Denver Native (Carol)
11-01-2009, 11:29 PM
http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=9529
BALTIMORE -- Sunday afternoon didn't exactly go the way the Broncos planned it. In fact, nothing seemed to go right for Denver for much of the team's 30-7 loss at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens.
But as tough a loss as it was, the Broncos know the most important part will be seeing how they respond.
"Any time you lose a game it's definitely disappointing," Mario Haggan said. "But like we said before, six games didn't put us in the Super Bowl, and one loss doesn't make a bad season. We didn't want it, but it's here, it's a humbling experience and we'll just go back to work and get ready for Pittsburgh."
As Andra Davis said, "Who said we were going to be 16-0?"
But both players harped on the fact that the Broncos have to get back to the drawing board starting tomorrow. It starts with film study on Monday and continues through game-planning for Monday Night Football, when the Broncos take on the Pittsburgh Steelers at INVESCO Field at Mile High.
But while most games are pushed aside by Wednesday when the focus turns to the upcoming opponent, Vonnie Holliday said this game will most likely stick with the team for a little longer.
"I hope we remember this game for the rest of our season," he said. "But certainly for the next eight days we have to really key in and watch this film and get in the classroom and learn from it."
What is there to learn from the 30-7 defeat? According to the locker room afterwards, plenty. Holliday harped on missed opportunities. Brian Dawkins brought up blown assignments. Haggan focused on not getting off the field on third down. Kyle Orton lamented the offense's inability to get going against the tough Baltimore defense.
The film will show how to fix some of the specific issues from the game, but Head Coach Josh McDaniels said reliving the painful loss in detail will also do something even more important -- force the team to look itself in the mirror.
"This is always one of those things where you face a little adversity with a loss and you realize that maybe some of the things you thought were good enough just aren't good enough," he said. "So even the things that you feel like you're doing well after a loss become more glaring, and you really take the time to evaluate what you are good at and what you're not good at."
Six wins showed that there is plenty the Broncos are good at, and Sunday's loss showed there are a few weaknesses as well. Holliday said it is those six wins that makes the one loss all the more disappointing, but it also provides an opportunity for the team to grow -- as McDaniels alluded.
"We're about to find out a lot about our team right now, our true character," Holliday said. "How do we respond to a loss like this on the road against a very good team? We've got another big game coming up in eight days versus another good team that's very similar in what they do. So this week's going to be a big week for us."
And it will be a big week for the Steelers as well, and rest assured the Broncos certainly won't be the only team reviewing the tape from Sunday's loss.
The Steelers' bye week was this weekend, so they have had a little extra time to put together a game plan to try to give Denver it's second loss of the season.
"I'm sure Pittsburgh will be looking at this tape and licking their chops trying to come after us, so we're going to have to get ready for that," Jabar Gaffney said.
It will be the second consecutive week the Broncos have played an opponent coming of its bye week, which means the test will be even tougher against the defending Super Bowl champs. Another thing the Broncos have to look out for is momentum -- or the opposite. Just as winning can breed more winning, losing can lead to an unfortunate streak.
Players pointed to the leadership in the locker room that will help negate that possibility.
"We've certainly seen it happen before where a team goes on a slide," Holliday said. "We as veteran players in this locker room, as the coaching staff in this locker room, even as the young guys, we can't let that happen."
Orton said he doesn't think it will be an issue.
"I know the type of guys we have in this locker room -- we're going to come back to work extremely hard and we're going to play better on Monday," he said. "It's going to be a grind this week, we'll get back to work and I can't wait to get back on the field and get back at it."
McDaniels readily admitted Orton is right about the grind of the upcoming week -- he called it "eight hard days -- good days, hopefully," -- as the team will do everything in its power to make sure it is the more prepared club come this weekend.
Haggan said he doesn't believe preparation will be a problem. The Broncos just lost their first game of the season, are heading back home to INVESCO Field for the first time since Week 5 and are facing a club that brings out the best in its opponents already.
"You've got the defending Super Bowl champs and a team that's been good for a lot of years now," Haggan said. "So if you can't get ready for those guys after a loss like this, then I don't think you deserve to play football."
Gaffney agreed.
"They're going to get our best, we're going to get their best, and we'll see what happens on Monday night," he said.
BALTIMORE -- Sunday afternoon didn't exactly go the way the Broncos planned it. In fact, nothing seemed to go right for Denver for much of the team's 30-7 loss at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens.
But as tough a loss as it was, the Broncos know the most important part will be seeing how they respond.
"Any time you lose a game it's definitely disappointing," Mario Haggan said. "But like we said before, six games didn't put us in the Super Bowl, and one loss doesn't make a bad season. We didn't want it, but it's here, it's a humbling experience and we'll just go back to work and get ready for Pittsburgh."
As Andra Davis said, "Who said we were going to be 16-0?"
But both players harped on the fact that the Broncos have to get back to the drawing board starting tomorrow. It starts with film study on Monday and continues through game-planning for Monday Night Football, when the Broncos take on the Pittsburgh Steelers at INVESCO Field at Mile High.
But while most games are pushed aside by Wednesday when the focus turns to the upcoming opponent, Vonnie Holliday said this game will most likely stick with the team for a little longer.
"I hope we remember this game for the rest of our season," he said. "But certainly for the next eight days we have to really key in and watch this film and get in the classroom and learn from it."
What is there to learn from the 30-7 defeat? According to the locker room afterwards, plenty. Holliday harped on missed opportunities. Brian Dawkins brought up blown assignments. Haggan focused on not getting off the field on third down. Kyle Orton lamented the offense's inability to get going against the tough Baltimore defense.
The film will show how to fix some of the specific issues from the game, but Head Coach Josh McDaniels said reliving the painful loss in detail will also do something even more important -- force the team to look itself in the mirror.
"This is always one of those things where you face a little adversity with a loss and you realize that maybe some of the things you thought were good enough just aren't good enough," he said. "So even the things that you feel like you're doing well after a loss become more glaring, and you really take the time to evaluate what you are good at and what you're not good at."
Six wins showed that there is plenty the Broncos are good at, and Sunday's loss showed there are a few weaknesses as well. Holliday said it is those six wins that makes the one loss all the more disappointing, but it also provides an opportunity for the team to grow -- as McDaniels alluded.
"We're about to find out a lot about our team right now, our true character," Holliday said. "How do we respond to a loss like this on the road against a very good team? We've got another big game coming up in eight days versus another good team that's very similar in what they do. So this week's going to be a big week for us."
And it will be a big week for the Steelers as well, and rest assured the Broncos certainly won't be the only team reviewing the tape from Sunday's loss.
The Steelers' bye week was this weekend, so they have had a little extra time to put together a game plan to try to give Denver it's second loss of the season.
"I'm sure Pittsburgh will be looking at this tape and licking their chops trying to come after us, so we're going to have to get ready for that," Jabar Gaffney said.
It will be the second consecutive week the Broncos have played an opponent coming of its bye week, which means the test will be even tougher against the defending Super Bowl champs. Another thing the Broncos have to look out for is momentum -- or the opposite. Just as winning can breed more winning, losing can lead to an unfortunate streak.
Players pointed to the leadership in the locker room that will help negate that possibility.
"We've certainly seen it happen before where a team goes on a slide," Holliday said. "We as veteran players in this locker room, as the coaching staff in this locker room, even as the young guys, we can't let that happen."
Orton said he doesn't think it will be an issue.
"I know the type of guys we have in this locker room -- we're going to come back to work extremely hard and we're going to play better on Monday," he said. "It's going to be a grind this week, we'll get back to work and I can't wait to get back on the field and get back at it."
McDaniels readily admitted Orton is right about the grind of the upcoming week -- he called it "eight hard days -- good days, hopefully," -- as the team will do everything in its power to make sure it is the more prepared club come this weekend.
Haggan said he doesn't believe preparation will be a problem. The Broncos just lost their first game of the season, are heading back home to INVESCO Field for the first time since Week 5 and are facing a club that brings out the best in its opponents already.
"You've got the defending Super Bowl champs and a team that's been good for a lot of years now," Haggan said. "So if you can't get ready for those guys after a loss like this, then I don't think you deserve to play football."
Gaffney agreed.
"They're going to get our best, we're going to get their best, and we'll see what happens on Monday night," he said.