Broncos' Bly faces a tough week
December 13
Charlotte Observer
"As the competition has grown tougher and the pressure has intensified, Dre Bly seems to have gotten better.
When the Denver Broncos lost top cornerback Champ Bailey to a groin injury Oct. 20, Bly was called upon to fill that role.
The coaches didn't have any other options. Karl Paymah has been yanked in and out of the lineup. Josh Bell has established himself as the starter opposite Bly, but the rookie has played only six career games.
With Bly often matching up against an opponent's top receiver, the Broncos have done well without Bailey. The defense hasn't given up a 300-yard passing game and is yielding an average of 222 passing yards compared with 240 yards in Bailey's seven starts. Denver is 4-2 without Bailey, which seemed highly improbable when the eight-time Pro Bowl player went down.
Since Bailey's injury, Bly has two interceptions, a crucial forced fumble against Cleveland and a pass breakup in every game except for a loss against Oakland, which threw only 12 times.
"There aren't many guys that have done what I've done in this league in the 10 years I've done it," said Bly, who has 41 career interceptions. "I was brought here to make plays and I've been able to make some plays the last few weeks."
On Sunday, Bly often shadowed Kansas City's Dwayne Bowe, who finished with 96 yards receiving but didn't score. Bly also tackled quarterback Tyler Thigpen on fourth and goal late in the final quarter to deny a potential game-tying touchdown.
Denver continues to wait for Bailey to return. He has been practicing for weeks but always on a limited basis. He likely will be listed as questionable for Sunday's game at Carolina. Having Bly to fill his spot has eased the team's anxiety.
"He's playing physical, playing the run game better than he has and doing very well in his coverage, so we're very pleased with how he stepped up," defensive coordinator Bob Slowik said.
Bly faces perhaps his toughest test this week. Panthers receiver Steve Smith has six 100-yard games in his past eight outings, including three in a row. He had nine catches for 117 yards and a touchdown Monday night against Tampa Bay.
"He is a complete football player," coach Mike Shanahan said. "He can do it all - beat you 1 on 1, in the press and in the two-deep (zone). He competes in the running game and takes pride in everything he does. If you are looking for a great wide receiver, his picture is next to it."
Even if Bailey plays, the coaches are unlikely to put him on Smith full time in his first game in nearly two months. If Bly is assigned to Smith, he said he's ready.
"As a competitor, you have to thrive in situations like that and look forward to it," Bly said. "If you don't, you won't last in this league."
As for his season, Bly figures he is being noticed because the Broncos are 8-5. Last year Denver went 7-9 and Bly didn't get much positive attention, especially after giving up a long touchdown
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