Joseph looks to use workouts vs. Chicago for evaluations
The monotony of training camp for the Broncos will be eliminated Wednesday and Thursday when they host the Chicago Bears for joint practices leading into Saturday’s preseason game.
The first session (9:30 a.m.) is the final practice of training camp open to fans.
“Getting to play them for two days before the big game is going to really tell us a lot about who we are as a team,” inside linebacker Todd Davis said after practice Tuesday. “I’m excited to see how we come out of it.”
Coach Vance Joseph said the practices will be “huge” in helping his staff make personnel evaluations.
“You watch our defense vs. our offense and our defense has seen the plays for almost three weeks (and) it’s easy for them,” Joseph said. “To see a different scheme, to play against a different body type, that’s going to be huge for our team.”
The Broncos practiced at San Francisco last August, and Joseph said it would be “great” to have two sets of practices next year. Several teams are working together this season, including the Los Angeles Rams-Baltimore and Detroit-Oakland last week and the New York Jets-Washington, New York Giants-Detroit, TennesseeTampa Bay, Baltimore-Indianapolis, JacksonvilleMinnesota and HoustonSan Francisco this week.
The Jets and Redskins had multiple fights and scuffles during their three practices in Richmond, Va. Joseph wants to avoid that.
“We’ve talked several times about the structure of practice and the temperament of practice,” Joseph said of Bears coach Matt Nagy. “We want to have great work. Obviously, you watch the news, (and) a bunch of fighting is occurring. Let’s get good work (in) on both sides of the ball, be good professionals and not fight. It’s as simple as that: Not fight.”
Like the Broncos, Chicago uses a 3-4 base defensive front, and like the Broncos, Chicago is installing a new offense.
“It’s a multiple offense with great weapons,” Joseph said. “Defensively, they’re really, really good.”
Special teams also benefits from the practices.
“They’re great,” specialteams coordinator Tom McMahon said. “We’ll work (on) protections one day, we’ll work our punt return game one day and then on kickoff cover and return we’ll be able to get one-onone situations.”