After wading in and out of the lineup because of injuries, two Broncos could return to the defensive backfield this week.
In his Friday press conference, Interim Head Coach Eric Studesville said Andre’ Goodman and Darcel McBath had two good days of practice this week, and the team has another chance to judge the players’ health in Friday’s practice.
“We are going to get another one today and we are still evaluating that,” Studesville said. “We feel good where we are right now and we are going to just keep going forward from there.”
Goodman has started all four games he’s played in this season, totaling three tackles the last time he saw game action in Week 8 against the 49ers in London. In 2009, the cornerback started all 16 games, notched a career-high 43 tackles and led the club with 5 interceptions and 17 passes-defensed.
McBath has played in five games this year, posting 6 tackles against Indianapolis in his season-debut. The second-year safety last saw action in Week 11 at San Diego for Monday Night Football. As a rookie last season, he led the club with 11 special-teams tackles in before being placed on injured reserve in December.
Goodman (quadricep) and McBath (quadricep/ankle) were limited in practice all week and listed as questionable for Sunday on the injury report. Matt Prater (right groin) is also questionable after being limited in practice all week.
Perrish Cox (non-injury) did not practice on Friday and is questionable, while Brian Dawkins (knee), Spencer Larsen (hamstring) and Demaryius Thomas (ankle) have been declared out since Monday.
STUDESVILLE ON COX
In his Friday press session, Studesville addressed Cox’s Thursday arrest.
“We are in the process of reviewing all the facts, gathering all the information that we can related to this,” the coach said. “It is a situation we take very, very seriously within the organization. We are going to cooperate fully in the whole process of whatever needs to take place as we gather this information.”
Studesville said the team would consider a number of factors before making a final decision on Cox’s playing status.
“We are going to make the best organizational decision for us as to what we need to do, look at all the facts, consider everything, and the policies that we have set forth within the organization,” he said.
The coach stressed that the incident has no relation to the football field. He said he would rely on a the senior members of the squad to keep the team focused as they prepare to face Arizona on Sunday.
“We are not downplaying the seriousness of this event and how it affects our organization,” Studesville said. “We have tremendous leadership from our veteran players. We are going to rely on them to continue to prepare for the game of football.”
A SKELTON CREW
Arizona Cardinals Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt announced on Friday that John Skelton will start at quarterback for his team this Sunday against the Broncos.
Skelton is a 6-foot-5, 244-pound rookie from Fordham University. The fifth-round pick set school career records with 9,923 passing yards, 69 TD passes, 802 completions and 1,363 attempts. He had at least one TD pass in 30 of the team’s 34 games over the last three seasons and ranked in the top 10 nationally in pass efficiency rating in both ‘08 and ’09.
Last week against Rams, he completed three of six passes for 45 yards and threw one interception.
As far as injuries go, QB Derek Anderson (head) is doubtful after not practicing all week. WR Larry Fitzgerald is probable after not practicing on Friday for non-injury reasons.
LB Clark Haggans (groin) and LB Joey Porter (knee) were limited all week and are questionable. DE Calais Campbell (ankle) and K Jay Feeley are probable after being limited in practice all week. CB Michael Adams (shoulder), WR Steve Breaston (knee), DT Darnell Dockett (shoulder) and CB Greg Toler (foot) all fully participated in Friday practice and are probable.
VALUABLE VOTE
For the past three years, Tim Tebow could count on a plane ticket to New York City for the Heisman Memorial Trophy presentation.
Winning the prestigious award in 2007 provided Tebow with a vote in the contest for every year since, and a spot as a finalist in 2008 and 2009 opened up a front row seat from the Big Apple. This year, his seat will stay empty.
Tebow will spend the night in Arizona on the eve of the Broncos’ matchup against the Cardials when the Heisman Trust announces this year’s winner.
“I am supposed to be on a flight to New York is what my body is telling me, but it is very exciting for all those nominees who are there, and they are going to have a great time,” Tebow said. “It will be surreal for all of them and definitely overwhelming for one.”
Oregon running back LaMichael James, Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore and Auburn quarterback Cam Newton are all nominated for the award.
Tebow chose not to reveal his choice for the winner of the bronze trophy, but he did share what goes into the decision.
“I look at what their team would be like without that player,” he said. “I look at how valuable that player is to their team — a lot of different things like that. So, I try to take into account and make a great decision.”
When he won the trophy three years ago, Tebow became the first sophomore in the history of the award to earn the honor. That year, he also became the first player in NCAA history to rush and throw for 20 touchdowns.
“I think the Heisman Trophy is one of the most prestigious awards out there, especially in the U.S.,” Tebow said. “I took it seriously. I looked all around at all the different athletes and I thought there were some definitely qualified players and I felt like I voted for the best player.”
-Gabe Hiatt, DenverBroncos.com
Below are pictures from Friday’s practice:
Tags: 2010, Andre' Goodman, Arizona Cardinals, Darcel McBath, Denver Broncos, Eric Studesville, John Skelton, Perrish Cox, Week 14
That’s bad news about Prater. You’re right tho baylin, good thing were playing only to rid the bad taste out of our collective mouths.
Haha, thus has been a great week. Sad too. Not only do you all know how deep my disdain for the former HC is, so did my family, friends and coworkers. I’ve been congratulated all week!!!!!!!
Steve, you would make a great politician, getting votes from both sides, haha.
Congrats to Cam Newton. With all your accolades, you’ve won an all expense paid, multimillion dollar contract to Buffalo. Maybe Cincy! Let’s just hope you’re not Reggie Bush part 2. Lol
So what do we do if we don’t give Tebow a chance huh?
let a 3 draft pick player ride the bench?
What’s with people getting riled up over Orton?
Play Tebow some the rest of the season,see what he’s got,if he still has a ways to go to get a handle on things,then keep Orton another year.
Tebow is the future of the Denver Broncos,might as well face it,like it or not,Mr.B wanted him too,so he is the future!
Are you kidding me? The Charges get Croyle? Can it be handed to them any more?
I really want to see them lose in Denver.
ILMSDB
Newton as a freshman was Tebow’s back up in Florida in 2007.
What I have gathered from Coach Studeville is that Tebow will no doubt see increased playing time. Probably not in a starting capacity. Maybe come in halfway through the 3rd or possibly start the 4th. If possible for our defense to last into the second half, it would be ideal, I believe to let Tebow get 3 or 4 drives under his belt per game Give him the full sense of the speed of the game. That would also give him an entire off season to go over film and analyze his play.
stevecan,
I hope thats true…but many coaches know its bad bussiness to switch out a QB too many times in a game. or do one half this guy another half this guy. They say it messes with chemistry and timing and all that jazz. But I do hop ehe gets more snaps and I know he can run..I wanna see him pass. Dunno if I can wait like 8 more months to see him pass again…its a lil depressing lol. I probably wouldn’t be making this much noise if we were still in it….but the season is lost. I feel people are in denial or something. Winning the next 4 is great but the team will still be watching the playoffs from home…And who is to say we can’t win with tebow…never know till we try. Shanny had to make the tought call with cutler and plummer as well…
ps: yea daniels was a great back up…im sure someone else coulda been cut…who, dunno but someone else lol. Man I was really pulling for Elam too lol
Bay your right sorry about the tards comment, and I don’t believe Orton is better than TT or TT’s better than Orton, it’s still an unknown. TT will get his time. But calling for someone to get hurt to see another player take over is just not good. sorry 1nOnlyTRB.
and I have to disagree with you 1nOnlyTRB, Kyle Orton is on pace to break 4000 passing yards this year with 20TD and only 6 Int’s with 4 games left. I wouldn’t want to take that away from Him, He deserves better than that. not to mention moving the players around on the Oline has caused most of the problems The Broncos have had in sack’s and rushing the ball this year. although Kyle has held the ball to long a few times recently. but these are stellar stats, Pro bowl stats, top 10 stats in fact. He has one bad game and all the sudden he sucks? IDK I just don’t think we should be calling for someone to get hurt to see another player.
By the way in my opinion pulling plummer for cutler was a big mistake by shanahan.
TIME OF POSSESSION ! ! !
GO BRONCOS ! ! !
http://www.denverbroncos.com/team/roster/Kyle-Orton/51835e42-1635-49f6-8de1-f3fc0e2cbc48
Funny I saw someone posted something about TT’s passer rating being better than Ortons. DUH! He’s thrown one pass all year, Orton has thrown over 450 times. nice comparison. Too funny.
I’m right there with ya BeastFromEast92, Daniels has played well considering He was probably moved around the most. I hope they can get Him signed to the practice squad.
One more thing that’s been bothering me is all the post’s about the zone blocking being our bread and butter. Which is true. Well it use to be, but none of the coachs are still here and really none of those interior linemen are still here either. The Broncos have moved to a much bigger and slower type of OLinemen and this would need to be addressed again if The Broncos decide to go back to the zone blocking scheme. It takes a quick and agile set of interior linemen to run a zone blocking scheme they must have quick feet. not to mention it takes a few years to get to where The Broncos were just two years ago. Question is do we want to rebuild again?
We all have bad nights monodono, thanks for doing the right thing. Anyhow, yes I do think we are left with no option but rebuilding, it’s not like we are getting a new coach with the same GM and DC, or a new GM with the same coach or any sort of combination, rather it seems as if we have no choice but to clean house and start anew, at least that’s what I am hoping we’ll do. So whatever is in place now is not going to be the reason for what type of schemes we use next year in my opinion, rather the new regime will dictate how we will go from here and get its roster to adapt to its new way of thinking. About the zone blocking scheme not working with the sort of bigger O linemen we got, as I said in a previous post it has worked wonder with the Jets who just switch exclusively to the zone blocking scheme this year and are third in the league in rushing with no one smaller than three hundred pounds on the entire O line (310, 315, 307, 305 and 327 lbs!). While maybe not ideal, it can be done, the proof is in the pudding, all you need is runners who can execute it, like LT with the jets and let’s not forget we have Moreno who would be 1,000 time better in a zone blocking scheme than a power one, that has been his achylles heel the whole time with McD, he is flat no power back.
On another note I think we are so below the NFL level of quality at LB’s that we hopefully will get a new regime to take us back to the 4-3, our LB’s are no way good enough to play the 3-4 and it is basically an impossible mission to rebuild a LB corp with the top quality players required to succeed in the 3-4 in one year. Even DJ is not what he used to be, ever since his alleged DUI his presence has hardly been felt. When I watch the Ravens and the Steelers, each team has 4 LB’s on their roster who are all better than our best one!!! Heck most of their LB back ups are probably superior to our starters…. Switching back to the 4-3 might make it easier to return to respectability quicker, since we would just need to get a couple of DE early in the draft, plus we can’t seem to ever get that great NT for the 3-4 anyhow, another huge 3-4 problem. And yes it will help to have Doom back but you can’t justify the 3-4 on him alone. Just all my opinion as usual.
Anyhow, all picks are in, no picks on game day.
This is only the second time this year that none of the bloggers picked us to lose!
Wanna guess who it was we played the first time that happened?
The Raiders, and we lost 59-14!!!!
Could it be a bad omen?
That’s too weird for comfort… but I do think we will win.
GO BRONCOS!!!!!
TRB says “Orton has done well, and not throwing him under the boss”.
hahaha, great hit on the funny bone TRB…
Instead of throwing Orton under the boss, lets throw him OUT with the boss…lol
Orton is on the verge of setting an NFL record built on empty passing yards accumulated by playing desperate catch up football all season… He CHOKES in the RED ZONE, he CHOKES in the 4TH QT, he CHOKES WHEN THE GAME IS ON THE LINE….. He lost the locker room right along with his boss.
Orton was McDaniels bandaid QB. He is not our future and needs to be sent away with the coach that clung to him like a little security blankie…
Fire Orton!!! kddn lol haha.. We can just be nice and trade him.
ILMSDB!
Ha! Woody is right in line with some of us who say not starting Tebow now makes no sense at all:
PHOENIX — All and sundry are ticked off before the ball is kicked off.
Eric Studesville already has made his first critical mistake — even before his head coaching debut.
He should enjoy his first four games as the coach of the Broncos and his last four games with the Broncos.
Studesville had to start Tim Tebow against the Cardinals today.
Instead, the Broncos will be SOS — Same Old Stuff and Same Orton Sunday — and the fanatics’ fascination with the franchise this season continues to do a fast fade.
Noitced how he says “Stud’s first 4 games and last 4 games with the Broncos”, exactly what I have been saying all along, so why not start Tebow now, this is an earlier post of mine with my take on this thing so I can save my fingers:
No one really thinks winning games at this point has a huge upside, in fact many think to the contrary, and upper management must be honest with everyone including Stud himself, that regardless of what he does in the last 4 games he is not the long term answer, just an interim coach by default bridging the team from here to there. Stop the mind games, tell it like it is, start Tebow and other rookies, treat these 4 games like the ultimate 4 game preseason it could be and be better for it, smarter for it, more knowledgeable for it, gaining much better understanding of your complete roster.
There is no down side, we lose them all we get a better draft pick, some rookies don’t perform to our expectations and we won’t be riding on false hopes for next year.
All this my friends is elementary to me, it is time for upper management to come clean on this one and handle these last 4 games honestly for what it really is, anything else, like keeping the starters in there to win as many games because management publicly says Stud is interviewing for the HC position is just not fair. Anyway, that’s my take on it like it or not.
I love this quote from Mecklenburg about McD:
“I think Josh had some really good concepts coming in,” said former Broncos great Karl Mecklenburg. “The franchise had gotten away from the team concept at the end of Shanahan’s tenure and I know Pat wanted to get it back to a team game. And that’s what McDaniels was trying to do. Unfortunately I don’t think he really knew how to do it.”
OC, you know how to do it? We need you man.
BTW I have a good question for you, a serious one, LOL, who is going to make a trade with us and pick up Orton’s tab of 9 mil for one year?
Whatever team hires McD!
Touche’, haha.
After spygate 2, McD will be lucky to get an OC job next year, he might just sit it out like Shanny did and collect Bowlen’s cool millions instead.
hahahahaha!
Man, thats not funny!.. lol! I really would drop everything and go coach the Broncos. haha
They need an OC that believes in TT! Check, I got that covered…haha lol
HAPPY GAME DAY BAY!
ILMSDB!
Excuse me but Clady,Harris,and Kuper all played in the zoneblocking scheme in ’08,when Shanny was still here,we’ve only added Walton and Beadles since then,who says those 2 can’t zone block?
We definitely CAN go back to zoneblocking without rebuilding the Oline.
And a lot of us are tired of Ortons lack of execution(got that one from joshy boy) when the game is on the line.In college when the game was on the line Tebow went into BEAST MODE and Got-r-Done!!!
SG II aint nothin compared to SG I and all of those guys got jobs again. McD will land somewhere, I think?
I honestly wouldn’t put it past Al Davis to hire McD for pennies just so he can have a guy on his staff getting paid by the Broncos… He’s kinda sneeky like that..
Bay, did you see the metro dome callapsed and they are scrabling to find a place to play. sounds like detroit or university of Minn.
Clady and Harris are exterior linemen and Kuper didnt start
Bay,I agree that going back to the 4-3 is a good idea,I’ve been saying that for weeks now,only to be bashed by a few on here.We don’t have the DL to stand in there,and definitely don’t have the LB to get it done,Ayers is great against the run,but is the only one that is and we don’t have a single LB that is good in pass coverage,I think we need to address that in the draft.
Not to mention the lack of a pass rush!
O_C, I wouldn’t put it past Al either. I also wouldn’t put it past him to move up in the draft to get Cam. We all know how much he likes the Hiesman Trophy winners.
Still dosen’t mean we can’t go back to zoneblocking,the powerblocking definitely ain’t gonna cut it.IMO.
Hey Beast, you don’t like Bannon for stopping the run?
Yeah the Raiders probably have had more Heisman trophy winners than any other team,too bad it hasn’t done them any good lately.lol.
BEAST MODE…check
GIT-R-DONE….check
BAD TO THE BONE….check
TOUGH AS AN OX…..check
BORN LEADER…..check
HUGE UPSIDE….check
UNTAPPED POTENTIAL…check
ISITTTIME???????????
Bannon has been doing pretty good,we need to keep him,but definitely need to draft a replacement for Jamal Williams.
Personally I think Justin Bannon has done a fine job at NT. considerinrg He’s not a true NT.
I wanna know why Champ can’t get a contract done,Jamal Charles RB for KC got a 5 year deal for 31 mil with 13 mil upfront yeaterday,that’s bs.
AGREED
Soft stadium domes roofs like the Metrodome’s inflatable kind in snow country is just a dumb idea bound to fail. They should come here and play it at UT, I’ll go, haha.
Jamal Charles is a young player
Maybe we keep Bannon inside and draft a DE.
They are looking for a Dome.
BFE, I think all contract talks will be on hold until we define our upper Mgmt group.
Yeah but the Champ negotiation were reportedly stopped because of the lack of a CBA next year,I think that’s just a smoke screen not to resign Champ.
Can you find one of those dome replacement at Wal Mart or do you have to go to Sam’s since it’s a larger item? LOL.
If they do draft Deffense, I’m with Bay on looking at LB’s. and some backfield.
If we don’t resign him we better hope Cox steps up and Goody can stay healthy or we will look like we did before Champ came here,remember those times?
Or we could go after Patrick Peterson CB outta LSU,but I think we need DL and LB help worse.
BFE, it could be a smoke screen, but I just don’t think either side is ready to sign.
I think they need to go to Mall of America!
See, Minnesota should have Kept Chilly. He had a very large dome….. lol
Monodono,Bannon was originally signed to play NT,even tho he wasn’t a true NT,but then we signed J Williams to play NT and put Bannon at DE.