One of the most difficult challenges for the Denver Broncos as a new NFL season dawns. Unfortunately, after three games, they have ended up with a frustrating 1-2 record. Their recent matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday highlighted several issues, particularly their struggles with penalties, inconsistent offensive performance, and an inability to capitalize on explosive plays.
During the game, the Broncos committed a staggering ten penalties, significantly impacting their ability to maintain momentum and secure a win. Most frustratingly, three defensive penalties on one Chargers field-goal drive helped Los Angeles come back to tie the game at 20-20. A more damaging fourth-quarter unnecessary roughness penalty by safety Talanoa Hufanga proved devastating, as it extended the Chargers’ drive. Defensive or offensive setbacks, pandemic or no pandemic. On the other side of the ball, tight end Adam Trautman was penalized for offsides, and edge rusher Nik Bonitto got called for a neutral zone infraction while on a punt coverage team.
Penalties Pile Up
The Broncos caught some bad breaks early in their season opener against the Chargers. They dutifully lined up and endured four accepted penalties in week one but things deteriorated in week two with eight accepted penalties against the Colts. These misgivings put a damper on their playstyle overall. They exposed a shocking lack of discipline that has robbed the team of some key performances.
“Those things we’ve just got to fix, that’s accountability on us and we’ll fix them. Just can’t have them happen.” – Bo Nix
The constant stream of penalties has left players and coaches frustrated as they struggle to find consistency on both offense and defense. And perhaps the biggest Achilles heel for the Broncos’ offense has been their misalignment, something that has plagued head coach Sean Payton’s squad all year long.
“We’ve got to be able to align correctly … that needs to be cleaned up fast,” – Sean Payton
Those penalties haven’t just derailed drives, they’ve helped teams capitalize on key moments. The Broncos were up against it on the road against the Chargers. Defensive infractions allowed for a scoring chance that equalized the match at a pivotal time.
Offensive Inconsistencies
On the offensive side of the ball, the Broncos have just as much trouble. Their overall Quarterback Rating (QBR) is 41.6 which ranks them 25th out of 32 teams in the NFL. On offense, the team had an especially difficult time sustaining drives and converting on third downs. They were only 27% efficient in their last two contests and easily moved into killer third-and-11-plus territory.
That lack of continuity proved to be painfully apparent during key second half drives. The team gained only nine yards, then minus-1 yard on their final two drives vs the Chargers. That absence of offensive productivity greatly reduced their ability to close out games on a consistent basis.
“We didn’t get the job done and we’ve got to figure it out,” – J.K. Dobbins
As a result, the Broncos have completed only four explosive plays over 30 yards on the season. This makes you seriously question what they can do to stretch the field and create those big plays. During the groundbreaking on our last game day, they executed on two of their biggest plays. J.K. Dobbins sprinted a 41-yard touchdown run and Courtland Sutton made a diving, 52-yard touchdown reception. In fact, this last play was 34% of all the passing yards by QB Bo Nix.
“We didn’t get the explosives when we needed them,” – Bo Nix
The team has had few flashes of brief success. Their offensive performance has been unacceptable, leading to justified blame of both the players and coaching schemes.
Looking Ahead
It’s been a disappointing start to the season for the Broncos. They need to confront these challenges directly to make their rebound possible. Coach Sean Payton could see the streaks of pretty darn good football. He emphasized that concentration blackouts at key moments have proven very expensive.
“We got three-and-a-half quarters playing good football and last drive can’t get a stop,” – Nik Bonitto
As both teams look forward to their next matchups, accountability will be important for this upstart squad. Now they have to collaborate and help each other fix what’s wrong and get them fitting properly in run and pass even offensive formations and defensive alignments.
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