I have to admit, last night caught me a bit off guard.  I hadn’t really thought much about what this blog would contain during a Broncos game.  And, yes, I know I had all off-season to prepare game-day blogging strategies for My Denver Obsession, but in the end… I just watched the game.

I had originally thought about taking my laptop over to the sofa and doing up-to-the-minute blogging all during the game.   I also thought about doing a half-time or post-game summary last night.  But I had never (until last night) really taken the time to understand how I watch Denver football as a fan – and how that experience might not be very conducive to live game-blogging.

Everyone, I would assume, interacts differently with their favorite past time.  And most people probably don’t think much about that interaction.

For me, game days are something I eagerly await.  For example, everyone in my office on Monday knew (down to the minute usually) how many hours were left before kick off.  Friends and family called to see where I was going to watch the game and if I was ‘doing anything special’ for the preseason kick off.

Right before the game I usually tune-in for the pre-game telecast.  I can even get goose-bumps or teary-eyed when the announcers begin doing their usually emotional ramp up to the game with inspirational or heartbreaking background stories on individual players.

However, all that anticipation usually turns to tense nervousness around kick off time.  By the time our offense or defense takes the field, I’m usually a wreck.  It’s like watching a stage show from backstage – you know the script and all the players, but all you can do when the lights come up is hope they hit their marks, remember their lines and don’t actually break their legs.

I usually only use the front corner of the sofa cushion as I’m poised on the edge of my seat through everything but the commercials… well, that’s where I’m at when I’m not pacing the room.  I also have to admit, I’m pretty vocal.  Yes, I know no one but my very understanding wife (and my somewhat confused five-year-old foster daughter) can hear me, but I think it’s more of a way to release my tension than anything else.

I yell at the refs when they make a bad call.  I shout when we get a first down.  I curse when our QB gets intercepted.  I chant the player’s name if they break tackles and tear into the secondary.  And once, my wife thought I had a heart attack during a certain play off game against the Colts when she found me on the living room floor…

What – like you didn’t cry about that loss!?

The point of all this introspection is that I realized last night that I would not be providing a minute-to-minute blogging experience here.  If you are interested in that sort of detailed account of the game I would suggest checking out Andrew Mason’s blog.  Or, for a fan perspective, I would strongly recommend Kmonty over at BroncoTalk (a totally awesome Bronco blog).  Both of these, and several others around the web, can give you an in-game fix (or provide an alternative way to get the latest game updates if you’re without a TV).
Here, in this little corner of the web however, I think my pre-game-posts will primarily be about things I look forward to seeing in the upcoming game and my post-game reports will likely be about my personal fan experience and my feelings about the game.

I can’t promise that these will be minutes after the last whistle.  Sometimes, like last night, I spend a lot of time thinking about the game and trying to digest all that happened before I feel comfortable talking about (or writing) about it.

So, there you have it.  You’ll get my game blog entry soon, but until then I wanted to let you know why you were waiting… and what you can expect when it arrives.

I hope you stick around.

Call me obsessive… I won’t deny it. My Tivo has been working overtime as I watch the first drive over and over again. I’m solidifying my opinions on Montrae Holland and Chris Myers as the stud and dud of the game, respectively. The more I watch Holland the more I fall in love with the guy, and the more I watch Myers the more I want to stop…

In lieu of the Top 10 today, I’m writing this breakdown of the Broncos’ first drive, where we marched 67 yards in 8 plays – 4 minutes and 6 seconds -and scored a touchdown on Travis Henry‘s one yard run.

NOTE: I tried not to get too technical for the non-“football literate” readers out there. I felt the need to mention the gaps, though, and thought this image courtesy of Football 101 would help.

After Quincy Morgan returned the opening kickoff to the Denver 33 yard line, the chess match began.

Play #1 – 1st and 10 – Denver 33

THE CALL: Run, right, through the B Gap (the hole between the guard and tackle, pictured above).
THE EXECUTION: Nalen, Meadows and Holland would all be called upon to pick up the blocks and did so beautifully. I think Daniel Graham lined up on the right side as well, but it’s hard to tell with the footage provided. LG Meyers and Meadows picked up their blocks immediately, opening a hole. Holland went first into the hole and completely consumed his defender. Meanwhile, LT Erik Pears and C Nalen move into the 49er backfield and hold crucial blocks against their foes, a good 6 or 7 yards past the line of scrimmage. Henry was quick with his one cut and hit the hole before it closed.
THE RESULT: 11 yards, first down, as Henry was barely touched until 8 yards past the line of scrimmage. This play was a thing of beauty – everyone hit their assignment, and the Broncos 2007 campaign is underway.

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With football in some fashion now in the books, it’s official – the Broncos offseason is over!

Adding to this “officiality” is the release of Madden NFL 2008 today. Everyone knows once Madden hits store shelves, it’s time to play football again. As my senior year at NAU draws near, I’m very bitterly disappointed that I don’t have the funds to spare to go get the game myself… you know, responsibilities and such. If you can, go get it and rub it in. I can take it.

But I’m celebrating the end to the longest offseason of all time by changing up the daily fix… before it was a bunch of offseason articles that really didn’t mean much, and just helped fans kill the time. No more AFC West Watches, no more Pick ‘Em Mondays… no more “Offseason Awards” (as surprisingly popular as they were to some – I got more compliments on my BroncoTalk Offseason Awards than anything). And while I’ll still be posting several times a day, I plan on keeping some structure to this whole thing.

Without further ado, your new Daily Fix (to start in the next few weeks)…

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The win wasn’t all that important, although I must admit I feel a bit better that our defense was able to hold them off until the very end.

But not that much better. I’m still watching the game film, or at least whatever ESPN decided they wanted to let me watch between their horrible interviews (Michelle Tafoya actually asked Rod Smith about the death of Darrent Smith… if you’re going to screw something that big up, don’t bother with the interview at all. Just let me watch my game). Here’s what I liked and what I didn’t like.

What I Liked

Montrae Holland – #70 – First on my list for a reason. The first play of the game was an 11-yard run by Travis Henry that would have gotten nowhere without Holland’s precise block to the linebacker. This big guy got to the second level and opened up the lane, really as Henry’s lead blocker. In the touchdown play (which may or may not have been a score, by the look of it – probably would have been challenged in a real game) he did similar, and I didn’t see him giving into 49er pass rushers like some of the other guys on the line. If you watch the right guard through the first few series, you’ll see consistent blocking in both the running and passing game. When the pocket collapsed and Jay Cutler had to make his 16-yard scramble, it was the right guard that kept the hole open for him to run – he plain LEVELED his man, knocking his ass to the floor. If he performs like that year round, we’re talking sure-fire Pro Bowl for Holland. I can see why the Broncos extended his contract last week. Man, I feel like going out and buying a Holland jersey today!… My Offensive MVP of the game, BY FAR.

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Noteworthy notes today…

BRONCOS BEAT 49ERS 17-13
The starters looked good in limited play – in case you missed it, feel free to scan below and see one of the four or five posts focusing solely on the game. I’ll have my own personal recap/update later this morning (I’m watching the game again right now).

WARREN TRADE IMMINENT
The Denver Post reports that there were several takers yesterday for the Gerard Warren trade. It’ll likely go through today.

ROD SMITH SAYS A MOUTHFUL
The interview with Rod Smith on the sidelines last night was a juicy one. For one, he likely won’t be ready by Week 1 (no real surprise there). A bit more surprising was the nugget that was dropped saying Shanahan suggested that Smith should call it a career at the end of last year. There really is no quit in this guy.

FOXWORTH WANTS MORE GAME TIME
Domonique Foxworth says he loves being a Denver Bronco. But he’s really anxious to see the field just the same, and feels he deserves it more often.

BRONCOS DEPART TODAY
The Broncos will leave today for Dallas, their Saturday night preseason opponent. They will practice with the Cowboys throughout the week in preparation for the matchup. The game will air on the NFL Network the following day at 2PM PDT, subject to a schedule change.

VICK CASE TAKES A TURN
The Michael Vick trial took an interesting turn as his two co-defendants are scheduled to enter into plea agreements later this week. Vick would be wise to do the same, but doing so will surely set events in motion for a year suspension to come down from Commissioner Roger Goodell.

CHIEFS AND LJ CLOSE TO DEAL
The twenty-some odd million dollars separating the Chiefs and Larry Johnson in contract negotiations has narrowed significantly… to about $7 million or so, according to the Kansas City Star. The deal could be done by the end of the week, getting LJ back in camp. Wow, Carl Peterson, don’t bend over backwards here.

RAIDERS COACH HOSPITALIZED
New Raiders Head Coach Lane Kiffin was hospitalized Monday with a viral infection and may miss several days.

San Francisco 49ers running back Maurice Hicks (43) jumps over Denver Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey (24) in the first quarter. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma).

Courtesy the Associated Press and ESPN.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Alex Smith and Jay Cutler both looked ready to shoulder the big responsibilities they’ll carry this season.

Smith went 4-for-5 for 58 yards passing while leading two first-quarter scoring drives for the 49ers, and Cutler was sharp in limited action for Denver in the Broncos’ 17-13 preseason victory over San Francisco on Monday night.

Neither team scored in the final 19 minutes, and the Broncos’ defense stopped the 49ers at the Denver 3 with 1:21 to play as the clubs finally played the NFL’s last exhibition opener, a full eight days after the Hall of Fame game kicked off the preseason.

But Smith, the 2005 No. 1 draft pick in his third season with San Francisco, built on his promising efforts in practice with a poised, precise quarter. With his third offensive coordinator in three seasons and a new crop of receivers, Smith would have excuses for slow development.

He didn’t need any in the opener.

“I felt a lot more comfortable than I’ve ever played,” Smith said. “Knowing what’s happening and reading defenses, everything is really slowing down. I felt really comfortable about that.”

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“We don’t pay much attention to the first preseason game… I hate to say that, but it’s the truth.” 

— Mike Shanahan 8/10/07

Mike Shanahan doesn’t care about the rematch against the team who knocked the Broncos out of the playoff less than a year ago.  He hasn’t broken down the 49ers offense or defense.  He hasn’t spent hours preparing a special game plan or scripting the plays for Cutler’s first drive.  He just doesn’t care.

OK… more correctly, he cares — just not about the term ‘game.’

Mike Shanahan and his coaches view the coming Monday night skirmish as an extended practice, not a full football game.

Yes, it will be under the glaring lights of ESPN’s Monday Night Football cameras.  Yes, a football hungry nation will be watching, as tonight symbolizes the beginning of the season to many fans.  But just because millions of viewers will be tuning in won’t mean that the Bronco’s Head Coach will take his eyes off the prize.

And the ‘prize’ is a championship season in 2007.

From that perspective, the only thing that matters tonight is evaluating his personnel under game-play situations.

That’s why I love the preseason, really.  I look forward to seeing all the fresh faces and lesser known players give 110% effort as they fight for a roster spot.  These preseason games can bring more energy and emotion than playoff games sometimes (just ask TD about Tokyo).

So, here is a list of things I’m looking forward to seeing tonight (mostly in order of importance to my personal entertainment):

1.  Jim Bates sideline manner – Oh, PLEASE get him a mic ESPN!!!!!
Bates and his coaches have been very vocal during camp and I can’t wait to see his sideline coaching style in his first game as a Bronco!

2.  Pass Rush – Blow ‘em up boys!
With all the attention the Broncos have placed on the D-line, I want to see even our 3rd and 4th teams terrorizing the 49ers tonight.  We will also get to see our rookies playing for the first time in orange and blue, which should be fun… And, heck, a little bit of payback is a good thing!

3.  Patrick Ramsey and Darrell Hackney – Let’s see your fastball guys!
Patrick Ramsey has shown great strides in learning Shanahan’s offensive system, so I’m looking forward to seeing him tonight.  I know there will be some struggling (especially early on) as this is his first game with the new unit, but the coaches have been impressed with his intelligence and the speed at which he’s picked up the scheme.  Darrell Hackney has also had a very good camp.  Tonight will give him a chance to show off his talents (not the least of which is his arm strength).

4.  Our young WR’s – who’s left?
We have some talented guys with not a lot of starting experience (and some with none).  However, players like Kircus, Hixon, Morgan and Clark have all done very well at camp.  It will be interesting to see how they do during tonight’s skirmish.

5.  Ground Assualt – Let’s see ‘em roll!
While I look forward to seeing our RB’s take the field, I have my doubts about their production this evening due to the missing starters along the O-line.  Lepsis and Hamilton will sit this one out.   That will cause the rest of the line to shuffle (all but Tom Nalen that is).  However, I think we should still be able to see flashes from our backs well into the 3rd and 4th teams tonight.  Of course, my favorite lesser known Bronco RB is Andre Hall and I can’t wait to see what he makes of his chances when the lights are on.

6.  What about SAM – who’s going to make the big play on the Strong Side?
Well, the reps have been split between Nate Webster and D.D. Lewis throughout camp.  Holdman and Moore are out and Green (listed as the starter) is battling a knee injury.  So, will it be Webster or Lewis that stands out this evening?

OTHER AREAS TO WATCH:

   Strong Secondary – With the starters not getting many reps we’ll have to wait to see much of the Champ & Bly show for at least another week.  Still… We have some good backups, and it will be fun to see how well they do.

   Full Backs – Watch the FB’s tonights carefully.  Kyle has been leading the work, but Paul Smith, Tony Fleming and even Cecil Sapp may get some reps.

   Depth at O-line – Backup and rookie O-linemen should be fun to watch tonight.  This will be a great chance to see how they’re coming along.

   D.J. in the Middle – Again, the starters won’t be in very long, but while they are D.J. Williams will likely make some big plays.

   TE’s catching & blocking – We should see some of both from our TE’s this evening – it should be fun to watch!

8:12 – Game over, final score (not that it matters) 17-13 Denver.  All of 3 points in the second half.   How about Selvin Young carrying the rock to finish the game… wonder what happened to Andre Hall, who never saw the field… I’ll post the AP release in a minute, as well as my own take in a few…

7:57 – What?! Did I hear that right? Mike Shanahan told Rod Smith not to come back last year? Juicy tidbit there…

7:52 – It’s nearly a 2:1 ration among runs to passes. 29 rushes, 15 pass attempts so far. Through the first half there were only 5 pass attempts, so at least the coaches are letting the balls fly a bit more now.

7:40 – With the fair catch, the 49ers take over the starting field position battle. They are now up by about 4 tenths of a yard. Just in case you were wondering, because I’m obsessing over this, if you can’t tell. Remember that this stat takes into account so much more than Special Teams – interceptions have an obvious effect, and field position at the time of a punt will influence the stat easily as well.

7:26 – Took my eyes off the game for the past few minutes to update the Average starting field position. Broncos 35.4. Niners 32.9.

7:24 – Steve Cargile finds himself in the right place at the right time again for an end zone pick. Nice job.

7:17 – Nice freaking stop by Crowder there. Got right past his lineman and made the tackle for loss against the RB. Could be my defensive MVP of the game…

7:15 – I’m probably paying too much attention to Crowder. I find myself focusing on him every single play. He shows good burst off the line then seems to shut down as he makes contact with the offensive lineman.

And what’s with the ESPN interview/game split screen? It’s like 20% interviewee’s head, 35% actual game, and 45% weird orange filler. LET ME WATCH MY GAME!

7:12 – At least our Special Teams aren’t giving up a lot of big plays, either. After further research, it appears that first half monster punt was actually the work of Paul Ernster, who is ahead of Sauerbrun in net yards. I’ll keep you posted on Special Teams stuff…

7:07 – The protection Ramsey is getting is encouraging, for what it’s worth. By the way, I’ve lost track of the average starting field position game… sorry, I was really looking forward to focusing on that tonight. Nice reverse by Brian Clark.

7:05 – That’s the second long bomb from Patrick Ramsey to Domenik Hixon, and the second one where we barely dodged the interception bullet.

Ashley Lelie getting denied tasted oh so sweet.

Back and better than ever.

Who’s playing well and who’s not… giving out a few props and ass kickings to these Broncos.

STUDS

Travis Henry – Breaking tackle after tackle, this guy just doesn’t know how to give up on a play. Healthy 5+ average with a touchdown on 5 carries, and Henry’s first action as a Bronco is over.

Montrae Holland – Did you see his bulldozer blocks at right guard that set up the Henry score? Excellent stuff from our new acquisition.

D.D. Lewis – I think he’ll be playing at SAM a bit more often. He leads the team in tackles with 3.

Hamza Abdullah – Nice pick, nice position. Good stuff overall.

Tim Crowder – I’m seeing him around a lot of plays, and that was a nice sack.

DUDS

Jay Cutler – He looked great, but he screwed up when he took that run. He only had two passes, one very bad and one very good. But nobody wants to see their franchise quarterback come out of a pile without his helmet in a preseason game, Cutler, nobody.

Adam Meadows – Letting pressure in more than once.

Chris Myers – He plain missed that block completely when Cutler had to run for his life.

Domenik Hixon – Mis-timed that jump, and could have come away with it.

Ashley Lelie – Had to mention him. No catches so far.

6:42 – I’m a little worried about our Kicker situation, but not really worried. Training Camp reports have said Elam is having trouble adjusting to the new holders now that Plummer is gone, and that may have been what caused the missed field goal tonight. Studs and Duds so far coming soon….

6:38 – The 49ers get the ball right back. Patrick Ramsey loads up, fires, and the jump ball between Hixon and two defenders lands in scarlet and gold hands. Wait.. now it’s a pass interference call! Broncos ball deep in Niner territory! Less than 10 seconds now…

6:35 – That a baby, Hamza Abdullah! The throw was terrible, and the interception was just a matter of catching the ball. But this fan favorite just jumped up in my books a tad bit more.

6:33 – I have to say, that replay set is a trip. Do the huge curtains around the television screen remind anyone else of The Wizard of Oz?

6:30 – I was laughing at the exact same thing as the booth guys… you can excuse Trent Dilfer… he doesn’t get to play that often. It will get reversed.

6:22 – I was just about to comment on the lack of pressure when good old Dumervil takes Trent Dilfer out. Not good enough though… the chains have moved yet again as the 2-minute warning approaches.

6:19 – Really nice punt from Sauerbrun (I believe – walked up and looked at the tiny jersey numbers an inch from my screen. I’m pretty sure it was a #10). I’m liking what I see from Tim Crowder in run support – look for #96 to keep busy on that d-line.

6:12 – Quincy didn’t look nearly as impressive that time. He stutter-stepped so bad he let the guy he dodged get back up and tackle him from behind. New Denver average starting field position – 34.6. San Francisco’s average (with that interception helping A LOT) – 38.

6:09 – Impressive so far – how about Steve Cargile nearly getting that pick? Another Nedney field goal brings it to 14-13 Denver. And I’m now caught up to the rest of the world… Can’t fast forward through those commercials.

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