With rookie Darcel McBath placed on injured reserve earlier this week and veteran Renaldo Hill sitting out Wednesday and Thursday’s practice sessions with an ankle injury, David Bruton knows full well that he might have extra duties on his plate come Sunday’s Week 15 matchup against the Raiders.
If or when his number is called, the rookie safety plans to make the most of those opportunities.
“You want to seize the moment and seize the day,” Bruton said. “And that’s exactly what I want to do if I get the chance — go out there and perform at a very high level.”
Bruton is confident that he can fill whatever secondary assignments he is asked to accomplish. That confidence stems from the fact that the Notre Dame product believes he has improved steadily since arriving to Dove Valley.
That progress is thanks to the help of all his defensive back counterparts, including starters Champ Bailey, Brian Dawkins, Andre’ Goodman and Hill.
“All veteran guys have had some type of tidbit, some type of hint to give to me to help me improve my game,” he said.
Bruton’s teammates have taken notice of the first-year pro’s maturity on the football field, and they too have plenty of assurance in the 6-foot-2, 211-pound safety’s ability to complement the club’s other defensive backs come Sunday, or any other time for that matter.
“He’s been great when he was in there in the preseason, and he has been great on special teams for us,” Bailey said. “This is his opportunity to go in there and make some plays for us and step up when we need it. I have all the confidence in the world in him. He’s smart, he knows what he’s doing, so I just hope we don’t miss a beat.”
Dawkins echoed similar sentiments about Bruton’s ability to step up if need be. He has sat next to Bruton in team meetings all season long — passing along words of wisdom to the safety when he sees fit — and he believes those study sessions could come in handy if Bruton is thrown into the heat of battle against Oakland.
“I’m always whispering different things to him to allow him to see what I see, what I’m seeing on the field and why I do certain things,” Dawkins said. “Hopefully, it will allow him to be able to step into this position and be able to be where he needs to be right away from some of the things that we’ve talked about.”
There were three changes to the Broncos Week 15 Injury Report on Thursday. After not practicing on Wednesday, Elvis Dumervil (toe) and Brandon Lloyd (not injury related), participated in full during Thursday’s practice session. A limited participant in Wednesday’s practice, Knowshon Moreno (ankle) also participated in full on Thursday.
There was one change to the Raiders Week 15 Injury Report. After not being listed on Wednesday’s injury report, DE Matt Shaughnessy was a limited participant in Oakland’s Thursday practice session.
– Zach Eisendrath, DenverBroncos.com
Below are some pictures from the onset of Thursday’s practice session.
Tags: Brian Dawkins, Champ Bailey, David Bruton, Week 15
broncos win 30 to 6
Is DJ wearing tights?
My prediction is 38-10 Broncos.
I just want a win.
Go Broncooos!
i like Djs attitude..he was all over the field on the last game,,nearly ripped off Addai’s head twice…
I’m confident in Bruton’s ability to step up to the plate…he’ll have the best 3-man supporters in the league beside him..
I was hoping for Josh Barrett to get a shot but really have no issue with David Bruton and his size and speed.
I love the three, Darcel McBath and the two above. Plus Hill and Dawkins have at least one more year in the tank.
Added plus, I hope Alphonso Smith (Phonze) gets the nickle this week.
Mc D is saying to Moreno” i don’t care what they say i still love u you, are my #1 pick for ever”
tnalen66,
Actually I think he’s saying “I paid the most for you and I’m expecting the most out of you”.
WOW! Shanahan becomes a Redskin……
We’ll have to call them the “Skinahans” or the “Shanaskins”?
I’ll bet they start to do a lot better in the future. Good luck Shanny, Thanks for the good memories. Don’t screw up that good defense they have over there.
Its Raider week and I have been reading some very good posts. I would hate the faiders even if they were contenders or pretenders!! Baylin my Gut feeling is so big I have not seen my d%$k in 10 years!! LOL. It was good to see some post why they hate fadiers as much as I. My Gut feeling is our Broncos picking off their new starting rusty QB Charlie Frye by 3!! He had a 53% passer rating the last time he was on the field. He was 12 of 23 for 83 yards. With 2 picks and 2 TD’s. We will Frye em alive. ha The Nation dos not serve!! We are playing in our backyard and that means a bloody nose for the faiders.
My prediction is Broncos 34 faiders 10
GO BRONCOS and FTR
FTR
Where did you hear Shanahan is with the Redskins? I’ve seen that he is strongly considering, but I haven’t heard he signed. I really hope that if (and when) he comes back, he doesn’t have the same grudge against Denver that he had against the Raiders!! He was their bane.
Freakin’ Charley Frye is staring… This SHOULD be easy.
I’m excited to see Bruton play (if he does). My bro is a Notre Dame fan, and I watched the guy play, and he sure can.
And it looks like D.J. IS indeed wearing tights, but looks like he has some shorts over ‘em…
Ok I just looked at NFL.com if we win out we have no problem taking the top wild card spot. I started looking at the ravens and I am hoping the steelers have some revenge and knock them out of contention. The jets still have the Bengals and Colts. and I can see miami loosing to the titans. if that all goes as planned Broncos would be in the wild card spot undisputed. I would almost gaurantee a playoff spot. We will go far in the playoffs. Looks like first up will be the pats. then the chargers then the colts. This should be fun. I am liking our chances at this point. Broncos win 13-28. Marshall will have over 200 yards and moreno will break 100
Based on form, the Broncos go in as the obvious favourites, but as we all know the divisional games are played on a different level. The Raiders are wounded and will either prove a pain in the proverbial or we will blitz them with a blow out. I hope our boys play smart and hard.
Good luck to Burton.
How would you feel as a former no1 draft pick only to be benched and basically labelled the no 3 QB?? Hahahaha JMR = FAIL!! Charlie Frye can be a decent QB so dont under estimate this outfit, play hard play smart!!!
As one former Bronco said “We can only play it one play at a time. Lets go out and walk the walk play Bronco football and we’ll come out champs”
FootballMANIAC – I think they’re called ‘Skins’ lol
Its good to here that shanys workin. Go Broncos 34-10
I want this game over by the first quarter. These Faider scumbags really piss me off. GO BRONCOS!!!
We seem to always win the games we are supposed to win. Except against the Redskins. We are determined to make the playoffs this year, so I expect us to take care of business. The Raiders will come out and play but we will just show them who owns them. Let’s play our best football in December and January. Unlike the cowgirls. Go Broncos.
GO BRONCOS!!!
Look first and foremost I am just estatic that this year we can honestly claim to be playoff contenders.
BUT WHERE IN THE H-E DOUBLE HOCKEY STICKS IS HILLIS? I don’t want to hear the usual well coach says we don’t need him. B.S. SAW TWO 4TH AND SHORTS ON SUNDAY THAT WERE HILLIS TERRITORY ALL THE WAY!!! Unless Hillis, Scheff, Stokes and Royal are his secret playoff weapons which I highly doubt as it takes everybody every game to win at all in the NFL. Royal is understandable as his involvment in the special teams revival this season has been immensely needed and we could get a return man next year as we will have less needs for immediate impact thanks to the smart off-season this year. HILLIS, HILLIS, HILLIS, HILLIS
Just a little chant brother if McD ever gives you a chance to touch that rock this sunday make him eat his words about not needing you take it to the house brother!!!
TO THE HOUSE!!!! Ahem sorry just needed to get that out. Once again I would like to say I am just freakin overjoyed we got a chance to go play in mid January this year.
run n n n n n the ball go broncos
I’m not surprised the Redskins are talking with Shanny. They are a good team and they have the playing style that Shanny likes, a mobile QB, decent O-line for zone blocking, and another chance to work with Portis. I bet Portis wants Shanny to come to Washington and turn him back into that 1000 yd+ rusher that he was in Denver. Where every Shanny goes I’m sure he’ll do well.
I’m going to the game and will be sitting in the south stands sec 133. Can’t wait. I think we will win by controlling time of possession, grinding it out on the ground with KM and Hillis to set up the big pass plays to Marshall, Royal, Scheffler and Stokely. Spreading the ball around to everyone. Good luck to Bruton. Learning from a veteran and class act like Dawkins, what else can you ask for to start out your football career?
Broncos win 34-6!!!!!!!!
I would be amazed if Hillis gets even a sniff of playing time this game and whats worse is that either he really is not as good in this offensive scheme or McD is fibbing and for some reason does not like him. However by judging the overall production of the offense it appears that the whole thing needs some adjustments in this scheme. Clady is still the man at his LT spot and The Beast is his usual self. Harris while good is having one of those we told you this would happen in the draft years and is injured and has been for half the season and will be for the rest.
Our run D had better be ready cause I think they’ll see a heavy dose of it this weekend. I think our boys walk all over the faiders to the tun of 37-13.
I think that if Larsen is good to go then we’ll see some of Hillis at HB. I’d rather see Buck next week against Philly, I know him and Dawkins will be salivating to go against their old team. So lets just say Buck doesn’t go, Jordan is pretty much done here after this season so he’s a no go, that leaves Moreno and Hillis, and Larsen at FB. One thing I think is if we do use Hillis, he’ll bruise ‘em and Moreno will burn ‘em. I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see Hillis. What McD says why we haven’t seen much of Hillis makes a lot of sense. Early in the season Larsen was out so we only had one FB, not that we used a lot of him, but he was doing that and ST. Moreno and Buck seem to be a good 1-2 punch so we don’t mess with it. I haven’t seen a team successfully rotate 3 backs effectively. So Moreno and Buck…..Buck gets hurt, Jordan gets hurt, Larsen is back, so I think Hillis will get some this week. I think after this season we’ll get rid of Jordan and just have Moreno, Buck, and Hillis for HBs. We might even pick up a FA or something but that would be a good combo w/ Larsen at FB. Just my thoughts.
Doom c’mon man and break the sack record.
Go Broncos!!!!
B.S. Larsen was healthy plenty of weeks that Bucky wasn’t and Moreno got ALL THE CARRIES. McD is Lying flat out lying he either doesn’t want the fan base to know that either Hillis is a bust in his system or tht he don’t like Hillis there is no other reason to bench him in favor of Bucky or MOreno in 3rd and short or 4th and short he is too much of a weapon. For 5 games last season he was the main reason we could win there is no way you as a coach ignore his ability in favor of your special teams or he needs to be the blocking FB. B.S. you throw in a guard or a Te which we have an extra TE as the FB with him in the backfield.
Unless McD doesn’t want to tip his hand. In poker you just want to make it to the final hand with your tells intact while getting to know the ohter players tells. Would make a load of sense to just get to the show with him in the wings freaky fresh and ready to roll over people.
I like watching Hillis run the ball just like many of the fans. We have to remember he was drafted as a FB. He would have never even gotten the carries if we didn’t have 7 HB go on the IR. Don’t get me wrong I’m glad he did for a FB he runs the ball pretty well. Maybe McD isn’t telling us everything but I still think we’ll see him this week.
Go Broncos!!!!
Good to hear that shanahan is talking position with the redskins….I had a feeling he would go there since the season started and im happy for him, even happier because I live in MD 20 mins from D.C and the stadium too….
Never had love for the redskins but maybe I will now that Shanny is in town…Hope they do well if he gets the job…glad its a NFC team or other wise i would not be able to be happy for him. If anyone can bring em back, he can. Guess he is about to be reunited with Portis lol. but in all seirousness….Talk about a downgrade
GO BRONCOS!!!
Time to step up to the plate “BRUTE”.We know you got it in you,time to go Headhunting on them damn Raiders.LOL
I want to see Doom Demolish Charlie Frye