A 7-3 loss to the Chiefs wasn’t the way Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway preferred to enter the playoffs, but the organization’s goal of winning the AFC West was accomplished.
“I am a little disappointed in how we played last week,” Elway said during his weekly live-streamed show ‘Elway Live’ on DenverBroncos.com. “But the first goal we set was to win the AFC West. We did that.”
Now the Broncos are getting ready for postseason play against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in the Wild Card round.
“It’s a great experience for everybody,” Elway said. “It’s nice to be back in (the playoffs) and competing. Everyone’s excited.”
“We’re thrilled to have the opportunity,” he added. “This is what you practice and play for the whole year. The excitement level will be there.”
Elway touched on a variety of topics throughout the show and some highlights are listed below.
On playing the Steelers:
“We’re going against a very good defense and a very good football team that’s very tested and has a veteran team that’s played in a lot of playoff games. It’s exciting and at 7:30 tomorrow morning the players will come in here ready to go.”
On the Denver passing game:
“Obviously we have to do a better job in the passing game. And that’s not just one guy, it’s the whole offense and it’s also the play calling. Everything is involved and we’re going to the best we can to turn it around. Hopefully we can get it turned around quickly this week.”
On how to bounce back:
“You put your nose back to the grindstone and do the best you can. Work together as a team – that’s the biggest thing, all 11 guys going in the same direction, all 11 guys doing their jobs. … We have to get everybody on the same page, and if we can do that we can have success.”
On Chris Kuper’s injury:
“It’s always difficult to lose a guy like Chris Kuper – he’s the leader of that group and has really played well this year. I don’t know that you can really replace him, but Russ Hochstein gets as close as we can because he is a veteran, he’s been a coach within that group. He knows everybody real well and came in and played well last week.”
On the team’s turnaround in Head Coach John Fox’s first season:
“John has done a tremendous job — to be able to put in a new defense like (Defensive Coordinator) Dennis Allen did and to get through a slow start and win the West … The players have played hard week in and week out and down in and down out –- that’s been the most encouraging. It’s a direct credit to John Fox.”
Visit DenverBroncos.com/elwaylive to listen to today’s show or any previous episodes.
Tags: Elway Live
See… Big Plays can beat good defense… Score one for Denard Robinson…
Bomber I had to buy the DVD to see it.
Here you go it is in 5 parts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WGwuIIzRMw&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL612E8E5CC372277A
I watched that Tebow show like 10 times….very cool and emotional too!
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-the-season/09000d5d825af0b5/The-NFL-Season-Man-on-a-mission
this was the one I was refering to tho. Headlined on nfl.com
The blogs today have been much like our season. Down. Up. And back down again. Everybody keeps saying we have no chance against the Steelers. Now it seems like we are being mocked.
Less than an hour ago, I was dialing my Nana to tell her I would not be able to make the trip to Denver for the game. Before I could hit send, a call came in and the trip is back on. Our seats WILL NOT go to Steelers fans…
DEN-15
Pit- 12
GO BRONCOS!!!!!!!!!!!!
A little bird just told me that he had a vision last night, and in that vision he said that Jeebus told him that next years starting safeties for the Denver Bronco’s would be Chris Harris and David Bruton?!? WTF…
I guess the bird got into my stash… BONG… GO Wolverines!!! ;o)
I’d start them at Safety on Sunday… Harris is a good Tackler, and it keeps him on the field… I’d bring in Carter in Nickel packages to cover the tight End, and Use Harris accordingly to cover the slot…
Still got my fingers crossed that Dawk can go… Hope so!
THATS RIGHT Sndvl!!!!! no seats for Steelers fans here. I was already offered 250 a peice for 77 dollar tickets, not going to happen.
Raheem Moore gets to fill the Gatorade on Sunday… Gotta earn that signing Bonus Somehow…
Thanks on links
hey guys i sure do not blog much buiit i read all the time. hy is it thaat when tebow was not starting people were going nuts saying that he should be the starter. he got his shot and eleven games later he is 7 and 4 why would the denver bronco orginization bench him at halftime? win or loss this game is good playoff experience for tebow and with an off season next year either things will pan out or he will fall flat on his face but benching him because of lack of production wont help anything
Im a very big tebow supporter, but lately he just seems so inept.
Jdoms, 1 thing, this is now or never , it’s not for Tebow to show what he can do , we get 1 chance at this. I wouldnt be upset at all if they brought in Quinn on a few series just to mix it up. Sounds crazy but hey Tim has struggled and maybe we owe it to everyone on the team to give it our best shot, go all out ya know.
that is true but the players know its all or nothing and its not just timmys job to win its everyones job so possibly the rest of the offense not mcgahee or o line but our recievers to step it up. they owe that to tim
In all fairness JDoms, it’s easy to see this team has given its all to TT, they have played there guts out, especially on Def. They dont owe him anything except to go out and lay it all on the line once again come sunday.
SF Forty Whiners beat Pitt 20-3. SF is ranked lower than Denver in total offense.
exactly but if our recievers stepped up their game for him the two of us would not even be having this discussion about him being benched and yes i forgot our defense i mostly mean just recievers and tightends
All 3 teams to beat Pitt are Top 10 in Rushing offense. Denver is #1 in Rushing offense.
but i think our woes started when tim started listening to what other people have been saying he is trying to hard to stand in the pocket and pass instead of tucking and running the last three games i have seen numerous acounts when he could have tucked the ball and picked up a first down but instead he took a sack or incompletion! at this point he needs to be a footbll player first and a qb 2nd. qb tebow= losses tebow who tucks and runs when needed= wins
Seems like everybody is coming together, or sort of, for Sunday’s playoff game. We are going to host a playoff game, who would of thunked it, good going, GO BRONCOS!
The 3 teams that beat Pitt are at the very bottom half in total offense.
Hopefully the morning news will all be good news tomorrow or I won’t do them as to not ruin the mood, LOL.
anyone got an idea if #20 goint to play?
(Repost) In the big picture, the broncos are 7-4 this season under Tebow and that’s not bad. Does he have room for improvement? Yes, a bunch! But he also has shown enough skill, moxie and leadership to give him the benefit of the doubt. It is very true that the receivers are not getting open and flat out dropping the ball far too often. Some of that is due to a lack of offensive rhythm in the passing game.
Also the OC still hasn’t responded to the defensive game plan the last few games. If they rush the edges hard but leave three lineman in the middle to clean up if TT scrambles, the OC needs to adjust the passing game to take advantage of the static lineman in the middle. The other option is to bring in motion a player from right to left to open up the lane for TT to roll left into his comfort zone. They chip the rusher then go for a TE screen.
All through the winning streak, the team kept saying they were team wins. Let’s see this losing streak in the same way.
Hope this TEAM comes together, all for 1 , 1 for all, LETS GO!!!
#EAT GREEDY
I wish we could run more screens but defenses aren’t even pressuring Tebow they are containing him and making him read the field inside the pocket. Screens don’t work against man coverage especially containment defense.
Motion is effective though it exposes the defenses coverage. I would incorporate motion into most of my pass offense if I was an OC.
JDoms, besides the KC game, its been painfully obvious how much we have missed 20, both physically and mentally. We all know if he can go he will bring it 100% .
#Wolverine Time
You may be right G_money about that but it would seem that they could figure out a few adjustments to this new approach from the D. Even a shovel pass as they let the DT rush upfield or draw plays to allow our lineman to drive block instead of standing in front of a guy who is not rushing.
The interior guys seem to be delaying or slow rushing depending on what the QB does. Even a jump pass would work on the wheel route if that drew up the interior linemen.
Good thinking but there is no way A draw play would work against Pitt. Good thinking Though dude.
I have not seen the Broncos ever run a pump feak HB draw. Oak has run it on us effectively numerous times.
I am also wondering why we have seen very few designed roll outs. Remember the one on the goal line they ran then threw it back right for a TD? I wonder why they couldn’t incorporate that a few more times a game to keep the D honest?
SF Forty Whiners schooled Pitt with the roll out too and the bootleg. Duck Fan and I might as well set up the game plan for this week.
Polamalu is especially susceptible to take risks and now their other starting safety is out. If they faked the QB keeper one direction then threw it back the other way, I think that might work as well. Certainly the play calling on 1st and 2nd down has been very uncreative. Even my wife called the plays last game against KC on 1st and 2nd downs!
The passing game has shown creativity at times this season but this last game they were so conservative and predictable.
I still think this young team of ours can win this week. Either way playoff experience is priceless for a young up and coming team.
Agreed. Just to experience the whole different level of competition on the playoffs is big. I am hoping they have one more run in them this season, though. Especially to see BDawk get some more opportunity.
Agree also that the D hasn’t been quite the same without him back there directing traffic.
I seem to recall a number of times that JJ came free just behind the D lineman as well. I would take a bunch of dumpoffs until the safeties creep up then go over the top. Decker needs to have a big game again for them to win.
We need B-Dawk if He can play the chances of us winning obviously improve.
B-R-O-N-C-O-S BRONCOS BRONCOS BRONCOS!!!
Enjoyed most of today’s posts!
I especially enjoyed the personal link from Shaz. High 5 your husband from me. My family has worked a lot with Jonny and Friends – on similar issues. I’m sorry I don’t Twitter….or is that tweet? (we have lost our ever lovin’ collective minds!!!)
Tebow will be fine!!!
Hopefully PIT will not!!! –
you beat Pit by moving around in the pocket a little intentionally controlling Troy P. with your eyes – Then throw to the man he leaves open. He always does it.
Release the beast!!! Tebow’s strength is the broken play. Take the ‘out of bounds pass’ off the table and tell Tebow to make something happen, without running backwards.
Morning Y’All!
It’s Wednesday, and one day closer to game day! So pumped to be watching our Broncos in a playoff game, regardless of how we got here.
Just gotta stay positive and keep telling myself that anything can happen.
My saltiness from the last couple days has worn off a little…….time to think positive thoughts…….lol
Hey Bronco Country!!!
Time to temper the negativity – we got a playoff game to win!!!
Here’s a positive thought I’d like to share:
Living in NY, it is impossible not to be informed on the state of both the Giants and Jets, as the media coverage is all over the place, and the fans are a bunch of loud mouths… LOL
I heard a Giants fan make a great point.. While bashing the Jets not making the playoffs and boasting how his team is better, he went on to list all the current Giants stars that came up through the draft, and the list was impressive… He then went on to mention who the Jets have drafted lately, as well as all their free agent signings, and it was pathetic… The Jets, now dealing with adversity, are falling apart at the seams, and everyone will most likely go in different directions..
My point is, for once in a LONG time the Broncos have a good young group of guys that we drafted (it’s too early to judge RM, QC, JT, or VG) as opposed to a team littered with veteran free agents… If we make the draft our focus going forward, I think we have a BRIGHT future!!!
Of course we’ll need to add a few players here and there thru FA, but the draft is where it’s at! Plus, when you look at how little picks the Raiders have, it gives us a great opportunity to distance ourselves from them!
Let’s go Broncos!!! I hope we have a great game plan on Sunday, and I think we should have a few tricks up our sleeves… Keep them guessing!!!
The media putting John on the spot:
On whether two-time Heisman Trophy runner-up Andrew Luck , the projected No. 1 pick in this year’s NFL draft, is the best quarterback in Stanford history: “He won more than anyone there, so that gives him the tilt, I think,” said Elway, a former Stanford star.
For the ones who said we should bring in Quinn if Tebow falters again:
“I don’t think so, but you never know. I think the coaches are looking at it right now,” Elway said. “We’re in the playoffs and the coaching staff is going to do anything they can to help us win this football game.”
that’s too funny bay…………
but let’s see how it translates into a pro career. lol
On folks saying the passing O stinks:
“When you only put three points on the board there is going to be criticism,” Elway said. “It’s a combination of everything. There is plenty of blame to go around. It’s all legitimate. I just think everyone has to work better.”
It’s all legitimate, I like that.
If TT struggles for a half and doesn’t move the chains, I say go for it. What would we have to lose at that point. I think he’s either gonna be effective, or not………from one extreme to the other.