via free agency to complement Ochocinco’s skill set.
That pair isn’t the Broncos’ only cause for concern, though.
Following a strong preseason showing in which he recorded a team-high 224 receiving yards, established downfield threat Chris Henry could also present matchup problems. Add second-year pros Andre Caldwell and Jerome Simpson and rookie Quan Cosby to the mix and the Bengals, on paper anyways, appear to have one of the deepest and most versatile receiving units in the league.
“This will certainly be one of the most, if not the most, explosive group of receivers we’ll play,” Head Coach Josh McDaniels said. “And they do a lot of different things too with them. They go down the field and make plays. Palmer can certainly get the ball down the field to them accurately. But they also do a lot of things where they catch the ball underneath and then make a bunch of people miss.”
Indeed, McDaniels said his veteran secondary will be presented with the challenge of limiting Cincinnati’s elusive receivers to minimal yards after the catch. It’s a task that Brian Dawkins and his secondary counterparts appear to be relishing.
“They have a stable over there of good receivers,” Dawkins said. “They can go downtown and get great yards after the catch. So we have our hands full. But this is what you live for as a defensive back … It’s a challenge that you as a defensive back need to stand up and welcome.”
While Denver’s secondary will certainly have its plate full against the Bengals, the club’s front seven will be tested, too. Big and physical upfront on the offensive line and with an array of versatile running backs including Cedric Benson and Bernard Scott, the Bengals proved during their exhibition slate that their offense expands much further than Palmer and his receiving targets.
Making a statement to the rest of the league, Cincinnati led the NFL in preseason rushing yards.
“They can score from anywhere on the field,” McDaniels said.”They’ve got a lot of weapons, they are very explosive and we’re going to have to play well on Sunday.”
EQUALLY IMPRESSED
While Broncos defensive players spent time addressing the strengths of Cincinnati’s offense on Wednesday morning, Palmer and Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis praised the Broncos defensive unit in separate conference calls with the Denver media.
After reviewing preseason footage of the Broncos’ new defensive philosophy, Palmer called the club’s front seven “stout” and went on to commend the club’s veteran secondary, singling out Champ Bailey.
“There's a lot of experience back there, and they're coached by a great coordinator and great coach in Coach Nolan,” Palmer said. “You combine those two things and you've got a really good unit. You put on one of the best cover corners in the league for the past six, seven, eight years; it makes them even more potent.”
Lewis, who coached Bailey with the Washington Redskins in 2002, also spoke highly of the eight-time Pro Bowler and his unique skill set.
“Champ has a great ability to run with receivers,” Lewis said. “He has the athleticism that these receivers have and there aren’t many cornerbacks like that.”
INJURY REPORT
Following Wednesday’s practice, the Broncos released their Week 1 injury report. Safety Josh Barrett(shoulder) and defensive lineman Le Kevin Smith (knee) did not participate in the team’s afternoon session. Wide receiver Jabar Gaffney(finger), offensive guard Chris Kuper(ankle), running back Knowshon Moreno (knee) and quarterbacks Kyle Orton (right finger) and Chris Simms (ankle) all took to the field for limited participation.
On their injury report, the Bengals listed cornerback David Jones (foot) and offensive tackle Andre Smith (foot) as out of practice, tackle Scott Kooistra (knee) and safety Roy Williams (thigh) as limited participants. Quarterback Carson Palmer (ankle) went through full participation on Wednesday.
NOTEWORTHY
The Broncos have reached an injury settlement with defensive back Joshua Bell and offensive lineman Matt McChesney, officially releasing them from the team.
http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=9329
DenverBroncos.com
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- When the Broncos take the field Sunday afternoon at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, there won’t be a shortage of challenges awaiting the team’s defensive unit.
The club’s regular season debut under defensive coordinator Mike Nolan will be a good test for the unit, as the Bengals offense is loaded with talent across the board.
“They’re definitely a powerhouse on the offensive side of the ball,” Andre Goodman said “We’re going to get tested from every angle.”
From an outsider’s perspective, the Bengals -- once again running with Carson Palmer behind center -- appear to have plenty going for them offensively, from down in the trenches to their skill positions.
Drawing the most discussion Wednesday at Dove Valley was the Bengals wide receiver corps, which goes six deep.
At the forefront of the unit is Chad Ochochinco, who looks focused and eager to return to Pro Bowl form this season. Then there is Laveranues Coles, a proven commodity in the passing game that was brought to Cincinnati via free agency to complement Ochocinco’s skill set.
That pair isn’t the Broncos’ only cause for concern, though.
Following a strong preseason showing in which he recorded a team-high 224 receiving yards, established downfield threat Chris Henry could also present matchup problems. Add second-year pros Andre Caldwell and Jerome Simpson and rookie Quan Cosby to the mix and the Bengals, on paper anyways, appear to have one of the deepest and most versatile receiving units in the league.
“This will certainly be one of the most, if not the most, explosive group of receivers we’ll play,” Head Coach Josh McDaniels said. “And they do a lot of different things too with them. They go down the field and make plays. Palmer can certainly get the ball down the field to them accurately. But they also do a lot of things where they catch the ball underneath and then make a bunch of people miss.”
Indeed, McDaniels said his veteran secondary will be presented with the challenge of limiting Cincinnati’s elusive receivers to minimal yards after the catch. It’s a task that Brian Dawkins and his secondary counterparts appear to be relishing.
“They have a stable over there of good receivers,” Dawkins said. “They can go downtown and get great yards after the catch. So we have our hands full. But this is what you live for as a defensive back … It’s a challenge that you as a defensive back need to stand up and welcome.”
While Denver’s secondary will certainly have its plate full against the Bengals, the club’s front seven will be tested, too. Big and physical upfront on the offensive line and with an array of versatile running backs including Cedric Benson and Bernard Scott, the Bengals proved during their exhibition slate that their offense expands much further than Palmer and his receiving targets.
Making a statement to the rest of the league, Cincinnati led the NFL in preseason rushing yards.
“They can score from anywhere on the field,” McDaniels said.”They’ve got a lot of weapons, they are very explosive and we’re going to have to play well on Sunday.”
EQUALLY IMPRESSED
While Broncos defensive players spent time addressing the strengths of Cincinnati’s offense on Wednesday morning, Palmer and Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis praised the Broncos defensive unit in separate conference calls with the Denver media.
After reviewing preseason footage of the Broncos’ new defensive philosophy, Palmer called the club’s front seven “stout” and went on to commend the club’s veteran secondary, singling out Champ Bailey.
“There's a lot of experience back there, and they're coached by a great coordinator and great coach in Coach Nolan,” Palmer said. “You combine those two things and you've got a really good unit. You put on one of the best cover corners in the league for the past six, seven, eight years; it makes them even more potent.”
Lewis, who coached Bailey with the Washington Redskins in 2002, also spoke highly of the eight-time Pro Bowler and his unique skill set.
“Champ has a great ability to run with receivers,” Lewis said. “He has the athleticism that these receivers have and there aren’t many cornerbacks like that.”
INJURY REPORT
Following Wednesday’s practice, the Broncos released their Week 1 injury report. Safety Josh Barrett(shoulder) and defensive lineman Le Kevin Smith (knee) did not participate in the team’s afternoon session. Wide receiver Jabar Gaffney(finger), offensive guard Chris Kuper(ankle), running back Knowshon Moreno (knee) and quarterbacks Kyle Orton (right finger) and Chris Simms (ankle) all took to the field for limited participation.
On their injury report, the Bengals listed cornerback David Jones (foot) and offensive tackle Andre Smith (foot) as out of practice, tackle Scott Kooistra (knee) and safety Roy Williams (thigh) as limited participants. Quarterback Carson Palmer (ankle) went through full participation on Wednesday.
NOTEWORTHY
The Broncos have reached an injury settlement with defensive back Joshua Bell and offensive lineman Matt McChesney, officially releasing them from the team.
http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=9329