Cornerback Champ Bailey has done a lot of things, matched up with a lot of receivers in his career. He’s played his left cornerback spot well enough to go to nine Pro Bowls, five of those with the Broncos.
But Sunday the Broncos showed a new wrinkle with their most decorated defensive back as they put Bailey in the slot — the inside corner position — when they went to their dime package (six defensive backs).
Bailey has lined up almost exclusively on the outside during his career, playing inside only when he matched up exclusively on an opposing receiver no matter where the receiver lined up in the formation.
But Sunday he played out of the slot in the seven snaps the Broncos played in the dime. He also was in a position to rush the passer there, coming up the field for the first time in the game on an incomplete pass from David Garrard to tight end Marcedes Lewis in the first quarter.
It puts Bailey a little closer to the action, near the middle of the field and takes advantage of his one-of-a-kind ball skills and his ability to change direction so smoothly in what is routinely a high-traffic area that demands quick reactions.
But it also puts a rookie — Perrish Cox — in Bailey’s left cornerback spot when he enters the game as the sixth defensive back. Nate Jones plays as the Broncos’ nickel, or fifth defensive back and he moves to a deep safety position when the team goes to the dime.
So, it will be intriguing as the Broncos go forward to see if opposing quarterbacks attack Cox in the dime because of his inexperience.
Garrard completed 5-of-7 passes against the Broncos’ dime look Sunday, but just two of those completions resulted in first downs.
