Tag: Kendall Hinton

WATCH: Broncos WR Kendall Hinton catches TD pass vs. Cowboys

Kendall Hinton extends the Broncos’ lead over the Cowboys!

Denver Broncos wide receiver Kendall Hinton caught a 24-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Josh Johnson in the second quarter of Saturday’s preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys.

Here’s video of the play, courtesy of Denver’s official Twitter page:

With Tim Patrick set to miss the entire 2022 season with a knee injury, Hinton will get an opportunity to win the WR4 job this summer.

Late in the second quarter, the Broncos lead the Cowboys 14-0.

Broncos QB Russell Wilson praises WR Kendall Hinton

“He has a special gift — his gift of getting open, his wiggle and his ability to accelerate and make plays,” Russell Wilson said of Kendall Hinton.

During the 2020 COVID-plagued NFL season, wide receiver Kendall Hinton had to start a game at quarterback for the Denver Broncos because of circumstances out of his control.

Now, ahead of the 2022 season, the Broncos have future Hall of Fame quarterback Russell Wilson under center and Hinton’s a receiver full time. Though he’s changed positions, Hinton still reads the progressions of each play like a quarterback.

“Kendall is doing an amazing job,” Wilson said on June 13. “He has a special gift — his gift of getting open, his wiggle and his ability to accelerate and make plays. I remember watching the film, and there was a certain game — it was the Cowboys game. He caught a skinny post route and just took off. His ability to get open, his ability to make plays near the red zone and how he catches it — he’s got that football instinct. It’s the quarterback in him.”

Hinton, displaying self-awareness, left the quarterback position behind after graduating college. But when a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity presented itself during the 2020 season, the QB-turned-WR would’ve been foolish to pass it up. Even if it was for one game. It’s good to see Hinton taking what he learned and applying it to what he subconsciously knows he’s better at: the wide receiver position.

“I’ve watched him play and how he even had to step into the game that one day. That’s kind of crazy to do,” Wilson added. “People don’t understand how hard this position is, and for him to be able to do that the next day is a challenging thing. He’s a competitor, and I think all the guys are competing their butts off.”

For what it’s worth, Hinton completed 1-of-9 passes for 13 yards. He threw two interceptions as well. So, no, sports fan, you aren’t able to make a better throw than Tim Tebow or [insert quarterback here]. Just enjoy the game. Kudos to Hinton for making the most of his second chance at a new position and earning praise from Mr. Unlimited.

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Broncos will have a 16-player practice squad again in 2022

NFL teams will once again have 16-player practice squads this season.

When NFL players and team owners finalized a new collective bargaining agreement in 2020, the deal initially planned for teams to have 12-player practice squads in 2020 and 2021 followed by an increase to 14 players in 2022.

Then COVID-19 hit and the NFL and NFLPA agreed to increase practice squads to 16 players to give teams more roster flexibility. Coaches and players liked the increase, and it’s going to stick around.

Going forward, the NFL’s practice squad limit will be 16 players, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. That’s great news for players on the roster bubble and good news for teams wanting more depth during the season.

Starting this year, teams can have up to six veterans on the practice squad regardless of how long those six players have been in the NFL.

Each player on the practice squad is also eligible to be elevated to the active roster on game days up to three times a season without having to clear waivers to revert back to the practice squad after the game.

Last year, the Denver Broncos’ initial practice squad notably included wide receiver Tyrie Cleveland, running back Damarea Crockett, cornerback Nate Hairston, quarterback Brett Rypien, offensive lineman Austin Schlottmann and wide receiver Kendall Hinton.

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Broncos practiced Philly Special ‘a couple of times,’ never at full speed last week

The Broncos practiced their ‘Philly Special’ a few times last week, but not at full speed, according to QB Drew Lock.

Facing a fourth-and-goal situation from the two-yard line against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur called a “Philly Special,” a trick play that has a wide receiver throw the ball to the quarterback.

Mike Boone, the team’s third-string running back, took the ball from quarterback Drew Lock and ran left, giving a pitch to Kendall Hinton, the team’s fourth-string wide receiver. Hinton then looked to pass to Lock, who was open, but there was too much pressure in Hinton’s face for him to get off a timely, accurate throw.

Lock managed to catch Hinton’s pass, but he was tackled well short of the goal line and Denver turned the ball over on downs.

“I thought, from my perspective, Hinton did a heck of a job just being able to get the ball out,” Lock said after the game. “When they’re bringing two guys off that edge, they had a good call against it.

“We were hoping just to have an end and act like a zone read and pull it off. We had a couple of guys coming off the edge, hoping we would get it out, and try to punch it in after we catch it. Good call by them. Good defense by them.”

Lock said the team practiced the play “a couple of times” last week leading up to the game, but because the Broncos had a COVID-19 outbreak that sidelined 12 players, Denver did not have any full-speed practices.

“Never full speed this week; we didn’t really have practice,” Lock said. “We worked on it a couple times, hit it a couple of times.”

Lock injured his right shoulder earlier in the game and left for one series to get a shot before returning. After returning, the Broncos ran a quarterback sneak with Lock to pick up a first down and then later called a pass play to Lock that resulted in another hit on the quarterback.

Those kind of decisions from Denver’s offensive staff help explain why Shurmur is expected to be on the hot seat when Black Monday arrives next week.

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Broncos made 6 roster moves Tuesday

Broncos placed CB Ronald Darby and WR Jerry Jeudy on injured reserve and called up two players from the practice squad.

Following a 27-13 win over the New York Giants in Week 1, the Denver Broncos will have a revised 53-man roster and 16-player practice squad for a showdown with the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2.

Denver made six roster moves on Tuesday. Here’s a quick recap of the team’s transactions.

Broncos’ 2020 quarterback disaster caused by COVID subterfuge

The Broncos had to start emergency quarterback Kendall Hinton last season in a horrible loss, because their other quarterbacks got cute with COVID protocols.

It wasn’t Kendall Hinton’s fault.

The Broncos were getting ready to play the Saints and their top-3 defense in Week 12 of the 2020 season, and everything went south with a quickness. Backup quarterback Jeff  Driskel tested positive for COVID, and all three of Denver’s other quarterbacks — Drew Lock, Blake Bortles, and Brett Rypien — were all identified as close contacts. Thus, it was up to Hinton, the QB/WR hybrid from Wake Forest, to take the field at the game’s most important position.

It went about as well as you could expect. Hinton completed one of nine passes for 13 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions, as the Broncos lost, 31-3. During his five years at Wake Forest from 2015 through 2019, Hinton had completed 133 of 251 passes for 1,504 yards, eight touchdown passes, and seven interceptions.

Again, not his fault. Whose fault was it? As Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday regarding the NFL’s plans to work within the structure of the pandemic during the 2020 season, it was more about Denver’s actual quarterbacks trying to be cute.

John Elway, Denver’s president of football operations, made several frustrated pleas to Goodell to postpone the Sunday game until Tuesday, when the quarterbacks would be available. The league denied those requests because surveillance video from Denver’s facility showed the quarterbacks had tried to fool the system. They had removed their contact-tracing devices and put them in the four corners of the meeting room, then they sat together to watch film. That close contact automatically made them ineligible to play.

Way to blow it, guys. Lock’s statement at the time now seems a bit… disingenuous.

“I was disappointed on a couple levels,” head coach Vic Fangio said after the game. “That our quarterbacks put us in this position and that our quarterbacks put the league in this position. We count on them to be the leaders of the team and leaders of the offense and those guys made a mistake and that is disappointing. Obviously, I haven’t done a good enough job of selling the protocols to them when they are on their own so part of that could fall on me. I thought I was. We have emphasized it a lot and we’re really doing good with COVID up to this point as it relates relative to other teams. There was a failing there, and that’s disappointing.”

Now, we know exactly how disappointing it really was, and how easily it could have been avoided.

First ‘Instant QB’ Tom Matte praises Broncos’ Kendall Hinton in letter

Tom Matte was the first instant QB and he told Kendall Hinton how proud he was of the Denver Bronco

The need for an emergency — call it more like a panic — quarterback doesn’t happen frequently.

The NFL saw it this past weekend when the Denver Broncos’ quartet of rostered and practice squad QBs got themselves in a COVID-19 thicket. The team turned to Kendall Hinton, who made the best of an absolutely impossible situation.

In 1965, the Baltimore Colts had a quarterback quandary. Johnny Unitas and Gary Cuozzo were unavailable. The Colts turned their offense over to running back Tom Matte, who handled himself quite well.

Matte, now 81, reached out to Hinton this week.

“Fifty-five years ago, I was in your shoes,” Matte wrote per DenverBroncos.com. “I was the Baltimore Colts’ ‘instant quarterback’ and believe me, it was an experience I’ll never forget! Late in the 1965 season, our quarterbacks – John Unitas and Gary Cuozzo – were injured. My usual position with the Colts was halfback but, having played quarterback in college, I was technically the team’s third-string QB. So when Unitas and Cuozzo went down, my initial reaction was simply, ‘Oh, my god. Don’t tell me I have to play quarterback.'”

Here’s an article that details Matte’s run — literally and figuratively — as the Baltimore Colts’ QB, 55 years ago.

Matte told Hinton how proud he was and how the starting role will be something he can proud of for many years, decades.

“As the only two ‘Instant Quarterbacks’ in NFL history, we have a strong connection, thanks to our shared experience,” Matte wrote. “I’m proud of how you stepped up for your teammates, particularly in what was an impossible situation in difficult circumstances. Decades from now, I hope you’ll look back with pride on your experience – you’ll have quite a story to tell your grandchildren!”

The complete text of Matte’s letter to Hinton can be found below:

Please read on for the full letter:

Dear Kendall:

When you took the field against the New Orleans Saints today and lined up under center, not many people watching could relate to you – but I could.

Fifty-five years ago, I was in your shoes. I was the Baltimore Colts’ “instant quarterback” and believe me, it was an experience I’ll never forget! Late in the 1965 season, our quarterbacks – John Unitas and Gary Cuozzo – were injured. My usual position with the Colts was halfback but, having played quarterback in college, I was technically the team’s third-string QB. So when Unitas and Cuozzo went down, my initial reaction was simply, “Oh, my god. Don’t tell me I have to play quarterback.” My confidence wasn’t bolstered when I got into the huddle and the whole offensive line had this message for me: “Good luck, Matte.” I needed luck, as I hadn’t played the position in nearly five years. My teammates followed up with this question, “Do you even know how to call the plays?”

By the time I took the field against the Los Angeles Rams – and faced the formidable “Fearsome Foursome” defensive line of Rosey Grier, Lamar Lundy, and future Hall-of-Famers Deacon Jones and Merlin Olsen – I’d had a crash course in playing quarterback in the National Football League. The coaches had prepared a game plan better suited to my abilities – that is, fewer passes and far more running plays – and my wife had written the plays on a wristband that I wore. To my astonishment, the Colts beat the Rams that day!

After defeating the Rams, we faced the Green Bay Packers in a conference championship game that would determine which team would go on to the NFL Championship Game. Typical of Colts-Packers games, this one was close. Late in the game, the Packers tied the score with a field goal that sailed wide of the uprights, but was ruled good by a referee. (Years later, in fact, kicker Don Chandler admitted the kick was wide.) The game went to overtime and Chandler kicked another field goal – this one legitimate – that sent the Packers to the championship game and the Colts to a runner-up game with the Dallas Cowboys.

Against the Cowboys, Colts’ Head Coach Don Shula added several passing plays to the game plan, despite his lack of confidence in my passing ability. In fact, he warned the Colts’ defense that they were likely to see a lot of playing time, as he expected quite a few of my passes to be intercepted. To the surprise of Coach Shula and my teammates, I threw two touchdown passes and we trounced the Cowboys, 35-3. That ended my quarterback days, and while I never made it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, my wristband did!

As the only two “Instant Quarterbacks” in NFL history, we have a strong connection, thanks to our shared experience. I’m proud of how you stepped up for your teammates, particularly in what was an impossible situation in difficult circumstances. Decades from now, I hope you’ll look back with pride on your experience – you’ll have quite a story to tell your grandchildren!

Tom Matte

 

 

Who would be San Francisco 49ers’ emergency QB?

In the wake of Kendall Hinton’s start for the Denver Broncos, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked who would be his emergency QB.

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After the entire Denver Broncos quarterback depth chart was forced onto the COVID-19 list because of a positive test and failure to adhere to protocols, the team turned to practice squad wide receiver Kendall Hinton to lead their offense in a Week 12 bout with the Saints. While the 49ers hope to avoid such a situation, head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked who the Niners’ emergency quarterback is in a video conference with reporters on Monday.

We’ve got a couple of choices. They fight over it, but it’s been (FB Kyle Juszczy) Juice. He takes a lot of pride in that, but now that (RB Jerick McKinnon) Jet’s back, and no offense Juice, but Jet played quarterback in college. So, I’m probably going to go with Jet.

Juszczyk spent some time in high school under center and also ran some wildcat formations in college at Harvard. He has not thrown an NFL pass.

McKinnon was the starting quarterback at Georgia Southern for his first three collegiate seasons, leading the team’s triple-option attack. His lone NFL pass attempt came in 2016 while he was with the Vikings. It fell incomplete.

Saints defenders tip their hats to Broncos WR-turned-QB Kendall Hinton

New Orleans Saints defenders had to tip their hats to Denver Broncos WR-turned-QB Kendall Hinton, who made the most of an awful situation.

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Everyone appreciated how difficult a situation Kendall Hinton was thrust into — including his New Orleans Saints opponents. The practice squad wide receiver and former Wake Forest passer woke up this weekend and learned that he was going to start at quarterback for the Denver Broncos without having taken a single snap in practice after Denver’s entire depth chart was wiped out by COVID-19.

No, his numbers were not impressive. He went just 1-of-9 as a passer for 13 yards, adding 7 rushing yards on a pair of carries. But there aren’t many people who can go into a game and even complete a pass on such short notice against such a stout defense, which Saints captains Cameron Jordan and Demario Davis found commendable:

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Sean Payton has sympathy for everyone in 2020, including ‘the cardboard fans’

Saints coach Sean Payton knows how challenging COVID-19 can be, expressing sympathy for the Broncos and their cardboard fans from South Park

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The New Orleans Saints won a sloppy game against the Denver Broncos in Week 12, taking advantage of the declawed Broncos offense to win 31-3. Forced to play without any of their four quarterbacks after a positive COVID-19 test ruled them all out as high-risk close contacts.

Denver turned to a disjointed offense built around wildcat plays to their running backs and a handful of pass attempts for practice squad wide receiver Kendall Hinton, which didn’t find much success against the tenacious Saints defense.

When asked after the game if he had any sympathy for what the Broncos and his counterpart Vic Fangio had experienced, Saints coach Sean Payton expressed empathy for everyone after a tumultuous year, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think it’s tough for all (of us),” Payton shrugged during his postgame media conference call, continuing: “This is a challenging year, I felt bad for the cardboard fans. It is what it is.”

It’s a funny jab from Payton at the Broncos’ spectators at Empower Field at Mile High, which includes 1,800 cardboard cutouts of characters from “South Park,” the long-running Comedy Central animated series set in Colorado.

Still, the Saints have had their own COVID-19 struggles. They were targeted by the league office for joining many other teams in not wearing masks during a postgame celebration two weeks ago, losing half a million dollars and a future draft pick. Standout left tackle Terron Armstead missed this Broncos game after testing positive, which severely limited what the Saints offense could do.

Payton himself recovered from a coronavirus infection early this year and knows personally just how challenging it can be. So, yes, he’s got an idea of what sort of interruptions the pandemic has introduced to daily life.

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