October 7, 2008 10:56 PM

Broncos Inbox -- Oct. 8

Welcome, the Broncos Inbox is open and leading off is a request from Kris who wondered . . .

Q: In your September 26th article . . . you wrote of Ryan Torain, "At the time, he steadily was moving up the team's depth chart, with Shanahan saying, before any preseason games had been played, that Torain was headed toward being the team's starter." Could you please provide me with date and context (and preferably a link) for this as I am unable to find any reference of Shanahan saying this on the Internet?

A: Kris raises a good point and I included it this week because it also speaks to a question many, many folks - in fact it was easily the leading topic of interest among those who e-mailed this week -- about an increased role for Michael Pittman at running back as well.

So I thought it best to consider these two things together because soon it will be an issue for the Broncos to deal with. Torain, Mike Shanahan said, could return to practice next week and could play at least some against the Dolphins Nov. 2 - the Broncos' first game after the bye week.

But Shanahan has said, to me and others as well, many times that Torain was on pace to be a starting running back before his elbow injury in training camp that has kept on the sideline since. When Torain was hurt Shanahan said; "He's one of the most gifted running backs I've been around, and I've been around for a long time, very similar to Terrell Davis when he came in.''

He then added when asked directly if Torain could have been the starter in the season opener with the way things had been going - he was already taking practice reps as the No. 2 back at times when he was injured; "Yes, he had a chance, a good chance, to be the starting tailback.'' He also said Torain, who was the Broncos fifth-round draft pick in this past April's draft, was a "first-round talent.''

All direct quotes and all the kind of praise none of the other team's backs were getting at that time. And you raise the issue at a time when Torain is about to enter what will be an even more crowded mix with what Pittman has done.

Especially since Selvin Young, currently the team's starter does lead the team with a 5.7 yards per carry average and the only back on the roster right now with a run over 18 yards in the first five games, but scouts around the league still say he isn't running with the explosiveness he did last season. They say he looks hesitant at times.

Which may be why when the Broncos needed a first down this past Sunday to close out a game, it was Pittman in the backfield in a single-back look. Pittman had back-to-back 6-yard runs and the Broncos ran out the clock in a three-point game.

The fact Pittman was in there at that time is significant. He is also already the team's third-down back, which tells you right away he is the most trusted pass protector among the running backs, because the third-down back has to be able to pick up the blitzer and react correctly and quickly to what he sees at the line of scrimmage.

Pittman is also the short-yardage back as well and leads the team in rushing touchdowns with four. But he showed himself Sunday to be the guy running with the most passion at this point.

So, he'll be getting more carries overall, at least Shanahan said Monday that Pittman had certainly earned a look for more work. So with Torain coming back and Pittman poised for more carries, it's likely Young and Andre Hall will see their workload decrease as a result of that.

And it's clear, because of the fact Hall plays on kickoff coverage and is the team's kickoff returner as well, there is at least one scenario where Young could even be a gameday inactive when all of the backs are finally in the mix. Especially since a recovering Torain has been a gameday inactive in every game this season, leaving three running backs and one fullback among the gameday roster of 45 players.

Pittman is the backup fullback as well.

Dennis Smythe in Highlands Ranch leads a two-pack about the defense . . .

Q: How about addressing what we can expect from Slowik in terms of stepping up the line play? Is there really a flash potential available to turn things around?

A: All of the above is the answer. Tampa had not surrendered a sack in two consecutive games before the Buccaneers arrived in Denver and had attempted over 90 passes in those two games.

The Broncos had three sacks and had a fourth negated by a penalty. They used more blitzes than they had previously this season and used the three-man line more than they had previously this season - 17 snaps alone in the first half, even more than that after halftime.

And they generated some quality pressure, at one point even blitzing cornerback Champ Bailey. Bailey knocked Brian Griese out of the game.

And given the Buccaneers didn't throw a single pass at Bailey in the game and that is a strategy other teams have taken in dealing with him as well, that is something the Broncos could do more of with some potential for success.

It would give Bailey a chance to impact a game when offenses are doing everything they can to keep the ball away from him. Now every team won't go that route - the Chargers' threw at him plenty in Week 2 - but those that do should see Bailey in a pass rush mode from time to time.

The Broncos also flipped Elvis Dumervil at times from his usual right defensive end spot to the left defensive end. And instead of seeing a left tackle in front of him - usually the quickest of any team's offensive linemen -- Dumervil got to go against a right tackle and right tackles are used to more power rushers and are built that way themselves.

So Dumervil had a sack, forced a holding penalty and forced two false starts - all against Buccaneers right tackle Jeremy Trueblood.

The biggest key, however, for the Broncos pass rush is to continue to try and improve their work against the run on early downs. Force an offense into situations like second-and-8 and third-and-6 and it makes it more predictable.

Makes it easier to go after the quarterback because the percentages favor you significantly.

So the Broncos, who still surrendered more than six yards a carry to the Buccaneers, have to continue to improve against the run, especially first-down runs. That will help their pass rush maintain the advantage, because then a defense is rushing from strength.

It can be more aggressive and has a better chance of getting there.

Also, the Broncos, like any team now five games into the season, aren't suddenly going to be able to find two or three impact rushers on the street. There aren't any of those guys out there.

They have to continue to make do with what they have.

There is one school of thought that they were last in the league in pass defense playing it safe so they really have nothing to lose trying to be more aggressive. However, this week Jacksonville's quarterback -- David Garrard -- moves far better than Griese so the Broncos will have to be a little more disciplined in their rush lanes to keep Garrard hemmed in.

And Robert Hill asked . . .

Q: I have watched all the Broncos games this season and it appears they are struggling to run the ball. Is this by design or the result of the offensive line not being able to zone block yet? These games where the leading rusher (finishing) with 39 yards . . . will not win you games in December or January when the wind is 30 miles per hour and it's cold. Should we expect more of this because passing is Jay Cutler's strong point much like New England, Indy and Philly who pass 60% of the time?

A: Your eyes have not deceived you thus far. So far this team, going into the Buccaneers game, had been throwing at a 60 percent clip for the season, easily the highest percentage of any season in Shanahan's tenure as coach.

This is the breakdown, with the year and percentage of passing plays:

2008* 60.0
2007 52.8
2006 46.7
2005 45.1
2004 48.7
2003 45.7
2002 52.4
2001 49.4
2000 51.0
1999 52.6
1998 47.2
1997 48.0
1996 49.1
1995 56.0
*After four games.

After the Sunday's win against the Tampa the Broncos are still at 59 percent - 58.95 to be exact - which would still be the highest of Shanahan's tenure as coach.

Given the nature of things down the stretch when the games get more important for the teams in the playoff hunt, things usually tighten up a bit around the league and most teams in the hunt have to reel it in. Also the Broncos do play outside in New England, Cleveland, Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands and at Carolina in the coming weeks.

All are known for either poor field conditions (Carolina from time to time) or difficult weather - the other three. So the Broncos are going to have to lean on the running game at some point.

But as we addressed earlier they may feel more comfortable doing that when Torain is back in the lineup because then they will have significant depth at the position with Torain and three players who have started games at running back in the league in Pittman, Young and Hall.

History has repeatedly shown eventually a passing team will have to run to win the biggest games - the Colts won the Super Bowl to close out the '06 season with 191 yards rushing and New England likely would have won a Super Bowl to close out '07 if it would have been more committed to pounding the ball.

The Patriots rushed for just 45 yards on only 16 carries on a day when they couldn't protect quarterback Tom Brady.

Yet nothing in the game protects a quarterback better than a productive run game and nothing slows down a pass rush like having to worry about getting pounded over and over again by a running back.

People always use the example of the 1999 Rams as the example of the wide open passing team that won it all, but that team played its home games and all of its playoff games as well as the Super Bowl in a dome.

Also they had Marshall Faulk, a future Hall of Famer, who changed the dynamic for a defense because Faulk could do everything and when the Rams wanted to run the ball Faulk repeatedly made defenses pay and he was likely the most dangerous player on the field.

And in reality the '99 Rams threw the ball 50.2 percent of the time - far less than most people would guess in hindsight - and Faulk finished the year with 253 carries.

Really, too, I don't see a comparable player, or anyone even close, to Faulk from any of these teams trying to hurl it around in the 60 percent area. They are often doing it out of a lack of confidence in a run game rather than the conscious decision that it's the way to win a championship.

Again, history has shown too many times, especially for a team that plays its games outside and has a prospect of home playoff games in a cold-weather climate, that eventually the running game will have to drive the offense.

People in the league have continually fought that thought over the years without much real, long-term success.

For the Broncos, for example, they are 1-9 in games since the start of the 2005 season, including their only loss this season - in Kansas City - in games where they ran the ball 22 times or less.

In that span they won a 23-carry game - in Pittsburgh in the 2006 season - but it took a 72-yard touchdown on an end around from then-wide receiver Javon Walker to get the 23rd carry.

The Broncos, who have finished among the league's top 10 in rushing 11 times Shanahan's previous 13 seasons as head coach, are currently 14th in the league and have not had a 100-yard rushing game from any of their backs.

So, they are going to have to run the ball better if they are going to turn the 4-1 start into something bigger.

And as we put in the paper this past Saturday in the three years the team at least advanced to the AFC Championship Game under Shanahan - 2005, 1998 and 1997 - they threw on 45, 47 and 48 percent of their offensive snaps.

That's far less than 60 percent, or 58.95 percent, of the time.

That's it and thanks.

--Jeff Legwold

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