Q:How have you seen the Denver offense change since the last time you played them, if at all?
DM:They've made changes. You can see definitely with the last game, just taking more shots down the field and they throw some balls up there and they have guys that can come down with them and make good catches. They definitely threw some more vertical passes.
Q:Did you watch the game this weekend?
DM:Yeah, yeah.
Q:What did you think of the finish?
DM:Overtime and then to win on the first play like that, I mean, it was a good game.
Q:How hard is it to defend against a team that has a newfound confidence in being able to do something, like throwing downfield?
DM:I think as a team [they] were already confident. I don't think they ever went into a game - no matter what anybody said, 'They can't throw the ball, they can't make vertical [passes].' I think they went into each game confident. They've made big plays all throughout the season. I don't think the Pittsburgh game was the first time that they've made big plays. They've done that all throughout the season, so I think they've remained confident. We know that we're going to face a confident team. We faced a confident team the first time. We just have to take care of our end.
Q:As a fellow cornerback, what were you thinking when you saw a guy sprint down field like that on the play in overtime?
DM:I was watching kind of as a fan, so when I saw it, I was [like], 'Ohhhh.' The guy caught the ball and then just took off. It's tough. Just hopefully if you're in that position, just trying to make a tackle.
Q:Do you consider Tim Tebow to be a good deep ball thrower?
DM:Yeah, I mean, he completed some pretty good passes. The pass to Eddie Royal, it was a small window to get it in there. It was a pretty good throw.
Q:Have you ever seen a quarterback like this?
DM:Just the first time we played him. He does so many different things well: running the ball, throwing the ball. He's dynamic. When he runs the ball, he's tough to bring down. He's definitely a different type of quarterback.
Q:How much do you guys want to establish identity in this game now that it's a new season?
DM:This is it. It's a one-game season at this point. We have to play well as a team. As a defense, we have to play well. Everything that has happened prior to this doesn't matter. It's all about this one game Saturday night.
Q:Does it matter to you where you line up?
DM:No, it's just playing football.
Q:What is the biggest difference between cornerback and safety?
DM:You have some things technique-wise, whatever defense we're in. It comes down to defending and tackling.
Q:Was there a disconnect between what you saw and talked about before the game and then what was happening on the field? You guys struggled early in the first game.
DM:Going through it and when you actually get out there on the field, it was just coming back to the sideline, talking about what we saw, trying to correct things, trying to just do some things better. We were able to do that the first game.
Q:Do you think you'll be more comfortable against them now that you've seen their offense before?
DM:You hope so, but that last game, when you look at it, it really won't have that much relevance going into this game. Both teams have a chance to game plan. They might do some things different, they might do some things the same. It will still be a totally different game for us defensively.
Q:Do you see things differently and have to react differently when you're at safety as opposed to cornerback?
DM:Like I said, there are some different techniques and where you line up is probably the biggest thing. Corner, you see the field on a different angle, like you said, than a safety. When you come down to it, when you're defending somebody, you're in the middle of the field reading the quarterback and you're tackling. That's the basis of the defense.
Q:You said you were watching the game as a fan, but did you pick up anything watching Demaryius Thomas?
DM:Just watching that game and then watching throughout the week this week, he's a physical guy [and] he's a big receiver and you have to really compete against him. If he catches the ball, he's going to be a tough guy to get to the ground. I think we watched him in the first game and what we thought, it played out. He's a physical guy. He made some pretty good catches in that game and at different times he was tough to bring down.
Q:Because they execute an offense that is something that you don't see in this league, is there a difference in how you prepare?
DM:For us, it's a different offense, but how we prepare is kind of the same. You have to watch film [and] we have to hit the practice field and execute on the practice field. Then you come off, you still have to watch more film. Even if we were going against a different kind of offense that was different from this, we'd still have to do the same kind of thing to get familiar with it.
