Broncos report: Turnovers could prove costly against Dolphins

By Lee Rasizer, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published October 31, 2008 at 4:12 p.m.

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Photo by Jim Rogash / Getty Images

Broncos running back Andre Hall fumbles in Monday's loss to the Patriots. "That's the main thing in our losses - turnovers," tight end Daniel Graham said. "We're just killing ourselves."

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The Broncos giveth. And the Dolphins taketh away.

And there is the rub for the matchup Sunday at Invesco Field at Mile High.

Because the Broncos have struggled with turnovers since their 3-0 start and are currently minus-9 in the differential, or 31st in the league, ahead of only San Francisco. Denver also has lost nine fumbles, which ties them with the 49ers for last in the league.

The Dolphins are second in the league in turnover differential, at plus-7, and have recovered eight fumbles, the second-highest total in the NFL. They have two players - safety Yeremiah Bell and linebacker Joey Porter - who each have forced three fumbles.

"That whole defense, they're getting pressure, causing a lot of fumbles, which we've been prone to the last few games," quarterback Jay Cutler said.

The Broncos have lost eight of their fumbles in the past four games, a stretch when they are 1-3. In the Monday Night Football loss in New England before their bye, running back Andre Hall fumbled to finish the Broncos' first two possessions of the game.

The Patriots turned each of those turnovers into a field goal. In all, those eight lost fumbles have been made into 26 points by the Broncos' opponents in the past four games.

"We have to take care of the ball," Broncos tight end Daniel Graham said. "I think defenses are going to see what's happened and they're going to be trying to strip the ball away. We have to be aware of that."

Against the Dolphins, Porter will be a particular problem for the Broncos. The 10th-year veteran has flourished in the Dolphins' move to a 3-4 defense under first-year coach Tony Sparano.

From an outside linebacker spot and despite most teams directing their pass protection schemes toward him, he already has tied his single-season career high for sacks, at 101/2, in only seven games. He had 101/2 sacks in the Steelers' 3-4 defense in 2000 and 2005.

"You've got to keep your eye on that guy . . . (he) gets a lot of pressure off the edge," Cutler said.

"He understands how people are going to block him, how people are going to slide protections, or chip him or do some of those things . . . ," Sparano said. "One thing that Joey does is, he plays very, very hard during the course of this thing. That sounds like he's supposed to play pretty hard, but what I mean is, when you're getting blocked by two people sometimes, to be able to keep fighting and find a way to get through some of those things and still get to the ball, that's a credit to Joe."

Rookie left tackle Ryan Clady figures to have Porter across from him most of the game, and the Broncos have usually lined up Graham where they believe they need to beef up pass protection.

No other Dolphins player has more than two sacks this season, so Porter has been the chief target of offenses, but he has continued to force the issue anyway. Denver also struggled some with the Patriots' 3-4 look, with Cutler and backup Patrick Ramsey each taking some big hits in the loss.

Most defensive coordinators believe the best chance for a defense to force a fumble is with a hit on the quarterback.

"We know we have to be better with the ball," Cutler said.

Streaking

One of the tried and true ways of slowing a pass rush is to run the ball, but the Broncos have not been up to their usual standards running the ball in the scoring zone of late.

The team has not scored a rushing touchdown in its past four games. It is only the third four-game streak of that nature in Mike Shanahan's tenure as head coach, but two of the three now have come in the past two seasons.

Under Shanahan, the team never has gone five consecutive games without a rushing touchdown. The Broncos also had a four-game stretch without a rushing touchdown from Oct. 7 to Nov. 4 last season, and another from Sept. 19 to Oct. 10 in the 2004 season.

Last season, the Broncos were 1-3 in those games, a streak that was broken when Selvin Young had a 20-yard scoring run against Kansas City. But the team finished 7-9 and missed the playoffs.

In 2004, they were 3-1 during the streak on the way to a 10-6 finish. The Broncos eventually lost 49-24 to the Colts in an AFC wild-card game.

"When you get that run game going, it's tough to defend," running back Michael Pittman said.

The Broncos have been battered in the backfield of late as well.

This week, Hall has missed practice time because of an ankle injury. Young, who has missed two games, practiced on a limited basis because of a groin injury and Pittman has practiced with rib and neck injuries.

Rookie Ryan Torain said he's hoping to play in his first NFL game this weekend. He missed most of training camp after suffering an elbow injury and has practiced the past two weeks.

"I just want to get in and contribute," Torain said. "Hopefully, some big plays."

Almost no Wildcat

The Dolphins have grabbed the league by the lapels this season with the use of the "Wildcat" formation - a throwback look where running back Ronnie Brown takes a direct snap from center - but Sparano said he was close to scrapping the idea earlier this season after watching Brown in practice.

The Dolphins unveiled the formation Sept. 21 at New England and went on to a 38-17 victory. Brown rushed for four touchdowns in the game, three out of the Wildcat formation, and he also threw a 19-yard touchdown pass out of it.

"I felt really good about everything during the course of that game, except Ronnie Brown throwing the football, that didn't look so good during the course of the practice," Sparano said. "It came real close to getting scrapped, to be honest with you, but his very last throw of the week was a good throw and we went into the game just thinking, if we had a chance, it would be one of those deals where Ronnie could easily run the ball."

Shanahan said the Broncos already have worked in practice long before this week to prepare for the Wildcat because the Broncos thought they might see it from Oakland in the regular-season opener. The Raiders have rookie running back Darren McFadden, who was used in the formation in his career at Arkansas.

Etc.

* Ramsey will wear a splint on his injured right elbow for a month before a decision is made about surgery. Many options are being considered for the seventh-year veteran, everything from no surgery if the elbow heals enough over the next four weeks to Tommy John surgery, which would involve ligament replacement and likely a season's worth of recovery time. Ramsey injured the elbow in the preseason, then re-injured it late in the second quarter against the Patriots. He is on injured reserve for the remainder of the season.

* Hall (ankle) and Young (groin), tight end Tony Scheffler (groin) and receiver Brandon Stokley (concussion) all were limited in practice Friday. All are listed as questionable for Sunday.

Young has said he hopes to play after missing two games. But all likely will need to show some improvement before Sunday to play against the Dolphins.

* The Dolphins returned 230 tickets for the game that are being sold through Ticketmaster - www.ticketmaster.com and 303-830-TIXS - or at the Invesco Field box office.

• October 31, 2008

  5:27 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Dynamicdave writes:

  What is the malfunction with the RMN writers? Yesterday and Wednesday, you guys stated that Scheffler and Stokley are scheduled to play, then you say questionable? Make up our minds.

• November 1, 2008

  8:25 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  jjjpaco writes:

  The broncos are 1-7-1 all time against miami in the regular season. After tomorrow they will be 1-8-1. Go fins

• November 1, 2008

  10:49 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Existentalism writes:

  This worthless ball club called the broncos is once again on its way to disappointing the fans of Denver, just as they have consistently done for the past 8 years.
  We need new blood, we need new management, we need a new head coach.
  How about going out there and actually earning your 170,000.00 you are paid for every game.
  It would be nice to see the broncos really start to earn their outlandish salaries that they aren't worth the money for.
  A $170,000.00 to play a friggin game with a piece of pigskin.
  Little boys playing little games who are way overpaid.

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