DEN vs SD: Thoughts and Predictions

vs.
Broncos (1-0) vs. Chargers (0-1)
INVESCO Field at Mile High
Sun, Sep 14, 2008
2:15 PM MDT CBS

Preview | Predictions | Scouting Report
Injury Report | Weather | Tickets

So, I’m back in the States and extremely excited to see our boys crush the Chargers this weekend!

And, yes, I did get to see the DEN vs OAK game while I was away in Canada. I’d have to say it was one of the most satisfying football-watching experiences of my life (behind Elway’s two Super Bowl wins that is).

Like many of you, those of us that blog here at BroncoTalk have been watching and analyzing all of the off-season changes to the team. And, unlike many of the Denver media, we’ve continually made positive predictions about this year’s young team. We have been ridiculed on several occasions by people who don’t believe the team we produced this year is play-off ready. And that makes a game like last Monday night that much sweeter for us ‘believers’.

I’ll say it again… We are going to the playoffs this year and the Super Bowl next season. I don’t think I’ve ever felt as good about our team’s future as I do going into this season. We have a fantastically talented team of young players that could easily define the next football dynasty if we can stay healthy and keep our players as they mature over the next few years.

But before I get ahead of myself, let’s get chat about this week against San Diego.

*****

The REAL Jay Cutler –

So, last December we lost to the Chargers and Philip Rivers openly mocked Jay Cutler. But what Rivers didn’t know at the time was that Cutler had lost 35lbs and was suffering from untreated Type I Diabetes. Cutler completed less than 50% of his throws that night for only 155 yards. He also threw two interceptions and fumbled the ball during a Merriman sack. We completely failed to score a TD on all 11 offensive drives.

To clarify, the Cutler that River’s mocked last Christmas Eve, sure as heck isn’t the same QB that the Chargers will face this Sunday! Charger’s defense… you’ve been warned. :)

Predictions: I obviously think Jay will light it up on Sunday. But I’m going further than that… I think this weekend may, in fact, begin a new era in the league. Yes, I said ‘league’ not team, or division or conference, but a new era in the NFL. I believe Cutler-Marshall-Royal could become the most frightening young force in the NFL. If they do get on a roll, expect some people in the media to begin compare it to Manning-Harrison-Wayne in the weeks to come.

The best part of this would be the fear this combo could cause opponents. With some assistance from our great young O-line we could see things open up the for Andre Hall and Selvin Young all season long.

No reason to stay conservative on these predictions, right? Hehe.

*****

Reduce the BIG PLAYS! –
Last year we lost games because we gave up big plays. There was that late-game pass from Favre in the Green Bay game. There was two TD from that Hester kid. And in the two games we had versus San Diego, we allowed eighteen plays of 15 yards or more and twelve of those went over 25 yards. Yes, we did well almost every other down, but if you give up even a handful of these big plays, you can end up with a run way game (like last year’s home loss in week 5).

Predictions: Last year San Diego had big plays on the ground and through the air. This year, I predict they will have a harder time on the ground. Turner isn’t backing up LT and Tomlinson is dinged up. I think our new starting DT’s and new LB’s will make a big difference versus the run this year. So, that leaves the pass as our big play weakness. It’s odd to say that as we have two of the top rated corners in the league. But because they ARE the leagues best, we often use them one-on-one and that can lead to an occasional big play. However, I fear one passing threat more than the rest…

P.S. You’ll hear many Charger fans talking about the all the rushing yards we allowed on Monday… Ignore them. We were well in the lead and were playing prevent defense to force them to use the clock. If we win like we did against Oakland, I’ll give up that +100 yards rushing EVERY GAME!

*****

The Truth about Tight Ends –
We all know Antonio Gates is a walking mismatch. He will definitely be a wonderful test of our new Safeties. However, on our side of the ball, our TE’s didn’t make much noise in week one with our passing offense ending up very one-sided (the side Eddie Royal was on). Now the challenge will be for the coaches to get Nate Jackson, Daniel Graham and Tony Scheffler into the game more versus the Chargers.

Predictions: My biggest area of concern going into this game is Gates vs our Safeties and nickel package DB’s. I know everyone is saying LT, but I’m more worried about Gates than our run stopping (gasp… did I really just say that!?). If the chargers can get creative in the usage of Gates, we could get burned. This dude needs to be watched extremely close all game long.
On our side of things, I think we’ll continue to use our guys in mostly run blocking roles; however, it doesn’t take a mastermind to see that with the threat of Marshall and Royal demanding some extra coverage, our TE’s could see some open field. It will be interesting to see if our hot young receivers can not only open up the run, but also open up a pass or two for our tight ends.

*****

Get him! Get him! GET HIM!!!
How many times each game to do find yourself screaming this at your TV? I seem to remember yelling something similar to this during many of our losses last year. If we’re screaming this, it usually means that someone (or multiple someone’s) has missed a tackle.

By far the one thing we need to insure is that we improve over last year’s tackling. Monday’s game was great overall, but we still missed some tackles. So, this is an area we need to continue to work on… (that goes double for you guys on Special Teams)!

Predictions: I think we will continue to see marked improvement over last year’s disastrous defense. I think our linebackers are getting comfortable with each other and I expect to see an even more cohesive unit this weekend.

However, my biggest concern remains Special Teams. You all have heard me ramble on and on about this, but our kick-off and punt coverage HAS GOT to get better. It did later in the game versus Oakland… let’s hope that trend continues versus San Diego.

*****

Battle of the Backs: Round 2 –
In week 1, Andre Hall won Top Back. So, who will it be this week? Heck, I’m so confused I’m starting BOTH on my fantasy league! :)

Hey, did any of you notice the total lack of passes to the backs on Monday? I mean, with the exception of a 4 yard pass to Hillis, NONE of our backs recorded a reception versus Oakland… that’s strange. And it could explain why Selvin Young wasn’t as dominate as Hall last game. Young is usually the back that gets those short-yardage tosses, and without them his yardage suffers.

Predictions: You all know Hall is my boy. So, it shouldn’t surprise you if I predict he’ll remain the Top Back after Round 2. However, I also foresee an increased role for Peyton Hillis. The Broncos looked his direction a couple of times last game and I think once he gets some game experience under his belt, Hillis will be playing a bigger and bigger role in both the short-yardage rushing and passing game.

I mean it’s not like we have an aversion to relying on young talent! :)

*****

Will Someone please Sack that Asshole? –
Last year we only sacked Rivers once in two games… That’s NOT good enough. We need that jerk on his knees crying and blabbering about his mommy by halftime.

Predictions: I want to see our front four do the dirty work. I think blitzing is a fine game plan, but we need our starting D-line to create pressure without having to rely on corners or safeties coming into the box. I also think we have enough talent to get the job done. We just need to see it come together on the field when it counts. QB pressure also plays into the earlier point about Big Plays. If the QB is rushed, your chances of a Big Play are dramatically reduced.
If we can end up with more than two sacks, we’ll have the defensive battle won this Sunday.

*****

Well, that’s what I’ve got for this week’s game. Have a great weekend and GO BRONCOS!

What are you all looking forward to? What are your predictions? What do you think the final score will be? Chime in and let us know!

Photo Credits – Doug Pensinger/Getty Images, REUTERS/Rick Wilking,