On if QB Josh McCown made it through practice yesterday:
"Yeah, he took all his reps. You can still tell he's a little sore but we're confident he'll be good to go on Sunday."
On how LB Scott Solomon played through his knee injury and how tough it is to lose him to another injury:
"He gutted through it probably a lot of that was adrenaline. It's unfortunate for Scott because of how much he invested in this offseason and then to get hurt in the first game the way he did, to work his way back and then to have another injury. You feel for the kid. He came and talked to me yesterday and it's tough for a guy like that who's put so much into it and just to have the season go the direct opposite way that you thought it would go,"
On if Solomon needs surgery:
"I think they're going to let it quiet down a little bit and make a determination from there."
On Broncos QB Peyton Manning's lows numbers against the Browns:
"I think every situation's different. It's all different defenses and match ups and weather conditions. I don't think you can look much into it. I just know having gone against him he's always been ultra-prepared and had a great deal of success. You have to have a lot of things go right for you and play well at a lot of positions to have success against him."
On if he looks at what has worked against Manning in the past when planning for Sunday:
"Usually, you look back and anytime you're getting ready for an opponent you always want to see who has had success against them. If the numbers jump out at you too like 'hey this team held them to half their normal yardage and very few points' At times you'll go back and look at it or if you know the coordinator. Guys share information this is a copycat league. What you don't want to do is try to be somebody that you're not. If you find a concept that another team used against them and you have something that's close to it or something that you do, you certainly can incorporate more of it, that makes sense. Let's just say for example, we don't play a lot of Tampa two. We have it but we don't play a lot of it and if some team, that's all they ran against them I don't think that would be wise for us to take that mindset just because that's not who we are. But if somebody has done some things that are close and they're applicable – same with the other side of the ball, people say it's a copycat league its true."
On an update on RB Robert Turbin:
"Yeah he looks good. He was close last week. I think in a pinch he could have gone but we wanted to get him 100% and I think he's right close to that now, this week. Today will be a big day for him being in pads. We'll see how it goes and then at some point tomorrow we'll just determine, 'What does he know? What's his comfort zone?' You hate to have him just – having been here and observing it and walking through it is one thing but actually practicing it and repping it is another thing. You look back at his past, what is he comfortable doing? You ask him that. You have some interaction and then I think you give him a little bit. Put some on his plate but don't give him all of it. We'll make that determination as the week winds down."
On if DB Tashaun Gipson's results this season are due to him not being with the team during OTA's:
"I don't because when he got here and once he started to go he was playing at a very high level. We gave him a game ball against Tennessee. He was dialed in. Where we were most pleased with where he was mentally. He took a big step from a year ago, just understanding better the checks and being on the same page with his near corner, being on the same page with the safety that's opposite where he was lined up. I don't see a connection."
On if DB Joe Haden is still in concussion protocol:
"Yes."
On the offense ranking third in efficiency on third downs:
"First its preparation. I think we have a good understanding going in what we're going to get. Then I think Flips done a good job coordinating it. Some of the third downs we've converted have been longer and I'm sure we're above the league average at third and eight plus. We've done a good job with it, it's all little things. Gotten open, ran good routes, caught the ball. We've been accurate with the football. You want to talk about success offensively, the ability to steal a couple third downs especially the longer ones I think is a key part of it."
On how much stock he puts into comments that Manning's physical game may be dwindling while the mental thrives:
"We're not putting a lot of stock into it. I know what's being put out there and you can pull clips to try to support that but its Peyton Manning we're talking about. As I said yesterday it's like having the coordinators playing on the field against you. He has the ability to if he recognizes something get out of a bad play, maximize their chances for success. He's got play makers that can do damage after they catch the ball. We're not putting much stock into the 'he's dropped off.'
On if the Broncos defense is the best they have faces so far:
"Yeah that's a fair statement. The statistics back it up, I think they're number one overall. They've played at a high level. I talked about it yesterday just, fundamentally sound. They do some good things scheme wise. They don't do a ton but they don't have to. They're so good at what they do but they do all – I always talk about the little things and this is a team you really get deep into the film, they do a lot of little things well."
On what it is going to take to play well against the Broncos defense:
"Laser focus to start with. We have to understand what we are up against. We talk about every play matters. We can't relax for a second. You do that against this team and you are looking at second and 18. It starts with that. It starts with understanding our plan inside and out. Also, know that if we execute it doesn't matter who we are playing against. When our guys do their job they know that we can have a positive play. We are very respectful of who they are and what they have done so far, but we are not intimidated by it."
On if OL Cameron Erving is only used on one side of the line as an extra lineman and would he consider putting him on the side where Broncos LB Von Miller lines up:
"We don't have it set up. Maybe it has worked out that way. Sometimes Flip (offensive coordinator John DeFilippo) will call a play based on the hash mark. He will want a formation to the field or vice versa he will want it to the boundary. I think it is more of a coincidence that he has ended up next to (OL) Joe (Thomas). As I have said before, Cam is doing a good job for us. We want to find ways to use him and use him a little bit more. Against edges like this there certainly could be a part for him in this plan."
On DB Don Jones role:
"(Special teams) is what he has been primarily and I think that is what we will look to first. I think anytime – especially a player at that position, which has a lot to learn. You are bringing in a guy midseason it is very difficult to get him reps there unless you package it and it is very tight. We will start teams first and see where he is and what he knows from other systems that he has played in and how he can apply it here and see if we can accelerate that learning curve."
On if he expects DB Tashaun Gipson to practice;
"Do not expect him to practice today."
On LB Craig Robertson' status:
"He's progressing well. He is at the stage where he is close to being able to run. That is a positive."
On getting the running game going:
"(Denver's) strength is rushing the passer, defending the pass – we have to be very mindful of it. Just because of the success we had throwing the football last weekend, as I have said before, we hit the reset button every week and what do we need in this plan and we need to be able to run the ball effectively. We were able to run the ball effectively in the second half against Baltimore and that opened some things up for us. You have to strike some type of balance, but I like that there is comfort knowing that we have the flexibility that we can swing toward either end. We are not going to limit either end, but I think if you have the flexibility that you can swing that way when the gameplan calls for it then you are maximizing your chance to being successful."
On what made McCown limited in practice yesterday:
"Cutting down some of his stuff in individual period."
On what makes Broncos OLB Von Miller tough to pass protect against:
"The explosiveness. He has a great get-off. His reaction time to the ball being snapped. If a tackle is slow out of his stance – that is one of the reasons we are glad we have them at home. If you play them there you are in trouble when the tackle and him are getting off at the same time on a silent count. It is a touch easier at home when you know the snap count and he doesn't. It starts with that. He is very good with his hands. He has a great sense for how tackles are setting him. If he gets under set then he can dip and bend the edge better than most I have ever seen. Then if he gets over set, whether he spins inside or rips across and comes underneath. He just has a great feel for when to turn the corner and when to come underneath. They do a good job schematically that they protect him either way. Any great pass rusher you want to give them a two-way go and they do that for him and he is exceptional."
