T.J. Ward of the Denver Broncos knows a thing or two about taking on elite tight ends.
The Broncos’ defense came to play two weeks ago in the AFC Championship Game against Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and the New England Patriots. The Broncos’ reward for upending the Patriots? A Super Bowl 50 meeting with the Carolina Panthers, who feature a dynamic offense headlined by explosive quarterback Cam Newton and stud tight end Greg Olsen.
Ward is an integral part of the Broncos’ defense, especially when it comes to slowing tight ends. Ward explained to NESN.com’s Michaela Vernava at Super Bowl Opening Night on Monday that while there are differences between Olsen and Gronkowski, both tight ends are a handful to cover.
“(Olsen’s)Â not as big. I don’t believe he’s as fast, but he’s just as effective,” Ward explained. “I think he runs the better routes. They have really good hands. I think they’re both very similar but just different builds and different speeds.”
Ward also spoke about the differences between the Patriots’ offense and the Panthers’ offense, which you can see in the video above.
Thumbnail photo via Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports Images