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Tuesday morning QB: Season's first quarter reveals positives, concerns

By Jeff Legwold, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published September 29, 2008 at 11:04 p.m.

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The Broncos are 3-1 a quarter of the way into the season, and while there are plenty of positives for the teams there are also quite a few areas of concern.

Joe Mahoney © The Rocky

The Broncos are 3-1 a quarter of the way into the season, and while there are plenty of positives for the teams there are also quite a few areas of concern.

Numbers Game

The Broncos have faced the Buccaneers only six times, and the teams haven't played in Denver since 1996.

11/7/1976 Denver, Den. 48-13

11/15/1981 Tampa, Den. 24-7

12/26/1993 Denver, T.B. 17-10

9/15/1996 Denver, Den. 27-23

9/26/1999 Tampa, T.B. 13-10

10/3/2004 Tampa, Den. 16-13

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The Broncos certainly are a mercurial bunch.

Up one day, down the next, a volatile mix of points, troubles and unpredictability. With four games down in this season after Sunday's dip in Arrowhead, it is time for a Quarterly Report.

OFFENSE

They get the snazzy green arrow up for the way they can throw the ball. Quarterback Jay Cutler has shown he can move the team in the hurry-up and has shown he can work in the team's dropback game as well.

He likes working out of the shotgun and receivers like Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal and Brandon Stokley make their three- receiver set difficult to deal with, but there isn't a defensive coordinator in the league who doesn't believe it makes an offense a little more predictable.

That's especially true if a team can't run the ball well enough in the scoring zone when a quarterback runs out of angles because there isn't as much field to work with inside the 20-yard line.

They have rushed for 105 and 94 yards in their last two games, and Sunday in Arrowhead that total came on 22 carries despite never trailing by more than six points until the fourth quarter.

There is this as well: When losing by just one score this season - which is a span of just less than four minutes to the Saints and most of Sunday's loss to the Chiefs, when they spent plenty of the second half in a hurry-up look - the Broncos have thrown the ball 62 percent of the time in first-and-10 situations.

Overall, Cutler already has three 300-yard passing games this season, more than in his first 21 starts combined, and he has been sacked just twice. With his unwavering confidence - it serves him well with the game on the line - in his arm, however, he will take some chances in coverage.

Teams are going to drop people into coverage, especially those that can generate a rush with just their defensive front and test his patience the rest of the way.

DEFENSE

History says if the Broncos have legitimate postseason aspirations, things have to come together pretty quickly here, and it will have to happen with largely the players they have on the roster now.

They have surrendered more points (117) than any team in the league other than the St. Louis Rams (0-4). They have already surrendered at least 450 yards twice, a total opposing offenses cleared just once in 2007 as the Broncos finished 7-9.

The defense has six sacks in four games, but three of those came in the regular-season opener against Oakland, which also started the least experienced quarterback - JaMarcus Russell - the Broncos have faced this season.

The Broncos also have just one interception - a disputed one by Champ Bailey against the Chargers - despite having 135 passes thrown against them, and opposing quarterbacks are completing just over 72 percent of their passes.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Spencer Larsen has had two of the biggest hits of the season in coverage, Matt Prater has made 9-of-10 field goals, including three from at least 50 yards and Eddie Royal is averaging 16.6 yards per punt return.

The big plays are the issue. They have surrendered kickoff returns of 58, 103 (for a touchdown), 41 and 51 yards in four games.

That's a lot of field position somebody else is using against them.

BREAK IT DOWN

The Broncos, who continually get the ball to Brandon Marshall despite the repeated desire of defenses to not allow that each week, got a little of their own deal Sunday.

When the Chiefs needed a play in their close-to-the-vest passing game, they almost always went to Dwayne Bowe. Bowe finished with seven catches overall for 85 yards - 53 percent of Damon Huard's 160 passing yards.

Bowe had four of the Chiefs' seven receptions of 10 yards or more and he had five catches that resulted in first downs. He also found space against a variety of Broncos defensive backs, showing the Chiefs were able to get him in the matchups they wanted.

Rookie cornerback Jack Williams, making his first appearance in the Broncos nickel - five defensive backs - package, found himself on Bowe in one of the outside spots at times, but the Chiefs also got Bowe into the middle of the field as well, where the safeties were forced to make a play.

Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers directed more plays at Champ Bailey than some others have during the past five seasons, but most teams are going to stay away. They are going to aim their efforts at Dre Bly on the other side or at Williams, just as they pointed at Karl Paymah before Williams replaced him.

That will be the Broncos' challenge, especially against the Buccaneers on Sunday. The Buccaneers play their own version of the West Coast offense - it has some similarities to the Broncos' edition - so they spread the ball around looking for the matchup.

The Buccaneers have seven players with at least eight receptions this season.

HOT SPOT

The Broncos have surrendered only two sacks this season, and one of those was Cutler's fumble against the Chargers when he wasn't touched - a play that incorrectly was ruled an incomplete pass - but they will get a stern exam Sunday.

The Buccaneers, who roughed up Packers quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Matt Flynn with largely a four-man rush for most of the day, have 11 sacks this season. They have three defensive linemen - Greg White, Gaines Adams and Kevin Carter - with at least two sacks.

White leads the team with 31/2; Adams and Carter have two each.

MATCH GAME: Broncos WR Brandon Marshall vs. Buccaneers CB Ronde Barber

This past week, the Buccaneers dropped seven players into coverage much of the time on passing downs in their zone scheme so the traditional one-on-one matchups in the secondary might not come all that often.

But Barber, a four-time Pro Bowl selection, often draws the receivers who line up on the offensive right as Marshall often does in the Broncos offense.

Pro personnel scouts who have seen the Buccaneers play this season say Barber did struggle some against the Bears, and Sunday, he slipped in coverage on a touchdown reception by the Packers' Greg Jennings.

But in the Buccaneers' coverage scheme, there could be plenty of people in the passing lanes, and Barber will pounce on any mistakes.

GET IT DONE

Often, in the salary cap era, defense has become a one-or-the-other proposition - that the best run defenses often commit to it at the expense of passing yardage at times and the best pass defenses drop more players into coverage at the expense of the line of scrimmage at times.

The Broncos already have had two games in which they have surrendered at least 150 rushing yards and two games in which they have surrendered at least 375 passing yards.

That is not the kind of defensive balance they are going to be able to tolerate if they are going to be in the postseason mix when all is said and done.

"We'll be better," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said.

The Buccaneers have leaned hard on their run game thus far with at least 146 rushing yards in three games and they threw for more than 400 yards in the fourth.

The Buccaneers almost certainly will take a look in the run game early, as the Chiefs did with six runs in their first six plays Sunday, to see if the Broncos are up to the challenge.

Comments

  • September 30, 2008

    6:47 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    hallandnash writes:

    On the special teams front - Why is Eddie Royal not the main KR? I understand he's the starting WR, but he's so dangerous on the PR, why not give him more touches in the special team situations? Look at the difference Devon Hestor can make.

    They shouldn't forget they drafted him as a returner and got lucky that he can play some solid WR - but Denver still sorely lacks a solid big play kick returner.

  • September 30, 2008

    8:20 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Blind_Pete writes:

    Where have you gone Greg Robinson? Our defense turns its lonely eyes to you. Boo hoo hoo. What's that you say Mr Robinson? Your blitz packages have left and gone away. Hey hey hey. Hey hey hey.

  • September 30, 2008

    8:30 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    brownjuan writes:

    Some nice points made: shorter field in the red zone changes routes and the angles they can be run at; an analysis of Tampa's zone pass defense and the problems it may cause; and a review of the passes caught by the Kansas City receivers and how they contributed to the Broncos loss. This is worthwhile reading.

    Broncos need to get back on track at Mile High on Sunday. I feel the loss in KC says more about the Broncos than it does about the Chiefs. Four turnovers and nearly 198 yards rushing by one runner was the story of that game. Plus, the Broncos winning at Arrowhead? Always tough, a special road win if you can get it. Let's beat Tampa!

  • September 30, 2008

    9:13 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    SE7EN writes:

    Here's a great article on the Broncos Defensive Woes. Maybe it is time for a change at D-line coach.

    http://www.milehighsports.com/daily_s...

  • September 30, 2008

    9:16 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    SE7EN writes:

    Since Jacob Burney became D-line coach in 2002, the sack total has declined every year. Maybe it isn't the coordinator, but rather the lack of production that Burney is getting out of his players. He needs to go!! Read this article, it proves the point. http://www.milehighsports.com/daily_s...

  • September 30, 2008

    9:24 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    parker805 writes:

    While I agree that we need to get more pressure on the qb, what about putting more pressure on the receivers? Champ always gives 12 yards buffer. Even when the opposing team is on Denver's 5 yardline, he is giving 7 yards. No bumping at the line and the receivers are allowed to get going top speed out of the gate, or grab an easy 7 yard catch, leaving no time for pressure from the d-line to be applied.

  • September 30, 2008

    9:40 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    can_am_broncofan writes:

    when the broncos get in the red zone and working with a shorter field, why don't they use adouble tight end set? graham and scheffler can both catch. it seems to me in the good ol' days they used the tight ends more to much success. also this might be a dumb q but can't you flip coverage if a certain player is having trouble covering? dre' bly gets picked on alot. i remember reading how good this tandem of corners was supposed to be together but i think only one is holding his end of the bargain.

  • September 30, 2008

    10:39 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    ColoNative writes:

    How bad does Greise want the win this coming Sunday in Denver? Has he matured into a genuine starter? Greise has a chance to do an "In your face" win in Denver, and with a weak and sputtering defense, this is entirely possible. I hope that there is a wake up call because I don't want to be listening to another chorus of "How do you like me now?"

  • September 30, 2008

    12:21 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    denmex writes:

    front 4
    the way a team is supouse to put together a d is the front 4, our d has 3 playmakers in their roster, #24 who plays away from the ball # 55 who plays away from the ball and # 92 who spouse to play near the ball, but he is the only one in that front 4 who can makes a deiference so he gets 2 players every down.
    imagen an ofence wich 3 play makers ara the fb, the center, and a og, that ofence is not going to put a lot of points in the score bord,
    i dont care who is runnig the d, i dont care who ofence we r playing against the point is that we dont have the talent to stop any body, the front 4 is where every thing starts (ny giants, titans)
    so dear god please meke our team smart and let them treade for a play maker, we have a good chance in this yr to do something special if we could have one more player. next yr could be 2 late specialy with mr bready and mr manning healthy and also we wont get a high draft pick, so once again dear god let the team pull the triger for that player that can make us special.
    ps sorry for my grammar

  • September 30, 2008

    12:34 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    reillyad writes:

    I would first like to thank SE7EN for that great article. I myself had no idea that we have had the same d-line coach since 02. I tottaly agree it is time for him to go, and the sooner the better!

    As for what Parker said about more pressure on the WRs, I tottaly disagree. If you watch the games again there are not that many quick passes thrown against us. The other teams QBs are able to sit back there in the pocket and just pick us apart. No CB tandem in the league could do any better for us without an improved pass rush.

    Can_am_Bronco fan, yes we could flip the coverage and put Champ on whoever is beatting up on Bly but that just means that the other WR would start getting the ball more. Bly has not helped us out in the coverage game anymore than Foxworth did. Even less if you ask me.

    As for the loss to the Chiefs, I was not to supprised. It has been very hard for us to win in KC for awhile now. What did supprise me was the fact that we did not stick to the game plan that won the first three games for us?!?!?! As far as gameplanning goes I think the Broncs looked past KC and decided to experiment a little.

  • September 30, 2008

    3:21 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    TXBRONC writes:

    HallandNash, Hester is not a starter on Bears offense according to the depth chart. In fact I didn't even see his name listed on the offensive depth chart.

    Whether or not we got "lucky" is immaterial, he's starter and that's going to take precedence over playing on Special Teams. Besides that I don't think Hall has done a bad job returning kicks.

  • September 30, 2008

    8:15 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Dynamicdave writes:

    We did use Royal on a return. I think it was for a spark. But it was too little, too late. Oh well, lets see what our Broncos can muster up this week against Tampa. I've read a lot of posts in the past two days. The majority are the "what ifs". I can understand it, to a degree, but I also know that I have no say in the decisions of the game, so I'm just going to go along for the ride. Not that we have much choice. I'll be rooting and supporting and at times, keeping my fingers crossed. I think it's much too early to complain. I'll save that for the Raiders to do. They do it best. We just need to remember that the Broncos have always been good at keeping us at the edge of our seats. Why should things be any different? Enjoy the ride, boys, enjoy the ride.