Kiszla: No Von Miller is no big deal to Denver Broncos' defense By Mark Kiszla The Denver Post September 27, 2013

Naked to the waist, suspended linebacker Von Miller leaned over a table in the Broncos' locker room and cut the deck of cards.

He's the joker.

The Broncos mean business.

In the absence of Miller from the lineup, Denver is not as intimidating. The 23.7 points surrendered per game are troublesome for any NFL defense with championship aspirations.

But, in the absence of Miller, the Broncos have become a better team.

Here is what I mean:

The Denver defense has been prodded to step out from behind the shadow of Miller's awesome talent. His lack of maturity has forced the Broncos to realize that the 24-year-old linebacker can be the wild card in the team's run to the Super Bowl, but Miller's tenuous status within the league's drug program means he can no longer be trusted to be a cornerstone player.

In Miller's absence, the Broncos are weaker in talent, but have sharpened their edge.

There's a chip on the shoulder, caused by the leaguewide assumption this defense is just along for the ride on the coattails of quarterback Peyton Manning.

That notion ticks off the Broncos who play for defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio.

And that's a good thing.

While Miller tries to figure out ways to kill hours as he sits out the rest of his dunce time in the principal's office, there's no question the young leader growing a little more every week is linebacker Wesley Woodyard.

In a league that wants to play faster on offense, it is the speed of Wood- yard that kills the confidence in foes. A year ago, Woodyard made the Broncos believe they

could live without D.J. Williams. This season, the line to the Pro Bowl for your local heroes begins behind Woodyard. And that includes you, Mr. Miller.

Philadelphia quarterback Michael Vick is quick. With Chip Kelly the "It" coach of the moment, the new genius of offensive innovation, the Eagles are the NFL's hot technology item.

Big deal.

Woodyard can't wait to make the Eagles suck wind at 5,280 feet above sea level.

"There is no hype about that altitude," Woodyard said Thursday. "The altitude is a different beast. They're going to get a test of it."

Here's thinking if the Eagles are crazy enough to punch the fast forward button in Colorado, Manning and the Broncos might well hang 50 points on Philadelphia.

Call Miller irresponsible. But, in his absence, the Broncos have grown more accountable. No slackers. Never satisfied. Always striving.

"I think the coaches, I would venture to say, would be pleased with that," said Manning, whose relentless pursuit of perfection has permeated the locker room. "Guys are being accountable on this team. We watch film by ourselves in certain periods and we hear guys speaking up, saying, 'Hey, I didn't do my job there.' Talking about being accountable. Those are the kinds of guys you want to play with. Guys who take pride in their profession, guys who aren't satisfied with just doing OK. They really want to excel doing their job."

Guys who excel in the departments Von needs work. Miller tried to get by on talent. Charm his way past the rules with a Pro Bowl grin. Hey, it worked great until he got busted.

Since the forced absence of Miller, however, there has been no messing around by the Broncos.

There is a harder edge, a tone set by the bone-shaking tackling of safety Duke Ihenacho, the infectious enthusiasm of Woodyard and the gold-standard professionalism of veteran cornerback Champ Bailey.

Without Miller, the Broncos are not as talented.

But the clown car has been parked at the curb, bro.

There's nothing difficult to understand about what Del Rio demands from his defense:

Get with the program. Get on the bus. And get going.

Robert Ayers surprise leader in sacks for undefeated Denver Broncos By Mike Klis The Denver Post September 27, 2013

It's difficult to remember, because of their dominance so far, but the Broncos had a significant problem when this season began.

Who would replace Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller and generate a pass rush? Shaun Phillips seemed like a logical candidate. The former San Diego Chargers star had a bunch of sacks in his NFL career. Derek Wolfe seemed ready for double-digit sacks after a promising rookie year in 2012.

Denver's sack leader through three games? Defensive end Robert Ayers.

The former first-round draft pick already has matched his career best with three sacks, the same number produced by Houston Texans star J.J. Watt.

It was all by physical design.

"I've been working with Luke and those guys with nutrition,"

Ayers said, referring to Broncos strength and conditioning coach Luke Richesson. "I'm 15 pounds lighter than I played at last year. That's helping me a lot, being lighter and quicker."

Broncos front-office boss John Elway, coach John Fox and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio tried telling people during the offseason that Ayers was ready to shine in his fifth NFL season.

But not many believed it, because Ayers had only 6½ sacks through his first four seasons. Dumervil and Miller combined for 29½ sacks last season.

It was suggested to Ayers that had he been selected in the second or third round of the 2009 draft instead of in the first round, his performance may have been judged less harshly.

"I understand that," Ayers said. "I understand the criticism I get. My numbers weren't where I wanted them to be when I came into the league. I don't think it's wrong. I criticize myself."

After battling through an Achilles tendon injury suffered near the end of preseason, Ayers posted his first sack in limited playing time against Baltimore Ravens

quarterback Joe Flacco in the opener, then got two more Monday against the Oakland Raiders.

"It's his contract year. It's put up or shut up. And he's putting up," said Broncos defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson. "But I think it's more about him coming into his own. He's always been a hard worker."

Said Ayers: "My motivation is to prove media and naysayers and whoever else that they're wrong, that I can be that guy. That's my motivation. Money and contract and all that stuff, I have a bigger goal than that. I want to prove people wrong and prove to myself that I can play."

Broncos’ Kayvon Webster on how real men get pedicures By Mike Klis The Denver Post September 26, 2013

The following was included in my Kayvon Webster profile piece today but had to cut it out because of space. It mostly focused on Webster the corner who likes to hit. But there was another side to him:

Away from Broncos headquarters, Broncos rookie cornerback Kayvon Webster loves listening to music. He takes cares of his body, getting “off campus’’ massages and pedicures.

That’s right, real men get pedicures. He asked assistant equipment manager Mike “Hands’’ Harrington if he had ever got a pedicure.

“Never? Why not?” Webster asks.

Andre “Bubba’’ Caldwell stepped on the nearby scale. Yes, Caldwell, has had pedicures.

“See when you play the skill position you have to take care of your feet,’’ Webster said. “You can’t have bad toes or anything like that.”

If Tony Carter’s ankle and Champ Bailey’s foot need another week to recover, Webster will be the Broncos’ nickel corner against the Philadelphia Eagles.

“If not, I’ll do my thing on special teams,’’ Webster said.

Broncos briefs: Eagles star DeSean Jackson looks familiar to CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie By Mike Klis The Denver Post September 27, 2013

Even if Champ Bailey plays Sunday in the Denver secondary, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie has earned the assignment of covering DeSean Jackson.

Bailey, the Broncos' 12-time Pro Bowl cornerback, has always covered the opponent's top receiver. But he remains iffy for Denver's Week 4 home game against the Philadelphia Eagles because of a foot injury.

Rodgers-Cromartie is not iffy. The former Eagles cornerback has played well in his first season with the Broncos. Besides, he covered Jackson nearly every practice the past two years when both were playing for the Eagles. Jackson has let his former teammate know it will be game on come Sunday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.

"He hit me up on the phone and was like, 'You know it's me and you this weekend. We're going to go at it,' " Rodgers- Cromartie said. "But that's just a challenge I'm looking for- ward to."

Bailey has yet to play this season because of a foot injury he suffered during an Aug. 17 exhibition game in Seattle.

"I seem patient? Oh, man, I'm fooling somebody," Bailey said. "It's been tough. It still is tough because it's still up in the air.

"I've never dealt with anything like this. I just want to make the right decision. Right now, I don't know what that is. I'm trying to figure that out."

Historic streak. There's no way you knew this: The Broncos not only have won 14 consecutive regular-season games dating to last season, they have won all 14 by at least seven points. OK, maybe you knew that.

But here's the stunner: This is the NFL's longest seven points-or-better winning streak since Sid Luckman's 1941-42 Chicago Bears won 16 straight by at least seven points in each game.

Let that digest. The Broncos are on the NFL's most dominant regular-season run in 71 years. The average score during the Broncos' 14-game winning streak is 34-18.

Four-minute drill. The Broncos might have been winning by greater margins during their

streak had they not so often gone into a four-minute, run-out-the-clock mode rather than pile on the points. They seemed to make a conscious decision to run out the clock Monday against the Oakland Raiders.

"Going into that game you're not thinking about it, because you don't know when you are going to get into that situation," said Denver offensive coordinator Adam Gase. "But when it does, we do have a chance to work on it and that's what we want to do. We need to be more successful in that area. We turned the ball over and we can't do that. Right there was a massive lesson."

Injury report. Strong safety Duke Ihenacho again didn't practice Thursday because of an ankle injury. Cornerback Tony Carter returned on a limited basis from his ankle injury. Tight end Joel Dreessen again was limited as he continues to heal from a knee scope.

Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly's grand scheme takes wing Kelly brings frenetic offensive attack from Oregon gridiron

By Joan Niesen The Denver Post September 27, 2013

There are four years of tape out there, four years of this stocky man who looks like his eyes might drill holes in your heart. There are four years of him pacing the sidelines, four years of his teams beating the living bejesus out of their opponents by tiring them to the bone and scoring at will.

Some of those tapes — Chip Kelly being the man, Oregon the team — might be in what Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio calls the team's "cupboard," where they store material in the offseason that they'll use to prepare for upcoming opponents. They might, but Del Rio isn't going into detail.

Offensive coordinator Adam Gase isn't watching them and waxing poetic.

Coach John Fox is citing this year's Philadelphia Eagles stats, that one — one! — three-and-out in three games, not any game Oregon dominated in recent years.

It's simple. This is about the Eagles, Sunday's opponent, and nothing further. Even so, the specter of Kelly and everything he accomplished at Oregon still invokes questions. Is his fast-paced read-option offense the future of the NFL? Is college the breeding ground for where the professional league is headed?

Maybe, but it's too early to say, and Kelly's role in this isn't quite what the world makes of it. He was a highly successful college coach, working with a variation on a trend that has infiltrated the NFL. The Eagles liked what they saw and thought he could make it work at football's highest level.

"I didn't sell the Eagles management on anything," Kelly said on a conference call this week. "We just discussed their visions for their organization and my vision for an organization, and it matched."

Asked if what he's doing is the beginning of a trend, Kelly said: "I don't look at it that way. I'm just trying to figure out what's the best way for the Philadelphia Eagles to be successful on Sunday. I don't think 50,000 feet above, globally, from that standpoint."

University of Colorado coach Mike Mac- Intyre, who's worked in the NFL and now in Kelly's former league, the Pac-12, has seen this trend Kelly refuses to acknowledge

on a bigger scope. He's watched systems bleed through from college to the pros, but he thinks what's happening is much bigger than that.

College players these days are mastering more advanced schemes, MacIntyre said, and they're capable of carrying them into the pros. It goes even further, though: According to the coach, that sophistication is a result of more advanced youth football programs, where eighth-graders are executing zone reads and running precise routes. Football is more advanced across all levels, hence the crossover.

Of course there will be differences between what Kelly's team does this season and what Oregon accomplished during his tenure. The Ducks averaged more than 82 plays per game last year; the Eagles are averaging 66.3 this year after 77 in Week 1. Part of that is Kelly's disregard for time of possession, and part is the fact that the NFL doesn't allow for the personnel that made his intense offenses fire in college.

"In college, we take 70 guys or more into a game," MacIntyre said. "On these teams that are running hurry-up offense, they have three or four running backs. They have about eight or nine receivers that run in and run out. They'll just run on the field and start to play, and if they run a deep route, they'll run out and another guy will come in."

What Kelly is doing is putting his spin on the read-option trend that's growing in the NFL, capitalizing on the fact that the scheme that made him successful is catching on. NFL defensive coordinators are turning to their college buddies to solve it, and the two games are growing closer. The coach with the next great college idea who can win big might be poached by the NFL, or he might not, but his ideas certainly will be.

Any NFL team can adopt an offense it likes, even Kelly's, with enough studying. The Eagles instead bought the whole package, coach and system, and the value they likely see in Kelly goes beyond any notion that the college game is taking over the pros.

It all comes back to what Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning always says it does, execution, and if Kelly has a successful offense, he also has a successful level of intensity that demands just that.

There's tape to prove it too.

Clipping their wings

Denver Post Broncos reporter Joan Niesen looks at five keys to stopping the Philadelphia Eagles' offense:

1. Tempo: Philadelphia's offense is predicated on its tempo, whether that's receivers developing their routes or quarterback Michael Vick getting the ball out of his hand as quickly as possible. Opposing defenses shouldn't have time to catch their breath.

2. Packaged plays: The Eagles don't just run the read option; they're running the read option packaged with several other passing and running plays at once, on the same snap. Teams know this, but it's still difficult to shut down each of the Eagles' options in a hurry-up fashion.

3. The run game: Even though coach Chip Kelly inherited this group of personnel, Vick and running back LeSean McCoy are well suited to his system's running game. McCoy leads the league in rushing yards, and Vick has the second-most of any quarterback, behind Terrelle Pryor.

4. Agility: This isn't an offense that's going to overpower — or even push back at — a strong defense; players are simply going to use their speed to evade defenders.

5. Scoring early: The key to the Eagles' success is accruing a big lead early. That's what they did in their one victory, against Washington, and even then, the Redskins eventually made things close. For an offense that's playing so intensely and quickly, the key is building an insurmountable lead. Playing catch-up is tough.

Tony Carter back at Broncos practice; Rod Smith works with receivers By Joan Niesen The Denver Post September 26, 2013

Only safety Duke Ihenacho and linebacker Paris Lenon did not participate in the Broncos' Thursday practice. Ihenacho aggravated an ankle injury on Monday against the Oakland Raiders, and Lenon is dealing with a thigh injury.

Cornerback Tony Carter returned to practice after sitting on Wednesday with an ankle injury he suffered on Monday. Carter wore a boot after Monday's game but said it was a precautionary measure.

Former Broncos wide receiver Rod Smith was present at Thursday's practice, helping out with drills with the receivers. Smith played his entire career, from 1994-2006, with the Broncos, winning two Super Bowls and setting Denver franchise records for the most career receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches.

Raiders QB Terrelle Pryor tweets about loss to Broncos — and how he doesn’t remember it By Joan Niesen The Denver Post September 26, 2013

I’m a couple days late on this — apologies for not following Terrelle Pryor on Twitter — but I’m also operating under the assumption that there are plenty of Broncos fans who aren’t exactly glued to the Raiders QB’s Twitter feed, either. Apologies if you’ve seen this already, but if not, here goes…

On Tuesday, Pryor tweeted three messages to his followers, messages that raised red flags for anyone concerned with concussions and safety issues in the NFL.

The first message read:

“Sorry about the loss RaiderNation. I don’t remember much ! Good hit by whoever it was. I heard our team fought well .. We will be back!”

Followed by:

“I feel great by the way! Thanks for the concern ! Go Raiders!”

And then:

“Im ready to go.”

Pryor did not participate in Oakland’s Wednesday practice, nor was he cleared to play at the time he tweeted that he was ready to go. He left the game against the Broncos in the second half with a concussion after suffering a hit from Wesley Woodyard.

Colquitts are NFL's first family of punting By Arnie Stapleton The Associated Press September 26, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Craig Colquitt, who won two Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1970s, feels like he handed down a family business to his sons Dustin and Britton.

The brothers each signed offseason deals with the Chiefs and Broncos, respectively, that made them the highest-paid punters in the NFL at nearly $4 million a year — about 45 times as much as their father ever earned in the pros.

The Colquitts are to punting what the Mannings are to passing, and this first family of punters had an inauspicious start — a safety on the patriarch's very first punt at the University of Tennessee in 1975.

Craig was 21, having worked at a department store for two years after high school, and the Volunteers were playing Maryland.

Punting from his end zone, "I was so nervous, the ball hit my hands, hit my facemask and went straight up," Craig recounted. "And just as I grabbed it I could see this guy coming off my right side. So, I fell down and he fell on top of me."

Time to go back to stocking shelves, he thought.

"I really wanted to run out the back of the stadium because I figured this is the end for me," Craig said.

George Cafego, Tennessee's renowned kicking coach, instead greeted him with a hearty, "Great job!"

Those two words would be repeated many times over the next three seasons as Craig, driven by Cafego's vote of confidence, rewrote the school record book, averaging 42.5 yards per punt — a mark that would be bested by three more Colquitts.

His nephew, Jimmy, averaged 43.9 yards from 1981-84. Dustin averaged 42.567 from 2001-04 and Britton, 42.569 from 2005-08.

After Craig's senior year in 1977, Chuck Noll personally worked him out before drafting him in the third round.

By 1979, he had two Super Bowl rings.

He averaged 41.3 yards in six seasons in the pros, earning $85,000 in his final year in 1984, before settling down with his wife, Anne, to raise a family in Tennessee.

He made a brief return to the NFL in 1987 when the players went on strike. He was in financial straits at the time and the chance to get back into the game — and more importantly, to earn an $8,000 weekly paycheck — spurred him to cross the picket line.

In his one game with the Indianapolis Colts, he had the only blocked punt of his pro career.

That was the low point of an otherwise joyful journey across America's football fields.

Looking back, Craig, who's now a sales rep for a janitorial company in Nashville, said that safety he took as a sophomore in college was the turning point in his life.

"This was my opportunity to get a scholarship and take the financial burden off my parents," he said. "So, I really saw a lot of things go through my head that were all negative. It could have been a calamity and it wasn't. It was a great experience."

Had he been benched, he doubts he would have passed punting onto his sons.

He didn't push them, though.

After his playing career, Craig ran a punting and kicking camp and Britton helped him out but Dustin didn't.

"I was swimming in the pool when they were punting," Dustin said. "He wanted us to be two things, holy and happy, and that was good enough for him."

Two weeks before Dustin's senior year in high school, the football coach told him his kicker had gotten hurt and he also needed a punter.

"And he knew nothing about punting," Craig said.

So, Dad and baby brother gave him a crash course, and Dustin, who's left-footed and right-handed, which complicated matters, quickly caught on.

Craig was always a mixture of Coach and Dad to his boys.

"When the kid's trying to get up the steps, you've got to push them a little bit. Yeah, there was a little bit of that, a little parenting, but nothing like if you don't do this, you're not eating today," Craig said. "We did not live through our children. We lived with our children."

Britton said his father never pressured them to follow in his footsteps.

"It was the opposite. He didn't let us play football until high school. That was the rule. He taught us before that, and so it might look like it but I think he was just preparing us," Britton said, "and I think he knew that soccer was going to train us up, too."

Britton, who always wanted to play football, said Dustin's real reason for shunning the sport was "he didn't like tight pants. And then at his very first game, some girl whistled at him and said, 'Nice butt.' And after the game, he told my dad, 'OK, I think I can do this.'"

Good thing, because Dad was surreptitiously preparing him all along.

"The way we grew up he was always putting us in crazy situations where we had to kick a ball over a tree, so we'd already been in those situations," Dustin said.

It paid off this year when Dustin signed an $18.75 million deal and Britton got an $11.7 million extension.

"People tell me you must be proud," Craig said. "I'm glad they have jobs. They just happen to have exceptional jobs."

Ihenacho held out of practice, Bailey hopeful By The Associated Press September 26, 2013 ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Broncos safety Duke Ihenacho was held out of practice Thursday along with backup linebacker Paris Lenon.

Ihenacho sprained his right ankle two weeks ago and tweaked it Monday night against Oakland. Lenon has a sore thigh.

Cornerback Tony Carter, who sprained his right ankle against the Raiders, returned on a limited basis, and Champ Bailey, who's missed the first three games with a sprained left foot, also was limited.

Bailey said he hopes to make his debut Sunday against the speedy Philadelphia Eagles but won't push it if he's not 100 percent: "This is the NFL. You can't go out there half-stepping and expecting to get the job done."

Bailey said he feels better this week, "but I need to feel a little bit better to get out there."

Struggling Eagles defense preps for biggest test By The Associated Press September 26, 2013

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Eagles have struggled defensively in coach Chip Kelly's first season, and it might get worse before it gets better.

On Sunday, Philadelphia (1-2), ranked 30th in total defense, will meet the NFL's top-ranked offense in the Denver Broncos (3-0).

The Broncos scored 49, 41 and 37 points in three relatively easy wins over Baltimore, the New York Giants, and Oakland, and quarterback Peyton Manning has a rating of 134.7.

At the same time, the Eagles have allowed 27, 33 and 26 points to Washington, San Diego and Kansas City.

"Usually you have a main guy as part of an offense, a star that you can load up and take him away," Eagles defensive coordinator Bill Davis said. "Peyton makes you defend the field. He has all his guys there. There's a bunch of high-quality, skill position players. He distributes it equally. There's not one person he favors."

Manning has used 10 different receivers this season and has touchdown passes to five of them.

It's nothing new to Davis. He remembers the last time he faced Manning. As defensive coordinator in Arizona, Davis and the Cardinals met the Indianapolis Colts.

"We held him to seven points in the first half," Davis said. "We felt good about what we were doing. He figured us out. It ended up being 31-13. We lost.

"I guess you can never relax against Peyton. He is constantly grinding on, figuring out what you're doing."

The Eagles have two options. Blitz like crazy, or drop eight into coverage and try to take away the receivers.

"The one thing with Peyton that you realize is that you can't just do one thing against him," Eagles coach Chip Kelly said. "He's such a great mind. You may blitz him, but if you beat him the first time on the blitz, he's going to come back and

beat you on the blitz the next time. You have to try to give him different looks. But you have to make sure your disguise isn't a liability.

"It's very difficult when you see your quarterback playing at that level right now. He's got a lot of weapons and he uses them. It's a tough challenge for us this week."

For an Eagles defense that has allowed an opposing quarterback rating of 96.9, that challenge might even be more difficult with veteran safety Patrick Chung out of practice. Chung, one of the Eagles' key free-agent additions this offseason, injured his shoulder in last Thursday night's loss to Kansas City.

Rookie Earl Wolff has worked with the starters this week. Through the first three games, Wolff has split time with Nate Allen at one safety spot. Now, they're both starting.

"We'll see how it goes over the next few days. Right now, he's not ready to come back," Kelly said of Chung. "Earl, I think he's growing. He came in here as a rookie and is starting to play a little more as he goes through. There's been improvement.

Wolff hasn't seen anything like the Broncos' offense, which is averaging 486.7 yards per game, 374.7 through the air.

"They have a very good offense, no doubt," Eagles linebacker Trent Cole said. "We know what we have to do and we're going to be ready. We have to play our game. We have to be sound.

"We can't make any mistakes and we'll be all right."

Broncos-Eagles matchup of the day By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com September 27, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- When Eagles quarterback Michael Vick has dropped back to pass over this season’s first three weeks, the guy he’s looked to throw to most often is wide receiver DeSean Jackson.

Jackson has been targeted on 37 percent of Vick’s passing attempts and his 19 receptions account for 34.4 percent of Vick’s completions. And when a defense elects to simply match a cornerback on a wide receiver no matter where that wide receiver lines up, two of the main criteria for the decision is to first have a player who can do it and if the move could potentially take a big enough piece of the offensive game plan away. So, given how things have gone thus far in the Broncos' defense, the time looks right for the Broncos to match cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie on his former teammate Sunday. W the Broncos signed Rodgers-Cromartie in the offseason they said he had the talent to be a No. 1 cornerback and that they would coach him hard to get him to reach that level. In short, they said they could lift him back to his Pro Bowl level of 2009 and perhaps beyond if he would listen and do the work. “I think he understood that, I think he was open to that,’’ said Broncos coach John Fox. “He wants to be great. It takes a certain mindset and work ethic and study habits to be that guy.’’ The Ravens threw at Rodgers-Cromartie just once in the season opener as he locked down Jacoby Jones, until Jones left that game with an injury. For his part, Jackson not only has top-tier speed, but with his experiences as a top-shelf returner in the kicking game, he also runs well in traffic once he has the ball. Rodgers-Cromartie has a reach advantage over the 5-10 Jackson and has enough athleticism to run with Jackson as well in the open field. The Broncos will often match a cornerback on a receiver -- usually when Champ Bailey is healthy -- and given Vick’s leanings toward Jackson in the pass pattern, they could feel that’s the move to make in this one.

“(Jackson) hit me up on the phone and was just like ‘you know it’s me and you this weekend, we’re going to go at it’,’’ Rodgers-Cromartie said. “But that’s just a challenge I’m looking forward to."

Bailey: Manning's start best ever for QB By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com September 26, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Play cornerback for 14 seasons before this one, as the Denver Broncos' Champ Bailey has, and you've seen some of the game’s greatest quarterbacks do all kinds of damage to all kinds of defensive game plans. Bailey says no quarterback he has faced, or watched, over that timeline has started a season like Peyton Manning has started this one.

“I haven’t seen any quarterback be as sharp as him through the first three weeks of the season," Bailey said. “Usually you have some bumps the first three games, but he's smooth sailing right now." Manning has thrown 12 touchdown passes -- a record over a season’s first three games -- without an interception -- a total that is more than 29 teams had scored so far this season after three games. The Broncos have scored 127 points, tied for the second-highest total over a season’s first three games in league history. Even long-time opponents, especially those who saw Manning's performance against the Raiders on Monday night, say Manning has flashed some of the best accuracy of his career over this current stretch. An assessment Bailey agrees with. “He’s going to put the ball where it needs to be, and that’s so frustrating (for defensive backs) because you can have good coverage," Bailey said. “You saw that the other night, people were in tight coverage, but he puts that ball in there and he’s the best at it." Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase has no shortage of accountability. Gase, in his first season as the Broncos’ play-caller on offense, sets a high bar when evaluating his players. He keeps it there for himself as well. Gase was not fond of a pass play he dialed up in the third quarter of the Broncos’ 37-21 victory against the Raiders. The Broncos were leading, 30-7, at the time and on a first-and-10 from the Raiders' 13-yard line, had Manning in the shotgun. Former Broncos defensive end Jason Hunter beat Broncos’ left tackle Chris Clark around the corner, then swatted the ball out of Manning’s right hand. Hunter then recovered the fumble and the Raiders scored six plays later. Gase simply felt at that point in the game, with the Broncos holding a 27-point lead, the play called for Manning to hold the ball

longer than necessary. “The sack-fumble is the one that bothers me because that was a bad play call, I put Chris in a bad position there," Gase said. “That was a ball-holder, we didn’t need it, that would be one I would want to take back … That one bothers me, and I’m going to make sure it doesn’t happen again." Gase was then asked Thursday, if he put the play’s result on his shoulders, and he said; “Absolutely, that play call was terrible."

• Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio has had plenty of rehearsals for the Eagles’ ultra up-tempo offense, like every series of every offseason practice after the Broncos decided to pick up the pace as well. He’s hoping all of that work against Manning & Co. will enable the Broncos to keep the assignment mistakes to a minimum Sunday. “We’re comfortable going fast, that doesn’t mean everything will be beautiful on Sunday," Del Rio said. “But we work at that tempo a lot, it’s part of what we do daily, so we should be more comfortable.’’ Del Rio added that if the Broncos handled their communication business properly, they will have the opportunity to audible defensively if the Eagles change their play at the line of scrimmage. Even if Philadelphia is doing it all at warp speed. “(If) they check we can check,’’ Del Rio said. “ … I think with the way Peyton operates out here, we find ourselves needing to do that at times. That’s part of the cat and mouse.’’

• Broncos linebacker Wesley Woodyard on playing at altitude; “There is no hype about the altitude. The altitude is a different beast, they’re going to get a test of it."

• Bailey, who hasn’t played in a game since injuring his left foot in an Aug. 17 preseason loss in Seattle, has practiced the past two weeks, but has yet to be listed officially as a full participant. He was listed as limited every day last week and both Wednesday and Thursday this week. The 12-time Pro Bowl selection tested the foot in the pregame hours Monday night, but both he and the Broncos decided he wasn’t quite ready. He said after Thursday’s practice he’s still not quite where he wants to be, and can't quite do everything he needs to do to play. "Not everything I want to do," Bailey said. “I don’t want to be out there half-stepping, this is the NFL, you can’t be out there half-stepping, you have to get the job done … I can’t do everything I want to do yet, I’m very close, I feel like I am anyway." The Broncos have used rookie Kayvon Webster far more on defense in some of the specialty packages in Bailey’s absence. They do have other injury concerns in the secondary as well. Safety Duke Ihenacho has been held out the past two days because of an ankle injury suffered against the Giants and re-injured against the Raiders, and cornerback Tony Carter was limited Thursday after being held out of practice Wednesday because of an ankle injury. However, the Broncos kept 11 defensive backs on the roster, so they have been able to

cover for Bailey on the depth chart even with veteran cornerback Quentin Jammer having been a game-day inactive for all three games.

• Former Broncos wide receiver and Ring of Fame member Rod Smith worked with the team’s wideouts during some of Thursday’s practice.

Broncos' Tony Carter returns to practice By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com September 26, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Broncos safety Duke Ihenacho and linebacker Paris Lenon were the only two players held out of Thursday’s practice at the team's Dove Valley complex Ihenacho (right ankle) and Lenon (thigh) also did not practice Wednesday. Cornerback Tony Carter (right ankle), who had been held out of Wednesday’s practice, did participate Thursday on a limited basis. Ihenacho was originally injured in the Broncos’ win against the Giants, then tweaked the injury against the Raiders this past Monday night. Cornerback Champ Bailey (left foot), who has missed the Broncos’ first three games, took part on a limited basis. “It’s been tough, still is tough, because it’s still up in the air," Bailey said. “I’ve never dealt with anything like this, I’m just trying to make the right decision." Asked if he would be ready to return for Sunday’s game against the Eagles, Bailey said; “Hopefully." Tight end Joel Dreessen (knee) was also limited. Safety David Bruton (neck), wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (left ankle), long snapper Aaron Brewer (rib), running back C.J. Anderson (knee), cornerback Omar Bolden (left shoulder), wide receiver Wes Welker (left ankle), wide receiver Eric Decker (right shoulder), guard Chris Kuper (ankle) all practiced fully.

Broncos still have to roll up their sleeves By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com September 26, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Talk to offensive playcallers in the NFL about the endless pursuit of points in the now a pass-happy world and the number 500 will eventually come up. Or at least it will come up after a short lecture about how statistics do not really tell the whole story after they have waded through an mountain of data to make a call sheet.

But 500 points in a season has routinely been the Holy Grail for those who draw up plays. Former Denver Broncos head coach Mike Shananan often spoke wistfully of his only 500-point team in Denver -- in 1998 -- which is still the only 500-point team in the franchise’s history. Which brings us to the current Broncos who are on the staggering, albeit unrealistic, pace to be the league’s first 600-point team. The Broncos, at 42.3 points per game, are averaging 10.3 more points per game than any other team in the league. While it's only been three games and it is a small sample size, they are the only team that has already crossed the 100-point barrier. Quarterback Peyton Manning has thrown more touchdown passes (12) than 29 teams have scored overall. As tight end Julius Thomas put it earlier this season; "That's Madden right there.'' Yet, history shows the highest of the offensive high rollers have rarely found Super Bowl gold at the end of the rainbow. It is a question I’ve put to more than a few offensive coordinators through the years. About why the 500-point barrier is considered to be the benchmark for an offense that isn’t just good, but special, yet those offenses rarely power a champion. The late Mike Heimerdinger, who was part of a 500-point offense in Denver as a wide receivers coach in 1998, one that did win the Super Bowl, simply put it “because at some point, no matter how good you are at throwing it, how good your (quarterback) is at spinning it, you’re going to have to run the ball on somebody

late in the year and if you lean too far one way, it’s not going to be there when you need it.’’ And there just may be something to that. Of the 16 teams that have scored at least 500 points in a season since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, only four went on to win the Super Bowl -- the 1999 Rams (526 points), the 2009 Saints (510 points), the 1994 49ers (505 points) and those ’98 Broncos (501 points). Of those impressive, sling-it-around teams that didn’t get it done are the 16-0 Patriots of 2007 (589 points) and the 15-1 Vikings (556 points) in 1998. But the ’99 Rams, scored 32.9 points per game as the Greatest Show on Turf, and they were fifth in the league rushing (128.7 yards per game). The ’09 Saints were sixth in the league in rushing (131.6 yards per game). The ’94 49ers were sixth in the league in rushing (118.6 yards per game). And the ’98 Broncos, with Hall of Famer John Elway at quarterback, were second in the league in rushing at 154.3 yards per game. There are also two members of the 500-point club who went to a Super Bowl, but lost in the title game that featured a top five rushing attack. The ’83 Redskins (541 points) were third in the league in rushing and the ’01 Rams (503 points) were fifth in the league in rushing. The ’07 Patriots were 13th in rushing, the ’98 Vikings were 11th. The only member of the 500- point club with a top six rushing attack that didn’t at least play in the Super Bowl is the 2011 Saints -- 510 points, sixth in the league in rushing and lost in the NFC divisional round. The 1999-2001 Rams teams, with Mike Martz calling plays, are worth a look, especially since Martz was a coaching mentor for current Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase and some of Martz' influence can be seen in the current Broncos' attack. The '00 Rams scored more they did in '99 (540 points compared to 526), but were 17th in rushing and lost in the Wild Card round. The '01 Rams crossed the 500-point barrier and got the rushing attack back in the top five and that team played in the Super Bowl. Now, the argument that there is still a place for running the ball smacks a little of remember-when grumpiness, even for the most elite of offenses. Last season’s Super Bowl, if memory serves, between the two teams that ran the

ball the most in the postseason, was decided on a goal-line stand because one of those teams elected not to pound the ball a distance of roughly six feet to go get the trophy. So, run to set up the pass, pass to set up the run. Whichever you choose, the run component is going to have to be there. What does it mean? It means the Broncos will need a little more from the three-man rotation at running back than they’re getting. Not much more -- they’re 14th in rushing at the moment -- especially when things get squeaky tight down the stretch. For his part Manning has played in one 500-point offense previously in his career. The 2004 Colts, with three 1,000-yard receivers, rolled up 522 points on the way to a 12-4 finish. And with the league 15th-ranked rushing attack, they lost in the Divisional round a week after throttling the Broncos in the AFC Wild Card Game. So, points are great, points are exciting and throwing the ball to do it all is what most people say they want. But even the most elite of offenses have had to get their hands dirty from time to time, at least if they want to wrap them around the trophy. And so will the Broncos before 2013 is said and done.

Double Coverage: Eagles at Broncos By Jeff Legwold and Phil Sheridan ESPN.com September 26, 2013

The Denver Broncos and Philadelphia Eagles will collide in high-speed fashion Sunday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in a 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff. The 3-0 Broncos feature the league's highest-scoring offense -- their 127 points are 31 more than any other team this season after three weeks -- and quarterback Peyton Manning has thrown for more touchdowns (12) than 29 teams have scored overall. The Eagles, at 1-2, lead the league in rushing and yards per play (7.0), so this one could have the look of a drag race, think Mile-High Nationals, a summer staple for race fans on the Front Range. Eagles team reporter Phil Sheridan and Broncos team reporter Jeff Legwold break down the game.

Legwold: Phil, you have been around the Eagles for a long time and have seen the organization go through many changes. Coach Chip Kelly's offense was certainly the talk of the offseason around the league, as most teams discussed wanting to join the fun, to go faster, to get more snaps, to stress defenses with speed. But given what the Broncos have done on offense this season, how fast does Kelly really want to go in Denver? Is there a risk of exposing his defense if he gives the Broncos too many possessions? Sheridan: There is enormous risk, Jeff, but my sense of Kelly is that he'll want to put the pedal to the metal anyway. He's trying to build a culture, with an aggressive approach to every aspect of the sport. I don't see him easing up for one game, no matter the specific challenges. Besides, I think the Eagles' only chance is to try to match the Broncos score for score and take their chances with a close, high-scoring game. As the Eagles learned the hard way the past two weeks, their defense is not good enough to shut down an opponent at crunch time. That leads me to this question: Doesn't Denver's up-tempo offense put stress on the Broncos defense? Oakland seemed to move the ball as the game wore on. Doesn't that suggest the Broncos will be vulnerable to Michael Vick, LeSean McCoy and the rest of the Eagles offense?

Legwold: I think that is the risk overall with the move toward up-tempo offenses around the league. It's all well and good to be fast on offense, snapping the ball at light speed, but those 45-second possessions that end in a three-and-out are just about the worst thing for any defense that just got to the sideline. That's one of the most interesting items about the Eagles so far: They have had just one three-and-out that ended in a punt in 38 possessions. The Broncos were aggressive against the Raiders defensively last week, and linebackers Wesley Woodyard and Danny Trevathan did a quality job keeping Terrelle Pryor hemmed in. The Broncos are a speed defense overall, up and down the depth chart, so the teams that try to run out of open formations, like the three wide, tend not to do as consistently well as the teams that keep them in the base defense and pound away a bit. But McCoy and Vick will easily be their toughest challenge in the run game of the young season. In terms of defense, how would you expect the Eagles to approach the Broncos -- come after Manning a bit or drop into coverage and hope they can fill the gaps?

Sheridan: The Eagles' best bet might be to close their eyes and just pray Manning fumbles the snap. Don't think that's in the game plan, though. Seriously, they know their only hope is to generate some pressure from unexpected sources, be incredibly disciplined in their gap and coverage assignments and be exponentially better at tackling than they have been. They're not going to outsmart Manning, but if they can make him a little uncomfortable and get a break or two -- a fumble, a tipped pass that gets picked off -- they can keep the Broncos from running away with the game. Denver thrives on yards after the catch, which is what killed the Eagles in their two losses. I was interested in your comments about getting the Broncos into their base defense, because the Eagles have used a lot of three wide receiver sets to get defenses into nickel personnel. So much depends on the corners, so let me ask A) If Champ Bailey is playing, and B) Why Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is so much better than he was in Philadelphia for two lost seasons? Legwold: Bailey has not played since injuring his left foot in a preseason loss to the Seahawks in mid-August. He certainly wants to play, keeps saying he's "close" and even upped to it "very close" last week. The Broncos would like him out there, especially in this one, but he's going to have to move around better than he did a couple of hours before kickoff Monday night when it was pretty clear he was going to miss his third consecutive game. But if he shows a little better movement this week, especially Thursday and Friday, I think he'll be in uniform. On DRC, the Broncos gambled a bit on tough love. They essentially, and Rodgers-

Cromartie has said this as well, told him what was wrong with him on his visit. They told him why he wasn't playing as well as he should and that they could fix it if he was willing to be coached hard. He said he was and has been. A gifted athlete, Rodgers-Cromartie has been the saving grace with Bailey's injury and has played like a No. 1 guy. I won't be surprised if the Broncos try to work out a little longer deal at some point in the coming months. I know we've spent plenty of time on offense, but I am wondering if Kelly sees Vick as the long-term future at quarterback -- or as long term as a 33-year-old can be -- or does Kelly have bigger plans at the position? Sheridan: I would love to know the answer to that one too. The Vick situation is fascinating. If he has a great year and somehow gets the Eagles into the playoffs (not as far-fetched as it sounds in an NFC East where half the teams are 0-3), it would be awfully hard to let him walk. But can you re-sign a guy at his age, with his injury history, and expect him to be the guy when you're really ready to contend in one or two or three years? My hunch is that Kelly would love to get one of the quarterbacks in next year's draft, that this year is about getting as much of the rest of the program in place as possible. But that would make much more sense if he had gone with Nick Foles or even rookie Matt Barkley than with Vick, who is just good enough to keep you from drafting high enough for a franchise quarterback. Since it's a subject of discussion, let me ask you about the altitude. Do the Broncos believe it gives them a physical advantage, or do they see it more as a psychological thing? Is their home-field advantage about thin air or having good teams with loud, passionate fans rocking the stadium? Legwold: The Broncos believe it gives both a physical and mental advantage. Objectively, for an elite athlete to work for three or so hours in Denver likely has minimal impact on performance. But who's to say even a sliver of impact isn't enough to tip the scales at times. The Broncos' record at home over the decades is well over .600 since 1960, and in September games, they are over a .700 winning percentage at home. The Olympic Training Center is in Colorado and many of the world-class cyclists on the planet train in the area, so it means there's some athletic benefit for the Broncos to work in the altitude. The Broncos particularly feel it's an advantage when they go fast on offense. Watch the Ravens defense in the second half of the opener and it was pretty clear that group didn't enjoy Manning at 5,280 feet. Phil, great stuff and that should cover it. It could be a long night for both defenses with these two high-powered offenses going at it.

Predictions

The final word on Sunday's matchup at Sports Authority Field at Mile High:

MATCHUP ANALYSIS

Phil Sheridan: It would be easy to outsmart myself and pick the upset. The Broncos have to be vulnerable to overconfidence with this Eagles defense coming to town. But sometimes the better team wins because it's better. Broncos 35, Eagles 30

Jeff Legwold: None of the Broncos' first three opponents have kept the lid on Denver's offense and Peyton Manning is as dialed in as he's ever been in his storied career. Broncos 33, Eagles 28

Agent's Take: Examining the market for the NFL's top young wideouts By Joel Corry CBSSports.com September 26, 2013

Traditionally, pass rushing defensive ends and blindside tackles have been paid a salary premium, along with quarterbacks. In recent years, pass rushers have maintained their place within the NFL salary landscape but offensive tackle salaries haven't kept pace. Elite wide receivers have moved ahead of tackles in the NFL's salary hierarchy.

Ten-million-per-year wide receivers were a rarity prior to the NFL's 2011 lockout. The salaries of elite receivers have grown more than any other position since the lockout ended. Calvin Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald are the NFL's two highest-paid non-quarterbacks with contracts averaging more than $16 million per year. Mike Wallace was the only player who signed a deal in excess of $10 million per year in this year's soft free-agent market. Below is a chart outlining the top of the current wide receiver market.

Highest-Paid Wide Receivers

Name Club Year Signed

Guaranteed Money

Three-Year Compensation

Average Salary

Contract Length

Calvin Johnson

Lions 2012 $53,250,000 $51,750,000 $16,207,143 7 Yr Extension

Larry Fitzgerald

Cardinals 2011 $45,000,000 $45,500,000 $16,142,857 7 Yr Extension

Mike Wallace

Dolphins 2013 $30,000,000 $37,000,000 $12,000,000 5 Years

Dwayne Bowe

Chiefs 2013 $26,000,000 $36,000,000 $11,200,000 5 Years

Percy Harvin

Seahawks 2013 $25,500,000 $36,000,000 $11,166,667 6 Years

Vincent Jackson

Buccaneers 2012 $26,000,000 $36,000,000 $11,111,111 5 Years

This salary trend is expected to continue for wide receivers with the increased emphasis put on the passing game. In 2012, 10 wide receivers topped 1,350 receiving yards, which is more than in any other season in NFL history, and five wide receivers hit the 100 receptions mark. Four players on their rookie contracts (Dez Bryant, A.J. Green, Julio Jones and Demaryius Thomas) have emerged as or are on the verge of becoming elite wide receivers. Reaching Johnson/Fitzgerald's salary levels may be difficult but Wallace's deal should serve a salary floor for their next contracts since he isn't considered to be their equal as a player.

As first-round picks in 2011 Green (fourth overall pick) and Jones (sixth overall pick) will be eligible to sign new deals at the end of the season. Beginning with the 2011 draft class, teams have an option for a fifth year with first-round picks. The option must be exercised after the third year of the deal (May 3 deadline with Green and Jones). The fifth year is guaranteed for injury when the option is exercised. It becomes fully guaranteed if the player is on the team's roster at the start of the fifth league year, which is 2015 for Green and Jones. The fifth year salary for top-10 picks is the transition tender (average of the 10 highest salaries) for a player's position in the fourth year of his contract. Since it's a certainty that Green and Jones' options will be exercised, their salary for 2015 will be the 2014 wide receiver transition tender, which is $8.867 million this year, absent a new deal.

As 2010 draftees, these constraints don't apply to Bryant and Thomas. They can sign new deals at any time. Bryant and Thomas will be entering their contract years in 2014. Here's a look at each of four players' situations.

A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals

Green's first two seasons are arguably the best for any wide receiver in NFL history. He has 162 receptions, 2,407 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns. His receptions and receiving yards rank second and sixth all-time for wide receivers after their first two years. The two-time Pro Bowler is also the first player to have 100 receptions, 1,500 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in his first 20 NFL games.

The Bengals have surprised many in NFL circles by being proactive with core players entering the final year of rookie contracts. Most notably, Geno Atkins became the NFL's second-highest paid defensive tackle on a veteran contract (by

average yearly salary) with his five-year, $53.327 million contract extension shortly before the start of the regular season. Quarterback Andy Dalton, who was a 2011 second-round pick, will be entering his contract year in 2014. Although, the Bengals can keep Green under contract though 2015 with the option year, he should be more of a contract extension priority than Dalton.

The Bengals are in good salary cap shape for 2014. They have $107.682 million in 2014 cap obligations with 49 players under contract while the top 51 cap numbers count toward the cap during the offseason. The Bengals can also carry over their unused 2013 cap room, which is currently $9 million, to 2014. They could have close to $25 million in cap room when the 2014 league year starts on March 11 depending on where the 2014 cap is set.

Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons

Jones is shouldering the load in Atlanta's passing attack with Roddy White being slowed by a high-ankle sprain. He's leading the NFL with 373 receiving yards and 157 yards after catch on 27 receptions. Once White is healthy, the Falcons won't rely so heavily on Jones but he should top his career highs of 79 receptions, 1,198 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.

Jones faces a different financial dynamic by having Matt Ryan, the NFL's second-highest paid player, as a teammate. When Johnson and Fitzgerald signed their blockbuster deals, they weren't contending with a high-priced quarterback. Although Matthew Stafford received a six-year, $72 million contract (worth a maximum of $78 million with $41.7 million guaranteed) from the Detroit Lions as the first pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the deal didn't put him near the top of the quarterback market. Fortunately for the Falcons, having one of the highest-paid quarterbacks and wide receivers isn't a unique situation in the NFL. Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison set the market for their positions with the Indianapolis Colts when they signed deals in 2004. They were both among the highest-paid players at their positions during the remainder of their years in Indianapolis.

It will be easier for the Falcons to handle such a high-priced duo because the five-year, $42.72 million contract extension (with $23.9 million guaranteed and $5 million in base salary escalators) White signed in 2009 expires after the 2014 season. Since White will be 33 years old once his deal ends, another lucrative contract for him in Atlanta shouldn't factor into the equation.

Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys

Bryant has been hampered by a minor back injury and increased defensive attention after a breakout 2012 campaign where he caught 92 passes for 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns. It's unlikely that Bryant will reach his goal of becoming

the NFL's first 2,000 yard receiver and scoring 20 touchdowns but could earn his first Pro Bowl berth especially if his second half of the 2012 season isn't an aberration. Bryant caught 51 passes for 894 yards and 10 touchdowns during 2012's final eight games. Head coach Jason Garrett believes that Bryant has only scratched the surface of his talent. Just as important as his production, Bryant has showed signs of maturing and his off-the-field transgressions seem to be behind him.

The Cowboys have demonstrated they aren't afraid to pay wide receivers near the top of the market. Roy Williams signed a six-year, $54 million contract extension (with $19.5 million guaranteed) in 2008 after being acquired from the Detroit Lions for 2009 first, third and sixth round picks. He never came close to duplicating his 2006 Pro Bowl season of his 82 catches and 1,310 receiving yards during his almost three seasons in Dallas.

Dallas' cap situation could be an obstacle to Bryant signing a contract extension. The Cowboys have an NFL high $147 million of cap obligations in 2014 with 47 players under contract. Bryant can't use Dallas' cap problems to his advantage by creating significant cap space through an extension since his 2014 cap number is $3,898,500 million. An extension is still possible without increasing his 2014 cap number but it would require a large fully guaranteed 2015 base salary where the structure is similar to Brandon Carr's deal. The five-year, $50.1 million contract Carr signed with the Cowboys in 2012 contained a $3.2 million first-year cap number and a fully guaranteed $14.3 million base salary in the second year.

Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos

It was expected that Thomas would have a difficult time duplicating his 2012 season with the addition of Wes Welker and the emergence of Julius Thomas at tight end. Demaryius Thomas caught 94 passes (eighth in the NFL) for 1,434 receiving yards (fifth in the NFL) and 7 touchdowns in 2012. After three games, Thomas is on pace to shatter those marks. He has 20 receptions, 307 receiving yards and two touchdowns this season. Those numbers project to 106 catches for 1,637 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns over a 16 game season.

Thomas' situation is complicated by Eric Decker's emergence as a legitimate number one wide receiver in 2012. Decker had 85 receptions, 1,064 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. He's scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after the season. Denver must decide whether they want to invest heavily in two wide receivers. The Seattle Seahawks are the only NFL team that has two wide receivers, Percy Harvin and Sidney Rice, with deals averaging over $8 million per year. Thomas' contract leverage will increase significantly if Decker leaves because another team pays him like a number one wide receiver in free agency.

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Manning’s playoff record is only 9-11 currently, and he has to be at his best in the playoffs for this season to truly be a success.

For now, let’s all just sit back and enjoy one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play at the top of his game.

Without key personnel, the Broncos are beatable By Marcus Hayes Philadelphia Daily News September 27, 2013

ELVIS DUMERVIL is gone. Von Miller is suspended. Champ Bailey is injured.

The Denver defense that helped attract Peyton Manning to the Mile High City has been patched and cobbled, repaired and hobbled.

Combined with a massive loss on their offensive line, the 3-0 Broncos team hosting the Eagles on Sunday isn't as bulletproof as it seems.

The defense in which Brian Dawkins rode into the sunset on top of his game - a Pro Bowl season in 2011 alongside the aforementioned trio - now, justifiably, exists as the undercard to the Manning Show. Consider: Without Dawkins, the defense actually got a little better.

The Broncos in 2012 ranked third against the pass, third against the run and, most important, fourth in points allowed. Sure, Manning's presence helped. Now, Manning and his targets are nearly all they have.

The Eagles' 2012 season was doomed from the moment they lost Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters to successive Achilles' tendon ruptures suffered in the offseason.

Two weeks ago, former Eagles defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins, now playing for the Giants, rolled onto the priceless left foot of unlucky Broncos left tackle Ryan Clady (likely a more valuable contribution than Jenkins made to the Eagles as a player from 2011-12).

Clady will miss the rest of the season with a Lisfranc tear.

Clady allowed one sack of Manning last season, his third Pro Bowl campaign. Monday night was the first start he has missed since being drafted in the first round out of Boise State 6 years ago.

Clady protects Manning's blind side, and in July was given a 5-year extension that could be worth as much as $57.5 million.

That side will be attacked this week by Trent Cole, a converted 4-3 defensive end now playing linebacker in a 3-scheme; but who, really, simply acts as an end on 90 percent of the plays. Cole will be ravenous after three games without a sack.

Clady's replacement, Chris Clark, has started just one game at left tackle in his five NFL seasons - Monday night, against the hapless Raiders.

Clark gave up a sack, on which Manning fumbled, against the Raiders.

Should the Broncos decide to help Clark on the left side, Connor Barwin could find himself freer than usual to harass Manning from the right.

Typically, Cole declined to recognize the significance of Clady's absence: "It's not an advantage. It's not an advantage. They could put Superman in there. We come to play, brother. He's not a worry to us. We didn't talk about him. He's just another o-lineman."

Which is about as true as saying Manning is just another QB, compared with, say, backup Brock Osweiler.

Brock who?

Exactly.

Typically, Brandon Graham, Cole's backup, addressed the personnel shift with alacrity:

"He's a leader to them, but the other tackle looks solid himself."

(Note how "the other tackle" rates no name recognition.)

"[Clark] does enough to make sure Manning doesn't get hurt; plus, a little bit is Manning, too," Graham continued. "He's getting rid of the ball quicker. He was pretty fast; no more than 2 seconds, and it's gone. If they start seeing [Clark] become a weakness, they'll help him out."

Hitting Manning [either Manning] always has been the best way to flummox him, but any quarterback who can deploy the ball quickly avoids hits; and, so, Graham realizes that what happens behind him affects what he can do against Clark.

"I'm hoping that everybody wins their matchups. At the end of the day, we can fight and scratch up front to get to the quarterback, but we have to make sure we handle our matchups behind [us], too," Graham said. "You can take us out of the game by throwing the ball quickly every play. We've just got to make him hold the ball a little bit, give ourselves a chance."

That, of course, is the crux of the 10 1/2-point betting spread. Manning could feast on the Eagles' secondary and linebackers, who have shown little capability to cover tight ends or receivers running through the middle - the sorts of routes that quickly develop.

Bailey missed the Broncos' first three games with a Lisfranc injury. It appears likely he will miss at least a fourth. Yesterday, he told reporters that he didn't want to be "half-stepping" when he returns, which will be, "when I feel good."

The Eagles should feel good about Miller's suspension and Dumervil's free-agency move to Baltimore.

Nate Irving is playing passably well in Miller's absence. Similarly, there have been few complaints about Robert Ayers, who replaced Dumervil.

Either Miller or Dumervil would cause considerable concern for the Birds.

Peters and the rest of the line suffered several breakdowns against the Chiefs last Thursday. They, more than any other unit, were responsible for the loss; they looked exhausted, playing three times in 11 days at coach Chip Kelly's prescribed frenetic pace. With no Dumervil to worry about, and with 9 days of rest, Peters could return to dominant form.

The whole team, as currently comprised, depends on that. If he protects well, then the Eagles can help rookie right tackle Lane Johnson and sputtering right guard Todd Herremans.

The Broncos' defense has allowed just 43.3 rushing yards per game, but, as Kelly pointed out, that number likely is a product of their opponents abandoning the run to overcome early deficits. And, frankly, the Broncos have not faced a running back the caliber of LeSean McCoy, who has the second-level speed to score from anywhere on the field.

And, if Michael Vick gets time, he can fillet any defense.

Especially this one.

Slotsa luck covering Welker, Eagles By Les Bowen Philadelphia Daily News September 27, 2013

THE EAGLES have had just a tiny bit of trouble with slot receivers the last few games. Eddie Royal's seven catches for 90 yards and three touchdowns added up to the most unwelcome surprise of several in a 33-30 loss to the San Diego Chargers. Donnie Avery busted loose for seven catches and 141 yards, including a couple of third-and-long backbreakers, in the 26-16 Eagles loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Against that backdrop, Wes Welker jitterbugs into the weekend picture.

Welker, 32, signed with the Denver Broncos as a free agent this past offseason, after a 6-year run with the Patriots that included three successive seasons with more than 110 catches, 3 years in which he led the NFL in receptions, and five Pro Bowl berths. In three games so far as part of Peyton Manning's varied arsenal, Welker has 19 catches for 190 yards and four touchdowns.

This does not seem like a promising development for the visitors and their 30th-ranked defense, though at least with both Cary Williams and Bradley Fletcher healthy, the Eagles will be able to devote Brandon Boykin to the slot.

Boykin, the second-year corner the Birds think has star potential, said he isn't going to Denver in awe of the NFL's consummate slot receiver.

"I feel like it's a perfect matchup for me, being somebody that's just as quick, just as shifty," said Boykin, who noted he won't have to fight a height disparity, with Welker listed at 5-9 and Boykin at 5-10. "I don't think I'm at a disadvantage at all. I know he's a great receiver, but I'm a great cornerback. I pride myself on . . . rising to the occasion."

Boykin said being "shifty," like Welker is, is "better than being fast, when you're in the slot . . . You've got two-way goes and you're low to the ground, so nobody can really get a jam on you. All that works in his favor."

Boykin said he has studied diligently.

"I know his tendencies, I know what they do on certain downs and distances, but you can only do so much studying," Boykin said. "A lot of people can know what's coming and still not stop the play. It's really about me, it's not about Wes Welker, it's not about Peyton Manning. It's about our defense, sticking to our fundamentals and doing what we're supposed to do."

Eagles safety Patrick Chung seems unlikely to play Sunday, Chung not having practiced this week with a shoulder injury. Chung played 4 years with Welker in New England, practiced against him daily. What advice would he give Boykin and other Eagles defenders?

"Play to your help," Chung said. "Get your hands on him. But he's a good receiver; you can say all you want to say, if you're not doing your assigned technique, you're not going to be able to cover him. He's that good."

The Eagles' slot receiver, Jason Avant, also exemplifies the position's durable, hard-work, sure-hands mold. Avant is a bigger body who lacks Welker's low-center-of-gravity change of direction, but Avant studies everyone who plays the position, trying to get better.

"He's going to play hard, he's going to focus and concentrate the entire game. Usually, when guys are feeling bad for themselves in the third and fourth quarter, being out there [too] long, he's still going hard," Avant said. "Eventually, he cracks a lot of the defenses just by doing it over and over again. He does a great job on option routes, seeing the coverage. If you're in the slot, you've got to be able to recognize coverage. He does that really well."

When Welker talked with reporters in Colorado this week, he was asked if the Broncos' top-ranked offense has "swagger."

"We expect to go out there and score every time we're on the field," he said. "That's just the way we feel and the way we go out there and attack. Anything short of that is a failure to us."

Welker is a great story - undrafted out of Texas Tech, not even invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, cut after the preseason by the Chargers in 2004 so they could add - Eagles trivia here - safety Clinton Hart, who had been waived by the Birds after starting nine games in place of injured Brian Dawkins in 2003. Then-Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer has called it the worst decision he ever made, though Hart went on to play in San Diego until 2009.

Welker started to make his mark as a returner when the Dolphins picked him up in '04; he caught no passes as a rookie. When he became a restricted free agent after his third year in Miami, there was talk of a "poison-pill" offer from the Patriots that the Dolphins wouldn't be able to match. Miami traded Welker to New England for second- and seventh-round draft choices, which the Dolphins used on Samson Satele and Abraham Wright. This might have been a bigger goof than Schottenheimer's, given that Miami had 3 years to assess what Welker was capable of, instead of one training camp, before exiling him.

In New England, with Tom Brady, Welker became what Eagles coach Chip Kelly this week called "one of the all-time great receivers."

Kelly talked about Welker's "ability to control the middle of the field, create such mismatch problems for you. [He] challenges you from a personnel standpoint."

"To have that type of guy that can play between the two outside guys, between [Eric] Decker and Demaryius [Thomas], it makes it difficult just because of the way he understands coverage," Kelly said. "There's a lot of times when you think, 'Hey, that's a pretty good defense,' but he still comes up with a big play."

Eagles-Broncos: What we're watching By Paul Domowitch Philadelphia Daily News September 27, 2013

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

Third down: The Eagles are 11th in third-down efficiency (41.7 percent), but have converted just four of 21 third-down situations of 5 yards or more, which has made for a lot of stalled drives. The Eagles' defense has had trouble getting off the field on third down, and now they're going up against perhaps the best third-down passer in history.

Sunday no Holliday: Peyton Manning is dangerous enough without giving him a short field with which to work. Broncos return man Trindon Holliday, who returned a punt and kickoff for touchdowns in the Broncos' playoff loss to the Ravens in January, is the league's leading punt returner with a 17.4-yard average. The fewer opportunities he gets, the better off the Eagles will be.

One more receiver to throw to: The Eagles felt the effect of Jeremy Maclin's absence last week when the Chiefs cooled off red-hot DeSean Jackson by rolling a safety to his side and dared Michael Vick to beat them by throwing the ball elsewhere. Riley Cooper and Brent Celek were targeted a total of 12 times and caught just four passes for 47 yards.

Invading Peyton's place: If the Eagles are to have any hope of slowing down Peyton Manning, they have to get consistent pressure on him. Manning is next to impossible to blitz. He has a 101.9 passer rating against the blitz over the last five-plus seasons. So the Eagles are going to have to get heat on him primarily with four rushers.

Tackling the tackle problem: The Eagles are 27th in the league in missed tackles. Twenty-five of their 28 missed tackles have come the last 2 weeks in their losses to the Chargers and Chiefs. The Broncos are a dangerous yards-after-the-catch team. Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas is averaging 9.2 yards after the catch. Rookie tight end Julius Thomas is averaging 7.0. The Eagles' defense can't afford another bad tackling day.

Eagles Notes: Broncos' Rodgers-Cromartie preparing for reunion vs. Eagles By Zach Berman Philadelphia Inquirer September 27, 2013

One of the Denver Broncos' key defensive players on Sunday will be a familiar face to Eagles fans: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Rodgers-Cromartie spent two disappointing seasons in Philadelphia, where he tantalized with his size and speed but was inconsistent playing on an underachieving defense.

The Eagles did not re-sign Rodgers-Cromartie this offseason. He signed with the Broncos, and he has impressed the coaching staff through three games. He has started each game this season and has an interception.

On Sunday, he'll play a big role against his old team.

"They tend to know me just from one-on-ones and just from practicing, from competing with them every day," Rodgers-Cromartie told Denver-area reporters. "They tend to know my style of play. The main thing is just to see old friends. That's going to be the fun part, but at the end of the day, I know it's a game."

Rodgers-Cromartie is listed as a starter with the Broncos, although their defensive backfield could change if Champ Bailey returns. Bailey was a limited participant in practice with a foot injury.

Either way, Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson expects his former teammate to cover him.

"I'm sure he'll probably be on me," Jackson said. "[Over the] past two years, we've been going at it a lot. I know him as well as he knows me."

Lift a glass

The Eagles are releasing their own vintage of wine for a limited time. Rollout Philadelphia Eagles 2011 California Cabernet Sauvignon will sell for $30 a bottle at locations in the area.

The wine was crafted by Napa Valley vintner Samuel Spencer of Cameron Hughes Wine to mark the Eagles' 80th anniversary.

Injury report

Safety Patrick Chung missed practice for the third straight day with a shoulder injury. Coach Chip Kelly said he has not set criteria for when a player must return in order to play Sunday. The only other player on the injury list was tackle Jason Peters (finger), but he was a full participant and will play.

DeSean ready to renew rivalry with DRC By John Gonzalez CSNPhilly.com September 26, 2013

They’re pals. They hung out when they both played here. They stay in touch now. On Sunday, DeSean Jackson and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie will have a reunion of sorts.

When the Eagles face the Broncos, Jackson expects to see his former teammate staring at him from across the line of scrimmage.

“I’m sure he’ll probably be on me,” Jackson said about which of the Broncos' cornerbacks he expects to defend him most often. “He’s a good friend of mine. We have a pretty good relationship. The past two years, we’ve been going at it a lot. I know him just as well as he probably knows me. It will be a great opportunity for both of us to go out there and just compete against each other at a high level. In the past, I played against him before he came here, when he was at Arizona.”

That was back in 2008. Both Jackson and Rodgers-Cromartie were rookies that year. The Eagles and Cardinals played each other twice –- once in the regular season, once in the postseason. In the first game, Jackson caught six passes for 76 yards and a touchdown. The Eagles won. In the conference championship, Jackson grabbed six passes for 92 yards, including a long touchdown that he hauled in against Rodgers-Cromartie. The Eagles lost.

They matched up several times in both games, but Rodgers-Cromartie didn’t shadow Jackson exclusively in either outing. It will probably go that way again on Sunday –- they’ll see each other enough, but it’s unlikely that they’ll be positioned against each other for the duration.

“I anticipate they'll play against each other, at least a portion of the game,” Eagles offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said. “[Rodgers-Cromartie] is one of the outstanding talents in this league. He runs extremely well. He can get in your hip and run well. He's got outstanding ball skills. All the same things that he had before he went to Denver, you can still see on tape.”

Regardless of the frequency of their matchups and how often they’re pitted in direct competition on Sunday, the pair has a history. They faced each other as members of opposite teams, and they played against each other in practice for two years. They know each other. So what did Jackson learn about Rodgers-Cromartie?

“Overall, he’s a good corner,” Jackson said. “In this league, he’s probably one of the top guys at his position. Speed. Agility. Quickness and things like that.”

Prior to the 2011 season, the Eagles traded Kevin Kolb to the Cardinals in exchange for a second-round pick and Rodgers-Cromartie. DRC was 25 years old when he landed with the Birds. He was a Pro Bowler for Arizona in 2009, and in three seasons with the Cardinals he totaled 13 interceptions.

His time in Philadelphia wasn’t as productive. Rodgers-Cromartie played 13 games in 2011 and didn’t record an interception. In 2012, he had three interceptions and 17 passes defended, but the Eagles let him walk in free agency. This season, DRC has one interception and three passes defended in three games.

“I need to pressure him,” Jackson said about Rodgers-Cromartie, “in a way where he feels threatened to go down the field or burst off the ball and then stop.

“It will be a challenge for both of us. He’s a good player. I’m a good player. We’ll go out there and fight, battle, whatever the case may be. At the end of the day, we’re friends, but once that game starts I just got to do what we need to do to win the game.”

Jackson said he talked to DRC shortly after the season started, but they haven’t spoken yet this week. Does the wideout plan to touch base with the cornerback before kickoff?

“I probably will,” Jackson said. “I’ll mess around with him a little bit.”

Pryor wants NFL to fine Woodyard, but Allen was OK with the hit By Michael David Smith Pro Football Talk September 26, 2013

Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor wants the NFL to crack down on the man who gave him a concussion.

Pryor said Broncos linebacker Wesley Woodyard hit him with an “illegal” shot, and the NFL should do something about it.

“I think he should get fined, definitely,” Pryor said, via the Denver Post.

Not everyone agrees. In fact, even Raiders coach Dennis Allen said he was fine with the way Woodyard hit his quarterback.

“I didn’t see anything wrong with the hit,” Allen said. “I mean it was in the tackle box, so we’ll see whether or not that’s the lining up of the player within the tackle box it’s really legal.”

The officials on the field obviously didn’t see anything wrong with the hit either because they didn’t throw a flag. But Pryor hopes the folks in the league office will feel differently.

DRC Anticipating Matchup vs. Jackson By Gray Caldwell DenverBroncos.com September 26, 2013

CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie said he's ready for the challenge of defending former teammate DeSean Jackson.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Much of the attention surrounding this Sunday's Broncos-Eagles tilt has focused on the battle of two up-tempo, high-powered offenses.

For cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, there's another level of intrigue.

He's matching up against his former team.

"It is a game I circled on the calendar," he told DenverBroncos.com.

“Oh, it’s going to be very competitive."

One of the most anticipated matchups of the game looks to be Rodgers-Cromartie against his former teammate, wide receiver DeSean Jackson.

"Just from being over there, he hit me up on the phone and was just like, ‘You know it’s me and you this weekend. We’re going to go at it,'" Rodgers-Cromartie said. "But that’s just a challenge I’m looking forward to.”

Jackson is currently second in the league with 359 receiving yards along with two touchdowns.

Rodgers-Cromartie has an interception and four passes defensed to his name in 2013.

Defensive Coordinator Jack Del Rio said part of what makes Rodgers-Cromartie "super talented" is his great feet and his length at 6-foot-2.

“I would just say we’re happy that we have him," he said. "I think he’s a really good football player."

This week, he'll be up against the challenge of containing Jackson, whose speed makes him a threat to go the distance on virtually every route.

Cornerback Champ Bailey said the key to defending Jackson is to "not let him run past you." Sounds simple enough.

“He’s going a certain speed just by itself. When that ball is in the air, he hits a whole other gear," Rodgers-Cromartie explained. "It’s hard as a corner to try to

stay with him, stay with him, and then he just takes off. Most people don’t have that extra gear that he has. So that makes it very tough.”

But Head Coach John Fox said the team has confidence in Rodgers-Cromartie's abilities.

"We feel good about his cover skills and we’ve matched him up on good receivers to this point," Fox said.

Ultimately, Rodgers-Cromartie said, it's not just up to him. It's up to the whole defense to make sure the league's No. 2 offense doesn't get rolling.

“They’ve got some guys that are very shifty and if you look at film, it takes a team to tackle these guys," he said. "They always tend to make the first guy miss, so just leveraging and tackling is going to be really important.”

Bailey: 'When I Feel Good, I'll Be Out There' By Gray Caldwell DenverBroncos.com September 26, 2013

Cornerback Champ Bailey addresses his health in advance of the team's Week 4 matchup with Philadelphia.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- For three weeks, Champ Bailey has patiently watched his team grab three wins from the sideline as he recovers from a foot injury.

"I seem patient? Oh man, (I'm) fooling somebody," Bailey said Thursday. "It's been tough."

Bailey has been a limited participant in each of the team's past five practices. He was listed as questionable for Week 3 -- he was held out of the game -- and if he is limited again in Friday's practice, his designation will likely be "questionable" again for this Sunday's matchup.

The cornerback said it's still up in the air when he will make his regular-season debut, but that "hopefully" it will be this week.

"It’s mainly my call because it’s my foot and only I know how it feels. They’re going to listen to me and I appreciate that from them," he said. "When I feel good, I'll be out there. When I feel like I can play and help my team, I'll be out there."

The foot injury occurred in the team's second preseason game against Seattle. Bailey was "open-minded" about how long the recovery would take, and he said he still can't do everything that he wants to do on the football field.

"I don't want to go out there and be half-stepping," he said. "This is the NFL. You can't go out there half-stepping and think you're going to get the job done."

While he's dealt with nagging hamstring injuries before, he's never had to handle a foot injury of this kind.

"I could overcome that with certain things -- I'm not going to feel it every play," Bailey said of a hamstring injury. "But this foot -- we stand on our feet."

So, he'll wait -- patiently or not -- for the right time to get back on the field.

"I just want to make the right decision," he said. "Right now, I don't know what that is. I'm trying to figure that out."

Offseason Work Prepped D for Philly's Pace By Andrew Mason DenverBroncos.com September 26, 2013

The Broncos defense's work in the offseason helped prepare them for fast-paced offenses like the one they'll see Sunday vs. Philadelphia.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Relative to time of possession, only the Buffalo Bills have run plays at a quicker clip than the Eagles through three weeks this season.

Philadelphia has run one play per 22.2 seconds of possession time the last three weeks. That's about what was expected from their offense in the first season under new Head Coach Chip Kelly, who arrived from the University of Oregon last winter with a predilection for fast-paced offense and zone-read option calls.

"We're preparing for a track meet," said defensive end Shaun Phillips.

The zone read is familiar to the Broncos defenders; they saw it Monday against the Raiders, and anyone on the roster in 2011 remembers it well from seeing it daily in practice. The up-tempo mindset is equally familiar now, thanks to an offseason of work against a fast-paced offense.

But that wasn't true at this time a year ago. Denver's offense was in its first season with Peyton Manning at quarterback, and the unit was learning to crawl and walk before it could run with No. 18 at the controls, leading to a scattershot start.

What the offense does now wasn't feasible then, so when the Patriots went to the fast break on Oct. 7 of last year, it was unfamiliar, and left Denver's defense gasping.

"That was the fastest I've played in an NFL game my whole career," said defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson.

Last year, such play was the exception to the rule. This year, it's becoming more of the norm -- and in facing a lively offense that has worked fast in practice, it has been that way since offseason work began.

For the offense, the work has already paid dividends; it has accounted for 15 touchdowns in three games, and the Broncos are the highest-scoring team at this point in the season since 1968. Now it will do the same for the defense, which has long been prepared for the Eagles' pace.

"Yeah, most definitely. Man, we've been doing this thing since (May): no huddle, no huddle, no huddle," said Vickerson. "We play our gaps, be sound, have gap integrity and don't take any liberties, I think we'll be fine."

At the least, the defense has improved, and is ready for the Eagles' pace in a way it was not last October in Foxborough.

“I would say a lot better," said cornerback Chris Harris. "We’re more settled in on defense as a unit. Guys have that chemistry together. We know that when are getting hurried up that we can communicate fast now.”

Added Vickerson: "We've just got to come out and play our ball at the end of the day. We know how to play fast; we pride ourselves on playing fast and physical. That's all we've got to do."

Notebook: Del Rio's Defense By Brandon Moree DenverBroncos.com September 26, 2013

Defensive Coordinator Jack Del Rio talked Thursday about the Eagles offense and the development of Kayvon Webster and Malik Jackson.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – There are some obvious similarities between the Raiders, the Broncos’ most recent opponent, and the Eagles, the Broncos’ upcoming foe.

They both have dangerous running games bolstered by quick and athletic quarterbacks that aren’t afraid to make plays on their feet. But Defensive Coordinator Jack Del Rio said Thursday that the comparisons between the two quarterbacks doesn’t go much further than that.

“They’re really completely different, other than they’re both mobile (quarterbacks),” Del Rio said. “The Raiders were very methodical in their approach. They had a lot of big people and a lot more two-back stuff. This is a lot more fast-tempo, spread the field. They still have the option element in the quarterback, that is the mobile element, but vastly different systems.”

The Eagles’ system, under first year Head Coach Chip Kelly, is very fast and not just compared to the Raiders – compared to the league. The Eagles have racked up the second most yards in the NFL in the first three games and have done so while holding on to the ball for shortest time of possession in the league.

While it will be the Broncos’ first crack at a mobile quarterback in a system with speed like that – it’s not the first time the Broncos have had to deal with that tempo. They’ve worked against it all summer.

“We’ve seen the NASCAR tempo from our offense for the last—I don’t know, it’s been a long time,” Del Rio said. “We are more comfortable going fast but that doesn’t mean that everything will be beautiful on Sunday. We certainly work that tempo a lot, it’s part of what we do daily. So we should be more comfortable in our communication and the execution.”

Kayvon Webster Coming Along

The Broncos’ third-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, cornerback Kayvon Webster, has handled the transition from the University of South Florida to the NFL well and has landed a couple of thunderous hits in the process.

He’s appeared in all three games for the Broncos so far this year and has registered four tackles and three passes defensed – some more emphatically than others. But the rookie has proven to his coaches that he can handle what they’re asking of him.

“I like that when he goes in the game he doesn’t look like it’s too big for him," Del Rio said. "He’s come in and just done his job. He’s a physical corner. He’s a bigger corner. I think he can really run. I think you saw an example of him opening up the other night to go try and chase that guy down, he can really run. And the moment doesn’t appear too big for him which is great because he’s going to be, he’s going to find himself in a lot of those moments so we want him to play well.”

His attitude has caught the eye of the most veteran member of the Broncos’ seconday – Champ Bailey. Webster has reached out the Bailey to pick his brain a few times and Bailey said Thursday that the two talk a lot about a variety of topics.

“I’m really impressed,” Bailey said. “He’s a rookie, but he doesn’t carry himself like he’s a rookie. He definitely thinks he should be playing every snap and I like that kind of attitude.”

Bailey added that Webster has shown resiliency in the way that he has bounced back from mistakes saying that “he’s had some rough spots, but you wouldn’t be able to tell by his demeanor.”

Malik Jackson Growing Confident

In his rookie season, defensive end Malik Jackson played in 14 games and registered five total tackles. In this, his second season, he’s already nearly matched those numbers with four tackles and a half a sack.

He picked the first half-sack of his career against Pryor Monday night.

Del Rio said that Jackson was more confident in what he was doing and compared him to fellow second-year defensive lineman Derek Wolfe.

“They can play end and move inside and play tackle,” Del Rio said. “Strong. Quick. He’s a younger player that has really blossomed this year into a good football player. He made a handful of plays last year throughout but he’s playing a bigger role for us now and he’s doing a good job in that role.

“So we’re happy about the way he’s working.”

Notebook: Gase On Turnovers, Eagles D By Mike Morris DenverBroncos.com September 26, 2013

Offensive Coordinator Adam Gase addressed the Broncos' fumbles against the Raiders and assessed the Eagles defense.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Ranked atop the NFL in total offense, points per game and passing offense, it’s safe to say that the Broncos' offense has seen its share of the spotlight during the first three weeks of the regular season.

But although the offense rolled up 536 total yards and erupted for 27 first-half points in the Broncos’ 37-21 win over the Raiders on Monday night, Offensive Coordinator Adam Gase noted that there hasn’t been time to reflect on the successes that the unit has had – only time for correcting miscues and improving its overall execution in preparation for the Eagles on Sunday.

“We had two hours to enjoy the game before you went to bed and next day we’re on Philly,” Gase said on Thursday. “We haven’t had really a chance to look back and say, ‘Hey, we were good in this.’ I guess everything we’re doing we’re saying, ‘We need to work on this, we need to improve on this,’ and that’s been our main focus this week is what do we have to fix from the last game.”

Gase Takes Blame

One area that Gase underlined for improvement concerned the two turnovers – a pair of fumbles – that the Broncos conceded to the Raiders.

Both fumbles led to Oakland touchdowns, but one of them in particular – a third quarter sack of Manning where Raiders defensive end Lamarr Houston got around the edge and hit the quarterback from behind, forcing a fumble – troubled Gase especially.

Gase took accountability for the fumble, noting that he believed his play call put tackle Chris Clark in a difficult position, which led to Houston’s sack.

“I think the sack-fumble is the one that bothers me because that was a bad play call,” Gase said. “I put Chris in a bad position there and that (play) was a ball-holder. We didn’t need it and that would be one where I’d want to take back because our guys, if we put them in the right positions, they make it work."

“I feel like on that play (with) that play call, I didn’t put them in the right position,” he added. “That one bothers me and that’s one that I’m going to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”

The Broncos also lost a Montee Ball fumble later in the fourth quarter, which set the Raiders up with advantageous field position for their final touchdown. And while the slip ultimately may not have cost the Broncos against the Raiders, Gase stressed the importance of hanging onto the football and finishing drives against the Eagles and future opponents.

“We need to be more successful in that area. We turn the ball over and we can’t do that,” he said. “Right there was a massive lesson. Thankfully for us it didn’t affect the game. We have to figure out a way to hold onto the ball and finish that drive. We have to finish those drives with the ball in our hand or in the end zone, however it works out.”

Clark Competes Well at Tackle

Although his name was called on the aforementioned fumble, Gase noted that Clark’s performance throughout the game in his first start at left tackle was impressive.

“He did very well. I was impressed at (his) great communication,” Gase said. “That’s the biggest and the hardest part of what we do is making sure we’re all on the same page.”

While it was Clark’s first time filling in for the injured Ryan Clady at left tackle, Gase pointed out that Clark was battle-tested throughout the offseason taking snaps with the first team while Clady was rehabilitating an injury.

Now that Clark has proven he can play at a high level, what remains is whether he can perform consistently throughout the season – as Gase noted.

“He’s been doing it with the ones since the spring so he’s ahead of the curve,” Gase said. “Right now it’s going to be, ‘Hey, can he keep this up every game?’ Like he told me after the game, that’s the first time he’s played a full game since college. Every week has just got to be a little bit better for him.”

Gase noted that the improvements Clark has made in both run blocking and pass protection were evident in the Raiders game.

“I think that’s the one thing that he worked on through the spring and in training camp, to be a better run blocker,” Gase said. “We’ve always felt really good with him as a pass protector, and what he showed the other day, that’s what we’re looking for and he’s only going to get better from here on out.”

Sizing-Up the Eagles

In assessing the Eagles' defense, Gase made it clear that efficient, clean offensive execution will be at a premium for the Broncos against a unit that has forced five turnovers this season and has stiffened in the red zone.

“They’re doing a good job of creating turnovers,” Gase said. “They’re doing a really good job in the red area and that’s going to be our biggest struggle -- to make sure that we’re scoring touchdowns in the red area and we’re not kicking field goals.”

Manning echoed his evaluation.

“The Eagles defense, from what I’ve seen so far, is a defense that flies around,” Manning said. “They’re very stingy in the red zone; they can create turnovers.”

And while wide receiver Demaryius Thomas noted that the Broncos expect a wide-array of looks from the Eagles' defense, he also pointed out that watching the squad on film will only reveal so much.

“They’ll throw a lot of different things at us, different blitzes, coverage-wise,” Thomas said. “Every week I feel like it’s a challenge for us because we never know what somebody is going to do. We might watch film but we never know what they’ll throw against us once we hit the field.”

Woodyard's World: Week 4 By Wesley Woodyard DenverBroncos.com September 26, 2013

Wesley Woodyard blogs about his disappointment with last week’s defensive outing, his thoughts on this week’s game and his thoughts on people calling for a high-scoring game vs. Philadelphia.

Editor's note: Linebacker Wesley Woodyard, who was voted as a team captain for the fifth-consecutive season this year, will contribute blog entries thoughout the 2013 season. See below for his latest entry about about his disappointment with last week’s defensive outing, his thoughts on this week’s game and his thoughts on people calling for a high-scoring game vs. Philadelphia.

I said after last week’s victory that I wasn’t satisfied with the defensive effort.

We gave up 21 points and although I’m happy we got the win, I wasn’t happy with how we finished the game on D. I expect us to go out there and play four quarters. In order to be a great defense, you have to do it for four quarters. That is something that we have to continue to work on and get better every day and every week.

We have great players out there and we have a great scheme. We just have to go out there and show it. It disappoints me when we give up touchdowns. I don’t like being scored on and that’s just the approach I have and the approach I’m going to take every day.

Since we played on Monday night, we didn’t have time to look at the film as a team like we do after a normal game. Our coach still gave us the grade sheet, and then it was up to us to watch the tape on our own and make sure we correct the problems that went on in the game. So, I looked at it, and then I moved on straight to Philly.

I know they have a lot of offensive weapons, and we’ve been hearing the chatter that it’s going to be a high-scoring game.

That kind of ticks me off that people actually say we’re going to get a lot of points scored on us. It is what it is though. We are going to approach the game as though we aren’t going to let anybody score on us. That’s how we’re going to carry ourselves and that’s how were going to go about things. You know, I still haven’t had a shutout since I’ve been here. I’m trying to get one. Why not get one this week?

We face another mobile quarterback in Michael Vick this week, but he’s a different player than Terrelle Pryor. Vick is a more experienced quarterback, obviously, and he definitely can throw the football a lot better. Pryor – not taking anything away from him, but Vick is Michael Vick. He makes plays with his feet and the thing about Vick is that throughout his career is that he can scramble and still get the ball down the field. We have to make sure to take away his scrambling ability and stay in front of him.

With LeSean McCoy back there too it’s a challenge for us. Every week in this league you go against great players and great schemes. Not often do you get a chance to face back-to-back No. 1-ranked running teams.

It’s a challenge that we are gladly going to accept. We’re excited about it. That’s what we do. We play defense for a living and we’re excited about it.

Thursday HealthONE Injury Report By Stuart Zaas DenverBroncos.com September 26, 2013

Thursday's injury report for Denver and Philadelphia

DENVER BRONCOS

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday

S Duke Ihenacho Ankle Did Not Participate Did Not Participate

LB Paris Lenon Thigh Did Not Participate Did Not Participate

CB Champ Bailey Foot Limited Limited

CB Tony Carter Foot Did Not Participate Limited

TE Joel Dreessen Knee Limited Limited

RB C.J. Anderson Knee Full Full

CB Omar Bolden Shoulder Full Full

LS Aaron Brewer Rib Full Full

S David Bruton Neck Full Full

WR Eric Decker Shoulder Full Full

T Orlando Franklin Shoulder Full Full

G Chris Kuper Ankle Full Full

WR Demaryius Thomas Ankle Full Full

WR Wes Welker Ankle Full Full

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Player Injury Thursday Thursday

S Patrick Chung Shoulder Did Not Participate Did Not Participate

T Jason Peters Finger Full Full