Game Thread: Broncos vs. Dolphins...time for our sharks to feast

[Duffman]

That missed FG is looking huge right now.

 

[HammerDown]

Why did they go for 2?

 

[Duffman]

Anderson saves us again.

 

[Duffman]

Why did they go for 2?

So they only needed a FG to tie instead of a TD to win.

 

[GNG]

Why did they go for 2?

A coaching decision.

 

[Malibu]

Its a win and Ill take it. Like Ive said this team can run the ball with Anderson, Hillman, or Thompson but have to stick with it. As for the defense there is a lot of work that has to be done this week before going to K.C.

 

[HammerDown]

 

[iknowftbll]

The good news is the Broncos ran the ball. Anderson carried this team today. They plowed the Phins for over 200 rushing yards and that was a top 10 run defense coming in. The passing game suffered without JT, but was still pretty solid.

The defense...ugh.

I am always happy for a win, and the defense did make some plays. But I am growing more and more skeptical that we have the unit we were promised prior to the season. I liked Del Rio. In 2012 he led a great defensive unit. Last year he did good work with a patchwork defense that was missing a lot of key pieces. This year there is simply no excuse for the crap we've seen on defense. We are relatively healthy and have a lot of talent. This unit is grossly under-achieving.

I am encouraged by the progress in the ground game. I am tentatively confident the offense will keep this up. (Who knows if they will. It worked, but that doesn't mean they'll do it again.) If this defense huddles up and gets it collective head out of it's ass this will still be a dangerous team.

That's a huge "if" at this point. Next up is the Kansas City Chiefs, who, like the Dolphins, are coming off 10 days of rest before facing the Dolphins. They won't be an easy win. If this team starts slow they way they have for the past month the Broncos will get destroyed next week. I hope they snap out of this funk. It's awful.

At the end of the day, the Broncos are 8-3 and a win is a win. So let it not be said I am giving undue focus on the negatives.

Go Broncos.

 

[Malibu]

The good news is the Broncos ran the ball. Anderson carried this team today. They plowed the Phins for over 200 rushing yards and that was a top 10 run defense coming in. The passing game suffered without JT, but was still pretty solid.

The defense...ugh.

I am always happy for a win, and the defense did make some plays. But I am growing more and more skeptical that we have the unit we were promised prior to the season. I liked Del Rio. In 2012 he led a great defensive unit. Last year he did good work with a patchwork defense that was missing a lot of key pieces. This year there is simply no excuse for the crap we've seen on defense. We are relatively healthy and have a lot of talent. This unit is grossly under-achieving.

I am encouraged by the progress in the ground game. I am tentatively confident the offense will keep this up. (Who knows if they will. It worked, but that doesn't mean they'll do it again.) If this defense huddles up and gets it collective head out of it's ass this will still be a dangerous team.

That's a huge "if" at this point. Next up is the Kansas City Chiefs, who, like the Dolphins, are coming off 10 days of rest before facing the Dolphins. They won't be an easy win. If this team starts slow they way they have for the past month the Broncos will get destroyed next week. I hope they snap out of this funk. It's awful.

At the end of the day, the Broncos are 8-3 and a win is a win. So let it not be said I am giving undue focus on the negatives.

Go Broncos.

They don't need to run the ball great every week but just show there not willing to give up on it. When the defense doesn't know its a pass every down most o lines will look better. As for the defense. A lot of $$$ spent with same results. J.D.R. will be the one gone at the end of the year if it doesn't improve. Where is the pass rush and why does the secondary look so confused at time? Can't let teams score TD's at the end of games and the defense must put there foots on the other teams neck so games don't come down to onside kicks. If Miami got that onside kick I have no faith that the defense would have held Miami at all. It's time to bring some kickers in as well. Does anyone trust McManus if he had to kick a game winner with a few seconds left on the clock? Like mentioned above a win is a win but many things to work on before K.C.

 

[Malibu]

As for the good the o line played its best game of the year and I thought the play calling was very good except for the 3rd and 1 call that they passed the ball on after they ran it down the Dolphins throat on the first drive after halftime. The defense did make a big play as well with the T.J. Ward interception. C.J. Anderson was the MVP of the game. He hits the hole hard and goes. I like the power running with him and Thompson and hopefully Hillman comes back to give them some more speed. Virgel Green back as well did help the run game wiuth his blocking as well. The run defense was much better in the 2nd half as well and nice job by Anderson on the onside kick recovery. Go Broncos!!

 

[MrDoc420]

Just getting in...

Man...what a friggin' game. I was really worried going down 28-17, but we were able to man up and come back for the victory. C.J. should start from here on out, and no less than 20 carries a game. We did alot of good things today, and really were a few balls bouncing our way to probably winning more handely...oh well....we won

Oh yah.....somebody get Jay Feely on the phone.

 

[DownSetHutch]

I will echo what ikf said. The running game was great to watch today. 200 yards and over 6 YPC for both CJ and Juwan. That will get it done. They started out slow but kept at it and eventually wore down the defense. Kudos to Gase and Manning for letting the running game have a chance to get going. And kudos to the O-line for making it happen too. After all the talk during the week, they better have. They talked the talk, then walked the walk.

In the passing game, thank God that Sanders was able to play. He had a huge game, and I don't think we would have won without him. And Peyton was Peyton: 80% completions, 4 TDs, and no INTs. He is so good, we kind of expect that from him, or at least aren't that impressed by it. That is impressive and should be acknowledged. Well done, as usual, Mr. Manning.

The defense looked like shit in the first half, and was inconsistent in the second, although they did show signs of being able to step up to another level. They need some work, but I still have faith that they will turn it up. They mixed in a few more blitzes, but IMO they need to mix in a few more. And once or twice a game, mix in an all-out blitz. Send the kitchen sink, so that opposing offenses have to game plan for it, and opposing QBs have to think about the possibility of it. We have the personnel to pull it off - CBs who can man-cover, and speed rushers who can get to the QB. JDR just needs to stop being scared for the D to get beat on a big play. Take a chance. At least he got the D playing better in the second half.

Our kicking game worries me. McManus needs to have an epiphany and get some confidence. Maybe he should think about going on a spiritual journey with some peyote or something. Honestly, that is my only hope for him. He is a mess and he needs to step his game up - A LOT.

Overall, I am happy that we won. The team showed a lot of intestinal fortitude to keep fighting their way back in it, especially considering the lack of success they have seen in the last 3 weeks. Now they just need to move forward and make more progress toward becoming a Championship Team. On to Kansas City.

 

[TDs3nOut]

Nice game to build on. The running game was obviously outstanding and the defense played well for most of the second half. A more complete effort by the defense and a little bit better luck might be required in order to win at KC Sunday night. Might also want to have Burse and McManus try switching positions.

 

[WalkerBoh]

Its a win and Ill take it. Like Ive said this team can run the ball with Anderson, Hillman, or Thompson but have to stick with it. As for the defense there is a lot of work that has to be done this week before going to K.C.

It'll prolly be a rough defensive ride until Trevathan and the other LB's get healthy again. There's no defensive QB, and it shows.

Kind of like what happened to the Denver defense when we lost big Al Wilson.......

 

[Broncos6482]

Ive been saying for 2 years now the J.D.R. should be fired and got bashed for it. Please someone tell me now that I'm wrong. Stupid play calling on 3rd and 1 when you are running the ball down there throats then a TD for Miami. This team may not even make the playoffs if they lose today.

Right, because it's totally Jack Del Rio's fault that the offense threw the ball on third and one.

 

[Broncos6482]

Fucking Defense sucks, fire Del Rio he's a shit coach. And fire Fox while we're at it too, he's the closest thing to Marty Schottenheimer I've seen in a long time.

Denver obviously didn't show up for a 4th week in a row. The Defense hasn't shown me they can even slow down Miami let alone stop them.

Ah there's the Bronco's defense we know, no pressure and can't stop anyone on 3rd down.

I'm gonna keep saying it until they prove otherwise but this defense is garbage. The Dolphins are walking all over us. If no one's gonna step up we deserve to lose.

We obviously can't stop them, I'm just gonna declare the game over with now this is pathetic.

We're done. Our defense can't stop Miami, and with this coaching staff it will only get worse in the second half. We get out-coached every fucking game.

It's miserable watching this team continue to underachieve week after week.

3rd and fucken 1 and you are running the ball down there throats and decide to throw it then a missed fg. Unreal how stupid this coaching staff really is.

If our D doesn't get a stop on this drive we might as well pack it in because we stand no chance.

Looks like Del Rio's back to his old shitty playcalling.

It's over this D is pathetic.

What the fuck is going on? I guess all the shark videos did shit. Del Rio needs to go after this season and I am not sure Fox should be safe. This team is Bitch-made.

Good we don't deserve too, maybe then Elway will see that some coaching changes need to be made. We have too much talent on both sides of the ball to be this ineffective.

Come on Manning that's like 4 overthrows today.

Once again CJ Anderson is bailing us out because Manning can't get his shit together.

Can Manning PLEASE stop overthrowing people good god this is terrible.

What a bunch of overreactionary, unnecessary, negative crap. Seriously people, you all sound like a bunch of whiny babies throwing a fit anytime the slightest thing doesn't go the Broncos way.

Some of you seriously need to learn the difference between criticism and bitching. I especially like all the cries of "it's over" and the complaints about Manning (who yes, had some poor throws but overall shredded what had been a pretty good Miami defense).

 

[Broncos6482]

My thoughts, overall I thought the offensive game plan was much, much better than it has been the last few weeks. Really the only complaint I have was the pass play on third and one that ended with a Manning sack. That was the only bad play call that stood out to me. Great game from Gase.

Defense was hot garbage the first half, and while they played much better in the second half, they still couldn't make a stop in the red zone. That's very concerning. Part of that could be due to the injuries in the secondary and to the linebackers. Hopefully Talib and Webster won't miss much time, and Trevathan will be back in a couple of weeks so that should help.

The best thing to come out of yesterday's game was the play of the offensive line. They had their manhood challenged all week and really rose to the occasion. I thought Franklin and Ramirez especially had great games.

 

[Mondo Jay]

What a bunch of overreactionary, unnecessary, negative crap. Seriously people, you all sound like a bunch of whiny babies throwing a fit anytime the slightest thing doesn't go the Broncos way.

Some of you seriously need to learn the difference between criticism and bitching. I especially like all the cries of "it's over" and the complaints about Manning (who yes, had some poor throws but overall shredded what had been a pretty good Miami defense).

I pointed this out during the game and it didn't go over well. Laughable that some were saying it was "over" early in the 3rd qtr and that pretty much every coach needed to be fired. I understand that in the heat of the moment fans say shit like that, but it seemed every other post was drama-filled, gloom and doom, whining. (It kinda feels like I'm whining about the whining right now...)

I was accused of being a blind homer and a troll.

 

[cdumler7]

This is why I usually stay away from game threads in yes the heat of the moment you say things that later you look back and say "man I overreacted."


so to me with this game I will start with the negatives and go to the positives...


Negatives:


Penalties are killing this team. I do think this has been one of the biggest issues for the offense especially as a holding or even a false start can really disrupt the play calling for a drive


Defensive Line--Very disappointed in this group as of late as they are really letting up some big run plays and saw them get shoved around quite a bit yesterday.


Linebackers--Thankfully our leader on defense is coming back soon. It shows that this defense many of times is not in the place it needs to be. This is where I do give Del Rio a bit of a pass as he cannot control that his defense doesn't always know where they should be. I do think this is part of why he has gone a bit more conservative lately in seeing how often players are out of position.


Secondary--Injuries definitely showed up yesterday but they just seemed to be a hair slow. There was about 5 3rd down plays that the player was right there but just couldn't knock the ball down. Kudos to the WR's for Miami holding onto the ball but we need to be better about knocking the ball out.


Special Teams gets worse than an F grade from me if that is possible. They lead to a 10-point swing in this game. They are the difference between us blowing out Miami and this coming down to an onside kick.


Now to the good:

I am absolutely impressed by how our OL stepped up in this one! I don't think that can be emphasized enough. These guys were moving all over the place and looking for people to hit. I saw them getting to the second level for the first time in a long time and although Anderson made people miss a lot of times it wasn't until he was in the secondary that he was having to do that.


Anderson--This guy has brought a major spark to this offense. He fights for the tough yards (without fumbling) and has picked up some first downs that we probably shouldn't have had.


Manning--If you go back and watch the game Manning has one bad over throw but the others drew a penalty flag that were overthrown because the receiver was held. At least from what I can tell. He wasn't perfect but any time a quarterback throws 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions we have to call that a good game. Could it have been a bit better...yes but not by much in my opinion especially considering the defense we played. The Broncos showed they can play a good defense and find success on offense. That is a good sign in my book! Plus have to remember the wind was going crazy yesterday from what I understand. Hard to throw perfect in that kind of weather.


Finally an unsung hero in Virgil Green--He has missed the last 3-games and of course our offense has struggled. He comes back and our run game comes alive. If you watch on almost all the big runs Virgil Green is right there making a great block at the point of attack. This guy was missed.


All in all we beat another team with a winning record while we are still struggling. This is the time of year to struggle a bit and try to correct the issues. Remember Wins do not come easy in this league! Never forget that not too many years ago we were one of the worst teams in the league and now we have some complaining big time after a win wanting every coach fired.

 

[Broncosr0k]

Get off your high horses. We are fans, fans get passionate. That leads to "bitching" and "whining".

Here I will try it with a little more ho-hum indifference.

The offense yesterday looked pretty good. They came out an did mostly what they planned.

The kicking game is questionable. I sure do hope McManus can figure it out....in the 13th week of the season.

That defense was not very good. They struggled at times but did some nice things here and there. I really think more shark videos would help.


Now, real thoughts:

The offense did well YESTERDAY. They flopped last Sunday. They flopped three weeks ago in NE.

The defense has plays where it looks great and then there are plays where Von Miller is in coverage, no one is covering the #1 receiver, and damn that QB just ran for 30 yards...again.

What has some of us down is not that we are struggling in a single game, that happens. It is the coming out flat more often than not. This team is stacked with talent but apparently no heart. I think Del Rio is trying to get too cute with the defense. I think the offense tends to revolve too much around Manning, when he is off the offense is off. I hated watching games where we just shutdown when the other team won't let us win.

Del Rio does great things with getting players to up their game. I think it is time he realized certain things are not working and Brandon Marshall cannot start and call plays. Simplify the plan, trust in your team's talent.

Most of us have incredibly high expectations and we are currently coming up short. That rubs us the wrong way. Sorry if we are not as passionless as you would like.