2014 Broncos Season, Preseason Week 4


The preseason is over! The regular season begins Thursday! It's time for football that counts! But between now and then, some heart-breaking and difficult decisions have to be made. And the way some of these Broncos played last night in Dallas will make it tougher. Final cuts, where the Broncos have to shed 22 players, must be made by tomorrow afternoon. Then, on Sunday, the Broncos can create a Practice Squad. I hope some of the young Bronco contributors who played well last night can make that Practice Squad!

Preseason Week Four: Broncos 27, Dallas Cowboys 3
Preseason Record: 3-1 (1-1 Home)
Key Play: Following a Tony Carter interception, in a scoreless game late in the first quarter, Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler connected with Andre Caldwell on a 34-yard strike that took the ball to the Cowboys' one yard line. On the next play CJ Anderson punched the ball in for a touchdown, giving Denver a 7-0 lead. The Broncos never looked back, dominating the final three quarters for a 24-point win.

Recap: Last year in the regular season the Denver Broncos and the Dallas Cowboys played the most exciting game of the season. Last night, in the fourth preseason, the two teams met again for what felt like one of the most boring games in recent memory. Both teams got off to a slow start, but eventually it became apparent that one of these teams is headed toward the playoffs and the other is not. The Cowboys, it appears, do not have much talent or depth on the roster. The team looked bad throughout the game and struggled to get any sort of offense going. The Broncos, meanwhile, saw several players on the bubble perform really well. There are going to be some tough decisions and I feel grateful that I don't have to make them. The Broncos look to have some good depth and to be ready for the regular season, which kicks off a week from Sunday.

Game Balls:
* Young Receivers. Cody Latimer is a great prospect, and he looked it last night. Latimer caught three balls for 66 yards, including a big 57-yard reception that set up a score. He looked great. Equally as good was Isaiah Burse. Two weeks ago, it looked like Jordan Norwood would make the team because he was contributing as a receiver and could serve as a return man. Then he got hurt, and he's out for the season. Burse had a chance, and the undrafted rookie from Fresno State looked great. He caught four passes for 65 yards, showing he can contribute as a receiver, and had some nice returns. I think Burse made the team based on last night's performance.

* Cameron Morrah. The young tight end really impressed me last night. He's had some good work in the preseason, and last night he caught three passes for 52 yards. I don't know if he can make the team, but based on what I saw last night he could provide another weapon for the offense.

* Young running backs. CJ Anderson looked good as the starter. He 33 yards and a touchdown, running hard in spots. Juwan Thompson and Kapri Bibbs also had some good moments. I think only two of them make the team, but hopefully the third can make the practice squad.

* Linebacker depth. Danny Trevathan, Nate Irving, and Von Miller are locks for the final roster. Behind that, the Broncos have a wealth of options. Lerentee McCray, Brandon Marshall, Lamin Barrow, Steven Johnson, and Shaquil Barrett have all had strong moments this preseason. My guess is at least one of them gets left off the final roster.

* Tony Carter. He doesn't get a lot of mention or attention, and he's on the bubble, but with an interception and a few good plays last night, it's hard to imagine the Broncos not taking Carter as part of the final roster.

Lingering Questions:
* Who is our kicker, and is he reliable? The Broncos have Matt Prater suspended for four games, so they need a kicker. The team cut rookie Mitch Ewald this week and traded for Brandon McManus. McManus promptly went 2-for-4 on kicks last night. That's not encouraging.

* Brock Osweiler. Yes, we have Peyton Manning. And, yes, Osweiler has had some good moments. He had some decent moments last night, but there are times where he looks lost. One of the knocks against the Colts when Manning was there was the lack of a developmental quarterback. The Broncos like Osweiler, and they think he could be the guy of the future, but after three preseasons I still have questions.

* Wes Welker's health. The Broncos are better with Welker. That being said, I like the options and weapons available on this team. Still, I worry about Welker's long-term health. I hope that's the top concern over having him for the season.

Roster Projections:
Here's my best guess after last night's game. We'll find out for sure later today or Saturday morning.

Quarterback:
* Petyon Manning
* Brock Osweiler

Running Back:
* Montee Ball
* Ronnie Hillman
* CJ Anderson
* Juwan Thompson

Wide Receiver:
* Demaryius Thomas
* Wes Welker
* Emmanuel Sanders
* Andre Caldwell
* Cody Latimer
* Isaiah Burse

Tight End:
* Julius Thomas
* Jacob Tamme
* Cameron Morrah

Offensive Line:
* Ryan Clady
* Louis Vasquez
* Manny Ramirez
* Orlando Franklin
* Chris Clark
* Vinston Painter
* Michael Schofield
* Will Montgomery
* Ben Garland
* Paul Cornick

Defensive Line:
* DeMarcus Ware
* Derek Wolfe
* Terrence Knighton
* Sylvester Williams
* Quanterus Smith
* Malik Jackson
* Marvin Austin
* Mitch Unrein

Linebacker:
* Von Miller
* Danny Trevathan
* Nate Irving
* Lerentee McCray
* Brandon Marshall
* Steven Johnson
* Lamin Barrow

Cornerback:
* Aqib Talib
* Chris Harris, Jr.
* Bradley Roby
* Kayvon Webster
* Tony Carter
* Omar Bolden

Safety:
* TJ Ward
* Rahim Moore
* David Bruton, Jr.
* Duke Ihenacho

Special Teams:
* Brandon McManus
* Britton Colquit
* Aaron Brewer

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Burial a courtroom drama with heart

Image
Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx) is a brash trial lawyer who is good at rallying a jury to his cause. Jeremiah O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) is a quiet grandfather who is trying to ensure the business his family built remains viable after he’s gone. These two don’t appear to have much in common on the surface. But when they’re brought together by young lawyer Hal Dockins (Mamoudou Athie) brings them together, a connection is formed over their shared background of working hard to become self-made men. And it turned out that Willie was just who Jerry needed in his corner to win the fight of his life. The new Prime Video film The Burial, which opened in theaters October 6 and started streaming October 13, captures that trial against the Loewen Group that changed the course of their lives. The film is based on the true story and covers the trial, but more importantly captures the relationship between the men. The film plays out like a traditional courtroom drama. Foxx is solid as Willie Gary, while Ju...
Read more

Broncos Draft Targets

Image
  The NFL Draft is just a few days away. On April 25, the Denver Broncos will head into the draft in the midst of something of a rebuild. In the draft, the Broncos have the No. 12 pick in Round 1, then have a Third Round Pick, Fourth Round Pick, three Fifth Round Picks, a Sixth Round Pick, and a Seventh Round Pick. So, what might they be targeting? Let's dive in and look at possible positions. Quarterback : The team clearly needs a long-term quarterback. Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci are there but the team could certainly use someone else. Could they move up for Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy? Yes, they could. Will the take Bo Nix at 12? It's possible. Or will the Broncos wait until next off-season to make a move? Anything is in play for the Broncos in 2024, but quarterback is surely a need. Tight End: The team brought back Adam Trautman and still has Greg Dulcich, but it's still a need. Dulcich hasn't been able to get on the field and Trautman hasn't been great. Co...
Read more

Favorite Westerns, No. 43

Image
  Do you like a good Western? It's a classic genre in film and this year I've decided to look at some of my favorite Westerns. So, join me each Friday as I count down my favorite Westerns from No. 50 to No. 1. Rooster Cogburn : [ watching Mattie ford the river hanging on the back of her horse] By God. She reminds me of me. True Grit (1969) Starring : John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper Director : Henry Hathaway About: This is the third straight week with a film from Wayne. As you might guess, we're not done. As I've mentioned, he sets a standard for the genre. Here, we seen him bring to life an iconic character. This one is based on a novel, and it has endured. He's great as Rooster Cogburn, so good that he got a sequel in the same character. But this is a later film in his career. This is a different, more grizzled Wayne. He's still quite good and this is a film that really has stood the test of time. It's not the only ve...
Read more