Q: How productive can you be throwing the football if the conditions are poor on Sunday?

MATT CASSEL: “You can be very productive. I’ve had games in the past when we’ve had 300-yard-plus throwing games in those types of conditions, even worse with snowing and wind and everything like that. It’s just part of execution and some guys making big plays.”

Q: Is there any common theme to the problem you guys have been having with starting games quickly?

CASSEL: “You know, I can’t just pinpoint one thing. For whatever reason throughout the course of the year, we have been very slow starting ball games. We’ve talked about it, we’ve preached about it and we just have to start stringing points together. I thought we got off to a good start for a second there and all of a sudden we stop ourselves or we miss a throw or we don’t hit a run and we put ourselves in third and long and we don’t get going. Anything we can do to get started early, I think that’s what we’re really trying to emphasize on.”

Q: You guys started off pretty strong last week with good drives and picking up a first down in each of the first two series, but then in the second series, you couldn’t overcome a negative play. Are long down-and-distance situations just something that this team is going to have to overcome?

CASSEL: “I think that’s what any offense tries to do, is eliminate the second-and-long and third-and-long situations because in this league, in the NFL, with the pass rushers, when they know that you have to throw when it’s third and long, it’s tough sledding. It’s very difficult on any team. You just have to keep moving the chains and being efficient and getting yourself in manageable third-down situations. When you do that, you have the leverage of the run-pass game – you can run the ball or you can throw the ball and you keep the defense on their toes.”

Q: Last year you had a pretty good game against the Broncos, is there anything you carry into this game because of the whole change out there?

CASSEL: “Not at all. It’s a completely different defense when you watch them on film. Mike Nolan is running the defense there and he’s carried that defense over. There have been a lot of changes from what he did in San Francisco last year to what they’re doing even in Denver, so there’s not much carryover from what they did last year Denver-wise compared to what they’re doing this year.”

Q: When you’re faced with some of the weather conditions that you might face this Sunday, how do you have to alter how you throw the ball?

CASSEL: “You really don’t. When it comes down to snow and it’s that cold, snow doesn’t affect the ball as much as the wind and I’d say even the rain does – when it’s wet and slippery you have some serious problems handling the ball a lot of times. When it snows, it really doesn’t mess up your grip too much. The wind, you really have to play the wind sometimes and based on how hard it’s blowing, that can dictate your throw a little bit.”

Q: What kind of factor in your development was Denver head coach Josh McDaniels?

CASSEL: “He was a huge factor. I was there for four years with him and he was my coach my whole way through. Coming in as a rookie, I think I was his first rookie that he really brought up because that was his first year he was the offensive coordinator. We spent a lot of time obviously together over four years. Throughout the off-season, he would always have projects for me to work on and develop my skills, whether it was mental skills or physical skills. A lot of what I’ve achieved and where I am now is attributed to Josh McDaniels.”

Q: Can you explain how Denver LB Elvis Dumervil does it – a pretty small guy leading the league in sacks?

CASSEL: “Well, you watch him on film and he’s got a tremendous motor. He continues to go 110 percent each and every play. He’s got great balance and great pass rush moves and so people have to deal not only with his quickness but he’s got great leverage on some of those bigger tackles that he deals with, so that bull rush becomes effective and he’s done a great job throughout the year of when sacks present themselves, making those plays.”

Q: Is he a rusher that when you come to the line you know where he is, or do they move him all over?

CASSEL: “You definitely have to account for him. For the most part he’s an end-of-the-line rusher and he’s not moving around too much but every now and then you’ll see him in different spots.”