Observation Deck: Denver Broncos

[Northman]

http://espn.go.com/blog/denver-broncos/post/_/id/8044/observation-deck-denver-broncos-2


Sure, it’s preseason, and sure it’s like football base jumping to make too many lasting judgments on what happens in August games, but the Denver Broncos (http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/den/denver-broncos?ex_cid=null) have gone toe-to-toe in back-to-back weeks with NFC powerhouses and fared like a Super Bowl hopeful should.

With starters against starters, the 2s against the 2s and the 3s against the 3s, the Broncos have defeated the Seattle Seahawks (http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/sea/seattle-seahawks?ex_cid=null) and then simply overpowered the San Francisco 49ers (http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/sf/san-francisco-49ers?ex_cid=null) 34-0 on Sunday in Levi’s Stadium. The Broncos' top two quarterbacks, Peyton Manning (http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/1428/peyton-manning?ex_cid=null) and Brock Osweiler (http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/14879/brock-osweiler?ex_cid=null), were a combined 22-for-27 passing for 207 yards and two touchdowns against the 49ers.

Here are some other thoughts on the Broncos’ second preseason game:

[TXBRONC]

One thing to keep in mind is that the 49ers were without Bowman, Willis, and Justin Smith.

[CoachChaz]

One thing to keep in mind is that the 49ers were without Bowman, Willis, and Justin Smith.

DId Miller and Harris play for Denver?

[Dzone]

Wonder how much 1s will play against texas. Cant wait to see us destroy the colts at mile high. Ive never seen a broncos team this loaded with talent. Seems like most of the backups could be starting elsewhere

[Ziggy]

Wonder how much 1s will play against texas. Cant wait to see us destroy the colts at mile high. Ive never seen a broncos team this loaded with talent. Seems like most of the backups could be starting elsewhere

I wish we could go down to the joint practices. Clady against Clowney would be worth the trip alone. The Olines against the Dlines will be some classic matchups. The Texans will be rushing Clowney and Watt on the ends, and the Broncos will be rushing Von and Ware. I expect a few skirmishes throughout the week. I don't see the Texans finesse Oline faring well against our monster Dline.

[TXBRONC]

DId Miller and Harris play for Denver?

You know they didn't. I'm just saying it can make a difference but that doesn't mean the out come would have changed.

[Shazam!]

Ive never seen a broncos team this loaded with talent.

I have. 1997-1998.

[TXBRONC]

I have. 1997-1998.

Those teams didn't have the pass rushers and secondary that this one does.

[Northman]

I dont know, Neil Smith was a beast and Alfred Williams played his absolute best during those years.

[TXBRONC]

I dont know, Neil Smith was a beast and Alfred Williams played his absolute best during those years.

Smith had 8 1/2 sacks in '97 and only 4 in '98.

Williams had 8 1/2 sacks in '97 and only 3 in '98.

Denver's defense to do a lot blitzing to get pressure on quarterbacks during their Super Bowl runs in '97 and '98.

[Joel]

DId Miller and Harris play for Denver?
That just underscores the point: It wasn't "starters against starters, the 2s against the 2s and the 3s against the 3s," and starters who DID play weren't going all out nor with the full playbook. It's preseason; the '85 Bears were 1-3 in preseason, including losses to Cards and Colts teams that were garbage throughout the '80s. All starters know their jobs are safe whether they play or not; preseaon's just glorified scrimmages for them. It's important to guys trying to move up depth charts or make rosters, and to get players in season form, but its predictive worth is nil.

You know all that as well as anyone; it was a big satisfying win against a team Broncos fans love to hate, but MEANS nothing, hence Legwolds began his article with the obligatory massive qualifier/apology for trying to draw conclusions from what's basically statistical noise (and, for the record, this post is directed more at that than at your brief true comment.) I'd LOVE to believe


The Broncos starting offensive line has performed well against two of the league’s most physical defenses; both the Seahawks and the 49ers finished in the league’s top five last season. Manning has not been sacked in four possessions and has thrown just five incompletions. Orlando Franklin (http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/13996/orlando-franklin?ex_cid=null) continues to settle in at left guard, and the Broncos have kept Manning clean in the pocket and carved out some room in the running game.

However, HALF SFs starting front seven skipped the whole game, and neither they nor Seattle showed any of the complex stunts and schemes we'll see from both this season, much less in any SB rematch, just like we didn't show them everything in our playbook. With Clady coming back from an injury that cost him all but 3 games of last season, Clark and Franklin switching sides and the latter moving inside to a position he hasn't played since college, it'll be Halloween before I feel sure what we have (good and bad.)

[Northman]

Yes, we know Joel. Denver sucks. lmao

[Joel]

Those teams didn't have the pass rushers and secondary that this one does.
1997 was the first year I started watching Denver (I know, I know; in my defense, jumping on right after the stunning one-and-done playoff to a two-year-old team isn't "bandwagoning.")

That said, I've NEVER seen a Broncos defensive line this good AND deep. Malik Jackson, and probably Quanterus Smith, could've STARTED on most of those teams, and at DT it's just a complete 180°: I've gone from perenniall wishing we had two starting quality DTs and just HOPING we had ONE to seeing a solid starting DT from last year drop to 4th on the depth chart thanks to his injury and sophomore first rounder Sylvester Williams' huge strides, while a guy who started for us 2 seasons ago is FIFTH.

It's just night and day; I wish I had as much faith in our offensive line as in our defensive line; even our "top" THIRD STRING DT (looks like Unrein) and DE (looks like Anunike) are pretty good.

I especially like that Wolfe and his Jackson are big AND fast, capable of stuffing runs without LB help (freeing Miller to tee off on passers) yet also able to rush passers in their own right, even drop into zone dog coverage and snag the occasional Int. Plus they can smoothly transition inside to UT to let us play Miller at LDE in 3rd and long nickel passages. Ware and Miller will get all the headlines for sacks, and deserve every accolade they earn, but jacks-AND-masters-of-all-trades like Wolfe and Jackson are invaluable.

The big thing though is DTs; before last year, we hadn't had a DT I truly trusted since Trevor Pryce left, and, even when he and Keith Traylor both started, our DT quality fell off a cliff behind them.

[tripp]

I don't necessarily get excited when I see starters make a big play, because you know the talent is there, they know the play book inside and out, and they're sometimes playing against guys who are 2nd and 3rd stringers. I DO get excited when I see young players who aren't given anything more than an opportunity to show case your skills in a quarter, OR for a play or two, and they come up BIG. To me that is what pre-season is all about. I was more excited when Thompson trucked a 49ers defender for a couple yards gain, than I was about Julius Thomas' TD. The only positive thing I can say about having your starters perform well in the pre-season is that it gives them confidence and momentum going into the regular season.

I also enjoy seeing Osweiler perform well with the time he's been given. Redeemed himself after last week's INT with a TD, and then yesterday's game was even better.

[BroncoJoe]

Not sure about SF, but Seattle is known to go full steam ahead in the preseason.

Not sure why I even read Joel's posts. He is wrong like 98.4% of the time.

[Mike]

Not sure about SF, but Seattle is known to go full steam ahead in the preseason.

Not sure why I even read Joel's posts. He is wrong like 98.4% of the time.

I take everything with a grain of salt in the preseason. The team seems to be playing with fire which is good. They are holding on to the ball which is good. I also like to see that they have a lot of talented players and cuts are going to be interesting this year. Good problem to have.

Gotta point out that Coach Not-too-shabby is already up to season form when it comes to challenges.

[LawDog]

That just underscores the point: It wasn't "starters against starters, the 2s against the 2s and the 3s against the 3s," and starters who DID play weren't going all out nor with the full playbook.

. . .

However, HALF SFs starting front seven skipped the whole game, and neither they nor Seattle showed any of the complex stunts and schemes we'll see from both this season, . . .


Jim Harbaugh doesn't seem to share your point of view.

To be fair, San Francisco has been outscored 57-3 in two preseason games, so it's not just the backup signal-callers who have played poorly. Harbaugh acknowledged something is "definitely off" with his team.

"This is going to be an important week for us," Harbaugh said. "We need to make decisions on who we're playing with. We're not going to keep experimenting. We've got to tighten this down fast."

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000379467/article/jim-harbaugh-san-francisco-49ers-are-definitely-off

[atwater27]

Those teams didn't have the pass rushers and secondary that this one does.

Ray Crockett, Darien Gordon, Atwater, neil smith, Alfred Williams, Keith trailor, tanuvassa and Trevor pryce who to this day IMO is the best dt we have ever had. among others.

[Joel]

Not sure about SF, but Seattle is known to go full steam ahead in the preseason.
True enough, but I can only HOPE the Seahawks showed us their whole playbook a week ago; between that, the Super Bowl and the week 3 game, maybe Carroll will be out of surprises (and dirty tricks) by the time we face each other in the NEXT Super Bowl (touch wood.) All I know for sure is we and our 38-year-old QB are rapidly running out of second chances for the REST of the team to get its stuff together and Fox to prove he's done more than ride really talented rosters to Super Bowls where he was utterly outcoached.


Jim Harbaugh doesn't seem to share your point of view.

To be fair, San Francisco has been outscored 57-3 in two preseason games, so it's not just the backup signal-callers who have played poorly. Harbaugh acknowledged something is "definitely off" with his team.

"This is going to be an important week for us," Harbaugh said. "We need to make decisions on who we're playing with. We're not going to keep experimenting. We've got to tighten this down fast."

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000379467/article/jim-harbaugh-san-francisco-49ers-are-definitely-off
Okay, so they're using the whole playbook with all their starters (even though the announcers repeatedly said their whole starting defensive line skipped Sundays game) but STILL got beat 24-3 by a team that couldn't qualify for the playoffs even in an unusually weak AFCN: That could only diminish Sundays win. Frankly, I think it's as simple as all those sidelined starters and a lot of those "experiments" blowing up the lab, so doesn't say much about us OR them, good or bad. We'll have a better idea of our "product" a month or two into the season; this is just preseason.

[Shazam!]

Even to this day to Denver faithful, the Super Bowl defenses the Broncos fielded is unappreciated.

They all out blitzed because of scheme, and that was incredibly effective. Just see the Super Bowl.

[tripp]

All I know for sure is we and our 38-year-old QB are rapidly running out of second chances for the REST of the team to get its stuff together and Fox to prove he's done more than ride really talented rosters to Super Bowls where he was utterly outcoached.

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