Bailey Sits Out; Walker Practices; Thoughts on Rockies
For all but one Bronco on the 53-man roster, the team’s practice late Monday afternoon was a chance to get back to work. For Champ Bailey, however, the wait-out for his left quadriceps injury continues.
“I’m not where I want to be,” Bailey said after sitting out Monday’s session. “But with a couple of more sessions of treatment and working out, I’ll be well by Sunday.”
Even though his injury is the dreaded muscle strain, Bailey nevertheless seemed fairly confident that his recovery would not be protracted.
“When you strain a muscle, you’re always kind of concerned about it because you don’t know how it’s going to heal, but right now I feel pretty good and my progress has been good,” he said.
Bailey’s sights are set on practicing Wednesday, when the Broncos’ preparation for the Pittsburgh Steelers accelerates into fifth gear after the requisite Tuesday off-day.
“I’m always pushing for Wednesday. I was actually pushing for today, but that didn’t happen,” Bailey said.
Promising news came in the form of wide receiver Javon Walker’s participation in the 90-minute session.
“He got some reps in,” Head Coach Mike Shanahan said. “Hopefully there’s no setback and he’s ready to practice on Wednesday. He did some good things today.”
Walker believes he will be able to play on Sunday, but after remaining in Colorado for the bye weekend to work on the inflamed knee, he has reconciled himself to the fact that it will remain problematic for the weeks and months to follow.
“It’s just an injury where it (takes) time and you don’t really get time (to rehabilitate) until the season’s overwith, so I’ve got to stay on top of it during the week,” he said.
“I’m ready to go … It’s getting there. It’s football, so it’s never going to be 100 percent, but I can get it monitored during the week of practice.”
The urgency of the Broncos’ situation — a three-game losing streak, opponents that are a combined 9-2 looming in the next two weeks — helped spur Walker’s decision to play through the pain.
“It’s a time where we need everybody out there. Pittsburgh is a good team, and we want to at least try to go in with a full arsenal of players,” Walker said.
Besides injuries, there was one other primary topic of conversation … the Colorado Rockies and their amazing run, now at 20-1 as they stand at the cusp of a four-game sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League Championship Series.
A few thoughts:
John Lynch: “Ever since I’ve been here, this is a Broncos town, but I think it’s great. I think there’s enough love to go around for anyone. They’ve certainly earned the right to have this town and this state right now. It’s special and I think it’s inspirational for everyone, and I think we can look at that. … Most of all, we’re just pulling for those guys.”
Bailey: “I’ve got to get some tickets. I’m definitely on the bandwagon. I hope they win it.”
Walker: “I probably will watch it. I haven’t been keeping up with it just because I’ve been focused on what I’ve got to do, but the closer and closer they get, this is where it becomes exciting. So I will watch the game tonight and see if they can clinch it.”
Shanahan, who referred to the Rockies as “we” on one occasion during his post-practice question-and-answer session, said he couldn’t quite compare the hoopla over the Rockies’ run to the one that accompanied his team’s deep postseason forays in 1997, 1998 and 2005 because he was locked in on the task at hand.
“I think it’s probably more exciting looking from the outside in than the inside out, because you can see guys taking it game by game and really focusing on the job at hand and not getting caught up in the hoopla, but concentrating on the job,” Shanahan said. “It’s been fun to watch.”
And, of course, our little blog will be there tonight. I missed last night’s game while en route to Denver International Airport, and happened to be rolling past Coors Field on Interstate 25 when Yorvit Torrealba launched his sixth-inning rocket into the left-field seats. “That’s all they’ll need,” I told my mother as she called seconds after the ball landed in the bleachered delirium, and blessedly for the Rockies, that turned out to be the case.
So onward to Coors Field, to grapple with the crowds, to keep score, to guzzle some hot chocolate and to ensure myself a lengthy night with little sleep. As my longtime friend Sam Wolfson — who is attending tonight’s game with me — said, “That’s what Mountain Dew is for.” Amen.
We’ll return you to your regularly-scheduled Broncos blog programming later. Until the next entry — and what is sure to be an intriguing and pithy question-and-answer post coming tomorrow — vaya con Dios.
October 15th, 2007 at 6:54 pm
[…] Mason’s Morsels hype it up! | Posted by Kyle in Champ Bailey, Denver Broncos, Javon […]
October 15th, 2007 at 7:18 pm
Ahhhhhh…. Welcome Back Javon!!!!
October 15th, 2007 at 7:41 pm
Not the best of news for Javon.. he may basically have to sit out the season if it bothers him that much because fighting through the pain is not always best. I wonder why he apparently can not get it drained either..
October 15th, 2007 at 8:43 pm
I really hope Bailey & Walker are well enough not just for Sunday but for the rest of the season. It’s just not our defense without Bailey & it’s not our offense without a little input from Walker. We need these guys just as much as any other player. We’ve got to get back on track come Sunday otherwise it’s going to be a long rough season. I believe in our guys… they can do this, I’m a hopin’ & prayin’.
I love my Broncos to death but I also love our Rockies!!!
GO BRONCOS & ROCKIES!!!
October 15th, 2007 at 11:14 pm
We desperately need Javon in the lineup. An extra elite receiver to go with the vastly improving Brandon Marshall will enable Cutler to spread the wealth and allow the running game to get better. Speaking of the run, I think Jim Bates will find a way to contain the Steelers’ rushing attack, which may seem miraculous but much like the Chargers under Norv Turner, perhaps this is the week things begin to come together for the Broncos’ rush defense. I certainly hope so. I want to believe that Mike Tomlin is in for a surprise and that Big Ben has his worst game of the season. This is my prayer, as I close.
October 16th, 2007 at 5:41 am
I’ve had fluid on my knee before, from what I’ve read he has it behind his knee. I know it’s a painful injury and can bother you, but SUCK IT UP!!! THIS IS DIVISION ONE FOOTBALL (sorry, couldn’t help myself). Seriously though Mason, who’s starting on the offensive line? Is anyone being moved on the defense? Are there really NO changes?
October 16th, 2007 at 7:46 am
so basically Javon Walker is going to be gimpy and about 80% all year long
greeeatttt
lol
the hits keep coming
October 16th, 2007 at 9:57 am
Thanks for the update Mas. I guess if Walker’s knee isn’t going to get to 100% soon, I’d rather see him at 80% than not at all. Hopefully he doesn’t injure it further.
So, how was the game last night? A 6 run inning with 2 outs . . . that’s been typical this year. It’s great. The WORLD SERIES in Denver, who’d a thunk it?
October 16th, 2007 at 10:09 am
LAMENTABLEMENTE VAMOS A TERMINAR CON 5 GANADOS Y 11 PERDIDOS, A PESAR DE LO POSITIVO DE SHANAHAN DE QUE NO PASA NADA Y QUE ESTAN TRABAJANDO EN LOS DETALLES DEFENSIVOS , LA REALIDAD ES QUE NOS ESPERAN TRES O CUATRO TEMPORADAS DE MEDIOCRIDAD CON CUTLER AL FRENTE Y SHANAHAN COMO HEAD COACH.
LA ERA DE SHANAHAN QUEDO ATRAS , YA NO SON LOS 90s, ES MUY FRUSTANTE VER COMO SEMANA TRAS SEMANA NOS APLASTAN FISICAMENTE,
LO SIENTO POR LOS FANS DE LOS BRONCOS PERO NOS ESPERAN AÑOS DE SEQUIA Y FRUSTACION
——————————————————————————–
October 16th, 2007 at 10:28 am
Hey Andrew,
Any word as to whether the blue pants will make an appearance for prime time on Sunday night?
All of the haters don’t realize that the only thing plaguing the special teams, red-zone offense, and the run defense is the absence of the blue pants!
October 16th, 2007 at 11:14 am
And maybe YAHOO.COM is as intellegent as all of us at LPP! OH HOW SWEET THAT SECOND PARAGRAPH IS!
FROM YAHOO.COM:
There are several reasons for the Broncos’ recent home woes. The defensive line is dismal. The running game is unsettled — and will be in even more disarray if and when Travis Henry’s one-year suspension kicks in. And at this juncture, 2005 third-round mistake Maurice Clarett was supposed to be blossoming right into one of the best tailbacks in the league. (Instead, Mo-Clo is banging out license plates.)
But the ultimate gaffe could have been Shanahan’s decision to bail on quarterback Jake Plummer last season after Plummer had led the team to the AFC championship game in ‘05. Instead of drafting quarterback Jay Cutler — closer to becoming the next Bubby Brister than to filling the shoes of John Elway — Shanahan could have grabbed a running back (Laurence Maroney or DeAngelo Williams), a defensive end (Tamba Hali) or a defensive tackle (Haloti Ngata
October 16th, 2007 at 11:39 am
LPP will you please, for the love of the Broncos, please shut the hell up about Plummer? The guy was an average qb who was nothing more than a game management player when he started for the Broncos. Seriously, he BLEW IT in the BIGGEST GAME OF HIS PROFESSIONAL CAREER! Cutlers upside is too much to pass up and he’s already almost 10% higher on his completion percentage in his second year than Plummers career numbers. Maroney is hurt, Hali hasn’t exactly been setting the world on fire in KC and Nagata isn’t even an every down player. Take your little articles, your love affair for Jake and get the hell out of Broncos country.
October 16th, 2007 at 12:47 pm
hrdnokd…….. Write your little complaint letter to Yahoo.com. I didn’t say it, merely quoted it. We just love pointing out that the demise of the Broncos all started with that craptacular decision by the genius Shanahan.
October 16th, 2007 at 12:56 pm
nbsp;Yahoo.com . . . . . oh wow, now there’s a real expert. Please . . .that’s like saying Dan Rather is an expert in foreign policy.
If that’s the best you can do, you’re more pathetic than I would have believed.
On top of everything else, look at the 5th, 6th, and 7th words, “could have been”. Yeah, that’s a really definative statement. It also could have been the best thing to happen to the Broncos for 10 years. It could be that pigs fly straighter than a plummer pass. Or it could be that a Jackass screwed a reptile and you are the result, explaining both your obsession with the snake, and your questionable intelligence.
I 2nd the blue pants idea. Anything but the throwbacks!
October 16th, 2007 at 1:00 pm
The Broncos should go back to the Dan Reeves-era blue and orange, remind the team what its like to be outgunned by better teams and still come through with a win. Of course, those teams played defense.
October 16th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
Seriously LPP, you ride the little yellow bus don’t you? Like I stated, none of those guys are impact, every down players. Cutler is a 2nd year player and still hasn’t seen 16 starts and already looks like he understands football more than your wanta be boyfriend. One decision has not led to this season, Cutler doesn’t play defense. Coaches coach, players play, fans react.
October 16th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
HEY THAT &^$# WAS FUNNY BRONCO HYDE AND I AGREE PLUMMER &#^@ED IT UP AND CUTLER IS A LOT BETTER THANPLUMMER!! PLUMMER WAS DOING REAL GOOD IN 05 BUT LIKE EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED IN THE AFC CHAMIONSHI[, HE #@$%ED UP..SHANAHAN SCREWED UP BY NOT STARTING CUTLER AT THE BEGGINING OF THE YEAR.. GOO BRONCOS BURN THAT TERRIBLE TOWEL!!!
WOOHOO!!
October 16th, 2007 at 2:40 pm
LPP.
Move on with your life Plummer has. And really no one (with a brain) cares about the benching of plummer. we come to the blog not to argue but read about what other fellow fans say. Please we don’t want to hear about how Shanny messed up. If you want to make realistic coments about how the team could get better please do so.
October 16th, 2007 at 3:37 pm
I just checked out LPP website for giggles. GET A LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOu need help. Man! Broncos let getting going come on!! We are a better team that we have shown any of the first five games. Let getting going show the Steelers and everyone else from this day forward it is not easy to come to the Mile High City
October 16th, 2007 at 3:48 pm
Mason ~ Will you let us all take a vote on banning LPP from posting his crap on this site. Everytime I see his name I want to puke, please get that cat outta here.
October 16th, 2007 at 4:51 pm
DGLIMER, what are you new to the board or what? Have you not seen the ten thousand previous attempts at banning LPP? Even Mason agrees, we make people laugh. If it wasn’t for us spewing reality all over you, what would everyone on this board do? Talk about how Champ Bailey got burned again because he had to make a tackle that the D-Line could not make?
Come on, we all know the Broncos have never been the same since Shanny benched Plummer.
But actually resorting to trashing up Mason’s blogs with CURSE WORDS ( DBJL6987 at MSN.COM) and making fun of handicapped people (hrdnokd), now there is absolutely no need for that.
No one listened to us last year, no one listens this year, it’s not new. If you are so tired of LPP postings and comments, SKIP THEM and do not reply to them. Don’t baby out and cry to daddy (Mason) to not let us play in the game, because we make fun of you when you mess up.
WAH WAH, MASON PLEASE BAN the guy who said the F word, please, WAH WAH.
October 16th, 2007 at 5:21 pm
Hey LPP, I guess you had nothing to argue back with in Mason’s last blog huh? I like how you go to a new block once you have been out argued in a previous one, very classy.
October 16th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
WHAT? Please copy and paste that here, I have never seen MASON say those words to me!
October 16th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
I was referring to the argument we where having 2 blogs ago, you randomly stopped after I posted the stats to disprove your claim and then switch over to posting in the most recent 2 blogs.
October 16th, 2007 at 5:32 pm
LPP you seem to be really worked up there, maybe cut down on the coffee brudda, it’s late in the day here in the good ol’ US of A.
Speaking of free speech, I don’t know why everyone wants to ban a guy who has dissenting opinions. Is the White Hoss next!?! I’ve done my share of Shanahan-bashing and will continue to do so until he proves his “Genius” expiration date wasn’t 1/31/99. It’s not about Plummer or Griese or even Bubby Brister, it’s about the enabler…but I digress…
I’d rather see some good old fashioned flame wars (without useless, ugly profanity, of course) than a bunch of yahoos patting each other on the back and deluding themselves about this team’s immediate future considering what the past ten years have given us. You think Big Mase doesn’t like a little slap fight on the board now and then to keep people fired up and coming back to talk their smack? How boring would a lame Happy-Horsie-dot-com be? This isn’t a Hanna Montana fan club site, this is about THE FOOSBALL!
As a fan who pays his money for tickets, merchandise, TV, and takes the time out of his Sunday to watch 60 minutes of football and 75 minutes of commercials and talking-head shows–multiplied times THREE–I demand full accountability from my sports teams. They’re here to serve the fans, not the other way around. You get overly worshipful and reverent about a team and it’ll break your heart like a poor pathetic Cubs or Browns fan. Don’t get sad, get mad!
Hopefully the Rockies will remind this town what a winner is actually supposed to do and people will start looking a lot harder and more critically at the Broncos’ decade of decay! That’s how you proactively spur improvement, you don’t wait for the fluke seasons like some complacent chump Saints or Rams fans and say “oh, NOW I see what they were doing when they stunk for five years, they were re-loading on draft picks.” Then they make the playoffs ONCE and it’s back to Sucking in Sucktown the next year. Please. I thought we LIKED the Broncos. Don’t coddle them and let management think that “just good enough is good enough” as long as they rattle their sabers a little bit during the offseason and pretend New England and Indy haven’t had their s*** together FAR more than anything Denver has mustered over the past 5-10 years…and there are several other teams who are making better progress as well and even doing more with less (the TITANS made the playoffs last year, people. Vince Young and the 52 Dwarfs. And Denver sat at home? INSANITY. And bad coaching.)
LPP gets under people’s skin? GOOD, because if you’re that bothered by it, really bothered enough to not ignore him as just a random idiot but attack him as a threat, it means that a little tiny piece of you, maybe too small to see without a microscope, is sickly afraid he might actually be RIGHT. Don’t hate, educate! Get on your Hoss and RANT! It’s why Al Gore invented the internet!
October 16th, 2007 at 5:36 pm
LPP,
I agree you do have the right to say what you want on here, and often time’s things you say are semi intelligent. Most of the time what you say makes me feel like a superior Bronco fan if anything. Anyway how creditable is an article that says our running game is “unsettled”? We have the leagues leading rusher before the bye (Travis), and the leagues highest yards per carry rusher (Selvin Young)… Now I don’t know about you but someone saying bad things about our rushing O isn’t someone I would consider as an expert or even someone that knows a thing or two would you? Just a hint maybe in the future if you’re going to quote someone don’t, add the parts that make them sound like a dee-da-dee. As long as you do that you might actually get you point across… I can’t wait for you response to this!
Oh, and I have been waiting for the Orange Jersey’s (not the throw back but the reverse) for a while now and I think they would look sick with the blue pants… Who decides what we wear Andrew?
Javon will play I am not worried about its just Champ, but if we can beat The Steal without him we can beat anyone with him.
October 16th, 2007 at 7:59 pm
LPP~ I have been reading Masons blog for a while, I just rarely leave a reply. I agree that you can say anything you want…within reason. I think I agree thatShanahan is doing a horrible job this year. But when you constantly bring Jake Plummer up it gets real old, find a new complaint. Everytime you comment on something about the Broncos it’s negative, do you have any positive comments?
As for my wish to ban your Plummer comments. It’s because you turn a blog about Champ and Javon into a negative, creepy conversation about Jake. If Jake was so good don’t you think Chicago, Miami or the Falcons would be trying to talk him out of retirement. Nobody wants him and Denver is better without him. The bottom line for me is this, Jake couldn’t win in the playoffs and choked in a championship game in Denver. Please find a better issue and argue about something that is valid.
October 16th, 2007 at 11:39 pm
WhiteHoss
The Titans did not make the playoffs last year I belive their record was 8-8
October 16th, 2007 at 11:42 pm
Can we just drop LPP for a while and discuss the Steelers? I know I sound like a broken record, but if we are to beat the Steelers we HAVE to stop the running game. I absolutely guarantee we are going to get a steady diet of Willie Parker with Hines Ward blocking downfield for him. Ben won’t have to throw a pass the entire game if we don’t stop the run.
October 17th, 2007 at 1:03 am
I have more respect for LPP than people who can’t spell correctly or feel the need to curse for no reason. For Christ’s sake people, the friggin’ blog underlines misspelled words FOR YOU!!! It will even correct them if you right click with the little mouse thingy next to your keyboard. WOW!! Technology is great!! Get a clue. Dekreybroncofan, the orange jersey’s were retired after the loss against Oakland on the blocked field goal at the end of the game by the Raiders. Remember, the one played in the snow in 05′? Good riddance to the orange jerseys. The only thing they made us do was suck and lose! Bring back the orange crush jerseys once a year!! LPP- you are right that benching Jake was a poor decision, but you offer no answers to the current problems except to blow everything up and start over again. I don’t know if I am ready to be the Lions or Raiders for 3-7 years until we get our s*it together. Fortunately, I don’t think that Shanny will stick around long enough to complete the rebuilding process if that is what we truly are in. A new era is coming and I don’t think any of us are ready for it.
October 17th, 2007 at 9:06 am
WhiteHoss,
The problem is not that he disagrees, it’s that he’s beating the same old wornout argument to death, with no new thoughts, and no intelligent response to the rebuttals offered by the rest of us. If he would just move on, and have an original thought it would be fine, but he’s just a mindless broken record.
As far as the rest of you that keep baggin’ on Shannahan . . . . who do you propose to replace him with?
Even if he is being predictable and conservative at the moment, he’s still better than the alternative. The problem right now is that we’re in rebuilding mode. Too many new guys, too many changes. They just still haven’t got settled in yet. I personally don’t think it should be taking this long, but it is. Bringing in a new coach with a new scheme would just compound the problem, and we would still suck for a year or two.
Cut Shanny a break. For all you know, the conservative calls, and the predictability are his attempt to get everyone on the same page. It’s very possible that as soon as everyone clicks in this base scheme, the old mastermind will once again emerge.
This is the first year for a long time that we’ve had all the tools and talent in all the right places. In the past, Shanny’s mistakes could be attributed to problem areas that had to be given a “duct tape and baling wire” fix because we didn’t have the personal to fix it right. Now, we’ve got the personnel, give them time to gel and get back into kick-butt mode. This season isn’t over yet, especially with as weak as the AFC west is.
When things get turned around, and we start playing well again, all you naysayers will be the first ones on the Shannahan bandwagon. So everyone stop the whining about how terrible things are without proposing any viable solutions (firing Shannahan is not one). If you must argue, please have some constructive criticism, and a proposed solution to offer.
October 17th, 2007 at 9:32 am
jdswathers: Hmm…got me there. I don’t know why I thought that. I guess I just got on a roll. So eliminate that sentence. I stand by the rest.
October 17th, 2007 at 9:42 am
Mason - We know Jay has the mechanics and has moments that remind of us a special qb in our past, but can you evaluate his mental ability to read defense? That seems to be what makes a qb “special.”
Thanks
October 17th, 2007 at 10:05 am
Ok, since Wormyblckburny is being nice and a couple others are as well….You guys suggest I drop the old argument and propose new ideas…
See that’s where I get stuck. I was so fixated on what got us here, I could not see past that. Now, I’m really trying.
I don’t know, it seems the problems are way too far to list and many of you here have done a good job disecting those problems. Just look at the novels Mike in San Diego writes every other day, maybe he’s the next John Fienstein.
All I can say is that I knew who Jay Cutler was in college, so I was not impressed, I don’t know how anyone could have been that excited about him. I believe if not for Steve Youngs comments on Cutler being the better of the 3 qbs in the draft, no one would have had such high expectations. Leinart was not surrounded by playmakers and struggled himself right out of the league. Young is good, looks at least to have a career as successful as Vick, without the dog thing. Cutler just seems average to me, Ryan Leaf was a better college QB. So I just don’t understand all the praise that was thrown upon Cutler and the comparisons to Favre and Elway, they just aren’t accurate.
To the present matter at hand, do I suggest they bench Cutler and bring in Ramsey, no, of course not. Do I suggest since Rod Smith is a 3rd string QB we hurry him up and bring him back at Qb…of course not….I can only suggest that Mike Shanahan’s days are numbered.
Lets put it this way, Phil Jackson is one of the greatest coaches in the history of sports, but it’s certainly looking like he’ll be remembered for making LEGENDARY players play nice together. Not for developing young talent and doing the unthinkable.
Cutler needs a new coach and that’s what we’ve said over at LPP for months, even if we do rib ole’ Pumpkin Pie Cutler every now and then.
October 17th, 2007 at 10:28 am
LPP, finally a post without the name plummer in it. Thank you for switching modes. I don’t think any of us are going to have a problem with your posts as long as you leave plummer out of it.
As far as Cutler and Shanahan, I’m still gonna have to disagree. Shanahan hasn’t “lost his touch”, he just hasn’t had the personnel available for several years to execute his more brilliant schemes. Even this year, when he has the personnel, they aren’t executing well enough to open up the playbook yet. The defense is not giving the offense the opportunity to stick to the game plan.
You can think what they want about Cutler, but until we see how he performs with a good defense backing him up, I don’t think it’s fair to either compare him to Elway, or to count him out. Our current problems are about defense and execution, not about QB’s and coaches.
October 17th, 2007 at 10:45 am
bronco_hyde….
One fact, how do you argue the fact that Shanahan has coached this team to ONE playoff victory in 9 years, that’s it…ONE.
Regardless of QB’S, RB’s, Defenses and my mothers current opinion, Shanahan only led this to team to ONE playoff victory in nearly a decade. Certainly the problems are more than the current defense and execution, it’s an on-going problem and the only constant in the last decade is Shanahan and ownership….
How many years then do you give him? 10-15-20? When do we say, let’s try something new and credit Elway with what he was, a LEGEND, because that repeating team would have repeated with me at coach calling in plays from my couch while watching the game and playing madden on another tv at the same time….
October 17th, 2007 at 10:53 am
LPP- I’m glad your sticking to critizing the coaches now at least.. that I may starts to believe more and more as the season goes on. However, like I stated 2 blogs ago to you, Cutler deserves his time to develop and really should not be critized heavily just yet. I’ll give him to the end of next season before i pass any judgement on his playing, especially if our defense continues to be this bad its hard to get a good offensive rythm going.
October 17th, 2007 at 11:00 am
LPP,
That was the most lucid and well put together comment I have read of yours this season! Thank you!
I would much prefer to think of LPP as a Bronco fan that is hurting like the rest of us and is scrambling for ideas to make the team better than a raving lunatic that had some romantic feelings towards a QB that doesn’t play football anymore.
As far as Cutler goes…….
I don’t see how we can look at college stats and determine the value of a player like Cutler. Jerry Rice didn’t have a powerhouse college backing him up, but Maurice Clarette did.
Coaching in the Big time is what will make or break Cutler in the long run and right now it looks as if that may be the element that will fail him. In the first two games of this season we ran the option inside the first 15 plays. This kinda stunned me as it looked like we were playing upon strengths of a college team instead of an NFL team. I don’t see how that kind of play calling will work in the NFL. There is a reason that the option doesn’t get much use in the NFL, DEFENSES WILL EAT IT UP!
I have always liked Shannahan as a coach and always will, but the idea that NO changes have been made after the first five games (which really should leave us at 0-5 if it wasn’t for Elam) astounds me. I hope that the PITT game really brings out a better Bronco team and that “NO” changes is just a media ploy by Shannahan and company to keep Big Ben on his toes.
October 17th, 2007 at 11:10 am
LPP
I loved watching Plummer play man, especially his success in Denver after all that struggles in Arizona. If it was that he started in Denver right away, he would have been a star already; however, it was the fact that his career was already plagued by the horrendous team that he played center to for such a long time before coming to Denver. He did not get any wide recievers until his last year when he got Boldwin. Fact is fact though, Plummer during his last year showed that he was already beat; even if Denver drafted a QB in the 1st round, one should have never given up on hope the way he did. Just look at Brett Favre, the Packers drafted Rodgers 3 years ago in the 1st round and 3 years later, Favre is still a Star in the league playing with NO RUNNING BACK?!! My point is, Plummer’s career and playing passion was over by the time Shannahan benched him. Cutler has showed poise and talent of a great QB; however, one can’t expect him to win a superbowl right away in his rookie year.
October 17th, 2007 at 11:16 am
I think I figured out why I thought the Titans were in the playoffs…the Ravens, Titans, and Jaguars all kind of blur together in my head…when one of them makes the playoffs I care so little that they’re interchangeable and it can lead to poor fact checking. So anyway, the Shanahan thing…well, dude, seriously. What coach, ANY coach, can go eight years going on nine with a single playoff win to his name and not ony keep his job but never even have it questioned? It’s not even that they haven’t fired Shanahan, it’s just that all these people who think 1997-98 was the greatest coaching job ever and not maybe due to the fact that this “Mastermind” had a Hall of Fame QB, the greatest TE (until this weekend) of all time, and a 1700-2,000 yard rusher? Please don’t point to Shanahan “always” having a great running scheme either, what other Denver back has done what Terrell did those two prime years? Full credit for Shanahan seeing something special in Terrell, but he’s gone, so is Elway, so is Sharpe, and so is that “Mastermind.” Shanahan has been getting a free pass for almost a decade now when he’s been nothing more than a fairly good, not great, head coach since the day his last Hall of Famer from ‘98 left the team.
Next argument: “Well, who can you find who’s better?” Well, Bill Cowher for one, a coach who can win with a blue-collar B-minus to B-plus offense and a solid defense, which is pretty the best result Denver can really hope for with the current roster. But even if you roll the dice on a young coach or someone like Pete Carroll or Jim Harbaugh, you don’t know unless you take a shot. Shanahan is not a defensive minded coach and he doesn’t have the high-powered, points-happy megastar offense that he absolutely NEEDS to excel in the current AFC…and even if Marshall and Cutler exceed expectations, they just aren’t projected as those kind of players. The old coach certainly isn’t going to change his approach this late in the game (although Tom Coughlin’s loosened up.)
It’s not that we immediately need to fire Shanahan (though I wouldn’t mind) it’s that the guy seriously gets treated like Jesus in Denver when he was really only one of the Apostles. I respect what he’s done, but it’s going on NINE YEARS. If we’re going to be nice and give him another chance, can we at least be prudent and sane and call it his LAST CHANCE and not act like we’re just going through a “short bad spell?” We’ve gone through 3-4 of these “short bad spells” in 9 years, and I can’t believe fans aren’t more critical of the coach who’s been the ONE CONSTANT throughout all of them.
October 17th, 2007 at 11:34 am
Will be great to have Javon back this weekend. For seeing a big day for him and #6….touchdowns all day!! Also a big Happy Birthday to Javon…we share the same day. Sucked to not have a game last week, but yes, really awesome to focus on the Rockies.
Also…wondering where the 12th man flag is that hangs off the end of the stadium?? It’s been missing all season.
Go Broncos, let’s win one! And the next one and so on.
October 17th, 2007 at 1:25 pm
LPP - The old saying, “Dance with the one you brought.” Shanahan brought us all of our titles. And as far as quoting number of playoff wins, what was old (lower case) plummer’s playoff record? That’s what I thought - Last week, you’d have to admit that Cutler looked spot on - it was his supporting cast that didn’t help him out. We are in agreement that the defensive run support has been less than good, but our pass defense is the best in the league, so there is hope. Are you a Denver fan? Let’s agree to disagree and get behind our team. Shanahan is the man in office, so let’s hope he turns the bus around and gets us back to the playoffs and more W’s in that column. We are only .5 games out of first place in our division with 11 games to play. Our season is far from over!!! Go Broncos!
October 17th, 2007 at 2:04 pm
rev79….. Sorry everyone else, I was making great progress and then rev79 spews his blasphemy!
Plummer won the ONLY playoff game in Arizona history. Then he came and won the ONLY playoff game in Denver since Elway left. That’s two playoff games Plummer won, WITHOUT ELWAY, or a hall of fame roster.
Now back to Shanahan, how many playoff games has he coached this team to without Elway, ONE….So Plummer beats Shanahan 2-1 my friend.
And for your Jay comment, you’re right, scoring 3 points against SD was SPOT ON!
October 17th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
LPP~ Are you defending plummers playoff record?!? If you are, your delusional and in need of serious help!
October 17th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
MY GOD….DGILMER are you defending SHANAHAN’s playoff record without Elway?
Please don’t, cause it’s like 1 and 7 or something.
October 17th, 2007 at 2:40 pm
too everyone riping on plummer,
you have to understand when he was calm, and not rushing his throws he was good. But as we all know that was limited and did not happen often.
So we went and drafted what was said to be a strong qb and lineman draft. cutler was drafted and considered the QB OF THE FUTURE. Remember most qb’s take a good 2-3 years to turn into what their going to be if thats either tony Romo path or the good old Ryan leaf path. cutler is still undetermined and can turn out to be what this organization needs, a strong qb to carry the team to the playoffs the type of qb we had in the past did. Everyone is always quick to blame him. Well the truth is the blame should be on Shanny for rushing him.
Plummer confidence was shot out the window when cutler was draft. they should have told him that he was the starter for that year. After that its up for grabs. No matter how much you hate plummer you do have to respect him enough to know that new blood and someone considered the future will affect everyone your confidence. So by saying that plummer was crap and he was all wrong for Denver is completely wrong. He did what we needed him to do. Limit his errors and score 17+ points cause or defense could hold any team under 17 points (except the colts, horrifying). And say what you want, he did want we needed him too, limited his ints but wasn’t producing. So they bring in cutler a highly drafted rookie expected to be ready to start and lead a team in his first year. That didn’t happen as we finish 9-7 and losses a player in the process which hurt everyone.
So a team struck by tragedy has to face the media and fellow members about such a horrible year that everyone wish will just go away. And you can see in the faces of the players this year, that desire, that heart, that want to hurt on defense, to make your opponents cry on offense as you burn them on a huge play. Its not there. Something along the way has be lost. Denver broncos players look like there playing for themselves but really they should be playing for their teams that and with them and the ones that were lost. There desire should be strong. There want unbearable. But most of all there hearts, they should be screaming with passion. The passion to succeed. The passion to overcome adversity and be honored among all.
And that and that alone is the only thing that will turn these faceless broncos around.
October 17th, 2007 at 2:47 pm
I say we let Troy Tulowitzki coach this team. Now THAT’s a motivator!
October 17th, 2007 at 3:52 pm
LPP,
I already explained my position on that question. Shanny hasn’t had the personnel to win. He’s either lacked a strong RB, or has been weak on WR’s. There have been many Oline stuggles . . . . etc. I still believe he is at least as capable, or more so, than any coach in the NFL when he has the right personnel. That is my view of Shanahan THE COACH.
Now, onto a different discussion . . . Shanahan the GM. Why hasn’t Shanny had the right personnel?? Because he didn’t go get them. He either wasted draft picks, put stock in other teams cast-offs, or spent too much for the few players he did get. I will not defend Shanahan the GM, but I have continued confidence in Shanahan the COACH.
Now for once, this year, I believe we have the personnel to win, at least on offense. But the complication that arises to throw a wrench into the works (spanner in the cogs for you Brits) this year is the Broncos youth, inexperience, and inability to master a new scheme.
I could be wrong, but my opinion stays constant that we just need a bit more time. I believe the performance this Sunday with either proove or disproove my opinion. If we keep seeing the same mistakes, I’ll relent and agree that coaching is a problem, but if we see improvement and progress, even without a win, I hope to hear some of you cutting Shanny a bit more slack.
One final point . . . you mention that Shanny is offensive minded, and hasn’t been a good defensive coach. I have to agree. But Henry Ford once said you don’t have to know everything if you surround yourself with people that do. The defense has been turned over to Bates, so Bates takes responsibility for their performance. I’ll give him a few more games to pull it together. If it doesn’t work out, I’m all for finding yet another D-coordinator.
October 17th, 2007 at 6:59 pm
Ok,i don’t think you know what your talking about when you say Jay Cutler isn’t living up to expectations.He is a second year quarterback,the Hardest positon of any sport!He will settle in.He has had Javon Walker out for the past three weeks,Rod Smith isn’t out there,his best reciever that has been out there for the last 3 weeks has been a second year receiver,Brandon Marshall,and Brandon Stokley isn’t gonna play like he did in Indy.Not to mention all the off-the-field drama surrounding Travis Henry. There are plenty more issues other than Cutler.
Maybe like our run defense.Maybe we shouldn’t have brought in players that sucked in Cleveland and expected them to do anything in Denver.We still have the best pass defense in the league,but thats not gonna improve if we have to put 8 players in the box to stop the run.Yea,Champ is the best corner in the league,maybe ever,but he isn’t super man.Maybe instead of drafting Jarvis Moss,we should have went Middle Linebacker,or Defensive Tackle.And you know what,if we don’t do good this year,i suggest trading up spots in the draft and taking Glen Dorsey from LSU.
And how about special teams.When have we ever had someone that scares opponents in the return game.Everyone we put back there sucks and never gets past the 20 yard line.Yea,thats def where i miss Darrent Williams.I say go Glen Dorsey in 1st round of the draft,and then take a speedy return guy,you never know,he might be another Devin Hester.Yea,your prolly thinkin,”why is he talking bout this years upcoming draft?”Maybe because we haven’t drafted a super star since…idk….John Elway.We could use a Shawn Merriman type player on defence.
OrangeCrush4lif out!
October 17th, 2007 at 7:42 pm
Shannihan the GM definitely needs to GO!!!! Who was the last draft pick that has played a large role in our team? D.J. is the only one I can think of besides Cutler. Shanny has hit the lottery numerous times when it comes to late round running backs, but has CLEARLY lost the ability to find the “diamonds in the rough” at any other position when it comes to 2nd round or later.
November 20th, 2007 at 10:48 pm
Weight Loss Guide
I couldn’t understand some parts of this article, but it sounds interesting
November 24th, 2007 at 11:51 am
Sports Illustrated
I couldn’t understand some parts of this article, but it sounds interesting