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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – After a seven-day absence that he said felt as long a summer break, head coach Gary Kubiak walked back into the Denver Broncos team meeting auditorium on Monday morning.
It would seem to be a time for celebration, a time for smiles, a time to rejoice. Not after two straight losses.
“There wasn’t a whole lot of happiness and all that,” Broncos linebacker Shane Ray told BSN Denver. “There wasn’t a big reaction. We were just kind of like , ‘Okay, back to work.’ That’s how Kub is; he just wants us to get back to the winner’s circle.”
Of course, many Broncos talked about how nice it was to have the head man back in the building, but the greater message was that there simply was not time for a mushy welcoming.
“We immediately had a team meeting and addressed some things that needed to be addressed,” Justin Simmons explained to BSN. “We’re ready to go find [win] number five with him on Monday against Houston… It was just business as usual. Everybody knew he was doing well, there were guys sending him texts and things like that throughout the week. We just came in today disappointed with the loss that we had, so we were really just ready to get back to work.”
There’s plenty of work to be done.
“We have to play better,” the refreshed and rejuvenated coach said simply. “I told the players today that the last two games for us looked a lot alike, unfortunately. They were very slow-starting football games. We corrected ourselves defensively and played well in the second half. Offensively we’ve been really struggling, struggling up front and having a bunch of penalties. We have to play better. That’s the NFL. For four weeks we had it going on and for the last
“That’s the NFL—for four weeks we had it going on, and for the last two we didn’t,” he added. “We have to get back to work. That’s our focus today. We’re honest with our mistakes and what we’re doing and understanding that we’re going to have to play a lot better. We have a lot of time on our hands right now. We have to get some good work in here and get ready to go next Monday.”
It should be one heck of a Monday as the head coach will return to the sidelines and welcome his former team.
“There’s always something in every game, you can always find something deeper than just a win,” Simmons said.
And they’ll be happy to have him back.
“It’s Kub, man,” Ray concluded. “Kub just brings a different attitude to the fold.”
Health Update
While the head coach’s health may not have been a big topic of concern for the team, it was—as you might imagine—a dominating subject of Kubiak’s first meeting with the press since he was taken away in an ambulance on that Sunday night in Denver.
Here’s what he had to say:
On his health in general
“I feel good. I feel really good. I got too much rest, unfortunately. I didn’t want it, but I got it. I feel very good. I spent some time going through some things with some doctors, and I’m very encouraged. It made me feel really good. All of my tests came back great. All I can say is it’s good to be back to work. I really missed a few days there. It was really tough to watch and be away from. I’m glad to be back.”
On whether he needs to change his daily routine
“The doctors that are here and the doctors in Houston got together and talked through some things and are doing some things. The biggest thing for me is really helping me sleep better. That’s about all I can tell you. I’m sure you guys don’t sleep really well either. That’s it. I met with them and spent some quality time with them late last week. I really didn’t do much this weekend except come in here and get my mind going a little bit. I feel very comfortable with where I am heading and how I am feeling.”
On whether his condition is related to his health incident in Houston in 2013
“It was different for me. They were different to me, but they’ve obviously had some conversations trying to discuss what happened both times, but to me they were different. I feel very good.”
On whether his perspective has changed
“It just makes you really appreciate what you’re doing. We’re in a business where you go, go and go. You have 16 weeks to be as good as you can be and all of a sudden taking a few days away from here. When you’re a football coach, is like, ‘what the hell is going on here?’ It’s like having a summer off. It just makes you appreciate the players. It makes you appreciated being around the coaches and the players, even you guys.”
Notable
The Broncos made a roster move on Monday, waiving offensive lineman Darrion Weems after they were awarded, former Ravens and Dolphins OL, Billy Turner on waivers.
A 6-foot-5, 310-pound third-year man, Turner started 14-of-20 games during his first three seasons with the Dolphins.
“We acquired him. I don’t know much about him other than the fact that we have some high grades on him,” Kubiak said. “Up front, we’ve had some things going on. We had [OL] Ty [Sambrailo] start at tackle a couple weeks, and we got [T Donald] Stephenson back, but we’ve lost continuity in what we’re doing. We start the season playing really well up front; I would even say into week three going to Cincinnati, Ty’s first start. We have to get back on track here and stay away from negative football plays, and we have quarterback a chance to operate. We have to all play better; it’s everybody.”
