Author: Charlie Grace

The Broncos might end the season 3-13, but even if that possibility becomes a reality, Sean Payton has laid a foundation for any future Broncos team to build on, he beat the Chiefs. 

So let’s get into my takeaways from this huge win against Kansas City, and look beyond the bye week for what this win might mean for the last nine weeks of the season.

16 game losing streak snapped

This wasn’t just any Chiefs team, this was an unstoppable force against the AFC West, and specifically the AFC West on the road. 

Before Sunday, the Chiefs had won 16-straight against the Broncos dating back to 2015, 13-straight against the AFC West and 6-straight this season. 

Mahomes, on his own, had 29 straight games with a passing touchdown, 16 straight road wins against the AFC West and 12 straight wins against the Broncos. 

All of those streaks are finished and although the teams have still endured differing seasons up to this point the magnitude of this win cannot be understated for the Broncos moving forward. 

Defence came up huge

Focusing on the game specifically, the defence played their best game of the season on Sunday, recording four takeaways and not allowing a single touchdown. 

In my takeaways from the week six loss, two weeks ago, I highlighted the importance of only restricting this offence to one touchdown on the night. 

Fast forward two weeks, I couldn’t have ever envisioned holding this team to no touchdowns, single-digit points and a second-half shutout. 

This wasn’t just a win, this was a convincing, brutal, mauling and the defence led the way in how they played. 

Nik Bonitto, Jonathan Cooper, Zach Allen and Baron Browning were huge on the front seven which has been rightfully criticised this year. 

The secondary has been reworked since the 70-point game in Miami and on Sunday they made some major plays even in Kareem Jackson’s absence. 

To go from allowing 70 points in a game to holding a top-five offence in the league to only nine points and no touchdowns deserves endless plaudits and Vance Joseph has to be given his flowers.

Culture and system finally sinking in

Sean Payton’s arrival at the Broncos signalled a change of culture was coming at Mile High. 

For too long since Gary Kubiak’s departure, the Broncos have lacked a culture and Payton finally looks like he’s starting to deliver one. 

It also appears that the systematic changes which came with such a widespread change in the coaching staff this offseason are finally clicking with the players. 

Both offensively and defensively they look better at executing plays and more efficient with time calling, penalties are also down considerably.

Perhaps trusting the process will pay off in the medium to long term, who’d have thought?

Not sellers at the deadline

A huge talking point in the last few weeks leading up to yesterday’s trade deadline was whether the Broncos were going to be having a fire sale or not. 

The deadline has passed and no Broncos were moved so I guess we know the answer. 

It’s refreshing to see the Broncos stick at the deadline and not move any pieces, which they have done in recent years most notably with Bradley Chubb last year and Von Miller the season before.

With a culture building and a 3-2 record in their last five games, heading into a bye week, with winnable games down the stretch it feels sensible to keep this group and hope to lay the foundations of something heading into 2024.

Offence still inconsistent

Putting up 24 points against the Chiefs’ defence is no mean feat and this defence hadn’t given up more than 21 points in a game so far this season. 

Kudos to the offence for that and Russell Wilson looked good on a lot of drives on Sunday, however, inconsistencies are still rife in this offence. 

This game could (and should) have been put away much more convincingly than just a 24-9 margin. 

In certain spots, Wilson held onto the ball for too long and took a crucial sack because of it resulting in losing valuable yardage. 

Of course, there is an argument to be had that it was more so the Chiefs’ defence being good than the Broncos’ offence being poor, in games against lesser defences this season we have also seen similar issues arise. 

Run game was immense

On a final positive note on the offence, they were tremendous on Sunday in the run game. 

Javonte Williams scored his first touchdown of the year and totalled 98 yards in the game. 

If the Broncos can build a consistent run game that they can lean on it will be a massive pillar for this offence to possess. 

Look ahead at the bye-week

Usually, in this spot we’d discuss the upcoming opponents, however, the Broncos have the virtue of now being on their bye in week nine. 

The bye has come at a good time after the trade deadline to settle everyone into the system heading into the final nine weeks of the season. 

Payton can continue to build his culture and everyone on the roster knows for certain they will be a Bronco for at least the next nine weeks of their careers. 

It may slightly stunt the momentum they’ve picked up from the two wins in previous weeks but on the contrary, they can consolidate the positives from those games and pay more attention to the flaws in their performances in recent weeks. 

Not to mention they don’t play until Monday Night Football in week 10 giving them even more time to prepare for going into Buffalo to face Josh Allen and the Bills in two weeks.

The Denver Broncos are in the win column once again ladies and gentlemen! 

This season has been full of narrow losses and teething problems, although it might be short-lived, having another win under the belt is a refreshing feeling for those who align themselves with the Broncos. 

Here are my takeaways from the Broncos’ second win of the year. 

Run game finding its groove

The Packers’ run defence isn’t the best by any stretch of the imagination but the Broncos ran the ball well throughout the game. 

The running backs were consistently churning yards on first and second down, setting the passing offence up with manageable third down yardage which is what we expected this Sean Payton offence would look like. 

The Broncos ran the ball 25 times in the game for 145 yards, and the Packers just couldn’t stop Javonte Willams or Samaje Perine in the running or passing game.

Defensive consistency

The defence has finally looked to have regained some of their form from last season stringing together three good games. 

They’re still a long way off their stellar performances from a year ago under Ejiro Evero but they’re showcasing the ability that everyone knew they had. 

There’s an argument to be made that the Broncos’ defence was unfortunate to give up the two touchdowns that they did. 

Romeo Doubs’ touchdown should have been awarded as an interception to Patrick Surtain II according to CBS rules analyst Gene Steratore and Jayden Reed was in the right place at the right time to catch a dropped ball in the endzone by Doubs to make it 17-16 late on.

The pass rush struggled and there is still a concern that the front seven lacks dynamism and depth but P.J. Locke stepped up when it mattered and grabbed the game-sealing interception late in the day getting Denver in the win column.

Offence moved the ball well

Akin to the first takeaway, the offence looked promising moving the ball through all four quarters. 

Russell Wilson looked good moving the ball through the air and as mentioned prior the running attack consistently gained yards on the ground. 

Wilson could have had two touchdowns in the game but one was chalked off early in the game due to a penalty.

It is concerning that the offence can’t convert their drives into touchdowns and often in the red zone there is a tendency to go ‘three-and-out’. 

Despite having a redzone percentage around the league average, the Broncos have only scored 14 touchdowns off of their 70 drives this season. 

Second half offence is still shaky

The offence in the second half has been extremely poor so far this season, failing to score in the third quarter of four out of seven games so far this season. 

Outside of their scripted drives, the offence often fails to find fluidity, especially in the second half. 

This week that issue was mitigated and the Broncos looked to move the ball well throughout the game, despite some shaky play in the second half and it is a concerning trend for the season.

Week eight preview 

Coming off a positive performance and a needed win, the Broncos face arguably the toughest test in the league when they welcome the Kansas City Chiefs to Mile High next Sunday. 

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs will be looking to extend their dominant run over the Broncos, their win streak currently sits at 16 wins and they will be hoping to make it 17 on Sunday. 

The Broncos are out of playoff contention and will just be playing for pride in the final ten weeks of the season and many will be playing to try and earn roster spots for their next teams beyond the Broncos. 

One way for Payton to repair some of the damage his short tenure has done among Broncos country is snapping the streak and stopping the red-hot Chiefs from running away from the rest of the AFC once again.

The Broncos haven’t been gifted many primetime windows in the last eight seasons, and the way the Broncos have played in those eight years, can you blame the schedule makers for giving the primetime windows to other franchises? 

It was more of the same on Thursday night primetime this week as the Broncos extended their winless run against the Kansas City Chiefs to 16 games, and counting, whilst also, slipping to 1-5 on the year and well and truly putting to bed any lingering hopes of a playoff berth for Sean Payton in his first year in Denver. 

Over the first four weeks, there was a strong argument to be made that the Broncos could (and probably should) have been 4-1 over the opening quarter of the season. Losing in two one-score games at home in the opening two weeks and only losing by multiple scores last week against the Jets due to a turnover that became a score late in the game.

The same, unfortunately, cannot be said about this week’s loss in Arrowhead, so without further ado, here are my takeaways from the Broncos’ loss to the Chiefs. 

Rushing offence 

Starting with the positives, the run game started the game well, Javonte Williams had a couple of bruising runs in the opening quarter which looked more like the Williams we’re used to seeing in Broncos Country. 

The Broncos ran for 115 yards on the night and it was clear that Payton wanted to control the time of possession early in the game and keep Patrick Mahomes off the field. 

It seems Payton has been managing the snaps of Williams in the opening six weeks of the year, which is sensible considering the injury he had and the way he plays, one does have to wonder how long Payton can keep limiting the snaps of one of the Broncos’ only playmakers on offence though.

Defence looked good 

The defence held its own for the second week running and held this explosive offence to only one touchdown in the game which is incredible to say, especially when they’ve had 70 points scored against them in one game on the road already this year. 

For the opening four weeks, the conversations in Broncos country have revolved around the offence keeping up their level of play and the defence giving them a chance to win games by holding opponents to a somewhat modest total of points. 

In the subsequent two weeks, the conversation has flipped and now Broncos fans are looking for the offence to be competent at the very least and asking the defence to retain their level of performance.

Offence falters again 

Speaking of the offence, for the second week in a row they’ve failed to show up in games that have well and truly been there for the taking. 

Last week Russell Wilson had the ball in his hands with the chance to lead the offence down the field and take the lead late in the game, instead, Wilson fumbled the ball and the Jets ran it in to win the game. 

This week the Broncos weren’t even close to the Chiefs despite them only reaching the endzone once. 

They couldn’t move the ball and the wide receivers couldn’t get open at all for Wilson to find them and get the offence moving down the field. 

One of the only bright spots in the Broncos pass game this year, Marvin Mims Jr., wasn’t even on the field after his error against the Jets last Sunday appears to have rubbed Payton up the wrong way. 

Without Mims, the offence has no vertical explosiveness, and for a receiver room that is supposedly all on the trade block, they’ve done nothing but harm their trade stock in the last two weeks.

Roster moves are pending

As mentioned previously, it isn’t just the receivers who are up for sale, according to several reports, the entire roster besides superstar Patrick Surtain II is on the trade block for the Broncos. 

Whether Payton wants to blow things up quite to that extent or not is up for discussion and it doesn’t seem like the fire sale will be quite that wholesale. 

Nonetheless, besides a handful of promising young pieces on either side of the ball and a couple of highly paid new free-agent acquisitions it feels like the large majority of this roster would be eligible for trade if general manager George Paton picked up any calls in the coming weeks. 

Some of the more highly spoken about players in trade rumours have been: Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, Justin Simmons and Kareem Jackson, amongst others. 

Most believe those are the four players that would garner any relevant haul for Paton and as a result, they are the ones most likely to be traded, especially as the Broncos are desperate for picks as they attempt to rebuild their roster.

Week seven preview 

Looking ahead to next Sunday, the Broncos turn their attention to their game against the Green Bay Packers who are coming off of a bye in week six. 

The Packers have had a mixed season with highs and lows before heading into an early-season bye. No one has encapsulated that more perhaps, than quarterback Jordan Love who took the reigns from Aaron Rodgers in the offseason. 

Love’s play has been inconsistent and injuries on offence have led to some subpar play from the Packers which might bouy this resurgent Broncos defence across the last two weeks. 

The defence is stacked with talent but play-caller, Joe Barry, is public enemy number one amongst cheeseheads and his play-calling has resulted in numerous losses already this season in games the Packers should have been winning. 

Fortunately for the Broncos, they have had an extended week to prepare for this game and come back refreshed and, hopefully, rejuvenated ahead of Sunday.

They desperately need a win this week at home, before they lock horns once again with the Chiefs again in week eight, and then go on their bye in week nine. 

If the Broncos don’t win on Sunday they could realistically be 1-7 coming off their bye with a brutal stretch to end the season later in the year, including road trips to Buffalo, Detroit and the Chargers as well as a home game against the Browns.

It’s not a must-win game for any playoff implications but it’s certainly a must-win game if Payton and Wilson want any credibility coming out of this disastrous start to their campaign in Denver.

With so much riding on this game surrounding Sean Payton’s preseason comments and the comeback win last week, it felt like this was a game where the Broncos could really turn the tide of their season at home to a struggling Jets side. 

In reality, it was a watershed moment for all the wrong reasons and Broncos country is starting to feel that all-too-familiar disappointment once again before the leaves have even started to fall off the trees in autumn.

So here it is, four takeaways from the Broncos’ loss to the New York Jets.

Worst the offence has played this season 

In the opening four weeks a lot of blame was levelled at the defence, for good reason, however, this week, the offence took the reigns. 

The defence was getting stops in the first half and if it hadn’t been for a bad safety in the first quarter, the Broncos would have been in an even more dominant position heading into halftime.

In the second half the offence completely fell apart, with four three-and-outs and a fumble culminating in minus eight total yards of offensive production in the second half until a 60-yard touchdown drive to make the score 24-21.

The defence managed to come up clutch late in the fourth quarter with an interception but once again the offence failed to fire and Russell Wilson fumbled the ball to Bryce Hall who iced the game, returning it for a touchdown.

QUINCY WILLIAMS STRIP. BRYCE HALL TD. LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

— New York Jets (@nyjets) October 8, 2023

The offensive woes were highlighted when the Broncos gained good field position from a special teams play from their own punt and two snaps later, the Jets regained possession due to a poorly executed end-around double pitch. 

Hopefully, it’s a blip and the offence will return to their levels from the first four weeks, if they hope to even lay a glove on the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday Night Football, they’ll have to.

Defence inconsistent again 

The defence carried their late-game momentum from last week into the opening stages of this game against the Jets.

In the first half, the defence held Zach Wilson and the Jets to 20 total yards of offence in the first quarter. 

In the second quarter, the Jets started to move the ball better but once again the Broncos’ defence held them to only three points.

In the second half though, they couldn’t stop the Jets from moving the ball, particularly Breece Hall who notched 177 rushing yards and a touchdown.

The pass rush got home four times and Patrick Surtain II picked off Zach Wilson to give the Broncos the ball back with time running down to go ahead but the offence couldn’t capitalise. 

PS2️⃣ 😤

Patrick Surtain II comes up with a clutch INT to give the #Broncos the ball back down 3 🍿

pic.twitter.com/tm76rRH8Vy

— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) October 8, 2023

After the year the defence has had, Sunday was encouraging, however, the inconsistencies were still frustrating to see.

Payton ate his words 

Sean Payton’s comments about Nathaniel Hackett’s head coaching job in Denver last year are common knowledge now among anyone who follows the NFL.

On Sunday, Payton was made to eat those words, the loss doesn’t change the past but it certainly raises questions about how much of last season was on Hackett. 

The offence has undoubtedly looked better under Payton than it did under Hackett but in general they still appear to be a poorly coached team. 

Is that hangover from the last regime? It’s unlikely because there are plenty of new faces in the building.

One thing is for certain, after the comments he made Payton made himself a target especially heading into this game, and it spectacularly backfired on him.

The fire sale has begun 

On Monday, NFL insider James Palmer suggested that a fire sale of Broncos talent may commence soon in light of the team’s 1-4 record. 

It’s no surprise that the team are looking to start a rebuild again and with the current salary cap situation and the lack of draft capital, it seems trading assets away is the only option. 

What's the vibe in the #Broncos locker room? Some believe "A tear down is coming". My report on The Insiders on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/1ULuwM1z6w

— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) October 9, 2023

It’s highly unlikely that the Broncos will be worse than the Chicago Bears and the Carolina Panthers this season, at the very least, so the number one overall pick and therefore Caleb Williams seems like a pipedream. 

Despite that, Russell Wilson’s play hasn’t been the reason the Broncos are 1-4 so would a quarterback really be the target? 

Albeit, the Broncos certainly have tradable pieces on offence and defence so if Payton and general manager George Paton believe that’s the way they want to go then they could definitely receive a lot of capital in return.

Week 6 TNF preview 

It doesn’t get any easier for the Broncos, next week, a trip to Arrowhead awaits to play the formidable Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night. 

The Broncos have lost 15 straight against their AFC West rivals and the Chiefs have started the season hot, despite not being wholly convincing.

The Chiefs sit at 4-1 and are on a four-game win streak after their loss to the Detroit Lions on the opening night of the season. 

The Broncos slipped to 1-4 and are once again gearing themselves up for a winter bereft of playoff football and more top-ten draft selection talk in springtime.

After three arduous weeks, and a nervous first half, the Sean Payton era has finally delivered its first win in Broncos country. It wasn’t pretty, it was the furthest thing from assured and by no mean perfect, but Payton and the Broncos won’t care, they’re now in the win column and anything can happen from here. 

So on the first victory week of the season, here are my takeaways from the Broncos’ road win against the Chicago Bears.

Comeback W 

A win is always sweet, but a win from 28-7 down is a beautiful way to win a game. From a team standpoint in the long term, it also provides a reason to be positive for Broncos fans as well. 

The team showed great poise, grit and determination to rally around each other after halftime and provided that they can play complimentary football, they can be a watchable team.

It’s refreshing to see all three phases of play contributing to a win especially after they had their backs against the wall on the road in a crucial game for the season.

These are the types of performances that seasons can hinge upon and momentum may well be swinging in Denver’s favour now heading into week five.

Jaleel McLaughlin

It always seems to be the way, every year the Broncos manage to unearth one or two gem rookie players that make an impact in orange and blue. 

This Sunday it was the turn of undrafted running back, Jaleel McLaughlin, out of Youngstown State to make his impact known to the NFL world. 

The shifty and elusive runner saw more involvement in the offence after Javonte Williams left the game early with a hip injury and he made his opportunity count. 

McLaughlin put up 72 yards on the ground and 32 in the receiving game as well as scoring the Broncos’ first touchdown of the day. 

His change of direction and quick burst of acceleration was something the Bears defensive line couldn’t handle all day. 

Second half 

The performance in the second half was pleasing from the offence, defence and special teams, it felt like after halftime something finally clicked under this new leadership group. 

The offence was moving the ball well and looked like they could attack the Bears on the ground or through the air if they needed to and they just couldn’t be stopped.

The defence finally started to make some plays and recorded two turnovers in the fourth quarter which swung the game in the Broncos’ favour. 

This was the moment that Broncos fans had been waiting an eternity for, well-executed football in every area of the game and giving themselves every chance of winning the game. 

First half defence 

Despite the positives, there were obvious red flags throughout the game and those came mostly during the first half when the Broncos found themselves 21-7 down going into the half in a must-win game to keep their season alive. 

Credit to Justin Fields, the former Ohio State dual-threat quarterback had his best game as a pro on Sunday and he showed the potential that his talent can elevate him to. 

However, he was also helped by Vance Joseph’s incredibly soft defensive coverages and a plethora of blown zone assignments. 

Joseph played off-man coverage packages far too often, giving Fields easy quick passing options and with the current lack of pass rush Fields just picked the Broncos apart in the air.

On three crucial games in the half, middle linebacker Alex Singleton lost tight end, Cole Kmet, in zone coverage, once for a big third down catch and twice for a touchdown. 

In these ill-disciplined moments, games can be won and lost and although the Broncos fell on the right side of the win this week, they are 1-2 in one-score games through the first four weeks of the season and with better pass coverage they could well be 3-0.   

Discipline 

Speaking of discipline, the flags against the Broncos once again totted up this week. 

33 penalties have been called against the Broncos already this season and they committed seven this week. 

It’s not necessarily the frequency of the penalties they’re giving up, it’s when they occur and the nature of them. 

Four false start penalties were called on Sunday and too often the Broncos find themselves on the backfoot on offensive drives due to poor penalties surrendering momentum before they’ve even begun.

Week five preview 

It can be easy to get carried away, especially after a win which has been so long in the making, but the Broncos now need to carry their late-game momentum into another winnable game next week at home to the New York Jets.

The game comes packed with storylines, none fierier than the battle between sidelines, after Sean Payton’s comments about former Broncos head coach, Nathaniel Hackett’s work with the team last year. 

Hackett failed to make a full season as head coach of the Broncos despite so much preseason hype, and after Payton was hired this offseason he called it, “one of the worst coaching jobs in history.” 

Hackett is now the offensive coordinator of the Jets and he will be hoping to cause an upset back in Mile High, but he will be without future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers. 

Instead, third-year quarterback, Zach Wilson will be under centre for the Jets and after a promising Monday Night Football performance against the Kansas City Chiefs, the former BYU man will be hoping to come away with his first win of the season as a starter. 

Away from the headlines, the Broncos will hopefully be buoyed by the probable return of safety Justin Simmons, while Baron Browning has entered his window to be activated off of the PUP list. 

Something to monitor for #Broncos.

After Week 4, CB K'Waun Williams and Safety P.J. Locke are both eligible to be activated off of IR. OLB Baron Browning's PUP window could open if he's ready.

George Paton told us before season they would see where he's at after Week 4.

— Cody Roark (@CodyRoarkNFL) September 27, 2023

Safety, PJ Locke and cornerback, K’Waun Williams can both be activated off of the injury reserve list this week getting help to the secondary. 

Hopefully, Frank Clark and Josey Jewell can return to the defence, after an extra weekend of rest missing the Bears game on Sunday, and add some more power to the front seven. 

Whether the Broncos were 4-0 or 1-3 heading into this week Broncos Country and Mile High were always going to be fired up for this one, and it will be some atmosphere as this war of words finally takes to the field at 9:25 pm BST on Sunday.

70 points. Only three teams in the history of the sport have ever put up 70 points in a game and that’s what happened to the Broncos on Sunday afternoon. It was a historic humiliation that shattered records for all the wrong reasons in Broncos Country. 

At the end of the game, the Miami Dolphins had the chance to beat the record and score a field goal to make it 73 points but former Broncos ball boy Mike McDaniel opted to kneel and close the game out, sinking the Broncos to an embarrassing loss and an 0-3 record. 

Here are my takeaways from the week three matchup in Florida. 

Russell Wilson is NOT the problem

The media and Twitter box score fans have been quick to jump back on their anti-Russell Wilson agenda this season, but the nine-time Pro Bowler is having a fine year in Denver. 

He’s proving his haters from last year very wrong, playing smart football and looking like a top-10 quarterback in the league in his opening three games of the season. 

Wilson threw for 306 yards off of 23 completions which, for context, was only three yards fewer than Tua Tagovailoa from the same number of completions. 

He threw for one touchdown, and one interception, which wasn’t entirely Wilson’s fault anyway, as well as four big-time throws according to PFF. 

He is navigating the pocket well, sensing and escaping pressure much more often, and he seems to be seeing the field and making decisions much more assertively as well as backing his arm on the deep ball much more often.

It has been a positive start to the season for Wilson under the tutelage of Sean Payton and hopefully, he will soon be rewarded for his good play.

Receivers are building chemistry

Even without Tim Patrick for a second straight season, the Broncos have a tidy wide receiver room, on paper at least. 

Jerry Jeudy played for a second consecutive week and Courtland Sutton still appears to be one of Russell Wilson’s favourite targets, while rookie Marvin Mims is a genuine deep-threat target.

Over the last two weeks, sophomore, Brandon Johnson has also been a pass catcher that Wilson can often lean upon to make a big catch when needed. 

When Greg Dulcich is elevated off of the injury reserve list, the Broncos’ air raid game will be something to behold if they can keep up their three-week momentum.

Special teams touchdown

Over the last couple of years, the Broncos have regularly had one of the league’s worst special teams units every year. 

On Sunday, Marvin Mims proved why the Broncos traded up to acquire him in the draft, returning a kickoff 99 yards to cut the deficit to a measly 43 points (at the time).

Coupled with his long punt return last week, Mims is proving to be the return man the Broncos have been hoping for, for years.

The defence…

When you concede 70, there’s only one place the heap of the blame can go. The defence consistently gave up big gashing run gains to Raheem Mostert and Devon Achane, who combined for six rushing touchdowns between them. 

The defence surrendered 726 yards to the Dolphins in total yards and when Randy Gregory was dropping into coverage against Tyreek Hill, and they were missing 24 tackles it’s hardly surprising. 

The 726 yards in total offense by Dolphins vs Broncos today is an NFL record. Old record held by 1951 LA Rams who compiled 722 yards vs New York Yanks in season opener. (ProFootballReference)
And Miami’s 70 points today tied for 2nd most in NFL history. #9sports

— Mike Klis (@mikeklis) September 25, 2023

Broncos missed tackles by game, per Pro Football Focus:

Week 1: 8
Week 2: 11
Week 3: TWENTY-FOUR

🎶 “Twenty, twenty, twenty-four hours to go, I wanna be sedated” 🎶

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) September 25, 2023

After losing to the Raiders in week one, they lost only putting up 10 points in week two, and after last week’s 35-33 loss to the Commanders, Washington only scored a field goal this week and Sam Howell threw four interceptions. 

The Broncos’ defence is a shadow of its 2022 self under Ejiro Evero and despite a largely similar personnel, the change in co-ordinator and scheme hasn’t been effective.

The numbers are staggering and the film is alarming, when looking at this Broncos defence, Vance Joseph is on the hottest seat in the league. 

During the week, Sean Payton has said that there won’t be any firings this week so Joseph has a chance to prove he’s the man for the job on the road in Chicago which is a must-win game.

Fumbles

The Dolphins scored 21 points off of turnovers on Sunday and two of those came from the hands of Courtland Sutton. 

Sutton posted 8 catches for 91 yards and a touchdown but he could have had so much more had he protected the ball better in the open field. 

Twice he was looking for yards after the catch and twice, Jevon Holland came across and punched the ball out giving Miami a good starting field position. 

Had those 21 points from the turnovers been converted to Broncos points then it may have been more of a tight shootout than the game became.

Officials (again)

Like last week, the officials didn’t cost the Broncos this game, which lies firmly at the doorstep of the defence, however, early in the game they made a questionable call which halted early Broncos offensive momentum.

In the first quarter, the Broncos managed to hang around with the Dolphins and would have gone within a score of their hosts if their touchdown to Sutton had stood. 

Instead, the officials decided to step in and throw a tenuous offensive pass interference call that meant the Broncos had to settle for a field goal on that drive.

It was by no means a game-changing call but once again the officiating levels of the NFL come under the spotlight.

Looking ahead to week four 

The Broncos have entered must-win territory if they have any plans of making the post-season in January, but even more so when their week four opponent is the Chicago Bears.

The Bears have been the worst team in the league so far this season with a faltering offence and a leaky defence. 

Third-year quarterback, Justin Fields has struggled to process defences and the offensive playcalling hasn’t utilised his strengths, while the offensive line has failed to protect him anywhere near enough.

These two defences gave up 111 points on Sunday so both offences will be licking their lips and trying to lay down a comprehensive marker to get in the win column for the first time this year. 

After their struggles in the ground game against the Dolphins, Justin Fields’ rushing ability is a concern but the offensive form partnered with the Bears’ poor defensive form is a positive sign heading into a huge week four matchup for both teams.

Sean Payton literally kicked his tenure for the Denver Broncos off in eye-catching fashion, opting to go for an onside kick on the Broncos’ opening kickoff of the game on Sunday night. 

Despite the ball ending up in the Las Vegas Raiders’ hands anyway due to an illegal touching penalty, Payton laid down a marker early against a division rival. 

The first half followed a similar trend, while the second half failed to ever get going with mistakes by both teams often extending drives in agonising fashion.

With that said, here are seven key takeaways, both positive and negative, heading forward. 

1. Russell Wilson’s first half 

Russell Wilson’s performance levels heading into this season were a big talking point, and if his week one performance levels are anything to go off of then he’s getting back to his old ways under Payton’s reign. Wilson managed 17/19 for 125 yards and two passing touchdowns in the first half. In the second he threw for only 52 yards off of 15 attempts completing 10 passes. It wasn’t the flashiest of games but a promising performance to kick off 2023 after his 2022 showing.

Russell Wilson in the first half vs. the Raiders:

👨‍🍳 17/19
👨‍🍳 125 passing yards
👨‍🍳 2 TDs/0 INTs
👨‍🍳 129.2 passer rating pic.twitter.com/ivSlCIVxhf

— PFF (@PFF) September 10, 2023

2. Running back duo 

After the Broncos’ offseason additions it was clear Payton would be bringing a run-first approach to the offence, two blocking tight ends made the 53-man roster and the offensive line was bolstered. To backup up their gameplan Javonte Williams and Samaje Perine had a good day on the ground, both consistently picking up yardage on their rushing attempts without ever truly breaking out a huge run. Once they can get undrafted rookie Jaleel McGlaughlin involved consistently they could become one of the league’s more under-the-radar rushing attacks.

3. General offensive performance in the first half 

Somewhat a combination of the first two points, the general offensive improvements from last year’s levels were pleasing to see for Broncos fans. On the contrary, it was noticeable that the Broncos only went deep on one play in the entire game, a trend that was perhaps highlighted due to Jerry Jeudy’s absence this week.

Greg Dulcich’s curtailed afternoon also impacted the passing game in the second half, lacking a dynamic vertical threat like the second-year Cal, tight end. One would hope that as Jeudy and Dulcich regain their fitness, Payton will be able to mix in their run attack while sprinkling more explosive passing downs into their drives.

#BroncosCountry Practice Report – 9/13:

• Jerry Jeudy looks like he’s moving well
• Greg Dulcich and others on side field
• Denver elevated Lil’Jordan Humphrey, placed Caden Sterns on IR
• Team’s focus shifts on #Commanders | @MileHighSports pic.twitter.com/9AvwBbGqNp

— Cody Roark (@CodyRoarkNFL) September 13, 2023

4. Damarri Mathis targeted 

Unfortunately, there were negatives to discuss as well, and ironically, they came on defence, something not too familiar to Broncos fans in recent years. While the offence was efficient and relatively effective, the defence couldn’t get off the field. Garoppolo was able to dissect Vance Joseph’s coverages comfortably and in particular, he targeted second-year cornerback, Damarri Mathis who struggled to contain Jakobi Myers.

Myers scored two touchdowns on the day and while Patrick Surtain II and Essang Bassey contained Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow respectively, Myers was often found in open space registering nine catches for 81 yards. After a promising training camp, the Broncos will be hoping to see Mathis bounce back in week two when he’ll be given the challenge of covering the Washington Commanders’ Curtis Samuel and Jahan Dotson.

5. Sterns injury

After the optimism of the onside kick came the agony of an injury for the Broncos. On the opening drive of the game, Joseph’s defence lost one of its best training camp performers in safety Caden Sterns. Sterns was looking to have a breakout season in his third year out of Texas but will now have to endure rehab on his season-ending knee injury instead. 

The #Broncos have promoted WR Lil'Jordan Humphrey to the active roster and placed Caden Sterns on Injured Reserve.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 13, 2023

6. Pass rush lacking

Perhaps the most alarming takeaway from Sunday’s loss was the lack of pressure that the Broncos managed to generate from their front seven. Despite blitzing the Raiders on 31% of their dropbacks (12th in the league) they only pressured Jimmy Garoppolo on 13.8% of his dropbacks (the lowest in the league), the next lowest was Jordan Love who was pressured on 20% of dropbacks against the Chicago Bears.

Least Pressured QBs in Week 1 (% of dropbacks under pressure)

1. Jimmy G (13.8%)
2. Jordan Love (20%)
3. Dak Prescott (20.8%)
4. Russell Wilson (21.6%)
5. Desmond Ridder (22.7%)

— Nico (@elitetakes_) September 14, 2023

The numbers are as alarming as the film looks, none of the front seven consistently beat their opposing lineman and they struggled to ever get to Garoppolo. Going forward, Joseph will have to figure out a way to generate consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks, with the likes of the Bills, Dolphins, Chargers and Chiefs on their schedule later this season. 

7. Lutz misses

Finally, Will Lutz’s misses on both an extra point and field goal, inevitably costing the Broncos the game has to be discussed. Extra points should be automatic for kickers in the NFL and a missed field goal from 55 yards stings when the final score was 17-16 to a division rival in your own house sinking your head-to-head against the Raiders to 7 straight losses. Hopefully, being a veteran, Lutz will be able to put the misses behind him and come back stronger to make some crucial kicks later in the year.

The Denver Broncos find themselves in a hole ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft in the wake of their trade for Russell Wilson last March. 

In order to bring the nine-time pro bowl quarterback to Denver, the Broncos had to part ways with their 2022 and 2023 first and second-round picks. 

As a result, general manager George Paton and head coach Sean Payton won’t be on the clock until pick 67 in the third round of the draft on Friday night. 

George Paton has shown that he has the capability to draft well in the middle rounds of the draft picking up players like Baron Browning, Caden Sterns, Jonathan Cooper, Damarri Mathis and Greg Dulcich in the third round or later in his two drafts in charge of the Broncos. 

The Broncos also have a range of needs across their team which Paton will aim to try to fix in this draft, from offensive line needs to linebacker and cornerback depth. 

The issue for the Broncos this year? They only have five picks in this draft, 67, 68, 108, 139 and 195. In response to this George Paton revealed late last month that the Broncos would be, “more inclined to move back, to get some more picks.” 

So, whether they trade up, trade back or “stick and pick” let’s look at the top three areas of need for the Denver Broncos in the 2023 NFL Draft next week.

Linebacker

A position group that lacks a lot of standout elite end talent but one that could prove fruitful for Paton and the Broncos at the top of the third round is linebacker. 

Last offseason the Broncos’ front office signed Josey Jewell to a two-year contract extension meaning he’s in the final year of his current deal in Denver, while Alex Singleton was signed to a three-year deal this past offseason. 

Looking beyond the 2023 season the Broncos will want to add some insurance at the position and make sure they have someone to come in and fill Jewell’s void if he isn’t resigned. 

The Broncos might have to trade up into the second round to get the top linebacker on their board, but a number of linebackers should still be available at the top of the third round where the Broncos pick at both 67th and 68th overall.

Potential prospect targets: Daiyan Henley (Washington State), Trenton Simpson (Clemson), DeMarvion Overshown (Texas), Dorian Williams (Tulane)

Defensive Line

The defensive front for Denver has seen a lot of overhaul over the past year, edge rusher Bradley Chubb was traded to the Miami Dolphins, Shelby Harris was part of the Russell Wilson trade, Dre’mont Jones hit free agency and a number of role players have moved on. 

Randy Gregory and DJ Jones were signed in free agency last offseason and Baron Browning was moved to a more prominent edge rushing role in the preseason, while Zach Allen was signed in free agency this offseason. 

In last year’s draft, the Broncos added some rotational players to their defensive line with Oklahoma’s Nik Bonitto in the second round, Iowa State’s defensive tackle Eyioma Uwazurike in the fourth round and Wisconsin’s Matt Henningsen in the sixth round. 

We could see Paton targeting a similar approach to bring more role players to Denver’s defensive line to help out a fairly thin area on their roster. 

Potential prospect targets: Keeanu Benton (Wisconsin), Siaki Ika (Baylor), Kobie Turner (Wake Forest), Moro Ojomo (Texas), Zacch Pickens (South Carolina), Gervon Dexter Jr. (Florida)

Interior Offensive Line 

The Broncos spent the majority of free agency overhauling their offensive line and run game personnel. 

Tackle Mike McGlinchey signed a five-year deal worth $87.5 million, and Guard, Ben Powers signed a four-year deal worth $51.5 million to sure up their offensive line which underperformed a lot last year. 

In 2021, the Broncos picked up guard/centre Quinn Meinerz from Wisconsin-Whitewater in the third round and he showed promise at both guard and centre across the last two seasons. 

In last year’s draft, Denver selected centre Luke Wattenberg to push third-year starter, Lloyd Cushenberry III to bolster the interior of their offensive line. 

Interior offensive line isn’t an area of strength in this draft class but Paton has found late-round value at the position in the past and will hope to have similar luck in this year’s draft.

Potential prospect targets: Chandler Zavala (NC State), Andrew Vorhees (USC), Luke Wypler (Ohio State), Joe Tippmann (Wisconsin)