Notebook: Focused on the Goal
This Sunday’s regular-season finale between the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos pits two division rivals against each other for the second time this season as they ring in the new year.
In any season, that’s enough to get the blood flowing and adrenaline pumping as the players gear up for the contest throughout the week.
Except this time, it means much more.
Elway Live: Tebow Making Progress
On this week’s episode of “Elway Live,” Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway talked about numerous topics, including the announcement that the Broncos waived quarterback Kyle Orton, evaluating Tim Tebow, the dynamic Elvis Dumervil-Von Miller tandem and much more.
To listen to the 30-minute podcast, hosted by Broncos TV’s Chris Hall, click here.
After addressing the announcement that the team waived quarterback Kyle Orton, Elway touched on the comments he made Monday regarding the long-term future of Tim Tebow.
“It’s a full body of work throughout the whole season,” Elway said. “That’s where we are with Tim. We’re going to continue to look where he is. Like I’ve said, he continues to make progress week-in and week-out.”
Click to continue reading “Elway Live: Tebow Making Progress”
Players Discuss QB Change
After receiving word that Tim Tebow would be taking over for Kyle Orton in Week 7 against the Dolphins, several Broncos shared their thoughts on the change and spoke about the unique traits Tebow brings to the quarterback position.
Here are a few quotes from inside the locker room:
WR Eric Decker on Tebow’s growth:
“With his progression over the last year-and-a-half, he’s just gotten more comfortable with the system. It’s a lot coming from college football to the NFL learning a new system with the speed that everybody has. He’s always had confidence, but getting the experience and getting the passes and just trusting himself and trusting his drops, trusting his throws and trusting the guys around him-that is something you learn as time goes on.”
KOA Tuesday with Kyle Orton
Earlier today, Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton spent some time talking with the Broncos’ flagship radio station — 850 KOA — about last night’s 23-20 loss to the Oakland Raiders.
In the locker room after the game, Orton expressed his disappointment with the final result and that feeling remained for he and his teammates this morning.
“Everybody was disappointed. We are disappointed today,” Orton said. “We are part of half the league that didn’t win their opener and have a lot of work to do to win their second game.
What They’re Saying
With the news that John Elway will join the Broncos front office as executive vice president of football operations, we thought we’d compile some recent quotes on the move. All of the quotes came before Elway officially assumed his new position.
Champ Bailey:
“Obviously he doesn’t have a track record of being involved, but for what he means to Denver, great move. I think his presence will definitely rub off on a lot of people, and this program definitely benefits from that. I’ve looked up to him since I’ve been here. He’s the man, he’s always going to be the man. I hope he can do some good things for us.”
“He’s effective. His voice, his presence, that’s all you need — somebody to be positively effective in this locker room. If you can find anybody like that, John Elway might be the guy.”
“I think when you talk about (John) Elway and then (Broncos Owner and CEO) Mr. (Pat) Bowlen and (Team President) Mr. (Joe) Ellis and those guys upstairs — they are going to do what is right. … I think with Mr. Bowlen, Mr. Ellis and Elway running this team, everything will be fine.”
That Winning Feeling
I don’t care how it happened, against whom it happened or any of the circumstances around the fact that it happened.
I am simply glad the Broncos experienced that winning feeling again.
After five straight losses and nine losses in the ten previous games, the Broncos just needed to win a game. And they did. Let me take a moment to exhale.
Ahhhhh. Nice. It’s good to remember what a Broncos’ win feels like. I had nearly forgotten what a Broncos win felt like, even if at least some of the players had not.
Kicking in the Elements
It’s wet in Oakland.
It’s raining today, and there’s at least a 60 percent chance of rain on each of the next five days — including a 70 percent chance of precipitation on Sunday.
In other words, as Justin Bannan put it, “it might be a mud bath out there” as the Broncos take on the Raiders at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.
“We have talked about the weather,” Interim Head Coach Eric Studesville said, noting that the team hasn’t spent much time dwelling on it. “At this point in time, we have not adjusted any of our game plan for that — although we do have things in the game plan that would be good for this kind of weather that we are anticipating.”
One player in particular who has an eye on the weather is kicker Steven Hauschka, who will play in his second game as a Bronco with Matt Prater officially listed as out for Sunday’s game.
Opportunity Under Center
For most of his rookie season, Tim Tebow has had to rely on mental reps during the practice week with Kyle Orton taking a majority of the real snaps with the first-team offense.
That changed Wednesday with Orton limited in practice by injured ribs. Interim Head Coach Eric Studesville said Tebow took the majority of the first-team reps as he and Brady Quinn helped get the offense ready for Sunday’s game in Oakland.
“I think just getting more opportunities out there — more reps — that’s a lot of fun for me,” Tebow said. “That’s a chance to really work and improve and learn this offense even more. If I get an opportunity on Sunday, that’ll be exciting as well.”
Orton Limited in Practice
For the first time this season, Kyle Orton’s name filled out a spot on the injury report.
The quarterback participated in Wednesday’s practice in a limited capacity as he nursed the rib injury he suffered last Sunday in Arizona. Orton returned to finish that game and said he never doubted his ability come back and perform through the pain.
“They asked me, and I said I wanted to keep on going,” he said. “I was sore coming out of the game for sure. I just keep on getting the treatment throughout the week and (I’ll) be as healthy as I can.”
Still the Starter
On Monday, Interim Head Coach Eric Studesville said Kyle Orton will start Sunday in Oakland.
Studesville went on to say that he and the coaching staff would continue to examine a variety of factors to decide which mix of players across the roster will give his team the best chance to beat the Raiders.
“We’re going to look at everything today,” Studesville said. “We have two days to gameplan and look and talk as an organization about what we want to do. If that’s the direction that we decide to go and we feel is best for us, then we’ll make that decision. Right now, we still have to look at everything and get ready and go from there.”