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Broncos coaches can find redemption against Jets

Can a win against the Jets help to quiet the fans’ disappointment in the coaches?

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The mistakes of the Denver Broncos coaching staff on Monday night against the Kansas City Chiefs are well documented by now. Perhaps they just over-complicated things against their division rival. With a new week comes new opportunities. A win against the New York Jets will go a long way to finding redemption for Vance Joseph and his staff.

As Ian St. Clair and I discussed on the latest MHR Radio Podcast, this game is the clichéd must-win. The coaching staff needs to bounce back in Week 5. The perception that many fans have currently is that the Broncos win in spite of the coaches. The best way to fix that is to learn from the mistakes made against the Chiefs.

This is about situational football. The defense actually played well against Kansas City, but in the end, Joe Woods failed to make the right play calls. Decisions like playing man-to-man on second-and-30 can’t happen against the Jets. Failing to run the football and take time off the clock with a lead at the end of the game can’t happen again. Bill Musgrave has to be better.

The most glaring issue was the decision to stop running the football. Royce Freeman and Phillip Lindsay had incredible games in limited touches. Against the Jets, it is imperative that Denver forces New York to prove it can stop the run. Even though teams score points by throwing the football, the Broncos need to use the run to set up the pass. They should leave New Jersey having run the ball 15 to 20 times more than passing it.

Joseph and his staff have the chance to show improvement. There is plenty of talent on the roster. There are coaches throughout the league that could take advantage of that talent and help push the Broncos to wins. Making good decisions, and putting the team in a position to beat the Jets won’t silence critics, but it could be the first step in that direction. Don’t ask how many steps it will take. I can’t count that high.

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