Demaryius Thomas: Some Broncos looked past Colts

[broncoslover115]

Still missing the point. It wasn't about what happened IN THE GAME. His comments were about players attitudes BEFOR THE GAME. That's a big difference. A guy can be totally focused and have a "bad day". But when a portion of the team is somewhere else b4 the game, the results will never be good. and that's what he was saying. That a large faction of the team had already checked out before this game. So what happened really wasn't that surprising to some, like DT, who knew guys weren't focused on the task in days leading up.

And u can recite all the "being a leader" quotes and talk all u want, but it's very hard to change the minds of grown men who have already checked out.

Thanks for this. I get it and understand what you're saying. It's really disappointing to hear this. Makes me angry actually.

[flosstein]

OK, I'll buy that. That makes some sense. And I do agree with other's sentiment that DT should have named himself as one who failed in that game between his dropped passes and his lacsidasical effort. And it really pissed me that he and Sanders were watching the Jumbotron instead of paying attention on the field. Given how hard Sanders always play, I'm more willing to give him a pass.

Still missing the point. It wasn't about what happened IN THE GAME. His comments were about players attitudes BEFOR THE GAME. That's a big difference. A guy can be totally focused and have a "bad day". But when a portion of the team is somewhere else b4 the game, the results will never be good. and that's what he was saying. That a large faction of the team had already checked out before this game. So what happened really wasn't that surprising to some, like DT, who knew guys weren't focused on the task in days leading up.

And u can recite all the "being a leader" quotes and talk all u want, but it's very hard to change the minds of grown men who have already checked out.

[CanDB]

A player admits that players weren't focused, yet the players don't get any of the blame.

The players are to blame. The ones on offense in particular. In game one of the season, the Colts scored 24 points. In the playoff game, the Colts scored 24 points. The Broncos had scored at least 24 points at home all season long. The playoff game is the only home game that they scored less than 24 points. The Defense did its job. Why did the offense not do its job? The loss is on the players.

I agree to a point......coaching has to play a part. But yes, players play, make amazing salaries, and have their own minds. They have a huge role.

[CanDB]

Good coaches can coach like Fox did and win a lot of games, great coaches leave nothing to chance and they have their teams ready to play, focused and prepared. A good example is Carroll looking at every detail and having his players ready for anything, he even had his players practice with a longer than usual break to replicate the longer half time of the super bowl. Fox didn't even prepare his team for noise. Even at this level, coaches are very important and the good ones excel like Bellicheck and Carroll. Fox isn't close to them, he didn't prepare, motivate or focus his players - nuff said. About the time we played the Colts he was thinking of bolting to Chicago, Del Rio was thinking the Raiders and Gase's head was swirling from 4 interviews he had had. Wonder why the players weren't focused?

I totally agree about the coaching aspect of team preparation and focus. And like them or not, Belichick and Carroll would never go into a game with a team that wasn't there to win, and win handily. You can get a lot more from the same player, motivated vs soft (in focus).

Seems like we lost before the game started.....similar to last season's SB.

[broncolee]

A player admits that players weren't focused, yet the players don't get any of the blame.

The players are to blame. The ones on offense in particular. In game one of the season, the Colts scored 24 points. In the playoff game, the Colts scored 24 points. The Broncos had scored at least 24 points at home all season long. The playoff game is the only home game that they scored less than 24 points. The Defense did its job. Why did the offense not do its job? The loss is on the players.

[trc1962]

Good coaches can coach like Fox did and win a lot of games, great coaches leave nothing to chance and they have their teams ready to play, focused and prepared. A good example is Carroll looking at every detail and having his players ready for anything, he even had his players practice with a longer than usual break to replicate the longer half time of the super bowl. Fox didn't even prepare his team for noise. Even at this level, coaches are very important and the good ones excel like Bellicheck and Carroll. Fox isn't close to them, he didn't prepare, motivate or focus his players - nuff said. About the time we played the Colts he was thinking of bolting to Chicago, Del Rio was thinking the Raiders and Gase's head was swirling from 4 interviews he had had. Wonder why the players weren't focused?

[CanDB]

Oh please. The Manning bashing is just getting more and more incredible.

Peyton is the LAST person who would look past the Colts (or any team for that matter). Whether they would in theory go to NE or not would be the last thing on his mind - and he has won in NE, so he has no reason to fear it. It's the younger players who were likely doing this.

I agree. Perhaps Manning was hurt worse than we thought (but still gave us the better shot to win...similar to Rodgers in GB).....something some folks just won't accept. Sure, jump all over him if you think he's too old, and does not heal fast enough, but stop trying to get rid of him. This thread sounds more like coaching, and a few players who don't belong. But I can not imagine Peyton Manning coming up soft against his old team, and I can not also buy into him being the one who is worried about The Pats. I say give him some slack, and maybe point at others in the locker room and in the coaching ranks.

[RandomFan]

Wow, they were scared of NE......Not saying the broncos would have beat NE *They would have got destroyed in all likely hood* but you can't be having that kind of mindset.

[broncoslover115]

That's looking past the Colts tight there. They were thinking that it was a foregone conclusion that we were gonna walk past the Colts and into NE. Some were mentally disconnected from the Colts game and mentally psyching themselves out of the NE game. Instead of taking it one game at a time. Not that they laid down for the Colts game, but mentally unfocused on it.

OK, I'll buy that. That makes some sense. And I do agree with other's sentiment that DT should have named himself as one who failed in that game between his dropped passes and his lacsidasical effort. And it really pissed me that he and Sanders were watching the Jumbotron instead of paying attention on the field. Given how hard Sanders always play, I'm more willing to give him a pass.

[flosstein]

This article has been bugging me all night and part of it just doesn't make any sense to me. So, the first statement is saying that some of the guys were looking past the Colts, and the second is some guys didn't want to play NE in NE. I don't understand how they relate to each other. Is he saying that they intentionally laid down against the Colts so they wouldn't have to go to NE? Or was he saying that they didn't take the Colts seriously enough and thought they would win easily against the Colts, hence the "looking past the Colts" statement.

But taken together, as cause and effect of why they lost to the Colts doesn't make sense to me. I don't get it. Maybe I'm being dense here, but it doesn't add up. If he's saying they intentionally laid down in order to not have to go into NE then I have a real problem with that but I just can't imagine anyone coming out and saying that. If he meant that they took the Colts lightly and thought they could win easily over the Colts because they beat them before and were more worried about NE, then I can buy that.

Anyway, it's been bothering me because it doesn't make sense at all. Maybe someone else can spell it out for me.

That's looking past the Colts tight there. They were thinking that it was a foregone conclusion that we were gonna walk past the Colts and into NE. Some were mentally disconnected from the Colts game and mentally psyching themselves out of the NE game. Instead of taking it one game at a time. Not that they laid down for the Colts game, but mentally unfocused on it.

[broncoslover115]

This article has been bugging me all night and part of it just doesn't make any sense to me. So, the first statement is saying that some of the guys were looking past the Colts, and the second is some guys didn't want to play NE in NE. I don't understand how they relate to each other. Is he saying that they intentionally laid down against the Colts so they wouldn't have to go to NE? Or was he saying that they didn't take the Colts seriously enough and thought they would win easily against the Colts, hence the "looking past the Colts" statement.

But taken together, as cause and effect of why they lost to the Colts doesn't make sense to me. I don't get it. Maybe I'm being dense here, but it doesn't add up. If he's saying they intentionally laid down in order to not have to go into NE then I have a real problem with that but I just can't imagine anyone coming out and saying that. If he meant that they took the Colts lightly and thought they could win easily over the Colts because they beat them before and were more worried about NE, then I can buy that.

Anyway, it's been bothering me because it doesn't make sense at all. Maybe someone else can spell it out for me.

[youmind]

Fox should have been fired after that Super Bowl. We were not prepared and made no adjustments...

[flosstein]

He dropped two pointless bubble screens and there was no point in staying in bounds at the end. The game was over. Was that next play gonna be the mythical 15pt play with less than 10 seconds remaining? Did he have a great game? No. But neither did anybody not named CJ Anderson.

Was it so much that he was outplayed by Davis or the fact that his QB couldn't get him the ball? Because just as with Sanders, there were several bad throws his way that would have normally been spot on and completed. When that happens, what do u want them to do? The defense is pressing the inside routes and the QB can't make the outside throws. How much more do you expect any of them to fight? When defeat is inevitable, you know it. You can cite how the Hags never gave up, but u can't compare them to us. Different coaching philosophy that is aggressive and relentless. And fresh young QB who can move and make plays with his feet. We had neither. The defense made some big stops in the 2nd half, but the offense couldn't capitalize. And it's not because DT dropped a bubble screen that would have resulted in a loss, him getting destroyed, or a 1-2 yard gain. It was the fact that we kept throwing bubble screens to begin with.

But his comments are pre-game centered. Guys were already checked out and scared to have to go to NE. I think that speaks volumes about the prior coaching staff and their approach to game prep. I think it was more about a lack of confidence than lack of "fire". And I think that confidence was gone long before this season even began. Which is why you can believe the reports that Elway wanted to fire Fox last February.

[captainbronco]

I dont disagree with his comments what i dont like is that ge didnt put any blame on himself there were a few plays where he had given up totally

[Slytherclaw]

we've had our differences discussing the QB position, but this speaks very poorly for Manning.

No desire. No fight. I doubt he'd say it, but I guarantee you Peyton was one that didn't want to go to Foxboro.

Oh please. The Manning bashing is just getting more and more incredible.

Peyton is the LAST person who would look past the Colts (or any team for that matter). Whether they would in theory go to NE or not would be the last thing on his mind - and he has won in NE, so he has no reason to fear it. It's the younger players who were likely doing this.