Now this is how to wind down a professional career.
Michael Pittman has had a nice, durable NFL stint, averaging a little more than 15 games a year, including playoffs, in his 10 seasons with Arizona and Tampa Bay. He has swung between starter and primary backup most of his career.
Now 33 and fighting for one of the 53 roster spots with the Broncos, Pittman knows his value here is as a No. 3 tailback who can swing up to fullback.
Many veterans are known to pout about a diminished role. Pittman showed Friday night in the Broncos’ preseason game against the Green Bay Packers that he’s embracing it.
He caught six passes out of the backfield, including a go-ahead, 9-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, eluding a tackler or two along the way.
He also rushed 10 times, once for 16 yards.
Sure, he got tired. Pittman hasn’t had as many as 16 touches in a game since Christmas Eve 2006. But his toil will have been rewarded if he’s still around by week’s end.
“I’ve had a long career. I’ve had my time to shine as a starter,” Pittman said. “I’ve played a lot of football. I don’t have to be the starter on this team. As long as I have a role that can help this offense win . . .
“I think I showed a lot (Friday). I was able to catch the ball out of the backfield. I tried to run with authority, and block. At the same, there are things I could do better.”
Local endorsement.
Green Bay kicker Mason Crosby knows from his four years as a record-setting kicker at the University of Colorado how much Jason Elam meant to the Broncos. Crosby also knew there would be pressure on whoever replaced Elam. The Atlanta Falcons signed Elam, a free agent, in March after 15 years of steady accuracy in Denver.
“Yeah, but Matt’s following up well,” Crosby said of Matt Prater, the Broncos’ new place-kicker. “He’s hitting the ball well. He’s kicking off really well. It looks like he’s having a good preseason. I wish him the best.”
Prater is a respectable 7-of-9 in field goals in the preseason. Where he dramatically improves Broncos’ special teams is on kickoffs. Prater has recorded touchbacks on eight of his 11 kickoffs the past two games.
Last season, Broncos kickoff specialist Todd Sauerbrun didn’t record his eighth touchback until his 10th game.
Dennison’s kids.
If he keeps this up, Broncos offensive coordinator/line coach Rick Dennison will have to become the official spokesman of the AARP. In June, Dennison and his wife, Shannon, welcomed a fifth child, Trey Calloway. A few days later, Dennison turned 51.
Then, he took five offensive linemen who were not playing at their positions for the Broncos last year and molded them into a starting unit that prevented any sack of quarterback Jay Cutler during the preseason and opened huge holes for running backs Selvin Young and Andre Hall against the Packers.
Young and Hall combined for 83 yards on 13 carries, a 6.4-yard average behind the first-string offensive line in the first half.
“We love it as linemen to be able to run the ball,” said Ryan Harris, the Broncos’ right tackle. “With the people we have on this team, we can do a lot of things if we can keep our focus on the task at hand.”
Mike Klis, The Denver Post
