The second day of practice for the Pro Bowl started out with the NFC squad taking the field. And I thought the AFC practices were loose…
The NFC’s 11-on-11 session eventually turned into which quarterback could heave the ball the farthest, and which receiver could beat his man quickly enough to catch it. At one point, Atlanta’s Roddy White streaked past Philadelphia’s Asante Samuel, and the cornerback exclaimed, “I’ve got jet lag! I just got off the plane yesterday!” The last play of the drill brought an all-out blitz from the defense toward a laughing Aaron Rodgers, who quickly tossed the ball to a receiver.
Shortly after the NFC players left the field, the buses filled with AFC Pro Bowlers pulled up to St. Thomas Aquinas High School, and one of the first players off the bus was Brandon Marshall. If it seemed like he was ready to get practice started, it showed, as he caught passes left and right, including one over New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis, who placed second in AP Defensive Player of the Year voting. Granted, nothing is full speed in the practice sessions, but the catch still brought cheers of “Marshall! Marshall!” from autograph seekers just outside the gate surrounding the field.
After yesterday’s practice ran approximately 90 minutes, Thursday’s session was far shorter. In fact, throughout the day, Ray Lewis kept shouting “This is it!” to signify the final drill — he jumped the gun a few times, but it was a relatively short session.
Just like earlier in the day when the NFC took the field, there was plenty of laughing throughout the AFC session. Brian Dawkins explained what the week of practice is all about, with a hint of his gameday intensity that will surely show up come Sunday.
“It’s just a chance to come out and mingle with some of the best at what we do for a living and have a good time, but at the same time we realize that when Sunday comes around, we want to be on top,” he said.
A few hours after practice ended, the team announced that Don Martindale has been promoted to defensive coordinator after serving as linebackers coach for the 2009 season. We will bring you player reaction following tomorrow’s session. For now, here are some pictures from Thursday’s practice.
-Gray Caldwell, DenverBroncos.com
To see Broncos TV’s report from today’s practice, click here.
For more photos of Thursday’s action, check out the gallery.
Tags: Brandon Marshall, Brian Dawkins, Champ Bailey, Elvis Dumervil, Pro Bowl, Ryan Clady
Love the pics guys keep up the good work, will there be video from today at the pro bowl?
BroncoAussie, in fact, Chris Hall just posted a Broncos TV piece from today’s practice, highlighting Brian Dawkins. I’ll put a link to it in the blog — thanks for asking.
-Gray
Awesome thanks Gray.
Marshall vs Revis. That is one heck of a matchup! Hopefully we see it this season when it matters! Those are great pics too! Im so jealous, lol!
thanks for the new post and pics.
wow! Marshall over Revis…Marsh, just come back nxt season and you’ll get a chance to go against Revis…lol@incentives
I wonder what the players are going to say when they are asked what they think of Martindale’s promotion. LOL.
I hate to tell you all that in a pro bowl, no one hits eachother, and in a pro bowl practice, no one even covers eachother, so the Marshall over Revis catch is about as good as kissing your sister, it doesn’t count, LOL.
meant covers anybody
lol baylin,
you just had to ruin the moment…reality check..ahaha
like I said,,come back nxt season and he’ll get his real shot..
Or he may end up at the Jets and have to train against him?
I like the Pro Bowl! I have been reading some articles like this one and do not agree.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/nfls-biggest-joke-about-to-be-exposed?GT1=39002
It is not a pimple on the NFL’s ass moving to the forehead like Kevin (pimple head) Hench reports. We all know it is fun n games come on let the players enjoy and have some fun. Reporters amaze me with their stupid articles; like we are as stupid as they are. Let’s relax and enjoy. Woosa!!
GO BRONCOS!
FTR
Nothing wrong with people like FTR who like the pro bowl, but I just don’t like it, never have never will, that’s just how it is, I’m just too competitive in nature to enjoy a non competitive game I guess, like I said in a previous post, I would find it more entertaining if they played a tag football game instead, seriously, at least there would be a lot of fun going around for everyone, no pads, seeing the players having fun, their faces, that would be cool. As is, all dressed up to kill and no one is hitting anybody, I can’t enjoy it, sorry guys, I’m trying hard not to be too critical of it as to not take any of the fun out of it for those of you who like the game, but I’m not succeeding real well, it’s just too big a pimple in the middle of the forehead to ignore, LOL.
Please check out my newest article: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/334576-martindale-hired-as-broncos-defensive-coordinater
Would love some feedback!
Baylin
I do not think it was ever intended to be a completive game. Who wants a star player to go down to injury in a meaning less game after the season is over for most? It’s about the voted players having some fun with out the16 game pressure cooker they live through the season! Having the Pro Bowl on there resume helps. So pop that zit my friend and try and relax and enjoy the games best players having some fun!
FTR
broncos14441, as you asked I checked out your article, I don’t know what your writing experience is, but the article was pretty vanilla, reporting things from various sources that have been written all day, and offering very little in the way of your personal take on the whole hiring Martindale thing. And unless you know of what specific disagreement you are talking about when you say “because of A disagreement”, and I gather you don’t know what that disagreement was otherwise you would of mentioned it, just don’t even go there. Don’t talk about what others are experiencing unless you know it for a fact, but you are free to let us know how you feel to your heart’s content. Hopefully this helps, keep on writing….
FTR, guess you missed reading the whole part about how I explained how a tag game would be a lot more fun, real fun for me.
I enjoy watching tag games once in a while like in the 2006 pro bowl week, they had a flag football game between teams ran by Elway vs. Steve Young where Mecklenburgh turned out to be a scoring receiving machine for Young to give them the win. That was a load of fun, up front fun, where you could see their faces, their big smiles, priceless.
Klis had this to report from Dawkins about the game being moved from Hawaii to Miami:
“My personal feelings are, I loved it over in Hawaii better,” Dawkins said. “But they’re doing a good job here with what I’ve seen of it so far. And it’s a blessing to be here in the first place.”
I like Dawkins because he isn’t afraid to speak his mind, you always know where he stands, unless it’s a personel team issue of course, then he’ll rightly declines comment. Come to think of it, McD could learn a lot from him, LOL.
he’ll rightly decline…
Most be bored baylino, correcting your own comments.
Aussie, February should by far be the dullest month of the year for Bronco fans, with the coaching staff in place other than a LB coach and every team with their hands tied as far as signing players because of the stalling in players/owners negociations and the next big event being March 5th with the FA, I think I’m going to be correcting myself a lot over the next five weeks, LOL. Unless McD has a bomb for us somehow, he seems to have a knack for that….. Til then, boring is going to be the norm, rehashing the FA and the draft to death, like it has already been done for a month…. It’s like our one month vacation from football, my wife is going to love it, LOL, good timing though, one of my step daughters is expecting a baby girl the 23rd of February.
Congrats baylinorcrush on being a g-pa, you may already be one but congrats on being a g-pa to a new one.
As we all can see only a selcect few are still even commenting on these blogs. Where have the rest gone to? I could bet if McD traded Marshall tomorrow this page would get flooded with comments. Since there doesn’t seem to be much to talk about except the same stuff/different day we just get by with shooting the breeze, not Drew Brees, just the breeze. LOL!
I think that the D will be happy with Wink as the DC. He’s obviously done some good things with our LBs.
Man, its winter here in South Dakota, I sure wish it was spring. I’ve got a real bad case of cabin fever and I’m just itching to hit the golf courses. Now that football is coming to a close my wife thinks I’ll be spending some weekends doing some stuff with here. LOL!!!………she’s probably right though.
Ahhh, get me outta here, where’s the nice weather?
I think that the defense will do good under Maritndale. He was in this system this last year, so he’ll probably keep it the same. I hope he does, becasue it really worked well.
I wish there was more to talk about, but there really isn’t. We could go over the people we want in the draft or in FA, but they probably haven’t really changed that much since we last talked about it.
SAINTS WIN SUPERBOWL! BRONCOS NEXT YEAR!
p.s. congrats, bay.
I do find that this site has the best overall comments. I’ve been reading others NFL, ESPN, DP, SI, and they all are totally still discussing the same stuff we were discussing 2 weeks ago. Even though we all may not agree, which by the way totally makes it fun and interesting, we discuss like civilized people. On those other sites, people just be commenting rubbish, with no substance. So just wanted to take a moment and thank everyone that comments. Otherwise I’d have to read garbage all the time.
It certainly isnt here in Chicagoland Brian. Single digits. Factor in the wind chill and its negative. Guess its in Miami. Or Hawaii! lol
I sure hope McD doesnt blindside us. Just give us month. Im even getting tired of my incessant calls to fire him!
Forgot to mention it yesterday, RIP J.D Salinger. Catcher in the Rye was one of my favorite reads.
Congrats btw baylin. We will be welcoming my first child on March 15th. A boy! And I already have Bronco gear for him. Bibs, tees, just need to find a little jersey!
Anybody hear what came out of TO’s mouth? He needs to give it a rest too. Retire already…just please, please dont come to Denver!
There are three things that I hate hearing about in the offseason but I’m going to hear about anyway. 1. Brett Favre. Shut up, make a decision, or just retire. 2. T.O. I don’t care about him. He needs to retire too. 3. Dallas Cowboys. They aren’t that special, so leave them alone.
Congrats to you too sndvl on your first born. Good to see you got the essentials taken care of. You should get him some Raiders, Chargers, and Chiefs diapers. LOL!!!!!
Thanks you guys, much appreciated, all in all, I have 6 children and this girl will be the 4th grand child. That’s what happens when you marry more than once, beware, LOL.
I would NEVER possess anything with those teams names or logos. Except my Raider Hater tee shirt. But that is hilarious. Im seriously cracking up at the thought of it.
, 
- Wink!
One last thought before I turn in, (I work overnights), if you havent heard any of the sound bites from New Orleans DC, do so. Man, if our D can get that mentalitly.
Yea way to ruin the fun BAYLIN…lmao. But its good to see them all having fun.
Of course Marshall can beat Revis. He practicies against champ and goes agaisnt Nnamdi twice a year…2 CBs that I put over Revis any day. Revis is third. And while Practice is not taking to seriously…theres always one competition players in the NFL dont take lightly…and thats one between a WR and a CB because they are both usually cocky lol Come Back Marshall. YOU THE BEST!!!
Thx Gray and Chris for all you do…especially during the NFL “Downtime” when us fans are iching for anything and everything lol
PS: Congrats to the fathers and grand fathers of this blog. Make sure to pass that Bronco Baton lol. Hope to get there some day but at my age hopefully no time soon lol. later
hey all you broncos faithful. just wanted to pop in to say hello. dont want you all to think ive disapeared just because im not commenting. just isnt much to talk about for me this time of year. Grats to Bay and Sandoval. and i personally hope N.O. can win it all. it would be their first and i like that! plus i really dont like the colts! as for the martindale hire, i sure hope it works out! well, take care. talk at yall later!
Go Broncos
“THE BATTLE IS WON IN THE TRENCHES”
Ahh the weather has been great in Las Vegas. We have had more rain in the month of January then all of 2009.Now the news is predicting a heat wave. So come out to Vegas, all the hotels are giving mad discounts and vacation packages for great prices. THe company I work for is offering a three night/day special free buffets tickets, discounted spas, and discounted shows.