DISQUS

BroncoTalk - Denver Broncos blog and news: Tony Scheffler: The Tight End Effect

  • Kyle · 1 year ago
    Those are some awesome stats, East. Just wanted to say well done!
  • E. Halsey Miles · 1 year ago
    It's not just tight ends. Scheffler provides a dynamic to the offense that neither Graham nor Jackson can reproduce. Clearly we've put Jackson in the same situations we put Scheffler in, but Jackson hasn't proven himself to be dangerous enough to provide extra attention.

    But when Scheff brushes off a jam from a linebacker at the line and streaks out on a go route, the linebacker can't keep up and , a safety *has* to get over and that will leave one of the outside receivers on an island. And we know both Royal and Marshall can beat single coverage. The net result is that either Scheff is open or a receiver has a higher probability of being open.

    That also makes at least one safety key on what Scheffler does, which can open up other aspects. It becomes very hard to double cover Brandon Marshall when you have to worry about Scheffler, and we know that Marshall gets open when there's only single coverage, but not so much in double coverage. He's good, but he's not quite Steve Smith good in that sense.
  • sirsam · 1 year ago
    Good news too...Sheffler fully participated in practice Wednesday!
  • (stuck in) raiderland · 1 year ago
    I think East is dead-on about the value of Mr. Scheffler, but I'd add one much less elegant, way-too-obvious, but important point: Cutler just likes throwing to Scheffler. It's only natural for quarterbacks to have one or two guys they "click" with, and it's been evident from Day 1 that Scheffler, more than any other player, has been that guy for Cutler. Xs and Os and stats are important, but that sort of individual connection/chemistry sometimes trumps all of that.
  • GreasyQtip · 1 year ago
    I love stats, good stuff
  • Michael · 1 year ago
    I would like to see a breakdown of Cutlers stats on when Scheffler is on the field compared to when he is not. I bet his QB rating is at least 10 points lower, completion % is probably a few points lower and I bet his TD:INT ratio suffers as well.
  • Patrick · 1 year ago
    Good point East.
  • broncobear · 1 year ago
    When Marshall catches 60 yards or more: 3-3
    When Royal catches for 60 yards or more: 2-3
    When Scheffler catches for 60 yards or more: 4-0
    Brilliant stat, brother. For whatever reason, Cutler is far more comfortable with his big receiver friend out there. The addition of With Cheese to the collection of Marshall, Stokley and Scheffler is a nightmare for DCs. Here's to a fine young player and the wins he brings us.
  • MikeY55 · 1 year ago
    good post... its no secret that when we lost all of our weapons to injuries we suffered greatly.. i think KC is the only game that we lost when we had everyone.. and also since they've been back and have had time to reconnect with cutler because 3 of his last 4 interceptions were on jay throwing one way and the receiver running the other..time should fix that..If you watched the miami game jays first 2 were both to stokley and he broke on something jay obviously didn't see. the 3rd one was all jay bad pass after being frustrated by a terrible call. and then the one to marshall vs cleveland. so if were on time Interceptions come down touchdowns go up i hope soo!!!
  • E. Halsey Miles · 1 year ago
    I don't think it's just the Cutler-Scheffler rapport. I think it's that Scheffler causes serious match up problems which exposes a defense in ways that Nate Jackson and Daniel Graham cannot do.
  • Mark in Carolina · 1 year ago
    excellent job - makes perfect sense, and shefflers importance in making this all work is something that I hadn't considered.
  • precisiontint · 1 year ago
    Great post. Graham has played well in his absence. If Jay wasn't so against the checkdown, this position coul have better numbers overall. It is awesome that he is back in the lineup. I hope he stays in for the rest of the season. Don't forget about the position if he does not.
  • (stuck in) raiderland · 1 year ago
    E. Halsey-
    I'm with you, it's not just their rapport, I'm just saying that's part of it too. I think another guy with equal talent or who created similar matchup problems wouldn't necessarily do the same thing for the offense that Scheff does b/c of the way he clicks with Cutler. But I think East's point is very well taken.
  • East · 1 year ago
    Michael - That's a really good point, and you've just given me another idea for an article. I'll research the numbers and post them later on.

    E. Halsey - You're definitely right about Tony Scheffler being a mismatch. Scheffler was the second fastest TE of the 06' combine only to Vernon Davis who ran an ungodly 4.38 (Vick ran a 4.36). Scheffler ran a 4.54 which makes him faster than most of the linbebackers out there such as Atlanta's Tony Gilbert who runs a 4.79. Scheffler however has to compete with the speed of faster safties (ATL's Lawyer Milloy - 4.46 & Thomas Decoud - 4.48), however his size dominates the safties which causes exactly what you said... a mismatch.
  • Thomas · 1 year ago
    I can't wait to see Scheff back at 100%. We don't even need stats to realize how important he is to Jay and this offense.
  • Jon Krause · 1 year ago
    *When Broncos starting RB get 100 or more rush yards: 137-0-2
  • Thomas · 1 year ago
    Pittman had over 100 rushing yards against Jacksonville and we lost.
  • MikeY55 · 1 year ago
    pretty sure we lost more of clinton portis hundred yard games then won... haha not sure how true that is but we lost quite a few
  • flbronc · 1 year ago
    i'd be interested in learning of the games we won with more emphasis on the te, were we playing from behind the whole game? or were they games that we had to come back (the only one i know for certain was cleveland we came from behind).

    i think that jay has a tendency to jam the ball into marshall and a lesser degree royal when we play from behind. marshall is our 'threat' where sheff is jay's 'safe' throw. i think that when we play from behind he feels like he has to find the threat on the field at all times.

    someone mentioned the check down factor also. jay doesnt do it much- especially when we are down or the run game isnt a factor in keeping the defense from pass rushing. when we are running the ball and have play action he is much better at going through the progressions and finds the sheff mismatch to be open and delivers the ball.
  • Michael · 1 year ago
    East { 11.14.08 at Fri Nov 14 10:31 })
    Michael - That’s a really good point, and you’ve just given me another idea for an article. I’ll research the numbers and post them later on.

    Awesome, I'll definietly be looking forward to seeing what comes out of that. I would do it but don't really have any way to or the attention span to get it done.