NFL PLAYER NEWS

Broncos prepare for old friend Osweiler

The Sports Xchange

October 20, 2016 at 7:05 pm.

Brock Osweiler (17) returns to Denver to take on the Broncos Monday night. Photo Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

Brock Osweiler (17) returns to Denver to take on the Broncos Monday night. Photo Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

, Colo. — In some ways, the Broncos are treating their game with the Texans just like any other — even though the quarterback they planned to make their QB of the future, fifth-year veteran Brock Osweiler, made a contentious departure for Houston and a contract worth approximately $2 million more per year with $6 million more in guarantees than the Broncos’ offer.

“Brock doesn’t give me any more motivation,” safety T.J. Ward said. “If Brock is the reason for our motivation, we’re in trouble.”

But not every Bronco feels that way.

“When you’re a player in this league, you’re happy when another player gets his money, when he gets what he’s due,” inside linebacker Brandon Marshall said. “So everybody in this locker room — nobody has any ill will toward Brock.

“But at the same time, it’s a competition, and we want to shut him down, just because it’s Brock. We know Brock. He came from here. And we want to kill him. That’s just what we want to do.”

“It seems like they missed me,” Osweiler joked on a conference call with Denver media when informed of Marshall’s comment.

Osweiler reached out to offer Broncos coach Gary Kubiak best wishes when he dealt with his complex migraine last week.

“We’ve talked from time to time, whether it’s text or whatever,” Kubiak said. “Obviously, I think a lot of him. We had a lot of nice battles with him on the football field last year. We won some big games. You never forget that, and it’s a part of football.”

“He wished me nothing but the best,” Osweiler said of Kubiak’s communication. “It’s true when I say it: I have no poor feelings toward coach (Kubiak) or Denver or the organization.”

But Osweiler will want to show the Broncos what they missed out on after making an offer that was too little — and too late — to prevent him from hitting the market and forcing them into a quarterback contingency plan that ended with Trevor Siemian, Paxton Lynch and Austin Davis as the Broncos’ signal callers.

Siemian and Lynch have handled the work with a combined 90.7 quarterback rating — 16.6 points higher than Osweiler’s rating so far this season.

–Running back C.J. Anderson had a pointed answer when asked whether he should feel pressure from Devontae Booker after the rookie had some strong runs — particularly late in games — during the Broncos’ last two losses.

“Should I?” Anderson replied, then repeating those two words.

“Nah, I’m fine. No pressure at all,” Anderson said. “We’re glad Book is coming along. We all know Book is a special guy and a special player and he can make plays. He’s going to have that opportunity. He’s going to have a lot more opportunities to make plays, which is great.”

Indeed, Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said Monday that he wanted to get Booker the football more often — but not at the expense of Anderson, providing a significant sign that he wants to see the offense run the ball more often and more productively — than it has in the last four games, when the Broncos have had one of the league’s least productive ground games.

“There’s nothing wrong in the National Football League with saying two running backs can make plays,” Anderson said. “So I’m actually happy that (Booker) is coming along.”

–Looking refreshed, Broncos coach Gary Kubiak returned to work this week after spending Week 6 going through a battery of appointments and getting plenty of rest in the wake of the complex migraine with which he was stricken Oct. 9 during and after the loss to the Falcons.

He also came armed with talking points in the wake of back-to-back losses that looked similar, with the Broncos falling behind 10-0 and struggling with offensive execution and a slow defensive start each time.

“I talked about three things with the players: Preparation, detail and then it’s time to go put forth the effort and play,” Kubiak said after he returned. “We have to focus on those things — starting with me, starting with us as coaches and then filter it down through our guys.”

The tenor around the team changed when Kubiak returned.

“He kind of lights a fire to get everybody going — coaches, players, everybody,” cornerback Chris Harris Jr. said. “He just kept it straightforward, telling us what we need to do. We need to get it going in the right direction — especially after you lose two games like that.”