Justin Bannan didn’t make the call to Baltimore. The friends he collected in the past four years as a Raven reached out to him before he could pick up the phone.
“Those guys have already called me,” Bannan said. “They’re funny, they’re good friends of mine and they’re friends I’ll have for the rest of my life.”
The Broncos bring Bannan back to M&T Bank Stadium — where he contributed to 23 wins as a Raven — for the first time since he signed with Denver in the offseason.
Bannan said he’s happy to visit old teammates, but his first priority is to leave town with the team’s second consecutive road win.
“It’ll be good to see them,” Bannan said. “But when it’s time to strap it up, it’s time for business.”
Bannan left Baltimore on good terms with Head Coach Jim Harbaugh and the rest of the club after deciding to ply his trade in Colorado — the state where he played his college football — with an opportunity to start.
“I could tell you it’s no personal grudge match,” Bannan said. “It’s kind of hard to go back there and say, ‘I’m going to go get revenge,’ to guys that have always been good to you in a place where you’ve always had good experiences.”
Harbaugh’s respect for his former player came out in a conference call on Wednesday.
“We love him,” the coach said. “He was a huge part of what we were doing here. We were very disappointed to lose him. Obviously it was a great opportunity for him out there to expand and be a leader and he’s done that.”
Bannan’s new locker room mates can look to him for advice on matching up against the Ravens.
When he watches game tape this week, the players he sees on film will reinforce his first-hand knowledge of the opponent’s personnel. Four years of memories from practices and games now serve as part of the scouting report.
“We talked to him a little bit about some of the things that they do,” Head Coach Josh McDaniels said. “He kind of confirmed some of the things we thought about their scheme.”
The defensive lineman said he’s more comfortable discussing the tendencies of certain players than giving bigger picture advice.
He doesn’t want to tip off the team to components of Baltimore’s system that aren’t relevant a year after his stay.
“The last thing you want to do is say you think they might do this, but really they’re going to do something else,” Bannan said.
As a former member of the team, Bannan acknowledged the physical reputation the Ravens have built around the league, including an offense working to establish an identity “more complementary to the defense.”
He expects a battle in the trenches.
“I think this is going to be the most physical offensive line we go against so far this year, without a doubt,” he said. “They’re grinders, they’re gritty, and it’s going to be a tough game from start to finish.”
Cornerback Champ Bailey (non-injury) and fullback Spencer Larsen (ankle) did not practice on Wednesday. Cornerback Andre’ Goodman (thigh), running back Knowshon Moreno (hamstring) and linebacker Wesley Woodyard (hamstring) were limited in practice.
For the Ravens, tackle Jared Gaither (back), linebacker Tavares Gooden (shoulder), defensive end Paul Kruger (knee) and wide receiver Donte’ Stallworth (foot) did not practice. Linebacker Edgar Jones (thigh) was limited, and tight end Todd Heap (shoulder) and running backs Le’Ron McLain (shoulder) and Ray Rice (knee) participated in full practice.
-Gabe Hiatt, DenverBroncos.com
Below are photos from today’s practice:
Tags: 2010, Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, Head Coach Josh McDaniels, Justin Bannan
It looks like all the guys are pretty happy on the pics, just like us, it’s always a good week after a win.
I hope the Broncos sign Champ. GO BRONCOS!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m sure they will, no concern of mine on that end.
YAY Knowshon is back. I hope he wasnt really injured and they just wanted to rest him more after that first hamstring injury since they felt they had a stable of RBs. unfortunately it was a stable of useless RBs. Glad Moreno is back. Dont see him having a peyton hillis game against the ravens but now its not farfetched for me to expect a RB to be the leading rusher lol
Glad Moss is back with the vikings. Nice way to go out if it last. Hey bay, with any chance, do u think I will get my wish and Marshall will come back to the Broncos when he is in his 30s? Nah who are we kidding, if McDaniels is still coaching and Bowlen is still Owner(ing) lol, that aint gonna happen. Looking forward to this week. As some of you know I live like a stones throw away from Ravens stadium and redskins stadium (about 15-20 mins in different directions) so I am happy when the broncos come to town and can shut these ravens (or redskin) fans up lol
we win 23 – 14. Go Broncos. TRB out…
I think Knowshon would do way better in our old zone blocking scheme. He’s that kind of back. I don’t see why McD had to instill a power blocking scheme; the old one worked incredibly well. Use what works.
I feel that mcd will come up with a winning formula againts the ravens. Mcd has to much pride to feel that a team owns him. This game is personal, we all know what happen last season. I just wish I could see this game it should be fun to watch.
60 MINUTES OF FOOTBALL GO BRONCOS!!!
FM…I agree 100%…
Bannan has been a big reason our runD has improved,good for him to reunite with friends,but like he said “when it’s time to strap it up it’s time for business”.
glad to see Moreno practicing hope he and Larsen can both go Sunday,we also need Goody and Champ healthy against a QB that’s starting to get his rythem back in Flacco.
Give’m Hell Boys!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don’t care or get excited to see that Moreno was limited in practice today, he needs to be fully practicing for a whole week before we send him into a game, I mean he has pulled hammies on both legs, and he obviously has a tough time to heal. This game is not a do or die on anyone’s schedule, playing at Baltimore is pretty much the game you could afford to lose considering the Ravens are favorite to win it all this year by many including I, If anything I would much rather give Moreno an extra week to get well so he can help us win against the Jets at home the following week.
It’s as if some of you guys are in a bit of a panic mode here wanting to win this mountain of a game at all cost, I don’t, I can see winning it with whoever we got that’s 100% ready to go, but I certainly wouldn’t be taking any risks long term health wise for any of our players.
Remember, the good teams are the ones who win the games they are supposed to, that would mean all your home games and certain other games against lesser opponents, the Ravens at their house aren’t one of those, losing to them would be totally acceptable in my book.
Anyhow, that’s how we lost out the last few seasons and were kept out of the playoffs, because we didn’t win the easy games, the ones we should of won, the ones all the great teams do win.
No reason to beat yourself silly in a game like this is all I’m saying. I know a lot of folks will strongly disagree with me saying you should play every game to win just the same, and I agree but to a point, do not play anyone hurt before they are fully ready to go, this game is not the one to take those kind of gambles, you need to know how to pick your battles.
I would love to see us win this game and I think we will,but I am agreeing with Baylin,never put players in that aren’t healthy,but we all know we have players in there now that aren’t 100%.
Well yeah you took me litterally there BFE, of course no one is 100% ever in the NFL, but you know what I mean don’t put players in there who could be at risk of being out for long periods of time. There is a big difference with not playing at 100% because of this and that, but with pulled hammies on both legs extra rest is the only thing that will keep you from being unable to play for a long time, just ask Bailey when he had his down year because of his hammie that he kept trying to play on, at least that’s how I remember it.
Revis is back for the Jets and isn’t wasting any time trash talking,he said Moss(who he will face Monday night)played 100% in the 1st half but put his foot on the brake in the 2nd half,when the Jets beat the Pats earlier this year.Earlier in the year Revis called Moss a SLOUCH,way to talk about one of the best WRs to ever play…I for one can’t stand the Jets,Darrell Revis,or Rex Ryan,they are all a bunch of loud mouths that like to pat themselves on the back all the time,Hell if Indy didn’t rest their players last year they wouldn’t even made the playoffs.I will respect great players but not when they run their mouths like he does.
Yeah..I see your point bro!
I remember when Champ had the hammie injury,like to have drove me nuts,if it dosen’t heal properly Moreno could have problems all year.
I know players trash talk on the field,we had one of the worst of all time in Shannon Sharpe,but trash talking to the media is just disrespectful in my book.
Well if you hate the Jets so much it’s going to make it a heck of a game for you next week, haha. I have mixed feelings about them, what I like is that they may scream at the world but they don’t scream at eachother like McD has done screaming at his own players in the past. I think that them screaming at other teams at least show they have their priorities in order, screaming at your own players and coaches on the other hand is a bit counter productive to me. They may sound like A-hole to all the outsiders, but they sure as heck gonna earn their fans support, I kind of like it, put yourself on the spot, put up or shut up kind of thing, I guess we will have our shot at shutting them up two weeks from now.
Hey all another day down!!!! One more closer to game time.
Looking forward to it Beating the Titans in Tenessee realy gave me confidence in this team. I believe we have a chance to win now!!!
Glad to see Moreno back although I lack confidence in his abilities. At least I can expect a better average per carrie from him.
Valid point Bay Dont want ANYTHING getting in the way of our Division schedual I believe they are all winnable games and a split between SD and KC away would realy make me happy and Bolster our playoff chances.
Looks like we are fairly healthy so looking forward to good things.
Not particularly against Moreno sitting against such a stingy run defense that hits so hard would hate to see him reinjured!!! But we have looked soo horrible in the run game just want to see better things.
The reality about it is MCD is way to stubborn to not start him it is an ego pride thing with him where he dosen’t think about the good of the team he thinks about how it will make him look. IMO
so there till tomorrow will post score fri
Ya, if moreno isn`t 100%, rest him. Pulled hammies are a serious matter. It`s a long season, a long way to go. Heck, start lance Ball. It wouldn`t hurt. Who knows, maybe he`ll rush for 100 yards.
Amen BFE
sheesh, man i hate revis with a passion that people cant understand, overhyped and becuase of that started holding out and wanting nnamdi asomugah money. You havent done it as long yet youngin, lets see consistent years. And talking about Moss, who (in my book) is the best WR to ever play the game (with all do respect to Jerry Rice). Called him a slouch and the slouch mossed him two weeks ago with a nice one hand TD. And what does he do after he gets Mossed? He grabs his hammy like a sore loser and is talking crap again. Hope moss destroys revis Island. Was looking forward to Marshall sinking that Island but Revis was out that game.
No one is ever 100 percent but I agree, we have alot of RBs he can rest a bit longer not to mention ravens arent a team u expect to run all over anyway. But if he is good to go ill be happy. Just hate set backs
FM, ive said that repeatedly. Knowshon would own in the old broncos zone blocking but in this power O with these young olinemen, no dice. When shanahan left he left the best zone blocking oline in the game but with the transition we goign through some growing pains. You know McD likes to fix things that arent broken. He is too much of a patriot to run anything but the power O. You would think he would find a middle ground since from his days in NE he should have learned it aint work lol
Hey TRB, what did you think of Marshall saying Sterling Sharpe wasn’t an elite WR?
Hahaha, Revis claims to be the best corner in the NFL. Hahahahaha!!!! He couldn`t hold a candle to Champ!!!! And ya, Moss torched him. I want to see that again this Monday Night. Revis the punk is gonna get punked.
Hope there are some Orton jerseys in the stands for the next home game, no Bronco deserves it more! Go Broncos!
Marshall had 10 catches 166 yds and a TD against Cromartie,arguably a top 10 Corner,and the guys on NFL Network(Mayock,Wilcots,and Sharpe) we’re dissin Marshall with a lack of effort…WTF.They are questioning his effort.
I’ll respectfully answer your question Baylin,Marshall has the right to defend himself,if they are gonna punk him,they need not cry if they get punked.He is supposed to respect Sharpe even if Sharpe talks smack about him,that’s not fair,and I think Marshall will go down as a lot better WR than Sharpe when his career is over.jomho.
Dont get me wrong, I too hate the Jet’s trash-talking swagger..very much..lol.. but after looking at it from Baylins perspective I truly understand… if we had Rex as our coach or DC and revis playing for us, we’d be super excited for the fire they bring..imo.
but yea, come next week, lets destroy them!!..lol..
C’mon Broncos, win this one on the road and we’ll shock the entire football world..:D
I’m glad we got Champ,the best Corner of all time and classy too.
BFE, I know you are a big Marshall fan just like TRB, but when one refers to Sterling Sharpe they better be aware of exactly what he did in HIS TIME, when WR’s weren’t all the hoopla they are now, what he did was really only surpassed by Jerry Rice back then, with all due respect Marshall has a looonng ways to go and if he even gets close to Sterling’s achievements, it will never take away the fact that Sterling WAS an elite WR in his time, maybe you don’t remember it clearly, here are some numbers that might help you:
Pro Bowls: Brandon Marshall 2, Sterling Sharpe 5
First team All Pro: BM 0, SS 3
Led NFL in catches/season: BM 0, SS 3
Led NFL in TD’s/season: BM 0, SS 2
Led NFL in rec. yards/season: BM 0, SS 1
Yards per reception/career: BM 12.3, SS 13.7
Yards per game: BM 67.3, SS 72.6
I saw BM playing against the Pats Monday night, it looks like it’s not going to be a very good honeymoon in Miami with Henne is all I can say, good luck bringing up those numbers there to catch up with Sterling, and this is a pass happy league, Sterling had to do it the hard way. As you know I have very little respect for BM and that kind of ignorance he displayed about Sterling’s achievements didn’t help his cause any.
And by the way, Sterling did all this in a seven year career, Marshall has already had 4, he only has 3 seasons to catch up….
Forgot to mention, another ex bronco cut by McDaniels doing it big. Ryan Torain, who was cut while the likes of Lamont Jordan were kept. Shanny got him back, did it big this past weekend and is going to start. Big ups to him, was a fan. Bet Torain ATV would be happy about that lol
First i know of Sharpes skills, dont think he is all that, however Marshall should let things pass. 2, lets look back at those numbers after mrshalls been in the league 7 years. 3. according to marshall and I quote:
“Really the first couple years I worried about that,” said Marshall, who’s in his fifth NFL season. “I got out there on Sunday, and I tried to compete not only against the defense but the other receivers.
“But I’m to the point now where I’ve caught a lot of balls. I’ve gotten a nice contract. The family is secure, and now it’s all about winning. It’s anything I can do to win. I’m not trying to compete against anyone else or trying to pile up stats. I’m just trying to do whatever I can do to get our team that ‘W’ on Sundays and Mondays.”
All he wants to do whatever it takes to help his team win. not worried about numbers, this was in reference to the question about whether he is looking forward to facing off with randy moss last monday….Just saying…in conclusion, I believe Marshall will be a Hall of Famer and Sharpe is not, however, I still dont condone Marshalls lack of respect for those who came before him, altho i would be defensive too if I had statistically a great game and was called out. Just saying…but enough Marshall talk. Go broncos….
ps: hope that didnt come across as hostile. u know me, try not to get to serious, but people see hostility sometimes when i talk about marshall cuz they know i defend everything he does lol
First of all,I do remember Sharpes career,and he was a great WR,but most of Sharpes NFL leading stats were ’92-’94 when Bret Farve was QB,look who BM had throwing him the ball,Cutler and Orton,now Henne.BM was just defending himself,just when people try to get over his past,others find something to say about him to rile him up again,knowing he’ll fire back,I don’t think Sharpe outta called him out like he did on national television,what would you do if it was you???
I’m not comparing careers,just stating a man has the right to fight back with words if he thinks he is being talked about unfairly.
A man must give respect if he wants it in return.
I would be smiling if I was Orton!!!
I was a Marshall fan too. Wanted him to stay. Didn’t work out that way. He is still a beast. The numbers will speak for themselves. Once all is said and done. I can not wait for the Brawl in Baltimore. Let’s go running!
Get Healthy, GO BRONCOS 2K10!!
Guys we are just true Bronco fans having a discussion,even if we don’t share the same opinion,just like every other blog we post about,the last thing I wanna do is argue,just wanna state my opinion,that’s why I love this blog and continue to post here,a lot of other blogs you can’t be honest without pissing everybody off.Everybody can’t agree on everything all the time,but I think we all agree on one thing,we love our Broncos and want to see them win.I will never get angry with a blogger for posting their opinion,unless I feel I am being called out or treated unfair.
GO BRONCS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BFE
sndvl…why should Orton be smiling????
Don’t the Ravens have the #1 pass Defense in the NFL???
Do you know something I don’t???
I also have very little respect for BM and agree with Bay on this subject. But as BFE said, we might not always agree, but we are all Bronco fans.
My prediction: we will win 28-23.
GO BRONCOS!!!!
I was reading an article yesterday(can’t remember where) that stated Orton was running the Spread Offense for the Broncos,has anyone noticed that???
Tebow ran the Spread at Florida in College,think McD is getting the Offense ready for Tebow???something to think about.
Nice add BFE, Marshall does it big no matter who his QB is. And i agree he has a right to defend himself, and also agree that with Marshall when we move past one thing, media looks for another thing to make Marshall look like a bad guy.
lol love that SNDVL. ur stance on marshall in like 3 lines lmao. I need to be as breif as u more often lol.
wow didnt know the ravens had the number one pass defense…. WHAT DBs do they have? lol. Foxy who was only a back up for us but their starter is hurt for the year, I think Ed reed isnt playing yet, all they got is Ledarius web. Anyway, number 1 pass D vs number 1 pass O. Should be a good one as long as oline can give orton time, Ravens pass D will soon drop down from 1 to 5. Titans had the number 1 redzone D but Orton made it happen. Ill give him the benefit of the doubt for once lol. GO BRONCOS.
BFE
spread offense is what McD planned to bring all along. Its a patriot favorite, just like how zone blocking used to be a favorite of ours. Patriot way is all about spreading the ball, hence why Brady got them superbowls with no name receivers. That just happens to be a good thing for Tebow since thats what he knows, easier transition…at least thats how i see it…
And I agree with whoever isn’t a fan of McD!
Duh, BFE, because hes leading the league in passing! And our four horsemen! Shoot brother, if we lose it ain’t gonna be because our passing game is lacking. LOL
Btw the way TRB, I know you play fantasy…Foster, Hillis or Turner. Which 2 start?
Broncos #1 pass Offense:339 yds per game.
Ravens #1 pass Defense:119 yds per game.
Somethings gotta give.
sndvl….I love how you come up with those names.LOL
THE FOUR HORSEMEN they shall be called from this day forward….
sndvl
you have all 3? WOW… well I will say start Hillis and Foster. ATL run D has giving up a couple 100 yard games, Foster seems to just having a great year, and Turner is slacking…not to mention snelling….Turner is dissapointing this year lol
Man I like that one better than the 3 amigos,really it’s great.
TRB, and Marshawn Lynch on the bench! Lol Turner was my 1st pick. Hillis was my last.
BFE- idk, must be the Halloween season! But yeah, it sure is fitting.
GO BRONCOS 2K10!!
Sndvl, Nice. I have Mendenhall, Hillis, CJ spiller, Moreno, Beanie wells. Benson was my 3rd round pick but i traded him and P. Harvin early for Marshall and Moreno
. lucky for me I pick up Hillis after week 1 and dont miss Benson. Wish I got Arian foster tho, 12 man league with friends and fam and all these guys are active hawks lol. Still undefeated so Im always low on waiver wires. Sounds like u had a dynamite draft. Lynch is still available in my league not sure if to pick him up with forsett there….im last on waivers this week too so im sure someone will get him before me lol. TRB out…
There’s no way we could win this game without more than 70 yds total rushing(at least). Sorry but that’s the respect I have for this Baltimore team. Outstanding defense and playing away from Mile High(again) would be the hardest test so far for us(yes, better team than Tennessee in ALL 3 phases in my opinion).
Need to balance the offense with the rushing and for that we need Knowshon. Not a big fan of his either but I’m sure he could be at least the lead rusher for the broncos at the end of the game, not Orton…
On the other hand, Baltimore has their hands full too by facing the Broncos offense, BIG challenge for them as well.
We’ll see how it unfolds on Sunday! I think we got a shot at this one, but if the running game sucks, that a L we are bringing from Baltimore.
W/ decent running game: 24-17 Broncos.
WO/ decent running game: 27-17 Ravens.
Hope is the first guess, GO BRONCOS!
P.S: I just checked the Ravens stats so far and their rush defense ranks 21st in the league, but if we did not do anything to the colts 29th, it’s hard to envision a good game from the ground. Anyways not a bad way to start a turnaround for the running game.
And of course Baltimore has to be sharp against our D if they want to beat us. Like what I’ve seen so far from them.
ONE more thing, I know is going to be a 30 min battle(or so) for the O-line, this guys are vicious!! Hope we end up with less than 6 sacks at the end of the game… I am very excited about this one, a Super-bowl caliber team playing at home, smells like playoff atmosphere a little bit(damn I miss that smell LOL).
Borrachazo, if you want in on the contest I need only one score, which is it?
BFE, not to take away anything from sndvl, but the four horsemen is something Klis called the Broncos WR’s last week, but he said we really couldn’t use it like the three amigos and make it a thing of ours since it’s already Notre Dame’s famous nickname, and I couldn’t agree more:
In 1924, a dramatic nickname coined by a poetic sportswriter and the quick-thinking actions of a clever student publicity aide transformed the Notre Dame backfield of Stuhldreher, Crowley, Miller and Layden into the most fabled quartet in college football history, the Four Horsemen of Notre Dame.
Back to the drawing board, sndvl, LOL.
The bummer against the Ravens is that they are 1st against the pass (our strength) but only 21st against the run (our weakness), not fair.
Klis has some troubling numbers about the O line:
There are some unnerving statistics attached to the Broncos’ offensive line as the season hit the one-quarter mark. The Broncos’ rushing offense is the NFL’s worst at 55 yards per game and 2.2 yards per carry. The passing game is the NFL’s best with 339.5 yards per game, but Orton has been sacked 11 times — tied for the second-most drops among the league’s quarterbacks.
Not good at helping the running game, not good at protecting the QB, no wonder all off season I said the biggest question mark this year would be the O line. So far we’ve gotten away with it with a 500 record, so now the question becomes, will the O line get its act together soon enough this season to be relevant at year end? That’s pretty much the whole ball of wax right there, the million dollar question.
Of course all the ones here who said all off season that they had no concerns over the O line since we addressed it in the draft will have the answer nicely packaged for me, LOL.
Krieger puts this O line performance in a different light, much scarier:
Only three NFL quarterbacks have been sacked as often as Kyle Orton so far this season. Two of them — Jay Cutler and Michael Vick — have been knocked out of games with injuries already.
This is the main risk associated with the Broncos’ failure to establish any sort of running game through the first four weeks of the season. Orton, the league’s leading passer, is all that stands between his team and the dreaded r-word. Take him out of action and the Broncos are in rebuilding mode whether they like it or not.
In my opinion, we already ARE in a rebuilding mode, so with Orton out, that would be putting us in a re-rebuliding mode, just clarifying. Yeah of course that would be the end of my inspirations for this season, a serious injury to Orton, if so bring in Tebow simply for the sake of preparing him for later, but knowing McD, he would put Quinn in there and struggle the rest of the season just to try to win a couple of games. Don’t even wanna think about all that, way too ugly!
Gotta think good thoughts, the O line will protect Orton Sunday like they never have and open up running lanes for 100% healthy Moreno like never before. Why don’t I feel any better? LOL.
However, it’s real good to see that McD is totally aware of all that and hopefully he can do something about it, here is what he says:
“I think (lack of) balance ultimately will catch up to you. You can play some games and kind of lean more toward the passing game than the running game, but I think over the long haul if you play a season like that you’re going to ask for trouble down the road. You’re going to get your quarterback hit and you’re certainly going to get played differently.”
So much for our identity being a passing team, it’s obviously not by design at this point it’s simply a necessity. And it’s interesting to hear McD hold such talk since we’ve seen so many of his ex-Patriots teams using their running game only as a sideshow, but if anyone saw them Monday night against the Dolphins, their running game is becoming more and more prevalent, so here is to hoping that even so McD doesn’t work for Belicheck anymore, he keeps an eye on his old mentor’s madness and makes the running game a bigger part of his future plans. It seems as it may be the case already if we can go by what he just said. I’ll gladly take his word for it, since running the ball has always been a favorite way to play of mine.