TXBRONC
10-21-2009, 01:33 PM
The man just has a nose for the ball.
http://www.denverpost.com/premium/broncos/ci_13603220
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Analysis: Broncos' Dumervil showed nation what he can do Monday night
By Jeff Legwold
The Denver Post
Posted: 10/21/2009 01:00:00 AM MDT
Elvis has left the background.
Maybe enough so that his peers will finally give him a nod at season's end by voting him to play a Pro Bowl in his hometown. He can simply be accepted for what he is, which is a guy who happens to do what he does very well — despite what the tape measure says.
Stare at pass rushers heading into the draft each year and there is usually one mark-it-down item. That guys who sack the quarterback in college will usually find a way to sack the quarterback in the NFL.
So it's consistently intriguing to look at how Dumervil had back-to-back seasons of 30 sacks in a Miami high school league consistently filled with college hopefuls, yet many folks wondered if he could do that in Division -A football.
Then in his final season at Louisville, he led the nation with 20 sacks and, yes, folks wondered if he could do that in the NFL.
And yet, after 8.5 sacks as a Broncos rookie in 2006 and 12.5 in 2007, questions lingered and Pro Bowl votes were nowhere to be found as he was even tried inside at defensive tackle at times. He had five sacks last season.
When the Broncos switched to the 3-4 and players who were already in Denver were tossed into the unknown of learning new roles and new positions with new coaches, Dumervil dived in. He learned, he worked and now he flourishes.
As a work-in-progress outside linebacker, he leads the league in sacks with 10, is the first player to have 10 this fast since former Giants defensive end Michael Strahan set the league's single-season record of 22.5 in 2001 and is the Broncos game changer, a 5-foot-11, 248-pound momentum snatcher.
Monday night, Dumervil did his thing in front of the nation — he had a forced fumble and his fourth two-sack game of the season.
He plays with heart and wants to improve, and the Broncos have consistently let him play to his strengths.
Jeff Legwold: 303-954-2359 or jlegwold@denverpost.com
http://www.denverpost.com/premium/broncos/ci_13603220
broncos premium
Analysis: Broncos' Dumervil showed nation what he can do Monday night
By Jeff Legwold
The Denver Post
Posted: 10/21/2009 01:00:00 AM MDT
Elvis has left the background.
Maybe enough so that his peers will finally give him a nod at season's end by voting him to play a Pro Bowl in his hometown. He can simply be accepted for what he is, which is a guy who happens to do what he does very well — despite what the tape measure says.
Stare at pass rushers heading into the draft each year and there is usually one mark-it-down item. That guys who sack the quarterback in college will usually find a way to sack the quarterback in the NFL.
So it's consistently intriguing to look at how Dumervil had back-to-back seasons of 30 sacks in a Miami high school league consistently filled with college hopefuls, yet many folks wondered if he could do that in Division -A football.
Then in his final season at Louisville, he led the nation with 20 sacks and, yes, folks wondered if he could do that in the NFL.
And yet, after 8.5 sacks as a Broncos rookie in 2006 and 12.5 in 2007, questions lingered and Pro Bowl votes were nowhere to be found as he was even tried inside at defensive tackle at times. He had five sacks last season.
When the Broncos switched to the 3-4 and players who were already in Denver were tossed into the unknown of learning new roles and new positions with new coaches, Dumervil dived in. He learned, he worked and now he flourishes.
As a work-in-progress outside linebacker, he leads the league in sacks with 10, is the first player to have 10 this fast since former Giants defensive end Michael Strahan set the league's single-season record of 22.5 in 2001 and is the Broncos game changer, a 5-foot-11, 248-pound momentum snatcher.
Monday night, Dumervil did his thing in front of the nation — he had a forced fumble and his fourth two-sack game of the season.
He plays with heart and wants to improve, and the Broncos have consistently let him play to his strengths.
Jeff Legwold: 303-954-2359 or jlegwold@denverpost.com