Quick hits from the afternoon …
Hamza Abdullah has already been ruled out for Sunday due to the hip injury he suffered in the second quarter of last Sunday’s win. He did not practice Wednesday, joining offensive tackle Ryan Harris and guard Ben Hamilton on the sidelines. Head Coach Mike Shanahan had previously expressed hope that Harris would be able to return by this week, but that may have to wait unless he’s back on the field in the next two days …
… For the third consecutive week, Sam Adams did not take part in Wednesday’s practice, per a team decision. The only other player to see anything less than a full practice of work was Stephen Alexander, who continues to battle a calf injury …
… Cornerback Domonique Foxworth did make it through a full practice after missing the Raiders win with a sprained ankle. Linebacker Ian Gold and cornerback Dre’ Bly were both listed on the injury report with ankle and shoulder problems, respectively, but both made it through the entire practice Wednesday afternoon …
… Six Jaguars players missed practice, most notably defensive tackle John Henderson and guard Chris Naeole. Henderson suffered a blow to the head during Jacksonville’s Week 2 win over the Atlanta Falcons. Jaguars.com reported that Henderson will likely not see any contact work in practice this week.
Tags: Domonique Foxworth, Hamza Abdullah, Ryan Harris, Safeties
Will they put Chad Mustard back on the roster this week?
Make this the official “Any word on Ben Hamilton?” comment on this post…
So, is there?
TSG
http://www.milehighreport.com
Mr. Mason,
How much longer is Ryan Harris’s injury going to sideline him and I’m sorry if you’ve already covered this but what exactly was wrong with his back. Also what are your thoughts on the special teams issue’s that the
Broncos continue to face. So much of today’s game has to do with field position and non-offensive scoring. The last special teams unit that the Broncos had that was considered any type of concern for opponents had Darien Gordon on it. It is really frustrating to watch the Broncos continually start from inside their own twenty time after time after time. The Broncos coaching staff seems to think that this is a problem that can be solved by just finding the right return man but I see no down field blocking on punt or kick returns. Every time our return man receives the ball they have seven or eight guys in their face. I don’t care if you have Selvin Young, Hixon, or Devin Hester back there. If there being hit one second after they field the ball it does not matter. Are they doing anything to fix this problem and if not what do you think are some options. I can see the first two games this year being twenty or even thirty point wins if our offense was starting at their forty instead of their eight yard line.
Mike in San Diego.
hey andrew is d-fox going to play this week against the jaguars?
Good input by archangel77 but I worry about the X factor!!! there is a competition factor that exists on any level and it boils down to ‘FAITH’ I’m sorry but it takes faith on every level to make any team, be it a small construction company to a huge corporate organization to an NFL team to make every cog in the wheel believe!!! I see tons of talent on this team, I mean dynasty talent!!! but what I see missing is that dominate attitude of “I can make this happen, we are going to win” attitude, well except for a few examples, like offense and pass defense and a couple of other positions but at times it seems like the team is acting like they’re in a rebuilding year and excellence is not expected, mostly when the chips are down. Not the first quarter or the second but when you face adversity and you just know that if you do your job it will come back around and the win is in the bag. The Broncos have the talent!!! They just need that “I am the KING attitude” that says to the opponent you may have won the battle but I will win the war!!! There is 16 games and the broncos are 2-0 when it come to battles but the wars will come and these guys can win them!!!
Hamza – You are a STUD!!!
Good luck w/ rehab, and I can’t wait to see you back on the field stronger, faster and causing more havoc than ever!
I know it’s taboo here in Bronco Country, but I can NOT wait until Hamza is our starting safety. The dude is like Polamalu, but in his own way.
What’s cool for me as a fan is that I would HEAR Hamza make a play before I saw it. Let me explain briefly, I could hear the bone crushing contact on the field, but sometimes the play happens so quickly that I would need to rewind and focus on who was involved. 3 times, 3 separate times it was Hamza like a wrecking ball making plays. He closes so quickly on the ball that all you see is a jersey flashing across the field and KABOOM!!!
The kid is going to be a great addition to our starting defense, I just hope it’s sooner than later!
al_wilson_fan,
You’ve said it best. Thanks. Hamza the Hammer is the best safety we have on this team (yes better than Lynch). The guy is a stud. He can cover very well and still dish out bone crushing hits. Ed reed anyone?? Seriously though, this guy needs to be on the field at all times. I’m going to start a campaign for Hamza to be our starter by next year. I’m sick of watching Lynch let receivers (Jerry Porter) go the distance when Bly misses one assignment.
I don’t think it is Lynch who is the problem I can’t remember a big play that Nick Ferguson has made. To use a Doug Moe term the guy is a stiff.
Go Broncos!
Are you crazy?? John Lynch is not only one of the strongest leaders on the team but he is one of the best safeties to ever play the game. Get outta here.
Ya Hurd!
matty21 and al_wilson_fan are Hamza’s cousins, make sure you ask them for stuff
Sorry but when John Lynch misses a tackle, al la, Lamont Jordon in the open field for 30+ yards in OT. The next time Jordon got the ball he got walluped by Lynch that set up the “missed” field goal. lol
As for Hamza…I see him a hell of a lot more than I ever see Ferguson on the field. But then again…I never see Ferguson get called out on a busted play when I’m watching the game. So I’ll leave that decision up to the coaches.
You anti Lynch people don’t know much about football do you? He and 3/4 of the team know more than you could learn in a life time!! If you don’t like him, go somewhere else and complain. Raiders maybe? Lynch, Bailey, Rod, now Bly, Gold, and the list goes on……They will “getter done”!!
Since y’all asked …
theprof24b:
I’m not sure if they’ll bring Chad Mustard back, but putting two and two together, one would think they might, since the ongoing absence of Ryan Harris means the team is short on tackle depth.
TheSportsGuru:
Nothing’s been said this week by Shanahan, and I didn’t see Ben Hamilton un the locker room during the open media sessions on Wednesday and Thursday.
archangel77:
It was hoped Harris would be back this week, so he’s getting close to recovery. He’s been seen leaving the field with his teammates after practices (they’re closed, so we can’t see them working during the session), so he’s taking in the work and getting mental reps, even though he’s not taking part. He’s getting close, though … and the fact that the Broncos opted not to place him on IR seems to indicate they have plans for him on the field this year once he returns … but we shall see.
Back spasms are what put him on the shelf to begin with. If you’ve ever had them, I’m sure you can understand why it’s taken so long for him to get back onto the field. That’s not something you want to take a chance with.
As for the special teams, give the opponents some credit, particularly on punts; Brian Moorman was dropping some well-placed punts 11 days ago for the Bills. I think the return game will always be a little hindered by being in Denver, where kickoffs sail so far that returns are rare. They have also made many changes on special teams this year … it’s not just changing the return man, as you assert. Look how many starters you see on the field on kickoff coverage, field-goal rush, etc. Scott O’Brien’s changing the culture around the Broncos’ special teams. Remember, he’s the first Denver special-teams coach who had previous NFL experience in the position since Mike Shanahan took over in 1995.
I’m actually going to write some more about special teams later, because I had a very interesting and entertaining interview with O’Brien afterwards. He’s a guy that doesn’t mince words and stays far, far away from false platitudes.
dabroncos27:
I’d be surprised if Fox didn’t play, but hopefully I’ll be able to make a more educated guess after Friday’s practice.
Are u guys crazy? Nobody can replace Lynch as Free Safety..He is by far one of the smartest safeties who ever played the game. Hamza sure can start at strong safety..He could blitz like Polamalu with Bailey capabale of holding up on his own. For him to miss this sunday’s game would be sad. Lets just hope he gets well soon and come back to start.
Prediction for the week: Tim Crowder makes his presence known in his first game as a pro. The one preseason game I saw him in, he was one of those guys who stood out as having a little something extra. I won’t be shocked if he turns out to be the best of the three youngsters on the d-line.
They may have to bring Mustard back to play guard if Kuper doesnt improve. One UND alum for another. Go Sioux! Go Broncos!
everything i hear out there is everyone wondering if denver can win by a field goal again? i feel denver is very capable of dominating other teams and blowing them out….its like there just on the edge of being one of the dominate teams in the nfl…and no one can see it…they rule all the stats aong with new england…top rusher and one of the top passers…and recievers…i think blowing out the jags will be a good start…the colts barley beat the titans and it wasn’t as easy as it looked to beat the ravens either…any how GO BRONCOS……
What up Drew, what is the deal with Harris? Did they know about his back prior to drafting him? We need him to get up to speed, and soon.
you guys need to be a little patient with this team, after all, look at the influx of new players on offense, defense and special teams. new coaches too! come the second half of the season no one will want to play the broncos ! they also have the x factor, no. 27 and no. 29 watching out for them, amen to that! frankly, i’m excited about this team and the fact that they still have a lot to learn about a new style of defense a lot to learn about each other on both sides of the ball will keep them from peaking too soon. some of the better teams in broncoland since the superbowl wins have been great in the beginning of the season only to peter out come november! i case you haven’t noticed , they are 2-0 . goooooooo broncos!
Amen, it is going to take time to gel, but when they do, they are going to be the new Daddys in the AFC. Please dear Lord, baby Jesus, send us a punt/kick returner. By Your good graces, let us have a shifty 5 foot 9 175 pounder with lightning quick feet, good hands, and a north/south attitude.
A MEN….
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