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View Full Version : BREAKIN' IT DOWN, WEEK 1 vs. BUFFALO



dogfish
09-05-2007, 09:05 PM
before preseason, i felt this was a game we should win handily--but honestly, right now i'm much less confident. . . part of that is injuries, and part of it is the pathetic showing by our defense in the preseason. . . although i think our roster is easily more talented top-to-bottom, right now i actually see a lot of parallels between these two teams-- both are relying on young quarterbacks, both have undergone a lot of transition in the trenches, both have new RBs, both are looking for a second reliable option to emerge in the passing game, and both look shaky against the run to begin the season. . .

because of this, i think the team that establishes the run first will have a great chance to win. . . i expect a BIG day from travis henry-- although he's said he doesn't have quite the same chip on his shoulder as last year (when he dropped 135 on them), don't think he's forgiven them for drafting mcgahee. . . henry's physical running style is well-suited to attacking an undersized front seven, and if he gets going early it's going to be a long day for them. . . over the years we've struggled more with size and power than quickness and athleticism, and our OLs match up very well with their defensive front in the running game. . . their top 3 DTs are larry tripplett (a former colt who's never been very impressive), and second-year players kyle williams and john mccargo-- i personally don't think that group can consistently prevent our OLs from getting to the second level, which means that henry should get a chance to get into the secondary where he can wreak havoc against DBs with his tackle-breaking ability. . . their run D was one of the league's weakest up the middle last year, and i don't see where they've improved it-- forget attacking the edges, the tight zone should be there all day. . . and if their young DTs can't avoid the cutblocks and stay on their feet, we should see some nice cutback lanes as well. . .

i do expect their LBs to get downhill quickly and fill their gaps, though. . . people talk about buffalo jettisoning london fletcher and TKO, but those guys were aging, and neither of them played up to their reputation last year. . . angelo crowell is a solid athlete with some experience in their system, and pozsluzny is a plug-and-play LB who should play well right off the bat. . . if WILL keith ellison can't go, converted safety coy wire will likely take his place. . . overall not an especially intimidating group, but they'll play fast even if they're not always in the right place (we'll see if "poz" is ready to call the defense at this level). . .

i certainly expect them to crowd the LOS early, and it'll be interesting to see whether we run at them or let jay attack through the air. . . if henry can break some tackles he's capable of gaining positive yardage even against stacked fronts, but i wouldn't be surprised to see us "pass to set up the run" on the first series or two, possibly coming out with a few slants or screens on first down, before settling into a grind-it-out running game. . .

buffalo plays a cover-2 base, but if they show us some cover-3 type fronts early to have that extra safety close to the LOS we may get a few advantageous matchups on the outside. . . terrence mcgee is a solid starting corner who's probably a better fit as a #2-- good player, but i don't think he can handle javon walker by himself when they're in man coverage. . . on the other side, falcons castoff jason webster is basically a scrub. . . neither of their corners is over 5'9", which gives walker and marshall a distinct advantage in size and muscle-- the cover-2 protects their corners to a certain degree, but we should have a chance to win some jump balls down the field-- especially walker, who's one of the league's best at using his lanky frame to wall off DBs and timing his jumps. . .

brandon stokley is a nice weapon to attack the cover-2 underneath, as he has a natural feel for finding the soft spots-- expect him to be used on drags and comebacks. . . we may also dump it off to graham in the flat a few times and see if their smallish corners can tackle him. . . the chef has the size and athleticism to threaten the seams, where the cover-2 tends to be vulnerable, so hopefully he'll get some PT in two-TE formations, or on third downs. . .

buffalo has a solid pair of bookend DEs—aaron schobel is an underrated player who brings it every week, and chris kelsay is a competent-if-unspectacular base end with some pass rush ability. . . schobel isn’t an elite athlete, but he’s a grinder with a good size/speed combo— I feel confident that a fully healthy lepsis would shut him down, but we’re not sure what we’ve got there right now. . hopefully the time off allowed that groin injury to heal completely, but if he’s still struggling to kick out schobel is going to give him headaches. . . kelsay will be a decent challenge for pears' debut at ORT. . . the good news is that we now have dan graham to lend help if either tackle is having problems—I expect to see him lined up on the left of the formation to chip on schobel pretty frequently. . .

their interior DLs have the quickness to penetrate, but generally lack the size and power to be overwhelming as bull rushers—hopefully our quick OLs can contain them and give cutler a pocket to step up into, because their ends are going to cause us problems if he’s getting flushed consistently. . . I wasn’t happy with our guard play last year—this will be our first chance to see whether the new guys can step it up. . . our guys need to watch pozsluzny on the delayed blitz-- in the preseason he showed very natural timing, and i saw him come unblocked up the middle on several occasions. . .

the cover-2 will be a test of cutler's patience and willingness to dump it down when necessary. . . honestly, i expect to see him toss at least one pick trying to fit it between defenders down the field, as they have an impressive pair of young safeties-- an unfortunate part of the growing process at the position. . . if he gets picked off in their territory it's not necessarily a back-breaker, but we can't give them a short field more than once and expect to win. . .

dogfish
09-05-2007, 09:08 PM
i honestly am not that familiar with buffalo's offense, but i believe OC steve fairchild runs a balanced O. . . i'm sure they'll look to run the ball early. . . i'm still reading that they want to use a committe approach with anthony thomas, but personally i expect rookie marshawn lynch to get the bulk of the work-- they didn't draft him #12 overall to split time with a journeyman like the A-train for very long, and he has big-play speed that will make it hard to keep him on the sidelines. . . lynch doesn't have the same leg drive to move the pile in short-yardage situations as mcgahee did, so thomas may take the majority of those carries, but i expect most of the rest to be lynch. . . they want to get him in space and get some big plays out of their previously-plodding running game. . . lynch is more quick than truly fast, but he has a second gear and can get to it in a hurry, makes crisp cuts, and is elusive in the open field-- if our LBs overpursue (DJ!) he is capable of ripping off yardage in chunks on cutbacks. . . they will likely attack the edges, and our LBs will have to fill their gaps and be responsible for their outside contain assignments-- our LBs will be challenged to get off blocks if the DTs are letting traffic through. . .

the bills supposedly "upgraded" their O-line this offseason, but i'm a long way from convinced. . . i thought they massively overpaid for the one-dimensional derrick dockery, and langston walker is so awful the faders let him go. . . right guard looks like a big :questionmark: to me as well. . . jason peters is a legit athlete at OLT, and melvin fowler is a capable center, but i'm unimpressed with the rest of their line. . . of course, our DTs look pretty sorry right now as well, so it should be an even battle. . . i expect to see a LOT of our safeties in the box, as the run D probably needs their help more than the pass D. . .

buffalo's passing game is essentially a one-man gang consisting of lee evans-- he's a dynamic player who really started coming into his own last year, and i won't be surprised if he even makes a few catches against champ. . . of course i do expect champ to contain him for the most part, but IMO the real question will be how hard they try to get evans away from bailey, and how committed we are to maintaining that matchup. . . i think bly is more than capable of shutting down peerless price or josh reed, so evans is likely to get plenty of balls thrown his way regardless of who's covering him. . . roscoe parrish has great speed out of the slot, but i feel that foxworth can handle him for the most part. . . finding ways to get evans going will be the key for them to establish their passing game. . . they lack a quality receiving TE to take advantage of our LBs' questionable coverage skills. . .

losman has progressed slowly but surely, and down the stretch last year he finally started to look like a competent NFL QB. . . he has a big arm and can throw a pretty deep ball, but multiple times last year i saw evans have to slow up because losman put too much air under the ball on go routes down the sideline-- if he hangs up a floater against us, he will find to his consternation that #24 comes up with those more often than anyone else. . . with two young QBs and a good half-dozen ballhawks between the two secondaries, we could see several INTs in this game. . .

one of the reasons the bills wanted to replace mcgahee was his inability to contribute anything to their passing game-- lynch is just the opposite, a dynamic threat in the passing game who is much more polished as a receiver than most backs coming out of college. . . i'm hoping we can keep ian gold matched up with him in coverage most of the time. . .

their OLT jason peters is a quality athlete with the footwork to excell in pass protection, although he only has one year's experience on the left side and still has a ways to go in his development. . . if simeon rice is healthy and in proper game shape, the crafty vet may be able to cause some problems for the young tackle. . . i'm hoping we get to see jarvis moss against peters-- an excellent matchup of freakish athleticism. . . peters may give up a few plays, but i think he can hold his own. . . on the other side, langston walker is another story entirely, and whether it's dumervil or moss going against him, i expect them to beat him like a drum-- he's high-waisted and doesn't bend his knees well, and really struggles against speed off the edge, which we have plenty of. . . look for the bills to end up giving him a lot of help with their TEs and backs. . . admittedly, i'm more concerned with our ability to collapse the pocket from the interior. . . it'll be interesting to see whether marcus thomas gets any significant action in the nickel and dime packages. . .

buffalo has a distinct advantage on special teams, as coach bobby april's units are always among the best in the league. . . punter brian moorman is as good as it gets, and terrence mcgee and roscoe parrish are dangerous kick and punt returners, respectively. . . i don't expect us to win this matchup, but if we can keep them from making any big plays i'll be more than satisfied. . .

coaching is one area where i feel we have a pronounced advantage. . . hopefully our guys will be more ready to play than they have the past few openers (but before anyone starts wailing, check shenanigans overall record in openers!). . . i'm somewhat concerned with chemistry and timing, as we've had an unusual amount of injuries over the preseason, and players have been shuttling in and out of the lineup. . . as i said earlier, i think getting travis henry in a groove early is our best chance to win the game. . .


woo hoo, REAL football in just a few days!!


:woot: :strongy: :woot:

TXBRONC
09-05-2007, 09:27 PM
Thanks for the breakdown DF, I am still looking forward to this game even though we do have several questions that need to be answered.

Lonestar
09-05-2007, 09:29 PM
Pretty good analysis but Arron Schobel is a quality Defense lineman has had a ton of sacks and hurries over the years.

He is gonna cause us alot of grief.

topscribe
09-05-2007, 09:34 PM
Back to your old tricks with your analyses, eh Dog?

Just a terrific read. :2thumbs: Thank you.

-----

anton...
09-05-2007, 10:00 PM
i like reading your analytical jargon...

:salute:
________
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SBboundBRONCOS
09-05-2007, 10:09 PM
i concur :salute:

thank you for that

Skinny
09-05-2007, 11:39 PM
Great breakdown DF. Much kudos!
I think the team that establishes the run first will have a great chance to win. . . i expect a BIG day from travis henryThis has me concerned a little bit going into Buff.

IMO, for us offensively, i beleive this game will come down to Jay Cutler. Everyone in the world knows this will be only Jays 6th start as an NFL QB and the Bills will stack 8 men in the box to stop Henry and put the game on Jays shoulders.

Protecting Jay from a great pass rusher on Schobel and disguised blitzes to confuse Jay will be key.
their run D was one of the league's weakest up the middle last yearAnother reason i beleive Perry Fewell, the D-Coord, will do everthing he can to force us to keep the ball in Jays hands. Including throwing in the kitchen sink to stop Henry.
but i wouldn't be surprised to see us "pass to set up the run" on the first series or two, possibly coming out with a few slants or screens on first down, before settling into a grind-it-out running game.Absolutely df. We may have no choice!
buffalo plays a cover-2 base, but if they show us some cover-3 type fronts early to have that extra safety close to the LOS we may get a few advantageous matchups on the outside.Great point and considering we are able to protect Jay and he is able to make his reads, this should play into our hands.
but i don't think he can handle javon walker by himself when they're in man coverage.Nor do i df, especially if they are stacking 8 men in the box to stop Henry. Jay needs to take advantage of those shots when he gets them.
I feel confident that a fully healthy lepsis would shut him down, but we’re not sure what we’ve got there right now.Absolutely, and a great point again . . .how healthy and ready is Lepsis??
but if he’s still struggling to kick out, schobel is going to give him headaches.As well as Jay. And this is an area that they will test early and often.

This will be a key matchup.
the cover-2 will be a test of cutler's patience and willingness to dump it down when necessary.A big test IMO. And this is what they will be trying to accomplish in stopping the run and putting the ball in Jays hands to see if he can win or lose the game.

we can't give them a short field more than once and expect to win.If we are to help Jay and the defense, SP will be where it starts IMO.


i'm sure they'll look to run the ball early.I expect they will too df, in full anticipation to set up Lee evans. Luckly for us, their running game in the pre-season was as bad as our rushing defense.

We're very fortunate to playing this taem this early in the season on both sides of the ball (their run Off, our run Def,)
if our LBs overpursue (DJ!) he is capable of ripping off yardage in chunks on cutbacks. . .they will likely attack the edges, and our LBs will have to fill their gaps and be responsible for their outside contain assignments-- our LBs will be challenged to get off blocks if the DTs are letting traffic through. . .This is the area of concern on our defense and will be our biggest challenge
our DTs look pretty sorry right now as well, so it should be an even battle. . . i expect to see a LOT of our safeties in the box, as the run D probably needs their help more than the pass D.lol, I agree with you 100% on this df.
peerless price or josh reedI think one fo these 2 will be a key match up with Nique. An area that they will try and attack because of Bailey and Bly.

It will be interesting to see how Bates plays the secondary when Buff. goes to 3 wide-out sets.
losman has progressed slowly but surely, and down the stretch last year he finally started to look like a competent NFL QB. . . he has a big arm and can throw a pretty deep ballHe has improved alot since the early part of last season and seems to be finally coming around to being the QB the Bills had hoped when they got him.

His is nothing to take lightly and when get them in 3rd and long situations, we have to be able to apply pressure and get him flustered.
lynch is just the opposite, a dynamic threat in the passing game who is much more polished as a receiver than most backs coming out of college. . . i'm hoping we can keep ian gold matched up with him in coverage most of the time.Good point about Lynchs receiving ability. It's what stood out the most to me about him on film that i have seen on him. Really nice hands.

But i feel completely comfortable with Gold on him when he comes out of the backfeild on pasing routes.
their OLT jason peters is a quality athlete with the footwork to excell in pass protection.IMO, soon to be one of the better OT in the game.
if simeon rice is healthy and in proper game shape, the crafty vet may be able to cause some problems for the young tackle.Absolutely! He'd get schooled in a hurry. Their games contradict one anothers IMO.

Rice's game is speed and Peters is power. Considering how much Rice plays, it will be an interesting match-up to watch and one i think we can take advantage of in the "speed" department. With Rice, Elvis, and Moss.
on the other side, langston walker is another story entirely, and whether it's dumervil or moss going against him, i expect them to beat him like a drumAgreed. A weak link we must take advantage of
i'm more concerned with our ability to collapse the pocket from the interior. . . it'll be interesting to see whether marcus thomas gets any significant action in the nickel and dime packages.I think he will. He seems to be the best inside rusher of the group and the time he sees, will be in nickel and dime packages IMO.
buffalo has a distinct advantage on special teams, as coach bobby april's units are always among the best in the league. . . punter brian moorman is as good as it gets, and terrence mcgee and roscoe parrish are dangerous kick and punt returners, respectively. . . i don't expect us to win this matchup, but if we can keep them from making any big plays i'll be more than satisfied.We still do have a lot of work to do on our STs but they are getting better.

There's no question Buffalos SP is one of the tops in the league and on punt returns inperticular and we will have our hands full for sure in that area.

As i've stated before, this is an area that will help our defense as well as Jay, as much as anything else once the game starts.

It's a challenge that we must meet in order to win this game as well as the next few till our defense can their act together. It's just that simple (easy to say i know)
hopefully our guys will be more ready to play than they have the past few openers (but before anyone starts wailing, check shenanigans overall record in openers!).So do i df. We need to come out the gate quick. Especially with a young QB and pretty much everybody heathy and ready to go.
i'm somewhat concerned with chemistry and timing, as we've had an unusual amount of injuries over the preseason, and players have been shuttling in and out of the lineup.As am i. But i really beleive we will see a diffrent unit out there against Buff. defensively and the leash will be taken off.

And i truly beleive not that it's game time and the wins and losses matter . . . that dog will hunt! :salute:

rcsodak
09-06-2007, 12:35 AM
Great read, dog....you missed your calling.

I've heard from some analysts that have watched their practices, that their Oline is pretty sucky right now. This could be the perfect time for denver's Dline to work out their kinks without getting killed. *fingers crossed*

Isn't the middle of the field open, in a cover-2? Stokely could have a field day, or the TE's.....

Javalon
09-06-2007, 01:40 AM
Lots to read and I'm just going to respond to things as I read through:

before preseason, i felt this was a game we should win handily--but honestly, right now i'm much less confident. . . part of that is injuries, and part of it is the pathetic showing by our defense in the preseason. . . although i think our roster is easily more talented top-to-bottom, right now i actually see a lot of parallels between these two teams-- both are relying on young quarterbacks, both have undergone a lot of transition in the trenches, both have new RBs, both are looking for a second reliable option to emerge in the passing game, and both look shaky against the run to begin the season. . .

because of this, i think the team that establishes the run first will have a great chance to win. . . i expect a BIG day from travis henry-- although he's said he doesn't have quite the same chip on his shoulder as last year (when he dropped 135 on them), don't think he's forgiven them for drafting mcgahee. . . henry's physical running style is well-suited to attacking an undersized front seven, and if he gets going early it's going to be a long day for them. . .
I found it interesting that both Henry and Lynch underwhelmed with their starting offenses this preseason. While on fewer carries, Henry averaged a whopping 3.5 ypc. Lynch was even worse at dismal 1.7 ypc. (I didn't watch every play of his but practically every one I did see had Lynch getting stuffed.)

Yeah, it was only preseason but the running games should take better advantage of the base defenses being played. And it's not like Denver runs a huge variety of running plays to begin with so I don't think that was an excuse. I'm not as worried about the Broncos because our line was very patchwork in front of Henry and we know we'll get back to being a top 10 running attack, at worst, and possibly back to a top 3 if our line gets healthy and jells.

Lynch, on the other hand, looked terrible in the preseason and I don't know how to explain it. Sure he's a rook but 1.7 ypc? Their other backs all looked a lot better. I doubt any other rookie backs looked that bad. By comparison, Selvin Young this year averaged 4.9 ypc and Mike Bell as a rookie averaged 5.3 ypc in the preseason.

This makes me wonder if Lynch doesn't fit their offense very well or if their offensive line is just struggling that much or what.

Anyway, I see the Broncos having a definite edge on the ground even though we're not sure what to expect from our defense.


i do expect their LBs to get downhill quickly and fill their gaps, though. . . people talk about buffalo jettisoning london fletcher and TKO, but those guys were aging, and neither of them played up to their reputation last year. . . angelo crowell is a solid athlete with some experience in their system, and pozsluzny is a plug-and-play LB who should play well right off the bat. . . if WILL keith ellison can't go, converted safety coy wire will likely take his place. . . overall not an especially intimidating group, but they'll play fast even if they're not always in the right place (we'll see if "poz" is ready to call the defense at this level). . .
Their speed might get them to Henry once he's through the hole but will they be sure enough tacklers to consistently bring him down? I don't know enough about these guys to guess right now.


i certainly expect them to crowd the LOS early, and it'll be interesting to see whether we run at them or let jay attack through the air. . . if henry can break some tackles he's capable of gaining positive yardage even against stacked fronts, but i wouldn't be surprised to see us "pass to set up the run" on the first series or two, possibly coming out with a few slants or screens on first down, before settling into a grind-it-out running game. . .
I worry about constant blitzes going after both the run and pass. During the preseason I didn't think we did the best job handling the blitz and they might decide to keep testing Cutler until he proves he can handle it.


buffalo plays a cover-2 base, but if they show us some cover-3 type fronts early to have that extra safety close to the LOS we may get a few advantageous matchups on the outside. . . terrence mcgee is a solid starting corner who's probably a better fit as a #2-- good player, but i don't think he can handle javon walker by himself when they're in man coverage. . . on the other side, falcons castoff jason webster is basically a scrub. . . neither of their corners is over 5'9", which gives walker and marshall a distinct advantage in size and muscle-- the cover-2 protects their corners to a certain degree, but we should have a chance to win some jump balls down the field-- especially walker, who's one of the league's best at using his lanky frame to wall off DBs and timing his jumps. . .
If they do bring a heavy dose of blitzes to rattle Jay, I'm wondering if they might not tell him to just throw some jump balls to whichever of Walker or Marshall has single coverage and/or the best match-up. Put the ball up a little high and let them go after it.


brandon stokley is a nice weapon to attack the cover-2 underneath, as he has a natural feel for finding the soft spots-- expect him to be used on drags and comebacks. . . we may also dump it off to graham in the flat a few times and see if their smallish corners can tackle him. . . the chef has the size and athleticism to threaten the seams, where the cover-2 tends to be vulnerable, so hopefully he'll get some PT in two-TE formations, or on third downs. . .
I don't know what to expect from Scheffler after his limited role during the preseason. But I think Stokley could have a big game if the O-line give Cutler time to throw. Really, I think Stokley will cause fits for opposing defenses all season long if he can stay healthy. I don't know if we've ever had a big season from a #3 receiver under Shanny but I think this could be the year. The Three Amigos Part Dos?


buffalo has a solid pair of bookend DEs—aaron schobel is an underrated player who brings it every week, and chris kelsay is a competent-if-unspectacular base end with some pass rush ability. . . schobel isn’t an elite athlete, but he’s a grinder with a good size/speed combo— I feel confident that a fully healthy lepsis would shut him down, but we’re not sure what we’ve got there right now. . hopefully the time off allowed that groin injury to heal completely, but if he’s still struggling to kick out schobel is going to give him headaches. . . kelsay will be a decent challenge for pears' debut at ORT. . . the good news is that we now have dan graham to lend help if either tackle is having problems—I expect to see him lined up on the left of the formation to chip on schobel pretty frequently. . .

their interior DLs have the quickness to penetrate, but generally lack the size and power to be overwhelming as bull rushers—hopefully our quick OLs can contain them and give cutler a pocket to step up into, because their ends are going to cause us problems if he’s getting flushed consistently. . . I wasn’t happy with our guard play last year—this will be our first chance to see whether the new guys can step it up. . . our guys need to watch pozsluzny on the delayed blitz-- in the preseason he showed very natural timing, and i saw him come unblocked up the middle on several occasions. . .
I started to gain confidence with our O-line as the season progressed. My biggest concern is with Myers. He was badly beaten a few times in the preseason and seemed to be the weakest link, although he also looked somewhat better against Cleveland. But overall I think they'll do a pretty good job and we just need to be prepared for the blitz.


the cover-2 will be a test of cutler's patience and willingness to dump it down when necessary. . . honestly, i expect to see him toss at least one pick trying to fit it between defenders down the field, as they have an impressive pair of young safeties-- an unfortunate part of the growing process at the position. . . if he gets picked off in their territory it's not necessarily a back-breaker, but we can't give them a short field more than once and expect to win. . .
I think there's a certain acceptance from the coaching staff of riskier throws by Cutler because of the potential payoff from his big arm. Gunslingers like Elway and Favre have usually averaged at least one INT per game and I won't be surprised if Cutler goes the same way. But he has to make enough big plays to make the occasional INT worthwhile.

What concerns me right now is that Cutler never looked particularly sharp this preseason, or at least not consistently sharp. I really hope we aren't going to see the sophomore jinx at play. But I won't get too worried over preseason and won't panic unless it continues for the next few weeks.

I'll try to hit the second part of your post in a bit...

BroncoManiac_69
09-06-2007, 02:17 AM
Pre season is like a kid eyeballing the presents under the tree a week before Christmas.

You've shaken the box, and have an idea of what's in it, but you can't open it yet.

It's painful.

It's annoying.

You can't wait to find out exactly what you got.

That's how I feel about the Broncos this year.

I'm shaking that box and it's heavy. Feels expensive. Nice big pretty bow.




I'm REALLY hoping there is no coal in the box this year.

Javalon
09-06-2007, 02:19 AM
i honestly am not that familiar with buffalo's offense, but i believe OC steve fairchild runs a balanced O. . . i'm sure they'll look to run the ball early. . . i'm still reading that they want to use a committe approach with anthony thomas, but personally i expect rookie marshawn lynch to get the bulk of the work-- they didn't draft him #12 overall to split time with a journeyman like the A-train for very long, and he has big-play speed that will make it hard to keep him on the sidelines. . . lynch doesn't have the same leg drive to move the pile in short-yardage situations as mcgahee did, so thomas may take the majority of those carries, but i expect most of the rest to be lynch. . . they want to get him in space and get some big plays out of their previously-plodding running game. . . lynch is more quick than truly fast, but he has a second gear and can get to it in a hurry, makes crisp cuts, and is elusive in the open field-- if our LBs overpursue (DJ!) he is capable of ripping off yardage in chunks on cutbacks. . . they will likely attack the edges, and our LBs will have to fill their gaps and be responsible for their outside contain assignments-- our LBs will be challenged to get off blocks if the DTs are letting traffic through. . .
I expressed my thoughts on Lynch earlier. As for our defense of Lynch, I will say that I liked how our defense was starting to swarm to the ball in the Cleveland game. Hopefully that will carry over to the regular season. We definitely need to see D.J. looking more confident as the season gets going.


the bills supposedly "upgraded" their O-line this offseason, but i'm a long way from convinced. . . i thought they massively overpaid for the one-dimensional derrick dockery, and langston walker is so awful the faders let him go. . . right guard looks like a big :questionmark: to me as well. . . jason peters is a legit athlete at OLT, and melvin fowler is a capable center, but i'm unimpressed with the rest of their line. . . of course, our DTs look pretty sorry right now as well, so it should be an even battle. . . i expect to see a LOT of our safeties in the box, as the run D probably needs their help more than the pass D. . .
A shaky O-line going against a shaky D-line. It seems to even out. Both units should get better as the season progresses so it comes down to who looks better this Sunday. (I do find it funny how many Bills fans have been lauding Langston as some great acquisition. :rolleyes: )


buffalo's passing game is essentially a one-man gang consisting of lee evans-- he's a dynamic player who really started coming into his own last year, and i won't be surprised if he even makes a few catches against champ. . . of course i do expect champ to contain him for the most part, but IMO the real question will be how hard they try to get evans away from bailey, and how committed we are to maintaining that matchup. . . i think bly is more than capable of shutting down peerless price or josh reed, so evans is likely to get plenty of balls thrown his way regardless of who's covering him. . . roscoe parrish has great speed out of the slot, but i feel that foxworth can handle him for the most part. . . finding ways to get evans going will be the key for them to establish their passing game. . . they lack a quality receiving TE to take advantage of our LBs' questionable coverage skills. . .
If there's no pass rush, Champ might even be beaten deep by Evans. Losman throws a good deep ball and Evans can get to it so we need to make J.P. be at least concerned about his time in the pocket. Like you said, they have Evans and not much else so I doubt they'll be avoiding Champ this game.

I'm still not convinced about Bly. He definitely gives up a number of big plays trying to make the big plays. If he makes a pick or two then it'll be worth the occasional one he gives up. He just better make those plays...


losman has progressed slowly but surely, and down the stretch last year he finally started to look like a competent NFL QB. . . he has a big arm and can throw a pretty deep ball, but multiple times last year i saw evans have to slow up because losman put too much air under the ball on go routes down the sideline-- if he hangs up a floater against us, he will find to his consternation that #24 comes up with those more often than anyone else. . . with two young QBs and a good half-dozen ballhawks between the two secondaries, we could see several INTs in this game. . .
Bills fans complain that Losman still doesn't look good in the short to intermediate game. But looking at his stats would seem to tell another story. I only watched a couple of Bills games last season so I don't want to make a blanket judgement on him. Here's hoping their fans are right and he is inconsistent. Here are his splits:

Behind or at LoS: 67.3%, Rating 76.1
Ball thrown 1 - 10 yards: 74.0%, Rating 92.5
Ball thrown 11 - 20 yards: 42.0%, Rating 59.5

He actually seems a lot better at the short stuff and has a big drop-off between 10-20 yards. His rating actually gets a lot better at 21+ yards thrown. Just kind of interesting.


one of the reasons the bills wanted to replace mcgahee was his inability to contribute anything to their passing game-- lynch is just the opposite, a dynamic threat in the passing game who is much more polished as a receiver than most backs coming out of college. . . i'm hoping we can keep ian gold matched up with him in coverage most of the time. . .
We were getting killed by screens in preseason. I know, VANILLA... we'll see.


their OLT jason peters is a quality athlete with the footwork to excell in pass protection, although he only has one year's experience on the left side and still has a ways to go in his development. . . if simeon rice is healthy and in proper game shape, the crafty vet may be able to cause some problems for the young tackle. . . i'm hoping we get to see jarvis moss against peters-- an excellent matchup of freakish athleticism. . . peters may give up a few plays, but i think he can hold his own. . . on the other side, langston walker is another story entirely, and whether it's dumervil or moss going against him, i expect them to beat him like a drum-- he's high-waisted and doesn't bend his knees well, and really struggles against speed off the edge, which we have plenty of. . . look for the bills to end up giving him a lot of help with their TEs and backs. . . admittedly, i'm more concerned with our ability to collapse the pocket from the interior. . . it'll be interesting to see whether marcus thomas gets any significant action in the nickel and dime packages. . .
I think we'll get our sacks. But that doesn't mean we'll get consistent pressure. We need to keep Losman feeling like he needs to get rid of the ball in a hurry or they'll get a number a deep pass completions.


buffalo has a distinct advantage on special teams, as coach bobby april's units are always among the best in the league. . . punter brian moorman is as good as it gets, and terrence mcgee and roscoe parrish are dangerous kick and punt returners, respectively. . . i don't expect us to win this matchup, but if we can keep them from making any big plays i'll be more than satisfied. . .
We need to at least improve our relative starting field position this season. I noticed Hixon is listed as both our KR and PR, although he only returned one kickoff this preseason. It'll be interesting to see what he can do.


coaching is one area where i feel we have a pronounced advantage. . . hopefully our guys will be more ready to play than they have the past few openers (but before anyone starts wailing, check shenanigans overall record in openers!). . . i'm somewhat concerned with chemistry and timing, as we've had an unusual amount of injuries over the preseason, and players have been shuttling in and out of the lineup. . . as i said earlier, i think getting travis henry in a groove early is our best chance to win the game. . .
It was only two years ago we thought Shanny couldn't lose on opening day. Now we're on a two game opening day losing streak and all faith in Shanny starting the season has been shaken. But if it weren't for our completely not knowing what to expect on D, I would actually feel confident about this game. As it is I'm kind of thinking it could go either way. Nothing will really surprise me. (Or so I think. ;))


woo hoo, REAL football in just a few days!!


:woot:
Nice breakdown Dogfish, as always. I'm SOOO glad the season is finally here!

Javalon
09-06-2007, 02:21 AM
Pre season is like a kid eyeballing the presents under the tree a week before Christmas.

You've shaken the box, and have an idea of what's in it, but you can't open it yet.

It's painful.

It's annoying.

You can't wait to find out exactly what you got.

That's how I feel about the Broncos this year.

I'm shaking that box and it's heavy. Feels expensive. Nice big pretty bow.




I'm REALLY hoping there is no coal in the box this year.

Yeah, and you can hear some rattling inside so you hope it isn't broken. And if it IS broken can it be fixed or exchanged for a new one? :D

BroncoManiac_69
09-06-2007, 02:23 AM
Yeah, and you can hear some rattling inside so you hope it isn't broken. And if it IS broken can it be fixed or exchanged for a new one? :D


Only if mommy kept the receipt. :D

Lonestar
09-06-2007, 10:37 AM
I'm still not convinced about Bly. He definitely gives up a number of big plays trying to make the big plays. If he makes a pick or two then it'll be worth the occasional one he gives up. He just better make those plays...

It was only two years ago we thought Shanny couldn't lose on opening day. Now we're on a two game opening day losing streak and all faith in Shanny starting the season has been shaken. But if it weren't for our completely not knowing what to expect on D, I would actually feel confident about this game. As it is I'm kind of thinking it could go either way. Nothing will really surprise me. (Or so I think. ;))


Nice breakdown Dogfish, as always. I'm SOOO glad the season is finally here!

I noticed a couple of things in your post that I wanted to comment on

If we are willing to trade big plays on BLY why did we give up on delta? He did much the same thing. If that is all that Bly does, perhaps we can a lesser person play it for much less money.

Mikey's opening day problems the last two years I believe are more to blame on the fact they were early games on the east coast, than just being the first game of the year.

Maybe it is a combo the other early games have also been a struggle. But perhaps because we came out sluggish we were still able to overcome that bad play because we were a better coordinated team later in the year. The first game we just did not seem to have our ducks lined up.

Now some would comment that it was Jake that had bad first games perhaps it was the problem. We will see this year.

I certainly hope we can win this one and I don't even care if it is ugly.

But I still have to say I think it is a loss. Way to many past negatives to overcome this early in the season.

dogfish
09-06-2007, 02:43 PM
some good posts in here guys, thanks for the resposnes! unfortunately i don't have time right now to get back atcha-- hopefully sometime before i leave for the weekend. . .


jav, good to see you over here man. . . . :beer:

dogfish
09-07-2007, 12:46 AM
IMO, for us offensively, i beleive this game will come down to Jay Cutler. Everyone in the world knows this will be only Jays 6th start as an NFL QB and the Bills will stack 8 men in the box to stop Henry and put the game on Jays shoulders.

Protecting Jay from a great pass rusher on Schobel and disguised blitzes to confuse Jay will be key.Another reason i beleive Perry Fewell, the D-Coord, will do everthing he can to force us to keep the ball in Jays hands. Including throwing in the kitchen sink to stop Henry.

honestly, i don't necessarily think that jay has to go out there and throw for 350+ yards and 2-3 TDs for us to win-- IMO the key will be making quick reads and decisive throws when we pass on 1st down. . . that will keep us in manageable down-and-distance situations where henry can be effective, because i'm confident that he's the kind of physical back who can grind out some yardage even against stacked fronts-- 8 men in the box isn't impossible to run against, just difficult. . .


how healthy and ready is Lepsis??

we shall see, but it may be overly optimistic to expect him to be in top form coming off serious surgery, and a year-and-a-half removed from any real, extended playing time. . . as i said earlier, having graham does help a lot if lepsis isn't 100%. . .



I expect they will too df, in full anticipation to set up Lee evans. Luckly for us, their running game in the pre-season was as bad as our rushing defense.

We're very fortunate to playing this taem this early in the season on both sides of the ball (their run Off, our run Def,)This is the area of concern on our defense and will be our biggest challengelol, I agree with you 100% on this df.

i'd be a lot happier going into the season feeling that our run D was stout rather than hoping our opponent isn't strong in that area, but at this point i'll take what i can get. . . :ahhhhh:



I think one fo these 2 will be a key match up with Nique. An area that they will try and attack because of Bailey and Bly.

It will be interesting to see how Bates plays the secondary when Buff. goes to 3 wide-out sets.

i'm not a hundred percent positive, but i believe that foxworth will primarily be matched against roscoe parrish out of the slot, as i don't believe he lines up outside very often. . . i'm not familiar enough with the bills to say for sure, but i think price and reed will split the #2 duties based on formation and situation, while parrish will generally be the 3rd in 3-wide sets. . .



He has improved alot since the early part of last season and seems to be finally coming around to being the QB the Bills had hoped when they got him.
His is nothing to take lightly and when get them in 3rd and long situations, we have to be able to apply pressure and get him flustered.

from what i've seen of losman, i almost think he is more dangerous out of the pocket-- he throws well on the run, and while he's not a big-play danger rushing, he definitely has the speed to take off and pick up first downs, and he won;'t hesitate. . . i'd like to see us contain him as much as possible, but there's that nasty little thing about having little interior pass rush. . . i know bates prioritizes getting upfield for the ends, but if they sell out and don't bother to maintain lane discipline, losman will probably break off a few runs. . .



Good point about Lynchs receiving ability. It's what stood out the most to me about him on film that i have seen on him. Really nice hands.
But i feel completely comfortable with Gold on him when he comes out of the backfeild on pasing routes.

i think gold is one of the best LBs in the league at covering RBs out of the backfield, but the coverage of our LBs in general is a big concern to me right now-- they really looked bad in preseason. . . it's never been a particular strength of dj's, and webster has played MIKE in past starting stints. . . little dump-offs in the flat hurt us in preseason, and the guys need to be more alert and get up and tackle the ballcarrier on those. . . sitting at home with a limited view of the field it's hard (at least for me!) to say if it's blown assignments, bad coverage or what, but regardless they need to tighten it up before it bites us in the ass. . .


And i truly beleive not that it's game time and the wins and losses matter . . . that dog will hunt! :salute:


i wish i felt as confident, but there's no doubt that the talent level is there. . .

dogfish
09-07-2007, 12:58 AM
Great read, dog....you missed your calling.

I've heard from some analysts that have watched their practices, that their Oline is pretty sucky right now. This could be the perfect time for denver's Dline to work out their kinks without getting killed. *fingers crossed*

Isn't the middle of the field open, in a cover-2? Stokely could have a field day, or the TE's.....

the middle does tend to be open, and i fully expect to see stokley (or possibly chef) get some opportunities there on drags and other crossing patterns. . . hopefully walker as well, as he's a very impressive open-field runner. . .

dogfish
09-07-2007, 01:19 AM
Lots to read and I'm just going to respond to things as I read through:

I found it interesting that both Henry and Lynch underwhelmed with their starting offenses this preseason. While on fewer carries, Henry averaged a whopping 3.5 ypc. Lynch was even worse at dismal 1.7 ypc. (I didn't watch every play of his but practically every one I did see had Lynch getting stuffed.)

Yeah, it was only preseason but the running games should take better advantage of the base defenses being played. And it's not like Denver runs a huge variety of running plays to begin with so I don't think that was an excuse. I'm not as worried about the Broncos because our line was very patchwork in front of Henry and we know we'll get back to being a top 10 running attack, at worst, and possibly back to a top 3 if our line gets healthy and jells.

Lynch, on the other hand, looked terrible in the preseason and I don't know how to explain it. Sure he's a rook but 1.7 ypc? Their other backs all looked a lot better. I doubt any other rookie backs looked that bad. By comparison, Selvin Young this year averaged 4.9 ypc and Mike Bell as a rookie averaged 5.3 ypc in the preseason.

This makes me wonder if Lynch doesn't fit their offense very well or if their offensive line is just struggling that much or what.

Anyway, I see the Broncos having a definite edge on the ground even though we're not sure what to expect from our defense.

i'm not the slightest, tiniest bit worried about henry-- he was ripping up san fran's starters, and dallas has the kind of big 3-4 front that's always given us problems. . . buffalo's front seven isn't close to dallas. . .

besides, as JR will be glad to tell you, henry over his career has a higher YPC average on carries 11-20 than he does 1-10, and he also has the highest YPC the three seasons he's had the most carries. . . he truly is a back who gets stronger with more work, and gets more yards once he's worn the D down with his punishing style. . . by the 4th quarter, their little defenders will want no part of him! he didn't have a real chance to establish himself in PS, but he's the least of my worries as long as his knee's right. . .

as for lynch. . . i do suspect that they don't neccesarily have all the right pieces for the type of running game he fits into best. . . i see him as a slasher who runs best outside, and would fit very well into the ZBS. . . and while i know they want to get more explosive in their running game, guys like fowler and dockery are better suited for straight-ahead power running with power traps and off-guard smashes and dives rather than sweeps and stretch plays. . . i still think lynch will do fine in this league, but hopefully they haven't figured it out yet. . . i hope our seemingly-porous run D doesn't volunteer to lend them a hand! :frusty:



I worry about constant blitzes going after both the run and pass. During the preseason I didn't think we did the best job handling the blitz and they might decide to keep testing Cutler until he proves he can handle it.

i think it's inevitable that people will blitz a young QB until he proves that he can handle it. . . hopefully he at least knows where the hot read is. . . we'd be smart to run a few screens early to make them think twice about blitzing. . .



If they do bring a heavy dose of blitzes to rattle Jay, I'm wondering if they might not tell him to just throw some jump balls to whichever of Walker or Marshall has single coverage and/or the best match-up. Put the ball up a little high and let them go after it.

as long as we're past the 40 or 50, i think there could be a lot worse strategies! the "up for grabs" may not be elegant, but it worked pretty well for moss and culpepper all those years. . .



I don't know what to expect from Scheffler after his limited role during the preseason. But I think Stokley could have a big game if the O-line give Cutler time to throw. Really, I think Stokley will cause fits for opposing defenses all season long if he can stay healthy. I don't know if we've ever had a big season from a #3 receiver under Shanny but I think this could be the year. The Three Amigos Part Dos?

if marshall can give us solid production at the #2 spot, stokley is easily the best #3 we've had since shanahan has been here. . . and you're right about chef, it's hard to know what to expect-- if they don't think he's ready, nate jackson might be able to give us something as a receiving TE. . .



I started to gain confidence with our O-line as the season progressed. My biggest concern is with Myers. He was badly beaten a few times in the preseason and seemed to be the weakest link, although he also looked somewhat better against Cleveland. But overall I think they'll do a pretty good job and we just need to be prepared for the blitz.

yea, with the line in flux, just knowing their assigments can be as much a problem as execution. . .



I think there's a certain acceptance from the coaching staff of riskier throws by Cutler because of the potential payoff from his big arm. Gunslingers like Elway and Favre have usually averaged at least one INT per game and I won't be surprised if Cutler goes the same way. But he has to make enough big plays to make the occasional INT worthwhile.

this is very similar to what i've said on other occasions. . . cutler wasn't drafted to be a game manager type, you can go get someone like trent dilfer if that's what you want. . . jay is gonna sling it downfield and try to make plays-- i'm not concerned with him trying to be perfect and never make mistakes, i just want him to learn to pick his spots and know when it's okay to go for the gusto, and when to reign it in. . .


What concerns me right now is that Cutler never looked particularly sharp this preseason, or at least not consistently sharp. I really hope we aren't going to see the sophomore jinx at play. But I won't get too worried over preseason and won't panic unless it continues for the next few weeks.

realists know there are going to be fits and starts in the development of a young QB-- i think he'll play well enough, for the most part, to give us a chance to win. . . hopefully we can get the guys around him healthy and give the O as a whole a chance to settle into a groove. . . having henry to lean on will be crucial. . .

Mat'hir Uth Gan
09-07-2007, 01:46 AM
OMG, Guys! Dogfish! What are you doing? That's entirely too much effort to exhaust on the Buffalo Bills!

Lynch is struggling, he's not a pro-calibur running back at this time. Anthony Thomas scares nobody. Dwayne Wright is probably their biggest threat right now. Whooo. :ahhhhh:

Their O-line is mammoth, but they just manage to clog up their own running lanes as well. We'll just tell our fatties to get leverage, hold their ground, and play Lynch in the box the entire game.

They have one offensive threat in Lee Evans. Roll Ferguson over to help with coverage, and Evans is solved. Just jam him at the line, don't miss, and don't let him get over top (Ferguson's job).

The only guy that might be a challenge is Roscoe Parrish, but he'd be answered with a nickel defense, and Foxworth. He might make some plays, but if they run slants, Parrish will be knocked out before long.


The Buffalo defense is completely succeptable to draws. They have poor DTs and wide rushing DEs. The LB corps is ok, but they are small, and Henry and our FBs can pound them into submission. Also, with Dan Graham, I expect to alot of runs to our strong side, where he'll blow whichever DE out of his lane, giving Henry the option to follow the lead, where Posluszny will likely overpursue, or to cutback for ridiculous yardage. This isn't taking into account the questionable Buffalo secondary. Whitner is going to have to be committed to the run for them to have a prayer. This leaves Walker or Brandon with single coverage. Brandon is a giant mismatch (literally) for any of their midget CBs, as is Walker.


Crap, I rambled on too long as well, but we are going to stomp the living shit out of Buffalo, it won't even be close. We match up much too well against them. I think we rush for over 300 yards.

Requiem / The Dagda
09-07-2007, 01:58 AM
Really enjoyed your analysis overall, especially regarding your breakdown on their Cover 2 scheme: the strengths and weaknesses it has, along with how we should attack it.

Their run defense is still atrocious, like MUG said - we're going to stomp a whole in their ass and they won't walk straight for days. I think that the variations of the Cover 2 they will run might give Cutler some fits, but since we're going to blow a hole in their ass, it's not going to matter much anyways. The run game will be our savior, and I think if that's established - obviously Cutler will be able to make some plays. I'm really excited about our match-ups outside though too, but they could disguise their defenses a bit in variation to cause some confusion.

An excellent breakdown, and I'm seriously reconsidering posting what I had for the Beat up since you pretty much covered it all here.

I am a little worried about our pass protection though, as you mentioned with Schobel. He's one of the most underrated pass rushers in the game. It'll be interesting to see how we hold up. I'll have to catch the replay of the game most likely, since I probably will not be able to view it live.

Thanks again, enjoyed the read.

dogfish
09-07-2007, 01:59 AM
MUG, i wish i shared your confidence. . . i agree that we're the better team, and i agree that we will be able to run on them. . . however, i have very little confidence in our defense right now-- i don't trust dj williams at MIKE, and i won't believe that our D-line is better until i see them do it on the field. . . if buffalo can put together a few early drives of their own and prevent us from dominating the time of possesion, anything can happen after that. . .


besides, it's the season opener, and i've been dying to talk some REAL football. . . . :laugh:

Mat'hir Uth Gan
09-07-2007, 02:13 AM
Really enjoyed your analysis overall, especially regarding your breakdown on their Cover 2 scheme: the strengths and weaknesses it has, along with how we should attack it.

Their run defense is still atrocious, like MUG said - we're going to stomp a whole in their ass and they won't walk straight for days. I think that the variations of the Cover 2 they will run might give Cutler some fits, but since we're going to blow a hole in their ass, it's not going to matter much anyways. The run game will be our savior, and I think if that's established - obviously Cutler will be able to make some plays. I'm really excited about our match-ups outside though too, but they could disguise their defenses a bit in variation to cause some confusion.

An excellent breakdown, and I'm seriously reconsidering posting what I had for the Beat up since you pretty much covered it all here.

I am a little worried about our pass protection though, as you mentioned with Schobel. He's one of the most underrated pass rushers in the game. It'll be interesting to see how we hold up. I'll have to catch the replay of the game most likely, since I probably will not be able to view it live.

Thanks again, enjoyed the read.


Schobel is good, but he's going to be negated. Dan Graham will play the entire game, and we'll just make sure we move him to Schobel's side and audible our run play as needed.

We could easily go 2-TE set the vast majority of the game with Graham and Alexander and the Bills won't have an answer. They can't match up with Marshall whatsoever. Walker is vastly superior to any player in their secondary. And Whitner is going to have to play up against the run if we go with 2 TEs. Cutler is going to have to have a meltdown of epic proportions for us to lose this game.

Mat'hir Uth Gan
09-07-2007, 02:16 AM
MUG, i wish i shared your confidence. . . i agree that we're the better team, and i agree that we will be able to run on them. . . however, i have very little confidence in our defense right now-- i don't trust dj williams at MIKE, and i won't believe that our D-line is better until i see them do it on the field. . . if buffalo can put together a few early drives of their own and prevent us from dominating the time of possesion, anything can happen after that. . .


besides, it's the season opener, and i've been dying to talk some REAL football. . . . :laugh:

LOL, I hear that! The offseason lasts way too long.



Anyway, I'm so confidant that I think we could fax the Bills our game plan, and they simply can't do anything about it. They can't match up against our offense if we play it relatively safe. Such as limiting Cutler to 20ish passes and running like nuts with a 2 blocking TE set.

And they have no running game. I agree our LBs are struggling right now, or at least DJ Williams is. That's fine. We can simply keep Lynch in the box the entire game because the Bills WRs are a one man gang, and our secondary is elite. I mean, they don't even have a pass catching TE to worry about.

With our new scheme, this might be the absolute best team for us to start the season against. If we played a good team, I'd be worried. As it stands, not even a smidgen.

Skinny
09-07-2007, 08:22 AM
honestly, i don't necessarily think that jay has to go out there and throw for 350+ yards and 2-3 TDs for us to win-- IMO the key will be making quick reads and decisive throws when we pass on 1st down. . . that will keep us in manageable down-and-distance situations where henry can be effective, because i'm confident that he's the kind of physical back who can grind out some yardage even against stacked fronts-- 8 men in the box isn't impossible to run against, just difficult.:ahhhhh: lol, that's not what i'm saying df. That's asking way to much of Cutler but is exactly what Buffalo will be trying to do. Put the ball in his hands and force him to make plays.

I'm talking more along the lines of his completion percentage and turnovers (or lack there of).

Cutler is'nt going to have to light it up! But he is going to be have to be very effecient. That being IF they are able to contain Hnenry which is a BIG if.




we shall see, but it may be overly optimistic to expect him to be in top form coming off serious surgery, and a year-and-a-half removed from any real, extended playing time. . . as i said earlier, having graham does help a lot if lepsis isn't 100%.Absoloutely. I suspect the scheme will be designed to attack the ends (Tackles).

If DGraham is lined up next to Lepsis to help chip block. Look for Buff. to attack Cutler is passing situations on the other end of the O-line.





i'd be a lot happier going into the season feeling that our run D was stout rather than hoping our opponent isn't strong in that area, but at this point i'll take what i can get. . . :ahhhhh:If the run D struggles like it has, unlike in the pre-season, Lynch or Fegeruson will be stacked in the box to help.





i'm not a hundred percent positive, but i believe that foxworth will primarily be matched against roscoe parrish out of the slot, as i don't believe he lines up outside very often. . . i'm not familiar enough with the bills to say for sure, but i think price and reed will split the #2 duties based on formation and situation, while parrish will generally be the 3rd in 3-wide sets.Personally, i don't like the idea of Foxworth playing "man" in the slot because his physical game is'nt where it should be.

You really need to play tight, bump&run coverage to be effective on slot receivers, and i don't think he does that well. IMO, he is a great "zone" defender and that is where he seems to excel.

I would much prefer Paymah in that situation. Not sure where he is injury wise (concussion), or if Bates will even line him up there. But as you said, it's a great possibility Foxworth will play that role.

Be interesting to see.





from what i've seen of losman, i almost think he is more dangerous out of the pocket-- he throws well on the run, and while he's not a big-play danger rushing, he definitely has the speed to take off and pick up first downs, and he won;'t hesitate. . . i'd like to see us contain him as much as possible, but there's that nasty little thing about having little interior pass rush. . . i know bates prioritizes getting upfield for the ends, but if they sell out and don't bother to maintain lane discipline, losman will probably break off a few runs.Great point on Losman scrambling ability and IMO that plays well into our defensive schem and how Bates likes to line his DEs up wide.

It will certainly help alot in trying to contain J.P.





i think gold is one of the best LBs in the league at covering RBs out of the backfield, but the coverage of our LBs in general is a big concern to me right now-- they really looked bad in preseason. . . it's never been a particular strength of dj's, and webster has played MIKE in past starting stints. . . little dump-offs in the flat hurt us in preseason, and the guys need to be more alert and get up and tackle the ballcarrier on those. . . sitting at home with a limited view of the field it's hard (at least for me!) to say if it's blown assignments, bad coverage or what, but regardless they need to tighten it up before it bites us in the ass.Could'nt agree with you more.

And if Buff. O-Coord (??????) really wants mix it up and move the ball effectively, those little dump offs will be a great way to do it.

As you mentioned and alot of us know, Lynch is a great receiver out of the back feild who can hurt you in the passing game.





i wish i felt as confident, but there's no doubt that the talent level is there. . .I'm a Bronco fan df, whatdya! expect!:D

Don't get me wrong. I am a realist and realize we have problems and are not going to win every game.

But much like the players, you have to think positive, to get positive results.

Great stuff df!:salute:

HighPlainsBronc
09-07-2007, 11:31 AM
What concerns me right now is that Cutler never looked particularly sharp this preseason, or at least not consistently sharp. I really hope we aren't going to see the sophomore jinx at play. But I won't get too worried over preseason and won't panic unless it continues for the next few weeks.



I think there was a reason for this. As I can't recall any long balls thrown in preseason, I think that Shanny had Cutler throwing the short balls because that is Cutler's weak area. Preseaon is after all "practice" and Cutler was getting practice in his weak area.

Just my 2¢