It has been a rough year for Broncos running backs, and now P.J. Pope and Selvin Young join their five ball-carrying teammates on IR.
Head Coach Mike Shanahan just announced in his press conference that the two running backs will be placed on injured reserve after suffering injuries in Sunday’s loss to the Buffalo Bills. Pope tore his hamstring, and Young ruptured a disc in his back.
Shanahan also announced that the team would be signing Cory Boyd back onto the active roster from the practice squad along with re-signing Alex Haynes, who was on the roster earlier in the season.
– Adam Zinser, DenverBroncos.com
Tags: Adam Zinser, P.J. Pope, Selvin Young
Point is…this is a very young team, which is a primary factor in the inconsistent play on both sides of the ball. There is a chemistry that has to develop between a QB and his offense…between the LB corp and safeties, between defensive linemen, etc. With so many players rotating in and out of the lineup due to injury, this team has not had the chance to gel and hits its stride…at all. Case in point – look at the Carolina Panthers…almost ZERO injuries…a moderately young team and they are hitting their stride as the playoffs arrive.
There are some issues with conditioning, but we have had several freak injuries. Could be also that these guys are so young that they have not been conditioned to take the hits yet. Most of them are third and fourth string players…even practice squad guys, and believe me, the coaches put most of the conditioning focus and resources on starters, not guys that were destined to sit most of the season. So it’s had a lot to do with bad luck and having to dig way too deep way too often for players.
That said…maybe Tatum can bust through a few holes by trying to sell the SD front 7 a cell phone plan! “Scuse me sir, can I talk to you about your mobile plan for a minute?” They’d run the other way for sure – I know I do!
Finally, I would like to nominate Dre Bly as not only one of the biggest busts the Broncos have ever wasted time and money on, but also as the most over-rated corner of all time. Detroit even gave Tatum Bell back to us by cutting him loose…what does THAT say about Dre!? TRADE THAT LOSER! We’ll even take a 20% off Bed, Bath & Beyond coupon for him! Or a Big Gulp! Or give me whatever lint you have in your pocket!
TexasBroncoFan
Broncfalls-nice to see some real fanatics still arond! and broncomania56 (alo a teue fanatic)I do see the need for Respecting oppions and flowers and hugs to all(hippie lol). But as far as fans have no barring on how players play or results on the field you should say that to the Barrel man! Fan: a tool to blow wind(fair weater)..Fanatic:A person marked or motivated by an extreme,unreasoning enthusiasm and loyalty to a cause!!(BRONCOS FAN!!!) I guess in the spirit of the holliday all must ask am I Just a fan or a FANATIC???? Im going with Fanatic myself !
haha this is insane. i bet all the chargers fans are saying that this is kharma. kharma my ass we better kill them even tho i have no clue how thats going to happen…
Wow, you people saying “just give up” and “Let’s just quit and prepare for next season” aren’t true friends, you just keep up with what Denver does, you aren’t supporting them like a fan or fanatic should do, obviously. What is the matter, we can beat San Diego, we’ve beat them before, most of the team is back now, including D-Captain Champ, and Dre Bly isn’t all that great as he used to be, but I will say, he has shown up on plays that someone needed to show up on (pick with 3 mins left in Atlanta is one).
D.J. Williams is showing up, and we’ve got Wesley Woodyard there still. All we’re doing is choking, Jay isn’t able to hold the team on HIS shoulders alone, like everyone wants him to, but he is a GREAT QB, and doesn’t deserve to be criticized about not being one. I think T. Bell and Cory Boyd will show up against San Diego. I mean that’s all we got to do, just a couple runs to get a big pass play going. I also think we can pull a couple of upsets, and hell possibly go all the way. I have the faith in my team…
Do you?
I’m with Broncfalls, the loss to the Bills was frustrating but the Broncos are still in good position. They can beat the Chargers and how sweet it would be if it happened at Qualcomm.
Think about it guys, not so much as how many backs on IR and how many got injured or anything like that.
Think of what we have done without a real name running back, what we have done with mid season FA pick ups, what we have done with a plug in Full Back, what we have done with a cell phone salesman, what we have done WITHOUT A RUNNING GAME AT ALL!
Each one of those guys went in and produced for whatever period of time they had. Can’t put it on conditioning coaches alone, because a coach can only tell you what to do, he can’t make you do it! But that being said, Selvin in his last season of contract, I look forward to T. Bell showing that he deserves another shot and a try out for the off season to be a roster spot!
The win in Qualcomm would be awesome, want so badly to shove it in my cousin’s family on new years! Hated being at the christmas party on sunday night with all 4 of her kids in LT jersey’s and charger hats! They are so typical in talking like they just won the lottery and the superbowl whenever the chargers win, but if they lost then you won’t even hear them mention the word football.
We can take the division guys! Go out there and do what I end with…..
Defense maintain your gaps,
Offense hold onto the ball,
Fans keep the faith!
Last thing, anyone wanna help me hold down 07elway?
FIRE THE WHOLE COACHING STAFF HOW COULD WE BE UP 3 GAMES IN THE DIVISION AND LET THE LAST GAME DECIDE OUR Fate GET RID OF DRE BLY NEXT YEAR HE SUCKS GET RID OF BOB NO BLITIZING SLOWIK HE WORST THAN BATES WAS GIVING OUT 30 PLUS POINTS IN 8 GAMES I WANT LARRY COYER BACK WERE RANK IN EVERYTHING ON DEFENSE WHEN HE WAS HERE AND HE KNEW HOW TO GET AFTER AN OFFENSE
WE CAN’T EVEN BEAT THE BILLS!!! ARE D’ IS THE WORST DEFENCE I HAVE EVER WATCHED!!! AND YOU THINK WE ARE GOING TO GO TO SD AND BEAT THEM AT THERE HOUSE!!! WAKE UP JACK OFFS!!! THIS IS WHAT THEY WANTED THE HOLE TIME IS TO PLAY US AT HOME FOR THE TITLE!! WE WILL BE LUCKY TO EVEN SCORE!!! NO RUN GAME, NO DEFENCE, AND SOMEWHAT OF A PASSING GAME, WHATS THAT SPELL (BLOW OUT) THEN YOU WILL HAVE RIVERS RUNNING HIS MOUTH LIKE LAST YEAR!!! THIS IS JUST THE FACT WE ARE NOT THAT GOOD!!! I’M SICK OF LOSING TO TEAMS THAT WE SHOULD BEAT AT HOME!!!
You cant be totally dissapointe in the loss to the Bills, they were good earlier in the season and suffered some injuries that led them to have a bad record. I have faith in the Broncos that they will play their hearts out against San Diego, what a better stage than Sunday Night to show the Nation that the Broncos are deserving of a playoff spot. I believe the D will be playing on a certain high knowing they have Champ back. And about the Draft DEFENSE!!!!!! all the way, 7 rounds or however many picks we have, but dont draft a single offensive player we are set on the side of the ball i cant think of one sport where we need help. The o-line has the possibility of having 3 Pro Bolwers if the Pro Bowl wasn’t rigged. D.J. Williams and Champ, and Dumerville are the only veterans i feel comfortable keeping. D-Coordinator deffinately needs to go, to much blame is being put on Shannahon. Shanny has the offense he wants and if it wasnt due to the injuries of Hillis and Torrain we would be in good shape i believe, we cant keep plugging in guys who dont know the system that well.
So everybody needs to calm down now, Its been hard enough for our Boys this year, we shouldnt be getting so upset, they need our support more now than ever. So how bout it Fanatics, can we do that this week?
As fans, we need to support every player on the field – they will make mistakes, but they will try to give their best! We may be disappointed about individual mistakes, but what looks like a mistake by a Bronco could as well be considered a great play by the other team. Football will never be free of mistakes nor free of great plays.
What I really hate is poor strategy. The long FGA at temperatures below freezing, which was as bad as turnover in midfield, short kickoffs, that are returned, not enough passes to the TE’s and timid play by the defensive front. Coaches – have some guts! It is not sufficient to hope, that the O will save the day.
You are ALL HATERS! No matter what the season holds in the end, true fans will support this honorable team till the end. You are all posers who will jump on the bandwagon next year when they win the conference. With all the adversity, injuries, and rollercoaster ups and downs this season, I feel it is a HUGE accomplishment to possibly be 8-8 and still be in the playoff hunt. We may have came through this adversity nicked and banged up, but we did percivere, next week something amazing can happen, AND YOU ALL ARE SAYING TO GIVE UP!!! COME ON!!!!
Talent isn’t the issue, we’ve got plenty of talent. Some may be the coaches, but we’ve all seen what Shanny can do. We don’t have Elway, Cutler is going to be the next Elway. Everyone one playing on this team with the exception of a few have 3 years or less in the league, that’s in the LEAGUE, not starting or playing for that matter. We’ve been bringing guys off the practice squad, we’ve been playing rookies, which by the way have showed pretty good ability. I was getting all mad about this season and how we’ve been sucking it up bad. This is a young team and while that shouldn’t be an excuse its an explanation. Young guys are going to make mistakes. The only way they can learn is on the field in real game time situations. No matter what happens against SD we all know one thing. Next season we’ll have a group of guys that all have had game playing time. Some more than others, some play better than others. We’ll have a better understanding of how each player performs and handles themselves on and off the field. We may have some house cleaning to do before next season. We have some young rookies that are playing like vets maybe even better than vets. So while I am seriously disappointed this season I have to remind myself that we are still a young team.
One more thing some are saying if we make the playoffs we’ll lose right away. Maybe so maybe not, but at least it shows the players that they have the ability to make it to the playoffs. That will have a great boost of confidence in them next season. During the playoffs, all the season stats are BS. Throw that crap out the window. Any team can win on any given Sunday, Monday, or Thursday in this league..even Detroit…maybe. We can do this.
Go Broncos!!!!!!
i dont know about u guys, but id like to see the broncos play for a couple more weeks. i dont wanna see our season end allready. GO BRONCOS!!!!!! BEAT THE CHARGERS
WOW, This is just really sad reading all the negative blogs about our boys. Mind you this has been a rough year for all bronco fans. Espicially for me, I cant remember the last time the lost that many home games in a season and still have a chance at the playoffs!!!! You hear that?! Still have a chance. Its a long shot but at least its a chance. I dont want to wait another year praying for a playoff spot only to get destroyed in the first round. As much I hate to agree and say it but YES we need all the help from the draft this year to be focused on D. Thats are main reason why cutler has to carry the team week in and week out. I think he is ProBowl worthy regardless what everyone else says. To have 7! flippin RBs on IR is ridiculous in itself, so he has had this adversity very well and is still playin his heart out.
This past weeks game i honestly thought that the D looked good, for the 1st quarter, and than they went to sleep. I just dont get it, there is no fire on the field. We need help on D… BAD
But lets not quit yet bronco faithful, its been a rough season, but think of the positives that came from it….. Royal, Clady,Barret and the Hillis have been huge all season. Cutler, B Marsh going to the probowl. and no matter waht were not going to be under 500%. I think that in itself is good considering the injuries we have overcame.
Bottom line is this, I fianlly got to see my boys play this past weekend in one of the coldest games of the season at mile high and they looked decent in person. I am telling you guys, 2 solid RBs to stay HEALTHY all year and take some of the work load of Jay is needed. As most of you all are giving up hope in this next weeks game I am really dissapointed, but its your choice. All i know is that there is only one sport that i love to watch more than anything and its BRONCO FOOTBALL> I am a FANATIC(coloradocutler) I am on the same page as you buddy, these whinning fans need to suck it up… ONE MORE SUNDAY!!! GO BRONCOS!!!!! ALL I WANT FOR X MAS IS P RIVERS FACE IN THE GRASS ALL GAME!!!!! LOL!!!
For every one who continues to say this team needs to experience the playoffs; they are going to on Sunday, win or go home. With all the injuries and a very bad “D” we really can’t ask for much more. We are still relevant in the last game of the year!
Just because some fans on this site are saying they do not see how we are going to win does not mean they are saying we should just give up. I have not read one message that said give up.
Like a lot of fans, I do not see how we are going to win this game… who said that’s a bad thing. Sandiego does not see how we are going to win this thing either and that’s exactly why we are going to sneak up on them and bust them in the mouth!!!
Just because we can’t see how it is going to happen does not mean we do not believe it is going to. Those guys in the Denver locher room hopefully have a clear image of how they are going to STOMP THE CHARGERS OUT!!!!!
TAKE IT, IT’S YOURS!
the entire league may be laughing !! And every free running back still available must be praying not to be called by the Broncos : he would be on IR at the end of the next game !!!!
its very disapointing to read all these comments from these “BRONCO FANS” I know the lost to the bills was disapointing but the broncos have 1 more chance to make it but many of you guys wont give them that last chance. you guys are saying just to quit and hope for the best for next season sigh…. i know some positions have issues but those only appear if another position has problems. for example many of you guys are still direspecting bly. he hasnt been that good because the defensive line is not that good. for bly and the rest of the secondary to be good is to have pressure on the opposing qb’s. if there is pressure then the qb will likely force the ball it tight coverage, over and under throw the ball wich will give the secondary a chance to make a play… well enough about bly and the secondary lets talk about how the broncos must play againts the chargers. first they MUST I MEAN MUST GET TO PHILLIP RIVERS I beive that should be our main goal to do againts. the last 3 games he has had at least a 200yard game with 2 TD’s. second WATCH OUT FOR SPROLES! the guy can change a game. last but not least start ONE RUNNING BACK. if we can play just one running back it will give him a chance to get into a groove wich we havent allowed a RB to do except HILLIS(MAN I MISS THAT GUY). well thats all ive got to say
NEVER QUIT NEVER QUIT!!!!!!!!
WE HAVE ONE MORE GAME BRONCOS COUNTRY KEEP THAT MILE HIGH FAITH HIGH IN THE SKY. OUR TEAM CAN DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh i was waiting to see all the fair weather fans jump on here and criticize this team. i know they have had thier ups and downs all year long but if you are a fan, then be a fan. NO MATTER WHAT!! Colorado Cutler, you’re the man and you said it right.
believe in these guys. they have had to struggle with injuries all year long, not to mention starting so many rookies this season and have still held it together.
Take it to the Chargers this Sunday boys. let’s get the West and into the playoffs and win or lose, i’m still with you all.
Shanny, you’ll always be the man, Jay, your awesome. BMarsh and Eddie keep it up boys. Doom and Champ. let’s step it up and blow the bolts out of the water.
Keep the Faith
GO BRONCOS!!!!
Fair weather fans huh? Just from one comment you think people are just fair weather fans and getting upset with the performance of your team is wrong? I have been a fan since I was old enough to know what football was, I watched Greg Morton in the broncos first Super Bowl and have been with them ever since then. I was born in Colorado Springs and raised there. Being disappointed in your team is not a bad thing or puts you in the fair weather fan category, just people who root for other teams when theirs is doing poorly. Just because some of us make a negative comment about our team does not mean we do not support them or no longer root for our team. Take it for what you want but the team just does not show any sense of urgency when it matters, injuries or not. Other teams have delt with injuries and have won super bowls.
DID EVERYONE KNOW THAT IF WE BEAT THE CHARGERS WE WILL HAVE THE COLTS FIRST ROUND THATS NOT GOOD AT ALL
Its a SUNDAY NIGHT GAME! The biggest stage i would say in the NFL. the Broncos are going to wipe the field with the chargers and after words mop up the mess with Phillip Crybaby Rivers. haha
the answer is simple go get Ward from them giants he’s gonna be a free agent this offseason! He is a tough RB!! and keep peyton hillis at RB he is tough!! throw Torain as kick returner to see if he can do something out there!! with ward and hillis in the back feild we will be good!! plus marshall, royal!! and our TE groud is good!! man dis week we have no chance and if we do win peyton manning is gonna rape our DB! the truth hurts but idc go broncos!! this draft should be all defense!! everything from the DL to safteys seriously