Thread: Big but agile, Broncos' 'Pot Roast' has turned heads

Shout down Ron Jaworski at an airport terminal and the former NFL quarterback who still watches film of every game delivers unsolicited praise of the big man who famously goes by Pot Roast.

Run into an NFL coach on the streets of Seattle and in the midst of a conversation on DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller, he veers toward Terrance "Pot Roast" Knighton and how remarkable it is that such a big man can play so well.

Live action can do the unthinkable and make a defensive tackle, even one as enormous as the 335-pound-or-so Knighton, disappear. To those who study film, though, Knighton stands out from that scrummed pile of humanity.

rest - http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci...rance-knighton

Ware and Miller are the most renowned on the Broncos' defensive line because as defenders coming off the edge, they penetrate the backfield and occasionally sack the quarterback. But it's Knighton who arguably has been the best among the Broncos' defensive linemen through the first three games.

This is a run-stuffing, pocket-pushing force who takes on double-team blocks while almost never winding up on the ground.

Such is life as a DT; this is why I get so annoyed when people say, "DL," like a DT is just a DE who plays inside (or vice versa.) It's a very (if not totally) different job, and if the run stuffers in the middle don't do their job shutting down 1st and 2nd down runs, the defense never gets to those 3rd and long situations where DEs pin their ears back, charge the QB and dance around on the jumbotron after they plant him. If the DT's doesn't demand double teams and collapse the pocket so QBs can't step up and past the DEs, they're just dancing with themselves.

It's good to FINALLY have a legit NT in Denver, not to mention a solid UT next to him and quality backups for them. This defense is STACKED at virtually every position, especially now that Trevathan's healthy; Del Rio's right to expect a top five performance: He and all of us should expect no less, and if the run game can get on track with an equally stacked passing attack, no other team has a chance against us on any field.

Knighton seemed like just one more talented but lazy talent when he was in Jacksonville. It's amazing to me that it's the same player at all!

He's become a guy who comes up in any conversation about the leagues best DTs and is a great reflection of the Broncos off the field as well.

I'm developing a serious man crush on POT ROAST!

I wonder if he is the one that should be franchised even ahead of Julius or Demaryius. Dominant DT play makes everything easier on defense.

Originally Posted by 7DnBrnc53

I wonder if he is the one that should be franchised even ahead of Julius or Demaryius. Dominant DT play makes everything easier on defense.

Yeah, but few people consider them half as valuable as elite receivers. I mean, all DTs do is stop the RUN and push the pocket to get sacks for OTHER people (who are thus far more valuable, obviously.)

Wow, gramps, it's like you've never even PLAYED Madden NFL!

Originally Posted by 7DnBrnc53

I wonder if he is the one that should be franchised even ahead of Julius or Demaryius. Dominant DT play makes everything easier on defense.

At this point DT is a no-brainer, anything happen in the next 6 months to change that, but even at this point I'd consider Knighton and Harris over JT.