Broncos' experienced secondary minimizing big plays

ENGLEWOOD - Champ Bailey doesn’t run like he did as a rookie, and Brian Dawkins might not be quite as intimidating in his mid-30s.

But the upside of age is experience and intelligence, and the Denver Broncos secondary has plenty of both. The starting defensive backs are each older than 30, but opposing receivers haven’t beaten them deep. Oakland’s JaMarcus Russell, who hasn’t been accurate but leads the NFL in yards per completion, will try to buck that trend today.

The Broncos have allowed one pass of 20 or more yards downfield to be completed — a 24-yard catch last week by Browns receiver Braylon Edwards. Only nine times has a pass 10 or more yards downfield been caught by an opponent. Any other decent pass plays have been on short completions with receivers gaining yards after the catch.

Part of the reason Denver is one of four teams that hasn’t allowed a passing touchdown is how few mental mistakes the secondary has made.

“It’s low, there’s no question about it,” secondary coach Ed Donatell said. “These guys have a lot of games under their belts, and they can draw on those experiences and fix problems.”

Dawkins, Bailey, safety Renaldo Hill and cornerback Andre Goodman are savvy players who rarely blow an assignment, and as a unit there is a lot of accountability.

“The communication back there is some of the best that I have been a part of,” Dawkins said. “The way that we talk in the back end makes the game that much easier.”

Corrections are made quickly on the sideline. There aren’t many misalignments before the play, which can lead to a big pass. Film sessions have become almost competitive, with the veteran defensive backs vying to be the first to find an opponent’s weakness. Bailey said the safeties are particularly intense in meetings.

“They study harder than I do,” said Bailey, who takes pride in his film study. “These guys are very smart, very experienced. That will help a lot of corners.”

The four starters meshed quickly because of compatible personalities and there’s respect among them. Dawkins said all four are humble. Bailey liked that they all are focused on winning.

And, perhaps overlooked, is the defensive backs are simply playing well.

“They say that we are a veteran group, but we are a veteran group with talent,” Dawkins said. “All of us can play ball. It is exciting to be able to line up and look to the left and right of me and see the playmaking potential we have back there.”