Schofield: “This offense is good enough.”

The Afternoon Drive spoke to Michael Schofield Monday and got what they expected - the Broncos’ offense really is close to being good.

Schofield, who is undoubtedly having a better season at right guard rather than tackle, admitted it is frustrating to only put up three points, but after watching film, he believes it is “the little things” that are preventing the offense from consistently moving down the field and getting into the end zone.

“For example, if I could just shove the DT and get back to square on the linebacker that much quicker, we get a 15-yard run right there,” Schofield said about watching the film from the Patriots game. “Little things like that. We need 11 guys doing their job on every play.”

Eric Goodman asked if “the little things” aren’t happening because of players or coaching and got another expected answer:

“It’s not any of that. We need five guys doing their job every play,” Schofield said. “We need five guys doing what they’re supposed to do, and we’ll be good. Look at the Houston game. We rushed almost 200 yards and that’s what we did.”

So the obvious question then is “why aren’t the Broncos doing that again?” What was so different about the Houston game - because it stands to reason that the Broncos should be getting better since Week 7, not worse.

• For starters, C.J. Anderson was still playing.
• Also, the Broncos ran the ball 35 times and threw it 25.
• Despite only gaining 33 yards on the ground in the first quarter and doing its signature three-and-out on every first quarter drive, the Broncos did not abandon the running attack and finished the first half with 96 rushing yards.

I’d love to say Schofield is right and the players and coaching are fine, it’s just “getting on the same page” for this offense. But that rationale works in Weeks 5 or 6, maybe even 8. But not heading into Week 16.

Either the Broncos have the right players and the wrong coaches to get them on the same page by Week 15, or the coaches don’t have the right players to figure it out by this point in the season. Or maybe both.

Les Shapiro takes option C. “It’s not little things, it’s big things,” he said. “Lack of talent, not good coaching.”

As I said in a post earlier this week, if this offense wants to insist on this narrative - and I’m all for it, frankly - then prove it.

Show Broncos Country in these final two games that you all are talented enough, the coaching is good enough and you are disciplined enough to get on the same freaking page - and win.