Broncos report, September 22

Jeff Legwold, Rocky Mountian News

Published September 22, 2007 at midnight

Text size

More Denver Broncos

More stories »

Family ties

Tom Graham played for the Broncos in the 1970s. Daniel Graham plays for the Broncos now.

And two games into the latter's Broncos career, their paths have crossed on a football field and given Daniel Graham a bit of a career milestone.

"To have my dad out there on the field before a game like that, it's never happened before," Daniel Graham said of his father having served as an honorary captain at the coin toss Sunday. "That's one of those things that made what I felt was a tough decision into the right one. I enjoy it a lot. I'm glad to be here."

Broncos coach Mike Shanahan isn't any less happy having called Graham's effort against the Raiders on Sunday "60 minutes of unbelievable football."

Graham has four catches this season and Shanahan has said the veteran tight end has dominated on the line of scrimmage. And Graham should be busy again with the Jaguars pass rush.

Jacksonville's defense is aggressive up the field and coming off a seven-sack game against the Atlanta Falcons.

"Just to be close to family and have a chance to be successful, that's a great combination," Graham said. "Things have gone well. It's how you hope a big decision works out for you."

More you can do

There were plenty of teams that didn't know exactly what they would have done with former University of Colorado linebacker Brian Iwuh.

At 224 pounds when he went into the 2006 draft, some teams saw him as an undersized linebacker and some saw him as a bigger safety.

Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio likes Iwuh just fine on special teams and has kept him at linebacker as well.

"Brian's been good," Del Rio said. "He's done a nice job for us, primarily on special teams to this point. A very active linebacker, and we were fortunate to be able to get him as an undrafted player. He's a guy we had a midround kind of grade on. . . . He slipped through and we got him."

In his senior season with the Buffaloes, Iwuh had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, had a foot injury and a hamstring injury, yet still started 11 games. He re-injured the hamstring at the Senior Bowl, so did not run at the scouting combine or CU's pro day in the weeks leading up to the draft.

So he went undrafted. Now, at 235 pounds, he is in his second season with the Jaguars and has three special-teams tackles this season. He has one tackle on defense.

"He's got plenty of size and he's an active run-and-hit linebacker," Del Rio said.

Dial it down

Now in his 15th season, with plenty of game-winning kicks on his résumé, including two this season, Broncos kicker Jason Elam said he knows when to say when as he stares down a kick.

"My biggest problem when I was young, I'd try to kill everything," Elam said. "A 35-yard field goal, I felt like I had to kick it 60 yards. I wanted it to look pretty. Being older and a little more experienced, I know that doesn't matter.

"All a 35-yard goal has to go (is) 36 yards, a 49-yard field goal has to go 50 yards, that's what I try to do. I'm a lot more controlled."

To go with the game-winners, Elam also has missed three kicks this year, already one more than he missed in all of the 2006 season.

And when things go slightly awry, he is left to repair them for himself.

"I've never really had a swing coach, ever," Elam said. "When you get into little slumps or whatever, you've got to try to figure it out yourself. It would have been nice to have somebody along the way, but I just never have."

But Elam said Broncos first-year special teams coach Scott O'Brien can help some, given O'Brien's experience in the league.

"The good thing about Scott is, he's still learning my swing. I've told him here's about five or six things to look for, and if I'm not doing them, tell me. And here's a couple things, if I'm doing, tell me and I won't do them. He knows what he's talking about, he's been around a lot of successful kickers."

Back in town

The Broncos will have about 150 former players honored before the game Sunday as part of the team's alumni weekend.

The players will be part of a pregame ceremony.

At halftime, former running back Terrell Davis will be the 21st member inducted into the team's Ring of Fame.

"Everybody knows what he's meant to the organization and what we did with him," Shanahan said. "He's a special football player, but a very special person. I can't think of a guy that would deserve the honor more."

Injury report

• Broncos linebacker Ian Gold (ankle) practiced Friday and is expected to play Sunday. Gold was held out of practice Thursday.

"I feel great, I did everything (Friday)," Gold said.

• Safety Hamza Abdullah (hip) did not practice this week and will not play. Tight end Stephen Alexander (calf) and cornerback Domonique Foxworth (ankle) did not practice and were listed by the Broncos as questionable.

• Among those who did not practice for the Jaguars on Friday was defensive tackle John Henderson (head), who was listed by the team as doubtful. Cornerback Brian Williams (ankle) did not practice Friday but was listed as probable.

Numbers game

3 touchdowns the Broncos have scored in their 22 possessions.

He said it

"You could be Cincinnati, putting up 45 points and losing. My thing has always been just getting wins. If we have to win 6-3, I don't care, as long as it says 'W' in the column."

David Garrard, Jaguars quarterback, on his approach to the game.

He said it II

"I wasn't confident in my shoulder when I first got here, now I am. I feel like myself. . . . That's the best thing I can ask of myself. It's hard to be me, especially in this game, there's such a standard, such a bar you've got to play at. Those who have seen me play understand my game."

Simeon Rice, Broncos defensive end, on how his surgically repaired shoulder feels.

Etc.

• Broncos guard Ben Hamilton, who has been away from the team as he recovers from a concussion he suffered during training camp, had been scheduled to return to the team's complex Thursday but was advised by doctors to continue his recovery at home.

• The Broncos coaching staff has pledged $25,000 to the Darrent Williams Memorial Teen Center, a donation that was matched by Steve and Gayle Mooney, longtime friends of Shanahan. The Center is set to open in February, and the budgeted $415,000 has been raised through various donations and a grant from the city of Denver to construct and open the center, but donations will continue to be accepted for future programs and expansion at positiveplacedenver.org or through the Broncos license plate program.

Subscribe to the Rocky Mountain News