Editor’s Note: DenverBroncos.com’s Stuart Zaas is in Indianapolis working for the NFL during Super Bowl week. He will check in from time to time with updates leading up to the game on Sunday.
INDIANAPOLIS– With the arrival of the New York Giants in Indianapolis just before 3 p.m. on Monday afternoon, both teams are present and ready to get to work in their second week of preparation for Super Bowl XLVI. The New England Patriots arrived on Sunday evening and used Monday to get in a practice session at the Indianapolis Colts practice facility. The Giants will practice at the University of Indianapolis.
BROADCASTING LIVE
The massive amount of media members covering the game continued to build on Monday with radio stations starting their live broadcasts from the media center. NFL Network also began its live coverage from Indianapolis on Monday, which will continue throughout the week leading up to Sunday’s 6:30 p.m. EST (4:30 p.m. MST) kickoff.
Two local stations are broadcasting live from Indianapolis this week — FM 104.3 The Fan and FM 102.3 ESPN are both set up among the 107 different stations that are broadcasting from radio row in the NFL Media Center.
GIANTS ARRIVE
The New York Giants’ charter flight landed at Indianapolis International Airport on Monday afternoon, meaning that both teams are now present in Indianapolis (New England arrived on Sunday).
“We’re very happy to be here and it’s an exciting time in all our lives,” Giants Head Coach Tom Coughlin said upon arriving. “We’ve been in anticipation of this, in coming out here to Indianapolis, of getting started on this wonderful Super Bowl week, of conducting our meetings and practices here and acclimating our players to the surroundings…We’re excited to get things started.”
Quarterback Eli Manning talked to the team after its NFC Championship win over San Francisco, drawing on his past experience in the Super Bowl to help keep the team focused.
“We had just come off a big win,” Manning said. “We were excited about going to the Super Bowl. Our families were excited, there were a lot of things going on. I just wanted to make sure guys knew the importance of the practices last week.”
PATRIOTS HIT THE FIELD
The Patriots held their first practice of the week Monday at the Indianapolis Colts practice facility. The team practiced in pads in the morning before watching film in the afternoon.
“I think we got a few things done,” Head Coach Bill Belichick said. “It’s good to get underway down here.”
New England will continue their preparation for the Giants that they started last week. But even with two weeks to prepare, Belichick acknowledges it’s not easy.
“The Giants are a tough team to prepare for,” Belichick said. “They really do a good job with all of the different schemes they have, and the players they have present a big challenge for us.”
COACHING CONNECTION
When the Patriots and Giants take the field Sunday for Super Bowl XLVI, Belichick will look across the field and see a coach he formerly worked with — Tom Coughlin.
Belichick and Coughlin worked together under former Giants coach Bill Parcells from 1987-90. During that time, Belichick served as defensive coordinator while Coughlin coached the receivers.
“What we did was, early on there was a certain amount of competitiveness about the positions and the interaction of the positions,” Coughlin said.
However, as they worked more and more alongside each other, the coaches would feed off each other to do the best they can to prepare their team.
“We helped each other and would act as each other’s scout squad,” Coughlin said. “We would take advantage during training camp of any opportunity we were given to work against each other, whether it be red zone work, one-on-one, or whatever. We would show him the design that he wanted to see, and he would show us the coverage that he wanted to see.”
As a result of working together under Parcells, Belichick sees a lot of of his former coach in the current Giants coach.
“He was fair, but firm, like he is now,” Belichick said. “Tom is a good guy, and he has a good sense of humor….On the practice field and the game field, you have a job to do. There is a lot of Bill Parcells in that too. He is demanding. He has high expectations.”
LOOKING AHEAD
The largest media spectacle of the week will take place on Tuesday with Media Day at Lucas Oil Stadium. New England is scheduled for their photo and interview availability from 10-11 a.m. and the Giants will follow from 12 – 1 p.m. For the first time in Super Bowl history, tickets were sold to the public for the event.
-Stuart Zaas and Kenny Legan
Tags: Super Bowl XLVI
I hope we just draft talent wise… not by need. i think we have players who our good depth players maybe even decent starters but we need some explosive playmakers on offense and on defense. Bay Bay could become a go to guy who would definitely help…. I am one of Tebows biggest fans and i think his improvement or lack of improvement will be a huge part of how our record looks next year. As a Bronco fan and tebow supporter i hope he improves this offseason and shuts up the doubters.
Just seems to me he is still hung up on Tebow and has not quite learned to move on. World is still turning on iuts axis and there is much more needing to be discussed than just the qq situation. My opinion, and that is what they say “everybody has one of those!” lol
I hear you, but I frankly don’t care that he shuts off the doubters, I just care that he becomes a proficient pocket passer and gets us back to the top.
shuts up, haha.
Bay I couldn’t agree more.
I could look it up but I will just ask you guys. Is Hillis a free agent and if so do u think he would come back?
haha true bay.. as long as He does his job , which i think he does well except for his accuracy that needs improved.. Then doubters can keep doubting who cares. He has basically one year of game starts in experience… i think with his work ethic if it is possible for him to become a pocket passer he will. Regardless i think he improved us over kyle orton… and i love his leadership… o and his help in bumping our rushing stats… one thing i find interesting is noone ever puts willis success on tebow …. even though our running game sucked when he became starter… but the throw the blame for no wr production on him…. i think he helped our run game by far helped lead our team but took us a step back in passing but with less turnovers better result.. if his passing becomes more effective …. Broncos will have a 2012 season to remember. i like where our D is headed
Yes, Hillis is a FA. He wasn’t all that good last year, it might be best to let him be water under the bridge for us at this point. He would have to live up to very high expectations here, not sure that’s what we or he needs right now.
I fully agree bay. He will come around. He’s done it before, he’ll do it again.
gabeharter, I strongly feel with the way the locker room was going during those first 5 games under Orton, there is no doubt that we would be having the first or second selection this year instead of the 25th. There is absolutely no denying that Tebow pulled that team together after he took over.
This is the only part of the year i wish they would have started brady quinn and let tebow work on his technique… haha we might be drafting a better player….
It would be sweet to have him back thats for sure but i hear yuh. I just hope we dont waste a draft pick on a RB
I think willis – moreno – fannin will be a good mix of rb’s .. unless we can get a top notch rb i think we have alot more need in other area’s … i wouldnt want hillis unless he was very cheap for depth
Whoever was on the blog a few days ago talking about how we dont pay coaches enough… i totally agree… i think that the right training staff and coaches can make a player play to their full potential… and that is so important when building through draft… smarter business in my book.. than picking up big name free agents … for anyone needing an example. Dream team. haha
Bengals through the draft… already good with an upside to their young starters.
Whoever was me, I get no respect, haha.
A lot of assorted bloggers and “sport writers” seem to think that signing Peyton Manning would be a great idea. One “minor” problem (actually 3 “minor” problems. Peyton has had 3 neck surgeries. He’s one hit away from, at best, having to retire and at worst dying. Why would any team invest 20 million plus a year for someone that close to being out of the game? How many top notch players could you sign for a total of 20 million? Several. It makes absolutely no sense for any team, including the Colts, to take the risk.
I certainly hope that Peyton rides off into the sunset while he’s still a fully functioning human being.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid801013529001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAAAFiQaek~,PXbfxeL3n4eHZlv99tUAosv5ajIIMr7z&bctid=1423447170001
Jaguars new owner says he would have drafted Tebow.
I almost said your name but wasnt for sure. I thought that was one of the most valid points i heard all off-season.. I think denver finding a good coaching staff and keeping them will help more than a superstar free agent would… we have so many young players… i love the JDR hire. just hope it lasts at least 2 years in a row before someone snatches him up. Bolwen please cut a player and cut a coach a check. haha
And he will pursue him as far as I’m concerned, it may seem like an impossible dream at this point for him, but he won’t give up, he is a businessman and Tebow in Jacksonville would equal an instant move into the black in his accounting books. No one else could come close to doing that over there.
Glad I could make some sense to someone…
Latest rumor. I didn’t post the link because it was one of those “sources” with no credit being given. But Manning’s nerves are not regenerating as expected. His velocity is not getting any better and even if progress is made, it’ll be another year before the progress will be apparent.
He’s expected to retire as a Colt.
Tahat would be the best move that he could make at this stage of his career, especially with that injury. As was said earlier in a post, all it would take is one hit, and he would be done for good in a wheelchair if not worse. Fused vertabrare in your neck is nothing to play with. The only nerve running through there would be your spinal cord. Serious injury if that gets damaged. Look at Reeves after his horse jumping accident.
He would have to retire before the March 28 mil bonus deadline to be able to do it as a Colt the way I understand it, no way Irsay is going to pay that bonus just so he can retire as a Colt later on.
So, is it likely? Only if his neck is so bad that Manning knows right now he is done.
haha bay… i think people generally agree or respect your posts so they only point them out when they disagree…. if that makes any sense. It would get a little weird and stalkerish if i said me 2 on every point we agree on haha!
Yeah, LOL, the ones who disagree are usually extremely vociferous and the ones who agree usually blend into the landscape… nature of the beast.
I think one of my first posts was debating some topic with you but i read and agreed with many post before i started writing probably came off looking like a jerk but haha it was unintentional.
BTW, whenever I see your handle I always see garterbelt, for real, haha.
I never took exception to you for what it’s worth.
HAHA…. interesting.
So what postion do you think looks more promising with what we currently have on roster…. LB , CB , S , DT ?? I think we have so much young talent but we need more explosiveness… i hope they mature under JDR.
alot of our areas of need we had people who looked good during preseason on IR… that could be a good thing for this next season.
I am so anxious this year….. I am liking the EFX JDR staff…
I’m ready to see Syd Quan again the kid is a beast. If Eddy leaves I would like to see him returning punts and kicks
To be frank, I’m comfortable with none of the positions you posted as of now. LB yes because of the outside with DJ and Miller but definitely not the inside. CB because of Bailey but then Harris is as good as it gets. Dawk whether he retires or not is likely not going to be a big factor any longer so that leaves our best S as Carter. And DT’s my gosh, Bunkley and Thomas and then the drop off is grand canyonesque.
Peyton should just retire. Much like dawk, I wasn’t aware how bad Mannings was. Im sure he wishes he could play into his 40s like Favre but time is not equally kind to all of us. He has don’t his thing, and he will go down as one of the GOATs. Much respect for the guy. He is rich enough, no need for him to jeorpadize his life for money.
TRB
Let me clear that up I don’t want Eddy to leave but if he does Syd Quan should fill his shoes
I personally feel Vaughn is the next best returner after Royal … Just me tho. If Royal goes, the royal beast shall truly be no more.
TRB
I’d like to see Vaughn returning myself if Royal is not re-signed. Fastest guy on the squad.
Haha, TRB and I are joined at the hip lately, how weird is that? LOL.
TRB defunct…
I’m out, you guys have your fun.
Yea man, lotta bay and TRB agreeance … I dont like it. LOL … If thats the case, maybe I get a new name or maybe I keep TRB. After all, it doesnt HAVE to mean the royal beast lol. later dude.
Vaughn would be good too but I think he takes Goodmans spot and we wont want him getting hurt but it all depends on the draft I guess
In regard to the partial Mike Klis article that was posted here this morning, I just wanted to say that, in my opinion, Klis, and Lindsay Jones, are probably the only writers at DP who even attempt to give Tebow, and the other players they write about, a fair shake without all of the weighty drama and manufactured controversy that some of the other writers dole out. There’s no doubt in my mind that Klis is, and has been, as aware as anyone else on the DP staff, or even in Bronco fandom, of the progress Tebow needs to make to earn and keep the starting role next season.
However, Kurt Warner’s opinion is no different than the opinion of anyone else. It’s simply what he thinks, and he plainly stated that HE DOESN’T KNOW whether Tebow will make it BECAUSE it’s HARD for running QB’s to become passing QB’s. Tebow and his coaches know what they’re faced with, and Warner even acknowledged that Tebow would work hard at it. Either way, there’s no guarantee he will or won’t, but he’ll give it all he can, and that’s the one certainty in this whole debate.
But, for those of you who don’t know, Warner also said on NFLN: “Cam Newton is not a franchise type quarterback, and I’m not convinced Newton was the right pick for the Carolina Panthers. As far as being an effective pro, I don’t think so, and I don’t see it. Warner also said, I think he has too much work to do.”
Well now, a few months later, Newton has broken all kinds of rookie records, is probably Rookie of the Year, and has played in his first pro bowl. So, like I said, it was Kurt’s opinion, and I respect that, but even ex-pro quarterbacks don’t know it all.
For anyone who might want to read the article in full, here’s the link:
http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_19856342
Old news man we all know 99% of the things the media says is BS
Ya his glorious probowl… 2 td’s 2 int’s…. that’ll create wins haha people forget that throwing td’s is great but when you throw as many int’s it kinda cancels your td’s so i think tebow ranks alot higher if you minus all the int’s from their td total… just saying.
I am more impressed with andy dalton. Cam newton is an amazing athlete but like tebow i think he needs to improve except his improvement would be in decision making or accuracy whatever is effecting all his int’s
Gabe, I don’t care how Newton played in the pro bowl. It’s just a fun game and fun trip for these guys, and isn’t taken that seriously because they’re trying not to get hurt. The honor is in being voted to play in it by other coaches and players, and the fans of course.
And yes, Dalton has a very impressive season, and did well at the pro bowl too.
DO, I certainly know that, and you say you do too, but some people seem to take a lot of what they read and hear as gospel, especially if it comes from a reporter or writer that they agree with most of the time, even if it’s an opinion piece.
It looks like the injured reserves have spots on the team with all those FA’s. lol Only people I say bring back is Bunkley,Matt Prater,Derrick Harvey,Marcus Thomas, and Wesley Woodyard. I know people thinking why Harvey. I think he can be good for us.
Could of sworn Willis and McBean were restricted oh well. Now we can cut bait with McBean.