The one good thing about the frustrating loss to the Rams four days ago is that the Broncos have a chance to erase that one sooner rather than later with a Thursday Night Football win over the Cardinals tonight.But will they?Returning to the Ultimate Fan Guide
Authentic Von Miller Jersey , draco1986 believes they will. Whether he’s buying the trash talk from Von Miller, selling the doom and gloom from much of Broncos Country or just hoping the Broncos can pull it together against what should be an inferior team, we don’t much care. The point is that the Broncos should be able to win this one in spite of bad coaching just by running the ball, stopping the run and not getting boneheaded penalties. Is that too much to ask? We don’t think so.Week 7: Broncos at CardinalsMHR - Talking about this team feels like a constant nature v. nurture debate - is it coaches or is it players? Is it scheme or is it performance? But the answer is always “both.” So what responsibility of this mess is Vance Joseph’s, what is John Elway’s? And how do we fix it long-term?draco1986:I think Vance shoulders more of the blame at this point. John puts the team together, and while it hasn’t always been perfect, this team has a lot of talent. But Vance is the one that has to utilize it to its potential. And so far, I dont think he’s done that. A lot of it I think comes down on the offensive staff failing to put together a game plan that takes advantage of the talents. If the offense is more consistent, it’s going to improve the defense. MHR - The Cardinals are 1-5, have coaches on the hot seat, and are playing at home. The Broncos are 2-4, have coaches on the hot seat and are playing on the road as 2.5-point favorites from Vegas. Do you agree they have the advantage here?draco1986: I think so. It’s a short road week and that always makes things especially difficult. But this team has talent, and they’ve competed against likely the two best teams in the league. Von is showing some fire, which I think this team needs from him. MHR - 58 offensive plays. 41 passes (60% completion rate). 17 rushes (5.3 ypc, 1st in NFL). What gives???draco1986: I defended the ratio against KC because I thought the situational choices demanded it, with the amount of two-minute offense we ran. This past week though, I think Keenum and Musgrave out-thought themselves. The Rams brought men down into the box and challenged Denver to throw on them, and it didn’t work on enough plays. Case has to hit throws to punish teams when they do that. MHR - We know Case Keenum is better in play action and our running backs can get the yards. But the Cardinals secondary gave up a ton of yards to Vikings receivers last week. How would you game plan our offense this week?draco1986: I think you have to establish a running game early. The Cardinals rank 14th in DVOA against it, and it’s a spot the offense can exploit to help protect a re-worked offensive line. The passing game should feature a lot of quick-hitting plays and Jeff Heuerman over the middle, two other places Arizona has struggled this year. Keeping the passing game quick should again help the line against some good pass rushers, and let Case just play instead of overthinking.MHR - Among the bright spots this season have been the rookies, four of whom are regularly contributing - Courtland Sutton, Royce Freeman, Phillip Lindsay and Bradley Chubb. What kind of hope does it give you to have these young guys showing great stuff already? draco1986: It first gives hope that our ability to evaluate college talent and make the right choices on draft day is trending in the right direction. And secondly it gives hope that this team has a lot of talent on it, and when things get going it’s going to be scary.MHR - WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THIS DEFENSE???draco1986: One of the biggest issues I’ve seen this year has been misplays by the safeties. The scheme we have relies on them to be active and make plays in the run game and the passing game. Justin Simmons and Darian Stewart have not been able to do that so far. There also has not been consistent play from Todd Davis or Brandon Marshall so far, and those guys have to step up. Lastly, the coverage calls continue to not help out our secondary and take some pressure off by letting them play more press - so guys aren’t getting a free release 10 yards down the field. MHR - Of the Cardinals
Authentic Matt Paradis Jersey , Von Miller said the Broncos were “going to kick their asses.” Do you believe him? And how does the Broncos D actually do that?draco1986: This is the most fired up I think I’ve seen Von in years, and I think it’s needed. The defense has the talent, the guys just have to make plays.MHR - Although David Johnson has been underwhelming this season as the Cardinals hot shot RB, the Broncos have found a way the last two weeks to give opposing running backs their career-highs in yardage. If you were Joe Woods, how would you scheme the defense to account for Larry Fitzgerald and rookie Christian Kirk but not give up huge yardage to Johnson?draco1986: I think Denver has to stay in their base look a lot this week. Running nickel has been bad overall, and part of it is the desire to bring in an extra rusher like Ray or Barrett. We need to keep the big men on the field though to lock down the opposing line from getting to the second level. Play more press man and take away any quick throws Rosen would have and help give the pass rush time to get home against a Cardinals line that ranks 18th in adjusted sack rate.MHR - Bradley Chubb had a three-sack game last week. Do you expect him to build on that this week facing a beat-up O-Line and a rookie QB? How can the combo of Von and Chubb wreak havoc?draco1986: I think it’s a great start for him. Like I said above, I think the Cardinals’ line is vulnerable to a good pass rush. Let these guys get after it. I will say I’d like both of them to be disciplined in their rush so they don’t create big lanes for either Rosen to escape or for there to be some delayed runs. But the opportunities will be there I think.MHR - Which players will be playmakers for the Broncos this week (one on offense, one on defense)? draco1986: I think Phillip Lindsay makes a big splash this week. The Cards have given up some big plays to running backs, and Lindsay is explosive enough to take advantage of any opening. On defense this week its going to be Von. He made the statement, and he’s paid to be the playmaker. I think he steps it up this week.MHR - It seems waaaaaaay too early in the season to be talking about coaching changes, QB changes and whether to do either now or later. Where do you stand on these issuesdraco1986: I think it is too early. We’ve played some tough teams, and I think we had a let down game in New York. A win this week puts us back on the path and gives us 10 days to find a way to win in KC. I think a loss though does make the question come to the forefront. I’m not big on firing a coach midseason except in the case of malfeasance. The coaches you would want to bring in aren’t available anyways, and Joseph still seems to be well liked by the players. As for Case, if we drop this game in Arizona I think you almost have to see if Chad Kelly is a guy you want to try and develop,MHR - What are you hoping to see out of the Broncos on Thursday night?draco1986: A team that is fired up and focused. A team that comes out and fights for the whole 60 minutes and puts a boot down on a team that is not as talented as they are.PredictionsThe Favorites:How did you become a Broncos fan?I’m a lifer. The family has been fans as long as I can remember. When Ian St. Clair and I sat down to record the MHR Radio podcast on Tuesday night, it was apparent that one thing would dominate our conversation. When the Denver Broncos traded Demaryius Thomas away to the Houston Texans it was kind of like the end of an era. Obviously, we as a community have gone about saying goodbye, and thank you. On Sunday, DT will have his chance to give one last goodbye.Thomas has been a huge part of the Denver Broncos since being drafted in with the 22nd pick in 2010. His relationship with Tim Tebow led to one of the biggest playoff moments in Broncos history. Then, as Peyton Manning entered the mix his numbers skyrocketed. They garnered him a big contract, and now, here we all are.Make no mistake, the loss of Thomas to salary and age concerns is one of the frustrating aspects of the NFL that plagues most teams. That doesn’t prevent fans like the great Dr. Laurie Lattimore-Volkmann from feeling betrayed, and dismayed at the move. Check out Doc’s little (large) epic rant on Thomas in the podcast. His legacy with the team was cemented long ago, but now it is time to say goodbye.Perhaps most fittingly, Thomas will get the chance to issue his final goodbye to Broncos Country on Sunday when his new team comes to Mile High Stadium to face off with his old team. The Texans needed a replacement for the injured Will Fuller, and Thomas should fill that void nicely. As Ian and I said on the show
http://www.broncoscheapauthenticstore.com/jared-veldheer-jersey-cheap ;, he will probably give the team a proper send off, with a big DT game.With the way the Broncos secondary has performed this season, there is no reason to think he can’t have a huge impact. Bradley Roby has struggled. and will likely draw Thomas several times. Their practice battles will now be game time scraps. He is going to want to prove he is still capable. No doubt he will get his targets, and his chance to shine.Watching players like Thomas move on is frustrating. More frustrating will be watching him be great again with a good quarterback to throw him the football. Deshaun Watson has the Houston offense firing. Throwing a capable receiver like Thomas in the mix only makes them more dangerous. Remember how good DT was with Peyton Manning throwing him the ball?Yes, he is older. And yes, he is only going to get older. However, he has the opportunity to make big plays with a new team. His career will likely be injected with meaning, and more catches in the final weeks of the season. Meanwhile, Denver will probably continue the backward slide that will land them a high draft pick, and nothing more.In the end, the most frustrating part of the Thomas trade was it was the lone move that John Elway made. With all the rumors swirling around the Broncos, it seemed inevitable that Denver would be selling at the trade deadline. The Thomas trade seemed to be the indicator of the Broncos intentions to make big changes.And then nothing happened. We sat and waited like Linus in the pumpkin patch, but the great pumpkin never came. Instead, we are still stuck with Vance Joseph as the head coach, no true direction for the franchise, and a lack of identity that is killing the season. Thomas was the lucky one. He got out. His exit begins with a return. He moves on, but not before one last chance to play in front of the fans that loved him so much. Will there be those who say good riddance to bad rubbish? Of course, but most of Broncos Country appreciates everything that DT has done. It’s just too bad that his move was the beginning and the end, placing the Broncos squarely in NFL purgatory.Thanks for the memories DT. Good luck, and congrats on getting out.The MHR Radio Podcast is now on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, Acast, Stitcher, TuneIn and a few other podcast hosts. Please subscribe to the one that fits your fancy, and also rate and review what you hear.
The one good thing about the frustrating loss to the Rams four days ago is that the Broncos have a chance to erase that one sooner rather than later with a Thursday Night Football win over the Cardinals tonight.But will they?Returning to the Ultimate Fan Guide Authentic Von Miller Jersey , draco1986 believes they will. Whether he’s buying the trash talk from Von Miller, selling the doom and gloom from much of Broncos Country or just hoping the Broncos can pull it together against what should be an inferior team, we don’t much care. The point is that the Broncos should be able to win this one in spite of bad coaching just by running the ball, stopping the run and not getting boneheaded penalties. Is that too much to ask? We don’t think so.Week 7: Broncos at CardinalsMHR - Talking about this team feels like a constant nature v. nurture debate - is it coaches or is it players? Is it scheme or is it performance? But the answer is always “both.” So what responsibility of this mess is Vance Joseph’s, what is John Elway’s? And how do we fix it long-term?draco1986:I think Vance shoulders more of the blame at this point. John puts the team together, and while it hasn’t always been perfect, this team has a lot of talent. But Vance is the one that has to utilize it to its potential. And so far, I dont think he’s done that. A lot of it I think comes down on the offensive staff failing to put together a game plan that takes advantage of the talents. If the offense is more consistent, it’s going to improve the defense. MHR - The Cardinals are 1-5, have coaches on the hot seat, and are playing at home. The Broncos are 2-4, have coaches on the hot seat and are playing on the road as 2.5-point favorites from Vegas. Do you agree they have the advantage here?draco1986: I think so. It’s a short road week and that always makes things especially difficult. But this team has talent, and they’ve competed against likely the two best teams in the league. Von is showing some fire, which I think this team needs from him. MHR - 58 offensive plays. 41 passes (60% completion rate). 17 rushes (5.3 ypc, 1st in NFL). What gives???draco1986: I defended the ratio against KC because I thought the situational choices demanded it, with the amount of two-minute offense we ran. This past week though, I think Keenum and Musgrave out-thought themselves. The Rams brought men down into the box and challenged Denver to throw on them, and it didn’t work on enough plays. Case has to hit throws to punish teams when they do that. MHR - We know Case Keenum is better in play action and our running backs can get the yards. But the Cardinals secondary gave up a ton of yards to Vikings receivers last week. How would you game plan our offense this week?draco1986: I think you have to establish a running game early. The Cardinals rank 14th in DVOA against it, and it’s a spot the offense can exploit to help protect a re-worked offensive line. The passing game should feature a lot of quick-hitting plays and Jeff Heuerman over the middle, two other places Arizona has struggled this year. Keeping the passing game quick should again help the line against some good pass rushers, and let Case just play instead of overthinking.MHR - Among the bright spots this season have been the rookies, four of whom are regularly contributing - Courtland Sutton, Royce Freeman, Phillip Lindsay and Bradley Chubb. What kind of hope does it give you to have these young guys showing great stuff already? draco1986: It first gives hope that our ability to evaluate college talent and make the right choices on draft day is trending in the right direction. And secondly it gives hope that this team has a lot of talent on it, and when things get going it’s going to be scary.MHR - WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THIS DEFENSE???draco1986: One of the biggest issues I’ve seen this year has been misplays by the safeties. The scheme we have relies on them to be active and make plays in the run game and the passing game. Justin Simmons and Darian Stewart have not been able to do that so far. There also has not been consistent play from Todd Davis or Brandon Marshall so far, and those guys have to step up. Lastly, the coverage calls continue to not help out our secondary and take some pressure off by letting them play more press - so guys aren’t getting a free release 10 yards down the field. MHR - Of the Cardinals Authentic Matt Paradis Jersey , Von Miller said the Broncos were “going to kick their asses.” Do you believe him? And how does the Broncos D actually do that?draco1986: This is the most fired up I think I’ve seen Von in years, and I think it’s needed. The defense has the talent, the guys just have to make plays.MHR - Although David Johnson has been underwhelming this season as the Cardinals hot shot RB, the Broncos have found a way the last two weeks to give opposing running backs their career-highs in yardage. If you were Joe Woods, how would you scheme the defense to account for Larry Fitzgerald and rookie Christian Kirk but not give up huge yardage to Johnson?draco1986: I think Denver has to stay in their base look a lot this week. Running nickel has been bad overall, and part of it is the desire to bring in an extra rusher like Ray or Barrett. We need to keep the big men on the field though to lock down the opposing line from getting to the second level. Play more press man and take away any quick throws Rosen would have and help give the pass rush time to get home against a Cardinals line that ranks 18th in adjusted sack rate.MHR - Bradley Chubb had a three-sack game last week. Do you expect him to build on that this week facing a beat-up O-Line and a rookie QB? How can the combo of Von and Chubb wreak havoc?draco1986: I think it’s a great start for him. Like I said above, I think the Cardinals’ line is vulnerable to a good pass rush. Let these guys get after it. I will say I’d like both of them to be disciplined in their rush so they don’t create big lanes for either Rosen to escape or for there to be some delayed runs. But the opportunities will be there I think.MHR - Which players will be playmakers for the Broncos this week (one on offense, one on defense)? draco1986: I think Phillip Lindsay makes a big splash this week. The Cards have given up some big plays to running backs, and Lindsay is explosive enough to take advantage of any opening. On defense this week its going to be Von. He made the statement, and he’s paid to be the playmaker. I think he steps it up this week.MHR - It seems waaaaaaay too early in the season to be talking about coaching changes, QB changes and whether to do either now or later. Where do you stand on these issuesdraco1986: I think it is too early. We’ve played some tough teams, and I think we had a let down game in New York. A win this week puts us back on the path and gives us 10 days to find a way to win in KC. I think a loss though does make the question come to the forefront. I’m not big on firing a coach midseason except in the case of malfeasance. The coaches you would want to bring in aren’t available anyways, and Joseph still seems to be well liked by the players. As for Case, if we drop this game in Arizona I think you almost have to see if Chad Kelly is a guy you want to try and develop,MHR - What are you hoping to see out of the Broncos on Thursday night?draco1986: A team that is fired up and focused. A team that comes out and fights for the whole 60 minutes and puts a boot down on a team that is not as talented as they are.PredictionsThe Favorites:How did you become a Broncos fan?I’m a lifer. The family has been fans as long as I can remember. When Ian St. Clair and I sat down to record the MHR Radio podcast on Tuesday night, it was apparent that one thing would dominate our conversation. When the Denver Broncos traded Demaryius Thomas away to the Houston Texans it was kind of like the end of an era. Obviously, we as a community have gone about saying goodbye, and thank you. On Sunday, DT will have his chance to give one last goodbye.Thomas has been a huge part of the Denver Broncos since being drafted in with the 22nd pick in 2010. His relationship with Tim Tebow led to one of the biggest playoff moments in Broncos history. Then, as Peyton Manning entered the mix his numbers skyrocketed. They garnered him a big contract, and now, here we all are.Make no mistake, the loss of Thomas to salary and age concerns is one of the frustrating aspects of the NFL that plagues most teams. That doesn’t prevent fans like the great Dr. Laurie Lattimore-Volkmann from feeling betrayed, and dismayed at the move. Check out Doc’s little (large) epic rant on Thomas in the podcast. His legacy with the team was cemented long ago, but now it is time to say goodbye.Perhaps most fittingly, Thomas will get the chance to issue his final goodbye to Broncos Country on Sunday when his new team comes to Mile High Stadium to face off with his old team. The Texans needed a replacement for the injured Will Fuller, and Thomas should fill that void nicely. As Ian and I said on the show http://www.broncoscheapauthenticstore.com/jared-veldheer-jersey-cheap ;, he will probably give the team a proper send off, with a big DT game.With the way the Broncos secondary has performed this season, there is no reason to think he can’t have a huge impact. Bradley Roby has struggled. and will likely draw Thomas several times. Their practice battles will now be game time scraps. He is going to want to prove he is still capable. No doubt he will get his targets, and his chance to shine.Watching players like Thomas move on is frustrating. More frustrating will be watching him be great again with a good quarterback to throw him the football. Deshaun Watson has the Houston offense firing. Throwing a capable receiver like Thomas in the mix only makes them more dangerous. Remember how good DT was with Peyton Manning throwing him the ball?Yes, he is older. And yes, he is only going to get older. However, he has the opportunity to make big plays with a new team. His career will likely be injected with meaning, and more catches in the final weeks of the season. Meanwhile, Denver will probably continue the backward slide that will land them a high draft pick, and nothing more.In the end, the most frustrating part of the Thomas trade was it was the lone move that John Elway made. With all the rumors swirling around the Broncos, it seemed inevitable that Denver would be selling at the trade deadline. The Thomas trade seemed to be the indicator of the Broncos intentions to make big changes.And then nothing happened. We sat and waited like Linus in the pumpkin patch, but the great pumpkin never came. Instead, we are still stuck with Vance Joseph as the head coach, no true direction for the franchise, and a lack of identity that is killing the season. Thomas was the lucky one. He got out. His exit begins with a return. He moves on, but not before one last chance to play in front of the fans that loved him so much. Will there be those who say good riddance to bad rubbish? Of course, but most of Broncos Country appreciates everything that DT has done. It’s just too bad that his move was the beginning and the end, placing the Broncos squarely in NFL purgatory.Thanks for the memories DT. Good luck, and congrats on getting out.The MHR Radio Podcast is now on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, Acast, Stitcher, TuneIn and a few other podcast hosts. Please subscribe to the one that fits your fancy, and also rate and review what you hear.