AFC CG pre game thread

[WalkerBoh]

Has there been an answer on how the defensive backfield will look on Sunday? I'm torn on whether I'd prefer Carter or Webster starting opposite of DRC. I just pray they don't go with Jammer again.

If it were up to me I'd go with TC just because he has shown previously to be a somewhat good cover corner. Not so much this year, but he did play pretty damn good for a better part of last year.

I think the Broncos put Bailey back in Harris' spot. Which makes sense if you realize Harris took Bailey's place when Champ was hurt.

As for Jammer, I seriously doubt you see him take that spot. What we saw in the Chargers game was a combination of Harris' injury during the game, and Bailey still working out any kinks and prolly still on a play count. It's a situation that developed just for that game, and something that over the span of a week would be worked out w/ a better solution. In short, Jammer (and Huff) were band-aids to get us through the rest of the game, not to serve as replacements to Harris going forward. At least that's how I see it.

 

[cdumler7]

I think the Broncos put Bailey back in Harris' spot. Which makes sense if you realize Harris took Bailey's place when Champ was hurt.

As for Jammer, I seriously doubt you see him take that spot. What we saw in the Chargers game was a combination of Harris' injury during the game, and Bailey still working out any kinks and prolly still on a play count. It's a situation that developed just for that game, and something that over the span of a week would be worked out w/ a better solution. In short, Jammer (and Huff) were band-aids to get us through the rest of the game, not to serve as replacements to Harris going forward. At least that's how I see it.

The Broncos are keeping this one pretty close to the vest which I think is the way to do it. There is a big difference in game planning if Champ is on the outside or if he is playing the nickel slot position. It changes where you try to line up your best players and what types of plays you want to run.

If I had a guess right now at least from reports Champ is going back to his original spot in that LCB with DRC at RCB. I think when the Broncos go to the nickel formation there is a chance that Champ will move back to the slot corner spot while Tony Carter will come in and play the LCB spot. I could also see the Broncos choose to put DRC on Edelman all game and just have him shadow so as to eliminate Brady's favorite target.

For this game I think this should be fine. IF we were playing the Saints or somebody with a more high powered passing offense and better targets we could be in some serious trouble but for now with the Pats limited on good receiving options other than Edelman and Amendola we should be fine.

 

[MrDoc420]

And what's the word on Nacho? He came off limping last week, but it didn't look all that serious. Is he gonna go this weekend? Liability in coverage, or not, I'd much rather see him out there than Huff.

 

[WalkerBoh]

If I remember rightly, Ihenacho went back into the game. Anyway, all active roster members were active as well in the latest practice. Duke is fine and should be on the field against the Pats.

 

[WalkerBoh]

"The Broncos had full participation from everyone on their roster on Thursday. That is not much of a change from Wednesday, when only safety Mike Adams (thigh) was limited. The team is preparing for their AFC title-game showdown Sunday against New England." (-Marty Gitlin, CBSSports.com)

"The Broncos injury report was empty Friday as all their players participated in practice in full for the AFC Championship game Sunday against New England." (-Marty Gitlin, CBSSports.com)

There you go. Everyone not on IR is healthy and active.

 

[randymon]

Like I said earlier, with the loss of Harris, that front seven ( especially the D line ) has to compensate for secondary injuries and really get pressure up the middle and hurry Brady with his throws. If Brady has too much time, he`ll exploit the weekness in secondary and it will end up being a shoot-out. I think if Del Rio comes in with that mind set and also jams wrs at line, Denver should come out victorious. Denvers ground game is also essintial in setting up the passing gm. NE is ranked 32, I believe vs the run and Denver did a great job in 1st half proving that in their earlier meeting. If Denver does those thing well......45-24 Denver. If not I see and overtime game with both teams hitting over 30+ in game. Come on D and rushing attack!!!!!! Special teams need to go in Denvers favor also

 

[cdumler7]

I predicting a 42-24 Bronco win in this one. The Bronco offense moved the ball well but just seemed a little rusty from the week off in being able to finish off drives. I don't see the players struggling quite as much especially in the good weather to catch the ball. Defensively I think we stuff them in the running game. Depending on whether Dobson or Thompkins can play the Patriots really don't have much of a deep threat so I think the Broncos can go to a more cover-1 defense with Adams the deep safety and move Ihenacho closer to the line of scrimmage and tell him to hit anybody with a Patriot logo on as hard as he can. I also see the Broncos deciding to do quite a bit of blitzing up the middle in this one and finding some success. We have the big boys up front to take on the blocks and the speed at linebacker to get there. Brady doesn't seem too bothered by outside pressure but up the middle he and Peyton both sometimes struggle.

 

[Morpheus]

Decent breakdown of the game

Shawn Drotar blog - "Splinters from the Pine"

 

[#1BostonFan]

The game is gonna be close. Losing Harris is gonna hurt your already bad pass defense. Brady and the offense could take advantage of that. Manning and all those weapons vs our injury plagued defense isn't a good match up for NE. We could also struggle to stop the run like last time we played. If it's colder then expected Manning could struggle, but it's not looking very cold at this point. This the pre season AFC Championship Game a lot of us saw and it could go either way.

 

[#1BostonFan]

Like I said earlier, with the loss of Harris, that front seven ( especially the D line ) has to compensate for secondary injuries and really get pressure up the middle and hurry Brady with his throws. If Brady has too much time, he`ll exploit the weekness in secondary and it will end up being a shoot-out. I think if Del Rio comes in with that mind set and also jams wrs at line, Denver should come out victorious. Denvers ground game is also essintial in setting up the passing gm. NE is ranked 32, I believe vs the run and Denver did a great job in 1st half proving that in their earlier meeting. If Denver does those thing well......45-24 Denver. If not I see and overtime game with both teams hitting over 30+ in game. Come on D and rushing attack!!!!!! Special teams need to go in Denvers favor also

This is the true. If you guys get a lot of pressure on Brady and slow down the run game, you'll probably win. If Brady has time to pick apart the secondary it'll be a shootout or a comfortable NE win depending on how our defense plays. I'm seeing a close shoot out type game.

 

[cdumler7]

The game is gonna be close. Losing Harris is gonna hurt your already bad pass defense. Brady and the offense could take advantage of that. Manning and all those weapons vs our injury plagued defense isn't a good match up for NE. We could also struggle to stop the run like last time we played. If it's colder then expected Manning could struggle, but it's not looking very cold at this point. This the pre season AFC Championship Game a lot of us saw and it could go either way.

I guess for me I see 4 major differences in the Broncos favor for this game. Now before I get to them I realize in posting these there are some differences against the Broncos in Von Miller and Chris Harris being out.

1) D. Thomas was playing one handed in the game and J. Thomas obviously was out. We were pretty much limited to Decker and Welker in that game plus the running game obviously. Plus Welker was one week back from a concussion which he even admits was too soon. After the game Manning even commented that he wished Thomas had told him that he could only use one arm in the game as it would have changed how he would have played.

2) Obviously weather sets up well for the Broncos to take advantage of their passing game.

3) The Broncos have seemed to solve the fumbling problem that they had earlier in the year with only 1 fumble in the last I think 4 games or so.

4) Gronk being out is huge for the Bronco defense. Our biggest issue for the last few years has been good TE's and it was the same in the last game between these two as Gronk destroyed this defense in the 2nd half.

Bonus: When the Broncos were up 24-0 in the first half they had Chris Harris and DRC both playing. DRC went down last play of the 1st half and Bronco defense got shredded. This game in place of Chris Harris the Broncos have Champ Bailey. Yes he has been injured most of the season but has been playing more and more with each passing week and has done very well. So Broncos should have 2 very good cover corners which it just so happens the Patriots only have 2 good pass catchers. Should be able to have a safety up by the box to help out.

 

[WalkerBoh]

The game is gonna be close. Losing Harris is gonna hurt your already bad pass defense. Brady and the offense could take advantage of that. Manning and all those weapons vs our injury plagued defense isn't a good match up for NE. We could also struggle to stop the run like last time we played. If it's colder then expected Manning could struggle, but it's not looking very cold at this point. This the pre season AFC Championship Game a lot of us saw and it could go either way.

This will remain to be seen, as it will likely be Champ Bailey taking Harris's place. (Note, Harris took Bailey's place early in the season due to injury). While there could still be a drop off, it might not be as pronounced as originally thought.

Also, don't bet on the temp factor. That's proven recently to be not much of a factor when you take into account Manning is at home.

 

[WalkerBoh]

This is the true. If you guys get a lot of pressure on Brady and slow down the run game, you'll probably win. If Brady has time to pick apart the secondary it'll be a shootout or a comfortable NE win depending on how our defense plays. I'm seeing a close shoot out type game.

Terrance Knighton is the key to Denver's run D. If he plays well, I expect a long day for Blount and Ridley. Not as much Vereen, as I expect him to get most of his yards as a receiver out of the backfield. Also, can Blount and Ridley continue to hold onto the ball?

The pass rush will be key, and there are a lot of wildcards in play. Missing Miller and Wolfe does hurt the Broncos in these efforts, but they still have pass rush talent. Phillips has re-established himself as a threat. The wildcards here are Williams, Mincey, and Malik Jackson. They play well, and Brady will have problems. We had four sacks last week, and at least 3 of them were off of 3-4 man rushes. If we're forced to blitz to generate pressure, Brady could chew that up.

 

[DownSetHutch]

That was a good breakdown of the matchup, except that it failed to address the coaching angle. Advantage: Patriots. I'm not dissing Fox, JDR, and company, but Belichick is the best coach in the game and has been for a while. Belichick and his crew are the best at making in-game adjustments, as well as preparing his team between games. This is always a big factor for them.

Having said that, the Broncos are still rightly favored and should be headed to the Super Bowl if they handle business.

 

[DownSetHutch]

As for our defense, it seems to me that the linebackers are going to be the key. With Brady, the passing attack is always a threat. Currently, they have a formidable rushing attack too, so the linebackers are going to be guessing all day on downs that are not clearly either pass or run. Additionally, the Patriots throw a lot of short passes to receivers on underneath routes, as well as screens to the RBs. Our LBs are going to have their hands full just trying to be in the right place to make a play.

Also, they cannot allow Blount to get a head of steam running down hill. If the D line can get him started out going sideways just a little, that will be huge. I'm thinking of how much less effective Herschel Walker was when he went to Minnesota and they didn't have him running between the tackles nearly as much as he did when he was in Dallas. He couldn't get a head of steam going forward and essentially went from an all-time great RB to an average RB. (I realize Minnesota did not have as good of a line as Dallas, etc., but the point still remains.) We don't have the greatest LB core, especially with Von out right now, but I think this is an area where JDR's coaching will come into play in preparing the LBs for the situations they will be seeing. I think they can get the job down, but it is going to be a tall order to fill.

 

[cdumler7]

As for our defense, it seems to me that the linebackers are going to be the key. With Brady, the passing attack is always a threat. Currently, they have a formidable rushing attack too, so the linebackers are going to be guessing all day on downs that are not clearly either pass or run. Additionally, the Patriots throw a lot of short passes to receivers on underneath routes, as well as screens to the RBs. Our LBs are going to have their hands full just trying to be in the right place to make a play.

Also, they cannot allow Blount to get a head of steam running down hill. If the D line can get him started out going sideways just a little, that will be huge. I'm thinking of how much less effective Herschel Walker was when he went to Minnesota and they didn't have him running between the tackles nearly as much as he did when he was in Dallas. He couldn't get a head of steam going forward and essentially went from an all-time great RB to an average RB. (I realize Minnesota did not have as good of a line as Dallas, etc., but the point still remains.) We don't have the greatest LB core, especially with Von out right now, but I think this is an area where JDR's coaching will come into play in preparing the LBs for the situations they will be seeing. I think they can get the job down, but it is going to be a tall order to fill.

This is where I think Lennon is really the key at least in the run defense. Trevathon and Irving have both proven to be very good run defenders (Irving isn't the pass rusher that Von is but he is just as good at stopping the run). Lennon though at that MLB spot is going to have to have the game of his life. Thankfully he has been playing his best football the last 3 games so he is trending up. Knighton is another that has to keep having good games. This guy has been the key to our run defense all season so if he has a bad day then we are in for a long day.

 

[BigKen]

Just something to chew on........Tom Brady vs Jack Del Rio Defenses

Record : 7-0
Passing Ave: 265 ypg
TD: 17
QB Rating: 121.00

Downsethutch makes a pretty good point and Denver best hope it doesn't come down to coaching.

Elway has built this team around Peyton Manning and has provided him with every tool any QB could ask for. The defense is very good and it does have a chink in the secondary that Tom Brady will doubt, try to exploit.

From Patriot fan, the Denver Broncos should win this game by all of the stats and matchups. The weather is in Denver;s favor and by all rights, Manning should be able to pretty much do what he wants. But as everyone who's ever watched professional football knows, things don't always go the way that they're expected to go. Manning has not really had an "off" game this season. Manning hasn't really taken any crushing hits this season. Manning is the fuel that makes the Denver engine run. If anything happens to him, I don't know if anyone in New England even knows 'who' the Denver back up QB is......

Come 7:00 PM (EST) Denver will be celebrating or crying.....same here in New England. All I want to see is a game with no officiating snafus that will cause the game to be in question for next 20 years. No questionable stuff. When this game is over, I just want to be able to say that one team played a better game than the other and go forward.

I wish Denver nothing but the best and good luck.............

 

[cdumler7]

Just something to chew on........Tom Brady vs Jack Del Rio Defenses

Record : 7-0
Passing Ave: 265 ypg
TD: 17
QB Rating: 121.00

Downsethutch makes a pretty good point and Denver best hope it doesn't come down to coaching.

Elway has built this team around Peyton Manning and has provided him with every tool any QB could ask for. The defense is very good and it does have a chink in the secondary that Tom Brady will doubt, try to exploit.

From Patriot fan, the Denver Broncos should win this game by all of the stats and matchups. The weather is in Denver;s favor and by all rights, Manning should be able to pretty much do what he wants. But as everyone who's ever watched professional football knows, things don't always go the way that they're expected to go. Manning has not really had an "off" game this season. Manning hasn't really taken any crushing hits this season. Manning is the fuel that makes the Denver engine run. If anything happens to him, I don't know if anyone in New England even knows 'who' the Denver back up QB is......

Come 7:00 PM (EST) Denver will be celebrating or crying.....same here in New England. All I want to see is a game with no officiating snafus that will cause the game to be in question for next 20 years. No questionable stuff. When this game is over, I just want to be able to say that one team played a better game than the other and go forward.

I wish Denver nothing but the best and good luck.............

Manning has had a couple of off games this season. No coincidence that when he does we have lost. So yes Manning does have to have a good game for us to win. My guess is Tom Brady has to have a good game for the Patriots to win.

Should be an instant classic by the end so we shall see who comes out on top. Both teams have overcome quite a bit of diversity this season so whoever wins this game will have definitely earned it. If they go onto win the Super Bowl then it will be even that much sweeter for either team to know all they overcame this season.

 

[cdumler7]

Also BigKen just wondering where you got those stats on a Del Rio defense against Brady. Not saying they are wrong just not sure he has played against them that much.

 

[WalkerBoh]

I'm guessing that includes games against Jax, so expect it to be skewed.