In Sunday’s win against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the offensive line took pride in its performance.
Tim Tebow wasn’t sacked, the offense picked up 131 yards on the ground and the unit did it without one of its leaders.
“We miss Kup (Chris Kuper) terribly,” said Russ Hochstein, who took over Kuper’s right guard spot. “He was a phenomenal leader here and we miss him a lot. We wish (the injury) wouldn’t have happened, but I just have tried to step in and play the role that I’m supposed to and that’s to help out in situations like this. I’m just trying to play the best I can, trying to play mistake-free and help the guys out on both sides of me.”
Head Coach John Fox said Hochstein did “a great job” doing just that, and Willis McGahee agreed.
“Russ did an awesome job filling in for Kuper,” McGahee said Monday. “I don’t think there was really a dropoff even though Kuper is a big part of our offense.”
Part of that can be attributed to Hochstein’s experience.
The 11-year veteran has now started 42 games at five different positions during his NFL career, all of which have come in Denver and New England, though he started his career in Tampa Bay.
He was part of New England’s back-to-back Super Bowl-champion teams in 2003 and 2004, and played in all 16 games during the Patriots’ 16-0 season that led to a Super Bowl XLII berth.
That gives him a unique perspective on the Broncos’ opponent in the Divisional round of the AFC playoffs this Saturday.
“It will always be a great memory for me, no doubt,” Hochstein said of playing for the Patriots. “I was part of some great runs and great memories and I still have a few friends that play there. I have great memories and that will never go away – you can never take that away from me. But we’re here now and we’re trying to make them here.”
Hochstein described New England as a “very well-coached, disciplined team,” and pointed to the AFC East champion’s 13-3 record this season as proof.
While Hochstein didn’t want to compare the two teams, particularly New England quarterback Tom Brady and Broncos signal caller Tim Tebow — “apples and oranges,” he said — he did mention a few similarities.
“They are both good players and good leaders and both will find a way to win no matter what they can do,” he said. “(Brady) always has charge (of the huddle) and Tim always has charge. Never be too high and never be too low. Good quarterbacks have that.”
This week, Hochstein — like the rest of the team — is looking to bounce back from the team’s Week 15 loss to the Patriots.
“First and foremost, we got beat,” he said. “We have things we need to correct and fix and we’re currently working on those. We’ll do our best to run the ball efficiently, pass when need be and do what we have to do.”
DISCIPLINED DEFENSE
While Hochstein covered the offense, Quinton Carter talked about what the Broncos need to do on the defensive side of the ball to come away with a win this Saturday.
“If you watch film, there were a lot of big catches and guys wide open with nobody defending them,” Carter said of the Week 15 loss. “We have to play smart and can’t make mistakes. That’s the biggest thing. We can’t make mistakes against that team because they capitalize.”
Carter said a “busted coverage” and some missed tackles helped New England tight end Aaron Hernandez rack up 129 yards and a touchdown in the previous meeting, and wide receiver Chad Ochocinco found the end zone for New England’s first points with no Broncos defender in sight.
Those are things the rookie safety said the defense is working on extensively this week.
“We’re emphasizing that,” Carter said of sure tackling. “That’s something that needs to be played to the fullest. In the game, we have to really concentrate on that. So we’re focused on that at practice.”
As far as blown coverages, Carter said that Brady has a propensity to lead safeties astray with his eyes. While the secondary can occasionally follow his eyes to “go take a risk here and there (and) make a play,” the defensive backs can’t go outside the scheme.
“You just have to be disciplined in coverage,” he said. “Just don’t try to make the play if it’s in the area of the field that you’re not covering. Just be disciplined.”
Linebacker Wesley Woodyard echoed that sentiment.
“Brady, he’s a really smart quarterback and the thing he does is check audibles at the line,” he said. “You can’t be prepared for it, you just have to do your best to make sure you are down the field and make sure you’re in the right places and doing your job.”
TEST VS. AFC’S BEST
The New England Patriots are the No. 1 seed in the AFC for a reason, as the Broncos can personally attest.
But that doesn’t mean the Broncos are doubting themselves in advance of their opportunity Saturday in Foxborough, Mass.
“We’re confident, but not basically because of that (Week 15) game but because of the way our season has gone and where we’re at,” Head Coach John Fox said. “It’s a huge test, no doubt, to go up there against a very experienced team, a team that’s been playoff-tested. That’s why there are only eight of us left.”
Denver’s experience against New England earlier in the season has left them with plenty of things to fix for the rematch, along with plenty of knowledge of their opponent they can use to their advantage.
“This is an opponent that we’ve played about a month ago,” Fox said. “There is familiarity on both sides. It’s kind of like the second game in a division rivalry, so that’s kind of what it is. Whoever executes the best is going to win.”
The Broncos know they’ll enter Saturday’s matchup as the underdog, but that doesn’t faze them.
“Maybe for some people it is (motivation),” Tim Tebow said. “Just playing the Patriots is enough motivation for us. Going to Foxborough and playing Tom Brady, playing Bill Belichick, that’s enough motivation. Let alone, it’s a huge playoff game, so all those things add up. I’m sure there will be a lot of motivation.
“The one thing that I’ll be most proud of is our team will definitely go out there and play hard, play with a lot of passion, and emotion, and enthusiasm, which is all you can ask for.”
Below are photos from Tuesday’s practice.
-Gray Caldwell
Tags: Divisional Round, Head Coach John Fox, New England Patriots, Quinton Carter, Russ Hochstein, Tim Tebow, Tom Brady
Went and picked up 2 Razors Edge/Gotti pitt bull pups this evening,they are 3 months old and weigh like 40 pounds already,little beasts I tell you,we named them T-bo & Tank!
GO BRONCOS!!!!!!!!!!!
jake plummer is a piece of dog $h3t
nice beast thats sweet
i named my dog jordan but after a basketball player yall may know.
killer,I agree with you about Plummer!
Thanks for the vid links. Enjoyed them a lot!
I hope one of you bloggers that twitter win the tickets from Royal.
Last I looked temp is suppose to drop to 20 degrees on game night.
Gotta ask why the POS thoughts toward Plummer?
Hope its windy, so they can’t rely solely on the pass
20 and windy would suck except for the possible passing hinderance.Can handle the temp fine but that wind beats the cold into you.
These are great! Lol
http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=US#/watch?v=zx9yVJkrmdc
bt posted a link a bit ago that had a blip from jake plummer and it did not sound good and jake has been ripping tebow all year. so i dont like him a whole lot. lol
Now suppose to be a high of 34 with low of 15.Might have to take some pants with me.
Missed that vid.Jake needs to quit flappin’ his trap.
im so jelous of you dbfan i want to see a game so bad i hope you have a great time for all us not able to go. lol
Would not mind a bit if they stopped in my hometown and pick up just a little of that warmth to bring out.H75 L43 for Yuma,Az
crazy year it has been i remember when orton was still starting i would walk out of the bar after the game all pissed off and didnt think at all we would be at this point in a 2nd round playoff game.
Oooops.72 and 45
my grandparents live in yuma it was hott as hell the one time i was there like 120 and stuff
BFE… I bet those pups are a blast! Plummer is still Butt Hurt that he lost his job to Cutler and we missed the Playoffs that year…
As much as enjoy watching a Broncos game 2 things kept me from watching games this year.Fishing will always get in the way of football except during the playoffs.The other reason is now in KC
You must have been there in July or August miller.
july it was scorching
Lived there most of the first 25 years of my life.Don’t miss that summertime heat one bit.
ya i spent a lot of time on my visit in the pool
I always tell people that don’t believe me about the heat not to in July,August or the first couple weeks of September.A buddy of mine from VA. came out right at the end of July and found out how much he should have listened.
I spent as much time as I could at the river.
ya when i went i was like 14 and i spent the whole month of july there and im from oregon where we never get weather like that it was crazy hot. i just spent a lot of time inside or if i was outside i was swimming.
I hope I can figure out how to make a photo montage video to post to youtube for everybody to see.
that would be sweet the video that turtle posted earlier was so awsome.
Still ridin’ the high from Sundays win and amped up with the anticipation of this weeks game,insomnia is starin’ at me with a wicked grin.
well im out catch ya later DB
good night everybody
Yeah it was.I have a good camera that takes still photos and video with sound so gonna get a mix of both.I’m gonna be much closer to the field than where that was taken.
Gnight all.
Weather for Foxborough, MA
Jan 14 Saturday
Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid 30s and lows in the mid teens.
First I’ll say thanks to everybody for the video clips. They were great.
I have spent the past couple of hours getting caught up on the blog reading. Some good stuff.
I just want to make one comment about this week’s game. I know they beat us the last time they played us. At least by the score they did, but that is not necessarily so. In actuality, we beat ourselves. All New England did was reap the points we gave to them by all the fumbles/turnovers and stupid penalties. If you take all those points away from them that we handed to them, we beat them. This Patriots team is very beatable. There is no reason that we shouldn’t go to their house and whip them.
One other thing I forgot to mention. Actually it could be considered a request.
Mr. Elway, please take Tim aside and tell him he needs to “pull the trigger”, “lay it all out on the field”, or whatever you told him prior to this past game. It would be greatly appreciated.
Dunno if I will call McCoy staying “good news” minus the consistency it will bring … which is great news. Maybe im too hard on the guy … his conservative playcall is probably just a result of fox and foxes playbook. Maybe soon enough, he will graduate to being able to call his own plays and playbook. There has to be a comfort zone between a HC and OC for that to happen. Who I really don’t want to leave is Dennis Allen … he (with help from fox) has rejuvinated this Defense. I remember when he was hired I was so excited he was young and prayed that he would be our HC of the future after Fox is done here and he has earned some DC experience. Someone else might snag him long before that tho. Love this Broncos team and only up from here I hope. Lotta improvements to make and I believe we will make em. Believe, theme of this season and I’ve been believing since 15 took over. Hasn’t truly failed me yet.
Good Morning Broncos Country, and have a nice day.
TRB
We have a weatherman – seweatherman
A lawyer/NFL Jargon explainer (lol) – Henryac
historian/researcher – Bay
Preacher – DB
Journalist (That always seems to have some interesting info) – Greatness
Story telling Analogy expert – Brian Schneider
And much more that escape me; with everyone pitching in … whatever info you need about the Broncos, upcomming games or the NFL … this blogs got it lol.
Later days,
TRB
I sure hope Allen stays, we don’t need to lose ANOTHER defensive coordinator…what are we averaging one a year or close to it.
seems as though there is a coaching carousel happening in the league……….lots of movement going on. I would love to keep our coaching staff in place……..it brings a consistency and something to build off each year when you have success.
I don’t think you can truly put all the play calling blame on McCoy only. Fox prob has his hand in it…………and also, they were still uncertain as to what they had to work with in TT.
I was so ticked off when we lost Nolan cause of McD. Imagine the D we could’ve probably built with him having 3 seasons at the helm.
I believe as TT evolves, so will McCoy and his playbook. I think they kinda go hand-in-hand.
Morning all, one day closer to Saturday
I am looking forward to the game because I know win or lose we have a great future with Tebow at the helm. I think they are going to build this team around him and we will be a force to be reckoned with again and I also believe that this team is going to be hard to defend and it will be like nothing seen in the NFL before. The analysts all say that they have never seen anything like Tebow before. It is funny Urban Meyer said the same thing and after he lost Tim he could never recapture the greatness. Guess he is trying again at Ohio State.
Researcher/historian…and that’s it? Wow that’s embarrassing considering the work I do here.
I feel unjustly categorized, me the ever so mutli faceted Bronco fan, game show host of games of all kinds, personnel guru, professional scrooge, dry humor extraordinaire and Bronco Philosopher, not to mention top notch predictor…
I better get out of here before I get mad, which I was going to do anyway, the getting out part, as my water element is calling me, will be back late Friday. And you guys therefore just escape a call back to reality from yours truly so you can all bask in your Mile High Halo, LOL. And some here think I’m mean….
REMEMBER!!!:
It’s a Saturday game, the score predictions deadline is Friday night midnight blog time, no exceptions, no picks on game day ever!
well im sorry bay … i don’t think there was enough space for all your titles. i was trying to keep everything to one line. Next time I would just put “The everything – Bay” lol
TRB
That’s better, LMAO, because I forgot Bronco business whiz, haha.
I have some thoughts on the play book—play calling or whatever. I don’t know whose book or who is responsible for that. I do know that the Tebow we saw this past weekend was the Tebow that rolled over Ohio state and Oklahoma when he was at Florida. I think these plays have been in the play book all along and I think they were used because Mr. Elway told them he wanted Tim to “pull the trigger”. I mean let’s face it folks. On 23 first down plays we ran the ball, but, on the one first down play in ot we faked the run and passed. How many of you actually thought that we would have passed the ball on that one first down play.