DENVER (AP) A Denver secondary that couldn't stop the Oakland Raiders now has a new, more difficult challenge: Going against one of the top receivers in the NFL.
He is San Diego tight end Antonio Gates, and one of the biggest questions of the week is how Denver will cover him. With a zone? With a linebacker? With Champ Bailey?
''Well, corners are usually your best cover people,'' Bailey said. ''If he's their best receiver, why not put a corner on him?''
In the season opener, Bailey spent a large part of the game against Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez and largely shut him down, so it wouldn't be shocking to see them go man-on-man.
But Bailey, brought in as the supposed missing piece to the puzzle on the Denver defense, struggled mightily last week in a 25-24 loss to the Raiders. He allowed two touchdown catches and another 52-yard reception to Jerry Porter.
It was part of a miserable night for the secondary. The Raiders caught four touchdown passes, and Kerry Collins threw for 339 yards.
''Champ can't do it all,'' Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said.
Adding to the problems is that the Broncos have lost cornerback Lenny Walls for the rest of the season. Against Oakland, Walls dislocated his shoulder for the third time this season and had to have surgery this week.
Although the loss doesn't affect Denver's starting lineup, it puts Willie Middlebrooks picked on much of this season at nickelback and makes rookie Roc Alexander the sixth defensive back.
''It concerns us,'' defensive coordinator Larry Coyer said. ''Lenny was playing well when we lost him, but we've got to step it up. It comes down to, eventually, somebody has to cover somebody and you can't bust coverages.''
Gates, an undrafted second-year player better known for his basketball skills in college, leads the Chargers with 69 catches for 795 yards and 11 touchdowns just one short of the NFL record for tight ends.
''He's got the ability to beat cornerbacks. He beats cornerbacks consistently,'' Shanahan said. ''That is a little bit unusual when a tight end can be matched with a corner and the quarterback has confidence that the tight end is going to beat an established corner.''
The quarterback, Drew Brees, is a much different player than the one Denver faced in a 23-13 win in September. Since then, San Diego coach Marty Schottenheimer has opened things up and Brees has prospered.
''He's playing better football than he was at that point and he's just hot,'' Broncos safety John Lynch said. ''He's not turning the football over. It's our job to get pressure on him.''
Denver's lack of pass rush hasn't helped the secondary much. With 22 sacks, the Broncos are ranked 22nd in the league.
Another factor might have been the sudden firing of secondary coach David Gibbs. Shanahan let him go during the bye week and assistant Jimmy Spencer, a former player, took over.
''I did it for a reason,'' Shanahan said of the firing, although he has refused to elaborate. ''Jimmy has done a great job.''
Whatever the flaws, Denver needs to get better quickly. With a loss, the Broncos will fall two games behind San Diego for first place in the AFC West.
</WIRE_BODY>[size=-1]By Eddie Pells, Associated Press, 12/3/2004 02:06 [/size]
He is San Diego tight end Antonio Gates, and one of the biggest questions of the week is how Denver will cover him. With a zone? With a linebacker? With Champ Bailey?
''Well, corners are usually your best cover people,'' Bailey said. ''If he's their best receiver, why not put a corner on him?''
In the season opener, Bailey spent a large part of the game against Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez and largely shut him down, so it wouldn't be shocking to see them go man-on-man.
But Bailey, brought in as the supposed missing piece to the puzzle on the Denver defense, struggled mightily last week in a 25-24 loss to the Raiders. He allowed two touchdown catches and another 52-yard reception to Jerry Porter.
It was part of a miserable night for the secondary. The Raiders caught four touchdown passes, and Kerry Collins threw for 339 yards.
''Champ can't do it all,'' Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said.
Adding to the problems is that the Broncos have lost cornerback Lenny Walls for the rest of the season. Against Oakland, Walls dislocated his shoulder for the third time this season and had to have surgery this week.
Although the loss doesn't affect Denver's starting lineup, it puts Willie Middlebrooks picked on much of this season at nickelback and makes rookie Roc Alexander the sixth defensive back.
''It concerns us,'' defensive coordinator Larry Coyer said. ''Lenny was playing well when we lost him, but we've got to step it up. It comes down to, eventually, somebody has to cover somebody and you can't bust coverages.''
Gates, an undrafted second-year player better known for his basketball skills in college, leads the Chargers with 69 catches for 795 yards and 11 touchdowns just one short of the NFL record for tight ends.
''He's got the ability to beat cornerbacks. He beats cornerbacks consistently,'' Shanahan said. ''That is a little bit unusual when a tight end can be matched with a corner and the quarterback has confidence that the tight end is going to beat an established corner.''
The quarterback, Drew Brees, is a much different player than the one Denver faced in a 23-13 win in September. Since then, San Diego coach Marty Schottenheimer has opened things up and Brees has prospered.
''He's playing better football than he was at that point and he's just hot,'' Broncos safety John Lynch said. ''He's not turning the football over. It's our job to get pressure on him.''
Denver's lack of pass rush hasn't helped the secondary much. With 22 sacks, the Broncos are ranked 22nd in the league.
Another factor might have been the sudden firing of secondary coach David Gibbs. Shanahan let him go during the bye week and assistant Jimmy Spencer, a former player, took over.
''I did it for a reason,'' Shanahan said of the firing, although he has refused to elaborate. ''Jimmy has done a great job.''
Whatever the flaws, Denver needs to get better quickly. With a loss, the Broncos will fall two games behind San Diego for first place in the AFC West.
</WIRE_BODY>[size=-1]By Eddie Pells, Associated Press, 12/3/2004 02:06 [/size]
