Posted in News on April 12th, 2012 at 1:15 PM
There is no doubt about it, Eric Decker was absolutely sincere in his recent interview with ESPN radio about Peyton Manning. Decker states, "The guy's still throwing the ball a long time, throwing it great, hitting you in the right spot." And if Decker was able to thrive with limited quarterback opportunities in 2011, he should explode with perhaps the best quarterback of his generation.
Among other things, Decker praised Manning's work ethic. Manning is a smart man and will come back ready to make up for his lost time. And it helps that Eric Decker is very similar to Manning's pal, Brandon Stokley. If Manning and Decker have anything close to the connection Manning and Stokley had, Denver fans should be in for a great ride.
For starters. Decker is better suited as a slot receiver. Though he has shown he has big-play ability, Manning loves his possession receivers. In 2011, Decker managed to start 13 games and was the team's leading receiver. The flashy play should be left to Demaryius Thomas and Decker should be Manning's security blanket.
Stokley is listed at 6'0'' and 192 lbs and Decker is listed at 6'3'' and 218 lbs. In Manning's record-setting 2004 season, Stokley was third on the depth chart and only started three games. Yet he managed 68 receptions for 1,077 yards and 10 touchdowns. Decker was the Broncos' leading receiver in 2011 with 44 receptions for 612 yards and eight touchdowns.
Stokley's and Decker's heights and weights aren't too far off from each other and both are solid receivers. If Stokely didn't even start and finished a season with over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns, there is no reason why Decker cannot have similar success.
The only thing really holding Decker back in 2011 was inconsistent quarterback play. He went from a passing quarterback in Kyle Orton to a quarterback in Tim Tebow, who maybe attempted 15 passes a game. Not that it was Tebow's fault for the play calling, but he rarely has the opportunity to sit back and throw. And when he did, Decker was usually making plays happen.
Coming off an injury, Decker should get along very well with Manning. Both will be inspired to recover and Manning spends a lot of time throwing to his receivers on his own time. In a new offense with new weapons, Manning and Decker are bound to spend countless hours working on their chemistry.
A team doesn't bring in a quarterback like Peyton Manning to stay a rush-first offense. Wideout Eric Decker had a very impressive sophomore season, but the team's leading receiver didn't even average three receptions per game. With Manning under center, Decker is bound to break out and be a big part of the offense and his statistics will show for it.
Eric Decker was able to make big plays downfield with very limited opportunities in 2011. With an established quarterback who has had enormous success with receivers similar to himself, there is no reason to believe Decker won't have a career year this season.
And since Decker is already spending loads of time with his new quarterback, the chemistry working is well underway.
Posted in News on January 19th, 2012 at 1:48 PM
Eric Decker walked through the Broncos' locker room at Dove Valley on Sunday afternoon, a white AFC West champions T-shirt and a black Sharpie marker in hand. One by one, Decker approached his teammates and asked for a signature.
Decker plans to have the shirt framed and keep it at his house as a permanent reminder of Denver's wild 2011 season.
"We accomplished some good things," said Decker, a second-year wide receiver.
Players arrived at Dove Valley less than 12 hours after their season ended in Foxborough, Mass., with an all-around disappointing performance in a 45-10 loss to New England in the divisional round of the playoffs.
The team plane didn't land at Denver International Airport until after 4 a.m., and
players were exhausted as they began the tedious process of cleaning out their lockers. Many players gathered together around a table on the offensive side of the locker room to watch the other AFC divisional playoff game between the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans before heading into a final full-squad meeting. Players also received their final physicals, and many received routine day-after-game medical treatment in the training room.
The sting of Saturday's loss remained fresh, and players tried to balance the frustration of a disappointing end to the season with the excitement of the ride from 1-4 at the bye week to a divisional title at 8-8.
"People think we should walk around with a smile on our face because we made the playoffs and won a playoff game," said cornerback Champ Bailey, a team captain. "But we came up short again. I don't have a whole lot of time left (as a player). We didn't win. So now we have to start all over again.
"That's not to say everybody should have their heads down. There's definitely a better feeling than last year because we know we're headed in the right direction."
The atmosphere at Dove Valley was dramatically different from locker-cleanout day at the end of 2010. Last year, players left the facility after a 4-12 season and facing a very uncertain future because of turnover on the coaching staff and the impending labor battle between the players and the league.
At least now, Broncos players feel like they have stability in the coaching staff and the front office, and the confidence that comes with winning nine games, including last week's wild-card playoff victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
"We had our ups and downs, more downs than ups. But we definitely overcame most of them," linebacker Joe Mays said. "By us having those downs, we became a close-knit team. That's one thing I love about this team — we never took no for an answer. We were going to try to outwork each person we played."
Lindsay H. Jones: 303-954-1262 or ljones@denverpost.com
Posted in News on December 15th, 2011 at 2:04 PM
by John Bena
USA Football has selected Denver Broncos wide receiver ERIC DECKER to its third annual USA Football All-Fundamentals Team, which honors 26 NFL players - 11 offense, 11 defense, four special teams - who exhibit exemplary football techniques for youth players to emulate.
USA Football's All-Fundamentals Team recognizes NFL players at each offensive and defensive position as well as four special teams positions. Employing proper technique, particularly when blocking and tackling, fosters better on-field performance and inherent safety benefits.
Decker has established himself as one the top receivers in the league because of his technique. Decker uses his hands, not his body, to catch passes. Even when a pass is high, he keeps his thumbs and index fingers together and secures the ball by tucking it close to his body after the catch.
USA Football, the sport's national governing body in the United States, is the official youth football development partner of the Broncos, the NFL and each of the league's other 31 teams.
Each player chosen for the All-Fundamentals Team will receive a $1,500 equipment grant from USA Football to donate to the youth or high school football program of his choice. USA Football also will present selected players with a custom-made Riddell helmet trophy.
Employing core football fundamentals advances a youth player's performance and safety, particularly in the areas of blocking and tackling. USA Football has educated more than 75,000 youth football coaches in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., through its online courses and single-day coaching clinics since 2006. Approximately 3 million American children age 6-14 play organized tackle football, placing it among the country's most popular youth sports.
The USA Football All-Fundamentals Team was assembled by a five-person selection committee:
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CHARLES DAVIS, USA Football spokesperson, football analyst for NFL Network and FOX Sports
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HERM EDWARDS, ESPN NFL analyst and former NFL head coach
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MERRIL HOGE, USA Football board member, ESPN NFL analyst and former NFL player
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JIM MORA, USA Football Tackle Advisory Committee member, former Falcons and Seahawks head coach
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CARL PETERSON, USA Football chairman, former NFL team executive and assistant coach
NFL game footage showing USA Football All-Fundamentals Team players' techniques is available at www.usafootball.com/all-fundamentals-team.
Posted in News on December 5th, 2011 at 2:50 PM
By Arnie Stapleton
The Associated Press
ENGLEWOOD - Eric Decker knew fewer passes were going to come his way with Tim Tebow at quarterback, even after All-Pro wide receiver Brandon Lloyd's trade opened up opportunities for a new top target to emerge in Denver.
Decker also figured his impact would only increase, and he was right.
The second-year rising star caught 22 passes in the five games Kyle Orton started for Denver and 17 in the six games Tebow has started.
He has eight TD catches, four from each.
He caught two in a win over Cincinnati in his first NFL start and two more in a loss at Green Bay before Orton was demoted, released and picked up by the Kansas City Chiefs.
With Denver's ground game churning up a league-best 208 yards a game behind Tebow - the Broncos averaged just 101.8 yards rushing with Orton under center - teams are stacking the box to slow down the quirky quarterback running the college-style read option and his trusty tailback, Willis McGahee.
That's left Decker in single coverage, and he's shown a knack for beating his man downfield for big gains and clutch catches that have been a major ingredient in Denver's 5-1 run since Tebow took over.
"He does have some deceptive speed, and he runs good routes, as well," said Minnesota coach Leslie Frazier, whose Vikings (2-9) host the Broncos (6-5) on Sunday. "But part of it is they're running the ball so effectively - the No. 1 rushing team in the league - that you commit so many people to the run and all of a sudden Eric is behind your secondary.
"Then you're kicking yourself, but you feel like you have to stop the run. Sometimes you're trying to do it with 10 or 11 people, and there he is behind your secondary."
While he still has some trouble handling the reverse spin from the lefty QB and often erratic placement of Tebow's throws, Decker keeps coming up big in crunch time despite some early drops.
"I try to make the most of the opportunities I get," he said. "Many don't come throughout the game, but you've got to stay up and stay ready for that chance. I think we need to do a better job, including myself, of executing (on) every single passing play we get because like I said, the opportunities are slim."
During the Broncos' 4-0 November, Decker caught a 27-yard TD throw that ignited a comeback win at Oakland, hauled in a perfectly thrown 56-yard pass for a touchdown that clinched a win at Kansas City and made an acrobatic grab for 39 yards Sunday at San Diego that set up the tying field goal in a game the Broncos won in overtime. He also caught an 18-yard TD pass against the Chargers.
More often than not, Decker finds himself using his 6-foot-3, 218-pound frame to block defensive backs in the run game.
"Everyone's bought into what we're doing as a very unselfish offense," Decker said. "We have a lot of receivers that could get more balls and more opportunities, and running backs with more carries. But when it comes down to it, we're winning football games. It doesn't matter how you're doing it. It is about the win and the loss."
Despite completing less than 50 percent of his passes, Tebow has eight touchdown throws to go with just one interception, the best ratio in the league over the last month and a-half.
"Although they're not passing the ball a lot in comparison to how most teams throw today ... you have to pay attention to the fact that they do throw the ball," Frazier said. "It's not just running the ball 60 consecutive plays. They have had some big plays and Eric has been one of the beneficiaries."
Decker said that despite Tebow's inability to complete even half of his passes in any of his appearances this year, his passing game is making progress.
"Yeah, I think every week we have taken several steps whether people see it or not. Tim's getting confident in his throwing ability, he's been confident in his receivers, his receivers understand to get in the right spots and what kind of ball Tim's going to throw," Decker said.
Decker, who starred at the Metrodome during his college career at Minnesota, could see double-duty as a returner Sunday with Eddie Royal (ankle, toe) ailing and Cassius Vaughn (broken leg) out.
The Broncos will fly out a day early and Decker seems like the only one in the locker room excited about getting to the Twin Cities on Friday night.
"It will be nice. I don't know what the weather's like right now, I'm sure it's pretty cold. That's one thing I don't miss," Decker said.
Notes: McGahee (illness) and Royal returned to practice on a limited basis Thursday, but LB Von Miller (thumb surgery) missed his second consecutive day of workouts. TE Daniel Fells (concussion) and S David Bruton (Achilles) practiced the entire time after being limited Wednesday. The practice was moved indoors with a snowstorm pounding Denver.
Posted in News on December 1st, 2011 at 2:23 PM
Reuters
He attended Rocori High School in Cold Spring before matriculating at the University of Minnesota and becoming a first-team All-Big Ten selection.
Now, he returns home as a conquering hero, of sorts.
"For me, personally, it will mean a lot to go play in front of your home state," Decker said. "At the same time, this game is more important for us at a team. We're on a roll with a chance at playoff contention. So it means a lot for us."
Decker has emerged as the Denver Broncos No. 1 receiving option in the wake of Brandon Lloyd's trade to St. Louis. His eight receiving TDs are tied with New England's Wes Welker for the most in the AFC. Decker's added a ninth score on a 90-yard punt return to rank in a tie for seventh overall among non-kickers with his 54 points.
Decker played as a rookie at the Metrodome in a preseason game. But that was only a glimpse of a player he would become.
At the time, Decker still was feeling the after-effects of a serious Lisfranc fracture that ended his college career, followed by a pair of high-ankle sprains suffered in his first training camp.
And while Decker was on the uptick as his rookie season closed, finishing with six catches and contributing on kickoff returns, he spent his offseason making sure he could make both that mental and physical jump to his current cusp of pro stardom.
Decker began his offseason with rehab at Denver's Dove Valley training facility to strengthen his foot. The process continued in Arizona, where he worked on getting in peak shape. He then joined a group of pros at a camp organized by Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald in Minneapolis that, Decker said, "pushed him to the limit" with a slew of speed work and route running.
Decker then joined his Broncos teammates in sessions organized by Denver safety Brian Dawkins, preceding training camp.
"It starts with confidence -- confidence physically, knowing my foot is healed up and I had a good offseason to prepare for training camp. And it's helped mentally to know that you don't have to go out there and worry about your foot and whether it's going to give or not. I'm also more comfortable in the playbook, not thinking so much out there and just reacting. That's what football is."
Family and friends will be on hand to greet Decker when the Broncos take on the 2-9 Vikings in search of their fifth straight victory.
But as Decker looks around the stadium surroundings he may have some flashbacks, too. Decker was on hand in 1998 when Atlanta stunned Minnesota, 30-27, to reach the Super Bowl after Vikings kicker Gary Anderson missed his first field goal all season with 2:07 left in regulation, allowing Morten Andersen to kick the game-winner in overtime.
"It still haunts me to this day," Decker said with a smile.
--For all of his well-documented faults throwing the football, quarterback Tim Tebow actually flashed better accuracy downfield from the pocket Sunday.
He went 5-for-10 on passes of 10 yards or more, helped by an inordinate amount of time to throw. The Chargers often rushed three and dropped a spy to guard against the quarterback's rushing ability.
Tebow carried a NFL-worst 26 percent completion rate on passes in excess of 10 yards prior to Sunday, yet he stuck some of those longer throws in the 16-13 overtime win in San Diego.
There was the stutter-go TD to Eric Decker off an initial screen fake; a bullet up the middle of the field to tight end Daniel Fells; a well-placed low toss that Matt Willis caught with a dive blanketed by a Chargers defender; an improvised cross-field toss to Decker for a game-high 39-yard gain; and tight end Dante Rosario's two-handed leap for 23 yards, setting up Denver in the red zone for Matt Prater's tying field goal in regulation.
"He's getting better every week. I really believe that," Decker said. "I think he's getting more confident with himself and with his receivers, and I think that translates to throwing the ball better."
Tebow still takes off too quickly, and he completed only nine of 18 passes for 143 yards overall. His 22 runs were the most by a quarterback in a game since at least 1950.
But if the Broncos' judgment of Tebow lies heavily on the progress he makes with his arm, there was a noticeable step forward Sunday -- despite a continuation of poor third-down numbers (five of 16, 31 percent).
"He's been protecting the ball very well, not turning it over, and that always gives you a chance," coach John Fox said of Tebow, who now has no turnovers in his last 122 touches.
And, relating to Tebow's passing, Fox said, "He's getting a better feel. The old adage is the more you do it, the better you get."
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