Week 2 GDT: Dallas Cowboys(1-0) @ Denver Broncos(1-0)

[broncos67]

I'm thrilled at how well this team played.  Joe Woods deserves a huge shout out for how this defense showed up against the Cowboys OL/running game.

[Broncofan]

OK post-mortem for mostly a great day:

The Good

1.  Our run D - color me impressed.  I wasn't sure if we could match up against DAL's OL (and there is the effect of Mile High <see later>), but there's no doubt we had nothing like this last year.  We dominated, and it looked like the 2015 D all over again.   Full marks there, game balls to the DL.

2.  CJ Anderson - his problem is that his mileage and his health are always a huge flag - but there's no doubt when he's healthy, he gives everything.  We saw that today, not just in the run game, but in the receiving game, that 3rd and 16 conversion was awesome.  Talk of JC Pipp-ing him seem pretty farfetched now.   The issue is if he can keep it going for a full season, but you can't do anything but give him full marks there.

3.  DT & Sanders - Their stat lines don't look impressive, but keep in mind they did all of that in pretty much 2.5 Q's.  They were dominant, and they converted key 3rd down plays early when the game was in doubt.   A bad giveup by DT on a totally mistimed play-action and one drop by Sanders but otherwise they dominated our O early on, when we raced out to a huge lead.

4.  The No Fly Zone - the pick 6 was icing on the cake - what was really impressive today was that we didn't really shadow anyone - Harris, Talib and Roby all played well vs. Dez.  Dez may have lost a step, but this is still impressive in that all DB's played well.

5.  Von, Barrett & Edebali - it took a while, but their pressure was consistent.  It was nice to see Edebali get in there, we need a rotation to keep guys fresh all game long until Ray gets back.

The Bad

6.   Pass Protection (mostly RT today) - what can we say, Menelik Watson is brutal in pass protection.   Now with Bolles down, however, we're stuck there.   That brings us to...

7.   T depth - while my misgivings on Bolles at 1.20 are well-known, there's no doubt with him out, we're now in huge trouble with our paper-thin depth.  I hope we get anoth

8.   Minor quibbles, rookie / young guy mistakes - a couple of false starts on McKenzie, FS Simmons really got played on that Witten TD.   Those are notable growing pains - it's good it didn't cost us the game, so it's a free shot at having the guys learn.  While it's bad in theory, it's part of letting the young guys play, so understandable.  We just want to see it get better as time goes on. 

The Great 

13. Trevor Siemian - there's only 8 other points, but we have to recognize that #13 had another great game.   Apart from the bad throw on 3rd down to Fowler (where DT was wide open for a TD) and then the missed FG, a near flawless performance.  The INT was all mistiming, and DT & he clearly not on the same page, DT deserves more of the responsibility than Siemian.    

X-Factor - Home Field Advantage - before we start printing AFCCG tickets, let's realize a huge bonus - being at home, the crowd noise really had the DAL O a half-step slower than usual - like how NE got killed by KC on MNF a few years ago, and everyone said KC was elite and NE was through.   I want to see us do this on the road against good teams before I think it's all real.  But we also should recognize that we had HFA last year and didn't look nearly as good.  So it's not all a mirage. 

There's a saying that a team is never as bad as their worst game, or as good as their best game.  We should remember that - but if this is our best game, it's still one helluva high bar to set.  Job well done guys.  

Next week we get to go on the road, and while BUF is an awful team, always harder for the early East Coast games.  Still, can't help but feel excited....if we can get our OL in order.   Fingers crossed, and I hope we have JJ Dielman on speed dial if we need to use Barbre at T now. 

[AKRNA]

Well, that was quite an impressive beat down. 

Maybe the pundits will quit saying we need a QB and better run defense.

[jsthomp2007]

Good win...thought Zeke would eat and we'd get our a$$ handed to us. Siemien still needs to get a lot better.

[jsthomp2007]

4 minutes ago, Broncofan said:

OK post-mortem for mostly a great day:

The Good

1.  Our run D - color me impressed.  I wasn't sure if we could match up against DAL's OL (and there is the effect of Mile High <see later>), but there's no doubt we had nothing like this last year.  We dominated, and it looked like the 2015 D all over again.   Full marks there, game balls to the DL.

2.  CJ Anderson - his problem is that his mileage and his health are always a huge flag - but there's no doubt when he's healthy, he gives everything.  We saw that today, not just in the run game, but in the receiving game, that 3rd and 16 conversion was awesome.  Talk of JC Pipp-ing him seem pretty farfetched now.   The issue is if he can keep it going for a full season, but you can't do anything but give him full marks there.

3.  DT & Sanders - Their stat lines don't look impressive, but keep in mind they did all of that in pretty much 2.5 Q's.  They were dominant, and they converted key 3rd down plays early when the game was in doubt.   A bad giveup by DT on a totally mistimed play-action and one drop by Sanders but otherwise they dominated our O early on, when we raced out to a huge lead.

4.  The No Fly Zone - the pick 6 was icing on the cake - what was really impressive today was that we didn't really shadow anyone - Harris, Talib and Roby all played well vs. Dez.  Dez may have lost a step, but this is still impressive in that all DB's played well.

5.  Von, Barrett & Edebali - it took a while, but their pressure was consistent.  It was nice to see Edebali get in there, we need a rotation to keep guys fresh all game long until Ray gets back.

The Bad

6.   Pass Protection (mostly RT today) - what can we say, Menelik Watson is brutal in pass protection.   Now with Bolles down, however, we're stuck there.   That brings us to...

7.   T depth - while my misgivings on Bolles at 1.20 are well-known, there's no doubt with him out, we're now in huge trouble with our paper-thin depth.  I hope we get anoth

8.   Minor quibbles, rookie / young guy mistakes - a couple of false starts on McKenzie, FS Simmons really got played on that Witten TD.   Those are notable growing pains - it's good it didn't cost us the game, so it's a free shot at having the guys learn.  While it's bad in theory, it's part of letting the young guys play, so understandable.  We just want to see it get better as time goes on. 

The Great 

13. Trevor Siemian - there's only 8 other points, but we have to recognize that #13 had another great game.   Apart from the bad throw on 3rd down to Fowler (where DT was wide open for a TD) and then the missed FG, a near flawless performance.  The INT was all mistiming, and DT & he clearly not on the same page, DT deserves more of the responsibility than Siemian.    

X-Factor - Home Field Advantage - before we start printing AFCCG tickets, let's realize a huge bonus - being at home, the crowd noise really had the DAL O a half-step slower than usual - like how NE got killed by KC on MNF a few years ago, and everyone said KC was elite and NE was through.   I want to see us do this on the road against good teams before I think it's all real.  But we also should recognize that we had HFA last year and didn't look nearly as good.  So it's not all a mirage. 

There's a saying that a team is never as bad as their worst game, or as good as their best game.  We should remember that - but if this is our best game, it's still one helluva high bar to set.  Job well done guys.  

Next week we get to go on the road, and while BUF is an awful team, always harder for the early East Coast games.  Still, can't help but feel excited....if we can get our OL in order.   Fingers crossed, and I hope we have JJ Dielman on speed dial if we need to use Barbre at T now. 

You have to realize though that Trevor dosent normally kick FGs. But maybe he would have made that FG instead of McManus.

[BroncoBruin]

Gotsis and Peko were studs. 

[anewdawn]

Dear Mr. Goodell,

     Should you win our legal battle and I am suspended any amount of games, I ask that this game count as one of them. 

                                                                                                                                                 Respectfully, ZEKE

 

    ps so sad about Bolles...............please b ok!!

 

[paul-mac]

AFC West could have three legitimate super bowl contenders. 

[Cutler06]

That Rush Defense doesn't appear to be as much of a problem as expected. This Defense is Amazing !!

[elliot878]

24 minutes ago, broncos_fan _from _uk said:

This means there were no significant breaks but lots of soft tissue swelling. You or I would be put in a walking boot with a follow up in 2 weeks. The MRI tomorrow will be to look for a tear in either his ATFL (low ankle sprain) or syndesmosis (high ankle sprain). The degree of the tear determines the degree of the sprain and the amount of time he is out. This leaves me hopeful.

 

Love having you break these all down. 

[elliot878]

4 minutes ago, Cutler06 said:

That Rush Defense doesn't appear to be as much of a problem as expected. This Defense is Amazing !!

Letting Joe Woods stay around was a smart move lol.  

[thebestever6]

24 minutes ago, jsthomp2007 said:

Good win...thought Zeke would eat and we'd get our a$$ handed to us. Siemien still needs to get a lot better.

I imagine this is sarcasm if the offense keeps this us Denver goes from dark horses to favorites.

Two things that stood out other than Siemian The run d to hold dallas to that incredible.

Also the coaching is phenomenal Denver didn't get a penalty until the third quarter I believe.

[elliot878]

17 minutes ago, BroncoBruin said:

Gotsis and Peko were studs. 

If Gotsis becomes consistent, another win for Elway where we had him penciled in for a loss.  

[elliot878]

Really wonder what we see from Siemian with a massive downgrade to Stephenson next week at LT.  The improvement on the OL definitely hasn't hurt him, so going back to last years level of outside protection, it'll be interesting to see if Siemian regresses at all from weeks 1 and 2.

[Broncofan]

Honestly, an ankle sprain is by far the best possible outcome for a guy carted off the field and crying.    HAS is 4-6 weeks for linemen (skill players need a higher level of recovery than trench guys).  I'd be relieved if that was the outcome.