With four starters in the secondary with at least nine years of NFL experience, there’s not much the veteran unit hasn’t seen on the football field.
That’s good news for safety Kyle McCarthy and the three other rookies who have emerged in supporting roles throughout the season.
“It’s huge,” said McCarthy, who has played all six games since being promoted from the practice squad on Oct. 16. “It gives you a sense of calm knowing they’re out there with you and if you have a question they can help you out.”
McCarthy along with rookie cornerbacks Perrish Cox, Cassius Vaughn and Syd’Quan Thompson have all seen time on defense this season, showcasing an ability to adapt to the pro game quickly. They all are playing roles on special teams with many practicing at multiple defensive positions, putting an added emphasis on being prepared each Sunday.
With Brian Dawkins and Andre’ Goodman each missing time this season, including Sunday’s game against Kansas City, the group has been forced into greater roles at times this season, but Head Coach Josh McDaniels said the young players wouldn’t be given the responsibility if they didn’t earn it.
McDaniels said the defensive backs wouldn’t be in a position to contribute so much so soon if they weren’t mentally strong — a trait he attributed to the fact that they each started at least 24 games in their college careers in BCS programs.
That experience helped give the group many of the tools they needed to compete right away in the NFL, but they’ve found success through hard work.
McCarthy said the rookies have honed their approach to fitting in with the unit by watching second-year safeties Darcel McBath and David Bruton, learning the best path to succes from from being able to contribute in as many ways as possible.
“These guys listen,” Defensive Coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale said. “They respect what the others have done in this league and it’s really helped their progress.”
That attitude has turned into production on Sundays.
With Goodman out, Cox, a fifth-round pick in April’s draft, could start his eighth game of the season on Sunday. He’s tied for the team lead with 10 passes defensed. Thompson has worked in at a variety of spots in the secondary, including safety, and made his first career interception in Week 6. Vaughn and McCarthy have each contributed on special teams and worked in on defense when needed.
The influx of new talent at the back end of the Broncos’ defense may make for an interesting dynamic in position meetings with such a mix of experience and youth, but it’s a situation that the head coach believes has benefitted everyone involved.
“It’s like fathers and sons playing out there and they get a kick out of that,” McDaniels said. “I think that’s great for the young guys, in terms of learning how to be a pro, learning how to study, learning how to prepare and then also being able to get the communication from some of those older guys when they’re on the field with them.”
SANTA ORTON
Kyle Orton will appear as a celebrity Santa Claus on Monday at the JW Marriott Denver at Cherry Creek (150 Clayton Lane, Denver, CO 80206). The quarterback will don the red suit to benefit the Champa House/Denver Rescue Mission. The event lasts from 6-7:30 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased at https://www.denvermagazine.com/celebritysanta for $10 each with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting the Champa House, which is a program of the Denver Rescue Mission. Limited VIP packages are available for $100.
Earlier this week, Head Coach Josh McDaniels said Darcel McBath (quadricep) could be available for Sunday’s game in Kansas City. The second-year safety practiced on a limited basis on Thursday working towards that goal.
Brian Dawkins (knee), André Goodman (hip) and Demaryius Thomas (ankle) remained out of action for a second straight practice and will miss Sunday’s game, according to McDaniels.
For the Chiefs, cornerback Jackie Bates (knee) did not practice. Cornerback Brandon Flowers (hamstring), safety Kendrick Lewis and guard Ryan Lilja (foot) were limited in practice. Safety Jon McGraw (head) fully participated in the workout.
- Eric Detweiler, DenverBroncos.com
Below are some photos from Thursday’s workout:
Tags: Defensive Coordinator Don Martindale, Denver Broncos, Head Coach Josh McDaniels, Kyle McCarthy, Week 13
Black Sunday was a real life nightmare…
My suggestion is that Mr Bowlen employs Bay to evaluate McD for the rest of the season.
I am looking forward to your informative game analysis each week and your honest conclusions at the end of the year.
New Klis article:
Where have you gone, 6-0?
When this now stormy Josh McDaniels era began not even two years ago, he had built the Broncos into a 6-0 club. And not just 6-0, but a 6-0 team that beat four eventual playoff teams — Cincinnati, Dallas, New England and San Diego.
There’s been so much talk about the downfall that is now 16 losses in the past 21 games, that it’s difficult to remember the beginning.
Does McDaniels ever think that somewhere inside his last-place AFC West team is a team that once went 6-0?
“That’s a great question,” McDaniels said today at his press conference. “There’s a lot of questions in there. I think last year is last year, and this year is a different year. Any time you come in and you change systems and change philosophies and some of the ways you prepare, I think sometimes it takes some time to acclimate everybody to those changes.
“Last year we started off (well), but in some ways we didn’t play our best football necessarily. I think we played competitive football. We didn’t hurt ourselves in as many ways with turnovers.
“There’s a lot of things that go into winning and losing and a lot of factors that contribute to that. Our team is different this year, our staff is different this year and that usually is the case each year in the NFL.”
So, if I understand McD correctly it’s going to be like this every year since “our team is different this year, our staff is different this year and that’s usually the case every year”????
GRRRRRREAT!!!!
And “that’s a great question, there is a lot of question in there, and last year is last year, this year is this year”, whazzzat??? Way to go to kill for time to answer this one, LOL.
Barring any health problems I’ll be here as always, like it or not, thanks for making it all worthwhile Crazy, I sincerely mean that.
These four rookie DB’s have five games to really ‘show-up’ on the field.
Yes they have talent but can they play NFL football. Many say yes.
Now if they do, then the direction of the draft changes. Meaning the need to use a 1st or 2nd on a CB is now down to a 3rd or 4th.
Bay,
Love that post.
Whoopa-dee-do-da McD. Here is hoping our Head Coach is different next year.
Those supporting McD says he is only human, and of course we can see his fear and nerves at every press conference. He has been shredded and when you see somebody wounded like that you put him out of his misery.
McD, I know you have done your best but you are just not up to it. Now is the time to go before further humiliation.
Since you’ve got to go, GO NOW.
Hahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OC. ….nice one….LOL!!
Ok, lets not confuse my comments with being a supporter of McDaniels or blind. I guess I go about reviewing the situation with less an insider’s opinion… never being on an NFL team or part of an NFL coaching staff.
I am just offering my opinion of what a realistic view is. I am all for a different coach if that is the real problem. You all seem convinced of that. Let me just ask this… if we got a new coach, how would you measure his success? Playoffs in 2 years, a winning record, an improved defense or offense?
And just keep it up with the ‘only human’ comments. thats real funny too, until you are on the other end of a bad decision. All, I meant with that is some of the bashing is over the line. It is one thing to ask for his job another to threaten person injury.
If an new coach is the solution, great, I would trade McDaniels for Gruden or Cowher or Dungy tomorrow… I just dont see that happening. And all the while KC and Oakland are getting better.
So I haven’t heard one person say if we win the next five they might change their mind about McD?
Remember, that’s a miracle you were talking about!
And if McD can perform miracles, by all means Bowlen will give him another year I would imagine, not that I would like it but I would understand it specially with the uncertainty of next year’s season.
My mind will never change with McD. I still dont think hes the right man for the job. If we win the next 5 he will remain HC. That third year undoubtedly with be pressure packed. Not an enviable position, with the seemingly short leash.
I would rather it be sooner than later. I have a feeling it will be more of the same. As I predicted in the offseason to begin with.
That’s just me.
But talk about a short leash for next year (if there is one), like sndvl said it would be playoffs or hasta la vista.
But talking about winning the next 5 games when we have lost 6 of the last 7 isn’t really worthy of a discussion in my opinion.
How about just winning Sunday, that’s like climbing Mt Everest as is.
As I have said over and over, with me it’s not so much about the wins and losses with McD as much as it is the total lack of character and integrity for the position.
Thanks to the blog administration for removing that video that was posted in each and every blog earlier, even so it had some good humor in it there were things seriously wrong and disgusting with it .
Don’t get me wrong-I don’t believe we will win the next five-I was just curious how deep rooted the dislike is for McD. If it is not worthy of discussion let’s talk about something else.
It goes to show that whatever point anyone is attempting to make, it pays to do it cleanly and it will carry a lot more weight.
Already moved on.
I personally will look forward to be mathematically out of it come Monday so that I can find out how McD intends to finish the season with the likes of Tebow, Decker, Syd’Quan, Vaughn and other unheralded rookies, I already know what the vets can do.
I would not change my stance on McDaniels lol course I am one of few who like the guy and think that he is a good coach. Watch the sound fx from different games and you can see that this guy is a great coach, and again as has been stated some of this is not McD’s fault but as the HC he is taking the heat as it should be. However the extent to which people are going is another matter entirely. How can a real fan want to lose that just dont make sense to me in any way shape or form. How is it that people cant see the team that he is building and how good it truly can be? I see a great team in the making, much like I saw with KC over the past couple of seasons. Its not going to happen over nite. If we fire McD we will start to walk the raiders rout and I dont want to see that. As Bronco fans we need to give this guy the time he needs to do what hes trying to do. If he is fired we bring in someone new who has to rewrite this team and make it his which again takes time and we will be here again in two years time arguing about this guy. All I am saying is that we got to let him do his thang regardless of how you feel about him.
The kid video?
Yeah it was a rap style video with 3 little kids singing an orange and blue song with all kinds of backround videos showing various aspects of the Broncos over the years and where it had gotten to under McD with very mean disgusting video collages, I couldn’t describe it here without being banned but what made it worse is the three 7 to 14 year kids singing in the midst of it.
year old kids…
And you could tell the video was pretty professionally done, maybe done by their dad or whatever adult and to think they would put the kids in the middle of that was troubling to say the least. But who knows maybe these kids were savvy enough to do it themselves and just have been poorly educated.
5-0 or 0-5..it doesn’t really matter anymore…..
the damage is done…..
We need a new beginning…..
KC wins 41-21…………….hey but everything’s not all bad it’s 5:00,it’s Friday,and time for an ice cold beer!!!!!!!!!GIT-R-DONE!!!!!!!!
To answer the question about whether or not winning out would change my mind about McD, I would have to answer no. I’ve posted a couple times about how a Super Bowl victory wouldn’t even change my mind. So by default, 8-8 wouldn’t do anything special for me.
Like Bay keeps saying and others have mentioned, it’s the character (or lack thereof) of McD that has made up my mind personally, I’m not even factoring wins and losses into the equation any more.
what are my odds if I wer to say Broncos win, yes I said it, they win over the chiefs?lol 27-24
They are probably better than let’s say since1972 who picked us to win 38-27, but who knows?
I just wouldn’t take those odds to Vegas if I were you. lol
So far we have 9 bloggers picking us to win and 13 to lose, so does that mean there are more realists than optimists here? LOL.
I’m just hoping we play this game like we played the 1st & 4th quarters last week.
yeah milehigh,
but if i won in vegas, wow!! lol
Friday practice blog on.
Coach McDaniels will not be able to over come the hatred against him in the blogosphere. I like the honesty though. Believe it or not. I like how people are willing to admit that no matter what the outcome, their dislike for Coach McDaniels will never falter. As such, no matter the disappointment I experience with every loss, I will always support Coach McDaniels.
Hopefully when Coach McDaniels gets let go, the next coach understands how to make the Bronco Country blogoshpere happy. Be at or around .500 and win home games. Maybe have an average QB with a strong arm. Use the line “it gave us the best chance to win” and all will be well.