Um, what was the biggest problem yesterday in your mind? What was the defense played good enough that

defense played winning football.

The kid will play.

That's just that they finally cracked, you know, they're, they're out there, uh, The 49ers play the way the Broncos should.

The Broncos' defense was winning the matchup, but the punishment the 49ers dished out finally showed up in the Kittle play.

But I think that was a fairly wasted defensive effort against a really good offense and a quarterback who's looked much better against everybody else.

this year.

Is it as simple as just switching the play caller? Because you just described if you're not even given the plays a chance and what's the point of changing the play caller?

Um, w- where does San Francisco have the advantages? Where does Denver have the advantages as they go head-to-head?

head-to-head?Yeah, I mean, I, I mean, I think it- knowing the people involved with the 49ers, the- they're gonna come after the Bronco linebackers, you know, whether that's with Kittle, McCaffrey, you know, Deebo, you know, however they do it, uh, I would guess they're looking to isolate Bronco linebackers in coverage.

So I would expect the Broncos in some way to try to respond with, with maybe, uh, a big nickel formation.

You know, I, I'm, I'm certain they may toss out a, a, a...

You know, I- I'm not certain, but I would, I would...

Knowing everybody and how they call things, I would expect to see a 4-4 at times on defense, which they haven't used too many snaps, uh, this year, so because y- you just gotta muscle up against the 49ers and somehow keep enough speed on the field to deal with what they have, 'cause that's where they challenge you.

They, they try to put your, your bigger people in bad spots and, and are very good at doing it, and I think that's their advantage, 'cause that's been a trouble spot for the Broncos.

Would you agree with that assessment, and what would that mean in your mind for Bo as far as progression?

Yeah.

He said, "This will be the Broncos' offense." So y- y- you know, I don't think there should've been any...

You know, lightning wasn't gonna strike and, you know, a playbook rise out from a volcano, and they were just gonna have suddenly all of these new plays.

You know, that this, this is the playbook they're, they've chosen and that they're gonna use.

Now he's, Davis has infused some things we saw in camp, and we have not seen all of those yet.

And I'll be, I'll be intrigued to see how they, uh, come about.

But we, we have seen a, a first year play caller go through the growing pains.

Yeah.

Do you have any insight as to maybe what was said there in the second half after the first three and out or whatever?

No, this is no secret.

I love how we, all of us, me included, we look at all these things, but look, He is the head coach.

And there will be moments, and I don't care who your play caller is, when Bill Belichick was Bill Parcells' defensive coordinator, you can believe that Bill Parcells would walk over to Bill Belichick at times, who was roundly considered one of the best defensive minds in football, even then, and would, under no certain terms, outline to him... how he wanted the next series to be called, or why in the hell did you just call that? That goes on.

That's going to go on, and I don't care if Davis Webb turns out to be the greatest play caller to wear a headset.

At some point, his head coach is going to walk over and tell him what he'd really like to see on the next drive.

So I'm not shocked by that, but it struck me.

Yep.

What do you think is going on with Jade there? Again, is it just because of formations? Is he taking a step back or is it just still be patient? If somebody goes down, he's going to play a big role.

Well, you know, Andy, that's one of those things where, you know, personnel – I mean, sometimes on defense you can just say, look, we're just playing this and we don't care.

But Jacksonville, you know, essentially forced the issue.

Teams don't want to face the Broncos' pass rush out of the nickel and the dime.

So Jacksonville stayed really heavy.

So you're – you know, that other corner isn't going to play – any snaps if they won't come out of those heavier looks.

And that's why he didn't get much and, you know, against the Jags.

Jeff, give us the breakdown on both of these matchups because this is some really, really good head-to-head football we're about to watch on Sunday night.

What play got him going in your mind? What play kind of flipped him into let's do this mode? Was it the Waddle throw at the beginning of the fourth quarter?

Yeah, probably.

I mean, right bef- you know, that, that...

The long throw to Waddle, 'cause he's on the move when he makes the throw and, and, you know, it, it's, it's not a tight window, but it's...

You know, he's gotta fit it in there a little bit, and, uh, that's down the field.

Uh, I thought that was one that got him going.

And I thought, you know, you guys know, [laughs] uh, because I truly believe in this as offensive strategy, uh, what struck me yesterday was how much they were under center.

Yeah

I know it was a heavy... course of the questioning today and Sean promising they're going to get Waddle the ball do you think we're going to see a force feed of the screen game or what do you think they're going to try to do to unlock the guy they gave up a first round pick for

well he's he's open on plenty of plays you know it's I've been through the I charted the game you know twice and I've been through it plenty and and even watching it live he he's open including the first play of the game that's a fact that If Bo simply gets the ball out of his hand, when Waddle flashes across the formation, it's a huge gain, and you may not even be having the narrative they had, you know, right now.

So he is open.

It's, you know, quarterback's got to put the ball in there, and Waddle's just got to continue to do what he does.

And, you know, he's getting good releases.

Now, he got bracketed a lot, so that is going to make Bo shy away in some initial progressions.

But there were plays that were there when he was open.

yeah.

What was the worst aspect of the game? Was it just the fundamental lack of wrapping up in tackling, or was it the four three-and-outs in the first six drives of the game?

Well, it's hard to pick a winner there, or the loser, as it were.

I think the thing that sort of red flags me the most is they just spent an entire off season trying to deal with three and outs.

I think they were 29th in the league last year.

I think they were 27th the year before.

So this isn't a new issue for them.

And just, I thought that the first play from scrimmage, he took a really bad sack immediately.

The lost art of being able to take a snap, go backwards, and then assess the defense.

How are these teams similar?

Well, you know, the guys, it got me thinking when the guys with the 2015 team kept saying they were similar.

And I guess I started with the premise of if it was good enough for them to look into, then I would too.

And I think that's, you know, really good top two defense, you know, the way the team was assembled.

I think they think it's similar.

I think they seem, I think they feel like they see a similar, you know, combination of players.

And I, you know, especially guys like, you know, Von Miller, Aqib Tlaib, you know, Kubiak, they all see sort of the, you know, the assemblage of a roster that's interested in the end result and what the group does.

Is there a bit of a misnomer sometimes that we just assign to an offensive coach, oh, that's all that matters to you and defense isn't all that important? Because both of those coaches who were brilliant offensive minds did a wonderful job coaching excellent defensive teams.

What do you think the approach is for Denver early on in this season after a training camp in which they dealt with some annoying little things here and there to just try and get through the hot part of the schedule nice and healthy?

Yeah, you know, it's been their focus.

I mean, Sean Payton basically announced he was, you know, forbidding any more injuries at one point in camp.

So, you know, I think they've tried very hard.

This is the longest stretch between a final preseason game and an opener that I can remember a team having, and certainly any team I've ever covered never had a gap like this.

So I think the challenge has been to do, you know, just sort of stay sharp, not be stale, and not keep guys on the field so long that you have – those injuries pop up because you just keep going at it.

I remember vividly a Fangio camp one year when they just kept grinding after the last preseason game, and that team came out of the gate as poorly as I can ever remember.

What are the similarities, what are the differences between the Shanahan-Purdy partnership and the Payton and Nix partnership here in Denver?

What are your thoughts on Drew? Did you think that this is what he would become? He's pretty comfortable playing that backup role in Seattle.

Well, you know, it's probably not what any quarterback wants in his career, but it's a good living if you become that reliable guy who, you know, shows up every day and helps the starter and knows the offense without a lot of practice reps.

You know, it's funny because, you know, having seen him here and having reviewed him before his draft pretty heavily, you saw a lot more mature player, as you would expect, this many years into his career now.

But he had a lot of completions he wouldn't have taken in his time as a starter here.

And I think that's the difference.

You know, quarterbacks don't always want to hear it, especially young ones.

But it always resonates in my head when I've had guys like Elway and Manning just say over and over, you've got to learn when to just take the completion.

How do you see this running back rotation working for the Broncos if J.K. Dobbins is the starter? Does he get multiple series? Do they switch off series, switch off plays? I've always wondered how they operate that.

Why do they need both Stiddy and Ellinger?

You know, Andy, I think some of it is, you know, people are leaning that way in the league.

I think two teams kept four this year.

I'm not sure I've seen that in a long time.

And I think, honestly, I think Stidham and Ellinger are two veteran players that they had basically said, you know, if things work out, everybody's making it because they – Ellinger in particular – you know, they want around here.

So I think the concession they had to make was I'm on the roster and I'm not on the practice squad because he's, he's a veteran free agent.

You know, if he cut him, he can negotiate with anybody.

know

Who do you consider, as we enter Sunday, which is cut-down day, maybe the guy who's most surprisingly going to be on the chopping block for the Broncos?

Well, they've got some tough, tough decisions, and there's going to be some guys who've been here who aren't here this time.

And I think the biggest reason for that is I honestly think the rookie class has come into a 14-win team and been much better than they thought.

And I think there were eight or nine personnel guys from other teams at the preseason game Friday night.

And I'm here to tell you, I know some of those guys, so I always go down and chat.

with the one or two or three or however many I know.

And the binoculars were not on the Packers.

How soon if, you know, I don't know what to expect from a Raymond or any, how soon do we, do we hear about his status?

But in the big picture for the guys that are going to, you know, actually play for the Broncos this upcoming season, what was your evaluation for how things looked both offensively and defensively from Friday night?

Well, Nate, I guess I come down where the head coach did, which is, That looked like a preseason dip a little bit, which, you know, you see sometimes.

But I thought they just didn't have the same sharpness they've had even in a lot of their practices on either side of the ball.

And some of it is you have a veteran team.

You don't have a lot of people in that initial wave of the game, even in the second team, really, who are – just scrapping for that roster spot.

So sometimes it can get a little workmanlike, and frankly, it just didn't have the same sharpness, like I say, that they've had.

And that's what struck me.

As you know, and we've laid out for six months, it's tough, but he certainly seems to pop on game tape.

But what do you think they're hoping for there? Is it a guarantee he makes a roster, or is he in a bit of a battle here?

I don't think it's a guarantee.

I think they obviously were comfortable enough with his knee He had knee surgery last year after he hurt it in camp, tried to play through it.

Six games into the year, they shut him down, and then he had surgery last October.

So they're obviously comfortable with what they've seen physically or what their doctors are telling them.

I think, honestly, it probably is the bottom line of they started looking at how much use they were going to have in the reserve spots at both linebacker and safety.

And I'm not sure they were comfortable with all of that youth.

With John Franklin Myers departed, really kind of the one consistent starter on the defense from last year that is now gone, what's that competition look like? Who's rounding into form and looking like they're going to be taking, because it's always a high rotation position, but who's going to be taking a higher percentage of snaps than others on the D-line?

Right.

And they should be.

You know, actually, you know, I know, I think we talked on your show, your guys' show in April.

This guy had the chance to really be the rookie that could have some impact because, I mean, I watched hundreds of his snaps in college before the draft.

And this is just an NFL back.

I mean, that's just how an NFL back looks coming into the league.

And, you know, the Broncos said it.

Do you have a handle of maybe a couple guys on this team that may fall prey to that?

I am curious, did you see an evolution of the offense? Were you able to see maybe a little what Bo Nix spoke about at the podium where Davis Webb did help kind of, here's a couple hints before we get to the line of scrimmage, stuff like that, or was that too early to tell?

You know, pretty vanilla, Andy.

They did break out a couple of the two-back sets that they've shown recently.

in practice that include two running backs instead of a fullback, kind of a split back, old school pro set look with a shotgun chaser, as it were.

So I'm intrigued to see that with Dobbins and Coleman or Dobbins and Harvey.

I'm intrigued to see what that looks like with the starter starters.

But they've shown that in camp, and that's even given the Broncos – in the call-it periods when the two coordinators are calling it like a game, they've made some things happen with that look in practice.

But by and large, Jeff, what did you see on the film once you watched the O-line?

yes yes and and i'm sure he fully supports every nfl stadium has having real turf now i wanted to ask him about it but i'm sure his answer would have been pretty diplomatic because he doesn't want to throw other owners under the bus but why can he do it while others can't it's simple in my book money it's it's money

Well, look at everything they do.

They're more willing to, now they have more money.

Their ownership group is the richest in the NFL.

That's the bottom line.

Right now, as in the current ownership structure of teams, the Broncos have the richest ownership group in the league.

But that said, he is willing to spend that money.

Okay.

But is there any injury that we're really concerned about to this point? Or is this all just sort of nagging stuff of camp?

Well, Andy, you and I have talked over the years here.

The lotto one you could have predicted, a guy who played at essentially C-level and practiced at C-level, comes up to altitude and players through the years, I've seen it a million times, it affects how you have to hydrate living up here.

We know it living here, but on the elite athlete level, it really becomes an issue you have to address in a different way.

You can't simply maybe like drink the same amount of water and sports drink or whatever as you have.

In the past, you've got to do more.

You know, living here is just a fact.

Because he's physical?

Formationally, without getting an angry phone call from the Broncos, what are the things that you have seen or noticed? Are there any evolutions in what the Broncos are doing in terms of formations and personnel groupings that have maybe popped for you a little bit?

Well, I will say that they've shown that, you know, You know, they've shown that a few times in this camp, and I think it is one of sort of the Davis-Webb endorsed wrinkles.

They've had it in the playbook already.

I don't want to make it sound like they're drawing a new play here, but it was in there, but he has pushed it to the forefront a little bit.

I've seen it multiple times in team drills this year, and I think he – I've seen more tweaks.

Again, I don't get to see a lot of, I see some of the walkthroughs, but I don't see them all.

And I know a lot of the tweet, the real big tweaks are happening in those other walkthroughs.

What do you think of the shot for the other two at the hall? Ultimately?

That they can be patient with it

... that that impacts, you know ... 'Cause he was asked, "Are you concerned yet that he's not on the field?" And his answer was essentially, "Yeah, if you're not on the field, I'm concerned." But they, his ascension was seen before he got hurt, so I think that will impact their decision in, in how they bring him back.

I, I think he has a real chance, uh, to make the, the roster there, but, you know, they may have to ...

That may be where the extra receiver goes is ultimately that roster spot may go to tight end as they try to keep guys who can do a variety of things.

But they need, they need athleticism there.

You know, it's fine that they have guys he, he thinks are smart and, and do all the right things, and it is, uh, from a assignment standpoint, it's one of the most difficult positions to play in Peyton's offense because you have all of the pass protections.

You have all of the run fits, and you have all your routes.

Yep

Mm-hmm

... bulletin there.

You know, it's...

That's always been the case.

But it is a bit surprising.

You know, this is this ownership group's first real test of how they're gonna handle things, and they've, they've, uh, they've talked about a very high bar in all of those things.

And I, I think it does leave them open for questioning.

How much do coaches sort of dread this time where, yeah, you aren't totally going 100% quite yet as you open up camp, but you are going quicker and faster than you have over the last few months, and that could lead to some of these injuries? How do coaches deal with that?

Yeah.

I guess that's, uh, that tells you something about him, I think, a little bit too.

And actually, it's, it's funny.

I didn't get to include it this time, but I, I remember one of the first conversations with Champ Bailey I had about Pat Surtain, and that was one thing Champ picked up immediately on, was when Surtain asked questions, it wasn't just to be in the act of asking a question or appearing to be inquisitive, or...

He was really looking for answers, and there's a big difference.

I think a lot of times players feel like young players ask them questions just 'cause they feel like they should be participating in class, uh, instead of really getting answers.

And he, he asked questions in search of answers as a rookie.

Mm-hmm

As this kind of dust settles from all these coaching shuffles and there's always a little bit of staff tweaking around the league, even for head coaches who keep their job, is there going to be any kind of seismic shift there in Denver?

Well, I think everybody's kind of waiting to see if Davis Webb stays, who is kind of the hot young name.

Is, is Sean going to have to give them more of a play calling voice? Sean's been very resistant and has emphatically swatted the thought away that he would not call plays here in some fashion, but that was before they, you know, uh, scored one touchdown in a, in an AFC championship loss, you know, snow or no snow and their offensive issues this year, probably the biggest reason they're not in San Francisco.

you know, right now they did finish with a great record, but they were 29th and three and outs this year.

Uh, their big play total was down in the middle of the pack.

And, you know, you look at those things and the, the four teams in the championship weekend in the AFC and NFC championship game, the Broncos, you know, we're the only team of the four, not in the top four in big plays.

So, he's got a concern here and he admitted it at the season ender that he's got to look closely at what he's, obviously this playbook has been with him for a very long time.

What can you tell us just in maybe the few instances you've been around Jimmy just about how he's matured as a coach, knowing he's been a play caller before, albeit at the college level?