The forecast for Sunday’s game against Buffalo says game time temperatures will hover just over zero degrees.
While Broncos players agreed the cold weather isn’t going to change how they prepare or gameplan against the Bills, some Broncos are going to prepare for Sunday’s elements differently.
Kenny Peterson, for example, learned early in his NFL career that defensive linemen tout themselves as some of the toughest players on the field — this means wearing long sleeves during cold weather games is frowned upon.
“My rookie year I tried to go out in sleeves and my teammates told me take the sleeves off or your next week of practice will be hell,” he said.
Peterson said he obliged and hasn’t worn sleeves since. The six year pro said he would only wear sleeves to a football game under one condition.
“If I was sitting in the stands — yeah, that is fine,” he said. “But I’m not sitting in the stands, so it’s not OK. It is mental — after a while your arms go numb anyway. You don’t even feel it after that.”
Josh Bell has a slightly different outlook on the prospect of freezing weather on Sunday.
“This is Denver,” Bell said. “After the negative degrees that I saw the other day, which was my first in life, I don’t think anything can surpass that.”
The 177-pound cornerback and Texas native said he will do his best to keep warm against Buffalo.
“I just lean on the vets and the equipment staff,” he said. “I will be wearing some tights, gloves and will try to keep moving.”
Bell was told of Peterson’s and Daniel Graham’s vows to go sleeveless and he offered a quick response.
“Daniel Graham has a lot more body fat than I do,” he said. “I will let him go sleeveless. I will there right by his side.”
-Jake Grilley, DenverBroncos.com
Here are some photos from today’s practice.
Tags: Buffalo Bills, Cold Weather, Jake Grilley, Josh Bell, Kenny Peterson
BBbrrr…. it’s going to be a cooold day.
I will be there and I won’t need sleeves either. but I’m gonna have’em on any way HA! Don’t worry josh hopefully the crouds voices will help you keep warm and it’s a small price to pay for a win the prize will be an AFC Championship!
The cold should be the last thing on your mind.
These Bill’s got nothing to lose lets stay focused and I want to hear some croud noise this week!
Control the ball, Control the clock, Control the game!
TIME OF POSSESSION! ! !
GO BRONCOS! ! !
Sounds like this one is gonna be a cold one. should make for some hard hits to keep the blood moving! I’m looking forward to seeing the game and watching us take the West title. It’s a little far for me to get to CO for a game but i’m hoping to be there next year.
Keep the stands cheering and make those cameras shake.
GO BRONCOS!!!!!
haha, i love the cold, for the defense I wouldn’t see much of a purpose anyway for them to wear longsleeves mostly because when they’re put to work that keeps them moving and like Peterson said, their arms go numb pretty quickly in that weather so longsleeves wouldn’t do much for them anyway.
I grew up in that Colorado weather, if I can tough it out – these guys that weigh almost 3 times what I do can certainly make do with this weather for 3 hours. They are tough guys, the weather for this particular game should be the very last thing on their minds. We got to get this win and we have to get it as a TEAM. That’s what’s gonna matter most, I believe we’ll get this win!
And anyone that’s going to the game, MAKE IT LOUD!! I too want to see the cameras shake like crazy… I truly believe the louder the crowd is the bigger of a distraction it is for the other team.
Can’t wait to be division champs on Sunday… I’m so excited!!
GO BRONCOS!!!!!!
I hope no one gets injured playing in that type of environment…cold…windy… should be a battle.
Please for the love of God! Establish a consistent running attack with ONE running back.
I strongly suggest Bell. He’s a veteran who’s been there before. Give the guy the rock and let him make plays. I don’t want Young who isn’t 100% back yet or Pope is isn’t proven holding onto the ball.
Again, Bell doesn’t have to rush for 150 yds, all he has to do is make a defense respect his stuff and let Jay and Company do the rest.
BRONCOS YOU DESERVE THIS WIN, NOW GO AND TAKE WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY YOURS AND LETS PLAY FOOTBALL IN JANUARY!
GO GET EM’ BOYS!
First off pope has shown in his limited time that he can hold on to the ball if you forgot it was selvin young who fumbled on sunday and selvin got tackled by a very slit touch to his foot that was in the air so what i have seen this year is that selvin isn’t that great and he looked ok but not great last year, tatum bell had the fumble problem early in his carier but i think that cory boyd is gonna get a shot early in the game and if not then it will be tatum and pope splitting time. Any way it goes, lets get the running game going and if you remeber when we played the jets we threw the ball cause they were thinking run so what ever mike has up his sleeve he knows what he is doing cause he has brought us two superbowl rings and has only missed the playoffs i think three times but lets get it done and whooooooop that bills ass…..
I’m suprised the trainers don’t get more involved in getting the guys dressed properly to get the most out of thier muscles in the cold weather. Being an ice fisherman for years up here in Wyoming has taught me too much bulk wears you down and so does too much cold. We need a win, get the most out of those bodies!
I thought they were supposed to be wearing pads at practice? Hasn’t that been the reason for the better tackling? Or are they Overlooking Buffalo and just practicing all relaxed.
I thought they were supposed to be wearing pads at practice? Hasn’t that been the reason for the better tackling? Or are they Overlooking Buffalo and just practicing all relaxed?
I don’t know what would be worse:
1) Losing to SD the final game of the season and missing the playoffs
2) Getting beat by Manning AGAIN in the playoffs, only this time in our own house.
This entire season is looking worse and worse. It is like being asked if you want to be kicked in the nads or punched in the face…….
I guess I will take playoff loss over NO playoffs
GO BRONCOS……I guess
wormyblackburny – where’s the faith? I don’t think the Colts will walk all over us in the playoffs like in years past because they are not the same team and neither are the Broncos. This team has suffered some significant injuries and yet they still have a chance to make the playoffs. Once they get there, who knows what will happen. We all know the Broncos are going through a rebuilding process and a playoff game or games would be great experience for this young team. We have a good looking team and once we add a few missing puzzle pieces topped off with more experience, look out!
Beat the Bills on Sunday because the win/loss record does not matter in the playoffs. No one gave the Giants a chance last year or Denver a chance back in 97 and look what happened. This team is only going to get better in the years to come.
GO BRONCOS!!!!
Well said, broncofannsd my friend, well said.
This is a whole different team as is the Colts and just because they beat us in the playoffs once before doesn’t mean its certain they’ll do it again. Its all apart of life and this game… its NEVER predictable. Best example, us vs. the Jets this season. Every single person was absolutely certain the Jets were going to beat us, run us over, make us look like fools, blah blah blah… uhh, pretty sure that didn’t happen. We were the better team that day and we fought for that win. Just when you think you know how the game will turn out based on the 2 teams playing… here come the always underdog Broncos to leave you speechless, wondering ‘where in the world did that come from?’
The more and more we get criticized and underestimated the bigger of a surprise we turn out to be. We, as usual, got earfuls of criticism this season and in alot of our games I know we raised some eyebrows and shut up alot of the critics.
Go cook up some Buffalo meat on Sunday… can’t wait to be AFC West Champs!!
Have faith…
GO BRONCOS!!!!!!!!
I would have to agree with broncofannsd, where is the faith? Before the season began all the so called experts said the broncos wouldn’t be in this position, to be it the playoffs. Then the season started, and the best rookie wide receiver in the league showed us what he had. The rest of our division didn’t look as good that week. We have had a number of rookies step up and fill holes due to injuries. Who thought that could happen? Now the BRONCOS are in first place in the division with a chance to win the AFC WEST CHAMPIONSHIP at home against the bills. It might not have been the easiest season with all the injuries and ups and downs, but we are still #1 in our division. When the playoffs start everyone is 0-0 and anything can happen. We’ll start getting some of our starters back to get ready for the playoffs. Who’s to say that the BRONCOS won’t win the SUPERBOWL. We can all still have our faith and you never know what will happen.
–GO BRONCOS–
Any word on Champ returning anyone? We can survive against the Bills without him, however when we get into the playoffs, we are gonna need him badly. This game will be no pushover, and if the Broncos take this Bills team lightly, it will be a rude awakening. I believe we will win against the Bills, be AFC champs and go into San Diego and open up a whole can of kick ass and kill em all, let the paramedics sort em out.
Once were in, anything can happen. Yes, call me crazy, but I believe. Go Broncos!!!!!
If Daniel Graham isn’t going to wear sleeves, I hope he can still make clutch catches as he previously has. I guarantee that Peterson will feel a lot warmer if he nails Trent Edwards a few times. GO BRONCOS!!!
Daniel will be fine with out sleeves and I hope Peterson nails JP Losman instead of Edwards or it might be a personal foul. HA! Broncomania56 this Bills team has nothing to lose in this game and they can afford to pull anything out of thier hat, Very dangerouse!
TIME OF POSSESSION! ! !
GO BRONCOS! ! !
Sorry BradJamesBroncoFan I just read that the bills are going to start Trent Edwards, then Gibran Hamdan will be # 2 with Losman @ #3 hu go figure.