It’s been well over a month since the Denver Broncos defense was at full strength. First it was DeMarcus Ware, then it was Aqib Talib and then it was Derek Wolfe, but it’s always been somebody.
And still … they’ve been dominant.
The Broncos don’t just have the best defense in the NFL; they have the deepest defense in the NFL, and that’s an important quality during a long season.
That said, it sure is nice when you can enter a critical division matchup with your full complement of players.
With both Talib and Wolfe set to return tonight, along with the growing health of others, there’s plenty to be thankful for this weekend. Here’s what the team had to say:
Gary Kubiak on Wolfe recovering ahead of schedule
“I’m not surprised. When it happened there was a lot of speculation about what was going on. Derek came by me that week and said, ‘Coach, I’ll be back after the bye. I’ll be fine.’ You know what type of guy you’re dealing with. Derek is going to give you everything he has. The team knows it.”
Wade Phillips on Wolfe’s return
“He’s one of those guys who isn’t indestructible, none of them are, but he’s one that you expect to come back quickly if at all possible. He has really come back quickly from and has no ill effects, really. He has practiced really well.”
Phillips on Wolfe’s intangibles
“He’s a part of the wild bunch (laughs). Our group is a little bit different, and that’s what makes them good. Personality-wise and demeanor-wise, they are a little bit different from some of the guys that I have been around. As far as focus and wanting to play and giving everything that they’ve got, that’s where they are special.”
Phillips on Talib’s personality
“Oh yes, he’s a part of that also. He jumps way up there on the personality scale. He’s on Twitter now. I want to put a warning out there: he does not have filters (laughs). You can follow him, but he doesn’t have a filter.”
Phillips on using Ware more
“I think DeMarcus is ready to play more. He is utilizing the arm a lot more than he was in practice, so he’s had a lot more time. He’s a factor if he’s completely well. He’s a big factor.”
Von Miller on the defense being fully healthy
“Every week is an opportunity to go out there and show what you can do. It’s the thick of the season. This is where your football should be played. It’s time to go. It’s time to make those plays. It’s time to go out there and do whatever it is that we’re looking for this season. We’ve got to go out there and do it right now. There’s no time to wait for stuff to come. We’ve got to take it one play at a time and just go out there and make it happen. It’s time. There’s really nothing else to wait for. It’s Week 12.”
Ware on the defense being at full strength
“I think the defense is feeling a lot more confident as we always are, but having Wolfe back and Talib back and me playing a lot more plays … A lot more consistency as we’ve wanted throughout the season. I think we’ll see it this week.”
Ware on how his arm feels
“Actually, it feels really good. I still have to wear the pad just for protection because you don’t want to get a helmet right there where I had the surgery at, but practicing and doing everything, there was nothing that I couldn’t do, so I’m just feeling really confident and doing that.”
