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Posts Tagged ‘Gray Caldwell’

Broncos at Chargers: Fourth Quarter Notes

December 28th, 2008 - 9:41pm by Gray CaldwellOther posts by

15:00: The Broncos have a first-and-10 at the San Diego 49-yard line when play resumes.

Jay Cutler is in the shotgun with Tatum Bell to his right. He tries to find Eddie Royal downfield after avoiding pressure, but he skips it just short of the rookie. That brings up second-and-10. The offense breaks its huddle and jogs up to the line — there are four receivers out wide. Cutler drops back and avoids pressure from all angles — very impressive pocket presence — and finds Darrell Jackson for a 13-yard gain near the left sideline for a first down.

On the ensuring play, Cutler gets it to Brandon Marshall, who falls backwards for what looks like another first down.

13:42: In fact it’s second-and-1 for the Broncos after Marshall’s nine-yard gain. Cutler takes the snap in the shotgun and pitches it quickly to Tatum Bell, who runs forward for four yards and the first down.

On first down, Cutler avoids pressure once again, rolls out to his right and throws a bullet toward Tony Scheffler in the end zone, who was locked up with a defensive back. At the last second he leaps high in the air to haul in the touchdown pass.

The Broncos are going for two. Cutler is in the shotgun and takes off toward the end zone. He gets in on his own with a run up the middle. It looked like the same formation from the first time Denver ran a two-point conversion against the Chargers 15 weeks ago.

Now the Broncos trail the Chargers 38-21.

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Broncos at Chargers: Third Quarter Notes

December 28th, 2008 - 9:02pm by Gray CaldwellOther posts by

15:00: The Broncos get the ball to start the second half, and Chad Jackson is back deep to receive. He fields it at about the five-yard line and makes it out to the 27-yard line, where the offense lines up for its first drive of the second half.

First-and-10 and Jay Culter is in the shotgun. He looks downfield before finding his checkdown, Tatum Bell, for a quick pass over the middle and a first down.

The team walks right back up to the line and Cutler gets it out quickly to Eddie Royal for a three-yard pickup on first down.

13:50: Cutler is in the shotgun again, takes the snap and drops back before stepping forward in the pocket and firing a pass to Tony Scheffler, who grabs a first down in Chargers territory.

Cutler takes another snap in the shotgun and finds Eddie Royal, who picks up six yards.

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Broncos at Chargers: Second Quarter Notes

December 28th, 2008 - 8:05pm by Gray CaldwellOther posts by

15:00: On first down, LaDainian Tomlinson takes a carry up the middle for 12 yards, setting up another first down at the Denver 26-yard line.

He takes a carry again on second down, but is brought down by John Engelberger after a gain of only two.

13:45: Second-and-8 for the Chargers. Philip Rivers looks to be calling an audible at the line and tries to call a timeout before the play clock winds down — but there’s a flag on the play. The flag is picked up, however, no delay of game. They grant the Chargers their first timeout of the half.

13:39: Rivers overthrows his target in the end zone, setting up a third-and-8 for San Diego. Rivers is in the shotgun, takes the snap and finds Antonio Gates — but he’s short of the first-down marker.

Fourth-and-a short 1 for the Chargers. The offense stays on the field. It’s another quarterback sneak and Rivers barely picks up the first. Not much of a push for the Chargers offensive line.

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Broncos at Chargers: First Quarter Notes

December 28th, 2008 - 7:23pm by Gray CaldwellOther posts by

15:00: Darren Sproles is back to receive for the Chargers, and the Broncos special teams unit is gathered at the 20-yard line. Matt Prater has the football from the referee, and he sets it on the tee. It’s game time.

Prater’s kick sails to the four-yard line and Sproles heads toward the sideline — he makes it up to the 30-yard line.

The starting defense comes out onto the field — it’s Ebenezer Ekuban, Marcus Thomas, Dewayne Robertson and Elvis Dumervil on the line, D.J. Williams, Nate Webster and Jamie Winborn at linebacker and Champ Bailey, Dre’ Bly, Vernon Fox and Josh Barrett in the secondary.

14:25: On the first play of the game, the Chargers employ some trickery. Philip Rivers fakes a handoff to LaDainian Tomlinson and then pitches it to Vincent Jackson on an end-around. The receiver picks up 17 yards.

On the following first down, Tomlinson finds a hole for another first down, but there’s a flag on the play — holding on San Diego.

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Broncos at Chargers: Pregame Notes

December 28th, 2008 - 4:16pm by Gray CaldwellOther posts by

2:05 p.m. PT: So we’re here in the press box at Qualcomm Stadium — it’s open to the field. I guess the Chargers assume the San Diego weather is always pleasant enough for no windows — today that’s proving true. It’s really comfortable out there and I’m personally pretty excited to hear the crowd noise in this do-or-die game.

Quick fact update for all of you, given to me by Vice President of Public Relations Jim Saccomano — many of you probably read his blog. The last time the Broncos were underdogs by this much on the road, they won. Do you remember where that game was played? Right here in this stadium — Super Bowl XXXII. So maybe the team can cook up a little Mile High Magic here in San Diego once more.

Darrell Hackney is out on the field throwing passes at midfield, Brett Kern is punting and Greg Eslinger is jogging laps around the sidelines. The Chargers cheerleaders are practicing on the sidelines and it’s already feeling like a playoff atmosphere. Just walking through the tunnels in the bowels of the stadium, there was a distinct feeling that it’s go time.

The superstitions are still going here in the Internet/publications department, so I’m blogging since the last road game I blogged was a division win — the season-opener at Oakland. We’ve still got a little while until kickoff, so I’ll be back with some updates in a little while.

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Christmas with the Broncos

December 25th, 2008 - 2:19pm by Gray CaldwellOther posts by

The Broncos had to come into work on Christmas day, but Head Coach Mike Shanahan cut the team a little break. Practice was moved up an hour to end at noon, and the players didn’t have meetings afterward.

So what were the players going to do with the extra time on Christmas afternoon?

“My wife and I, we’re going to open up some presents that we got each other, and we’re going to decorate cookies — kind of start our own traditions for when we start a family,” Brett Kern said. “Then her sister and brother-in-law are driving from Ohio, went non-stop all through the night, so they’re coming in tonight and we’re going to have a little Christmas ham dinner. I’m looking forward to it.”

Cory Boyd said he wasn’t leaving the facilities right away, but he’s certainly ready to kick his feet up a little later in the day.

“To be honest with you, I’m about to go in there and watch some film of the day’s practice, then I’ll probably get on the bike a little bit and run,” he said. “Then I’ll go home, be with the fiance and just relax today. Then get back to work.”

Kenny Peterson said his family is too far away to fly into town, so he’ll hang out with some of his friends on the team. He also had the right idea — find the house with food.

“I’ll probably go to Ebenezer’s house or somebody who cooked.”

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Broncos-Chargers Flexed

December 21st, 2008 - 7:35pm by Gray CaldwellOther posts by

After Sunday’s developments, the Broncos-Chargers matchup is essentially a playoff game.

Winner gets in, loser goes home.

With that in mind, the matchup in San Diego has been flexed to Sunday Night Football. The game will begin at 5:15 Pacific, 6:15 MST.

-Gray Caldwell, DenverBroncos.com

Broncos vs. Bills: Fourth Quarter Notes

December 21st, 2008 - 5:26pm by Gray CaldwellOther posts by

15:00: The Bills have a second-and-6 from their own 32-yard line when play resumes.

Trent Edwards drops back and finds running back Fred Jackson streaking down the right sideline. He makes the catch and reverses field to avoid Broncos defenders. He picks up 65 yards before being taken down by Dre’ Bly at the Denver three-yard line.

13:30: After a one-yard gain on first-and-goal, Edwards hands off to Xavier Omon for the second consecutive play, and he loses a yard after being taken down by Jamie Winborn and Josh Bell. On third-and-goal, Edwards’ pass is complete to Steve Johnson in the end zone. Dre’ Bly made a diving attempt to break it up, and may have gotten a piece of it, but Johnson got the touchdown.

The Rian Lindell extra point puts the Bills back on top of the Broncos, 23-20.

TWO UPDATES: For Buffalo, running back Marshawn Lynch’s return is questionable with a shoulder injury. For Denver, Jay Cutler is now just 17 yards away from breaking the franchise’s single-season passing yard record.

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Broncos vs. Bills: Third Quarter Notes

December 21st, 2008 - 4:47pm by Gray CaldwellOther posts by

15:00: The Broncos received the ball to start the game, so Matt Prater is out to kick off to begin the second half. Fred Jackson takes the squib kick 17 yards out to the Buffalo 44-yard line, where the Bills offense takes over.

14:44: Marshawn Lynch takes the first-down carry for four yards. On second down, Buffalo is called for a false start. That makes it second-and-11. Trent Edwards takes the snap in the shotgun formation, finding tight end Robert Royal for an eight-yard pickup before he is forced out of bounds by D.J. Williams.

On third-and-3, Edwards is in the shotgun again. He takes the snap and finds Fred Jackson — he barely gets the first down before beind forced backwards by Dre’ Bly.

12:44: Lynch takes the carry on first down again, picking up another five yards. On second down, Edwards quickly gets the ball out to Josh Reed, who is pushed out of bounds by Champ Bailey just past the first-down marker.

11:30: First-and-10 for the Bills, and Edwards is once again in the shotgun, flanked by two running backs. He gives it to the one on the left, Fred Jackson, and he picks up three yards.

On second down, Edwards tries to find Roscoe Parish in the red zone, but it’s off his fingertips and almost intercepted by Josh Barrett.

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Broncos vs. Bills: Second Quarter Notes

December 21st, 2008 - 3:51pm by Gray CaldwellOther posts by

15:00: The Broncos have a second-and-7 at the Buffalo 21-yard line to start the second quarter. Selvin Young proceeds to take the handoff from Jay Cutler and pick up seven yards and the first down.

On first down, Young takes another carry but is dropped for a loss of a yard. On second down, Cutler drops back and finds Tatum Bell for a three-yard gain.

That sets up third-and-8, and Cutler drops back but can’t find Brandon Marshall — the ball falls incomplete and sets up a fourth down.

Matt Prater jogs onto the field and kicks his second field goal of the game through the uprights. It’s a 30-yarder, and the Broncos’ lead over the Bills is extended to 13-0.

13:12: Prater is back to kick for Denver, with the always dangerous Leodis McKelvin waiting to receive for the Bills. Prater kicks it short, bouncing it just in front of McKelvin. He picks it up and gains 16 yards before being dropped at the 25-yard line by Herana-Daze Jones, his second special teams stop of the day.

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