Last time the Broncos and the Chargers met, Cory Boyd and Tatum Bell were watching NFL football from their couches. In this Sunday’s rematch against San Diego, the two are the only healthy tailbacks remaining on the Denver roster.
During his Monday press conference, Head Coach Mike Shanahan announcement that P.J. Pope and Selvin Young will be placed on injured reserve, joining an already long list of rushers lost for the season — Anthony Alridge, Andre Hall, Peyton Hillis, Michael Pittman and Ryan Torain.
“I have never been a part of this or heard of anything like this at all,” Bell said. “Having seven running backs on IR — it is shocking.”
Both Bell and Boyd agreed that despite how hard their position is being hit by injuries this season, both rushers are looking forward to seeing the field on what has come down to the Broncos biggest game of the season on Sunday.
“I’m not worried at all,” Boyd said of a potential running back injury jinx. “The buck stops here. We’ve just got to go out and keep playing to the best of our abilities. Everything happens for a reason, so I’m not worried about it at all.”
Both backs are looking to make the most of their opportunities on Sunday.
“It is my first primetime game since I have been back, so I am excited,” Bell said. “I don’t know the rotation yet. I just know when I get in I have to be productive.”
Two Broncos players were sure to keep their names out of the mix at running back.
“I gave up running back after the sixth grade — that was the extent of my running back days,” Brandon Stokley said.
Surely at 6-foot-3 and 257 pounds, Daniel Graham must have some desire to line up at the running back position.
“None at all,” he said with a laugh. “They need me at tight end, so that’s what I’m going to do.”
Even Head Coach Mike Shanahan, who has been coaching in the NFL ranks for nearly a quarter century, couldn’t have imagined seeing so many injuries at one position.
“I think anything is possible, but I would say you were completely nuts if you said (at the beginning of the season) we were going to go through seven or eight running backs,” he said.
- Jake Grilley, DenverBroncos.com
Tags: Brandon Stokley, Cory Boyd, Daniel Graham, Jake Grilley, Mike Shanahan, Tatum Bell
Ok here’s how it’s going to shake down. We must contain Antonio Gates and Vincent Jackson although after what LT said the week after they lost to us at home I’m a little concerned about him as well. LT said “I can’t wait until it comes down to us and the Broncos, last game of the year at our place for the Division title”. So judging from that you can be rest assured he’s going to bring his ‘A’ game Sunday night. The entire Broncos team must match the intensity of the Chargers right from the get go. Also if you all remember last year when Rivers (I hate this guy) was jawing at Cutler to get off the field and go home, this should light a fire under Cutler to not only excel but to try to play the best game of his early career!
Brandon Marshall was right when he said the Chargers are playing there best ball of the year right now and they have all the momentum but if you remember people were talking about how good the Jets were and how we shouldn’t even get off the plane but we went to NY and dominated the Jets.
Now the Chargers are a different team then the Jets but we have to have the same focus and determination if are we to beat the Chargers.
I’m excited for this game, how can you not be and I hope the team or someone on the team reads this and can translate to them a scenerio I’m about to present, now this isn’t a factual situation but it is similiar in the aspect: When Rocky (in Rocky 4) made the decision he was going to go to Russia to fight Ivan Drago and when he came home to Adrienne she yelled at him from the top of the stair case “YOU CAN’T WIN”, that fueled a fire in Rocky! Now alot of people on here are saying how we can’t win and alot of the so called football experts are saying we have no chance. Supposedly Rocky didn’t stand a chance either but he battled and grinded in a hostile territory and in the end he won! I believe the Broncos can pull it together and as a TEAM and only as a TEAM can go to San Diego and win this game! It’s time for this young team to make a statement and prove to themselves and the rest of BRONCOS COUNTRY and the nation that the power of the AFC West is about to change! Win this game, if you guys win one game this year let it be this one! I live in bandwagon Chargers country out here in So. California and even though this past Sunday was a dissapointment my Broncos flag is still flying out side my house! I BELIEVE AND SO SHOULD ALL THE OTHER BRONCO COUNTRY MANIACS!
In closing and I’d like to speak for some of us on here that believe and say I have no doubt we can win, now just prove us right and win this game!
Go Broncos!
Another thing…..WHAT IS UP WITH THE PLAY CALLING IN RECENT WEEKS! Talk about a piss poor and conservative game plan.
I agree with broncofannsd, Cutler is an awesome quarterback, it’s the defense. People blame Cutler for the loss to the Bills but he never even had the lead when he took the field in the second half against the bills. Every time he goes out there he is being asked to wear a superman cape and nobody can do that consistently. If the defense would have made one or two plays in the second half of the bills game then Cutler would have been able to hand the ball off with the lead and do some little dink and dunk passes. He needs help from the defense. Not sure about the stats but i bet that the broncos are dead last in sacks this year.
BroncoFannSD,
Im with you there, although I may be a little pessimistic about Sundays game, I’ll forever be a bronco fan. if you jump the wagon every season for whoever is winning your not really a NFL fan. I may be negative, but hey, I was sitting there freezing my butt off I can be a little angry!
OK done venting now still don’t believe we can do it but gonna try to be positive. Well with the play calling sucking butthole over the last 4 weeks teams don’t know how to prepare for us really the probably prepare their offense to play to the deffense all week and wait to make adjustments during the game after they see what we want to try and do which would explain why we jump up on teams 10-14 to nothing then all of a sudden we can’t do diddly squat after they figure out to just go cover two all day cause eventually CUtler will give you a chance to pick it off. Cutler is a young QB who likes the glory throw into coverage but this is not a bad thing cause you can’t teach a QB to make the ballsy throw but you can teach him when to throw it away. Look deffense is about attitude our deffense is a bunch of nice guys and nice guys finish last. We need some straight up mean tear your head off guys and we will be just fine.
BLITZ!!! The broncos did pretty good aginst the bills when they were blitzing early in the game, and for some reason got away from it and the bills crawled back into it. Must blitz Rivers!! Even if he does complete his passes at least then they can say they tried. If they don’t blitz then rivers will shred the defense anyway.
Attention all Broncos fans, positive and negative alike. Faith goes out the window in December. If you are a player, then either you play the game the way it’s supposed to be played or you get your a$$e$ handed to you. It’s called takin’ care of business which for some reason these guys can’t seem to do. Whether that’s coaching, lack of talent, or just plain bad luck I don’t care. 8-8 or 9-7 (even with a division title) doesn’t cut it. Those records may be nice in Cleveland, KC, SD, or Cinncy, but it doesn’t mean horse crap in this town. It’s a young team. I get that. But after Week 10 there has to be some improvement and some semblance of KILLER INSTINCT. Fact of the matter is, I knew when Denver was only up 13-0 last Sunday that Buffalo knew they were in the game and so did the rest of you fans. The only way for these guys to be SD is to play all out. The whole friggin’ team has to sell out. However, I think some guys will and some guys will take plays off or lack focus. It’s been the team’s MO for the last 6 weeks.
all i know is my birthday is sunday and i would like nothing else except a win is that 2 much to ask?
Well, I still stand that this is 50/50. But I think River’s learned his lession with running his mouth, the press and NFL fans ate him alive on TV and online, not only for Cutler bashing but yelling at fans and such. He is way too cocky and its going to catch up to him and show how not-so-good of a player he is in the NFL. I will be recording the game, just on the off chance Broncos bring Wild Card Weekend to Denver, I love watching Rivers crying, and LT all depressed under his helmet, good times. Either way boys, its the end of the season, go out there and show that next year our O will be intact and our D will be better (how can it get worse!??!?) Lead the way Jay! Make Vandy proud
Calm down girls… Im no fairweather fan i just want to know why we stopped blitzing after the first 2 series. the first 2 series buffalo had negative yards then we went back to only rushing 4 and buffalo had there way with us. Also why are we always throwing swing passes or passes behind the line of scrimage when we get in the redzone. we throw down field the whole way down and when we get in redzone we pull that lateral pass crap. Field goal are not going to get it done with our defense and field goal kicker not to mention special teams. Blitz, throw down field and find a kicker who can kick off into the endzone.
Bell and Boyd is all we have and touchwood all we need for the next couple of weeks. The game on SNF is without a doubt the game to watch as it is a winner takes all.
I haven’t taken a look at the tie-breaker rules as of late but I understand our record against KC & OAK does not work in our favour.
I was really guttered over the lst but find a renewed sense of excitement come the weekend, so I am over the loss to BUF and looking forward to this game. We are going into this game with the Bolts running hot after 2 huge wins over KC and TB versus our 2 dissapointing losses.. BUT a new week an new game, and the Broncos going into enemy territory as underdogs… is exactly what we want.. Run Bell till he’s stuffed then throw in Boyd.. please cease this RB rotation policy which HAS NOT WORKED.
This is our push to break a long dry spell to get back into the playoffs!!! we can do this and I believe it in my heart of hearts!!! GO BRONCOS!!!
Might as well throw my .02 out here in the off chance someone in the Org will read it.
((((If we loose this game this Sun then we should fire Shanny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)))
The other thing we should do in the off season is fire the entire strength conditions folks. Give me a break I’ve never seen a team have so many injuries ever, especially our backs. There is no excuses for this!!!
I’m sick of this team coming up with excuses, it should always fall back on the coaches for not having the right game plan in place to win and overcome any in-game circumstances.
Granted I’m a life long Bronco fan, but to be honest I have no faith in this team pulling out a win this weekend. We got lucky and beat them early in the season with a bad ref call and I don’t think that’s going to give us enough for a win this Sun.
Everybody needs to just shut up about firing the strength and conditioning coaches!!!! Do you think they are saying that over in New England because Tom Brady got hurt????? Then there are people saying “fire our defensive coaches!!!” didn’t we just fire a defensive coach last season??? Who would replace that coach???? And would a new defensive coach put us in the Super Bowl next year???? These things take time!!!!! And for these freaking “fans” that come on hear and say “We are going to lose to the Chargers!!!!” please go away!!!! I know one person here that is supposedly a fan of said, “all we are going to do is get embrass”??? Whatever the hell that means.
BroncoFan-James - Where is the faith and support? Tell me what team in this league would even have a chance to compete for a playoff spot with 7 backs on IR??? And to say there are no excuses for the injuries is absurd. Shanny has done a TREMENDOUS job with the team this year considering everything that has happened. The Panthers, Vikings, Giants, and Titans wouldn’t even be in the playoffs if their RB’s went down like ours did. I am pleased that this team even has a chance to compete for a playoff spot considering everything that has happened this year.
I agree with you gasperdn. The defense needs continuity in the coaching staff.
GO BRONCOS!!!!
I believe that Broncos can beat SD on Sunday at their house. Broncos played better when people didn’t give them a chance. Remember what people said about the Broncos before the Jets vs Broncos game? Let’s GO BRONCOS. Put your hearts and heads into the game and you will make PR cries for another year.
gasperdn….I guess someone forgot to tell the Dolphins because it didnt take them time…….You fans that keep crying about the rest of the fans that call an ace an ace should be raider fans. They are ok with losing year after year and no accountability. Not sure when the Denver Broncos philosophy started becoming like the Detroit Lions. 3 freakin years straight I have heared the same freakin excuse. Please, Please can Mikes *%$ and start over. Funny how the chargers canned Marty because anything less than a superbowl was unacceptable but in Denver a losing season is obviously acceptable. Freakin Joke
I’m a broncos fan all the way from New Jersey! And embarrassed to say im a fan!! Like seriously! Injury’s happen every where so that’s no one’s fault! Jay cutler is the man…. I support him even when he throws INT’s… but listen to this the defense is to blame!!! The defense sucks!! Like seriously…. Other then Champ Bailey we don’t have any big time defensive players! Think about it our safety’s suck! Our DL omg they can’t create pressure on no one…. There are some teams in this league that have 2 to 3 even all four defensive lineman’s that dominate! Our defense sucks! Even if we make it to the playoff’s we aren’t going to do nothing!! We would play the colts and Peyton manning is going to rape our secondary! WE suck! The truth hurts! And let me single out selvin young this man said in an interview in the off season that he was gonna rush for 2000 yards yea ok!! Kerry colins has more yards on the ground den him… im sorry im a fan but im just embarrassed… cutler can’t do everything u know… Shanny better talk to the owner and get big name players on defense…. If not we wont ever go back to the super bowl!! Im wishing and praying we beat the chargers I hate dem!! Go broncos!!!!
That Buffalo game tore the guts out of me…. I didnt get to see it since I live in Georgia but wow, we like ran all over them and still lost. That is why we need to play great in all aspects of the game. Whiner’s —- obviously not true fans. The Broncos have a great chance at winning this game Sunday against the Chargers. If they win, it will get them ready for the Colts which I hate to admit it. I think its better that the season ends this way, if the Broncos lose then they are not ready for the Playoffs and we’ll have to improve for next year. Keep the mistakes down to a min. and play to our potential, should be no problem. Mannnn!!! GO BRONCOS!!!
I’m geared, Jay and company can really spring-board into the playoffs with a good thumping of the Cheezers…. HAHA.
Hah, Jmonk… its my birthday this coming Sunday as well. All I wish for is a WIN for the Broncos! Enough said. GO BRONCOS!!!!
I can live with losing this weekend if our guys knock the snot out of Rivers and LT! Of course if the knock the snot out of Rivers and LT we win! Kick em in the hoo haa! GO BRONCOS!!!
Good Luck Boyd and Bell. Get a RING!! Please run over the Chargers, I hate that team. Especially that Sh!t talking Rivers. Play your hardest and you’ll WIN!!!
GO BRONCOS!!!! SUPER BOWL!!!!
Ok so since some of you are talking about the training staff in the NFL. Which all teams do the same exact thing seriously, thats just the dumbest thing ive heard in a while. to blame injuries on the training staff. but back to my original topic…..
Lets talk first day running back picks.
Lets hope Mike has seen how dumb a move it was to skip on tashard choice. And takes a top talent back….. like
Gleen coffee or rashard mendenhal. Demarco Murray if he comes out. beanie wells looks nice. just throwing some names out there
Wilbee123 I agree being negative or questioning authority or trainers or players isn’t always bad and does’nt mean your a fair weather fan, giving up does! I have’nt given up yet.
2champ4pickSIX you made some good points about the Trainers and the Players!
rayjr26 your right The Broncos MUST NOT abandon the running game! The reason they did when Pope got hurt is they did’nt have an active Fullback to pick up the slack, STUPID mistake.
Cutler2B-Marsh Cecil Sapp no longer play’s for The Broncos, and I wonder why The Broncos continue to give N. Koutouvides a pay check and hold a roster spot, when they clearly need help in that position. Is’nt A. Pinnock ready to play yet? Why has’nt he been on the Field? START A FB!
AussieBronco1 Terrell Davis was a premier running back but he did’nt start his carrer that way.
WestCoast, Brother the philosophy started to change when Alex Gibbs left along time ago, I’m just glad people are starting to see it. Shotgun in the red zone Really!? is Mouse Davis the OC? When the QB has more carries than any other back you know something is wrong!
I am a Broncos fan through and through and I earned the right to Question the authority of this TEAM and yes I will priase them when they are good and point out thier short comings when they are bad! How else does anyone get better?
TIME OF POSSESSION ! ! !
GO BRONCOS! ! !
Oh ya this is the game The Broncos are supposed to win the AFC West Championship in anyway, on National T.V.
I think m.c.the great has a man crush on Tashard.
If all of you are so disgusted to be Bronco fans, I guess my answer to your heartache is, GET LOST YOU LOSERS? You’re not “fans” anyway. You need to watch “The History Of The Denver Broncos” and see what THOSE (REAL) fans put up with at the start of our franchise. They supported the Broncos ALWAYS! All your blogs about who should stay and who should go…COME ON MAN! You guys have no idea what it takes to run a football team and you sound rediculous with your anylytical rants trying to sound like you’ve got brain cells. Why don’t you put half the effort you used in copying everything a AP reporter already said into your blog, and put that effort into cheering for the Team? You guys just can’t wait to get on here and blog to everyone else what YOU think it would have taken to win. Just settle down and shut up. It’s always WHINE, WHINE, WHINE when we lose, and “I told you so” when we win. WHATEVER, you sound like a bunch of third graders fighting! Sorry third graders, that was pretty harsh, no offense.
I’d LOVE to see some of you people meet the players or coaches. What would you say then when you’re out from behind your blog name.
The only thing our Team needs to overhaul in the offseason is our “fans”.
The Broncos don’t suck, YOU SUCK!
Just do what fans are supposed to do, SUPPORT YOUR TEAM!!! We don’t get paid to do the thinking anyway, so why stress about something you have no control of?
Proud to be a BRONCO no matter WHAT!
GO BRONCOS!
i had a thought today let me know what you guys think, jarvis moss isnt a bust yet. he got hurt pretty early on last year so in a way this is still his rookie year and how many de’s have came out and kicked a** i think you gotta give him till the end of next season and if he isnt a full time start and have at least 8 sacks then call him as bust. thoughts anyone?
BucknBronco - Great blog and I couldn’t agree more!
GO BRONCOS!!!!
Nice to see some optimism here, at least some people are real fans. I can understand being negative sometimes but for some of the people who just want to bash, geez!! Shows where your faith is. Well said Bucknbronco. I believe the Broncos can win this week, they’ve already shown they can play with the chargers this year. And even if they do lose in the first round then at least they would have some playoff experience going into next year. As for the draft the offense already rocks, especially if the backs can stay healthy next year. What they need are defensive lineman, somebody who warrants a double team.
jmonk - a big Vince Wilfork like DT could draw double teams in the middle and open up the outsides for guys like Moss and Doom.
Ok this is rediculous to insinuate hat it is the training staff that is to blame for this. Our strength and Conditioning coach has been with the Denver Broncos for 14 years. And during that 14 years One Name Truly comes to mind. And that Gary Zimmerman who was just inducted into the HOF and he was notorious for the amount of games he played consecutively. So either we have alot of posters that are from other teams who are just trying to start trouble or we have posters who are lazy and don’t want to look up facts before they type. Either way if it is the staff then why is this first year we have experienced this if the Coach has been here 14 years? Ty I rest my case!
Goooooooooo Broncooooooooos!!!!!!!!!!!! Bring home that Division Title!!!!!!
This is why you draft a RB in the first round. Yes we all get it guys every RB in the draft can be a stud if he sells out oon your system but the guys that are up in the first and second rounds are DURABLE. EVERYBODY NOW SAY IT WITH ME. DUR-A-BLE. However i think great blocking FB can be found every year, and Peyton Hillis is a stud football player at the tailback position if not for that freak hamstring injury this guy would have run us into the playoffs in Carolina ladies and gents. Hillis can have a second gear we know that you don’t get 100 yards receiving being slow so if Hillis loses even ten pounds he will still be huge for a RB and hard to take down but maybe he might be a few steps quicker. So since we lucked out on him we really don’t need a rb next year just another shot at drafting a FB next year late in the rounds and use them high picks on hardhitting smart football players for that deffense and please give Champ and Dre a little buddy in the nickle back position so we can stop the pass a little better.
well all i want for christmas is a playoff berth! stomp the chargers and shut Phillip Rivers FAT MOUTH!!! as for LT, i have always had great respect for him, too bad he isnt a bronco! that being said, lets kick the chargers A$$ and get some first round revenge on the Dolts, who we DEFINATELY owe a butt kickin.
Moving on to the staff and personel. if we had not had so many problems with keeping running backs off of IR this year, i honestly believe we would have been an unstoppable offense, probably the best in the league! What we need is a mediocre running game to give us a good playoff push! it doesnt have to be stellar, just enough to keep the opposing defense on their toes! we need enough production on the ground to keep the opposing defense honest! otherwise they just drop 7 or 8 into coverage and puts WAY too much pressure on Jay.
As for coaching staff, shanny has been great this year. my only complaint is his quitting on the running game, and that is definately not enough reason to fire him! im still not sold on our D coordinator…. but i agree that we do need to pick a coordinator and stick with him for a few seasons. i would like to see someone like billick as our coordinator, but even then i think it is not going to fix our problems over night! i must also confess that i was very disapointed with our promotion from within of slowik as coordinator. i felt like he was going to bring the same broken philosophy that had failed the last couple seasons. that being said, in some ways my concerns appear to be justified, but i have also been pleasantly surprised from time to time! i will leave that decision up to the professionals!
on to the defensive personel…. i must agree with a few other bloggers that our D line has been unable to produce pressure with out blitzing. we keep picking up defensive ends, maybe we really need to pick up a beast of an interior lineman. i also feel that our defense needs a monster at middle linebacker. anyone else notice that our defense on the whole has been lacking fire since Al Wilson left? i think we could also use a hard hitting safety again. i know lynch had probably lost a step, but he sure did make recievers think twice about catching a ball with him around!
well i guess im about out of things to say here. my only other comment is that people have a right to be upset/angry/disappointed in the way this season has gone. being angry or heart broken does not mean you are not a fan!! as long as come sunday you are yelling and cheering for OUR BRONCOS, then you can be as angry as you want to be when they lose!
happy hollidays, AND GO BRONCOS!!!!!!!!
i think the way we have played with who we have lost is really amazing, i mean we could have rolled over and just played for next year but we didnt and I think that Cutler is “THE GUY” at quarterback. let quit bickering amongst ourselves and kick the chargers straight back where they belong at home !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Alright we gave san diego their shot. now lets beat em’ down leaving them another horrible memory of this season. I was at the game against the bills and theres no way we shouldve lost, up 13-0 but the O couldnt get in the endzone to really pull away. and the D although there has been drastic improvements over the year they give up the big play to give the other team hope where they can close it.
I believe we can win sunday one of the few. But this teams responds when its them against the world nobody i mean NOBODY is giving our broncos a shot to win. People{i.e those so called experts} seem to be so in love with the chargers that they forget their 31st against the pass they cant stop nebody through ther air. Im expecting another shootout but the BRONCOS on top 37-34 for the win and the AFC WEST. Come on vets bailey,bly,stokley time to rally the troops and go out there and whoop san diego in thier own backyard. and CUTLER be the leader of this team and lead em’ to a win.
GO OUT THERE AND BEAT DOWN THOSE LOUD MOUTH CHARGERS,
GO BRONCOS!!!!!!!
I WILL BE AT THE GAME IM GOING TO GET IN A FIGHT!!!!
BRONCOFAN2438,
I think you ought to change ur name…….
u are NOT one of us…..
win or lose we are BRONCO FANS because we don’t talk crap about them when they lose. Behind you all the way guys hope to see u make some big runs against those sore losers tommorow night
What the he#@ does the coaching staff have to do with the injuries we’ve had this year?? Hello shi% happens and let’s just have faith in our team with what we’ve got because even though we haven’t had a great season we have a chance of bringing the AFC WEST Crown home tommorow night despite all the injuries that have happend to us all year.
Be a true fan or don’t even waste your time on our page
I love reading these blogs, cause i get inspired again. after watching the game against SD i was all down on the Broncos and thinking the same thing about the coaching staff getting fired, but after reading the blogs from the “real” fans, i love them again. One thing we need to keep in mind is that this is the youngest team that we have had in a very long time. They don’t know how to win on a consistent basis. Just like i’m a young fan and i still haven’t learned how to love this team no matter what. but give me and the team a year or 2 and we will be.