Coming off a rock-solid rookie campaign, Spencer Larsen was set on making a big splash in his second season at the pro ranks.
Against the Falcons last season, Larsen became the first Bronco in team history to start on both offense (fullback) and defense (linebacker) in the same game. Against coverage units, Larsen became a standout special teams player, finishing tied for third on the club with nine tackles. He was fast becoming known as one of the Broncos’ most versatile players.
This offseason, Larsen was determined to continue his role as a multidimensional player. Thus, he dug deep into his collection of playbooks during his spare time, while rotating between offensive, defensive and special teams meetings during OTAs, mini-camps and training camp.
Finally confident in the different concepts thrown at him, Larsen was set on applying what he learned during the offseason in the team’s regular season opener at Cincinnati. Those plans, however, were quickly derailed by a freak pregame accident. As the game was nearing kickoff, Larsen slipped and fell in the locker room, landing on his shoulder and costing him several weeks of action.
“I watched the game in the locker room by myself with ice on my shoulder for three hours,” Larsen remembers. “It was a wonderful win, but it was very hard seeing everybody come in at halftime and not being able to be a part of it.”
Larsen, who returned to practice field on Monday, said his frustration level with the injury stemmed not just from the injury itself, but how the injury occurred. He called it a “challenging time.”
“It wasn’t something like I went and had a big hit or something like that – a cool story I could tell everybody,” Larsen said. “It was something very very weird that happened. A lot of coaches told me it was one of the worst things they’ve ever seen.”
As disappointed as he has been to miss the first six games of the season, Larsen remained focused on the task at hand — doing everything necessary to return to the field. To maintain his performance level, he worked tirelessly to stay in shape on a daily basis with Strength and Conditioning Coach Rich Tuten.
Just as importantly, Larsen has stayed mentally prepared by keeping the same routine he maintains while he plays.
“I have been doing everything I’d be doing if I was going to play,” Larsen said. “I’ve watched all the film, I’ve been in every meeting, I’ve been in every walk through.”
Larsen said he will not know if he’ll be on the field this Sunday until he sees how his shoulder responds — starting Monday — to a week’s worth of practice.
But Head Coach Josh McDaniels appears to be eager to use Larsen’s unique services in the near future. McDaniels said he expected Larsen to contribute to all four phases of the kicking game at the onset of the season, and still hopes he’ll excel at that role during the stretch run.
McDaniels also believes Larsen can be a valuable contributor at linebacker and fullback.
“A player like that, that can add that versatility to your team, I think, is the kind of guy that you want to wait on (when injured),” McDaniels said.
“If you are waiting on a guy that can only do one thing, maybe the decision would be more difficult,” he continued. “It wasn’t an injury that we felt like would keep him out past the bye week. Hopefully, that will be the case this week as he returns to the field and we can see his progress. Hopefully, he will be able to make an impact on our team going down the stretch here.”
PRO BOWL VOTING
Just a quick reminder that voting for the 2010 Pro Bowl has kicked off on NFL.com. To vote for your favorite Broncos, click here.
Here are some more pictures from today’s practice.
– Zach Eisendrath, DenverBroncos.com
Tags: Baltimore Ravens, Spencer Larsen, Week 8
Well alright Spencer we missed you, good to have you back” now go out there and kick some Raven tail.
It’s good to know everyone is healthy heading into week 8.
As my Adopted Bronco I have to throw my support behind Larsen. I am glad McD waited on Larsen because of his versatilty. Special teams suffered without him IMO. Looking forward to a big hit against The Ravens. KNOCK EM OUT SPENCE!
Speaking of Full Backs; I’m stuck here in Arkansas and don’t get much news..It’s Hog and Cowboys over and over.
Whaz up with Hillis? Is he on the bad list or hurt?
yea he’s finnily back he is verry good at every position it so great to have him back now he can knock some ravens on there feet go broncos baby lets go to 7 and 0
I went to the pro bowl voting and they did not have a Bronco full back listed? Whats up with that?
STs ready to make a spalsh..Imaging having Bruton,Barrett, and Larsen on kicking coverages….waiting to hear helmets crack..lol..
Damn two tough games ahead of us remember guys both teams have had two weeks to prepare for us this aint gonna be a walk in the park
I would say that the fact we basically never line up with a fullback might have something to do with it, just guessing…
Everybody is acting as if Larsen is fully back and will play Sunday, I didn’t get that impression at all reading this article, what gives?
Larsen will play injured if he has to I guess thats what gives…:)
On today’s press conference, McD said Larsen would be ready to go Sunday, so I’ll take his word for it. It had to be a pretty severe injury to be out 7 weeks, I would imagine it will be a while before he makes a full contribution. With him back, it should eventually open up the door for Hillis to see some action at RB, considering he was covering for Larsen on ST all the time. Larsen was a very valuable player, it is great that he is back and hopefully fully recovered.
eternalorangeandblue, like broncosfreak30 brought up, the Chargers also had a bye week to get ready for us, what good did that do them? If you ask me, I’m the kind who would worry more about US having the bye week and experiencing a let down because of it. When you are on a roll you hate to see something break it up, on the other hand when you are on a roll what difference does it make if the team had a bye week or not before they play you? Just my opinion.
rainmaker, I hope you’re wrong, we don’t need him playing if not 100%, we already won every game so far without him.
ya I know, I’m just excited he’s back. He was fun to watch last year as part or our AWESOME 2008 rookie class. Clady, Royal, Hillis, Larsen, Williams, Barrett
and how could I forget Woodyard
this is going to be a very physical game. both teams coming off the bye and baltimore is in need of a victory. i believe the broncos come out hot and bring it right to the ravens. orton throws 2 td passes(marshall, royal) an 1 int. moreno rushes for a td and prater kicks a field goal. the defense will continue to play well. dumervil and dj will get a sack and champ gets an int. denver wins 24-13. GO BRONCOS!!!!!
Hope hes 100%.Cant never have too much talent on the field.Great player!!
Was it just me or did goodman have a great game monday night?Go Broncs
I know why you forgot him, he was undrafted. What a find!
Goodman had a great game, posted it in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Some people here have been questionning his tackling ability, I say non sense, plenty adequate for a great cover man. He was a great acquisition this off-season along with Hill and of course Dawkins. With Bailey, those three and J. Williams, Bruton, Mc Bath and Barrett as back ups, we have no doubt the best deepest backfield in the league, IMO.
I just voted for the pro bowl, and I might be the only one who also voted for the NFC, but I picked:
AFC
QB-Orton, Carson Palmer, Matt Schuab
RB – Moreno, Buckhalter, Cedric Benson
WR – Marshall, Royal, Gaffney, Ochocinco
OL- Broncos
TE – Graham ( I can’t beleive Scheffler wasn’t a choice!)
FB – i cant remember
CB – Bailey, Goodman, ?
S – R. Hill, Dawkins
LB – Haggan, DJ Will. Dumervil, Davis, Mualaga, ?
DL – Broncos
K – Prater
P – Lechler (don’t shoot for blasphemy, Kern’s gone!)
PR – Royal
STC – Bruton
——————————————————————-
NFC
QB – Ryan, favre, ?
RB – Gore, Turner, Portis
WR – White, Steve Smith (CAR), S. Moss, ?
TE – Vernon Davis
LB – Hawk, ?
S – ?
This is a dangerous week,6-0 coming off bye and I sense a little overconfidence seeping in.Thank Goodness for our vets(leaders to keep perspective) Baylinorcrush YOU are Right 24/13 Go Bronco’s
Couldnt agree with Baylin more best secondary in the league.Goodman is a lot better cover guy and tackler than Dre Bly.Dont forget Alphonso Smith also.Go Broncs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Dawkins is a great motivater,and a BEAST!!!!!!!!
Did you see the way Dawkins was flying around after he came back in the game Monday night AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
beastfromeast92, I can’t believe I forgot Phonzy, our next year # 1 pick, kind of, thanks for bringing it up. So we have 5 worthy back ups for 4 spots, life is good.
flyeaglefly, what are you basing your sense of a little overconfidence seeping in on? It couldn’t be how they played their last game, is it something they did on their bye week? Something somebody said? Or is it that you are just worried about them getting that way?
Glad to see everyone is healthy. The bye week came at an opportune moment. Glad to see all 3 QBs throwing pretty spirals.
As far as probowl goes, here comes the popularity contest. But for one thing, dont like that they are changing history. Should remain in Hawaii and should remain after the superbowl because there is no way a superbowl team will risk injuring their starters in a game that doesnt count before the superbowl. Sont they think these things through???? ridiculous.
Anyway, while Orton is Deserving (for most improved player lol) there are alot of gauranteed makers that will mess that up for him. For example, Peyton Manning is going. multiple 300 plus games and all IND has played andwill be playing is mostly garbage teams so he is in there. Yup, Brady is in there too leaving one spot and unfourtunately it wont go to orton cuz theres still Carson Palmer, Ben Roeslisberger, They owe rivers for last year so its not looking good for him. Those are just a few QBs i can name off the top of my head but im sure there are others
flyeaglefly I sorta see where your coming from, but I wouldnt use overconfident. Its like when the Rockies went to the World Series and they had that whole week off while the Red Sox were still playing and it hurt them and they ended up getting swept and a lot of people said that if the Rockies hadnt swept the Diamondbacks but allowed the Dbacks to win a few games the Rockies may of played better against the Red Sox…okay hopefully that makes sense to a few. (Remembering that scene from Billy Madison when he answers the question and at the end of his “answer” the Principal says “Mr. Madison, what you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.”)
But getting back to football, the Ravens also had a bye, so having a week off shouldnt be a factor since both teams had a bye.
Great matchup next week.
I think it will be a 10 point game.
A 24 – 14 win
Well now that the BYE is over and we look forward to perhaps getting Larson back! And we are for the most part healthy “Knock on wood”-ha (sorry) But I don’t think he will jump into the game plan in all his positions that he could. Until McD feels he is ready! I most enjoyed the picture of: WiKi cut> Robert “Bobby” Turner (born May 6, 1949 in Midway, Alabama) is the Denver Broncos running backs coach. He joined Denver in 1995; he also worked for 20 years as a college assistant and has 34 combined years of coaching experience at the professional, collegiate and high school levels.<end WiKi cut! Ha – If he was waging that finger in my face you know I would be soaking it all up. I like that he is making a point to Knowshone and he is all ears. He is Bronco Football tradition!! He has coached many Denver running backs including Terrell Davis, Olandis Gary, Mike Anderson, and Clinton Portis!!!!!
Go Broncos
FTR
Deify_you>>You Think we should have “allowed”the D-Backs –never mind. (I almost fed )
FTR
Yes, my fellow Mormon is slated to return! Larsen assists us in so many ways and McDaniels will have fun using his numerous talents to our advantage. Sorry, Ravens, we have another weapon in our arsenal. GO BRONCOS!!!
We will be going up agaisnt foxxy tommorow. Was always a fan of his and happy to have him on our team cuz he from my neck of the woods, Maryland. Im sure he is glad to be a Raven, probably grew up on them and am happy for him. Plus i heard he did alot in the community in Denver. Hard worker on and off the field. He woulda excelled in this new system in my book
Without Ray Rice on the ground we can beat the ravens more easily so we will have to contain him but he is explosive, reminds me of like Maurice Jones Drew and Sproles mixed in one. There pass game is mediocre especially against our top notch secondary. They still have a good D and have scored high alot this year. Definitely not looking past them. but im glad our defense is stingy
I say we win it 27-20
THE SEASON IS OURS FOR THE TAKING
GO BRONCOS!!!
baylinorcrush: I’m saying 27-16 for this weeks game.
I have to say, Josh Mcdaniels looks like a genius since letting Jay Cutler go to the Bears. He has more INT’s than TD’s and has thrown 7 picks in the two games I’ve seen. I believed in this team from the get go, however I was skeptical about the QB position. Ortons style of play has grown on me, guess I appreciate his unselfish play.
Looking forward to this weekend. Go Broncos, Kill the Ravens.
I think this games going to be a close one again…. 27-24. Baltimore has only lost to good teams and every one has been really close.
Guys, I got all your score predictions so far, keep them coming.
Hey Bronco Country!
Great Posts Everyone!!!! Love reading them all!
I don’t think Spencer impacts 100% until week 8. His presence will be visible but IMO not felt until he knows 100% “mentally” he can trust his shoulder IMO
In regards to the bye week in terms of preparation vs. the Ravens getting the same option, I believe the edge goes to JMac by far.
The bye week gave what appears to be “the best” coach in terms of preparation and attention to detail “more time”…yeah not a good situation for opposing coaching staffs.
Lastly, I really don’t see “over confidence” leaking into the locker room and here’s why. These guys are playing better and harder each and every week. There is nothing to suggest that this doesn’t continue. And as my fellow Bronconian pointed out above “there’s to much leadership to allow that!”
This is without a doubt another test for our warriors. They know it, JMac knows it, and we know it! There it’s out there, we all know Baltimore is a good football team…know what’s left to do?
WIN! Just WIN!
GO GET EM’ BOYS!
hey everyone…been a while since i’ve posted…a. i’ve been away in euphoria with the start to this season and b. everyone’s posting really awesome comments and i would just be repeating the same stuff over and over that’s already been said…anyways…this is going to be a great game featuring at least 4 future hall of famers playing defense (Champ, Dawkins, Lewis, Reed) and i’m excited to see how our players take the hit to them…anyways, i got a weird one for you: Broncos win 29 – 20 with a safety getting us the ball back for a game clinching fieldgoal.
I have us winning 34-3 my reason why is I think this will be are statement game we show everyone are D will hurt you and hurt you bad and are O is no joke.
Baylinorcrush…
Idk if you got my prediction from the other blog put I predicted 24-14 BRONCOS!!!
Hopefully 7-0 next Monday!
freak30, rest easy, I got it…
hey baylinorcrush im guessing the score will be 31-28.
Good to see Larsen back in action. Initially I thought that it was going to be a 2-3 wk injury but I feel that they wanted to make sure he was ready to go. McDaniels said that he’d be out there ready to go, so hope he is.
Alright..Ravens this week. What is there to say, if we continue to do the things we have been doing and improve on the things we did bad we should do well…duh. Two great D’s going at it, I predicted 27-16 which could prove to be a bit high scoring. Can’t wait, should be a good game. Each team is hungry, Ravens want to a win, and we want to maintain dominance in the division with a win.
Flacco..Flatto on his back all day!!!!
Baylin you can put me down 17-10 Broncos in a close defensive battle.Go Broncs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Our defense will take up the flak.lol
BAYLINORCRUSH:
I believe this will be very similar to the San Diego game. It’ll start fast and Baltimore will have some success. However Denver will buckle down, move the chains, score and hold the ravens defense. Great game all around.
Denver 34 Baltimore 17
GO GET EM’ BOYS!
Oh…..and my other prediction is that JMac shows up at the post game interview with the “Cat that ate the cannarie” grin on his face…..lol!
Come on guys you know the one! Go back and watch the post game interview after they beat Dallas! It still makes me laugh out loud! PRICELESS!
oh oh oh…..one more thing.
For all you long time bloggers! Wouldn’t you love to hear what Andrew Mason is saying right about now?
For some of you newer bloggers, Mason ran the Denver blog for some time and did a good job covering the team through training camp.
THEN…..they shipped his a$$ off to Carolina!
Hey Gray, is he still around the NFL?
GO GET EM’ BOYS!
I could see a slow first half, but given our GREAT second half adjustments, I predict a 20-13 BRONCOS!!..
.figured this is the first time this season that we actually go up against a well rounded defense, including one of the premiere safeties (Ed Reed) roaming the backfield.
I’m confident our defense will outperform their offense…I only see Rice and Reed as our biggest threats.