ENGLEWOOD, Colo — One thing Broncos players have learned about their new head coach this year, Sean Payton is fastidious with the details.
On the Pat Bowlen Fieldhouse practice field this week, Payton had a series of yellow-green lines spray-painted a few feet apart along each of the 10 yard lines. The 10, the 20, the 30 and so on. Not a few feet apart. Exactly a certain number of inches and feet apart.
Details, Payton said, “never stop mattering. Those little gold lines on the field. There was one play in the Chargers game that I think scores a touchdown if our split was two yards tighter. There’s an ally, there’s minus-two, there’s plus-two—there are seven splits.
“I felt like, ‘Did we not do a good enough job of that little alignment?’ Those splits on the field will allow them to see [that details] constantly matter. They keep you up at night. ‘Have we covered everything?’ Then when they matter in a positive way and you have success, you recognize it, and you are glad that you covered it. It’s the essence of what we do.”
The importance of splits is reminiscent of the famed Tim Tebow to Demaryius Thomas touchdown on the first play of overtime in the Broncos’ 29-23, first-round playoff win against the favored Pittsburgh Steelers. One of the most iconic plays in Broncos history occurred because of how far another receiver, Eddie Royal, shifted in from left to right.
“It was called, Thimble,” Thomas said a few years later about the play for the book, Mile High Magic: The 25 Most Memorable Moments in Denver Broncos History. “It’s like a lazy post. The way our offense was with Tebow, every time we brought a receiver in motion they thought he was going to run it.”
The Broncos tried the Thimble play in the second half but it didn’t work. Royal went in motion but stopped well short of the tight end and the Steelers safeties didn’t crash.
On the first play of overtime, Royal was specifically told to shift until he reached the tight end, Daniel Fells, who was lined up on the right side of the line of scrimmage. As soon as Royal got to his spot, the Steelers’ lone safety Ryan Mundy sprinted up to the box, anticipating a run. That left Thomas one-on-one against cornerback Ike Taylor, who had no safety help. (The Steelers’ other safety, Troy Polamalu, was already in the box area, as usual.)
From the 20, Tebow faked a handoff to running back Willis McGahee, drew back and hit Thomas across the middle about the 38-yard line.
Thomas had beat Taylor off the line and was a good step-and-a-half in front when he caught the ball in stride. Taylor recovered and started wrapping his arms around Thomas’ shoulders and facemask around the Broncos’ 46. But Thomas warded off his defensive back with a stiff arm.
Mundy, who had turned as he soon as he saw Tebow rear back to throw, retreated to where he had the angle on the Broncos’ receiver. But no matter. Thomas outraced the angle and sprinted all the way into the end zone for an 80-yard touchdown, then pulled a Bo Jackson and kept running on through the end zone and into the tunnel that leads to the Broncos’ locker room.
Bedlam. Game over. Broncos win, 29-23
The point is, the touchdown doesn’t happen if Royal doesn’t shift all the way to Fells. Stop short and the play doesn’t go for a touchdown and it might not be completed. Payton can appreciate the attention to details.
All those little things, though, makes one wonder if it took a while for the Broncos to get Payton’s offense down to where they could play without thinking, instead of thinking first, then playing. The Broncos did start 1-5, after all, before winning six of their next seven.
“I wouldn't say that's the case, necessarily,’’ Payton said Thursday morning in a Zoom conference call with reporters. “We are trying to find what are the things that we do well with each player and put them in those positions. It’s not this overly complex system, but it’s really catering the system relative to our protection, the strength of our offensive line, the quarterback and the receivers. It’s the reps and the matchups that we're looking at, especially on third down.”
Bonitto, Dulcich out
Broncos' outside linebacker Nik Bonitto (knee) and tight end Greg Dulcich (hamstring, foot) have been ruled out for the game Saturday at Detroit. Bonitto was carted off the field in the first half against the Chargers so he was not expected to play on a short week on Ford Field’s artificial surface.
However, there is a chance Bonitto returns next week against New England or the following week against the Chargers, with both games on the grass surface of Empower Field at Mile High.
Dulcich, who has been on IR the past seven weeks, just had his practice window opened Wednesday and while he was not expected to play against the Lions, either. However, Dulcich didn't practice Thursday and he was listed with a foot injury as well as the hamstring on the injury report.
Locke, Perine return
P.J. Locke, who has played well in place of suspended safety Kareem Jackson, returned to practice Thursday, as did running back Samaje Perine. Locke suffered a neck injury in the game against the Chargers. He is listed as questionable for the game at Detroit. Perine has been battling a sore right knee but he will play against the Lions.
Perkins cut; Krull up?
The Broncos waived outside linebacker Ronnie Perkins, creating an open spot on the 53-man roster for tight end Lucas Krull. Because he has used up his maximum three practice squad elevations, Krull will have to be promoted to the 53-man roster to play. That could happen Friday.
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