Danny Trevathan returns to Broncos

team practice

By Mike Klis

The Denver Post

September 20, 2014

For the first time since suffering a fractured left leg more than five weeks ago,

Broncos linebacker Danny Trevathan practiced with the team Friday.

It's highly unlikely Trevathan will play Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks,

although he is officially listed as questionable.

Historically, Broncos players coming off injury don't play until they can go through

the full practice Wednesday and Thursday.

With the Broncos on bye next week, it made sense for Trevathan to get a feel for

practice Friday, then take another two weeks to fully healed for the Oct. 5 game

against the Arizona Cardinals. That was his targeted return date since suffering the

injury during a training camp practice Aug. 12.

Still, it's encouraging that Trevathan is recovering on schedule.

"I've just been working as hard as I can," Trevathan said. "I'm not really putting a

time on it; I'm just working as much as I can. It just feels good to be out there with

my team and just get it moving a little bit."

Marvin Austin's father dies. It's been a difficult year for Broncos' defensive

linemen.

Malik Jackson's father, Jodie Jackson, died at 47 this month from complications

from a stroke. His funeral was Sept. 4 in New Jersey, and Malik Jackson returned to

the Broncos in time to play in their season opener Sept. 7.

On Friday, Marvin Austin Sr., the 49 year-old father of defensive tackle Marvin

Austin Jr., died from massive brain injuries suffered during a vehicular accident

Sunday.

"It's crazy how life happens like that," Austin told The Denver Post on Thursday,

when his father was on life support.

Austin will fly with the Broncos on Saturday to Seattle and play in the game

Sunday. He had planned on returning to North Carolina during the bye week next

week to be with his father.

Young man's game in Seattle. People may think the Broncos are a veteran team

because their best player, Peyton Manning, is 38 years old, and two of their

highest-paid stars, Wes Welker and DeMarcus Ware, are 33 and 32, respectively.

To the contrary, general manager John Elway has balanced out his roster with so

much youth that the Broncos, with an average age of 25.72 years, are tied for the

NFL's sixth-youngest team.

Seattle is tied for the fourth-youngest at 25.64 years.

Last year, the Broncos were tied for the fourth-oldest team with an average age of

26.70. Seattle was the youngest at 24.98 years.

Footnotes. Broncos special-teams captain David Bruton was upgraded to probable

for the game against Seattle after missing last week to recover from a dislocated

shoulder. ... It won't be easy for Manning to throw the three touchdown passes he

needs Sunday to join Brett Favre as the only NFL quarterbacks to reach 500 in his

career. A quarterback hasn't had a three-touchdown pass game in Seattle since

Matt Ryan in 2010. ... The Broncos had been favorites for 28 consecutive games

until they were listed as 4½- to 5-point underdogs against the Seahawks.

Jacob Tamme ready for call of duty for

Broncos

By Irv Moss

The Denver Post

September 20, 2014

For Broncos tight end Jacob Tamme, it's life as usual this week.

Give him his assignment and he'll be ready to execute it Sunday, when the Broncos

play at Seattle and attempt to erase the demons remaining from the 43-8 thumping

the Seahawks handed them in the Super Bowl.

At week's end, Tamme wasn't sure of his assignment Sunday, but he'll be ready for

whatever duty he's assigned.

"We have a lot of different personnel groups and we try to prepare for all those," he

said. "I've been doing the same thing the past couple of weeks."

There's a difference this week because slot receiver Wes Welker might play in the

aftermath of a concussion and a shortened suspension for violating the NFL's anti-

drug policy. Tamme has played some in Welker's place, in addition to his usual

assignment as a backup tight end and a special-teams player. His work on special

teams moved to the forefront last year. His receptions dropped from 52 in 2012, his

first year with the Broncos, to 20 last season, but he led the special-teams units in

tackles with 10 a season ago.

"Special teams is something I take a lot of pride in," Tamme said. "I love to tackle.

It's fun. I know how the play on special teams can impact a game."

Offensive coordinator Adam Gase said Tamme gives the team versatility.

"He brings that element of playing that slot/tight end role, so we're able to move

him around a lot and it's good to have that flexibility with him," Gase said.

Tamme isn't losing any sleep wondering what the expected return of Welker will

mean to his role.

"I'm happy to have Wes back. He makes our team better. Whether it makes my

role smaller I don't know. Whatever they ask me to do I'm good with it. That

always has been my thought process. Whatever my role is on any given week, I'm

prepared to do it."

Is Tamme the ultimate team player? Receiver Demaryius Thomas might have the

answer.

"He was here when I arrived, and I watched the way he did things," Thomas said.

"We all looked up to him. He'll do anything to be on the team. Players like that are

valuable to a team."

Tamme, 29, is reaching an age when he is considered one of the team's elders.

"I'm at the point where I'm starting to feel like a veteran. Both my body and my

mind feel great. I'm in the best shape of my life, and that excites me," he said. "I

feel like I can do a lot of good things out there. But I also know we have a bunch of

good players so it's not easy to get on the field and get a bunch of catches."

Broncos' Wes Welker probable, Danny

Trevathan questionable at Seattle

By Irv Moss

The Denver Post

September 19, 2014

Broncos coach John Fox left the playing status of receiver Wes Welker for Sunday's

game in Seattle to one word Friday as his team completed its final practice for the

Super Bowl rematch.

"Probable," Fox answered when asked about Welker's status.

Welker rejoined the team this week after missing the first two games of the regular

season sitting out a four-game suspension for violating provisions of the NFL's anti-

drug policy. His suspension was reduced this week when the league and players'

union reached a new agreement on a drug policy.

Fox didn't say anything about what role Welker might have.

Otherwise Fox listed linebacker Lerentee McCray, injured this past Sunday, as out

for the game. Linebacker Danny Trevathan was listed as limited, but will travel and

be a game-time decision.

"I know Danny was excited to be out there and we'll make a decision come game

time," Fox said.

Roger Goodell said sorry. Few bought it.

By Nicki Jhabvala

The Denver Post

September 19, 2014

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the media Friday for the first time since

his CBS News interview in which he tried to explain the league’s decision and

process in suspending Ray Rice indefinitely.

Since then, a handful of other cases have come up — Adrian Peterson, Greg Hardy,

Jonathan Dwyer, Ray MacDonald — and a number of fumbled news conference by

owners and missteps by the league have followed.

The NFL has perhaps never faced a more embarrassing and alarming few weeks

than it has now, leading to even its biggest sponsors, including Anheuser-Busch and

Nike, to start raising red flags and even suspending their deals with the league.

On Friday, Goodell must have felt that he could no longer hide. He, again, said that

he made a mistake. That he “got it wrong.” That he “is sorry.” That he is “trying to

get it right.” That the league “needs outside help.”

But the general public has heard those lines many times throughout these past few

months, from him and his owners.

(The commissioner also said he has not considered resigning — “We have a lot of

work to do. That’s my focus.” — and that he believes he has the full support of the

league’s owners — “That has been clear to me.”)

But while Goodell may have been very sincere in his words, that he was indeed

very sorry for how the NFL has handled the Ray Rice incident and the other cases

that have come up since, he didn’t offer a concrete plan for how the league would

change its ways.

He said the league would strive to get a new personal conduct policy in place by the

Super Bowl, but he didn’t say what changes he would like to see made to the

policy.

He said the league has partnered with two outside organizations for domestic

violence awareness, but he didn’t say how that would change things within the

league.

He said he there have been inconsistencies in how the NFL has handled the varied

cases over the last few weeks, but he didn’t explain why.

He said “everything is on the table” when asked if he would consider giving up

some of his power to allow for more checks and balances in the league.

When asked about Robert Mueller conflict of interests in investigating a league his

firm has represented in past contract negotiations, Goodell asked why anyone

would question Mueller’s credibility.

When probed by reporters, Goodell failed to answer succinctly how things will

change and why things have happened as they have. In short, he said he has been

in numerous meetings, that there are many things that the league “needs to

consider,” that they “need to get it right.” But offered no answers and no plans with

real changes.

But it wasn’t just the media who appeared baffled by Goodell’s lack of reasoning

Friday. Players, fans and countless others expressed their views on his address:

Hochman: No Demaryius or Harrison in

this crowd of one-timers

By Benjamin Hochman

The Denver Post

September 20, 2014

On one of the guys' LinkedIn pages, his accomplishments include "Employee of the

Quarter 2009" and "Caught 1 Touchdown Pass from Peyton Manning."

Another guy was Mr. Irrelevant.

Another played for Colorado's Coach Mac — not the current one, but Bill McCartney.

And another, a defensive lineman, had never caught a touchdown pass. Ever.

This Sunday, Peyton Manning could very well throw three touchdown passes, which

would give him an astounding 500 for his NFL career. Those who have caught many

of the 497 are superstars, be it Marshall Faulk or Marvin Harrison or Demaryius

Thomas. There are 12 men who have caught one — but only one — touchdown

pass from Manning. They're forever part of history, even if many are long forgotten

by most fans.

"Believe it or not, I found a few minutes to think about some of (them)," Manning

said this week. "A guy named Trevor Insley, he caught one. Of course (Broncos

defensive tackle) Mitch Unrein would be in that category. There was a tight end

named Mike Roberg in there. Lamont Warren. Tom Santi from Virginia. Gijon

Robinson. The scary thing is I can actually remember the touchdown — Gijon

Robinson caught a goal line naked against New England in New England. Fake

bootleg left, roll right, wide open because nobody thought we would be throwing it

to Gijon Robinson. I can't remember a lot of things — important things — but I

have a lot of useless information in my mind."

Of the Touchdown Twelve, only two played for the Broncos (Lance Ball and Unrein),

though three were born in Colorado — Aaron Moorehead (Aurora), Robinson

(Denver) and Unrein (Eaton).

Meanwhile, Warren attended Colorado under McCartney from 1991-93 and caught

Peyton's 10th career touchdown pass for Indianapolis — the city where Warren

happened to be born.

Kenton Keith, who caught a 4-yard touchdown pass in 2007, is a cousin of the great

Roger Craig, while Dan Klecko, who hauled in a 2-yard toss on the last day of the

2006 season, is the son of former New York Jets Pro Bowler Joe Klecko.

As for the 497 touchdown throws, "Let me say this," Luke Lawton explained. "Mine

has to be his easiest one. It was just a shovel pass on the goal line. I was in the

backfield, I ran in front of the line and he kind of underhand-flipped it to me, kind

of like an option pitch. And I took it in, just like that."

Lawton's 1-yard haul gave Indianapolis a fourth-quarter cushion in a 2007 win

against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Now 34, he's a reserve in the Marines.

Moorehead (9-yard catch in 2006) is now an assistant coach at Virginia Tech.

Jim Finn (4-yard catch in 2000) was indeed Mr. Irrelevant, picked last in the 1999

draft. For three seasons (2004-06), Finn caught passes from Manning's brother, Eli,

in New York, but his only career touchdown came courtesy of Peyton.

Unrein is still on the Denver defense. But the Broncos put in the large load on

offense for a 2012 game, and suddenly there he was in the huddle, Manning's first

read in a goal-line progression.

"The ball was in the air — it seemed like time just slowed down, just kind of stood

still," Unrein said. "It was so weird, I could see all the fans in the background, and I

could see the laces spinning, and all I could think was — don't drop it, don't drop it,

don't drop it.

"I caught it, the crowd went crazy, and I stood there for a second or two, didn't

really know what to do. So I decided to spike it. And then right after it, I was like,

'Where did the ball go?' "

Unrein had never caught a touchdown at any level and today has the ball in his

basement trophy case, alongside awards earned by his wife, bronze-medal Olympic

trapshooter Corey Cogdell.

But perhaps the most obscure of the scorers is Roberg, who only caught two NFL

passes, one for a touchdown, which made his LinkedIn page. Roberg turned 37 on

Thursday, and when initially contacted by the media this week, he thought — "Man,

this sounds like one of my buddies in Denver, trying to set me up."

Roberg's second and final NFL reception happened against the Tennessee Titans in

2002.

"The play was your typical third-and-1, a play-action to the tight end — nobody was

covering me," he said of the touchdown toss. "All I had to do was catch the ball. I

kept the ball. It's one of the things that people always ask — 'If your house caught

on fire, what's one thing you'd probably grab?' And I'd lean toward that, because

it's a priceless thing.

"What I know now, I wish I would've had Peyton sign it. I thought someday he'd be

at this mark, to break the all-time record. It'll be cool to say that I was part of it."

Broncos bring new defense to rematch

with Seahawks

By Arnie Stapleton

Associated Press

September 19, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Slogging through the rubble of that Super Bowl

landslide, John Elway blew up his defense.

He brought in DeMarcus Ware, T.J. Ward, Aqib Talib and Marvin Austin, trying to

toughen up his team — yes, like the one that had just whooped them in the

Meadowlands.

He bid farewell to Champ Bailey, so long to Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and

goodbye to Paris Lenon and Mike Adams.

Then, he welcomed the sights of starters Von Miller, Chris Harris Jr., Derek Wolfe

and Rahim Moore returning from injuries that sidelined them for the Super Bowl.

The Denver defense that will take the field on Sunday hardly resembles the

patchwork unit the Broncos trotted out eight months ago. Only three starters

remain: linebacker Nate Irving and tackles Sylvester Williams and Terrance

Knighton. And Irving will be playing the weakside instead of the strongside.

With such wholesale changes, these Broncos (2-0) are looking toward the

showdown with the Seahawks (1-1) as more of a barometer than a reprisal.

"Even if we win this game, it still won't fix what happened last year," Harris said.

"Losing the Super Bowl, the only way to fix that is winning the Super Bowl."

Harris hasn't shown any ill effects of the torn ACL he sustained in the playoffs, and

Miller has been a full participant at practice this week after missing the goal line

stand on the final series last week because of a strained groin.

Denver's defensive makeover is still an evolving process, surrendering too many

third-down conversions and drawing way too many flags — 13 — for coordinator

Jack Del Rio's liking.

Del Rio said the good thing is "we've played well in big moments, we've contributed

to two wins. But we feel like there's a lot of work yet to be done."

More time will iron out the kinks.

"But at the same time, we expect it to be really good right now," Del Rio said. "So

it's not like we're waiting. We're working hard and we expect it to be really strong

right now. And where it's not, we correct it and move on. Where it's good, we

praise it and move on."

The Broncos have nearly surrendered double-digit fourth-quarter leads in both of

their wins, but they also have kept teams out of the end zone on four trips inside

the 5-yard line.

It's the classic bend but don't break.

"I'm not looking for any bend," Del Rio said. "But at the end of the day, we want to

make plays. It just so happens that we're giving ourselves a chance and then

coming up with plays to stop people from scoring in key moments. So that's the

good part."

Miller said he'd prefer not to bend, either, but not breaking is what it's all about.

"As a defense, we look forward to going out there and getting a three-and-out

every time we play," Miller said. "Every series three-and-out, three-and-out. But

the chances of that happening every time you go out is slim. I feel like we've taken

steps to be a great defense, and the most important thing is that we came away

with the 'W.'"

The Broncos also got some good news Friday with linebacker Danny Trevathan back

at practice on a limited basis. Their leading tackler last year, Trevathan broke his

left leg on Aug. 12.

Coach John Fox listed Trevathan as questionable for Sunday, but with a bye next

week, it's likely Trevathan will be held out and make his 2014 debut Oct. 5 against

Arizona.

Either way, Trevathan will make the trip.

Defensive lineman Malik Jackson said it was a boost just seeing Trevathan back on

the practice field.

Austin said he'll play Sunday to honor his father, who died Friday, five days after

being ejected in a rollover auto accident in North Carolina.

"I got no reason not to play," Austin said. "I've got to honor my dad. I have his

name and your name is all you've got."

Broncos backup to play following dad's

death

By Arnie Stapleton

Associated Press

September 19, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Denver Broncos defensive tackle Marvin Austin said

he'll play Sunday at Seattle in honor of his father, who died Friday.

Marvin Austin Sr., 49, had been hospitalized in Raleigh, North Carolina, since being

ejected in a rollover auto accident Sunday evening in Selma.

Austin got the news while having dinner at a steakhouse in Denver following the

Broncos' victory over Kansas City and flew to North Carolina. He spent several days

there until returning to practice Thursday.

Austin told The Associated Press on Friday that he won't fly back until Monday. He

said he wouldn't even consider skipping this weekend's game against the

Seahawks.

"I got no reason not to play," Austin said. "I've got to honor my dad. I have his

name and your name is all you've got. I'm his junior and after this game from now

I'll be wearing 'Jr.' suffix on my back.

"It'll mean a lot to me and I know it would have meant a lot to him," Austin said.

"Now, his spirit is with me. He's going to help me get through those hard days

where I don't want to get it done and don't want to do it. That's who I'm going to

be talking to inside myself."

Austin credited his comeback from offseason back surgery to his father's influence

in his life.

"He was never going to lie to me. He was never going to sugar-coat nothing to me

as bad as it might hurt my feelings," Austin said. "As much as I didn't want to hear

it, he told me the truth. That's the reason that I have this opportunity that I have

now."

A former second-round draft choice of the New York Giants, Austin is a fourth-year

pro who signed a one-year deal in Denver last summer following back surgery and

made the roster with an outstanding training camp. He has played 42 snaps on

defense and special teams over the first two games.

Austin said that although he'll be playing with a heavy heart Sunday, he's focused

on football.

"When I'm on the field, it's hard for me not to think about him," Austin said. "I'm

thinking about him and saying, 'I'm going to (mess) this guy up. Because that's

how my father would be: '(Mess) him up.' And you can quote that."

Austin's father was a postal worker in North Carolina and Austin was his only child.

"Now I'm him. That's how I look at it," Austin said. "And now I've got to do

everything I can do to get my kid the proper opportunity, the proper education and

keep him focused so he can be a good man when he grows up, too."

Rare Super Bowl rematch as Seattle

hosts Denver

By Tim Booth

Associated Press

September 20, 2014

SEATTLE (AP) — In Denver, the offseason was spent with "35" being shouted

through the halls of the Broncos' facility as a constant reminder.

In Seattle, the offseason was spent acknowledging a championship, while

deconstructing the emotional high of last season to refocus on the challenge of

being defending champs.

Different views, different approaches, all the result of a 43-8 blowout more than

seven months ago.

"You don't forget what happened, and also you set the standard by playing against

the Super Bowl (champions)," Denver defensive tackle Terrance Knighton said.

"They've earned the right to talk how they talk and we'll just speak with our pads

and show up on Sunday."

Sunday's rematch between the Broncos (2-0) and Seahawks (1-1) is the first

opportunity for Denver to erase the embarrassment from February. From the first

snap, Super Bowl 48 was forgettable for the guys in orange. The most prolific

offense in NFL history was made pedestrian, bullied for four quarters by the

Seahawks and their swagger.

That night led to changes in Denver. Seventeen new starters on offense, defense

and special teams will be on the field for the Broncos from those who took the field

for the Super Bowl. Von Miller is back. So is Ryan Clady, along with the additions of

Aqib Talib, T.J. Ward, Demarcus Ware and Emmanuel Sanders.

This is an opportunity for the Broncos to see if the changes worked.

"We're looking forward to that challenge. We're not thinking about (the Super

Bowl)," Denver coach John Fox said. "When you looking in that mirror, you're not

looking through the windshield and you wreck. So we're looking through the

windshield."

Meanwhile, Seattle is in a salty mood after melting in the heat of San Diego last

week in a 30-21 loss. The Seahawks took their first loss by more than seven points

since the middle of the 2011 season, a span of 41 straight regular-season games.

"We have to go out there and prove to ourselves we can bounce back from a loss,"

Seattle linebacker K.J. Wright said. "We know how good we are. We're one of the

best defenses in the NFL and we have an opportunity to show it."

Here's what to watch as the previous Super Bowl participants meet in the following

regular season for just the sixth time:

PRESSURE PEYTON: Seattle's front four influenced the Super Bowl despite sacking

Peyton Manning only once. The Seahawks disrupted the timing of the Broncos'

passing game by pressuring Manning and forcing him to move within the pocket.

Denver's protection should be improved with Clady healthy and the resulting

changes on the offensive line. And Seattle's pass rush is still trying to find the right

combination.

"It's very important to disrupt him as much as possible," Seattle's Cliff Avril said.

"It's all about timing and if we can throw it off a little bit it gives us a better chance

of getting after him."

OFF THE EDGE: Seattle QB Russell Wilson has two concerns he didn't have to worry

about in the Super Bowl: Miller and Ware. Miller was out with an injury, while Ware

was a spectator after his season in Dallas ended. Now the duo will be coming off

the edge trying to harass Wilson without letting him scramble — and they'll be

going against an offensive line that was leaky against the Chargers.

WELCOME BACK, WES: The Broncos were supposed to go a couple of more weeks

before getting Wes Welker back in the offense. Welker was reinstated this week

after the NFL agreed to a new performance enhancing drug policy, cutting his

suspension in half.

Welker was slowed in the preseason by a concussion and how he's worked back

into the offense will be watched after Denver relied on many two tight end sets the

first two weeks.

"When he's out we all have to do little bit more to make up for his absence,"

Denver tight end Julius Thomas said. "But now with him there we know we have

one of the best slot receivers in the game back out there doing what he does best."

BOOM OR BUST: Seattle's vaunted secondary knows it has to keep Denver's wide

receivers from taking short passes and turning them into big plays. But equally

concerning is Thomas, especially after last week when San Diego found ways to get

tight end Antonio Gates in favorable matchups. The result: Gates had seven

receptions and caught three touchdown passes.

"They know exactly what they have in (Thomas) and they use the heck out of him

and he's a big force," Seattle coach Pete Carroll said.

HISTORY SAYS: Of the five previous Super Bowl rematches, the team that won the

title won the return meeting three times. That includes Green Bay beating New

England in 1997, a season after knocking off the Patriots in the Super Bowl. And if

Denver is going to even the all-time score, it'll need to solve Seattle's home-field

advantage that's seen the Seahawks win 18 of past 19 home games. Seattle's last

home loss to an AFC team was Week 8 of 2011 to Cincinnati.

NFL Briefs: Sage advice from Pacman

Jones

Associated Press

September 19, 2014

Bengals cornerback Adam Jones, the player formerly known as Pacman, isn't

talking about the issues facing NFL commissioner Roger Goodell except to say that

he disagrees with some things.

Goodell suspended him for the 2007 season and again for six more games. Jones

also sat out the 2009 season when nobody gave him a call before going to work for

Cincinnati.

But Jones has talked with incoming players at the league's rookie symposium. He

says his advice is simple is for rookies: be careful with their choices and decisions

because each is his own corporation.

And when the NFL is taken away, it's gone.

"No one is going to be calling your phone and all that, so enjoy the time now and

make good decisions and get all the money you can while you can get it," Jones

said. "When the checks stop coming in, they stop coming in."

___

SANU CAN FLING IT: Bengals receiver Mohamed Sanu has one of the best arms in

the NFL. And he doesn't even warm up before he shows it off.

Sanu took a pitch from Andy Dalton and completed a 50-yard pass down the

sideline to Brandon Tate during Cincinnati's 24-10 win over the Falcons on Sunday.

That left Sanu 3 for 3 in his career for 148 yards and a touchdown with a perfect

passer rating of 158.8.

Coach Marvin Lewis expects completions out of his receiver.

"Every time he lines up to throw one," Lewis said. "He's got great ability."

Sanu was a quarterback in high school and threw out of wildcat formations at

Rutgers. The Bengals took him in the third round in 2012 in part because of his

versatility. He threw a 73-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Green as a rookie and

completed a 25-yard pass last season.

"You've just got to have that confidence in yourself to be able to make that throw,"

Sanu said. "It's just excitement when you know you get to make a big play for the

offense."

His pass on Sunday was his most impressive. Sanu delivered the ball between two

defenders, hitting Tate right along the sideline.

"It was a perfect throw," Tate said.

And it was unrehearsed. Sanu doesn't throw before the game because he doesn't

want to tip off the opposition.

"He doesn't even warm up!" Dalton said. "You just kind of get it to him and let him

throw."

___

CHALLENGING: Maybe the coaches' challenge system is overrated. It certainly

hasn't been overused this season.

Through two weeks of the schedule, there have been just two challenges — and

both failed.

Green Bay's Mike McCarthy made his 70th career challenge against the New York

Jets in last week's Packers victory. The play was upheld by replay.

Bill O'Brien made his first challenge as an NFL coach in Houston's opener against

Washington and also got it wrong.

According to SportsInteraction.com, which tracks coaches' challenges, Denver's

John Fox has made the most challenges since he became a head coach in Carolina

in 2002, 110. Next is the Giants' Tom Coughlin with 102, followed by New England's

Bill Belichick with 95 and Kansas City's Andy Reid with 89.

Fox has won only 40 of those challenges. Indeed, of those four frequent red-flag

throwers, Reid comes closest to breaking even at 43-46. Coughlin is 49-53 and

Belichick is 39-56.

Baltimore's John Harbaugh has the best success percentage at 47.619, while

Carolina's Ron Rivera has the worst at 25 percent, going 3 for 12.

The small number of challenges thus far in 2014 can be attributed in part to the

extension in recent years of what automatically gets reviewed, including all

turnovers and all scoring plays.

___

TOP HIGH SCHOOL: Saint Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

has 10 players in the league, tops among prep schools as of the opening of the

season.

In all, NFL players attended 1,376 high schools in 48 states and the District of

Columbia, six countries and two U.S. territories (American Samoa and U.S. Virgin

Islands).

The 10 from Saint Thomas Aquinas are Cincinnati's Geno Atkins and Giovani

Bernard; Chicago's Jeremy Cain; Pittsburgh's Marcus Gilbert; Jacksonville's Brandon

Linder; St. Louis' Marcus Roberson; Atlanta's Dezmen Southward; New England's

James White; Tampa Bay's Major Wright; and Jacksonville's Sam Young.

"It was an honor to play for a school with such rich history and tradition," says

Jaguars tackle Young. "We had an incredible coaching staff that took a lot of pride

in preparing their players for the next level and above, and I think that shows in

the program's longstanding success. It was great to be a part of building the

winning culture and I'm sure it will continue on for many years."

California tops the list of states with 213 NFL players, followed by Florida (200) and

Texas (172).

W2W4: Broncos Week 3

By Jeff Legwold

ESPN.com

September 20, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- New day, new year, new team. That has been the theme, all

week, as the Denver Broncos have prepared to face the Seattle Seahawks.

And why not? This game is a rematch in name, but not really in depth charts. When

the Broncos line up on defense Sunday in CenturyLink Field, they will start at least

seven players on defense who did not play in the 35-point Super Bowl loss to the

Seahawks. And defensive tackles Terrance Knighton and Sylvester Williams will be

the only two defensive players still playing in the same spots as they did in that

game.

“The guys who didn’t play in the Super Bowl, were hurt, or weren’t here yet, you’re

always going to hope you would have made a difference,’’ said safety Rahim Moore.

And as the Broncos prepare for a Week 3 trip to Seattle to face the Seahawks (1-

1), it will be the most significant test of the Broncos' hypothesis that this is a better

team “on paper’’ than the one that lost this past February.

Some things to keep an eye on:

Against the Seahawks’ defense, the San Diego Chargers found room to work with a

patient approach in terms of down-and-distance and by getting the ball out of Philip

Rivers’ hand quickly. The Chargers' running backs and tight end Antonio Gates had

16 of the team’s 28 receptions combined in San Diego’s 31-20 win this past

Sunday. Gates had all three of the team’s touchdowns. The Seahawks figure to

adjust some, but the Broncos still have some matchups they can win with tight

ends Julius Thomas and Jacob Tamme to go with running back Montee Ball in the

pattern.

The Seahawks were ruthlessly effective using their “rover’’ defensive back to limit

the Broncos’ success with their bread-and-butter crossing routes in the Super Bowl.

They also disrupted the Broncos’ timing on offense by manhandling the Broncos’

receivers in the 5-yard contact zone, preventing them from getting into their

routes. It’s why the Broncos signed Emmanuel Sanders in the offseason, because of

Sanders’ ability to get into the pattern and the difficulty defensive backs have had

in jamming him in his career. The Broncos haven’t yet shown they can consistently

run the ball this season, so the Broncos need to possess the ball and may have to

lean on a short- and intermediate-passing game to do it. To make that work the

Broncos' receivers have to win the one-on-ones.

Of all the things that happened in the Super Bowl that the Broncos didn’t like -- and

the list was long -- perhaps the one that troubled the team most was their failure to

respond to some bad things that happened early in the game. It went bad and

stayed bad. The Broncos need their marquee players, from quarterback Peyton

Manning on down, to find that line between focused and way too tight. The team,

particularly the offense, was way too tight in the title game.

Left tackle Ryan Clady makes a difference for the Broncos and it should be clear in

this one. Clady allows the Broncos to move the help elsewhere across the offensive

front. The Seahawks sacked Rivers just once this past Sunday. Rivers did run the

ball 11 times to escape pressure, which Manning will not do that often, and Seattle

got to Aaron Rodgers for three sacks in their opener. Clady gives the Broncos

options that they’ll need because the Seahawks figure to press the issue a bit

against right tackle Chris Clark and the Broncos will have to adjust.

Broncos head coach John Fox has consistently said the Broncos were prepared for

what Percy Harvin can do in the Seahawks’ offense and on special teams, but that

“it might not have looked like it.’’ Marshawn Lynch makes the Seahawks' offense

go, but Harvin is the guy the Seahawks use to swing momentum. His plays often

involve misdirection and flow; the backside defenders have to be disciplined and

can't miss tackles for the Broncos.

Broncos defense wants less bend, no

break

By Jeff Legwold

ESPN.com

September 19, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio knows all

about bend-but-don’t-break defense.

It’s just he’s not all that interested in either.

“I’m not looking for any bend," Del Rio said this week. “But at the end of the day,

we want to make plays. It just so happens that we’re giving ourselves a chance and

then coming up with plays to stop people from scoring in key moments. So that’s

the good part: The resiliency, the determination, those are the good things. And we

want to clean it up and not let it get like that. But it’s a constant battle … So like I

said, we’re hard at work. We’re aware of things that need to be better. We’re

working hard to make sure they get better."

When the Broncos take the field Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, the plan

was for the Broncos’ remade defense to have shown itself ready for a Super Bowl

rematch, for the defense to be have shown it can be what both Del Rio and the

players have said they believe it could be, and that’s a top-five unit. And two weeks

into the regular season, the new faces have had plenty of impact and the group has

made a fourth-down, game-clinching play in each of the first two victories, over the

Indianapolis Colts and Kansas City Chiefs.

But the Broncos also find themselves 28th in the league in yards allowed per game

– how the NFL ranks defenses statistically overall – at 394.0 yards allowed per

game and 14th in points allowed per game (20.5). The Broncos are tied for 10th in

sacks (five), tied for ninth in interceptions (two) and have not yet recovered a

fumble.

“I wouldn’t say we’re searching for anything," said Broncos defensive end DeMarcus

Ware. “I always say there is room for improvement. We have all the players here

and we’re playing good enough to win games. But you’ve got to have those shutout

games, those games you want to have on defense -- those big turnover games,

interceptions, getting more pressure on the quarterback, keeping the quarterback

in the pocket and not having those big games."

Against the Seahawks, it means having all of the above. It’s about keeping

quarterback Russell Wilson under duress, limiting his escape routes. It’s about

keeping running back Marshawn Lynch from controlling the tempo with yard after

yard after contact. It’s about, for the Broncos, being far better than they were in

the 35-point loss in Super Bowl XLVIII.

The defense received most of the attention in the offseason with the signings of

Ware, cornerback Aqib Talib and safety T.J. Ward to go with first-round pick Bradley

Roby this past May. But new faces, to go with the Broncos returning from stints on

injured reserve – linebacker Von Miller, safety Rahim Moore, cornerback Chris

Harris Jr. and defensive end Derek Wolfe – means the Broncos are still working to

fit the pieces together.

That can be more difficult on defense, as teams rarely do in any practice what just

might be the most important job on defense -- tackle at game speed. They can

simulate, they can work on form and positioning, but they don’t get to see how

they close the deal until the games get played. From the Seahawks' perspective,

the group in front of them Sunday won't be close to the unit they faced in the

Super Bowl, given at least seven projected starters on defense for the Broncos

Sunday did not play in the Super Bowl and just two of the usual starters on defense

-- defensive tackles Terrance Knighton and Sylvester Williams -- will be playing in

the same spots as they did in the title game.

“We’re a real good unit," Del Rio said. “It’s early in the year. We’ve played well in

spurts. We’ve played well in big moments. We’ve contributed to two wins. But we

feel like there’s a lot of work yet to be done and our guys all understand that. But

we have a good group and we’re working hard."

Said Moore: “We know what we have; we know what we can do. I’m not sure the

last couple weeks we win both those games all the time in the past. We feel like we

want to be on the field with the game on the line, we want that. We can play better

and we will. Every guy in here wants to show what we can do and keep getting the

Ws."

Burley-Welker a key matchup Sunday

By Jeff Legwold

ESPN.com

September 19, 2014

RENTON, Wash. -- One of the most important matchups to watch on Sunday will be

the return of Denver Broncos slot receiver Wes Welker going against Seattle’s

nickel cornerback Marcus Burley, who is playing for the first time against the five-

time Pro Bowler.

Burley was acquired in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts before the season

opener. He’s starting in place of Jeremy Lane, who is on injured reserve with a

groin injury.

"I’m up for the challenge," Burley said of Welker. "He’s a great receiver. He shifty,

quick and has great hands. He’s smart."

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll also believes Burley, a second-year player from

Delaware, is up to the challenge.

"He’s right in the middle of it and he’s done a really good job," Carroll said of

Burley. "He’s a really disciplined and passionate kid about learning his job and

fitting into the defense. He’s been perfect in that regard.

"Now in Week 3 [with Seattle], he’s feeling better about it and we’re learning to

count him. He’s got a very tough matchup with Welker in the slot. He’s a go-to guy,

so [Burley] is going to be checked out. But he’s got great quickness and he's the

kind of guy who can match up with [Welker]. We'll see. Nobody beats Wes Welker

very often."

Marvin Austin: 'Got to honor my dad'

By Jeff Legwold

ESPN.com

September 19, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Denver Broncos defensive tackle Marvin Austin plans to play

Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks to honor his father, Marvin Sr., who died

Friday.

Marvin Austin Sr., 49, had been hospitalized in North Carolina since Sunday night,

when was suffered serious injuries after being ejected from a car during an accident

in Selma, N.C.

"Now his spirit is with me,'' Austin said after Friday's practice. "He's going to help

me get through those hard days where I don't want to get it done and don't want to

do it. That's who I'm going to be talking to inside myself.''

The Broncos had excused Austin from team functions Monday and Wednesday --

Tuesday is the players' day off -- and he practiced with the team Thursday and

Friday.

Austin Sr. was one of four people hospitalized Sunday after the accident.

Marvin Austin will wear "Austin Jr.'' on his jersey for the remainder of the season,

following the team's Week 4 bye.

"I got no reason not to play," Austin said. "I've got to honor my dad. I have his

name and your name is all you've got. I'm his junior and after this game from now

I'll be wearing 'Jr.' suffix on my back.

"When I'm on the field, it's hard for me not to think about him. I'm thinking about

him and saying, 'I'm going to (mess) this guy up. Because that's how my father

would tell me, '(Mess) him up.' And you can quote that.''

Austin, a former second-round pick by the New York Giants who had back surgery

earlier this year, signed a one-year deal with the Broncos and played himself into

the team's defensive line rotation.

He played 17 plays in the opener against Indianapolis and 14 plays last week

against Kansas City.

Wes Welker ready to play

By Jeff Legwold

ESPN.com

September 19, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Denver Broncos wide receiver Wes Welker, who was

reinstated earlier this week, has gone through practices and is in position to play

Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.

Welker, who served two games of his original four-game suspension, practiced fully

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday as the team worked him more and more into

team drills as the week wore on.

Coach John Fox said Welker was probable for Sunday's Super Bowl rematch in

Seattle.

"It's been great," Fox said of Welker's work this week. "He's a veteran guy that

attacks preparation, and he's had a great week.''

Welker was originally suspended four games for violating the league's policy on

performance-enhancing drugs. However, when the league and the NFL Players

Association agreed to a new drug policy this week, it changed the guidelines for

Welker's suspension and he and several other players were reinstated.

The wideout is expected to be in the Broncos' rotation Sunday, but since he's also

still returning from a concussion suffered in the preseason, he may not see the

number of snaps in the game he would have if he had practiced more before the

suspension.

Wednesday was Welker's first appearance on the practice field since Labor Day,

when he was only a limited participant under the guidelines of the league's

concussion protocol.

Welker, who suffered a concussion in the Broncos' Aug. 23 preseason game against

the Houston Texans, said he had been cleared medically within the past week.

"I feel great; I feel sharp,'' Welker said earlier this week.

Broncos healthy for Super Bowl rematch

By Jeff Legwold

ESPN.com

September 19, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – The Denver Broncos won’t have their leading tackler from

last season on Sunday in Seattle, but linebacker Danny Trevathan continues to

make progress and could return following the Week 4 bye.

Trevathan had his most extensive work in practice since he suffered a fracture to

the top of his tibia Aug. 12 in a training camp practice. Trevathan took part in

Friday’s practice on a limited basis -- after taking part in some individual drills on

Thursday.

“He’s made really good progress,’’ said Broncos head coach John Fox. “It was good

to see him out there, he was excited to be out there. We’ll continue to work with

him.’’

The Broncos believe Trevathan could be ready for a full return when the Broncos

are back on the field after next week’s bye. And he could be available for the

team’s Week 5 game against the Arizona Cardinals. Trevathan will travel with the

team to Seattle on Saturday but is not expected to play.

Trevathan was the team’s leading tackler last season and an every-down player on

defense. Though he did not take part in the Broncos' practice Wednesday -- he

stretched with the team -- it was his first appearance on the field in a practice

jersey since the injury.

Also Friday, kicker Brandon McManus took part in a full practice for the second

consecutive day and will kick in Sunday’s game. McManus was limited in

Wednesday’s practice with a groin strain. Linebacker Lerentee McCray (knee) has

not practiced this week and was the only player held out of the team's practice

Friday because of injury.

Prediction: Broncos defeat Seahawks

By Jeff Legwold

ESPN.com

September 19, 2014

There is no question that logic is logic, numbers are numbers. The Seattle

Seahawks are a young, athletic team that already knows it has what it takes to win

a championship because, well, they just won a championship to close out the 2013

season.

They’re 18-1 in the last 19 regular-season home games, they’re coming off a loss

to the San Diego Chargers last Sunday and they haven’t lost two games in a row

since October 2012. Oh, and the last time they faced the Denver Broncos in a game

that counted, they won the right to hoist the big silver trophy by 35 points, and it

could have been more.

But this Broncos team has more speed than the one the Seahawks faced in

February and Denver’s remade defense – at least seven starters on defense Sunday

did not play in the Super Bowl – was remade specifically to play on a stage like this

game and the ones to come in January and February. Or, at least that was the

Broncos’ plan in their efforts to get another crack at the title.

If they play with some we-know-we’re-good-looseness -- and in no way did they

play with that in the Super Bowl -- avoid turnovers and handle the environment at

CenturyLink Field, they have the roster to win this one.

My prediction: Broncos 27, Seahawks 24.

Broncos vs. Seahawks preview

By Terry Blount and Jeff Legwold

ESPN.com

September 19, 2014

Redemption or redo, what will it be?

For the first time in 17 years, the two teams who battled in the Super Bowl will play

each other in the following season. The Denver Broncos, 43-8 losers to the Seattle

Seahawks seven months ago, get a chance to make amends Sunday at CenturyLink

Field.

A victory by the Broncos (2-0) would be a bit of redemption after the humiliating

loss in Super Bowl XLVIII. A win by the Seahawks would show they're still at the

top of the heap and they've regrouped after a surprising 30-21 loss last week at

San Diego.

Broncos reporter Jeff Legwold and Seahawks reporter Terry Blount take a look at

some of the key issues entering the Super Bowl rematch.

Blount: Jeff, the Seahawks defense had some major problems stopping the

Chargers offense last weekend, which, as you know, is very similar to the schemes

the Broncos use. The Seahawks had no answers for San Diego tight end Antonio

Gates. Do you think the Broncos saw some things they can exploit?

Legwold: Terry, there is no explaining away a 35-point Super Bowl loss -- or at

least no explaining that would satisfy the team's faithful. But there has been a

nagging feeling around the team in the weeks and months since the Super Bowl

blowout that if you look at the game video, the Broncos had receivers open, that

they left plays out there they had made for months. So, the Broncos feel like if they

execute, they can find some room to work. In looking at the Seahawks' scheme, my

belief is any team has to stay patient, be content with the short and intermediate

routes and wait for the chance for the big play. That's certainly easier said than

done if the Seahawks get pressure up front. For the Broncos, tight end Julius

Thomas has been a matchup nightmare for defenses thus far with four touchdowns

in two games. The Broncos have been far more efficient out of a two tight end look

early in this season, and, more importantly, more willing to use it. By the time they

reached the Super Bowl, they had worked out of a three-wide receiver set on

offense almost exclusively down the stretch.

Terry, staying with the Broncos offense, do you think the Seahawks look at it any

differently with Emmanuel Sanders at wide receiver, instead of Eric Decker, Montee

Ball at running back and Ryan Clady back at left tackle? Or do you think they see

the same scheme with just different personnel than they faced in Super Bowl

XLVIII?

Blount: I honestly don't think they see it much differently, believing it's still the

same formula overall with Peyton Manning leading the way. One thing the

Seahawks players and coaches say over and over again is they want to force teams

to adjust to what they do, not the other way around. No matter who the Seahawks

are playing, they tend to stick to what they do best on defense, which is aggressive

play in the secondary, ferocious tackling and a relentless pass rush off the edge

from multiple line sets. The goal is to coax the opposing offense into making

mistakes and going all out to force turnovers. No matter who they play or how

renowned that team's personnel, the Seahawks take the attitude of "This is what

we do. Beat us if you can." The Chargers did last week. They dink-and-dunked

them to death. So the Seahawks probably feel if they clean up what happened last

week it should work this week since the Broncos have a similar style.

Jeff, it's only two weeks into it, but how much better can the Denver defense be

this season with the addition of DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib and T.J. Ward?

Legwold: Overall, the group still hasn't quite put together the full four-quarters,

get-it-done effort they believe they can. The defense has made fourth-down plays

in the closing minutes to preserve each of the first two wins, but it has had some

issues on third down -- the Chiefs repeatedly converted in situations of third-and-8

or longer -- that need immediate attention. But those signings in free agency have

already paid dividends. Ware, who was voted a team captain after his arrival in

March, has 1.5 sacks, and Talib and Ware have given the Broncos more of a

physical edge. But maybe more importantly, the two have allowed defensive

coordinator Jack Del Rio to use a bigger variety of looks because of their versatility.

Ward lines up all over the formation, even putting in snaps at weakside linebacker

at times. The Broncos also had five defensive starters on injured reserve for the

Super Bowl. The return of some of those players, such as linebacker Von Miller,

cornerback Chris Harris Jr. and safety Rahim Moore, will give the defense a vastly

different look than what the Seahawks saw in the title game, or even in the

preseason game in August.

Terry, the Seahawks had the inevitable talent drain of a Super Bowl winner after

the free-agency dust settled. How effective do you think they've been to stay true

to their plan and replace the players who departed?

Blount: It's still to be determined how this will turn out. Seattle lost 10 players who

had 58 years of combined experience. They've been replaced, for the most part, by

much younger players and, in many cases, players with a lot more talent. But it's

hard to make up all that experience they lost. So far, it seems to have hurt them

the most on the defensive line in losing defensive ends Chris Clemons and Red

Bryant and defensive tackle Clinton McDonald. Those three players accounted for

11.5 sacks last season. The Seahawks added veteran defensive tackle Kevin

Williams, but his impact has been negligible so far. Rookie Cassius Marsh, who was

expected to make a difference as an edge-rusher, hasn't shown much yet. Depth on

the defensive line was a huge team strength last season because it kept everyone

fresh late in game and into the playoffs. After two games, that same depth isn't

apparent, but it's early.

The Broncos got a tiny bit of revenge in the preseason opener, when they beat the

Seahawks 21-16 in Denver. But is this really the game they've been looking toward

for the past seven months?

Legwold: A regular-season win would not erase a Super Bowl blowout, it just won't.

Deep down, even the Broncos know that. But the item the team has carried around,

what they've had to listen to, is they were "soft" or "intimidated" in the Super Bowl.

The Broncos will admit to mistakes in the game, but they are tired of hearing they

lost because they were too shaken to succeed. That's the part of the narrative

they'd like to do something about, and if they can put together a quality effort

Sunday, that would probably close the book a little for them on the whole thing, at

least until the playoffs start. In the end, though, they know they can't make a Week

3 game of the new season be everything, either. There's plenty of work for them to

do moving forward, win or lose Sunday, to get them back for another shot at the

trophy.

Terry, in the end, an awful lot of people around the league believe if these two

teams get their respective acts together and keep them together, it could be a

repeat Super Bowl. From the Seahawks' perspective, how have they handled the

title aftermath, and do they see what happened in San Diego as just a bad outing

or something that might need a little more attention?

Blount: That's always the key question: Will all the fame and accolades change

you? Richard Sherman has become a national celebrity who transcends football.

Russell Wilson seems to appear on every other TV commercial here in Seattle.

Sherman, Earl Thomas and Michael Bennett all received big-money deals in the

offseason. But through the offseason, organized team activities and training camp,

I didn't see the slightest indication this team had become complacent. If anything,

it seemed more driven to prove it could return to the Super Bowl and win it again,

breaking the trend of teams not getting it done the following season. However, they

fell off the horse a little last week. It wasn't that they lost, but how they reacted to

the loss. They said and did some things that were uncharacteristic, but they were

clearly stunned about getting beat. How they react to it this week will say a lot

about where they're headed.

Week 3: Can games offer a reprieve?

By John Clayton

ESPN.com

September 19, 2014

Commissioner Roger Goodell kept a low profile in what was yet another week of

NFL distractions.

The week featured Vikings halfback Adrian Peterson and Panthers defensive end

Greg Hardy going on the NFL's exempt list. Cardinals halfback Jonathan Dwyer

went from possible fill-in starter to the reserve/non-football injury list because of a

domestic violence charge.

Sponsors around the league sounded off about the off-field distractions. Goodell

and the NFL need a good weekend of competitive football to pull the sport out of

the negative headlines. Some of these matchups might help.

Here are the trends for Week 3.

1. Super Bowl rematch: Only seven times in NFL history have teams squared off

during the season after meeting in the Super Bowl. Still, the Broncos and Seahawks

are starting to feel as though they are division rivals. Because they met in the

preseason, this will be the third time they have played each other in the past eight

games.

Aside from playing at home, the Seahawks have an advantage seeing Peyton

Manning this often. In most nondivision games dating to his Indianapolis days,

Manning has a huge advantage against a defense. Three practices during a week

aren't enough to get a feel for what he does with his cadence and throws. Not only

did the Seahawks have two weeks to prepare for him at the Super Bowl, but the

Seahawks' defense will have a feel for what types of throws he might make in

certain parts of the game.

The Seahawks blew out the Broncos 43-8 in Super Bowl XLVIII, something that has

been gnawing at the Broncos since February. Expect this one to be more

competitive than the Super Bowl.

2. Sorting out the NFC North: The Green Bay Packers are off to a bit of a strange

start. They were blown out by the Seahawks in the opener and then needed an ill-

advised Marty Mornhinweg timeout to wipe out a Jets touchdown pass in a 31-24

victory last week.

Over the next two weeks, the Packers can find out for sure if they are the team to

beat in the NFC North. Sunday's game at Detroit is huge. The Lions are loaded on

offense and are playing with more confidence and accountability under new coach

Jim Caldwell. In Week 4, the Packers play at Chicago before hosting the Minnesota

Vikings in Week 5.

So far, it's hard to judge the improvements in Dom Capers' defense. The Packers

rank 19th in yards allowed at 355 yards a game. The bigger concern: the 24 points

a game they're allowing. The Carolina Panthers shut down the Lions' offense last

week. It's hard to imagine the Vikings making a playoff run without Peterson, so

the NFC North is a three-way race. The Packers have the edge, the Lions could be a

surprise, and the Bears will be as good as their defense allows.

3. Which 2-0 teams have staying power? After two weeks, only seven teams remain

unbeaten. It's no surprise for three of them. The Denver Broncos, Cincinnati

Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles are playoff teams from last year and are loaded.

The 2-0 start by Carolina is a tribute to its defense and quarterback Cam Newton.

Despite losing the entire receiving corps from last year and losing left tackle Jordan

Gross to retirement, the Panthers have exceeded expectations.

That leaves us with the unbeaten Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans and Arizona

Cardinals. The Texans' start might seem stunning, but not if you look closely at

their schedule. They opened at home against Washington and a struggling Robert

Griffin III and then blew out a bad Jacksonville team. This week, they face a New

York Giants team that is low on talent and struggling to learn a new West Coast

offense. With games ahead against Buffalo and Dallas, it's not out of the question

for the Texans to be 5-0 or 4-1 despite having Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback.

Arizona's challenge is hosting the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday with last year's

starting inside linebackers, Daryl Washington and Karlos Dansby, no longer on the

team. That's a big void in the middle of the field, especially when 49ers quarterback

Colin Kaepernick decides to run. Another problem is at quarterback. Carson Palmer

has a nerve problem in his right shoulder and might not play, leaving Drew Stanton

as the starter.

Another interesting game is San Diego's visit to the Bills. The Bills beat the Miami

Dolphins last week because they match up well against them. The Chargers are

talented, but it's always hard for a West Coast team to play an East Coast 1 p.m.

start.

4. Turning an 0-2 start into a crisis: You see the stats every year. Teams can

recover from 0-2 starts and still make the playoffs. Since 1990, it's happened 23

times. Last year, the Carolina Panthers recovered from 0-2 to go 12-4 and win the

NFC South. But only three teams since 1990 have recovered from 0-3 starts to

make the playoffs, and they all made it as wild cards.

The best hope of the five winless teams heading into the weekend belongs to the

Indianapolis Colts. They play the winless Jaguars, who might suffer another double-

digit loss. Dennis Allen is on the coaching hot seat for the Oakland Raiders, and

things look bad this weekend. The Raiders visit the New England Patriots. It's

survival Sunday for the New York Giants, who host Houston.

The fact that Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles is practicing despite a high ankle sprain

shows the importance of the Chiefs' visit to Miami on Sunday. They are 0-2 and

have four starters on injured reserve and one on the suspended list. It's

desperation time for the Chiefs.

5. Jackson returns to Philadelphia: Chip Kelly's release of DeSean Jackson was one

of the strangest moves of the offseason. Clearly, Jackson's volatile personality

rubbed Kelly the wrong way. Even though Jackson was coming off his best

statistical season (82 catches for 1,332 yards and nine touchdowns), Kelly cut him.

The Redskins wasted no time signing him. Owner Dan Snyder thought Jackson

might be the one addition that would put the Redskins above the Eagles and atop

the NFC East. So far, that hasn't been the case. Jackson has nine catches for 81

yards in two games, and the Skins are 1-1. RG III is out indefinitely with an ankle

injury. Can Jackson help Kirk Cousins pull off an emotional upset? It might be

tough.

Broncos' offense out to prove toughness

vs. Seahawks

By Lindsay H. Jones

USA TODAY Sports

September 19, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – If you really want to irk an NFL player, question his

toughness.

Say a guy is old, or slow, or tell him he needs to tackle better, and he might glare

at you. But tell a player he's soft? There is no worse insult in football.

So imagine what it's been like in Denver, where for more than seven months, the

Broncos faced questions about their toughness after their 43-8 loss to the Seattle

Seahawks. From the offensive line to the skill position players, especially the wide

receivers, Denver's offense got pushed around from the opening snap of the Super

Bowl.

Denver's finesse offense, the one that shattered NFL records for 16 weeks of the

regular season, was hapless against Seattle's bullying style of defense. It started

with Seattle safety's punishing hit on Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas and

carried through a game in which the NFL's highest-scoring offense scored its fewest

points during the Peyton Manning era in Denver.

Thomas has heard about that hit too many times to count since February, and said

it didn't bother him -- he wound up with a Super Bowl-record 13 catches for 118

yards and a touchdown. Still, that hit was a tone-setter, and one of the lasting

images from that February game.

"All I can say is give them their props and try to come back this Sunday and do

better," Thomas said.

Indeed, the Broncos understand that the challenge from Seattle's defense will be

the same on Sunday when they head to CenturyLink Field for a Super Bowl

rematch, and they understand they can only change their reputation by standing up

to the NFL's nastiest defense.

"They're a very physical team and we're definitely going to have our hands full as

far as that goes, and making sure we're not backing down," Broncos receiver Wes

Welker said.

Isn't that the old-school way to beat a bully? Hit him before he hits you?

Broncos players said this week they have to set a tone Sunday in Seattle that they

will be the aggressors. Too often in the Super Bowl, the Broncos were retreating,

blown backward by Seattle's ferocious pass rush, or knocked off their routes by the

Seahawks' aggressive defensive backs.

"That's our mindset every game. But we understand what sort of defense we're

facing, a very physical defense, so we need to bring a little bit more," running back

Montee Ball told USA TODAY Sports on Friday. "That's definitely our mentality going

into this game, and we plan to execute it."

One group in particular seems to have taken the Super Bowl blowout to heart more

than any others: the offensive line.

Denver's line is notoriously tight lipped, even more so this week on the eve of such

an important game. But Ball and other Broncos said they've noticed a major change

in attitude from the Broncos offensive line in recent months. The group has been

reshuffled since February, with the return of left tackle Ryan Clady, who missed all

but two games last year with a foot injury, and with former right tackle Orlando

Franklin moving to left guard. Chris Clark moves from left tackle to right tackle.

"Those guys, they didn't like how we played. We feel like we lost up front, and

that's how we lost the game. The o-line has really taken it upon themselves to

bring it this game," Denver cornerback Chris Harris told USA TODAY Sports. "It

starts with d-line and o-line. If they bring their a-games ready to play, we should

follow that."

Broncos players think they have showed they are a tougher group in their first two

wins against Indianapolis and Kansas City – in both games jumping out to a big

lead and needing to hold on late.

Still, the rest of the NFL won't really believe it until they do it against the

Seahawks.

"When you're going up against a playoff team three weeks in a row, you've got to

keep on making a statement to everybody else in the league about what type of

team we're going to be this year," said tight end Julius Thomas.

Broncos' Wes Welker to make 2014

debut against Seahawks

By Lindsay H. Jones

USA TODAY Sports

September 19, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Denver Broncos receiver Wes Welker will make his debut

Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, four days after his suspension was lifted by

the NFL.

Welker was not listed on the team's final injury report released Friday afternoon,

and the team is considering him as probable. Welker cleared the NFL's concussion

protocol while serving a two-game suspension earlier this month, and had no

limitations in practice this week.

The Broncos did want to wait until after Welker had gone through three whole

practices to judge his readiness to return to game action. Welker did not go through

a full practice between Aug. 20 and Sept. 16. He suffered a concussion, his third in

10 months, on Aug. 23.

The other notable name on the Broncos' injury report for their Super Bowl rematch

against Seattle is linebacker Danny Trevathan, who was cleared for limited work in

practice this week after suffering a fracture in his knee last month. Trevathan will

travel with the team and is officially listed as questionable, though it seems like a

longshot that he will play.

The more likely scenario for Trevathan is that he returns to his starting job as the

Broncos' weakside linebacker for Denver's Week 5 game against Arizona after the

bye week.

Armour: Roger Goodell emerges with a

big thud

By Nancy Armour

USA TODAY Sports

September 19, 2014

Roger Goodell would have been better off staying in hiding.

In his first news conference since that horrifying Ray Rice video sent the NFL into a

downward spiral, Goodell did little Friday afternoon to assure to anyone that he and

the league are any closer to getting a handle on preventing domestic violence. He

apologized – a lot – and talked about making changes to the NFL's conduct policy.

But exactly what are the changes? He'll have to get back to you. Hopefully by the

Super Bowl.

"We want to get to work immediately," Goodell said.

And here I thought that's what he'd been doing for the last week and a half.

Goodell has appointed a panel of female advisers, several of whom are experts in

domestic violence and sexual assault. The NFL also announced Friday morning that

it will partner with the National Sexual Violence Resource Center and the National

Domestic Violence Hotline, which saw an 84 percent spike in phone calls last week

and didn't have enough staff to handle them.

That's all well and good, and are important steps. But what's been most infuriating

over these past few weeks is the NFL's woeful inconsistency in its handling of

domestic violence cases, to say nothing of its utter unpreparedness in what is

clearly the worst crisis the league has faced in decades.

Sadly, Friday's news conference was just more of the same.

If Goodell said it once, he said it dozen times _ the NFL plans to consult experts

and work with the NFLPA to come up with a cohesive policy. But why wasn't that

already done? He's had more than two weeks since he announced tougher

punishments for domestic violence – when he first promised to get it right – and

more than 10 days since that sickening tape first aired.

What, exactly, does he have to show for it?

The next time a player is arrested for domestic violence or sexual assault, the NFL

still won't know what to do. Deactivate him? Cut him? Let him play?

"There will be changes to our personal conduct policy. I know this because we will

make it happen," Goodell said. "Nothing is off the table. Let me say it again: We

will implement new conduct policies. They will have a set of clear and transparent

rules for league personnel."

Glad he cleared that up.

Domestic violence and sexual assault are difficult issues to address, no doubt. But

this is why Goodell is paid so handsomely -- $44.2 million in 2012 alone, according

to the last tax form available for the NFL. To come up with answers, not push the

problem off for months and pray nothing else bad happens in the meantime.

Goodell has never been shy about throwing his power around – Bountygate,

anyone? Yet the one time the NFL is most in need of strong leadership, he was flat

and uninspired.

Compare his performance Friday with that of NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who

needed all of three days to find a way to rid the league of Donald Sterling following

toxic, racist comments, and delivered his decision with the passion and outrage the

situation deserved.

Of course, Silver had the cooperation of his players union. The misdeeds of Rice,

Adrian Peterson, Greg Hardy and Ray McDonald have tarnished all players, most of

whom are good, decent men, yet the only contribution the NFLPA seems to have

made in this process is to cry about the unfairness of Rice's suspension.

Please.

If the NFL is as serious about combating domestic violence and sexual assault as

Goodell professes it to be, he and NFLPA chief DeMaurice Smith should have

hunkered down in an office with law-enforcement officials and advocates long ago

and not come out until they had an actual plan.

Here's one idea: If a player is arrested, he's automatically deactivated for the next

game and put on the next flight to New York to meet with Goodell and Smith. They

decide, together, the course of action -- with the understanding that, if they find

out through the legal process that the player has lied, it's an automatic lifetime

ban.

Better yet, use the concussion protocol as an example and let one of those outside

experts review the facts and make the decision on how long a player should be

sidelined while the legal process plays out.

But no. Goodell and the NFL would rather talk about doing something instead of

actually doing it.

After an ugly few weeks for the NFL, Goodell had a chance to bring some clarity. All

he did was show the league still hasn't got a clue.

Roger Goodell pledges more

transparency, new measures

By Lorenzo Reyes

USA TODAY Sports

September 19, 2014

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell spoke publicly for the first time since the league

started to revamp its domestic violence policy in wake of its handling of recent

incidents.

Here are the talking points from his New York City press conference below:

(3:59 p.m.)Goodell said the NFL has had "people of color" working on domestic

violence policy, when asked if there was a lack of diversity on the NFL staff. "We

understand the need for diversity. It's important for us."

(3:58 p.m.)Goodell was asked about Greg Hardy playing, despite a guilty

conviction, and he said based on the legal system, the guilty conviction is wiped out

on appeal.

(3:57 p.m.)Goodell asked about regrets in having Ray Rice and Janay Palmer in the

same room when he interviewed them: "We learned from domestic violence experts

that we shouldn't have them in the same room, or give them the chance to speak

separately."

(3:56 p.m.) TMZ said they received the tape with one phone call.

(3:55 p.m.) Goodell was asked on why he didn't go to the casino to get the Ray

Rice video: "How should we investigate these issues. In the past, we have been

completely reliant on law enforcement." He said the NFL needs to evaluate the way

it gathers information.

(3:54 p.m.) Goodell was asked about conflicts of interest with the firm conducting

the investigation into the league about the Ray Rice tape: "Yes that firm has

represented us in the past, but has also been on litigation on the other side against

the NFL." He also praised Robert Muller's integrity, but said Muller has "full access"

to the NFL in conducting the investigation.

(3:50 p.m.) Goodell asked about two game suspension and whether any women

were advising him: "We didn't have the right voices at the table. We need to get

better expertise."

(3:49 p.m.) Goodell asked about personnel changes: "We are making personnel

changes. … We have more to come."

(3:48 p.m.) Goodell said he has never been personally involved in an abuse

situation.

(3:47 p.m.)Goodell said the NFL needs to reach out for experts in the area in order

for the league to improve on its personal conduct policy. "I expect I will have the

committee in place by the Super Bowl."

(3:46 p.m.) Goodell asked about Procter and Gambel pulling their sponsorship, and

said he understood why some companies have been pulling their support but vowed

that he would fix the issues to gain the trust of the companies back.

(3:45 p.m.) Goodell asked about corporate sponsors wavering: "We need to do

better."

(3:44 p.m.) Goodell added that despite mistakes, he believes that he has the

support of the owners when asked if he has the support of all 32.

(3:43 p.m.) Goodell asked if he believes no one in the NFL office had seen the Ray

Rice video before TMZ posted it: "Yes."

(3:42 p.m.) Goodell on why domestic violence crimes weren't treated as harshly as

others: "We should've had our personal conduct policy reviewed more frequently."

Said the league needs to constantly rework and change the personal conduct policy,

"The policy was not up to our standards."

(3:39 p.m.) Goodell was asked about the AP report that the tape was sent to the

office: "That's exactly why we hired Robert Muller."

(3:38 p.m.) Goodell asked about the two groups the NFL will partner with: "This is

something that became a need, based on what our experts were telling us was

happening in the community." Added that the league wants to be able to provide

resources to players, league personnel in need.

(3:36 p.m.) Goodell was asked about Ray Rice's version of the incident in the

elevator: "We got new information from the first time we met with him, to my initial

discipline … but it was inconsistent with the way he described it." He said because

Rice is appealing the suspension, he cannot comment on what Rice told him.

(3:35 p.m.) Goodell was asked about inconsistencies in discipline: "We need to

change our policies and our procedures and we need to get help in order to identify

how to do that." He cited state laws and procedures as factors the league could use

to change policy.

(3:34 p.m.) Goodell was asked if he has ever considered resigning: "I have not, I

have focused on doing my job to the best of my abilities. … We have acknowledged

we have to change what we're doing. We need to figure out what those changes

have to be."

(3:34 p.m.) Goodell was asked on why he thinks he shouldn't resign: "I

acknowledged my mistake. On August 28, I said: 'We didn't get this right.' " He

added that the league now needs to make changes that will be "beneficial in the

long term. … We better get our house in order first."

(3:33 p.m.) Goodell asked about what his message would be to parents with Adrian

Peterson jerseys: "We're like a microcosm of society."

(3:32 p.m.) Goodell said the league would consider other methods outside of law

enforcement to obtain security footage.

(3:31 p.m.) Goodell was asked about the process of gathering the Ray Rice video:

He said the league went through law enforcement to try to attain the video. "We

asked for it on several occasions."

(3:30 p.m.) Goodell was asked if he thought he had too much power, and whether

he'd consider delegating some of that power elsewhere: "Everything is on the

table."

(3:29 p.m.) Goodell was asked about his opinion on how the domestic violence

cases were handled: "I'm not satisfied with how we handled it from the get go. … I

let myself down. I let everybody else down."

(3:28 p.m.) Goodell was asked about his opinion on how the domestic violence

cases were handled: "I'm not satisfied with how we handled it from the get go. … I

let myself down. I let everybody else down."

Highlights of Goodell's opening statement

(3:26 p.m.) Goodell says he is establishing a "conduct committee" to insure the

new rules will be implemented and enforced in the future.

(3:25 p.m.) "We will implement new conduct policies," Goodell said. "...My goal is

to complete this by the Super Bowl."

(3:23 p.m.) Goodell says the league will bring outside experts to help educate

players, coaches and team administrators on domestic violence in an attempt to

install new standards of personnel conduct. He added that he reached out to NFL

Players' Association executive director DeMaurice Smith to help implement this

task.

(3:21 p.m.) Goodell says the NFL cannot solve all the issues surrounding domestic

violence cases on their own. Goodell announced the league has partnered with

National Domestic Violence Hotline and the National Sexuall Violence Resource

Center to help shape the league's domestic violence policy.

(3:19 p.m.)Goodell says everyone in the NFL's staff will participate in training

sessions "developed by a top group of experts."

(3:17 p.m.) Goodell's opens the press conference with a statement in which he

takes blame for handling of several domestic violence cases.

Goodell: "I got it wrong on a number of levels, from the process I led to the

decisions that I reached. But now I will get it right."

(3:16 p.m.) Press conference has started.

(3:11 p.m.) Waiting for the press conference scheduled for 3 p.m. ET. Apparently

there is some sort of delay.

Background

Goodell and the NFL have faced scathing criticism for two week for the league's

response to the domestic violence cases including former Baltimore Ravens running

back Ray Rice, Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy, San Francisco 49ers

defensive lineman Ray McDonald and the child abuse case of Minnesota Vikings star

running back Adrian Peterson.

Various corporate sponsors have also criticized the league's handling of those issues

through various statements – most notably beer giant Anheuser-Busch --

prompting serious concern for the NFL to address and reform its commitment to

domestic violence and other serious offenses.

In light of the Vikings' decision to reinstate Peterson Monday, Radisson Hotels

suspended its partnership with the Vikings, who then reversed their decision and

deactivated Peterson through the Exempt/Commissioner's Permission List, keeping

him away from the team facility indefinitely while the legal process concludes.

The Panthers also used the rarely-exercised exemption on Hardy, who awaits a jury

trial in a superior court after a judge found him guilty of two counts of domestic

violence.

Reacting to the public outcry from the various cases, the NFL hired four women to

help shape the league's domestic violence policies moving forward.

The NFL's first test comes soon. Arizona Cardinals running back Jonathan Dwyer

was arrested Wednesday on aggravated assault charges in an incident at his home

involving a woman and their child.'

White House: NFL needs 'to get a handle

on' domestic violence issues

By Will Brinson

CBSSports.com

September 19, 2014

For someone in the NFL to get noticed by the White House, they either need to do

something really good or something really bad. It's the latter for the league office

Friday, with the White House issuing a stern edict over the recent domestic violence

problems surrounding football.

Specifically, a White House official said, via our colleagues at CBS News, the league

needs to "get a handle on" its issues with domestic violence.

"The NFL has an obligation not only to their fans but to the American people to

properly discipline anyone involved in domestic violence or child abuse and more

broadly, gain control of the situation," a White House official said.

"Many of these professional athletes are marketed as role models to young people

and so their behavior does have the potential to influence these young people, and

it's one of the many reasons it's important that the league get a handle on this and

have a zero tolerance."

The White House is in the process of launching a new campaign ("It's On Us")

geared towards "fundamentally shift[ing] the way we think about sexual assault, by

inspiring everyone to see it as their responsibility to do something, big or small, to

prevent it."

It's been a tumultuous few weeks for the NFL, beginning Monday after the first

week of the NFL season, when graphic video showing Ray Rice punching his wife in

an elevator was released to the public.

Outcry followed and more outcry followed that, with the Ravens releasing Rice and

the NFL suspending the running back indefinitely. (The suspension is on appeal.)

Attention was then turned toward Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy, now on the

commissioner's exempt list, going through the legal process in a domestic violence

incident of his own. (A judge found him guilty during a bench trial; Hardy appealed

the ruling and awaits a jury trial.)

Meanwhile, just five days after the Rice video was released, superstar running back

Adrian Peterson was indicted on child abuse charges and turned himself into

authorities. He's also on the commish exempt list until his legal issues are cleared

up. The Vikings deactivated Peterson for Week 2 but reinstated him after losing

badly to the Patriots before flip flopping again when the public was outraged.

And earlier this week, Cardinals running back Jonathan Dwyer was arrested on

domestic violence charges after allegedly head-butting his wife for refusing his

sexual advances. He also threw a shoe at his young son. Arizona immediately

deactivated the running back.

Maybe the only surprise is the White House didn't say something sooner.

Total recall: Peyton Manning's long

memory includes some surprising

revelations

By Dan Wetzel

YAHOO! Sports

September 19, 2014

Twenty years ago this week, Peyton Manning’s Tennessee Volunteers took on rival

Florida and wound up on the wrong side of a 31-0 beatdown. Manning was just a

highly touted freshman back in 1994 and just one of three UT QBs who could do

nothing that day.

It was the first frustrating, lopsided defeat of Manning’s career on the national

stage, something that tends to happen when you’ve been playing in big, attention-

grabbing games for going on two decades.

It was also the first time Manning was challenged with the riddle of coming back the

following season and beating a rival that had his number, a circumstance that

continues this week in a rare Super Bowl rematch with Manning trying to reverse

what the Seattle Seahawks did to him in February.

Manning never did solve Steve Spurrier’s Gators, going 0-4 – although UF’s ability

to score an average of 40.3 points in those games was a major reason.

Later, as a professional, Manning bounced back from all sorts of humbling defeats,

most notably an early string to Bill Belichick’s Patriots. It’s evened out of late,

including Manning and the Broncos decisively defeating New England in last

season’s AFC title game.

Two weeks later though came that avalanche loss to Seattle, 43-8. Manning was

sacked once, picked twice and could do little to stem the onslaught. The Seattle

defensive front was too good, its secondary too quick and organized and its game

plan too smart.

Now comes another chance, familiar if not always successful ground for Manning.

“Naturally you’re motivated anytime you play a team that beat you last year,”

Manning said this week. “Being motivated or being mad doesn’t mean anything if

you don’t go out there and execute and do your job.” Football is a team game, and

even if quarterback is the most important position, there are limits to its influence.

There’s a reason Denver has started 10 players already this season who weren’t on

the roster in the Super Bowl. That, most notably, includes an expected seven new

defensive starters for Sunday’s clash in Seattle.

“We have different players,” Manning noted, including wide receiver Emmanuel

Sanders, who has 14 catches for 185 yards in the first two weeks.

Manning is considered one of the – if not “the” – greatest quarterbacks to ever play

the game though. He’s certainly widely hailed as the most cerebral. His constant

play-calling at the line makes him the de facto offensive coordinator.

When it goes like it did in February, the sting is more than just physical … it’s a

whack to Manning’s pride.

Peyton is 38 years old and been doing this a long, long time. He’s beyond getting

too high or too low for any one game, which was a criticism of him in college and in

the early part of his NFL career. To think the Seahawks are in his head (the way

Spurrier and Belichick may have been) seems unlikely (at least yet).

Part of the challenge about the rematch is that it takes a great team to win so big

against Manning in the first place. It’s not like many other people were beating up

on those old Florida and New England teams. So, Peyton talks about the basics.

“You have to find a way to protect the ball, score some touchdowns in the red zone

and avoid third and long,” he said.

That doesn’t mean anyone thinks he's just walking into CenturyLink Field like it’s

any old Sunday.

Losses like that grind. Manning remembers everything about football, or at least

everything involving him. He has 497 career regular-season touchdown passes and

should soon join Brett Favre as the only players to surpass 500.

That’s a lot of catches, and it’s one thing for Manning to think back and recall some

of, say, the 112 he threw to old Colts teammate Marvin Harrison. It’s another to

recall some of the obscure scores and short-time teammates who reeled in just

one.

Yet there Manning was this week, fielding the challenge from the media. How about

Trevor Insley, a tight end who played 11 career games in 2001 and caught one TD

in a Week 13 victory over Atlanta for a forgettable 6-10 Colts team?

“Caught it up the left sideline against Atlanta on a fake screen pass,” Manning said.

How about Gijon Robinson, another tight end with one career touchdown reception?

“Gijon Robinson caught a goal line naked against New England in New England,”

Manning said of the 2010 Colts season. “Fake bootleg left, rolled right … wide open

because no one thought we were going to be throwing to Gijon Robinson.”

Manning laughed at the ridiculousness of recalling it all.

“That’s pretty disturbing, isn’t it?” he said.

Actually, it’s just Manning. And it’s why he’s won so many games, why he’s been

playing big ones for so long and why, it seems, the public focuses on those losses.

He can’t just move on. It’s a battle of wits and another shot at redemption.

Manning has always been about the memories.

Sunday in Seattle is just the latest.

Rematch of the Mismatch

By Peter King

MMQB/SI.com

September 19, 2014

How did the Broncos respond to the 35-point Super Bowl loss to the Seahawks? By

changing two-thirds of their regular lineup. The proof of the makeover is stunning,

especially with 10 of 12 changes to the defensive regulars. Heading into Super Bowl

rematch at Seattle on Sunday, Denver is a transformed team.

Yes, a big football game will be squeezed into the NFL off-field drama this weekend:

Denver (2-0) at Seattle (surprisingly 1-1), in what is the first Super Bowl rematch

played in the NFL in 17 years. (True fact: The last rematch of a Super Bowl the

following year was Green Bay-New England in 1997, a few months after Super Bowl

XXXI.) This game will be the acid test of whether team architect John Elway, which

still sounds funny to say, has done enough to narrow the gap between Denver and

Seattle. Actually, it wasn’t a gap in last February’s 43-8 Seahawks victory. It was

the Grand Canyon.

“Anytime you get beat like we got beat,” Elway said this week from Denver,

“obviously the credit goes to Seattle. We could never slow down that tidal wave.

But the one thing I get more excited about now as a GM than I did when I was a

player after a game like that—and I had a few of those losses when I played,

obviously—is this: Now, I can really affect our team the next season. As a GM, I

knew I had four months to figure out how we could get better on paper. Then it’s

up to the coaches and players to make it work. When I looked at that game, I knew

we had to be better on defense. If we ran into a juggernaut, we had to be able to

play good enough defense to win a game where our offense is being limited.’’

Elway said he focused on three things as the sting of the Super Bowl began to wear

off:

Get a pass-rusher, most likely in free agency because the Broncos would be

pick 31st in the draft, and there’d never be a sure-fire pass-rusher available

late in the first round.

Get tougher on defense—and especially more physical in the secondary.

Make the team less offensive-centric, which obviously refers to 1 and 2.

Denver’s defense had zero sacks, zero interceptions and zero forced fumbles in the

Super Bowl, and allowed Russell Wilson a 123.1 quarterback rating. In free agency,

Elway bought one of the most physical corners, Aqib Talib, and one of the hardest-

hitting safeties, T.J. Ward. He gambled that DeMarcus Ware—who, at 32, was a

risky buy coming off an injury-plagued 2013 in Dallas—wasn’t done but rather was

never right last year because of a persistent elbow injury that never healed all

season.

And Elway got lucky with one change he never planned. When the Broncos’ leading

tackler last season, Danny Travathan, suffered a fracture tibia Aug. 12, Denver

needed a replacement for the sideline-to-sideline producer. Defensive coordinator

Jack Del Rio plugged in Brandon Marshall—no, not that Brandon Marshall—and he’s

been a similar tackling machine through two weeks. Denver got Marshall off

Jacksonville’s practice squad last year. “We tried to get him as a college free agent

[out of Nevada] a couple of years ago,” Elway said. “Not a blazer, but a very

instinctive player.” Add first-round pick Bradley Roby, the corner from Ohio State,

and you can see that the surgery Elway did in the off-season has been thorough.

Roby made a terrific game-ensuring pass-breakup from Andrew Luck to Reggie

Wayne to cap the week-one win over Indianapolis. Roby’s 126 snaps, fifth-most on

the team, is surprising for a rookie to start the season, and his 13 tackles lead the

secondary.

In all, here’s how much the Denver team has changed from the Super Bowl unit,

with lineup changes in bold:

SUPER BOWL 48 WEEK 3 AT SEATTLE

OFFENSE

Demaryius Thomas WR Demaryius Thomas

Chris Clark LT Ryan Clady

Zane Beadles LG Orlando Franklin

Manny Ramirez C Manny Ramirez

Louis Vasquez RG Louis Vasquez

Orlando Franklin RT Chris Clark

Julius Thomas TE Julius Thomas

Wes Welker WR Wes Welker

Eric Decker WR Emmanuel Sanders

Peyton Manning QB Peyton Manning

Knowshon Moreno RB Montee Ball

DEFENSE

Malik Jackson LE Derek Wolfe

Sylvester Williams DT Sylvester Williams

Terrance Knighton DT Terrance Knighton

Shaun Phillips DE DeMarcus Ware

Nate Irving OLB Von Miller

Paris Lenon MLB Nate Irving

Danny Travathan OLB Brandon Marshall

Champ Bailey CB Aqib Talib

D. Rodgers-Cromartie CB Chris Harris

Mike Adams FS Rahim Moore

Duke Ihenacho SS T.J. Ward

SPECIAL TEAMS

Matt Prater K Brandon McManus

Britton Colquitt P Britton Colquitt

Eric Decker PR Isaiah Burse

Trindon Holliday KR Andre Caldwell

Total starting lineup changes: Offense 5 of 11, Defense 9 of 11. Total—14 of 22.

But three of the starters (Franklin, Clark and Irving) started last year at different

positions. If you count the special-teams changes, and the change at nickel back for

Denver, where rookie Bradley Roby has been the man in the slot, 18 of the prime

27 positions, exactly two-thirds of the lineup, have turned over.

On defense, particularly, the change has been huge—10 of the prime 12 players.

Thought the unit, arguably, is tougher, it hasn’t shown up in the numbers yet. The

Broncos are allowing 38 yards more per game on defense than their average

surrendered per game last year. But they are allowing four points per game less.

It’s too early to draw conclusions, but it’s a nastier unit just from watching them

play.

“When you talk about toughness on defense,” Elway said, “I’m not just talking

physically. It’s a mental thing too. Will you play a little hurt? Will you have the

attitude where you’ll never give in? Will you be there to make the plays other guys

won’t on fourth down. Talib’s a guy who comes up and tackles as well as any corner

in the league. Ward plays like a linebacker. We needed that.”

Two other points about Sunday’s game:

The weather. Would you believe a forecasted game-time temperature of 84

degrees, with bright sun and zero chance of rain? “As a [college] player, I was

always worried about the weather up there,” said Elway, the Stanford alum, “but

we’re gonna get great weather up there this week. So that won’t be a factor.”

Seattle coming off a loss. Pete Carroll has definitely had his team’s attention in

practice this week, coming off the 30-21 loss to San Diego. It probably doesn’t

matter much, but playing at home and coming off a loss—neither is good for

Denver.

“I think we’re ready for a game like this,” said Elway. “But this will answer a lot of

questions about where we are. We’re going into the most hostile situation in the

NFL. We’ve got the ability to win this game, if we play like we’re capable of. These

are the kind of games we have to win to be world champions.”

ABOUT LAST NIGHT …

Atlanta 56, Tampa Bay 14. Would you believe it should have been worse? “I don’t

think I’ve ever watched a game where receivers were as open all over the field,”

Phil Simms said on CBS as the game wound down. The three touchdown passes

from Matt Ryan illustrated that. The throws to Harry Douglas, Julio Jones and Jones

again had one thing in common: Each receiver was wide open. So the monumental

problem with the Bucs is the defense, particularly the pass defense. Ryan had the

best passing day in Falcons history Thursday night (21 of 24), and now, through

three games, the Bucs have allowed an astounding 77 percent completions to

opposing quarterbacks, and a 117.2 rating. What a sad day this must be in Tampa:

What must it feel like to have your season over Sept. 19?

PLAYER YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS WEEKEND

Matt Asiata, running back, Minnesota (number 44). With an assist from rookie

Jerick McKinnon, a third-round pick from Georgia Southern, the running load will

fall on Asiata going forward, in the absence of Adrian Peterson. Asiata is a

powerback/fullback type at 5-11 and 234 pounds, slow but with a little bit of

quickness. He has good hands, as he exhibited on a touchdown catch-and-run

against the Patriots last week. The Saints have been vulnerable against the run,

and Asiata will have to be a big part of the gameplan for the Vikings to have a

chance Sunday in the Superdome. “He played a lot in the preseason,’’ said

quarterback Matt Cassel this week. “He proved last week he could catch the ball out

of the backfield. He stepped in for us last year and had a three touchdown game, so

he’s a very capable back. The fact of the matter was when I got my start in New

England when [Tom] Brady got hurt, nobody thought we could do anything. We

closed ranks so to speak and went on to an 11-5 season. Guys get opportunities in

this league all the time.’’ This is Asiata’s—and maybe for the rest of the season.

BOSE SOUND BITE OF THE WEEK

What does a coach say to his team after it just stood toe-to-toe with the Super

Bowl champs, and won? Here’s Mike McCoy after the Chargers beat the Seahawks

last week:

“What’d we talk about all week long, men? Hey, we’re gonna take it one week at a

time. You’ve gotta put one behind you and move onto the next. It’s about being a

football team. Hey, we went through a lot in the last couple of weeks. All camp—

even going back with everything that happened personally. People losing their

friends or their family members. Losing some key players before the season and

during the season. It’s been brutal on all of us. But you know what? We all stuck

together and believed in what we were doing. That’s what we said all week long,

men. Just keep fighting. We lose a brutal loss on Monday night. We lose a guy

who’s been the cornerstone of the offensive line for eleven years. Then we go out

there today and don’t skip a beat. Because we believed! Because we all believed in

each other and what we’re doing! That’s the key, men. You gotta believe! Look

what happened. We went out there, we worked our ass off all week long, and we

beat a damn good football team.”

REGULAR OLD QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“It can’t be a rivalry if you get your ass kicked all the time.”

—Arizona coach Bruce Arians, whose Cardinals play the big, bad Niners on Sunday

in Glendale. Over the last five years, San Francisco is 9-1 against Arizona.

TEN THINGS I’LL BE WATCHING FOR THIS WEEKEND

1. Another bombshell. Will an NFL player have another off-field incident?

2. A revived rivalry. Used to be the only reason we’d care about Baltimore-

Cleveland is that it was The Modell Bowl. John Harbaugh is 11-1 against the

Browns. But Brian Hoyer and Terrance West and a decent defense might have

something to say about that Sunday. The Browns have had two winnable

performances so far, and though they’re 1-1, I could see them winning against the

rested Ravens. (By the way, interesting stat from the remnants of the Ray Rice

story: Justin Forsett is averaging 6.6 yards per rush on 19 carries so far. He looks

legit.)

3. The Bengals, establishing a dominant home-field presence. Cincinnati has won

10 straight regular-season games at Paul Brown Stadium, and Tennessee is a nice

candidate to make it 11. If you saw my stat of the week Monday, you’ll see how all

opposing quarterbacks (except Andrew Luck last season) have struggled mightily in

the past two seasons at PBS. Welcome to town, Jake Locker.

4. A.J. Green and the Injured Masses. It only feels like half the league is

questionable for the weekend games. But a big one is A.J. Green (foot), who will

probably play … and will he have the iffy but very talented Jason McCourty (groin)

across from him? Stay tuned.

5. EJ Manuel, to be able to win a shootout. We’ve seen Manuel be efficient and

mistake-free, relatively, in the first two games. But can he go toe-to-toe with a

gunslinger in a game against San Diego that might end up in the thirties and win?

Much of what we’ve seen so far from the Bills is highly encouraging, but we still

don’t know if Manuel is the real deal. This is a great week—at home, against a 2013

playoff team, with a packed house watching—to prove it.

6. Houston, we don’t have a problem. The 2-0 Texans go to New York to face the 0-

2 Giants. Factoid of the Weekend That May Interest Texans Fans: Since 1990, 75

percent of the teams that started 2-0 went on to make the playoffs.

7. Aaron Rodgers staying hot against the Lions. He’s 9-0 in games he’s started and

finished against Detroit, with a 114.0 rating.

8. The Kirk Cousins Audition continues. Cousins probably has six games to show he

should be starting at quarterback for Washington instead of Robert Griffin III. Game

one, last weekend against Jacksonville, was a rousing success (67 percent

completions, 109.4 rating). This one, on the road at Philly in a rivalry game, will be

much tougher.

9. A quarterback change in Tampa Bay. I was wrong, as was Lovie Smith, about

Josh McCown. Lovie Smith has to make the call to make Mike Glennon the

quarterback in Tampa Bay. Now.

10. The strange case of Jameis Winston. Who’s going to be the one to investigate

the NFL future of Winston? He will be the most investigated prospect before the

draft if he comes out next winter. We don’t know yet if he will, but I can feel NFL

teams quaking at the thought of picking him high in the first round already.

Questions Unanswered as the Focus

Shifts

By Peter King

MMQB/SI.com

September 19, 2014

NEW YORK—The most important news conference of Roger Goodell’s eight-year

reign as NFL commissioner, days overdue, lasted 44 minutes and was peppered

with various forms of apology over the original light sentence in the Ray Rice case.

Goodell used much of his time to emphasize that the league will work diligently to

be a leader in fighting domestic violence—not just in the families of players and NFL

families but for everyone affected by it in the country.

What still screams to be answered:

Why was the Rice sanction so light in the first place?

How is the league going to balance the due-process American legal rights of

its players with the image fiasco of playing players who have been accused of

beating women?

Who is going to handle discipline of these high-profile, screaming-headline

stories, now that Goodell said today “all options are on the table’’ for

reconstructing how the league punishes players?

But no sooner had the 17 TV trucks outside the New York Hilton driven away did

the narrative of this story change. ESPN reported that Ravens director of security

Darren Sanders had the contents of the most damaging Rice videotape—the one

America saw via TMZ on Sept. 8—described to him by a police officer watching it.

Sanders, ESPN reported, relayed the disturbing news to team executives (ESPN

doesn’t say which ones). Later, Rice’s attorney told club president Dick Cass that

the video was “horrible” and, according to ESPN, Cass responded by urging for Rice

to enter a pre-trial diversion program—which indeed happened—that would prevent

the video from being made public.

Meanwhile, according to ESPN, the Ravens were arguing for leniency for Rice, and

strongly urged commissioner Roger Goodell to give Rice a two-game suspension.

That’s what Goodell did, and that led to this festering mess that has enveloped the

NFL and made the league a target of outrage from a large, vocal segment of its fan

base, and from women’s advocacy groups, who think he was way too soft on Rice

for a crime as devastating as the one we’ve all now witnessed after TMZ unearthed

(bought?) the video and made it public.

So now the focus of the story shifts to Baltimore, and to a league office trying to

figure out how to fix the mess. In Baltimore, there is no question that owner Steve

Bisciotti will have to make some changes in personnel if the basic tenets of the

ESPN story check out. If Cass knew how horrible the Rice video was and didn’t tell

his owner, he’s in trouble. If Cass knew how horrible the Rice video was and did tell

his owner, they’re both in trouble—with Goodell. If Goodell learns two men he

trusts, Cass and Bisciotti (and he has a very good relationship with both), argued

vociferously for leniency for Rice while either one or the other knew Rice had

knocked out his fiancée with a crushing left hook, Goodell rightfully will feel used.

And he will probably consider the prospect of disciplining one or more of the Ravens

executives over it.

The worst thing about the Ravens’ involvement, if the ESPN story is accurate, is

that the organization has said it knew of the ugliness of the second videotape only

when TMZ released it in September. If that’s not true, they’ll have a major problem

with their fans, particularly female fans.

* * *

Goodell began his press conference with a statement in which he said the league

was going to get its domestic violence policies right. To illustrate that, his new

panel of experts brought in to address the issue—led by new league VP Anna

Isaacson and league adviser Lisa Friel, the former head of sex-crime prosecution in

the Manhattan district attorney’s office—sitting in the front row at the event, help in

a ballroom at the New York Hilton Hotel.

Goodell said he and NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith will

meet next week with “experts to help us establish and live up to the standards that

our fans deserve, and that we set for ourselves. I will be asking these experts to

examine all current NFL policies related to employee and player conduct and

discipline. They will address how to balance due-process rights for those accused

with the need to hold our personnel to the highest standards. They should also

consider the current system for determining violations, including my role in the

process. There will be changes to our personal conduct policy. I know this will

happen because we will make it happen. Nothing is off the table.”

The toughest part of that, clearly, will be to establish rules for due process. Right

now the 49ers letting allowing defensive end Ray McDonald to play while he is

under investigation for allegedly assaulting his fiancée. Meanwhile, the Cardinals

have put running back Jonathan Dwyer on the reserve-non-football injury list,

effectively ending his season, after his arrest in connection with an alleged violent

head-butting of his fiancée in July. Clearly the league needs to take hold of the due-

process part of the discipline story, because they can’t have a player for one team

having different rules than a player for another team. Goodell acknowledged

several that times this is one of the biggest dilemmas facing the league. “We need

to change our policies and our procedures and we need to get some help in

identifying how to do that,” he said.

With the ESPN report Friday evening, the league will be drawn further into the

morass of the Rice case at a time when they’d hoped to be focusing on the game on

the field. The first Super Bowl rematch in 17 years, Denver at Seattle Sunday in the

Pacific Northwest, should be the highlight of the league right now. But all anyone’s

talking about is: Did Goodell and the Ravens know how bad the Rice attack was,

and when did they know it if so? We’re a long way away from reaching the end of

this story.

Cover-Two: Most impressive rookie,

injury concerns, more

By Chris Burke and Doug Farrar

Sports Illustrated

September 19, 2014

Most impressive rookie through two weeks?

Chris Burke: Bills WR Sammy Watkins. This ought to come as little surprise, though

there were (and are) some questions about if EJ Manuel might hold back the former

Clemson star. So far, Watkins has looked every bit the part of a No. 1 receiver, and

he's coming off a week in which he shredded Miami for eight receptions and 117

yards.

The Bills have been rather smart about how they get him the ball, too. They will ask

more and more of him as the season progresses, but for now he's rolling along at a

73.3 percent catch rate with no drops, thanks to a bevy of short routes. Last

season's leading receiver in Buffalo, Stevie Johnson, wrapped up the year with 54.7

percent of the balls thrown his way resulting in completions.

Watkins has not yet established himself in the class of, say, Calvin Johnson or A.J.

Green. He's on his way, however, and has been all the Bills could have asked for

thus far.

Doug Farrar: Bears CB Kyle Fuller. It's very, very difficult to come into the NFL as a

cornerback, with the league's restrictive rules, and play at a high level against

excellent receivers from the start. But that's exactly what Fuller has done so far --

against the Bills and 49ers, Fuller allowed just three receptions on six targets for 50

yards, no touchdowns and a 38.9 opponent passer rating, grabbing two

interceptions against San Francisco on Monday night. Injuries affected Fuller's

senior season, but he had perhaps the cleanest and most consistent tape of any

cornerback in his draft class, and he's been perhaps Chicago's best overall defender

so far this season.

Which unit improved more this offseason: Broncos defense or Seahawks offense?

Burke: Broncos defense. Not sure this one is even that close for me. The Seahawks

offense could be better than it was in 2013 because Russell Wilson continues to

mature and Percy Harvin (for now) is healthy, but Denver's defense -- plain and

simple -- has better players than it did a year ago.

Having Von Miller back on a full-time basis is enough on its own to make the

Denver defense more formidable. Let's not forget that he was a Pro Bowler and All-

Pro during an 18.5-sack 2012 season. DeMarcus Ware brings another proven force

off the edge, and yes, he still has something left in the tank. There's also T.J. Ward

and Aqib Talib and rookie Bradley Roby, who has been sharp through two weeks.

There are gaps, like in a thin linebacking corps. Compared to last season, though,

there's no doubt the Broncos are better prepared for the league's best offenses.

Farrar: Denver's defense. While the Seahawks offense looks sharper and more

explosive with a fully healthy Percy Harvin and a new array of option looks, it's

clear to me that Denver's defense has completely upset its former paradigm -- and

definitely for the better. The Broncos have 10 new starters if you include rookie slot

corner Bradley Roby, and the results have been definitive. New outside cornerbacks

Aqib Talib and Chris Harris (Harris was primarily a nickel corner before) have

combined to allow just 10 catches for 122 yards in Denver's first two games.

DeMarcus Ware, thought to be done in Dallas, leads all 4-3 defensive ends with 12

total pressures. And former Browns safety T.J. Ward has become just what the

doctor ordered -- a player who can fill in against the run and cover short routes as

a lurk defender, while also excelling in deeper coverage concepts when the need

arises.

In addition, young linebackers Brandon Marshall and Nate Irving are impressing,

and as John Fox said this week, things are looking very good for this redefined

defense so far.

"We lost the Super Bowl," Fox told SI about the start of that process. "We lost

[Von] Miller for three quarters of the season. Before we signed anybody new, we

had to replace him and we did that, hopefully with DeMarcus [Ware] and then we

get Von Miller back. We were without some pretty important players; Chris Harris,

Derrick Woods, as I mentioned Von, throughout the season. We missed them for a

large portion of the season, Rahim Moore who’s a starter at free safety. We can

lose some guys like everybody does and we gain some guys, it’s the sport we are

in, and there’s always change."

One thing's for sure -- the Seahawks will see a different Denver defense on Sunday.

If there's one advantage for Seattle, it appears that defense is structured very

much like the one Pete Carroll has been building in the Emerald City since 2010.

Injury that will have biggest impact in Week 3

Burke: Jamaal Charles and Knowshon Moreno. Since the Chiefs visit the Dolphins

on Sunday, it's a two-for-one here. Moreno is definitely out for the next several

weeks after dislocating his elbow last Sunday. Charles' status is more up in the air -

- he seemed headed toward sitting out Week 3 because of an ankle sprain, only to

return to practice on Thursday.

Charles' presence alone might not be enough to stop Kansas City's early-season

slide, but there is a definite drop-off from him to Knile Davis on the depth chart. A

healthy Charles gives the Chiefs a chance to establish the run, thus minimizing how

aggressive the Dolphins' potent defensive front can be. When the Chiefs' own

playcalling neglected Charles in Week 1, Tennessee's defense turned it loose on

Alex Smith.

Meanwhile, Moreno's injury thrusts Lamar Miller back into the spotlight. Moreno

opened the season with a bang, helping Miami drop New England in Week 1.

Without him, the Dolphins will be hard-pressed to avoid a step back on the ground.

Farrar: Carson Palmer. Palmer has tried ice, massage and acupuncture to get the

nerves in his throwing shoulder to fire the way they should, but through Thursday,

he was limited in practice, and the results have been iffy at best.

“I wish I had a concrete answer or somebody knew exactly what to do to wake it

up, but that’s not known,” Palmer told the team's official website this week. “It’s

just time. The only answer is time, and I’m hoping it doesn’t take any more time.”

Backup Drew Stanton was good enough to help the Cards beat the Giants 25-14

last Sunday, but the G-Men are hardly a tough test on either side of the ball, and

Stanton's raw numbers -- 14 completions in 29 attempts for 167 yards and no

touchdowns -- seem to indicate that if a more explosive passing attack is needed

against the 49ers, head coach Bruce Arians had best hope something kicks in for

his starter.

America Shrugs Off Scandals Plaguing

NFL, NBC Poll Reveals

By Mark Murray

NBC News

September 20, 2014

So much for all that outrage. Nearly 90 percent of Americans say the recent outcry

about domestic violence in the NFL hasn’t changed how much professional football

they watch — and less than a third of the nation believes NFL Commissioner Roger

Goodell should resign.

That’s the result of an exclusive NBC News/Marist poll, which also finds that a

majority of Americans – including nearly six in 10 self-described football fans – say

they disapprove of the way the NFL has handled the domestic-violence allegations.

The poll comes after a series of damaging stories indicating that NFL officials had

turned a blind eye to systemic domestic violence among some of its players. The

mounting controversies began with a new video of Baltimore Ravens running back

Ray Rice knocking his now-wife unconscious in an Atlantic City elevator. The NFL

had suspended Rice for two games due to the incident. But the Ravens later

released the All-Pro running back after the video became public, and the NFL

suspended him indefinitely.

Since then, other allegations of domestic violence by NFL players has surfaced,

including by Minnesota Vikings star Adrian Peterson, who was indicted for beating

his 4-year-old son with a tree branch to punish him, and byArizona Cardinals player

Jonathan Dwyer, who was arrested for allegedly assaulting his wife.

The NBC/Marist poll shows that 53 percent of Americans and 57 percent of football

fans disapprove of the way the NFL has handled the recent reports of domestic

violence. The survey finds that men are more disapproving of the NFL (55 percent

say so) than women (50 percent).

Despite the criticism, fewer than a third of Americans – 29 percent – believe

Goodell should be forced to resign.

And a whopping 86 percent of fans say the domestic violence news hasn’t changed

the amount of professional football they watch. That’s compared will 11 percent of

fans who say they’re less likely to watch, and 3 percent who are more likely to

watch.

Regarding the indictment of Peterson, who has been barred from all team activities

until his legal case is resolved, 60 percent of Americans say it is wrong for parents

to discipline their children by striking them with a paddle, switch or belt.

Just 34 percent believe that kind of corporal punishment by parents is right. But

that number jumps to 51 percent among respondents from the South.

Broncos look for revenge in Super Bowl

rematch

Agence France-Presse

September 19, 2014

Los Angeles (AFP) - Revenge is a strong motivational tool, and less than seven

months after being clobbered in Super Bowl 48, the Denver Broncos will get

another crack at the league champion Seattle Seahawks.

The Seahawks and Broncos will face each other Sunday at Seattle's CenturyLink

Field where the Seahawks, who are looking to rebound from last week's away loss,

are almost unbeatable.

This marks just the sixth time in National Football League history that the following

regular season will feature a rematch of the Super Bowl, a 43-8 thrashing by

Seattle on February 2 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It was the most one-sided

Super Bowl in over two decades.

"This is what we have been waiting for," said Denver receiver Andre Caldwell.

The Broncos are looking forward to this for several reasons, including the return of

Wes Welker from a drug suspension.

Welker's return came sooner than thought after the league and the NFL players

union agreed to a new anti-doping policy. One of the tradeoffs for the players was

that several players had their drug suspensions reduced, including veteran Welker

who had his for using amphetamines cut in half.

Welker rejoins a receiving core that boasts stars Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel

Sanders, who leads the team with 14 catches for 185 yards, and tight end Julius

Thomas, who has four touchdown catches in two games this season.

Welker finished with 73 catches and a career-high 10 touchdowns last year.

Seattle suffered a rare loss last week, losing 30-21 to San Diego. Quarterback

Russell Wilson converted 17-of-25 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns in that

one as Seattle had a five-game winning streak snapped that dated back to 2013.

"They did a really good job on third downs. They just sustained drives and kept us

off the field offensively," Wilson said of the Chargers.

Robert Turbin and Marshawn Lynch each caught touchdown passes from Wilson,

while Percy Harvin rushed for 45 yards on two carries with a touchdown in the loss.

The Broncos arrive in Seattle with a 2-0 record after quarterback Peyton Manning

threw three touchdown passes in a 24-17 win over Kansas City a week ago.

Manning finished 21-of-26 for 242 yards against the Chiefs, while Sanders grabbed

eight passes for 108 yards and Thomas snagged five receptions for 62 yards and a

score for Denver. The Broncos beat the Indianapolis Colts 31-24 in week one.

Manning has already thrown six touchdowns with no interceptions so far this

season, after throwing a record 55 touchdown strikes last year.

His Seattle counterpart Wilson has four touchdowns without an interception this

year after a two touchdown, no turnover performance in Super Bowl 48.

"This is going to be a challenging game facing Peyton Manning and the Denver

Broncos," said Wilson, who has an 18-1 record as a starting quarterback in Seattle.

"They're a very good football team."

This week's high profile rematch also comes amid one of the most turbulent couple

of weeks in history for the USA's richest and most popular sports league.

Charges of violence by players against women and children -- and a clumsy

response by the league and individual teams -- have commissioner Roger Goodell

fearing for his job and both sponsors and fans on edge.

In other games this weekend it is Dallas at St. Louis, Washington at Philadelphia,

Houston at NY Giants, Minnesota at New Orleans, Tennessee at Cincinnati,

Baltimore at Cleveland, San Diego at Buffalo, Green Bay at Detroit, Indianapolis at

Jacksonville, Oakland at New England, San Francisco at Arizona, Kansas City at

Miami and Pittsburgh at Carolina.

Breaking down the Seahawks offense

By Andrew Mason

DenverBroncos.com

September 20, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Never has the term "jet sweep" been more apt than with

Percy Harvin receiving the handoff. And after Super Bowl XLVIII, it would be

understandable if that was a phrase the Broncos did not want to hear again for a

while.

Even though it was used twice in last February, it had a devastating effect: 45

yards, one gain of 30 and another of 15. It forced the Broncos to account for Harvin

every time he had the football.

And it was something for which the Broncos could not adequately prepare, since he

had just five offensive touches as a Seahawk prior to the Super Bowl, having

missed all but one regular-season game due to his recovery from hip surgery.

"Last year, in the Super Bowl, he just came in, and we didn't know what we were

getting. We were watching Viking film, trying to see what we were going to get,"

said Broncos defensive tackle Terrance Knighton. "It's a lot of tape now. We've

played two games of it already, so we should be prepared.

That extra tape includes two egular-season games in which he participated in 61

snaps. However, it's …

"Just more reasons to have more nightmares at night," said Defensive Coordinator

Jack Del Rio. "(The) guy's a good player. We're aware of that. We'll make sure we

get a hat on him."

The numbers help illustrate is impact. Through two games, the Seahawks average

2.4 more yards per carry, 1.7 more yards per pass play and 2.0 more yards per

play when Harvin is on the field than when he is not. But the offense is also more

feast-or-famine, and when Harvin is not on the field, it moves the chains once

every 2.14 snaps, compared to once every 3.39 plays with him.

Explosive plays are the key, and none has been more consistently effective than the

jet sweep -- or its sibling, the shotgun-based fly sweep, which has been used the

last two weeks.

It all started here, on the Seahawks' second play from scrimmage in Super Bowl

XLVIII. Harvin comes back toward quarterback Russell Wilson before the snap. As

the single man in motion, he builds up his speed before taking the football a split-

second after it is snapped to Wilson.

The play happens so fast that the defense instinctively reacts to Wilson's fake to

running back Marshawn Lynch, even as Harvin (in blue) is already outside and has

moved past Knighton.

It's not going well. Harvin has the edge, and the Broncos' only hope is that their

secondary can minimize the damage. However, cornerback Dominique Rodgers-

Cromartie temporarily turns his head away from Harvin to focus on his man in

coverage, and safety Duke Ihenacho has responded to the fake to Lynch. Either

could have kept this play to a reasonable gain of seven to 10 yards. Instead, Harvin

sprints for 30, and the Seahawks were in field-goal range less than 60 seconds

after their game-opening safety.

The Seahawks turned to the jet sweep again later in the first quarter, and the

Broncos were better prepared for it. Better reads from safety Mike Adams and

linebacker Danny Trevathan -- who didn't get suckered in by the fake to Lynch --

minimize the damage from a backbreaking 30 yards to a tolerable, but still crucial,

15.

The Seahawks have also expanded their use of Harvin by lining him up as a

tailback, with running back Marshawn Lynch used as a fullback.

Last week, the Seahawks used this I-formation grouping on a third-and-1.

Linebacker Jerry Attaochu bites on the fake to Lynch and commits to chasing him

down from the back side, which opens up the left side of the field for Harvin, who

took the football for a 51-yard touchdown run.

But there are limits to Harvin's use in the ground game, even in the jet or fly

sweeps. The Seahawks learned this as they attempted to mount a late-game

comeback at San Diego. Harvin sprinted in motion to take the handoff from Wilson

-- but the defense followed him. There was no running back to consider; the

backfield was empty.

With only one potential run option -- a Wilson keeper -- their defenders had to

simply hold their ground, watch, and pounce. Two defenders took away the

possibility of a Wilson run to the right, and Harvin swept left into the grasp of

Shareece Wright for a six-yard loss that effectively ended their comeback hopes.

Whether there's a running back next to Wilson or not, the cornerbacks know they

must stand ready to make a play on Harvin's end-arounds.

"He's an explosive player," said cornerback Aqib Talib, "And we have to know where

he is at all times."

Added Harris: "I've got to be making sure that I set the edge well and make sure

that he doesn't get around on those edges."

Harris also learned first-hand on Dec. 4, 2011 that Harvin can be physical. On the

first of two touchdown receptions he scored for the Vikings against the Broncos that

day, Harvin shoved Harris three yards beyond the line of scrimmage, knocking the

then-slot cornerback to the Metrodome turf. That allowed Harvin separation to

break outside, at which point Christian Ponder fired a quick pass that turned into a

52-yard touchdown.

"I was way smaller and was nowhere near where I was now!" recalled Harris this

week. "I just know that he's strong, and I've got to be physical with him. He's good

at doing those push-offs."

Harris doesn't expect coverage of Harvin as a receiver to be on his docket this

week, not with Bradley Roby assuming slot corner work while Harris settles in on

the outside.

"So I really don't have to see him as much," Harris said, "unless he comes to me."

And he will -- on the jet sweep.

"That will be my job: to stop him on those sweeps," said Harris.

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE …

The four greatest words in the history of infomercial advertising are also the

warning to not overcommit to defending Harvin.

You start with Wilson. His explosiveness with his feet and his laser-quick release

cause problems for the defense, whether he takes off after the snap or darts

around the backfield, waiting for a late-opening receiver.

"Him being able to extend plays, just like (Kansas City quarterback) Alex Smith,

that's what makes these guys who they are," said Harris. "So we've got to be able

to cover longer -- like we have been the last couple of weeks!"

And then there is Lynch, the threat of whom opens up horizons for Harvin. In future

weeks, it could be Harvin who draws defenders and opens holes as wide as

boulevards for Lynch.

"I think priority No. 1, you’ve got to start with Beast Mode," said Talib. "You’ve got

to stop that run.”

The increased threat of Harvin makes Lynch more effective on a per-carry basis. He

averaged 4.2 yards per carry last year; through two games of 2014, it is a robust

5.6.

Breaking down the Seahawks defense

By Andrew Mason

DenverBroncos.com

September 20, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Go on, look for a glaring weakness in the Seattle defense.

Keep looking.

Go deeper.

Hard to find, isn't it?

It's not up front. If you didn't know it before Super Bowl XLVIII, you knew it then,

with Cliff Avril leading the charge that led directly to a pair of first-half

interceptions. Avril and Michael Bennett can generate pressure, and the two have

already combined for four sacks and 14 quarterback hurries this year, according to

ProFootballFocus.com. Although three of the sacks came against a Green Bay

offensive line weakened by injuries, this remains a potent duo capable of

capitalizing on a tiny misstep.

It's not on the back end. Richard Sherman is brash, but one of the most physical

cover cornerbacks in the game. Byron Maxwell and Marcus Burley are helping fill

the void created by Brandon Browner's departure. And safeties Earl Thomas and

Kam Chancellor are disruptive, as was seen in the Super Bowl, beginning with

Chancellor's first-quarter hit on Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas.

It's not on the back end. Richard Sherman is brash, but one of the most physical

cover cornerbacks in the game. Byron Maxwell and Marcus Burley are helping fill

the void created by Brandon Browner's departure. And safeties Earl Thomas and

Kam Chancellor are disruptive, as was seen in the Super Bowl, beginning with

Chancellor's first-quarter hit on Denver's Demaryius Thomas. The safeties give the

cornerbacks leeway to be aggressive; they can gamble knowing that the deep

middle is secure.

"Everybody in their secondary, they just fly around," said Demaryius Thomas.

"They fly around, they're always around the ball, they're trying to strip it and they

pin big hits on you. So I think that's the main thing. You don't really see a

secondary that flies around and hits people that hard like they do."

The Broncos wide receiver admitted that he has not seen a better safety

combination than Chancellor and Earl Thomas.

And if you think the weakness is among the linebackers, guess again. Recall last

year's preseason game at CenturyLink Field, when Bobby Wagner sprinted past

Montee Ball and crushed Peyton Manning as he threw. Or Malcolm Smith's adept

grab of a pass that was affected by Avril's hit in Super Bowl XLVIII. Smith and

fellow linebacker K.J. Wright struggled in coverage against San Diego's Danny

Woodhead and Antonio Gates last week, but that game could be a mere aberration.

"Those linebackers are probably the ones that people forget about—that's a good

group of linebackers," said Broncos Offensive Coordinator Adam Gase.

"This defense as a whole -- you're talking about three teams in the history of

football: the '85 [Chicago] Bears, the 2000 [Baltimore] Ravens and these guys.

That's where these guys ranked in defensive football," said Gase. "These guys are

one of the best teams to ever play and they are trying to show it again this year.”

You can throw the 1976 Steelers, the best defense of the NFL's pre-rules-change

"dead ball" era, in as well. The point is that the Seahawks defense of 2013 is in the

conversation for the best in league annals relative to the league-wide standards of

that year, and most of the key personnel remains in place.

Mason's Mailbag: Montee Ball on the rise

By Andrew Mason

DenverBroncos.com

September 19, 2014

It's just another week, right? Which makes this just another mailbag?

As usual, if you want to submit a question for next week, you can use the login

form or via @MaseDenver on Twitter, with the #AskMase hashtag.

david pulsipher @davidpulsipher: thoughts on development of Sly Williams

and Woolfe? Haven't heard much about these guys lately.

Both have been a bit lost in the shuffle in recent weeks. Part of that is the nature of

their responsibilities against mobile quarterbacks; Wolfe and Williams are as

responsible for creating space for linebackers and edge rushers like DeMarcus Ware

to make plays as they are for collapsing the pocket on their own. But some of that

is a result of the myriad combinations the Broncos are using, trying to find the right

fit. Denver has used 69 different defensive personnel groupings through two

games, the third-most in the league. Von Miller's recover from a torn anterior

cruciate ligament has limited his work, reducing the number of opportunities for

Ware and Miller to draw attention on the edge.

gary abrams @ZLucky77: @MaseDenver wigwams your feeling on M.Ball?

Not hitting the holes? Line issues? Something else?

First, I'm going to assume "wigwams" is simply auto-correct gone mad.

Second, I think Ball is doing all right, given that he missed two weeks of training

camp and this offensive line combination has played just two full games together.

He hit the holes well Sunday, much better than he did against Indianapolis, and did

well reading the flow of the play and his blocks. If he has more games like Week 2's

-- when he averaged 8.9 yards every time he touched the football -- he'll be fine.

He spoke Thursday of needing to make sure he gains three or four yards on first

down. One problem in recent weeks was how many times he was met in the

backfield and had to struggle just to minimize the damage; with better play up

front, and perhaps more use of Virgil Green as an H-back or fullback, this might go

better Sunday.

Nick Maloney @maloney_nick: you think Del Rio will switch up the def and

attack more. Seems to play preventive min we get lead #askmase

I think you'll see elements added to the defense in the next few games; whether

that is about strictly "attack" or to disguising coverages is another guess. Given

Defensive Coordinator Jack Del Rio's history over the years, expect a mixture of

both, aided by the return of Danny Trevathan from his leg fracture.

Given the aggression of the defense in the preseason -- with T.J. Ward creeping

forward as a pass rusher, among other tactics -- and Trevathan's expected return

either Sunday or in the coming weeks, I expect you'll see more looks and more

aggression.

David Fleurant @MrDoctaD: do you think we should activate Latimer for

Sunday? I think we could use his physicality in the run game #askmase

He could bring something, but when are you going to get him out there? Even

without Wes Welker on the 53-man roster in Week 1, Latimer did not see a snap.

And remember, his next offensive snap in the regular season will be his first. At

some point, you've got to get your first work, but it would be unusual timing for

that to happen against Seattle's ferocious secondary.

The other issue with Latimer -- and the wide receivers -- is that two other backup

receivers have primary roles on special teams: Andre Caldwell on kickoff returns,

and Isaiah Burse on punt returns. That's where your depth at wide receiver resides.

The limitations of a 46-man roster make it unlikely that you'll dress six wide

receivers.

Latimer is an outstanding blocking receiver, that's true, but the other factors in

game-day roster construction make it difficult for him to snag a spot unless he gets

some work in one of the return disciplines.

Martyn Richmond @martynrich: Are we looking at 2013 through rose tinted

spectacles? A 2-0 start and #1 in the power rankings but some fans are unhappy.5

A team could be 16-0 and some people would complain. It's the nature of fandom

in any sport, and it was best summarized by the late college basketball coach Jim

Valvano.

Valvano recalled visiting a barber shop after becoming the basketball coach at

North Carolina State University in 1980. Valvano's predecessor, Norm Sloan,

coached State to a national championship in 1973-74 and led them to a 266-127

record over 14 years in the Atlantic Coast Conference, the nation's toughest college

basketball circuit that, at the time, featured one of the best coaches in American

sports history, Dean Smith, working 28 miles away at the University of North

Carolina.

"I hope you do better than that last guy," the barber said as he snipped the new

coach's locks.

The momentarily incredulous Valvano couldn't stay silent. He noted Sloan's

accomplishments, including going 57-1 over a two-season span -- and going

undefeated in 1972-73, a perfect 27-0. (The plaid blazer Sloan favored couldn't

have hurt, either.) You couldn't do better than that, right?

"Yeah," replied the barber, "but just think what Dean Smith would've been able to

do with that team."

It's human nature. And while there are justified reasons for concern about the

Broncos after two games -- penalties, first-down run production and third-down

defense in particular -- know that even if the 2014 Broncos emerge as the greatest

team in Broncos history, and some will say it's not good enough.

MileHighReport @MileHighReport: @MaseDenver #askmase What's it like

covering the #Broncos now compared to a decade ago?

The basics are not altogether different. The locker room is still open 45 minutes

four days a week. Some players are more willing to talk than others. A 53-man

roster -- with 22 starters -- ensures that you're going to be able to find some "go-

to guys" who provide candor and thought in reply almost any question.

But the types of reporters around a team has changed. In some markets, the

explosion has come from websites. That has happened to some degree here, but in

this market, radio has mushroomed. Most reporters, myself included have side

radio deals, or radio arrangements as part of their contracts. But the sheer volume

of programs -- and hosts for them -- means that at any given training-camp

practice, the number of radio people might outnumber the combined tally of

writers, TV reporters and photojournalists.

There's more pressure for speed than there was 10 years ago. We were already out

of the shallow end of the Internet pool, but up-to-the-second updates were not

necessary; you could still take your time -- although not as much as a decade

earlier -- to get the story right, to get the video edited. Now, you're racing to be

first on Twitter, first with a full story on the site. Sometimes quality gets sacrificed

in the need for speed.

Covering the team for a team site is different, as well. Take road games, for

instance, where the dot-com traveling party was three -- a 50 percent increase

over the previous year. For the preseason opener, we had nine staffers, produced a

live pre-game show and live coverage of the post-game press conferences. The live

press-conference video dates back to 2002, but it's more reliable now, and more

portable; in those days, we didn't have the equipment to do a live broadcast when

then-coach Mike Shanahan talked on the field after practice.

I'm surprised at how much the essence of the task has not changed: try to ask

good questions, research your topic well, provide some information or data that no

one else has, and learn how to dodge the metaphorical land mines. Because of that,

I think covering the Broncos will be similar in 10 years for those on the beat. But

how can the content delivery get faster than it already is? And what is next in how

content is distributed and consumed? These will define how the job continues to

evolve.

Danny Trevathan: 'Ready to go' if asked

By Andrew Mason

DenverBroncos.com

September 19, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Danny Trevathan kept taking steps forward this week: from

a workout with team trainers Wednesday to putting on a helmet Thursday to

practicing on a limited basis Friday.

But does that mean he could play in Seattle this Sunday?

"Oh, yeah, I view myself as definitely an option," the third-year weakside

linebacker said. "If I need to play, I will. Right now, I'm questionable."

Head Coach John Fox said Trevathan had made "really good progress," and would

make the trip to the Pacific Northwest.

The linebacker's final status will be determined Sunday, but he admitted that he's

"not really putting a time (frame)" on his return to work.

"No doubt, I'd be ready to go," Trevathan added later. "But it's in (the team's)

hands to make the final call. I'm questionable, so I'm going to take it one day (at a

time) like I'm questionable."

Trevathan, the Broncos' leading tackler last year, has not played since suffering a

tibial impaction fracture just below the left knee during practice Aug. 12.

"The hard part is just sitting down and waiting to get back out there," he said. "I've

been waiting for a long time."

Whether he plays or not, making the trip helps him keep pace in anticipation of

whenever his return would come. His initial recovery timeframe had himback on the

field either for Arizona in Week 5 or the trip to New York to face the Jets seven days

later.

Trevathan has been off crutches for nearly two weeks, but continued his workouts

before that point.

"I worked the upper body times 10," said Trevathan. "That was the only thing I

could do. They had me in there working, and I was doing my own stuff, trying to

keep in football condition and get my body prepared."

Even if he does not play in Seattle, the trip would allow him to get his mind

prepared, as well.

"It's just about me staying in the flow of things," he said. "It's good for me to travel

with them and see how they play. It's going to be hard to watch, but I know they're

going to go out there and do what they do."

Fellow 2012 draft pick Brandon Marshall -- who the Jaguars took one round before

the Broncos nabbed Trevathan -- started in his place the last two weeks.

"He's been handling it pretty well," said Trevathan. "He came in here with the right

mindset, and that's what I like about him. He's going to work through whatever.

People have been doubting him, just like people have been doubting me."

The Broncos could find ways to use Marshall and Trevathan together in the nickel

package once both are healthy.

"We've got a lot of background. For him to go out there and keep showcasing, man,

it's going to make it a lot easier when I get back," Trevathan said.

Ball looking to balance offense

By Lauren Giudice

DenverBroncos.com

September 19, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – As future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning faces off against one

of the best defenses in the NFL, all eyes and cameras will be looking downfield.

A record-breaking passing offense from 2013 versus a secondary with the potential

to shut down the best of receivers – it’s the ideal showdown.

While the Seahawks’ defensive backs receive most of the accolades and attention,

their run defense is nothing short of excellent, finishing the 2013 season tied for

seventh in rushing yards allowed per game. Montee Ball, in his third game as an

NFL starter, will look to make an impact on and spearhead the Broncos’ ground

attack.

“I've been telling myself that I have to start off to get three or four yards, keep the

chains moving,” Ball said. “Because with a team like this, we understand what type

of team we're playing. You've got to keep the chains moving.”

“First down, you've got to get positive yards. Second down, get positive yards. So

maybe it's first, second, third-and-three. That's what we're focusing on doing. I'm

sure every team is focusing on doing that, as well: keeping the chains moving. Like

I said, I put that on myself.”

The Seahawks currently rank ninth in the NFL in rush defense, allowing just 90.5

yards on the ground per game. So far this season, the Seahawks have been using a

combination of players on the line—holding the Chargers to a 2.7 yards per rush

average and the Packers to a total of 80 yards on the ground.

But their ceiling is high and, as Defensive Coordinator Jack Del Rio said Thursday,

neither team’s defense has truly reached its potential yet.

And neither has the Broncos’ run game.

After the Broncos’ Week 2 win where they totaled 88 yards on nine attempts,

Peyton Manning said he saw an improvement in the run game and that it allowed

the offense to be more versatile.

“I felt Montee ran hard, I thought C.J. [Anderson] gave us a nice change of pace,

and there were some nice little holes in there.” Manning said. “When we could run

the ball, that was I think keeping them a little bit off balance with could we drop

back and pass, could we run some play action.”

He said anytime you have three options—drop back, play action or run the ball—

that puts a lot of pressure on defenses.

Head Coach John Fox said, in regards to the run game against Kansas City, there

were “flashes.”

One of those flashes included Ball’s 23-yard run on third-and-24, leading to a fourth

down conversion. Another highlight of his Week 2 was a seven-yard run in the

fourth quarter, where the majority of those yards were accrued as he hopped down

the field as Kansas City’s Ron Parker was wrapped around his right leg, attempting

to drag him down.

Ball averaged five yards per carry while Anderson held an impressive 6.2 yard

average.

Offensive Coordinator Adam Gase said there were too many tackles for loss against

the Chiefs and that there is plenty of room for improvement. He noted that it’s time

“to start making some strides” in the running game. It won’t be easy, but Sunday

would be the perfect opportunity for the strides the running backs made in the

offseason to come to fruition.

When asked if the Seahawks’ defensive line is overshadowed by their all-star

secondary, he said it’s their linebackers that don’t receive the credit they deserve.

“These guys are good pass rushers, that back end is about as good as there is if not

the best and those linebackers are probably the ones that people forget about—

that’s a good group of linebackers,” Gase said.

He compares their defense to some of the best in the history of football: the 1985

Bears and the 2000 Ravens.

In the Super Bowl, the Broncos accumulated just 27 rushing yards on 14 attempts.

As the Broncos were climbing an uphill battle throughout the lopsided loss, they

couldn’t find a rhythm or a run game. Ball said the loss in the Super Bowl “fueled”

the team and it inspired them to work even harder during OTAs. While he was just

a rookie, he learned something important in that game.

“I think everyone kind of has a bad taste in their mouth, wishing they had done

something better,” Ball said. “For, me, personally, it probably would have been

capitalizing on opportunities when they presented themselves, and I didn't.”

Ball speaks like a seasoned veteran. He’ll need to play like one on Sunday and take

advantage of those opportunities.