Good morning, Broncos Country!
It’s been a lot of doom and gloom this week after the Broncos’ pathetic showing against the Eagles - made worse by the fact that the previous week they had looked so dominant against a real contender.
And there was the Teddy Bridgewater no-tackle-on-the-fumble drama ... because of course there’s drama.
So instead of going into the Bye Week feeling confident about their chances to mount a valiant second-half-of-the-season comeback effort against division rivals - possibly even contending for the AFC West - the Broncos are spending their weekend off with far more questions than answers.
Such as...
Why can’t our offense/OC consistently figure out how/when to lean on the run game and when to push the ball downfield through the air?
Why can’t our coaching staff get the team better prepared for what they’re going to face with an upcoming opponent and draw up at least a halfway decent game plan to go up against what they studied on film all week?
When will Tom McMahon be fired?
It’s frustrating to watch this team. One game they’ve figured it out and are firing on all cylinders; the next week it’s chaos theory for the game plan.
Injuries haven’t made it easy as the Broncos’ best run defenders are either on IR or in LA. And the offensive line has been a rotating carousel of backups.
But even with those challenges, this team has squandered too many opportunities that cannot be excused by injuries.
I don’t know that even short-term fixes are really possible, but there seem to be some obvious things that would certainly help.
Get Courtland Sutton/Tim Patrick involved more
Andrew Mason of DNVR has observed that Bridgewater likes to only throw the deep ball when conditions seem perfect and there’s a lot of room for his receiver to catch the pass.
But Sutton and Patrick are big-bodied receivers built to go after the 50-50 ball. And more times than not, those two have proved they can win that matchup. So throw them the 50-50 ball!
Bridgewater needs to trust those guys and not wait so long for the ideal situation. It will never be perfect, and that’s exactly when Sutton and Patrick are your perfect choices.
Highest receiving grades vs man coverage pic.twitter.com/TVvMK95Ja1
— PFF (@PFF) November 17, 2021
Take advantage of Jerry Jeudy’s specialty
Everyone knows Jeudy is fast. And everyone knows he is shifty and great at getting separation.
SO USE IT.
AJ Schulte and Tim Jenkins both pointed out in film analysis of the Dallas game that Pat Shurmur had Jerry Jeudy doing all kinds of interesting things other than just running the go route - and it made for a much more creative offense while expanding Bridgewater’s options.
And more importantly, keeping the defense guessing.
Keep using motion with Jerry Jeudy, please and thank you pic.twitter.com/yQLBjqUmx8
— AJ Schulte (@AJDraftScout) November 12, 2021
Feed Javonte Williams
Like how many times do we need to say this? Javonte Williams is good. He’s breaking more tackles than anyone else in the league.
In fact, maybe give him the ball every play? OK, don’t do that. But at least give Williams and Melvin Gordon the ball more than 18 times a game.
We already know what Williams is going to do if he gets the ball - break 10 tackles (maybe a few ankles) and keep on truckin’ down the field.
Feed Javonte Williams! https://t.co/q6Ea72oPfF
— Broncos Wire (@TheBroncosWire) November 18, 2021
Horse Tracks
Grading the Broncos: Javonte Williams and other rookies earn high marks, but who disappoints? – The Athletic
Zoom back from the disappointment of the Eagles loss and it's easy to see the promise of general manager George Paton's first draft class.
Best of the Broncos: Handing out midseason awards during Denver’s bye week
What stands out as the team’s top highlight through 10 games? And who would win offensive and defensive player of the year honors through Week 10?
Mile High Morning: With crucial divisional game waiting after the bye, Broncos look to return to their potential
“It’s a big divisional matchup we have coming up, [and we] have to move on,” Lloyd Cushenberry III said.
Broncos and Denver Rescue Mission team up to collect, distribute food for Thanksgiving
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, UCHealth Training Center’s Broncos Team Store parking lot will serve as a one-day collection site for Denver Rescue Mission’s 2021 Turkey Drive.
PFF Recap: Eagles-Broncos| PFF
Rookie DeVonta Smith found the end zone twice, and cornerback Darius Slay returned a fumble for a touchdown to lead the Philadelphia Eagles past the Denver Broncos in Week 10 of the 2021 NFL season.
Mile High Morning: Voting for 2022 NFL Pro Bowl officially open
The 2022 NFL Pro Bowl is expected to return in person this season after being held virtually in 2021 due to COVID-19 protocols.
2021 NFL season, Week 11: What we learned from Patriots' win over Falcons on Thursday night
Bolstered by a bruising pass rush, the Patriots defense turned in a dominant effort and New England rookie quarterback Mac Jones continued to impress as the Pats defeated the Falcons on Thursday night.
Maturation of Mac Jones continues in Patriots' fifth win in a row
With Mac Jones' progress has come success and that was the case once more as the Patriots won their fifth straight game, downing the host Falcons, 25-0, with Jones becoming just the third rookie quarterback to win his first five starts on the road.
Falcons QB Matt Ryan says toe 'is fine' after shutout loss, but 'it's been a tough five days'
Thursday night's 25-0 defeat was especially frightening for Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, who was bruised and battered enough to be taken out of the game for mercy's sake.
The Packers, Saints, Seahawks, Steelers and more: Get ready for epic QB carousel in 2022 – The Athletic
Due to a series of events last offseason, there’s a level of anticipation the quarterback market could reset the NFL power structure in '22.
#ProBowl voting is officially open!
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) November 16, 2021
Vote for your favorite #Broncos ⤵️
Loading comments...