Minutes after the schedule was released, Head Coach John Fox went on NFL Network and Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway spoke with 850 KOA about the Broncos’ slate of games.
Below are the transcripts from those interviews.
HEAD COACH JOHN FOX:
On the schedule
“We just saw the schedule about 20 minutes ago. We were able to look at it just a little bit, then we’re still in the middle of grading defensive backs.”
On five primetime games
“Any time you stare at a first-place schedule, it’s going to be a tough schedule. There are no cupcakes in this league regardless of who ranks where, because it was all based on last year and every year is a new year.”
On the bye week
“It’s pretty good. I think I’ve always preferred to have as close to midseason for the bye as possible. Week 7 is a pretty good turnout for us as far as that timing goes.”
On whether the Steelers can use revenge as a factor in the Week 1 rematch
“Things always factor in, but they’re going to be a completely different team. So will we. It’s a different season. There’s so much that goes on between now and then as far as preparation — as much as they might be able to use that in some ways, they’re still going to have a lot of new players on that football team just like we do.”
On the schedule in December
“A lot of times you look at what might happen weather-wise, but even that’s hard to predict. I remember one time we had a December game in Buffalo and it was 60 (degrees). Sometimes you can’t predict that just like you can’t predict how tough the schedule is, because it’s a whole new season.”
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF FOOTBALL OPERATIONS JOHN ELWAY:
On the schedule
“We knew it was going to be a tough one before the schedule came out today. We just didn’t have the dates. It’s going to be exciting opening at home against the Steelers. Any time you open at home on Sunday night there is going to be great excitement with that. We know that is going to be an important football game for us. We have to win those football games at home -– especially the openers. It’ll be an exciting schedule. Fans should be excited about it. I think we’ll be ready for the challenge. We have five playoff teams out of the first seven and the other two are San Diego and Oakland in our division. We have to get off to a quick start. That’s why this offseason is going to be so important to us.”
On starting with back-to-back primetime games
“I think we get the Steelers at home and then we have to go to Atlanta, who obviously is a very good football team. It’d be nice to get off to a quick start.”
On playing back-to-back road games
“I think it’s always difficult. I think after the bye week we’re on the road five out of seven weeks. That’s why when you look at that start, it’s going to be so crucial for us to get off to a good start. Then, when we go on the road –- I think we did a better job on the road last year than we have in the past, but we’re going to have to go with the mentality of being able to win big games against good football teams on the road.”
On the strength of schedule
“I think it’s just kind of the luck of the draw and the way it works out. That’s the way the schedule sets up and depending on what division you are playing in the NFC -– we’re playing the NFC South so that’s a tough division. It really is the luck of the draw. But, it’s year-by-year and some teams aren’t going to have as good of a year as they had last year and there are going to be some teams that didn’t have great years that are going to have good years next year. It really comes down to that everybody in the league is a good football team. The bottom line is that we have to go out and play good football.”
On this upcoming season
“With a year under my belt, I’m in a lot better shape than I was last year. I felt like I was in pretty good shape last year, but I think experience plus everybody working together, our personnel staff, (Director of Player Personnel) Matt Russell, (General Manager) Brian Xanders and everybody has done a tremendous job. Understanding with the coaches what we’re looking for on the defensive side as well as the offensive side. I just think that a year of everybody being together is going to help us tremendously.”
Tags: 2012 Schedule, John Elway, John Fox
Its going to be a tough year thats for sure.
Keep the good things coming Fox and Elway. You two did a pretty damn good job last year. KEEP IT UP!!!!
let me try this again: hey alaskan i’m going to the fight saturday. my flight to atlanta leaves tomorrow at 1030 or so. who ya like?
Repost:
Of course the Pats have the easiest schedule,Belicheat and McD switched the schedules!
BFE LMAO
LBF Jones of course. Evens is good but I just cant stand him. Jones is my favorite fighter. Only loss was a dq on the deaf fighter whos name escaped me. (Who i also like) Then my other fighter i like is Brendan Schaub. I cant remember who he fights though.
good one bfe!! being in 1st place last year is showing up now. we have a pretty tough go of things at times. of course with our new qb we should still win at least 10 games. the steelers are not going to be all that good this year imo, theyre getting old. the patriots will tough as always. atlanta too. but all in all not that bad a schedule i guess. I cannot wait to see what peyton does this year. i want it to just go ahead and be football season already. so there. if cleveland gets trent richardson, our d will circle that game. will be some concussions that day…
Browns have the 3rd toughest schedule. Poor Browns.
matt hamel. and schaub is fighting ben rothwell
Yea Hamel thanks LBF. All i could think of was Matt Hughes and I knew that was wrong. Hughes was Hamel coach on TUF.
Who do you have/want to win between Jones and Evens?
Yeah I’d like to see Carter blow Richardson up like Atwater did Okoye,lol.
ya bfe you very well may get your wish. what a physical speciman man. and i got jones as well alaskan. cant see him losing but rashad is in his head i think. rampage was too and it did nothing for him so it may mean nothing again. he is special.
Jones is just a beast. Hes part of the new breed for MMA. Long bodied and long armed.
BFE I would love to see that also. (Im still leaning Browns take Blackmon over Richardson though) In that case Moore nails Blackmon like the hit on the Bills player last year NO flag this time
ya and alexander gustafsson is looking alot like him. i’m a big fan of his. not as dominant but still pretty good with a great style. jones just looks like he cant be beat. i like him too. not a big schaub fan but i do like st pierre. he may be done tho.
GSP is another favorite fighter of mine. Hes dominated his weight class.
I like Schaub since he was on TUF heavyweights. I think he is a much better fighter than the fat ass that won. (Roy Nelson)
Jones I agee doesnt look like he can be beat unless he gets DQd like his only loss. Evans is a good fighter but I just dont like his attitude and I want to see Jones finish Evans early (2nd round) preferably with a knockout just to see Evans fish face lol
i wouldnt mind seein rashad get knocked out either. jones will be mad and may make a mistake tho and rashads a wily vet. he better keep his head and not get knocked out himself. but i do see jones winning fairly easily. and roy nelson knocked him out. fair and square. but i agree. schaubs better. gsp may be done. even if he returns he’ll be extremely rusty and he’s not getting any younger. love that guy though.
Schedule is brutal this year. why do the freaking patriots always have a easy schedule every year. they have the second easiest schedule this year. f–king cheaters. we still gonna bust that ass though.
Nelson did get the win fair and square. I just dont think Nelson is a better fighter than Schaub.
I hope Jones keeps his head and doesnt get knocked out or submitted. 1 lucky hit is all it takes. I want Jones to get that hit though lol. Jones IMO is a better all around fighter then Evans is. Jones is tough standing up and banging in the clinch takedowns or on the ground. Evans is to arrogant IMO thats a big reason I dont like him.
I hope GSP can return and dominate like he did. It may be time for him to hang it up though.
Urijah Faber is another guy I like with his butt chin lol.
Last fight I watched was Lesnar vs Carwin for the belt. I thought that Carwin won it with a TKO in round one. Lesnar wasnt defending himself and took 15+ hits uncontested. Was pissed so I stopped watching then lol. I like Carwin and cant stand Lesnar. Im glad hes done.
Dos Santos is a freak fighter also IMO.
Patriots have the easiest schedule not second easiest. Packers have the 2nd.
I find it kinda funny that the two Manning led teams have the two toughest schedules. lol
GSP GSP GSP!!! no chance Jones loses this fight, Id bet my house on it!!!
GSP will come back stronger then ever! then move up to middleweight and own that division too!!!
Man this guy on NFLN just compared Manning to Romo for their play this next year….You have got to be kidding me!!!!!! Manning with two broken arms is a better QB than Romo ever has or ever will be!!!!
i hope so scalpthechiefs (i love typing that) cuz i would love gsp to come back and dominate again. and how about overeem screwing up like he did. ruined a stellar card. i bet dana puts the smack down on that guy, he doesnt play around with his ufc.
ya said he was top 10, 8 or so. whatever man he’s easily still top 3. EASILY.
LBF Manning top 3? or GSP?
manning
Id say hes #5 for this next year based on last year. Only because he didnt play last year. If he did he would be #1 or 2.
Rdogers Brady Eli and Brees are the only QBs that can beat him out and only because (like I said) Manning missed last year. Romo doesnt even crack top 20 QBs IMO.
I know im going to get flak for that and I dont care. Its my opinion and when you dont play for a year its going to drop you some.
No AB, I think it’s pretty fair…Manning may very well be the best QB in the league, but when you don’t play for a year, you’re a question mark, no matter how good you are that uncertainty drops you a few spots (especially when you had QBs eyeing and breaking Marino’s record last season)
i dont have any problem with that logic. i say he is close to who he was and he was #1. so if you consider he’s now older and he may slip to 2 or 3 but no more than that imo
Exactly SW. Peyton is still Elite those above him are elite also IMO. He still is an elite QB. Until he plays a game hes sticking at #5 IMO if he comes out 1st game against Pitt throws 300+ yards 3+ TDs no more than 1 INT then he will move up back to #1 or 2.
LBF Only reason I have Rodgers and Brees ahead is because they had great years. Brees breaking Marinos record. Rodgers and his MVP performance. And Eli only cause he won his second ring against the Pats AGAIN.
Mike Mayocks top 5 DEs
Quintin Coples
Courtney Upshaw
Nick Perry
Chandler Jones
Vinny Curry
Got your entry Royalbroncofan1!
Denver Oranges… I’m not going to be able to post all those predictions. It will end up taking too much space. What I can suggest, if you want to score for yourself at home….is to open a new word document and then go back in the blog starting at 1201am, copy and paste all the predictions yourself. So far there are 15 entries. So it shouldn’t be that much legwork. Lol
Brutal schedule for sure. We knew that. But if we can get a couple of wins early our last four aren’t all that terrible. Glad we start off on prime time. Two weeks in a row! That is fabulous!!!!
Broncos Country Strong 2012!
draft Curry in the 3rd if he is around…
LBF…
This is a good place to find tickets…
http://www.nfl.com/tickets/denver-broncos
I dont think Curry will be there in the third. The top 3 guys are 1st rounders and Jones ins a 1-early 2nd and Curry is a early to mid second. With the need for pass rushers now they will go fast and early.
BFE and everybody else…you guys are all welcome. Thank you all as well for participating. I’m having fun with this. And we are only in the second day!
I’d also like to thank Gray and Stuart for giving us this platform and allowing us to have these little competitions. Not to mention their blog entries on a daily basis!!!!! Bar none the best blog site I’ve come across!!!!!!!!!!! There is no offseason if you’re a blogger. LOL
sndvl i must be nice for you to be able to see all the difference in opinions and all that!
AB…I get you! BUT I have Manning as the 4th…over Eli.
Rodgers – Brady – Brees – Peyton – Eli – Brian Griese.
Mike and i understand that. Eli is my #4 the tipper was Eli won the SB to edge him in front of Peyton.
Funny you mention that. Because the pulse of Broncos Country right now is beating Doug Martin. 12 of the 15 entries right now have him in their board….
Brockers and Reyes are getting a lot of love too!
And Crick…starting to gather some attention!!!
I knew Martin would be on there a lot. How many have him as the choice at #25? i know at least 1 lol (mine)
I almost put Manning ahead of Brees but I think that would make me too much of a homer!
AB…you didn’t notice my 6th QB?????
Lol The fact Brees broke Marinos passing record maks him automatically above PM IMO. But I do see the reason for debate there.
Mike I didnt till you said that LOL
Just making sure we are paying attention! haha
LMAO That was kinda funny especially since i completely missed it lol
I think we go 4 and 4 to start the season and finish the year 10-6.
Tough early schedule and getting Manning and offense up to speed.
Congrats to Jaime Moyer….that ish is crazeeee!!!!!!!
7 of them AB (including yours)…. Lol