• March 29, 2024

Two Key Matchups When The Broncos Have The Football

WesWelker1There are a couple of matchups that I will be paying special attention to when the Broncos have the football on Sunday.

One is the Brandon Boykin matchup with Wes Welker in the slot.  It will be fascinating.  Welker is as good a slot receiver as there is in the NFL.  He and Boykin are both short and quick as they come.  Boykin is younger and faster, but Welker is very strong for his height and he still has good speed, plus he’s as tough as nails.

Welker has the experience advantage, but Boykin is very ambitious and eager to make his mark in the NFL.

On third downs as well as on many first and second downs, when the Broncos have three wide receivers on the field, Boykin will be lined up in the slot with the responsibility of covering Welker man-to-man.

Many times, Welker is running an option route, which means he has the freedom to run a route that takes him inside or a route that takes him outside.  This makes Boykin’s job nearly impossible because when he takes away the inside, Welker will go outside.  When he takes away the outside route, Welker will see it and roll inside.  He’s got to cover Welker tight enough to keep Manning from getting the ball to him despite Welker’s freedom to go inside or outside.

There’ll be times when Boykin will make educated guesses and anticipate that Welker is going inside or outside.  He will try to come underneath Welker to get between him and Manning.

Sometimes he will walk up into Welker’s face and try to jam him as he comes off the line, then other times he will play off of him.  There’ll be times he’ll start up on him, then drop off of him as Manning gets into the snap counts.  Other times he’ll start deep them creep up into Welker’s face.

Another very important matchup will be between Eagles right defensive end Trent Cole and Denver left tackle Chris Clark.  Cole needs to dominate this battle if the Birds are to contain the Broncos offense.

Clark is starting because the Broncos All-Pro left tackle Ryan Clady had a season-ending leg injury. This is the seventh start of Clark’s five-year NFL career and Cole must make them pay for starting the youngster.  He’s never had to deal with this type of pressure.  Cole has to come off the ball like lightning.

Clark has to be nervous to have the pressure of protecting Manning in a year, when a lot of experts have them on their way to a Super Bowl title.  The biggest question mark they have is him.  Can he protect Manning’s blind spot well enough to keep the quarterback on his feet and healthy.

The coaches should tell Cole and the rest of the Eagles defensive ends, to come inside on their blockers, if and when the opportunity occurs because it will force Manning to move from the spot he loves in the pocket.  The 37-year old quarterback isn’t going to run with the football, regardless of what the defense does.  They’ve got to force him out of that pocket to make him uncomfortable.

I would love to see the Birds give second-year defensive end Vinny Curry the chance to come off the corner on that right side against Manning.  I’ve watched the youngster on tape and he’s getting off on the snap of the ball a count or two before everybody else.  I would get him on the field, even if it’s at the defensive tackle position to give him a chance to make a play.  This young man could be a factor because he’s getting off on the ball so much quicker than everybody else.

I want to see the Birds pass defenders in secondary come right up on the line of scrimmage and jam the Broncos receivers in order to delay their release downfield.  This is a lost art in the NFL and that’s why so many of the secondaries are getting roasted.  One of the key factors needed to make Manning hold on to the football longer than he wants to do is rerouting or jamming the receivers.

Manning is in his second-year back from a career threatening neck injury and he doesn’t want to get hit any more times than he has to.  He wants the ball out of his hands immediately.  He starts to panic when he’s forced to hold onto it because he knows what’s coming.

I want to see the Eagles defense take away those check downs and short throws to the tight end to make Manning hold onto the football.  The longer he holds onto it, the more chance the Birds will have of getting some hits on him.   Jamming the receivers will disrupt the timing between the veteran quarterback and his targets.

GCOBB

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RegalEagle
RegalEagle
September 27, 2013 8:25 pm

The only stat that matters-

Denver averages this season 1.4 points per minute of possession.

The Eagles have averaged 25 minutes of possession (skewed by having the ball a-lot vs Washington)

so by average Denver will have the ball 35 min.

35 x 1.4 = 49 points.

The birds Score 1.1 (rounded up actually 1.08) points per minute of possession.

25 x 1.1 = 27

If both teams play to their averages it will be 49 to 27 Denver.

I believe that the Eagles will not have the ball more than 20 minutes so the score will be more like.

40 x 1.4 = 56 (8 TD’s)

20 x 1.1 = 22

I pick a score Denver 56 Philly 21.

eagles0superbowls
eagles0superbowls
September 28, 2013 7:30 pm

the writing this week on this site has been outstanding – 10 days brought the best out, lets hope it also brings the best out of the birds on Sunday. Coach Reid always flourished with extra preparation time.
Boykin and Cole, let’s go birds

paulman
paulman
September 28, 2013 7:39 pm

Broncos 42- Eagłes 31

eagles0superbowls
eagles0superbowls
September 29, 2013 11:47 am

Sunday’s Philadelphia Inquirer had a editorial cartoon with Peyton Manning whistling while he works at a desk handling photographs of the Eagles secondary and putting them through a desktop document shredder– funny stuff.

Jon Hart
Jon Hart
September 29, 2013 12:21 pm

Look out for Earl Wolfe to have a big game today along with Nate Allen and the rest of the secondary. 36-33 Eagles over the Broncos.. JH aka Hartradamus has spoken..

paulman
paulman
September 29, 2013 1:22 pm

The Bronco’s Receivers (Thomas, Decker and their TE are big, strong and will run roughshod over the Eagłes Safeties and especially Wolfe & Allen,
No contest here JH..

paulman
paulman
September 29, 2013 4:49 pm

FG’s are not good enough versus Peyton & Co
A blown opportunity to match the Bronco’s TD Drive
Eagles gave no one to match up with Welker, perhaps Boykin
Is their best shot in slowing Welker down

RegalEagle
RegalEagle
September 29, 2013 7:49 pm

5 friggin points off.

eagles0superbowls
eagles0superbowls
September 29, 2013 7:54 pm
Reply to  RegalEagle

get this man a ticket to Las Vegas immediately