Denver, CO

Even when huddling, the Denver Broncos are going up-tempo

Published

1 year ago

August 9, 2023

Even when huddling, the Denver Broncos are going up-tempo

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Playing a tempo-based game isn’t just about getting the no-huddle offense right — even though that’s what the Broncos’ first-team offense did to close practice Tuesday.

It’s about having pre-snap efficiency.

“There are different kinds of tempo. There is no-huddle, which we will do a little bit but it certainly, in my history with Sean (Payton), it hasn’t been a major part of it,” offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi explained after Tuesday’s practice.

But other aspects of tempo helped make the no-huddle work. One notable aspect of the Broncos’ two-minute drill Tuesday was the speed with which the Broncos substituted and snapped — even when they had plenty of time after a clock stoppage.

“The tempo of getting guys in and out of the huddle — fff the sidelines, getting into the huddle quickly, getting the play call, breaking the huddle and up to the line of scrimmage,” Lombardi explained. “No. 1, I think it puts pressure on the defense. They’re trying to figure out who is in the huddle and getting their personnel in. Also, [they are] figuring out which receivers are in, which tight ends are in, what play call do I want to make defensively based on who we have in the huddle?

“I think that puts pressure on them and also giving the quarterback more time at the line of scrimmage if he needs it to make protection checks or run checks, whatever we need to do. It’s helps us, makes it more calm at the line of scrimmage and also puts pressure on the defense.”

It’s not hard to contrast that with last year. Pre-snap infractions plagued the Broncos, especially early in the season. While Jerry Rosburg’s Week 3 arrival helped trim the miscues, the Broncos still finished fourth in the league in combined false starts and delay-of-game penalties per game (including playoffs), with an average of 1.71 per game.

The Broncos aren’t past that. False-start infractions torpedoed their first move-the-ball possessions Friday and Saturday. Another false-start penalty forced the second-team offense into fourth-and-15 Tuesday, which helped sink that unit’s hopes of driving to a touchdown.

But progress appears evident. The No. 1 offense had a clean, 9-play drive to conclude its work Tuesday.

“So, they’re just picking up that tempo and just operating like they know the offense a little better,” Lombardi said. “So, the guys are working hard, they felt a little tired today but just the mental aspect and just operating a little quicker.”

And that is part of the difference the Broncos hope to see this year.

The @DenverSportsCom #BroncosCamp report, part 1:
* Injuries piling up
* Russ and receivers starting to cook pic.twitter.com/CO61dcj9sU
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) August 8, 2023

EYE-CATCHING PLAYER(S)

During the field-goal period Tuesday, both Brett Maher and Elliott Fry were perfect. And according to special-teams coordinator Ben Kotwica, that fits nicely with their work in training camp to date.

“In the charted kicks, both are over 90 percent,” Kotwica said.

It’s different from game-time pressure, of course. But on Friday, Maher capped the first-team offense’s drive by hitting a field goal as the clock expired, accomplishing the goal of the series.

Last Thursday, the two kickers both had some misses. But by and large, they have been true. Fry possesses precision. As for Maher, the ball explodes off of his foot. It’s not uncommon for him to send it over the video tower at the south end of the west practice field.

But the pressure is about to intensify.

“There’s going to be key kicks coming up here, whether it’s in a team period, or in a two-minute, or on Friday against Arizona,” Kotwica said.

“Knd of like the money ball in the 3-point contest, there are going to be some key kicks here as we go down the stretch.”

But for now, there’s a lot to like.

NOTES:

Jerry Jeudy’s route-running continues to be a highlight of the one-on-one period. A break during one-on-one repetitions froze CB Damarri Mathis, allowing the fourth-year receiver to gain separation for a reception.
Montrell Washington made yet another big play. During one-on-one drills, he worked past Faion Hicks to haul in a pass from Russell Wilson.
Kendall Hinton also found the end zone, grabbing a deep pass from Ben DiNucci during the one-on-one period.
Greg Dulcich hauled in a touchdown pass from Russell Wilson past Delarrin Turner-Yell during the seven-on-seven red-zone period. Also hauling in TD passes during that period were Tony Jones Jr. and Halle McLaughlin (from Jarrett Stidham) and Albert Okwuegbunam and Nate Adkins (from Ben DiNucci).
Pat Surtain II came up aces on a rollout executed by Russell Wilson, breaking up a pass intended for Jeudy.
Mathis nearly intercepted a third-down pass intended for Jeudy, but Wilson’s toss sailed through his hands, allowing Jeudy to make the grab and pick up the first down.
Former Broncos QB Peyton Manning attended practice, watching alongside CEO Greg Penner and executive VP of communications Patrick Smyth, among others.
Penner and fellow owners Rob Walton and Carrie Walton Penner also watched the session.

PARTICIPATION REPORT:

Safety Justin Simmons (groin) and CB K’Waun Williams watched from the sideline.
LT Garett Bolles received some rest. Bolles continues to complete his recovery from a fractured ankle suffered in Week 5 last year.
Rookie CB Riley Moss remains sidelined due to core-muscle surgery. He should miss approximately four weeks.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

“This is home for me. I’ve been here half of my life. It feels good to be back.” — Vance Joseph

WEATHER REPORT:

It was a lovely day at training camp. Temperatures remained in the 70s for much of the session, rising from 71°F to 80°F over the course of the practice.

***

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Denver, CO

Denver area events for Nov. 25: Pop-up holiday lounge at Union Station and more

Published

4 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Press Room

Denver area events for Nov. 25: Pop-up holiday lounge at Union Station and more

If you have an event taking place in the Denver area, email information to carlotta.olson@gazette.com at least two weeks in advance. All events are listed in the calendar on space availability.

Monday

Sipping N’ Painting Hampden — “Alaska Night,” 6:30-8:30 p.m., Sipping N’ Painting Hampden, 6461 E. Hampden Ave., Denver, $35. Registration required: sippingnpaintinghampden.com.

Brazilian Zouk Classes and Social Dance — 7-11:30 p.m., Mercury Café, 2199 California St., Denver, $20 class and social, $15 social only; mercurycafe.com.

Cloud Nothings — With Armlock, Famers Wife, 8 p.m., Bluebird Theater, 3317 E. Colfax Ave., Denver, $25. Tickets: axs.com.

Mile High Holidays Drone Show — 7 p.m. through Dec. 31, Denver skies; denver.org/milehighholidays.

“American Dreams” Exhibit — Through Dec. 31, Molly Brown House Museum, 1340 Pennsylvania St., Denver, go online for prices. Tickets: mollybrown.org.

“Shadow and Light: Patrick Marold” — Through Jan. 5, Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St., Denver, go online for prices; botanicgardens.org.

“Vanity & Vice: American Art Deco” — Through Jan. 12, Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art, 1201 Bannock St., Denver. Go online for prices. Tickets: kirklandmuseum.org.

“Dawoud Bey: Street Portraits” — Through May 11, Denver Art Museum, 100 W. 14th Ave. Parkway, Denver, go online for prices: denverartmuseum.org.

Monday-Dec. 28

Miracle at Union Station: Buddy’s Bar — Pop-up cocktail lounge featuring holiday décor, cocktails and a designated Hanukkah table, 4-p.m.-midnight, Galley Bar on lower level, Union Station, 1701 Wynkoop St., Denver. Reservations: denverunionstation.com.

Monday-Dec. 30

Free Downtown Trolley Rides — See the downtown Castle Rock decorations, 5-7 p.m. Mondays-Tuesdays, no rides Dec. 24, pickup/drop-off points Encore Garage Entrance on South Street between Wilcox and Perry Street and Douglas County School District Parking Lot Entrance on 6th Street Wilcox and Perry Street, Castle Rock; crgov.com/2622/season-of-the-star.

CARLOTTA OLSON, The Denver Gazette

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Denver, CO

PHOTOS: Denver Broncos beat Las Vegas Raiders, 29-19, in NFL Week 12

Published

12 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Press Room

PHOTOS: Denver Broncos beat Las Vegas Raiders, 29-19, in NFL Week 12

Wide receiver Courtland Sutton (14) of the Denver Broncos celebrates after the fourth quarter of the Broncos’ 29-19 win over the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

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Denver, CO

Raiders HC Sounds Off on Broncos QB Bo Nix’s Rapid Rise

Published

20 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Press Room

Raiders HC Sounds Off on Broncos QB Bo Nix’s Rapid Rise

On Sunday, fans will be treated to a head-to-head contest between two rapidly emerging offensive powerhouses, both of whom are bonafide Rookie of the Year contenders. Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix and Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers found new homes with consecutive picks during last April’s NFL draft, and since then, they’ve performed exceptionally well in the pro ranks.

Nix is firmly on the radar of Raiders head coach Antonio Piece, but that’s even more true after yet another award-winning performance last week.

“He was a winner as a freshman. He was a winner as a six-year player,” Pierce noted of Nix. “All he does is win, come in the league. Won the quarterback battle there in Denver. Maybe they were keeping them tight on the leash early on, and now they’re not. He has full control that offense. You can see that Sean Payton gives him opportunities to audible and make some adjustments. He’s making throws, he’s running with his legs, he’s taking care of the football, and he’s winning. That’s all you can ask for from a rookie.”

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Nix presents a clear and present danger to the Raiders’ chances of squeezing out what would be only their third win of their massively disappointing season. Stopping the impressive rookie is proving to be another matter entirely for NFL defenses, especially one with a badly beaten-up roster like the Raiders.

“This is crazy,” Raiders linebacker Divine Deablo said via ESPN‘s Paul Gutierrez. “I’ve never seen this amount of injuries on any team I’ve been on.”

This week, Broncos head coach Sean Payton has pumped the brakes a little on the burgeoning hype exploding around Nix. That being said, you get the distinct feeling that Payton is more than comfortable unleashing Nix’s full array of talents at his disposal. Confidence is growing in Nix, and that’s been reflected in how Payton has opened up the playbook for his first-year signal-caller.

The juices are flowing, and Payton may have found an answer in dynamic second-year receiver Marvin Mims Jr. The mystical “joker” role within the Broncos offense seems to have been filled.

“I think we always gotta be saying, ‘Hey, are we doing everything we can to highlight his strengths?’ And so, yeah, I don’t know if he’s got the ‘joker’ tattoo, but he might be invited to the club,” Payton said via Andrew Mason.

When push comes to shove, if Nix plays lights out again, an easy win might come Denver’s way, but stopping Bowers would also ensure the victory and help in the race for Rookie of the Year honors. Payton is already on high alert, but it was also tinged with a bit of football envy when he illustrated Bowers’ “joker” abilities.

“Someone had a really good vision for him and you see all the ‘Joker’ traits, means and change of direction,” Payton said of Bowers. “It can’t be a little. It’s a high-end receiving trait and he can move, he can be outside and he can run a route tree maybe different than most tight ends.”

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