Next up: Denver Broncos

[BmoreBird22]

his velocity really wasnt great in that video, and even like bmorebird said, its highlights, you can expect the best of his best plays to be shown and thats it, but even in these highlights his velocity was shaky, he fluttered a screen on the second pass and if it had some zip on it then DT could have turned upfield earlier and gained alot more yardage, but instead the ball didnt reach him until the defenders had already closed in. and when he threw that slot receiver open, hes lucky he even made that catch, it was a heads up throw to have it there before he even made his break, but it almost fell short and with better velocity and distance on that ball then its almost certain to be a TD as the WR could have easily caught it in stride and turned upfield and split the db's with ease, but instead he had to come to the ball, reach down and scoop it, pretty much leaving 4 points on the field.

 

i dont think hes trying to say peyton is washed up, all hes trying to say is that peyton isnt the same player, and all the rumors swirling about his arm appear to be real, and that video, even being his best plays, doesnt do much to dispel those rumors, peyton manning is simply missing opportunities that he wouldnt have missed a few years ago and its because he cant get the ball to the receiver fast enough.

Pretty much. Peyton will still be a nucense because he's so cerebral, but his body is leaving his ability way below what we're used to seeing and it's not vintage Peyton anymore. It'd be like asking LaDainian Tomlinson to have am MVP campaign again at 35. At some point, the body just can't keep up anymore and that's what's happening here

[Edgar]

Not sure at all about this one. Campanaro will be huge.

[Gordo52]

I believe we got it.... All we need is at least one of Aiken/Brown/Camp to step up. I'm afraid Sr will be a non-factor in this one. I think we win the battle in the trenches, even without Timmy, pretty comfortably.

Might just be the last time we face Peyton. Considering how much he's owned us in the past, that scares me.

[Cillmatic]

Really hope TJ plays this in this game. He'd be a great addition to the line. That interior pass rush is JUST what we need against the Broncos. You get a consistent pass rush against Peyton and he's shell shocked the entire game.

[Cillmatic]

Not sure at all about this one. Campanaro will be huge.

Doubt it. Canpanaro only plays in the slot. The Broncos have the BEST slot corner in the league right now. This is gonna be a serious test. The only two clear weaknesses in the Broncos secondary are the safety's(but since we have no speedy tall player I doubt we'll abuse them) and the tight end covering. Don't be surprised if Maxx and Gillmore get over 100 yards receiving in this game.

[jazz1988]

Doubt it. Canpanaro only plays in the slot. The Broncos have the BEST slot corner in the league right now. This is gonna be a serious test. The only two clear weaknesses in the Broncos secondary are the safety's(but since we have no speedy tall player I doubt we'll abuse them) and the tight end covering. Don't be surprised if Maxx and Gillmore get over 100 yards receiving in this game.

 

You must be talking about Chris Harris but he doesn't play  the nickel position 100 percent of  the time to my understand. I know he's  The Broncos number 1 cornerback  at the moment  so he might be facing Steve Smith more than anything. Talib will  probably be matched up with Aiken which is a good match because of his size wand Roby will probably be facing  the duo of Brown and Campanaro.

[Ravenseconbeast]

Man i wish we couldve kept Corey Graham.  The guy is balling @ bills right now as #1 CB.   Wouldve have EASILY replaced Webb.

[Ravensfan23]

You must be talking about Chris Harris but he doesn't play  the nickel position 100 percent of  the time to my understand. I know he's  The Broncos number 1 cornerback  at the moment  so he might be facing Steve Smith more than anything. Talib will  probably be matched up with Aiken which is a good match because of his size wand Roby will probably be facing  the duo of Brown and Campanaro.

I don't see the Ravens running a ton of 3WR sets in this game and Aiken won't be the sole #2WR. I see a bunch of 2 and 3 TE sets with Juice being split out wide as well. Trestman is gonna either force them ro keep their base defense on the field or force them to defend the run with sub personnel.

[rmcjacket23]

Man i wish we couldve kept Corey Graham.  The guy is balling @ bills right now as #1 CB.   Wouldve have EASILY replaced Webb.

#1 CB on Buffalo is Stephon Gilmore. He's one of the best corners in the league.

 

Also, Corey Graham will be playing strong safety for the Bills in 2015.

[Ravens4Real]

Perriman out of practice all but guaranteeing him not playing this week. Jernigan and Melvin still out is a littl disheartening. I'm going to take it as a veteran rest day for Suggs, Dumervil and D. Smith.

Other than those guys, we basically new Taliaferro was not going to be available this week.

[DomMcRaven]

Didn't know Denver was 8-0 at home last season. 

Well I think we lose, I will say that the undefeated record means nothing this season. Heck, we went undefeated in not only home games, but divisional games as well a few seasons ago. 

[HoldingCall]

Interesting view of Denver's Depth Chart (53 man roster) show three TEs and two FBs. Closer inspection of the FBs has Casey (no.1 on chart) listed as a FB/TE  and Green, the no.2, FB (6'5" 255lbs) listed as a TE but in the FB position on the depth chart.

 

The Broncos currently have the edge in KR and PR, with Emmanuel Sanders, Omar Bolden and Andre Caldwell listed, while the Ravens is still incomplete with only Michael Campanaro list alone as both.

[VeiledPsychosis]

My score prediction:

27 - 13 Baltimore

People on here are too "glass half empty" here. Our Oline is still the best in the NFL so Forsett will get us started, Once the running game is established Flacco will let loose with Gilmore and a dash of SSS, maybe throw in some two TE sets, mix it up a bit.

Our D will be fine. Hopefully Jernigan plays but if he doesn't we'll survive. Denver lost Julius Thomas in the offseason which is pretty big, I trust Hill all day vs. Daniels. Jimmy v. Thomas will be tough but I trust Jimmy to at least stop him from getting into the endzone, then we've got Webb(hopefully)/Arrington vs. Sanders will be another battle. Our run D will be fine against the Broncos patch work oline, Mathis can't do it all himself, no RB can survive if there's no blocking. Doom and Sizzle should have a field day looking at those Broncos tackles. And finally Mosley and Daryl are still Mosley and Daryl.

We'll be fine, won't be easy but I'm sure we'll take this one.

[Raven'evermore]

 If Elway knows by now that Peyton likes to run his own offense, but also knows that Kubiak is the same way, then why did he hire Kubiak?

 

 My first prediction on the boards: Our D is gonna scare the hell out of Peyton. (I know it's not as daring as Climatic's scoring more points theory, but I'm sticking to it.)

[jaege]

Alot of this depends on who will be active on gameday, esp. Jernigan. We will win fairly easily, wont be a cakewalk but we will keep manning on his back and force him into some bad decisions. He will throw 2 interceptions and possibly a pick 6. Expect the offense to come out firing on all cylinders.

 

 

Confidence, buddy. I like that!

 

 

I don't know though. How could we possibly win? This is Denver and the unbeatable Peyton, after all. I hear he has never been a part of a team that has lost any game. Or maybe he has never been part of a team that the Ravens have beaten? It must be something like that considering all the fans that are predicting our demise at the hands of the Broncos. Come on, the Broncos have the best defense, the best offense, the best cheer leaders, the best hot dogs, the biggest parking spaces, the most comfortable seating...we don't stand a chance. They are not just another football team, with an aging QB, a new head coach, and a bunch of new players that are having their own difficulties. No sir. That only happens to the Ravens.

Edited September 9, 2015 by jaege

[sflegend89]

You know... a few weeks ago I didn't like our chances at all in this game. But the closer we get to game day the better I've felt about how we stack up. I'm a big believer in our offense and that we will be able to run the ball effectively. I think Trestman did well not to show his hand in preseason, the closest he probably got to his regular season playcalling was that opening drive against the Saints when he was unpredictable and we marched down the field for a TD (albeit on a 4th down conversion). From there on out I think he saw what he needed to see from our guys and kept it very vanilla even in the "dress rehearsal" as to not give the Broncos any good film.

 

One area of concern though is definitely the secondary going against Manning and the no huddle/sugar huddle that we always seem to struggle against. I really hope Pees dials up blitzes early and often (as well as showing blitz and dropping into coverage), even if Manning beats us a few times when we send heat it will keep him on his toes and not let him settle into a rhythym. Jimmy needs to have a big game on DT but I think he's up for it. Sanders will likely "get his" but as long as we bend but don't break and hold them to FG's we should be in good shape.

[PurpleCity5]

Man i wish we couldve kept Corey Graham.  The guy is balling @ bills right now as #1 CB.   Wouldve have EASILY replaced Webb.

Don't remind me......I still have nightmares about it....Jk lol of course not but it hurts man....it hurts....

[DomMcRaven]

You know... a few weeks ago I didn't like our chances at all in this game. But the closer we get to game day the better I've felt about how we stack up. I'm a big believer in our offense and that we will be able to run the ball effectively. I think Trestman did well not to show his hand in preseason, the closest he probably got to his regular season playcalling was that opening drive against the Saints when he was unpredictable and we marched down the field for a TD (albeit on a 4th down conversion). From there on out I think he saw what he needed to see from our guys and kept it very vanilla even in the "dress rehearsal" as to not give the Broncos any good film.

 

One area of concern though is definitely the secondary going against Manning and the no huddle/sugar huddle that we always seem to struggle against. I really hope Pees dials up blitzes early and often (as well as showing blitz and dropping into coverage), even if Manning beats us a few times when we send heat it will keep him on his toes and not let him settle into a rhythym. Jimmy needs to have a big game on DT but I think he's up for it. Sanders will likely "get his" but as long as we bend but don't break and hold them to FG's we should be in good shape.

I gotta say, this sounds really familiar from last season. Just sayin.......

[Edgar]

Doubt it. Canpanaro only plays in the slot. The Broncos have the BEST slot corner in the league right now. This is gonna be a serious test. The only two clear weaknesses in the Broncos secondary are the safety's(but since we have no speedy tall player I doubt we'll abuse them) and the tight end covering. Don't be surprised if Maxx and Gillmore get over 100 yards receiving in this game.

Campanaro is our best receiver not named Steve smith. He knows how to get open and he needs to be big for us.

In fact, his health is critical to our success early on. Hopeful he can stay on the field at least until Perriman is healthy.

[sflegend89]

I gotta say, this sounds really familiar from last season. Just sayin.......

 

Elaborate more. I thought the offense took a big step forward last year and we did a good job of establishing the run early and then mixing in playaction and getting defenders to bite (like the Gilmore TD against Pitt in the playoffs). The biggest issue that cost us W's last year was the secondary, Webb was in poor form trying to play through injuries, we didn't have Hill for 6 games, Stewart was a weak link in coverage on the back end, Jimmy obviously out the latter part of the season, guys like Melvin and Gorrer asked to start.

 

We are probably playing in the SB last year if we have a healthy Jimmy and/or Webb, the offense did enough against NE and the defense lost us the game (primarily the secondary).

[GrimCoconut]

I think our offense matches up well with their defense. It's not the offense that concerns me but our defense. We haven't played Manning with Will Hill in the secondary. Having Hill back there is going to be a boon for the defense. I'm just concerned about our DL and OLB more than anything. We'll need to pressure Manning without the blitz.

I think a nice dose of Gillmore and Juszczyk should really tilt this game in our favor. I really like them in this game. Same goes for Forsett. Only problem there is Gary knows Forsett and how he runs. I also feel good about Steve Smith Sr taking someone's lunch money in this game, whether it's Chris Harris or not.

[Cillmatic]

I really hope Webb is ready for this game. I would say to put the "warmer" Melvin in if Webb struggles but I don't think Melvin's gonna be healthy enough to play. If Webb struggles we're screwed.

[DomMcRaven]

Elaborate more. I thought the offense took a big step forward last year and we did a good job of establishing the run early and then mixing in playaction and getting defenders to bite (like the Gilmore TD against Pitt in the playoffs). The biggest issue that cost us W's last year was the secondary, Webb was in poor form trying to play through injuries, we didn't have Hill for 6 games, Stewart was a weak link in coverage on the back end, Jimmy obviously out the latter part of the season, guys like Melvin and Gorrer asked to start.

 

We are probably playing in the SB last year if we have a healthy Jimmy and/or Webb, the offense did enough against NE and the defense lost us the game (primarily the secondary).

I'm just only talking about the offense. What I meant by is that ,last year, when we had Kubiak, our offense in the first preseason game looked sharp. Somewhat struggled in the second game, but played well enough in the third game. Then, our first game was ugly offensively. From there, it started to look better as the season progressed. That's all I meant. 

[sflegend89]

I think our offense matches up well with their defense. It's not the offense that concerns me but our defense. We haven't played Manning with Will Hill in the secondary. Having Hill back there is going to be a boon for the defense. I'm just concerned about our DL and OLB more than anything. We'll need to pressure Manning without the blitz.

I think a nice dose of Gillmore and Juszczyk should really tilt this game in our favor. I really like them in this game. Same goes for Forsett. Only problem there is Gary knows Forsett and how he runs. I also feel good about Steve Smith Sr taking someone's lunch money in this game, whether it's Chris Harris or not.

 

I'm interested to see just how much the Broncos offensive philosophy has shifted under Kubiak. Will we see a run first/playaction heavy offense centered around CJ Anderson and the short/intermediate passing game in traditional Kubiak fashion? Or will we see more of a hybrid between Gase's offense and Kubiak's, with more of a mix between under center and shotgun spread looks?

 

Towards the latter part of last year even under Gase they shifted to more of a under center, pound CJ Anderson until you can't any more type of offense. They still picked their spots in the passing game but it was far more run heavy than in previous years. I actually hope it is more of a pure Kubiak offense because I like our run defense far more than I like getting spread out and asking our secondary to cover all game. Hopefully Jernigan plays, that will be huge for us.

[sflegend89]

I'm just only talking about the offense. What I meant by is that ,last year, when we had Kubiak, our offense in the first preseason game looked sharp. Somewhat struggled in the second game, but played well enough in the third game. Then, our first game was ugly offensively. From there, it started to look better as the season progressed. That's all I meant. 

 

Yeah I can agree with that, we seemed to really take off when Forsett got going and established himself as the work horse. The one positive about this year is that is the offense hasn't changed much at all personnel wise, our OL is set and is one of the best in football (fingers crossed KO stays healthy), we know Forsett is our work horse back and is a great pass protector, Steve Smith is settled in and knows Joe/the offense well, and in a way I think Gilmore might actually end up being an upgrade over Daniels because of his athleticism. We don't have Torrey or our replacement on the field yet in Perriman but I still feel good we will move the ball well and Trestman will just pick up where we left off at the end of last year. Then when Perriman get's back it will just add another dimension to an already competent offense.

Edited September 9, 2015 by sflegend89

[DomMcRaven]

Yeah I can agree with that, we seemed to really take off when Forsett got going and established himself as the work horse. The one positive about this year is that is the offense hasn't changed much at all personnel wise, our OL is set and is one of the best in football (fingers crossed KO stays healthy), we know Forsett is our work horse back and is a great pass protector, Steve Smith is settled in and knows Joe/the offense well, and in a way I think Gilmore might actually end up being an upgrade over Daniels because of his athleticism. We don't have Torrey or our replacement on the field yet in Perriman but I still feel good we will move the ball well and Trestman will just pick up where we left off at the end of last year. Then when Perriman get's back it will just add another dimension to an already competent offense.

Agreed. I think Gilmore is going to be something special. And who knows, Boyle could add a little something here and there. Getting back Perriman will obviously do wonders for his development, but for this offense as well. Let's also not forget Camps. Dude just finds ways to get open. He just needs to find his way on the field. 

[ravensdfan]

I think this is a toss up right now. This IS still Peyton Manning though so we cannot play that soft cover 10 yds off your man crap or we will get killed.

 

We need WR not named Steve Smith Sr to actually step up and play plus Trestman to start using the TEs for more than just blocking or we will struggle on offense.

 

I am hopeful we can pull this off but our last regular season outings in Denver did not go so well lol

[LosT_in_TranSlatioN]

This game will be close. Last time Peyton played us we had a lesser front 7 and arguably a lesser secondary. The starters were Ihedigbo and Michael Huff in the secondary for god's sake. Will Hill and Kendrick are significant upgrades. Jimmy has come into his own and Arrington in the slot is a damn good player. Webb will be the X-Factor but vs the number two I think he'll be fine.

Ngata wasn't great at NT, and Arthur Jones wasn't as good a pass rusher as Timmy was. Losing Ngata hurts vs the run, but we'll be fine. Plus, the number two MLB was who that season? Now we have another star in CJ Mosley. Suggs and Doom(he'll be hungry to get another swing at his old team) while I do expect a decline in numbers will still be able to apply pressure. Add in the fact that the offensive line is horrible, and the running game probably won't be nearly as effective because of it, I think it might be hard for that offense to get going. Peyton will score. But it will not be nearly as easy last time.

Conversley, our offense matches up well with their defense. Yes, Shane Ray, Von Miller, and Demarcus Ware pose a problem with the pass rush. But that run defense isn't anything too special if I remember. It's okay, but you need to be able to stop the run. Chris Harris and Talib don't need any praise. That secondary is just damn good. but here's the issue. The middle will be wide open in all likliness and we have two good young TEs. I trust Kubiak's judgement with Gillmore(who looks like he's just going to be a straight up animal with his physicality), and Maxx has amazing recieving talent. SSR will in all honesty be a factor because of this.

This game will be very close imho. 34-28 Ravens. But it could go either way.

[redrum52]

Defense doesn't worry me this game. Denver, with the switch to a 3-4 will get pressure. I just hope we're able to counter it. If we're successful, able to sustain drives and punch it in, we should be fine and maybe win in a route. I don't care what anyone says. I think Harbaugh has this team on a mission and we're finally, fully realizing the power of home field. The guys who were here in 2013 will also be motivated from the last time they played.

[FlackAttack]

givin the state of their o-line I would say he's definitely a big factor. Maybe not a deciding factor , but it would definitely help tremendously.

 

I guess I can see that. But most likely Denvers O will stay in lead or at least threatening lead most of the game.

 

If I had to say who would be the deciding factor, im going to go with your boy gillmore. We can establish a run game early then do some play action across the middle with gillmore and friends we'll open up the sidelines. Between him and Aiken, the big bodies crossing traffic will move chains no doubt. They have a decent pass rush but we can win mismatches vs their lbs on the second level. They will double/ triple steve smith and no one else has burners to open up top. No need to play shootout, because I guarantee Denver will come out running and playing conservative and ready to go full out blazing board if necessary. So thats the case, we'll have a huge chance at winning and can beat them at their own game without letting it slip out of our control.

 

If our secondary flutters and Sanders and Thomas decide to play backyard football, its over.

Edited September 9, 2015 by FlackAttack