Two players who joined the Broncos in trades before the season are headed to the injured reserve.
After sustaining an ankle and knee injury, respectively, in Sunday’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Dan Gronkowski and Joe Mays are out for the remainder of the season.
Gronkowski, who had eight catches for 65 yards this season, suffered his injury in the second quarter but toughed it out to return to the game.
“He’s just a tough (player),” Head Coach Josh McDaniels said. “He (injured) it and then he went back in and taped it again at halftime. I love his toughness and we have a great deal of respect for what he tried to do yesterday, because he did not want to come out of the game. As a coach, you appreciate that a lot.”
While Gronkowski did not reinjure the ankle, the initial injury was severe enough to end his season.
McDaniels also discussed the loss of Mays, who has stepped in as a starter at middle linebacker in five of the previous six games, accumulating 40 tackles and a pass defensed this season.
“He’s definitely been a very valuable addition to our team — not only on defense, but his impact has been there all year in the kicking game,” the head coach said. “He’s a very unselfish guy who took his role and did the most with it. I think our team has a great deal of respect for his toughness and effort. He plays extremely hard and we’ll miss his impact here the last month of the season. (We’re) very grateful that we have him and that will continue to move forward with him.”
The team hasn’t made any decisions as for the roster moves to replace the injured veterans, but “there are some balls up in the air right now.”
Meanwhile, the team is hopeful that Andre’ Goodman and Darcel McBath will return for this Sunday’s game at Arizona. The status of Brian Dawkins and Demaryius Thomas is still uncertain.
Goodman’s return comes with Perrish Cox fresh off what McDaniels called “probably (his) best game of the season” against the Chiefs. Goodman, who started all 16 games in 2009 and four games this season, might be eased back into the cornerback position where Cox has started eight games in his stead.
“Any time a player is coming back from an injury and hasn’t practiced in a while, I think there is always a period there where you are going to see how quickly they work back in, what they can handle right away,” McDaniels said. “We will see as we go throughout the week and evaluate (Goodman) and see where he is at.”
‘GOOD EXPERIENCE’
Despite the Broncos being mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, the focus around Dove Valley is still on winning games — “one game at a time, four times.”
With that in mind, McDaniels addressed the idea of giving younger players more playing time simply to give them experience for next season.
“I think that good experience is always better than just experience,” McDaniels said. “I don’t think that just forcing experience on younger players because your record dictates that you can’t make the playoffs is necessarily a great formula to use.”
“I certainly don’t want to use these last four games to put players in there that aren’t ready to go.”
The head coach used Eric Decker as an example of a young player who has gotten better every week, worked hard to create a role for himself and has earned more playing time, hauling in three passes for 76 yards in the past two weeks. Rather than forcing the rookie into the lineup, Decker earned “good experience” on his own.
When asked more specifically about playing Tim Tebow, McDaniels cited Kyle Orton’s season — he ranks fourth in the league in passing yardage — and indicated that the transition from a little playing time to all of it could be even more difficult at the quarterback position.
“I think it’s a big discrepancy when you’re talking about any player that really hasn’t had a lot of reps during the course of the year,” McDaniels said, “then, all of a sudden you’re going to say, ‘Now you’re going to get all of them.’ That’s a tough transition for anybody to take.”
The head coach said the team will make decisions based on what is best for the team as it looks to win games to close the season.
“We’ll consider all things and if those things we think can help our football team be better down the stretch, then we’re going to do them — no matter what position it is, no matter who it is,” McDaniels said. “If we don’t think that, then we’ll make a different decision.”
-Gray Caldwell, DenverBroncos.com
Tags: Andre' Goodman, Brian Dawkins, Dan Gronkowski, Darcel McBath, Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, Joe Mays, Perrish Cox, Tim Tebow
isnt that what all fans do they expect results and McD had the Offensive tools he needed he just needed to work on the D but he didnt he just about ignored the D and ripped the O appart. when you do that you shouldnt expect to be here long.
Wouldn`t that be something if we won the remaing 4 games? LOL
Yeah, this is definitely the best Christmas present I will get this year.
we might because now we have nothing to lose I say lots of blitzing and lots of deep passes
Good point strandoftds, now I don’t have to hope we lose games to get McD fired anymore, haha.
All joke aside…. They wanted to see the young playyers more and McD was unwilling to put them to the forefront. So they used this videotaping as a means to get rid of him. If McD would have played the younger players. As was taked about in the meeting. He would have been still here. Pat and Ellis felt like the season is over. So lets see what we got in the young talent now. Josh was thinking what about the rest of the team. They should beable to play the rest of the season out. Wrong play McD!!!!!
I was listening to NFL Network with Bellicheck (SP?) and Mora. Both had good things to say about Xanders and talked about his years of experience. Sure surprised me. With that taken into consideration it sounds like Bolwen let McD have the final say on all player cuts/adds/trades/etc. rather than someone with Xanders experience.
Greatness ~ You think his 11-17 record had anything to do with his @ss getting canned?
My Bro Greatness how are ya? I need you to tell me more about them not having to pay him please. I also had a feeling that him not wanting to give Tebow some pt would also play a facotr.
Please don’t say Urban greatness, we surely don’t need another unproven coach. Do you have any other coaches on your list? What about Xanders is he leaving as well?
For those of you who are on Facebook like me…. What are some of the people saying on your friends list?
I hear you Greatness, however this is my take on it as I posted before I found out he got canned:
As I have said many times my take is Tebow is McD’s joker card, his way to buy himself another year, if he plays him now and he flops then McD is most certainly out of Denver, since all his cards will have beeen played, on the other hand if he waits until next year to make him the starter, McD can use him as the carrot he desperately needs to dangle in front of Bowlen’s face to attemp to get another year to prove himself. Hope I’m dead wrong and he starts Sunday.
And he was dead wrong thinking that way obviously now.
lets hope are new coach will get us some talent on the D line in the draft to stop the run I just want some more D
But that was the only card left he had, he gambled with it and lost, YEAHHHHH!!!!!!
Not as much as you would think. If the Broncos would have won yesterday and McD was unwilling to put the you talent out there. That remember the future of the Broncos id built around now. He still would have gotten fired. Remember Bowlen is paying players alot of money starters money. They are not player cuz of McD choosing. Orton’s bad game had open the door to the “Let’s see Tebow out there” The wanted to see Decker out there more. If he (McD) was losing but the young talent was out there looking promising rather that on the sideline looking well like useless toys. things might be different.
I’m looking for the best front page around the web about the McD firing to copy and insert in my Bronco album, have you guys seen any good and short ones to the point?
I hope Cowher gets the job. I think Gruden is overrated and I wouldnt mind the ravens old coach
Get a GM first, then he’ll get the coach, what’s your GM choice?
bill parcell lol I dont know whos out there
I personally want Gruden. Quiet as this is being kept Gruden is interested REALLY INTERESTED. I don’t think Bowlen can pay him though. The money he wants. I don’t want Bill Cowher. He is overrated. The DC on Pitt is the one who really driver that ship. As evident to Mike Tomlin stepping in and not missing a beat. I say Urban cuz of this reason. Look how Florida fell. That is always a precurser to the coach leaving to start a new. Pat want’s Tebow as he face of the franchise that no doubt in my mind about that. So the next coach is gonna be a Tebow guy. Meaning wanting him to succeed. Not be a high priced bystander.
Please don’t get Matt Millen! Please don’t!!
Yeah, Parcells or Dungy, they’ll know what to do, that’s why you hire a legitimate material GM first.
LMAO @ MELLO.
Greatness my question to you is…. Do you think Urban can make it in the NFL. I mean look at a guy like Nick Saban who couldn’t make it.
sorry so late fellow broncs. just heard the news on my way home from work. love it. first of all anyone who is a fan has to admit mcd had to go. he didnt get fired for not delivering a winning season. he was fired for cheating, not having people skills like trading culter, marshall, sheffler, and hillis. bowlen said he didnt like the way things were heading. and who could blame him. lets try to get gruden so it can finally be, thats right you guessed it “TEBOW TIME”.
dungy thats the other name i was thinking. how is grudden not overrated the only thing he won was with dungys team that is true just because after the super bowl he never realy won a thing again.
It doesn’t look like X will be fired. Unless Pat lets the next coach buy the grocery’s as well. Bill is getting a look as well. Parcels is said to want to rebuild another franchise. Might be us. He just got tired of Miami why I don’t know. Maybe cuz he(Parcels) doesn’t like the new owner of the Dolphins.
This too great, and a great Monday night game is coming up, things are definitely looking up in my world, thanks Mr. Bowlen. This is what he just said about us, class guy:
“The decision to make a change was extremely difficult but one that needed to be made for this organization and our fans”
AMEN, HALLELUJAH, THANK YOU, WE WON’T FORGET YOU DOING THE RIGHT THING, EVERYONE MAKES MISTAKES BUT IT’S BEHIND US NOW!
Bowlen capitulates to the “fans” demands
. C’mon man!
and people wonder why the broncos always sell out. Its because the owner cares about his fans
Just read at bleacher report Eric Studsville is the interim Coach.
Has anyone else confirmed who it is?
Thought it would be Donatell or Martindale.
I just told my wife to cancel my Christmas list. Today i got what i wanted. Ha. Except for my new Tebow jersey.
The fans pay the bills, why would it be any other way? This thing was turning out to be a tsunami, nothing he could fight.
rbf1, correct, it’s even on the front page of this site.
Mr B…………!
IS THE BEST OWNER IN SPORTS!!!!!!!!
I LOVE ME SOME MR BRONCO!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you!
Thanks bay….I’m too excited to read our front page…lol!
There were 15,000 empty seats last week for the Rams game.
Urban Meyer is not Nick Saban. I think he can do it and do it well. Gatornation and Broncos Country are like cousins now. It would be a good look and a comfortable feeling for the franchise. It was said that a asst. coach told the Broncos brass about the taping. So Josh didn’t lose the player. He lost someone on his staff. Mike Nolan might comeback to be the head man you never know. I’m just telling you who is on there list.
I think if we can get Parcell as are GM and Cowher as are Coach we will have a mean D and a O that can score in the redzone.
the seats may have been empty but all the games were sold out by preseason so no black outs baby and besides new coach means no more emptys lol
Well, it’s happened … now what will a lot of youse guys have to bitch about??? … as far as McD goes, he made his bed, now he lies in it … of course Tebow’s not ready … but maybe they will play him … Orton is a pro quarterback, Tebow – probably not yet … that hasn’t stopped some of the other teams from starting the young guys, and some of them have come through quite well … maybe Tebow will, too … but DON’T expect a miracle … like I say, WE’RE NOT GOOD ENOUGH yet … I think McD’s deal w/ the 49ers tape cost him dearly … here’s a guy that only wants to keep players w/ INTEGRITY, and he gets wrapped up in something like that … what the heck was going on? … we’ll probably never know the entire circumstances, but – somehow it all came crashing down on him … maybe he’s just a very, very good quarterback’s coach … but the deal w/ the league and the players association puts a huge damper on all of this … it seems as though everything will be put on hold … we may not get a new head coach for a long time … then we’ll get to clean the dust off this blog site …
baylinorcrush says:
December 6, 2010 at 4:23 pm
IT’S TRUE, REPORTED BY ADAM SHEFTER, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU MR BOWLEN YOU ARE STILL THE GREATEST OWNER IN FOOTBALL I LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU, AND SAYONARA COACH HASTA LA VISTA SEE YOU NEVER TAKE YOUR SMUG MUG ON THE ROAD. YEAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!
Had to post this again as I choke on my Brew and laughter… Man, beer is foaming out of my nose..! thanks a lot bay!!!lol
maybe tebow isn’t ready and mcd was just protecting him from the media we all know how much the media hates tebow i really don’t think he was out to hurt the broncos like u guys are saying but he really did suck at playcalling lol
ya, we got what we wanted… just hope this isnt the beginning of the revolving door scenario in bronco land. it was the integrity hits that killed him i think.
Keep buckin broncos (and fans)
OFFENSE WINS GAMES. DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS!!
I dont know that thing that was posted on here last year about how Bill sent McD over here to destroy us for beating the pats in the playoffs in 05 hahaha oh man
Bowlen,
Fire bay, sndvl, TRB, BFE, OC, carnage (old va) and a few others, for bullying you into a bad football decision. You can still save face.
Power, we got power, LMAO….
How is he going to “save face” catching him on his way to the airport and give him the job back!?!?!?! LOL.
1. Cohwer
2. Parcells
3. Jim Harbaugh
4. Don Capers
5. Urban Meyer
No John Gruden. He likes 4-3 defense
You’re welcome OC fantastic day all around, posted a good double dozen posts at least, that was the first one.
I like capers and cohwer I think parcell is to old to coach but he will make a great GM
i cant understand after all the drama our beloved team has been though in less than two years, how can anyone want mcd as a coach. or regret this move. get real people. there should be some celebrating tonight, i know i am. oh by the way TEBOW TIME.