Mason's Morsels

A second snowstorm in three days blitzed through Dove Valley and the Front Range on Thursday. The first one didn’t affect the Broncos’ work one iota. The second one, however, forced them inside — and not to the nearby South Suburban Sports Dome, which was booked for a youth event.

With the Broncos’ usual inclement-weather option scrapped, they had to settle for working inside the team’s conditioning facility, on a field that is regulation width but is barely 30 yards in length.

“It was more of a walk-through, obviously,” Head Coach Mike Shanahan said. “But I think we got done what we needed to get done.”

The practice was the Broncos’ first inside the truncated indoor field at their facility since Week 16 of the 2006 season, when a near-blizzard kept the team at their facility.

“A bubble (at team headquarters) would be nice today. I was going to fight those little kids off today over at the bubble down the street, but I decided not to,” Shanahan deadpanned.

The weather not only forced the team inside, but postponed the scheduled audition of punters. That will now take place Friday.

“We had a hard time getting those punters in,” Shanahan said.

While the team’s search for a new punter stalled like a low-pressure center over the Texas panhandle, the progress of Jay Cutler did not, as he returned to full practice Thursday after missing Wednesday’s work with a sore knee.

“He’ll be ready to go (Sunday),” Shanahan said.

Wide receiver Javon Walker also returned to full practice, while Ian Gold, Daniel Graham and Brandon Stokley were sidelined.

Jay Cutler was back on the practice field Wednesday as the Broncos returned to work 37 1/2 hours after the humbling 23-3 defeat at San Diego, but the left knee that he hurt during the game left him “a little limited” as the Broncos went through a two-hour session on a clear, frigid day at team headquarters.

“I’ll be ready to roll (Thursday),” he said.

After being sacked just 17 times in the season’s first 13 games, Cutler has been tagged for nine sacks in the last two games — both of which saw tight end Daniel Graham hindered by a high ankle sprain he suffered on the opening offensive series of Denver’s 31-13 loss at Houston.

Between the hits Cutler has absorbed the last two weeks and the grind of playing the lengthiest season of his football life, Cutler acknowledged he was “worn down” physically, independent of the now ailing knee for which he must compensate.

“(The knee) is a little banged up,” Cutler said, “but I’ll be ready by Sunday, no problem.”

Cutler was sacked four times in the first half Monday night and was hurried on numerous other occasions. On three occasions Cutler kept the football and ran, gaining a team-leading 42 yards — a healthy 14.0-yards-per-carry average.

Cutler has not missed a start since being promoted onto the first team in Week 13 of the 2006 season.

ALSO OF NOTE:

Graham, wide receiver Brandon Stokley and linebacker Ian Gold all did not practice Wednesday with their injuries … Wide receiver Javon Walker saw limited work … Defensive end John Engelberger (shoulder), safety John Lynch (back), defensive tackle Steven Harris (knee) and center Chris Myers (ankle) were all listed on the injury report but practiced fully.

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through Qualcomm,
Two teams met to duel, perhaps with aplomb.
The jerseys were hung at the lockers with care
In knowledge that the players soon would be there.
The rooters were nestled all snug in their seats,
While holiday songs left them tapping their feet.
And LT in his helmet, and his coach in a cap,
Had much work to do, and scant time to nap.
When out on the field there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my seat to see what was the matter.
Away to the front row I flew like a flash.
Tripping over a stair, to ground with a crash.
The glow of the floodlights on the grass at the field
Let all of us know this was quite the big deal.
When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a rickety bus overflowing like beer.
With a crafty young driver turning ’round the bends,
I knew that it must be Jay Cutler and friends.
More rapid than eagles his teammates they came,
And he whistled and shouted and called them by name:
“Run, Selvin! Run, Marshall! Run, Scheffler and Andre!
“Block, Daniel! Block, Lepsis! Block, Myers and Montrae!
“To the end of the field, to the other end zone!
“Now let’s snatch a win and scurry back home!”
As defenders before this offense fall down,
All chasing and grabbing no more than the ground,
So into the red zone the Broncos they flew,
With a huddle filled with dreams and a quarterback too.
And then in a moment I heard many feet;
The cutting and clawing of each little cleat.
As I typed in my blog and was turning around,
Down the field Jay Cutler came with a bound.
He was dressed all in white, looking ready to pass,
And his clothes were all sullied with stains from the grass.
A howitzer right arm sprang out of his shoulder;
He led with maturity of someone much older.
His eyes — how they darted! His arm cannon strong;
His poise was unshaken; his passes flew long.
His Beatle haircut peeked out from his helmet
And the zip on his passes made scores a safe bet.
The brown oblate ball zipped forth like a bullet;
If hands couldn’t catch it, it’d go right down the gullet.
He had a trim face and no trace of a belly;
But his arm and receivers turned defense to jelly.
He was cool and composed, a quite mellow QB;
And his growth as a leader was something to see;
A wink of his eye and a flick of his wrist
Meant wins would soon come, too many to list.
He barked out, “Hut!” and dropped back to throw,
And passes flew promptly where he thought they would go.
And pointing a finger into the end zone,
He said to young Scheffler, “Take this one on home.”
He sprang from the huddle, to his team gave a whistle,
And downfield they all dashed, as quick as a missle.
But I heard him exclaim, as he jogged out of sight,
‘Happy Christmas to all, and next year will be bright.”

We’re settled in at Qualcomm Stadium, with a smattering of players in the early stages of pre-game warmups. More to come over the next five or so hours.

Another win equals more award nominations for the Broncos, honors that you can help them receive with your votes.

Up for GMC Defensive Player of the Week is Elvis Dumervil, who started Sunday as the cover subject of Broncos Gameday magazine and then proved there’s no jinx associated with that particular publication, notching three sacks, forcing a fumble and amassing five tackles. His three sacks took him to 11 on the season, the most for a Bronco in three years.

Click here to vote for Dumervil.

For Diet Pepsi Rookie of the Week, it’s running back Selvin Young, who sprinted for 156 yards on just 17 carries, including a 50-yard jaunt up the left sideline on the second play of the game. Young now has an average of 83.3 yards per start in his five game-opening assignments, all of which have come since the Broncos’ Week 6 bye.

For Click here to vote for Young.

Finally, for FedEx Air Player of the Week, it’s quarterback Jay Cutler, who notched the most efficient performance of his two-season career, completing 20 of his 27 passes for 244 yards and four touchdowns — two to Brandon Marshall and one each to Brandon Stokley and Daniel Graham — during the win.

Click here to toss a vote in Cutler’s direction.

These headlines just keep getting lengthier and lengthier, eh …

In the past two days, John Lynch has felt well enough to practice, and Thursday afternoon he was at the point where he could linger on the field with some of his fellow defensive backs, getting extra conditioning work in on the FieldTurf surface adjacent to the west practice field the Broncos utilized for the two-and-a-half hour session.

Does all that mean he’ll be able to play on Sunday, less than two weeks after he suffered a neck stinger against the Green Bay Packers? Not even the 15-year veteran knows for sure.

“As for this week, I don’t know,” Lynch said. “I have to talk to (Head Coach) Mike (Shanahan) and see where we’re at. The plan was to go out and test it a couple of days and see where we’re at. It hasn’t gotten worse. It’s gotten better, in fact.

“Ultimately it comes down to a gut (feeling) of myself and Coach and Greek (Head Athletic Trainer Steve Antonopulos) and everyone there.”

While Lynch was in uniform on Thursday, he was limited in his practice-time work, just as he was Wednesda.

“We did not hit him, for obvious reasons,” Shanahan said. “But he is practicing, so that is a positive.”

All Lynch can really do now is work out on the field and wait for time to run its course and for the remaining tingling feeling in his arm to dissipate for good.

“I think there’s still something there, but I’m feeling good and it’s getting better,” Lynch said.

“I’ve played with just about everything there is, from dislocated shoulders to torn ligaments in my knee. You can fight through that. But these things, until they’re ready, it’s just foolish to go out there. I would argue with them (about playing) — before I’d gone through this last time. When the nerve’s hot, it’s just not ready.”

Quarterback Jay Cutler, however, is ready after going through the full practice regimen for a second consecutive day.

“He’ll be ready to go,” Shanahan said. “There should be no setback. He’s still a little bit sore. He had a good practice.”

The same could not be said for running back Travis Henry, who was held out for a second consecutive day while recovering from the slight knee injury he incurred (last) Sunday at Detroit.

“He’s still a little bit too sore,” Shanahan said. “We’ll see how he is (Friday).”

Other bits of injury news …

… John Engleberger saw limited work in practice Thursday; he sat out Wednesday with a shoulder injury … Elvis Dumervil (knee), Glenn Martinez (bruised ribs), Karl Paymah (knee), Cecil Sapp (calf) and D.J. Williams (finger) all took part in the full range of practice work Friday … Chiefs offensive tackle Damion McIntosh did not take part in practice for a second consecutive day; he’s been sick with a tonsil problem this week, but Kansas City head coach Herman Edwards expects him to be able to play Sunday. McIntosh did take part in Kansas City’s walk-through session Thursday … Chiefs tight end Jason Dunn was at Chiefs practice, but Edwards said he did not take part; he has a scratched eye. Earlier this week, Edwards ruled out running back Larry Johnson for the game; offensive tackle Will Svitek has also already been ruled out.

Going into Wednesday’s practice, Jay Cutler was unsure how his bruised left fibula would fare during the two-hour session. Afterwards, his head coach was confident that the second-year quarterback would be available for Sunday’s game.

“He did well. He practiced most of the practice,” Head Coach Mike Shanahan said. “Unless there’s a setback, he should be ready to go.

“I’m not sure how much it hurt,” Shanahan added, “but he was productive out there. He took his normal (repetitions) — maybe a few less (than usual).”

While Cutler saw action throughout the practice, safety John Lynch was limited as he continues to recover from the pinched nerve he suffered nine days earlier against the Green Bay Packers. Running back Travis Henry did not take part in any of Wednesday’s work; he’s recovering from a slight knee injury he suffered in Sunday’s loss to Detroit. Defensive end John Engelberger also sat out with a shoulder injury.

Wide receiver Javon Walker remained out as he recovers from Oct. 19 knee surgery, while defensive tackle Sam Adams was held out of the Wednesday practice, as is custom. Shanahan said Walker would “maybe” begin running by the end of the week.

“If he does then maybe he’ll have a chance to play against Tennessee on Monday night (Nov. 19),” Shanahan said. “We won’t know that until later on in the week. We’ll wait and see when he runs and gets into football shape. It’s been a while since he has actually run and worked out, so we’ll have to see where he is at toward the end of the week.”

Five other players were listed on the injury report but made it through the full practice Wednesday — fullback Cecil Sapp (calf), linebacker D.J. Williams (finger), cornerback Karl Paymah (knee), defensive end Elvis Dumervil (knee) and wide receiver Glenn Martinez (ribs).

Meanwhile, in Kansas City, Chiefs head coach Herman Edwards
ruled Larry Johnson out for Sunday’s game.

“He’s not playing this week,” Edwards said.

Johnson did not participate in Wednesday’s practice, and Edwards said that the Pro Bowl running back’s foot remains swollen, and thus, any reports issued regarding a season-ending broken bone in the foot are premature.

“His foot is still swollen and (the doctors) are still trying to look at to determine exactly where he’s at,” Edwards said.

Jay Cutler walked up a step to the media-room lectern Wednesday afternoon confident that his bruised left leg would allow him to make an honest effort at being able to play Sunday in Kansas City — although he stopped short of saying he’d definitely be ready for the game.

“I’d like to say I would (be), but we’ve still got a little ways to go. We’ll see how it feels.

“We’ll try,” he added. “We did a little walk-through (earlier Wednesday afternoon) and it felt all right. I’m sure Patrick (Ramsey) is going to get a majority of the reps, but I’ll be out there.”

At the very least, Cutler was well protected Wednesday as he hit the practice field. His left leg was covered from the bottom of his shorts to his socks, making him look a little like Luke Skywalker hanging out at his aunt and uncle’s moisture farm on Tatooine. But when the full practice began an hour after his press conference, he was in uniform, smiling and joking with teammates Ramsey and Mike Leach while conversing with Head Coach Mike Shanahan.

“I feel all right,” Cutler said. “I feel better. I’m still sore and we’ll take it day by day.”

But just being able to do that was a bright sign for the quarterback, who feared the worst before learning the results of his Monday MRI examination.

“”I was really relieved,” he said. “To get the MRI back and see that it was just a deep bruise and that nothing was cracked, it was a relief. It’s a bruise, so I can go ahead and push it. If it hurts, it hurts, but it’s not going to get any worse.”

Good morning and good Monday from Colorado, which tonight will merely be the capital of the football world, not the sporting world in general, since the hometown Rockies went down in four games to the Boston Red Sox on Sunday night.

Admittedly, it seemed as though the Broncos’ realm went on momentary backburner in the community’s consciousness in deference to the World Series. It’s quite understandable; even Head Coach Mike Shanahan talked of wanting to be able to watch the Rockies’ games when he answered media questions throughout the last few weeks. It wasn’t difficult to get caught up in the extraordinary nature of their run to the World Series — and the 4-0 sweep at the hands of the Red Sox in no way diminishes the magnitude of their accomplishment. Just like the Broncos of ‘77 — a comparison made by fellow blogger Jim Saccomano — simply being a part of the season’s final duel made the year a success beyond any observer’s dreams. Other Rockies teams might win the World Series someday, but perhaps none will be as special and magical as this group.

By the way, I did manage to make it to Saturday’s Game 3, but I’ll write about that another time.

Tonight, the Colorado sporting stage belongs to the Broncos, and perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this game between the Broncos and Green Bay Packers is the comparison at quarterback — particularly the parallels that many have drawn between Jay Cutler and Brett Favre.

Stylistically, the comparison is often made, with many considering Cutler of the “gunslinger” ilk of passer personified by Favre. Broncos cornerback Dre’ Bly said that Cutler indeed reminded him of the longtime Packers star, whom he faced twice annually from 2003-06 while playing for the Detroit Lions.

“The one thing about Jay, he might make a mistake, but he’s going to go back out there and throw the football and not let any mistake faze him,” Bly said. “That’s the kind of guy you want behind center — a guy that’s going to give you the opportunity to win and a guy that’s going to give you a chance to make a play.”

But making any comparison of a young quarterback to one whose legacy is already assured and whose resumes are already overflowing is not fair to the younger passers, who a) surely want to establish their own name and identity and b) who already exist under enough pressure by playing in the NFL.

Shanahan expressed a similar sentiment last week.

“You guys (the media) asked me to compare Brian Griese’s arm strength to Joe Montana and I did, so I said Brian Griese is Joe Montana,” Shanahan said last week. “To use a reference like that in front of you guys, I think I’ll stay away from that because all of a sudden Jay Cutler now will be Brett Favre in (Cutler’s) first year as a starter.”

Boiling down the numbers of their first 11 starts, here’s how tonight’s starting quarterbacks stack up:

Pretty comparable. Favre’s slight edge in passer rating owes to his lower interception percentage (2.22 pct. to 4.09 pct.) and higher completion percentage (shown above); Cutler has the advantage in touchdown percentage (5.03 pct. to 3.88 pct.) and yardage per attempt (7.57 yards to 6.92). What isn’t shown above are the quarterbacks’ comeback statistics; Cutler has six game-winning or -tying fourth-quarter/overtime drives in his first 11 starts, while Favre had three (although that does not include a game-winning march against Cincinnati when he entered in relief of Don Majkowski).

These numbers also piqued my curiousity as to how Cutler stacked up with other notable quarterbacks of the past 25 years in their first 11 starts. This is by no means intended to represent a complete list; rather, it is a smattering of quarterbacks who have enjoyed some measure of success — whether in terms of being a long-term starter or significant playoff accomplishment — over the last 20-plus years. Contrast Cutler’s numbers with theirs, and you’ll see that the young passer is off to an above-average start to his career:

So relative to that sample set of quarterbacks in their first 11 games, Cutler had a significantly better completion percentage (6.8 percent, to be exact), more touchdowns, more yardage, and slightly more interceptions (0.8 more than the norm of this group).

Finally, there is the inevitable comparison with the other two quarterbacks in the 2006 first round. In passing numbers, Cutler is at the head of this class:

Just some numbers to consider, nothing more.

Talk to you from the stadium later today … until then, listen to the pregame podcast and vaya con Dios.

You win, you get feted; you lose, you’re reviled. Such is the NFL, where middle ground doesn’t exist except for the once-every-five-years-or-so tie.

And so it goes with the Broncos, who have not one, not two, not three, but four individuals nominated for weekly honors on which you can vote.

For GMC Defensive Player of the Week it’s defensive end Elvis Dumervil. The second-year standout had a pair of sacks of Ben Roethlisberger on Sunday night, one of which included the forced fumble that Tim Crowder picked up and returned 50 yards for a score. Click here to vote for No. 92.

But speaking of Crowder …

For Diet Pepsi Rookie of the Week, Crowder got nominated after scoring the first touchdown of his career, which gave the Broncos a 21-7 second-quarter lead over the Steelers. Click here to throw a vote in the direction of the Old 96er.

On the offensive side of the ball, a plaudit for the quarterback …

For For FedEx Air Player of the Week, it’s Jay Cutler among the three finalists. Cutler posted a three-touchdown night in the win while completing 22 of his 29 passes for 248 yards and directing the sixth game-winning or -tying fourth-quarter drive of his 11-game career. Click here to send a vote his way.

Of course, the playcalls came from the sidelines, which brings us to the fourth nominee …

For Motorola Coach of the Week, Head Coach Mike Shanahan got a nomination after the Broncos scored a season-high 31 points, held Willie Parker below 100 yards and converted 70 percent of their third downs, the highest percentage of his 13-season tenure. Click here to vote for him.

Ordinarily a Thursday would see the main site post both a daily notebook and another edition of Broncos Magazine Weekly. However, technical difficulties have prevented this from taking place. To make sure the content at least gets somewhere on the Web, I’m going to cut and paste it here. We apologize for the issues, which are completely beyond our control.

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THURSDAY NOTES

By Christopher Smith
DenverBroncos.com

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – Heading into September, few thought the Chargers and Broncos would be playing an October game with five losses between the teams.

The Chargers already surpassed their loss total from last season in the fourth week. With LaDainian Tomlinson, Shawne Merriman and most of last year’s 14-2 team back, many predicted a Super Bowl run for San Diego. And all the moves the Broncos made in the offseason had talk radio shows and message boards full of hopeful excitement.

There’s plenty of time for the excitement to turn into a memorable autumn, but this game is a pivotal matchup for two teams that hold themselves to high standards.

While there’s no such thing as a must-win at this point, each game does not count the same. A win over the Chargers would, as John Lynch explains, count double.

“I think it’s early to be talking about must-wins, but bottom line is we’re 2-2 and a lot of things feel like they’re not going the way we want. But we’re still on top of the division, and any time you have a division game as we’ve said often, it counts double,” Lynch said. “(We can) put ourselves up a game and put the Chargers down a game, and I’m sure they’re thinking the same way.”

(more…)