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Exclusive Interview With Broncos Hall Of Famer, Gary Zimmerman

Kim Constantinesco — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:38:37 +0000

Gary Zimmerman helped guide the Denver Broncos to their first Super Bowl Championship in 1997. As a left tackle who protected John Elway and created running space for Terrell Davis to work, Zimmerman was the unsung hero of that team. NFL.com put together a great video of his Hall of Fame career:

Zimmerman will join Kellen Winslow (HOF class of ’95) on Sunday at the Broncos-Chargers game to voice their choice for the Hall of Fame Class of 2010. This is part of The Van Heusen Pro Football Hall of Fame Fan’s Choice program which is,

“The first-ever dedicated forum for pro football fans to “voice their choice” and cast their ballot by voting for the players, coaches and contributors they believe deserve to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2010. Onsite fans will have the opportunity to:

Interact with Hall of Fame greats

Vote for their choice for the Class of 2010

Check out memorabilia from the Pro Football Hall of Fame

The event is from noon until kickoff in Lot C at Invesco Field. Zimmerman and Winslow will participate in a panel discussion about prospects for the class of ’10 and interact with fans.

I had the opportunity to speak with Gary Zimmerman this afternoon to get his thoughts on his career, former teammates, and the current Broncos team.

Becoming a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame is a huge accomplishment. Zimmerman joined this exclusive group in 2008 when he entered with Art Monk, Darrell Green, Fred Dean, Emmitt Thomas, and Andre Tippett. According to Zimmerman, “It validated my career…In my own mind, I gave it my best shot every time I took the field.” He says as time goes by, he appreciates the accomplishment much more than when he was first inducted.

Shannon Sharpe, Terrell Davis, Steve Atwater, and Karl Mecklenburg are former Broncos that played with Zimmerman, and are also on this year’s Hall of Fame ballot. I asked Zimmerman to say a few words about each of these players.

He said Shannon Sharpe was a fierce competitor who was fun to play with. “He could talk so well that it broke up the monotony…He will probably be the next Bronco to go in.”

Zimmerman says, “Terrell Davis had a promising career that ended short because of a knee injury. He could have set all kinds of records. He took a lot of heat off John [Elway] because he could explode through the middle at any time.”

Even though Steve Atwater was on the other side of the ball, Zimmerman says, “He was a great guy in the locker room, a great leader…He brought the wood…hit people hard.”

Zimmerman spoke very highly of Karl Mecklenburg. He said “Karl had a horseshoe in his helmet, and never took a down off. He forced me to work hard in practice…He was a great player, but doesn’t have the stats…”

Zimmerman played left tackle for the Broncos from ’93-’97. Traditionally, the left tackle position was just another position on the offensive line. Today, it is one of the most important positions on offense. Most QBs in the league are right handed, so they need someone strong on the left side to protect their blindspot. Most teams are right handed, and so the left tackle usually goes up against the best pass rusher. According to Zimmerman, “It only took one hit, and your season could be over,” when referring to the possibility of John Elway taking a hard hit and being lost for the season. Talk about non-direct pressure.

When I asked Zimmerman who the best defensive linemen were that he faced he said, “Every week, they’re all tough. Derrick Thomas in Kansas City because of the noise factor. At home, he was more manageable…Richard Dent, Charles Haley, Chris Doleman who I played with in Minnesota. Games were easier than practicing against him.”

Zimmerman describes current Broncos left tackle, Ryan Clady, as having a “hell of a start. He’s got the feet, the agility…He could make a name for himself, but I don’t want to jinx him.”

As far as this current Broncos team is concerned, Zimmerman says, “People jump on and off the bandwagon. The season is long, and I’m not ready to start throwing dirt on them yet.”

For the Broncos to win on Sunday, Zimmerman says they need to “limit mistakes. There’s no secret formula to winning. It’s just hard nosed, mistake-free football.”

That sounds like a certain coach I know, and I like the Mc-Sound of it!

Broncos v. Browns Preview

Kim Constantinesco — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:19:15 +0000

The Cleveland Browns (0-1) visit the Mile High City this year as they look to put last year’s dramatic loss to the Broncos behind them. The two teams meet once again this year, but under new head coaches, coordinators, and a switch in their offensive and defensive schemes. With two Belichick-bred head coaches, anything is possible, and we’ll probably see plenty of similarities between the two teams’ play calling strategy. Eric Mangini lost to the Broncos last year as the Jets head coach, and so he’s got plenty of tape to look at. Like Josh McDaniels who brought plenty of former Patriots into Denver, Mangini brought former Jets to his new team, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. He also got rid of Kellen Winslow, and unsuccessfully attempted to trade Sir Drops-A-Lot Braylon Edwards. Last season, the Browns went 4-12, giving their passionate fans yet another rebuilding season to look forward to. Because Denver is coming off of an emotional win and playing at home, I think they should be able to handle the Browns with ease. My Prediction: Broncos 24 Browns 13.

Offense

Broncos - The good news is the Broncos didn’t turn the ball over last week. The bad news is they couldn’t find the endzone until there was 11 seconds left in the game. I don’t think Eddie Royal or Peyton Hillis were utilized enough, and as we all know, they were big contributors last year. Brandon Marshall had just 4 catches for 27 yards – he needs to work on getting more yards after the catch. Knowshon Moreno could potentially have a great game. While he’s no Adrian Peterson, the Browns did give up 225 rushing yards last week against the Vikings. The offensive line allowed three sacks last week (a quarter of the sacks that they allowed all last season), so they need to do a better job of protecting Kyle Orton. Orton also needs to do a better job of using the pump fake instead of staring his targets down. There were tipped balls and near interceptions last week because his eyes were locked on his receivers too much. This is a great game to try some new things and get the offense into some kind of rhythm.

Browns- Brady Quinn is in the limelight as the Browns starting QB and he knows the job could be taken from him at any moment. Quinn is able to take what the defense gives him, however, he’s a young gun that makes mistakes that costs his team the game. Just last week, he lost the ball at a critical point in the game, when it was still in reach. He’s known for throwing the short ball well, and utilizing Jamal Lewis’s running game more than he’s known for the deep ball. Braylon Edwards had just one catch last week. The Broncos defense needs to be more concerned with Robert Royal who had 4 catches for 60 yards and a TD last week. This offense isn’t as threatening as Cincinnati’s offense, but they can put up some points if the Broncos defense decides to take a week off. The play calling should be fairly balanced and concentrate on finding the weak areas in the Broncos defense.

Defense

Broncos - I haven’t been this excited about a Denver defense in a long time. I know they still have a long way to go, but there is potential on this squad. Holding the Bengals to 7 points with all of the offensive talent they have was very impressive. On paper, the Browns aren’t as threatening as the Bengals, and Brady Quinn is a headcase that can have his game thrown off in an instant. Pressuring him in the pocket is necessary so he doesn’t have time to make those short drop off passes to Jamal Lewis or anyone else. Mario Haggan, Elvis Dumervil, and Andra Davis are capable of getting some sacks on this team. Davis came to Denver after playing for Cleveland for 7 years, so he’s going to be fired up for this game. Containing the Browns on 3rd and long is probably a good team goal considering they gave up some big first downs to the Bengals in that situation last week. None of their receivers concern me with Champ and Andre Goodman downfield.

Browns- Eric Mangini brought in 6 former Jets to this team with David Bowens and Eric Barton taking the lead on the defensive squad. I think they all just wanted to live a little closer to Brett Favre in Minnesota. The Browns employ a 3-4 with Rob Ryan (formerly of the Raiders) as defensive coordinator. Last week, they sacked Favre 4 times, but didn’t create much of a stir in any other area. Abram Elam led the team in solo tackles. At the half, Cleveland held Minnesota to just 10 points, but then let Peterson go off on them by scoring two TDs in the second half while Brett Favre threw another TD to Percy Harvin. I think this defense got tired, so look for the altitude to effect them in Denver. The Broncos offense definitely has the edge here.

Special Teams

Broncos - Matt Prater is the man right now. Big field goals last week dialed up from long distance shows why Josh McDaniels didn’t bring in another kicker during training camp. Brett Kern shanked a punt last week, but overall, his boots have been solid. has been handling the returns and he can break one for a big game against the Browns. The special teams’ defense has got their work cut out for them as they’ve got two incredible athletes who could get the Browns into great field position.

Browns- Josh Cribbs ran one back for a TD last week, and Percy Harvin took a punt 41 yards before he was brought to the ground. Cribbs also led the team in solo tackles on special teams last year. Kicking duties fall into the hands of Phil Dawson who was perfect last week and Dave Zastudil who got the ball inside the 20 on two occasions against the Vikings.

Coaching

Broncos - During the week, McD focused on the mistakes that the Broncos (and the Bengals) made during week 1. He’s emphasized that he’s not going to send 10-12 passes to a particular player every game just because of who that player is. I like that thought – not pressuring your QB into certain throws which could turn into turnovers, but I think McD isn’t utilizing certain individual talents. It’s those talents that put points up on the board.

Browns- Romero Crennel was given the pink slip just as Mangini was given his in New York. Mangini got too stuck on his QB last year, so I think if things don’t go well for Quinn, he won’t hesitate to insert Derek Anderson into the lineup after a few games. With both head coaches learning the ropes under Belichick, this could be a true chess game – a game of the minds. Enjoy!

GO BRONCOS!!!

Broncos V. Browns Preview

Kim Constantinesco — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:59:20 +0000

It’s a good thing that many players from the Broncos wanted to play two days after the last loss to Miami to get the sour taste out of their mouths. They get the chance to take the field again on Thursday against the Cleveland Browns (3-5). I am not too comfortable with the fact that Denver has defeated Cleveland in seven straight contests, nor am I satisfied with a 16-5 overall record against the Browns. We know the team is struggling right now with turnovers, defensive collapses, and injuries, so anything is possible. The Browns are also struggling as they just benched Derek Anderson after their last loss to Baltimore and proclaimed Notre Dame star, Brady Quinn, the starter against the Broncos. Despite these teams falling short of spectacular, Thursday night’s contest will be a battle on the NFL’s center stage. The Browns need a win to stay in Wildcard contention. Because the Chargers will most likely beat the Chiefs on Sunday, the Broncos need this to stay atop the AFC West. My Prediction: Broncos 19 Browns 16.

Offense

Broncos - It’s official. The offense of old has left the building and the area around Invesco can now be call Dis-graceland. With injuries forcing Michael Pittman and Andre Hall out for the season, and a questionable Selvin Young, more pressure is put on rookie Ryan Torain. I nominate Eddie Royal to handle a few carries. Anyone second that? He’s speedy, holds onto the ball, and he’s the only consistent scoring threat on offense. Because of the dinged up running unit, Jay Cutler will have more opportunities to either score or throw interceptions. It’s his call. The Browns have 9 INTs on the season which ranks right up there with the Steelers defense. They are much better at stopping the pass than stopping the run. Getting Brandon Marshall involved early on is a must. As we saw against Miami, he let things frustrate him and never got his head back in the game. I’m now a big proponent of using Peyton Hillis more for short drop off passes. He can catch, elude defenders, and he’s got the size to plow through them too. The offensive line continues to do a fine job protecting Cutler. The team will need their stability to bye Cutler enough time to thread the needle through the Browns feisty secondary.

Browns- Chants of Brad-y, Brad-y from Browns fans put the QB in the limelight and he will now try to bring the 27th ranked offense back to life. Derek Anderson’s 68.9 QB rating, 7 INTs and 7 fumbles were just not cutting it. Quinn played in 4 preseason games and played in 1 series against the 49ers in a regular season game last year. Jamal Lewis leads the team in rushing with 3 TDs and averaging 3.6 yards per carry. With the Broncos defensive woes this season, this could be just the game for him to break out. Braylon Edwards is always a threat when he’s not dropping the ball. He leads the Browns’ receiving corp. with 26 receptions for 457 yards and 3 TDs. The Broncos’ defense also has their hands full with Kellen Winslow. The offense has all the talent in the world, but they do lack leadership. For this offense, it’s sink or swim, kick or drown, fight or flight. This change at quarterback will no doubt determine which direction this offense is headed.

Defense

Broncos - They’re without Champ and Boss Bailey, D.J. Williams, and safety Marlon McCree. The defense performed well last week holding the Dolphins to 16 points through three quarters, but big 3rd down conversions in the fourth quarter allowed to the Dolphins to clinch the game. The Broncos are short on linebackers so look for Kellen Winslow to take advantage of the mid-field game. I say stick to the 4-3 alignment. It’s what they know and it’s what worked against Miami. As far as the secondary goes, the Dre Bly and Karl Paymah have got to do a better job on the receivers. Paymah got torched by Greg Camarillo last week, so they need to play heads up against Braylon Edwards. The run defense is improving, but Jamal Lewis will be a test for them. Brady Quinn is probably thanking his lucky stars for making his debut against a defense that’s ranked 28th in the league. Elvis Dumervil and others will absolutely need to ruffle this youngster’s feathers.

Browns - Ranked 20th in total defense, but as I said before, they have trouble stopping the run. Ryan Torain should be able to gain more than a yard on this defense. Shaun Rogers has 5 sacks on the season and D’Qwell Jackson is one of the top 15 tacklers in the league with 47 solo. Eric Wright and Mike Adams may be Cutler killers in the secondary as they have 3 and 2 INTs, respectively. This season the Browns have allowed the Ravens to score 37 and 28 points, yet they’ve held teams like the Giants and Steelers to 14 and 10 points, respectively. It’s safe to say that like the Broncos defense, the Browns put forth a great effort one game and then forget how to do it again by the next game. This defense can come up with turnovers, so Cutler has got to be extremely careful when throwing the deep ball. All give Cutler 2 picks if no one else has any turnovers, and the Broncos can still win this game. Any more than 2, and we’re doomed.

Special Teams

Broncos - Eddie Royal had a 95- yard kick return last week and he is 2nd in the league in punt returns. I know I’m on the edge of my seat whenever he’s waiting to return a kick. This could be the week that Royal breaks completely free and scores a touchdown. Matt Prater missed his second field goal of the season, but he is still doing a great job. The Broncos kickoff coverage is spotty at best, but they’ve got to be on their toes against the Browns.

Browns- Last week, Josh Cribbs scored a touchdown on a 92 yard kick return. He’s third in kickoff returns, and he’s 13th in punt returns. Dude’s dangerous for sure. Kicker Phil Dawson has hit a 54 yarder this year and he’s 14 for 16 overall. The Browns’ special teams covers kickoffs nicely, but with a guy like Royal, who knows what will happen.

Coaching

Broncos - Mike Shanahan is 20-20 over the last 40 games. That says a lot about an organization that prides itself on a winning tradition. With the possibility of losing 4 in a row, Shanahan will pull out all the stops to get this win. He’s got to since the next 3 of 4 games are on the road, and the Chargers are breathing down the Broncos’ necks. Shanahan will do everything in his power to pressure Quinn as he knows all to well what bothers a young QB.

Browns - Romeo Crennel is not giving up on the Browns season despite his decision to bench Derek Anderson. He hopes to turn things around starting with the Broncos game. He says that the Browns are going to beat the Broncos. That’s what a new QB and a home game will do to you. Add to the fact that you’re playing a 4-4 team that’s lost the last three games, and you have enough confidence to predict the win.