I'm going to agree to disagree and agree in some aspects of the game.
The Good:
Cassius Marsh - He's going to be a beast at defensive end. His ability to get off blocks and track the ball was extremely good, especially for a 260 lb guy that was being used as an interior lineman. Denver was getting some nice runs on the left side of our defense in the 2nd half, but they were shut down running to the right side of our defense and Marsh's ability to disrupt the backfield and control the LOS was a major reason for that. He exhibited a great first step, great ball tracking and got to the QB on a repeated basis as a DT. I want to see what he can do from the defensive end position and I'm not too worried about his broken tackle on Osweiler. Osweiler broke a few tackles, so he may be better at avoiding tackles and staying on his feet than some give him credit for.
AJ Jefferson - Where did this guy come from and is his ankle going to be a major setback? Outstanding performance from this kid. Either stuck on his man and didn't have the ball thrown his way or he gave enough space to bait the QB into a throw and closed on the ball to make the play. Love this kid's ability to locate the ball and close on it. Hope his ankle isn't a major setback. I want to see how he fares against starters.
Paul Richardson - Not worried that we didn't use him a lot as a deep threat in this game. We already know he's a deep threat. We needed to find out if he could run the routes and make the catches in the short to intermediate passing game. He did well at that and didn't have any drops. I now have a lot more confidence in his ability to play X or slot efficiently as an every down receiver.
Brock Coyle - Great instincts, great ball tracking skills, good speed and agility, and a good hitter. Also a factor on special teams. I'm comfortable with him as a backup, but I would like to see him improve on wrapping up and clamping down on the tackles a little more. Hits well, but he doesn't stick on some tackles because he doesn't get a good wrap. Not sure if it's technique or if it's just because he has short arms. Could be a little of both.
Bronson - Looks like a really solid between the tackle runner, but hands are obviously a concern and I'm skeptical of him as a pass blocker. Looked more explosive and quick than Ware, but looks smallish and the drop made me cringe. Ware looks less explosive, but I do like the fact that he seems to power between the tackles for positive yards when he carries the ball and he doesn't seem to go down easily off first contact. Shows decent balance, which is an area Michael and Turbin have been struggling with.
THE BAD:
O-Line - The young guys have a lot of work to do. Denver's defense was getting in the backfield way too much, some due to missed assignments, some due to our young guys not being quick enough off the snap to get a good block on their man and getting physically beat. All in all - not horrible because it's about what I'd expect from a preseason offensive line, but these guys need to get quicker off the snap and develop better awareness of their assignments. Hate to indict a player, but Isles did not look like he belonged on the field... Sloppy, weak at the point of attack and he looks out of shape.
Turbin and Michael - Spent too much time trying to beat the defense to the outside and getting tackled at the LOS vs. running with balance, being physical and taking a crease for a 4-5 yard gain. Both of these guys need to develop better balance and be more willing to take the tough gains in the creases vs. trying to beat a defense to the outside with their speed. They both appear to shy away from contact vs. lowering their pad level and running between the blocks. Michael and Turbin both need to show more physicality or we're going to have a real hard decision when Lynch's contract comes up.
Jackson & Pryor - Not horrible, but I did see both of them throwing off their back foot too much for my liking and not stepping into their throws when they had the space to step into a throw. Just bad footwork inside the pocket in general. Also don't like seeing Pryor get as deep on the scramble as he does. Seems like he runs 10 yards backwards on the scramble before he starts running forward. He needs to shorten up how far he drops on the scramble and move more laterally, so he's not trying to make up 15 yards to get back to the LOS when he gets outside the pocket. I like the arm strength of our QBs and the deep ball accuracy, but both of these guys could be a lot better if they settle down and step into their throws more.
THE UGLY:
Tharold Simon - I can only shake my head... What were you thinking? Breno and Tate were integral players on this team, but they were also the two most penalized players on this team. They're no longer with the team. That should be something to consider before you do something boneheaded like taking a swipe at another player after the play is dead, regardless of what the player did or said. Keep your composure at all times.
Our backup Defensive line - Outside of Marsh, our backups on the D-Line were just uninspiring to me. They just didn't seem to get much push, disrupt the backfield or control the line of scrimmage that well. We seemed to lose gap control along the left side of our defensive line a lot, looked slow in pursuit, didn't close on the ball well. The play of our backup defensive line needs to get more explosive.
Secondary - minus Sherman, who wasn't targeted at all - our starting safeties and AJ Jefferson; Most of the guys in our secondary were giving up way too much cushion and they weren't closing on the ball well. They were allowing receivers to catch and weren't closing fast enough to prevent the receivers from gaining YAC. They weren't closing on the RBs and they weren't sticking on their tackles. Overall... Most of the young guys in our secondary really need to tighten up in coverage and do a better job of sticking on the wrap. The number of broken tackles and/or missed tackles was a bit concerning.
Tight Ends - When Cooper Helfet looks like the most explosive Tight End on our roster.... Ouch... I'm really hoping Miller and Willson kick it up a notch. They just didn't seem to create any separation on their routes and the run blocking seemed soft on the edges. I hope this was just a 1st preseason game type of deal where they're trying not to go all out and risk injuring themselves or we have problems at the TE position.
