When the Denver Broncos lost to the Green Bay Packers, there were several things that stood out. Obviously, the lack of a sack or a turnover is dominating the narrative. Costly turnovers by Joe Flacco and Noah Fant hurt the Broncos. At 0-3, it feels like the season is already over.
But what really stuck in my mind was the way the Broncos ran the football. Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman both found success on the ground. Lindsay had 21 rushes for 81 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Freeman added 15 run for 63 yards. It wasn’t a game for the record books, but it was great to see these two play well behind an offensive line that has struggled this season.
After the #Broncos lost to the #Packers @IanStClair and I broke down the game on the @MileHighReport Radio Podcast. You can't win games if you turn the ball over, but even at 0-3 there were some positives from the loss.@ApplePodcasts https://t.co/VFoFlaGVyJ
— Adam Malnati (Mr. Broncos Fan) (@AdamMalnati16) September 23, 2019
A stat line of 149 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns should translate to a win. While it didn’t against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, it should act as a marker for what the Broncos are capable of in the run game. As I said to Ian St. Clair on the MHR Radio Podcast (Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify), watching Dalton Risner throw Lindsay across the goal line should make everyone in Broncos Country excited.
Risner was the brightest spot on the offensive line. While there were issues, it was much cleaner than the loss to the Bears. Garett Bolles had zero holding calls against him, which was a huge improvement. Denver won the time of possession battle. That comes from being successful on the ground.
I’m not trying to be overly optimistic. 0-3 is a tough spot to be, but if the ball bounces differently the last 3 weeks, Denver could realistically be 2-1 or 3-0. As the offense and defense begin to adjust to the new coaching, they will also find ways to win games. Lindsay and Freeman will be a huge part of the offensive success.
My Orange and Blue glasses could be clouding my vision, but I see some success in the Broncos future after their performance in Green Bay.