Broncos Preseason Game 1: 5 Guru Observations
Posted in Broncos/NFL on August 12th, 2006
It was a late night for the Guru as I had to wait until midnight to watch the Broncos/Lions pre-season game on tape delay. Ok, not really, since I Tivo’d the game on NFL Network and watched it this morning. As with most pre-season games it isn’t the final score that matters. I for one hate any loss at any time, but when your starters only play one possession the final score really doesn’t matter. The Lions did win the game 20-13, and the Broncos showed some early pre-season rust. Some things did stick out to me, and here are my 5 observations from the game.
1. Jay Cutler is the REAL DEAL. 16/22, 192 Yards and a TD. Alot of his throws were laser beams into coverage that hid receivers right between the numbers. The Broncos were excited when they were able to trade up to get him, but now I am excited that I’ll get to watch this guy play for the next 15 years. He showed great presence in the pocket and acted like a 10 year vet from the time he entered the game. I kept waiting for the moment to overtake him, but it never did. Alot of experts think Cutler will be the best quarterback to come out of this year’s draft. Nothing I saw last night refutes any of that thought. It may not be this season, but Cutler will be the starter of this team very, VERY soon. John Elway won Mike Shanahan his first two championships, but it will be Jay Cutler that will get Shanny to 200 wins and the Hall of Fame.
2. Another rookie looked sharp as well. Tight End Tony Scheffler, 3rd round pick from Western Michigan, showed soft hands and great route running ability. Watching Scheffler and Cutler connect multiple times was a view into the future. Looking like they had played together for years, the two rookies made play after play, and Cutler was looking for Scheffler everytime he got into trouble. Scheffler has the size and speed to be a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses and if he can get his blocking down will quickly be starting with the first team. The TE is ultra important in the West Coast offense and the Broncos have been looking for a worthy replacement for Shannon Sharpe since he retired. Scheffler just might do the trick.
3. The running back battle is far from over. Rookie Mike Bell made headlines this week when Shanny annointed him the starter after only one week of camp. Bell started and looked good at times, showing good explosiveness and field vision. On the downside, he did fumble deep in Lions’ territory, a huge No-No on a Mike Shanahan team. Shanny will not play guys that put the ball on the ground, and it has been the knock on the other Bell, Tatum, throughout his career. That said, another formaer Bronco running back once fumbled 3 times during a preseason game, and Clinton Portis seemed to turn out ok. Tatum Bell was the most impressive of the night, with each back looking impressive as the night wore on. I still think Tatum Bell will eventually win the battle, but Mike Bell and Ron Dayne will be big parts of the season.
4. There were some negatives, starting with the turnovers. Two fumbles and an interception, each in Lions territory. When you hold your opponent to over 100 yards less than you it should be a victory. Turnovers are the great equalizer and were the difference in the game. It’s to be expected in the pre-season, but I will be keeping an eye out to see if teh Broncos improve on this as we get to the regular season. Despite the turnovers the Broncos played a pretty clean game, with only 5 penalties. When alot of 3rd teamers are seeing significant action it was nice to see a particularly crisp contest. There were also some injury concerns as rookie WR Brandon Marshall, who has looked great in camp, injured his knee and did not return.
5. The Broncos have some depth, that’s for sure. 5 projected starters, including both starting wide-outs, were held customarily held out of action. Even without Rod Smith, or Jevon Walker the offense looked polished. 2nd and 3rd string wide receivers consistently made plays and I feel good about the position, even without cry-baby Ashley Lelie. It was slightly different on defense, as Courtney Brown, Gerard Warren and Champ Bailey were held out. The Lions made some plays early on against the defense who looked at times to be trying to avoid injury. Not a bad strategy as these games mean nothing for vetrans like Al Wilson or Ian Gold. Rookie Elvis Dumervil showed an innate ability to collapse the pocket at times and will be a welcome addition to the front 4.
A loss is a loss, no doubt. But in looking past the final score the Broncos showed there is plenty to be excited about in Bronco-land. There is much work to do, but with roughly a month left until the season starts Shanny and Co. have plenty of time to iron out the wrinkles.
