Notable comments from the Denver Broncos in the lead up to the Week 7 match vs. the Los Angeles Chargers.
On Melvin Gordon….
"The guy that's been their spark has been Melvin Gordon. He's had two great games. He's their leading rusher obviously and he's their second leading receiver. He's a special player…We have to be aware, in certain areas of the field, whether he's going to be a receiver or not. In the red zone, he's scored three touchdowns — one against us. So we have to have some awareness in the red zone of where he is, and on third downs. He's made some big plays on third down in the screen game. Obviously, situational football, finding him is going to be important." – Head Coach Vance Joseph
On Philip Rivers….
"He didn't hold it that long the first game against us. It depends on the look. He's a very smart quarterback. He understands what he's looking at from an offensive standpoint and what we're giving him defensively. He can fix protections, so it's hard to fool the guy. We have to have a good plan in terms of our coverage to try to make him hold the ball. We have to have a good plan in terms of our pressure package if he does want to hold it to get after him." – Defensive Coordinator Joe Woods
On Hunter Henry….
"You have to be careful with the matchups. Most linebackers can't cover him and most safeties have a problem. You have to take your chance and play different packages which can make you vulnerable to the running game. When you have a tight end who's an in-line blocker and also a great receiver, you have to choose what defensive package to play to defend the run or pass game. You can be wrong, but that's where a problem occurs." – Head Coach Vance Joseph
"Hunter, he's a very talented player. Then to watch (Antonio Gates) every day, there's times you had to tell him, 'Hey, that's the way Antonio does it.' That's not the way you're going to do it. He's a special player, he's a great guy to be around and great to be on the team." – Offensive Coordinator Mike McCoy
On Trevor Williams….
*"He's a really good player (who) really knows the system well. (He's a) really athletic guy who has a good nose for the football and is easily around the ball when it's on his side of the field. Definitely somebody you've got to watch out for along with the entire back end. The back end just works really well together, and you pair that up with the front and makes it a challenging defense for us to go against." – QB Trevor Siemian *
"He's playing really well. He's really competing. He hasn't been perfect; he's a young player, but he's a competitive player. He's playing with great confidence. As a former secondary coach, that's the first thing I notice is the confidence and the technique he's playing with. Obviously, Ron Milus there is a hell of a defensive backs coach, so he's getting coached up but he's playing with tremendous confidence." – Head Coach Vance Joseph
On Antonio Gates….
"Antonio's special. Antonio is one of the best to ever play the game at all positions and the record he has. The great thing about him, and I learned this in 2013, even training camp days where you're getting the day off of practice, you come off the field and he's always on the treadmill running and doing his little routine that he was always in. There's a reason why he's been successful for such a long time and that only helps younger players. The great thing about Antonio is the way he helps the younger players. Not just at the tight end position, but other positions when they ask some questions about certain things he's unselfish. He just wants to win and help the team win any way he can." – Offensive Coordinator Mike McCoy
On Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa….
"They're both top 10 in sacks in the NFL and that's hard to do when you have two guys like that. But they're both putting pressure on quarterbacks with a four-man rush like that. If you can do that, if you can rush four and get pressure on the quarterback, that's the key to playing great pass defense." – Head Coach Vance Joseph
* "I think they complement each other really well. They're both obviously super-athletic, powerful guys. Really have a nose for the backfield and can get around the edge really well. At the same time when they get there, a lot of times they're getting the ball out, too. So, really good football players. Smart guys obviously." – QB Trevor Siemian*
"They're two of the best in the league. You have to do a great job of making good, quick decisions with the football. You have to help in protection certain times. You're not going to help them every single play, but you mix it up a little bit to keep them off balance. You can see the success they've had this year and it doesn't surprise me one bit." – Offensive Coordinator Mike McCoy
