Quotesheet: Can Dennis Allen’s defense step up twice?

Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, rear, during training camp at the Denver Broncos football training facility in Englewood, Colo. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

We sift through the weeks’ transcripts and handpick one quote sheet from a Denver Broncos player or coach to pass on to you. This week: on Thursday, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen broke down his defense’s Cincinnati Bengals stop and what to expect from the Tennessee Titans. Quotes courtesy Denver Broncos.

On the final defensive series against Cincinnati

“I think you have to play every situation as it plays out. We were in a situation there where they had the ball around midfield. They needed a field goal to win the game, so we had to be more aggressive to win the game. I think you play every situation out, and that was situation that we felt as a coaching staff that called for us to bring some pressure and luckily we had the right one called up and were able to get to the quarterback.”

On the defensive mindset against Tennessee

“I think it’s always got to be to stop the run. That’s where we have to start. They have a very explosive back and at any time could break one loose, so you have to be perfect on your run fits on every single snap. We have to make sure we’re consistent in that, and then, obviously, playing a veteran quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. We faced him with the Saints last year and didn’t fare so well against him. We’ve got our work cut out for us against this team.”

On stopping Tennessee CB Chris Johnson

“First and foremost, I think Jacksonville and Baltimore (Tennessee’s first two opponents) both have always been pretty good against the run. I think they put a lot of guys in the box. They’re able to get off blocks, and that’s kind of a key, to not just hold your blocks but get off the blocks and make a play. That’s what those guys have been able to do.”

On getting to know how the team does in clutch situations

“I think all those are learning experiences for us. We are getting a feel for each other and the way that we think and the way that we coach as well as the players and the way they react to different situations. We’re going to take in all those things and take in that information and file it away so that we have that for future use.”

On S Rahim Moore playing deep in the secondary

“Well the philosophy is trying to eliminate explosive plays. We play our free safety a little deeper than most people. His job is to make sure everybody else stays aggressive and keep the ball from going over our head, and that’s the philosophy behind it.”

On Moore’s field position due to him being a rookie

“No. I think as he does get more experience, he will be more aggressive in different things. At the same time, I think that’s our general philosophy of putting that guy in that position.”

On waiving LB Mike Mohamed

“It’s a numbers game, and at the end of the day we were low offensively at the tight end position, so the personnel people, [General Manager] Brian Xanders, [Vice President of Football Operations] John Elway, [Head Coach] John Fox, they make those decisions, and that’s what they chose to do.”

On facing QB Matt Hasselbeck last year when he was coaching in New Orleans and Hasselbeck was in Seattle

“We didn’t execute the plan. We had some guys in positions at times, and we couldn’t make the plays when we needed to make the plays, and he did. He’s an outstanding quarterback and has been an outstanding quarterback for a long time. We have our work cut out against him, and obviously he’s got a good, talented group around him, too. It’s going to be a challenge for us, but we’re looking forward to the opportunity.”

On WR Kenny Britt

“I think the thing that he is, is he is big and physical and he’s fast, can catch the ball in a ton of different spots. I think just like with a lot of young guys, he’s become more detailed in his assignments and what he’s doing. He’s an explosive player, and we’ve got to know where he is at all times.”

On LB D.J. Williams’ impact on the defense

“D.J. is an outstanding football player. He’s led this team in tackles for I don’t know how many years. He’s kind of one of our leaders on the team, so having a guy like that back will be really beneficial for us.”

On Williams wearing the helmet with the radio to communicate with coaches

“I think it would be him and [LB] Joe Mays. We have to sit down and talk about how we’re going to do those things, but he’s obviously going to be very involved in the communication aspect.”

On Williams’ recovery

“I think he’s done well. He’s come back out this week and been practicing on a limit basis. I think he’s moved around well, and I’m anxious to see him get out there and play.”

On integrating Williams back into the defense

“Conditioning will be a factor with him just like anybody else that comes back after being out for a while. We will have to monitor that and see how he does conditioning wise.”

On whether the defense would target injured opponents in a game

“It’s a physical game, and I don’t think you’re going at anybody in any particular way just because they have an injury. We’re going to play the game aggressively just like we always do. We don’t really take into account what their physical ailments may be.”

On passing numbers being higher than normal

“I do think if you watch the trends over the National Football League in the past several years, people have really been throwing the ball around a lot and passing for a lot of yards. I think that’s part of the trend in the National Football League for the passing numbers to be up. I don’t know if the lockout necessarily had much to do with that.”

On the secondary benefiting from OTAs the most

“From a defensive stand point, yes, because you have to make the most adjustments back there in the secondary, and the further you move away from the ball, the more you have to be able to see. So that’s obviously part of the deal.”

On passing numbers possibly decreasing in the coming weeks due to secondary positions gaining synergy

“I hope for our sake they do. We don’t want to give up 300-yard passers, so hopefully we will continue to improve and continue to get better in that regard and execute our assignments a little bit more consistently and when we do we’ll have success.”

On LB Wesley Woodyard filling in for LB D.J. Williams

“I think he’s played really well—a guy that hasn’t really played a lot on first and second down to come in and play the amount of snaps that he’s played. He made a big play for us at the end of the game for us last week, and I think he’s done a real good job for us.”