A surprisingly shaky start on offense is not quite what tight end Owen Daniels expected when he signed a three-year, $12 million deal with the Broncos in March.
Up to this point, the veteran has been used mostly as a blocker to help a struggling offensive line. Daniels' value has come not from the amount of production, but when he has provided it.
In back-to-back games, quarterback Peyton Manning found Daniels in the end zone for touchdowns.
Sunday vs. Minnesota, it was fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard-line. Two runs up the middle by running back Ronnie Hillman got stuffed on second and third down plays. Coach Gary Kubiak knew the offense needed a touchdown, not just for the game, but for the team's overall confidence.
So Kubiak drew a misdirection play-action lob pass to the man who could sneak behind the unsuspecting defense, Daniels.
It's a staple of Kubiak's system. Bait the defense with the run, then hit the tight ends and crossing receivers off the play action passes. And Daniels expects to see a lot more of it going forward.
He's expecting to get the ball more too once the offense can get the run game rolling, the story said. The article added Daniels did his research before he came to Denver. He knows about Manning's love affair with the tight end. And he saw former Broncos tight end Julius Thomas, now with Jacksonville, total 151 catches, 1,277 yards and 24 touchdowns in his last two seasons in Denver. If you need help at TE and Daniels is still on our wire he should at least be considered as a guy with his stock rising at the position.
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