Tag: k.j. hamler

Giants dropped by Broncos, 27-13: Instant analysis

Instant analysis of the New York Giants’ 27-13 Week 1 loss to the Denver Broncos at MetLife Stadium.

The 2021 season opener between the New York Giants and Denver Broncos at MetLife Stadium late Sunday afternoon was billed as a low-scoring, defensive showdown and that’s exactly how it panned out. At least when it came to the Giants, that is.

The first half saw the offenses move the ball fairly well only to fizzle out in key spots. The Broncos got on the board first on a 23-yard field goal by Brandon McManus.

The Giants answered by going 70 yards in seven plays culminating in a 37-yard catch and run by Sterling Shepard for a touchdown to give the Giants a 7-3 lead.

Denver drove 58 yards on the ensuing drive only to have tight end Albert Okwuegbunam fumble the ball over to safety Logan Ryan at the Giants’ four yard-line. The play was reviewed and the call on the field of a fumble was upheld. The Giants could so nothing with the ball and ended up punting it away.

The Broncos then caught the Giants flat-footed going on a 57-yard scoring drive in which they twice on fourth down. Teddy Bridgewater hit Tim Patrick for a two-yard score to take a 10-7 lead into the tunnel.

In the second half the Broncos took the ball 75 yards on the opening drive for a touchdown when Bridgewater hit Okwuegbunam on a four-yard catch and run in front of linebacker Blake Martinez. The drive ate up 8:12.

When the Giants took over possession with 6:08 left in the third quarter Denver had a 27:11 to 11:41 over the Giants in time of possession. The drive was going fairly well as Daniel Jones hit Sterling Shepard twice for big gains and Saquon Barkley toughed out a key first down. But on first-and-2 from the Denver 22, Jones was flushed form the police toad made a run for it. He was hit by Denver linebacker Josey Jewell as he dove forward at the 15. The ball came loose and was recovered by Malik Reed.

Same old Giants’ was the collective groan.

Denver had to settle for a 36-yard McManus field goal on their next drive to give them a 20-7 lead with 12:44 remaining in the fourth quarter. It was the Broncos’ fourth scoring drive in their last five possessions, the only blemish was the Okwuegbunam fumble or it would’ve been five in a row.

The Giants then went on a 14-play drive that got them down to the Denver 6. They need up crapping out when Jones threw an incompletion towards Kenny Golladay in the end zone on fourth and goal.

The Broncos continued their mastery of the Giants on the next possession when running back Melvin Gordon rambled 70 yards for a score to put the game away. The Giants defense looked flat and uninspired most of the afternoon. Bridgewater simply made play after play when it counted, converting all three of the Broncos’ fourth down tries

The 27-13 loss was as a deflating one they’ve had in years, and there have been some negative moments. They were outsmarted and outhustled all afternoon. Most of the team did not see any action in the preseason and they sure looked like a team that hadn’t ever played together before today.

Notes

  • The Giants started Andrew Thomas, Shane Lemieux, Nick Gates, Will Hernandez and Nate Solder on the offensive line. Ben Bredeson and Matt Peart came in at tackle and guard.
  • The Giants didn’t get into the red zone until the 8-minute mark of the fourth quarter.
  • Denver outgained the Giants 420 yards to 314.
  • Jones ended up going 22 of 37 for 267 yards and one TD. He did not throw an interception but did lose fumble. His QB rating for the game was 90.7
  • Safety Logan Ryan made 10 total tackles and forced a fumble. Rookie linebacker Azeez Ojulari recorded his first NFL sack. Austin Johnson also had a sack.
  • Adoree’ Jackson started ay cornerback and showed no real effects of the ankle injury he suffered in the preseason, however, Broncos wide receiver K.J. Hamler let him off the hook by dropping a sure touchdown.
  • Joe Judge lost a time out when he challenged the Broncos’ touchdown on the opening drive of the second half. Scoring plays cannot be challenged. How Judge didn’t know that is a head-scratcher.

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Denver Broncos place K.J. Hamler on COVID-19 list

A former Penn State wide receiver has been placed on the NFL’s COVID list.

Former Penn State and current Denver Broncos wide receiver K.J. Hamler was added to the COVID-19 list on Tuesday.  

Hamler missed the first padded practice yesterday and the reason was unclear, according to coaches.  

In addition, the Broncos also signed cornerback Savion Smith to make up for the situation.  

Hamler was drafted by the Broncos in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He, along with former Alabama receiver Jerry Jeudy, come into a loaded wide receiver room in Denver. In his rookie year, Hamler finished with 381 yards and three touchdowns.  

Hamler was a top receiver with the Nittany Lions under James Franklin and lead by quarterback Sean Clifford, who many have their eyes on for this season. Hamler’s best season came in 2019, where he finished with 904 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. 

The Broncos had the 23rd ranked offense in the NFL under offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur. As pass heavy as they are, they also dealt with lingering quarterback injuries throughout the season, averaging just 215.7 passing yards per game.

The Broncos go into this season with a lot to prove under head coach Vic Fangio. The team has struggled to find their identity at quarterback. Their offense is loaded with talent. It’s all up to their quarterback play, and Shurmur saying this is the best version of Drew Lock he has seen, is promising.

Hamler currently sits as the backup to Jeudy. However, we very well could see a lot more action from him this season as he works to make that sophomore jump. Courtland Sutton is coming off a torn ACL during week two of the 2020 season and Jeudy had a promising rookie campaign.

If they can get their quarterback play together, the Broncos offense could be lethal in 2021.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion.

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Denver Broncos place K.J. Hamler on COVID-19 list

A former Penn State wide receiver has been placed on the NFL’s COVID list.

Former Penn State and current Denver Broncos wide receiver K.J. Hamler was added to the COVID-19 list on Tuesday.  

Hamler missed the first padded practice yesterday and the reason was unclear, according to coaches.  

In addition, the Broncos also signed cornerback Savion Smith to make up for the situation.  

Hamler was drafted by the Broncos in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He, along with former Alabama receiver Jerry Jeudy, come into a loaded wide receiver room in Denver. In his rookie year, Hamler finished with 381 yards and three touchdowns.  

Hamler was a top receiver with the Nittany Lions under James Franklin and lead by quarterback Sean Clifford, who many have their eyes on for this season. Hamler’s best season came in 2019, where he finished with 904 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. 

The Broncos had the 23rd ranked offense in the NFL under offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur. As pass heavy as they are, they also dealt with lingering quarterback injuries throughout the season, averaging just 215.7 passing yards per game.

The Broncos go into this season with a lot to prove under head coach Vic Fangio. The team has struggled to find their identity at quarterback. Their offense is loaded with talent. It’s all up to their quarterback play, and Shurmur saying this is the best version of Drew Lock he has seen, is promising.

Hamler currently sits as the backup to Jeudy. However, we very well could see a lot more action from him this season as he works to make that sophomore jump. Courtland Sutton is coming off a torn ACL during week two of the 2020 season and Jeudy had a promising rookie campaign.

If they can get their quarterback play together, the Broncos offense could be lethal in 2021.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion.

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Where did Chargers’ AFC West rivals improve the most in offseason?

The Chargers, Broncos and Raiders look to keep pace with the Chiefs in 2020.

The AFC West is one of the more polarizing divisions in the NFL as there appears to be a slew of headlines from each team on a consistent basis, and it contains the reigning Super Bowl champions – Kansas City Chiefs.

In order to keep up with the Chiefs, the Broncos, Raiders and Chargers had to do some retooling to their roster this offseason. Where did each team improve the most with the hopes of keeping up?

Let’s take a look.

Chiefs: Backfield

Kansas City’s offense was among the league’s best, where they averaged nearly 30 points per game. However, the majority of their points came through the air, as quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his pass-catching weapons carried the majority of the load. On the other hand, the running back group wasn’t much of a help, averaging only 101.5 yards per game on the ground, which ranked No. 22 in the league. That area should improve drastically with the arrival rookie RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who was the team’s first-round pick (No. 28 overall). Edwards-Helaire joins Damien Williams and Darwin Thompson, but the former LSU product will likely become the workhorse back.

Broncos: Wide receiver

In 2019, the Broncos boasted a top-10 defense, only allowing 19.8 points per game. On the other side of the ball, however, there wasn’t much of a compliment. As Denver transitioned from Joe Flacco to Drew Lock, they were near the bottom of the league in points per game scored with 17.8. General manager John Elway figured in order to fix their offensive woes he would go out and get Lock some more weapons, which is exactly what he did. In the draft, the Broncos selected Jerry Jeudy, who was pegged as one of the top offensive players to many, in the first-round. The work didn’t stop there, as they drafted K.J. Hamler in the second-round. The route-running savvy from Jeudy and speed from Hamler makes out to be a deadly combination to go alongside the ascending Courtland Sutton.

Raiders: Back seven

Oakland had a fine run defense last season, giving up only 98.1 yards per game on the ground. But to ensure that their production remained at a high level in that area they went out and signed linebackers Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkowski, both of whom were tabbed as some of the best at their perspective position in free agency. Their pass defense, on the other hand, was among the league’s worst as they gave up the fifth-most passing yards per game in 2019. General manager Mike Mayock addressed their glaring need to shore up the unit with the signings of veterans Prince Amukamara and Damarious Randall in free agency. In the draft, they selected Damon Arnette in the first-round and Amik Robertson in the fourth-round. Arnette and Robertson should be major contributors in their rookie seasons.

Broncos’ receiving corps ranked as 10th-best in NFL by PFF

The Broncos have the 10th-best receiving corps in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.

Pro Football Focus, a website that tracks advanced NFL stats, released their rankings of receiving corps across the league last week.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, led by Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, are ranked No. 1. The Denver Broncos are ranked No. 10.

Courtland Sutton headlines the Broncos’ receiving corps after earning a Pro Bowl nod as an alternate in 2019.

“His new running mate, Jerry Jeudy, excels as a route-runner, and his ability to create separation was unmatched in this class, which is precisely why he entered the draft as PFF’s WR1,” Ben Linsey wrote on PFF’s website.

In addition to Sutton and Jeudy, Denver quarterback Drew Lock also gets to work with  K.J. Hamler, Noah Fant and Albert Okwuegbunam (who was one of his favorite targets in college).

Elsewhere in the AFC West, the Kansas City Chiefs (Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, Sammy Watkins, Mecole Hardman) are ranked No. 2, the Los Angeles Chargers (Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Hunter Henry, Austin Ekeler, K.J. Hill) are ranked No. 7 and the Las Vegas Raiders (Darren Waller, Hunter Renfrow, Henry Ruggs III) are ranked No. 19.

To view Pro Football Focus’ complete receiving corps rankings, click here.

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POLL: Was K.J. Hamler a good draft pick for the Broncos?

What grade do fans give the Broncos for drafting K.J. Hamler in the second round of the NFL Draft?

The Denver Broncos selected Penn State wide receiver K.J. Hamler in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft on Friday evening. The pick came just one day after the Broncos selected Alabama wide receiver Jerry Jeudy in the first round of the draft on Thursday.

Drafting wide receivers with their first two picks wasn’t a terrible decision, but choosing Hamler of Denzel Mims was a curious decision. And there were other non-WRs available, such as cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson, Trevon Diggs and Kristian Fulton.

Two notable offensive tackles — Ezra Cleveland and Josh Jones — were also available when the Broncos drafted Hamler.

There’s a chance that Jones or Fulton could be available when the Broncos go on the clock in the third round. Denver has three more picks (Nos. 77, 83, 95) to use on Day 2 of the draft after landing Hamler at No. 46.

We want to know what you think of the pick, Broncos fans! Voice your opinion by giving the pick a grade in the poll below: 

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Drew Lock, Melvin Gordon tweet great reactions to K.J. Hamler pick

roncos quarterback Drew Lock is clearly happy about Denver adding two wide receivers in the NFL Draft.

The Denver Broncos selected Penn State wide receiver K.J. Hamler in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft on Friday evening, one day after selecting Alabama wide receiver Jerry Jeudy in the first round.

Broncos second-year quarterback Drew Lock is clearly excited about the weapons general manager John Elway has been adding on offense.

Lock will now have a Pro Bowl receiver in Courtland Sutton joined by Jeudy and Hamler as well as a promising tight end in Noah Fant. Denver’s offense also has two Pro Bowl running backs: Melvin Gordon and Phillip Lindsay.

Gordon was pretty happy about the Hamler pick, too.

The Broncos’ official account also posted a great tweet:

The Broncos have three picks remaining (Nos. 77, 83, 95) to use on Day 2 of the draft. After surrounding Lock with playmakers, Elway might use some of those picks to shore up the offensive line and patch some holes on defense.

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Check out these highlights of new Broncos WR K.J. Hamler

Here are highlights of new Broncos wide receiver/returner K.J. Hamler.

The Denver Broncos selected Penn State wide receiver K.J. Hamler in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft on Friday evening. Here are some highlights from Hamler’s time at Penn State.

Warning: The video might contain NSFW music. 

Hamler will join a Broncos offense that already includes Drew Lock, Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, Noah Fant, Melvin Gordon and Phillip Lindsay. Denver clearly wants to set Lock up for success this season.

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Twitter reacts to Broncos drafting K.J. Hamler in 2nd round

Here’s how Twitter reacted when the Broncos selected K.J. Hamler in the NFL Draft.

The Denver Broncos selected Penn State wide receiver K.J. Hamler in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft on Friday evening. Here’s a sampling of how Twitter reacted to the pick:

Denver has three more picks (Nos. 77, 83, 95) to use in the third round.

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Broncos select WR K.J. Hamler in 2nd round of NFL Draft

The Broncos selected Penn State wide receiver K.J. Hamler in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft on Friday.

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The Denver Broncos selected Penn State wide receiver K.J. Hamler in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft with the 46th overall pick on Friday evening.

The pick was a bit surprising after Denver selected Alabama wide receiver Jerry Jeudy in the first round of the draft on Thursday. The Broncos also picked Hamler over Denzel Mims, who is falling farther than many pundits expected.

Hamler (5-9, 178 pounds) bench-pressed 225 pounds 15 times at the combine earlier this offseason. He did not run a 40-yard dash at the combine but he is a speedy receiver and returner.

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein has compared Hamler to Tavon Austin, a dynamic returner and slot receiver.

“He’s a smallish slot who isn’t built for the tough yardage and could have durability concerns if he’s run into too many collisions,” Zierlein wrote of Hamler on NFL.com. “However, speed kills and his game-breaking potential on all three levels will be enticing as a high-risk, high-reward draft pick.”

During his final two seasons at Penn State, Hamler totaled 1,658 receiving yards, 1,036 kick return yards and 14 touchdowns.

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