On Thursday night, the Denver Broncos reached the milestone of becoming the first NFL team to win eight games this year. They secured this milestone with a hard-fought 10-7 win against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Broncos’ undefeated record is daunting, but their offensive struggles should be concerning. In fact, they’ve scored 18 points or fewer in three of their last five games. The team’s inconsistency and struggles were evident in their play, marked by a troubling number of penalties and negative yardage possessions.
In their most recent bout, the Broncos shot themselves in the foot with a lack of discipline. They allowed 11 penalties for 78 yards themselves, with eight of those infractions coming from the offense. This marked the fourth time this season that the Broncos were penalized with at least 10 accepted penalties in a game, raising questions about their ability to maintain composure on the field.
The offense had a particularly challenging outing, recording four possessions that resulted in negative yardage, three of which occurred during the third quarter. Quarterback Bo Nix finished 16-of-28 for 150 yards and one touchdown, with two interceptions. Nix acknowledged the need for improvement, stating, “At some point we’ve got to start moving the ball and scoring some points.” His drumbeat matches the increasing anxiety about what will become of this year’s team on the offensive end.
The Broncos, for all of their woes, have somehow won a couple games thanks to some insane defensive touchdowns. The team’s defense showcased its strength by sacking Raiders quarterback Geno Smith six times, bringing their season total to an impressive 46 sacks. Nik Bonitto, a key player on defense, emphasized their focus on stopping opponents, saying, “We don’t look [at] what the offense does, what the special teams does — our job is to go out there and get stops.”
The Broncos have played from behind the chains in every game this year. As a result, they’ve had to orchestrate late-game heroics to win four of their eight games. This continued trend makes it all the more important that the offense provides a more steady, strong presence to take the heat off the defense. Defensive captain and linebacker Alex Singleton shined in his confidence of the team’s versatility, addressing the media, “Whatever we’ve got to do, we do.”
Critics have pointed to the Broncos’ gaudy win-loss record. They contend that this record misrepresents the team’s success. ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith criticized the offense, asserting that the team is not as good as its record suggests. Running back J.K. Dobbins echoed this sentiment, saying, “Yeah, cool we’re 8-2 … [but] the defense is winning us the games and we’re not helping them, we’re not doing them any justice.”
The Broncos’ issues go beyond penalties and negative plays. Due to this, the team ranks as the second-most penalized offense in the league. They’ve extreme their season number of penalties, an astonishing 52 so far this season. That kind of discipline is bound to hurt their fortune as they move further into the season.
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