Mile High Report - Week 2: Broncos 16, Texans 9 - Everything we knowBy Fans, For Fans....Your Source For Denver Broncos News and Commenthttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50905/mhr-fav.png2022-09-24T06:00:00-06:00http://www.milehighreport.com/rss/stream/231182002022-09-24T06:00:00-06:002022-09-24T06:00:00-06:00Damarri Mathis one of PFF’s top performing rookies in Week 2
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<figcaption>Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>PFF graded rookie performances in Week 2 and Denver Broncos cornerback Damarri Mathis made it into their Top 5 with his performance against the Houston Texans in Week 2. </p> <p id="tKoiQE">According to Pro Football Focus, rookie cornerback Damarri Mathis <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1641777&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pff.com%2Fnews%2Fnfl-rookies-15-highest-graded-week-2-2022&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.milehighreport.com%2F2022%2F9%2F24%2F23368535%2Fdamarri-mathis-top-performing-rookie-week-2" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">was a Top 5 performing rookie in Week 2</a> as the <a href="https://www.milehighreport.com">Denver Broncos</a> beat the <a href="https://www.battleredblog.com/">Houston Texans</a> in a 16-9 defensive battle. He allowed just three receptions for a paltry 37 yards after replacing Pat Surtain II due to injury.</p>
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<p id="agPbpR"><strong>5. CB DAMARRI MATHIS, DENVER BRONCOS (77.9)</strong></p>
<p id="r9v0aT">Mathis was thrust into the first action of his NFL career once Patrick Surtain II went down with an injury, and the rookie responded. Mathis finished with four defensive stops and allowed three catches on six targets for 37 yards on the day. </p>
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<p id="5FiGZT"><a href="https://www.milehighreport.com/2022/4/30/23049738/denver-broncos-select-demarri-mathis-in-fourth-round">Mathis was drafted by the Broncos</a> in the fourth round of the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft">2022 NFL Draft</a>. He graded out <a href="https://www.milehighreport.com/2022/4/30/23050447/why-broncos-drafted-damarri-mathis">with outstanding straight-line speed</a>, but there were concerns about his ability to keep up with more shifty wide receivers. Putting him out on the boundary likely played to those strengths against the Texans. </p>
<p id="RYBWX6">While Surtain figures to return to the line up in Week 3, last week was some good experience for a Day 3 rookie to continue his development towards seeing more playing time. </p>
https://www.milehighreport.com/2022/9/24/23368535/damarri-mathis-top-performing-rookie-week-2Tim Lynch2022-09-22T14:30:09-06:002022-09-22T14:30:09-06:00After Further Review: Broncos officiating Week 2 breakdown
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<figcaption>Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Breaking down the good, the interesting, and the amazing from the officials during the Denver Broncos 16-9 win over the Houston Texans in Week 2.</p> <p id="JAei7d">Welcome to After Further Review where every week we examine in depth some elements of the officiating from the previous weeks <a href="https://www.milehighreport.com">Denver Broncos</a> games. </p>
<p id="T169Hn">The week 2 game against the <a href="https://www.battleredblog.com/">Houston Texans</a> saw lots of penalties, but a very different officiating experience than week one. Here are some of the interesting officiating mechanics and calls from the game.</p>
<h3 id="W9TxRl"><strong>Defensive Pass Interference</strong></h3>
<p id="g7ZoNC">Pass interference is one of the hardest and most annoying penalties to adjudicate. The players are a lot faster than us, receivers try to move unpredictably giving us no guaranteed angles, and the call is really subjective. Lots of fans and coaches feel like these don’t get called fairly, because they forget one basic tenant of passes – both teams have equal rights to attempt to reach the ball. Actions taken that are plausibly related to attempting to catch the ball are going to be allowed. However there are a few keys that can make calling interference easy. The first is when a player obviously shoves another down or holds them back. The change in momentum tend to be easy to see, especially if the receiver is being followed by one of the deep three officials. Denver benefitted from one of these calls on their first drive, when Derek Stingley tugged on Courtland Suttons shoulder and made it dip down and his jersey pull back. This is an easy call, well done. The announcers also did a good job of accurately discussing why the call was made.</p>
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<p id="n0fvcF">The other easy pass interference calls are when the two players shoulders are in opposing directions. Receivers are almost always positioned to catch the ball, as they know where it is supposed to go, so if defenders are not faced the same way, almost anything can be justification for a call. We had one of these plays with 3:25 in the second quarter. Wilson’s pass to Andrew Beck fell incomplete, and Kevin Pierre Louis had close coverage with shoulders facing away from Beck (and the ball). Pierre Louis made almost no contact with Beck, but the opposing shoulder keys up an easy call. </p>
<p id="zOMEOP">The real tough DPI calls are when the players are running pairing each other, or when a receiver is crossing into a defender’s zone and they are coming from opposite directions. Officials want to have the perfect angle to make the call, and while some official on the field generally has a great angle, that official frequently has different responsibilities than watching the relevant receiver. The other pass interference call against Derek Stingley was a great example of this. Look at the players shoulders and bodily momentums. Stingley is in lock-step with Sutton, both are running with natural gaits and there is no shoulder dip or obvious change in momentum. From the TV angle you can see the little arm hook that deserves a call but consider the angle that Side Judge Eugene Hall had. His view is almost entirely of Suttons back, and he is making this call while trying to run at a pace set by two incredibly athletic young players yet identifies the arm-locking. It was an excellent call.</p>
<h3 id="NVjRrA"><strong>Slow Whistles</strong></h3>
<p id="GzNNVZ">One thing that separates different officiating crews is their philosophy on when to whistle a play dead. By rule a proper whistle is not ending a play, it is communicating that some action has already ended the play. Some officials believe in rarely blowing their whistles. This avoids inadvertent whistles (the worst thing that can happen to an official besides losing the down). But it allows for more borderline action and a more physical game. It also prevents runners from having the opportunity to surprisingly break away from defenders who seem to have them wrapped up.</p>
<p id="prMmM5">In week one, the Broncos had officials who were very aggressive and assertive with their whistles. Week two saw the exact opposite. Two plays stand out. The first was in the first quarter with 8:29 on the clock. Davis Mills slipped in the pocket, and Randy Gregory got a hand on him while his knee was down. The play was dead then, as it was ruled after the fact. However, the official didn’t blow the play dead, and Mills was in the process of rising, where he was then confronted by other Broncos. The result was unnecessary physicality and a generally sloppy appearance, though it was pretty inconsequential.</p>
<p id="HDm0AG">The second play was a defensive offsides call also from the first quarter. Houston edge rusher Ogbonnia Okoronkwo jumped hard offsides, and the officials initially let the play go, though as the play turned into a hot mess they then shut down the play. The announcers covering this play saw it wrong. They talked about shutting the play down when the defender is unabated to the quarterback and how that’s a tricky standard. This is true, but it missed that the offsides defender drew right tackle Cameron Fleming into an egregious false start. If the defender had not jumped, Fleming would have been flagged every single time. And when an offsides draws a false start, the officials have no option but to shut the play down, which they should have done here. </p>
<p id="Pr9onN">There is no right speed to whistle. With Javonte Williams an absurd ability to break tackles, the officials waiting a bit has probably been the best call. I will be interested in seeing if other crews use their scouting to whistle slowly against the Broncos, partially because if my crew had Williams, I would be nervous about blowing a play dead right as he busted out of the arms of a defender.</p>
<h3 id="NTVVPY"><strong>Twelve Men on the Field</strong></h3>
<p id="fwzzDk">Denver got called for twelve men in formation on defense. This penalty is a simple one of player safety – officials should always try to throw a flag and penalize the team before a snap takes place with twelve on the field. The likelihood of anything positive happening for the game is incredibly low, so officials always are directed by the rules to kill the play if the snap appears imminent. Here it was an easy call by Carl Cheffers’ crew, as Denver’s defense appeared to have no recognition that it had twelve on the field.</p>
<h3 id="QKDZ8B"><strong>Officiating Alertly</strong></h3>
<p id="zL8Nm3">Officials sometimes transition into alert-mode. In this mode they will be hyper-vigilant to separate players from opposing teams to prevent fights and other personal fouls. This has disadvantages, as it takes a lot of effort, and removes a lot of opportunities for sportsmanship. While it decreases the number of personal fouls, it increases the likelihood that marginal conduct will be flagged. After halftime the officials went alert on this game, and it quite surprised me, as I hadn’t seen lots of jawing back and forth, the teams do not have any real rivalry, and the broadcast certainly didn’t seem to pick up any tension. As the game draws to the close, officials are hustling between every play to separate players and keep heavy supervision in place. Maybe the crew decided to live-drill alert, or maybe they saw something I hadn’t, but it was unusual and something you can see clearly on tape.</p>
<h3 id="pKPR9E"><strong>Conclusion</strong></h3>
<p id="Bh9p5Y">So far this year, the Broncos games have had a lot of penalties. Against Houston however, there was almost nothing I can fault the officiating crew on. They had a few borderline no-calls that I might have called under different situations, but nothing to really get upset about. The biggest mistake was signaling the Sutton touchdown, on the first drive, and replay corrected that miss. This was a great outing from an elite-level crew. It was particularly impressive because the crew is relatively inexperienced and included a first-year official in umpire Brandon Cruse. Expect to see a number of these officials in super bowls over the next few years.</p>
https://www.milehighreport.com/2022/9/22/23367302/broncos-officiating-week-2-breakdownJohn Holmes2022-09-22T08:05:00-06:002022-09-22T08:05:00-06:00Broncos vs. Texans Film Review: Week 2
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<figcaption>Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Breaking down the tape from the Denver Broncos 16-9 victory over the Houston Texans in Week 2. </p> <p id="HGioG0">Another week in the books, another masterclass from Nathaniel Hackett in how NOT to coach an NFL game. </p>
<p id="lHKw5P">After only two regular season games, the National media and Broncos Country alike are questioning Hackett’s long-term future at head coach, and the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/super-bowl">Super Bowl</a> hopes that seemed so close when Wilson first arrived seem to float further out of reach with each delay of game penalty.</p>
<p id="WhcbGJ">It’s a brutal week to be a <a href="https://www.milehighreport.com">Denver Broncos</a> fan; crazy to think about considering the team ended up winning their game, the first of the Hackett/Wilson era. Brutal game aside, there still were positives on the tape and players who stood out. </p>
<p id="zGNQmA">It’s easy to be caught up in the overall catastrophe that the coaching staff is putting on display, but hopefully with these weekly film breakdowns a semblance of positivity can be taken from every Broncos game. Win or Lose, great coaching performance or… not so great.</p>
<p id="dkf0sP">So without further ado, here are my thoughts and clips from the performances of Damarri Mathis, Courtland Sutton, Garett Bolles, and Baron Browning.</p>
<h3 id="jdjuZ2">Damarri Mathis</h3>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Damarri Mathis clips vs. Houston<br>-looked comfortable playing in QQH, triggers downhill hard on passes in his zone<br>-lost one goal line rep in man to Cooks (drop)<br>-next play he comes up with the PBU, good short-term memory<br>-a ton of key open field stops leading to punts <a href="https://t.co/qBXO76n6dH">pic.twitter.com/qBXO76n6dH</a></p>— Frankie Abbott (@FrankiesFilm) <a href="https://twitter.com/FrankiesFilm/status/1572281853838491648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 20, 2022</a>
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<p id="1cTRl5">The secondary entered the game without its best player in Justin Simmons, and by the end of the first half Patrick Surtain was sidelined as well.</p>
<p id="bNbEBm">After a Seattle game that saw multiple communication breakdowns in the secondary, this would be a true test for some of the younger Broncos such as Caden Sterns, PJ Locke, and Damarri Mathis. Sterns and Locke were solid in their opportunities, but Mathis showed a ton of upside with impressive athleticism and physicality as a tackler. </p>
<p id="vFzUIA">Davis Mills and the <a href="https://www.battleredblog.com/">Texans</a> challenged Mathis early with underneath routes and he rose to the challenge, giving up minimal YAC and keeping his receivers in front of him. Whether tasked with a deep half or quarter, he showed comfort and plenty of range being able to keep pace with Brandin Cooks, and played passes physically in the air even getting his first career PBU.</p>
<p id="dhSoKJ">He was sparingly put in man coverage and was exposed on a goalline rep which was dropped by Cooks, but he came right back the next play with sound technique to force an incompletion. Short-term memory will be key for the rookie corner. </p>
<p id="HVjypg">Mathis made a few open field tackles one on one, including an impressive wrap up of Dameon Pierce for a short gain, and multiple stops on 3rd and 4th down that saw him come up and lay big hits inches short of the yard marker. </p>
<p id="2zQw15">Overall it was an impressive debut for Mathis, who may be asked to start on the outside this week should Surtain need time to recover. He fits well in Evero’s scheme and the pure athleticism and toughness he plays with shows up all over the field.</p>
<h3 id="87KD8S">Courtland Sutton</h3>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Courtland Sutton clips vs. Houston<br>-Russell has clear chemistry and trust in him early<br>-Sutton might lead the league in DPI's drawn at the end of the year<br>-centimeters from an insane twirling toe tap TD<br>-made big plays on 3rd and 4th down all game to seal the win <a href="https://t.co/q8h3UHtRes">pic.twitter.com/q8h3UHtRes</a></p>— Frankie Abbott (@FrankiesFilm) <a href="https://twitter.com/FrankiesFilm/status/1572640993324703747?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2022</a>
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<p id="v3DIMo">Courtland Sutton is back and better than ever. </p>
<p id="mMclw2">This shouldn’t have been hard to predict, as finally Sutton is fully recovered from the ACL injury and is playing with the best QB play of his career, and one of the better jump ball throwers in the league.</p>
<p id="kLvnTJ">Sadly, Jerry Jeudy was injured in the game on Sunday and may be out for the coming game against San Francisco as well. But when Jerry went down and the passing game needed a hero, Courtland Sutton was there.</p>
<p id="camQXB">Eleven targets, seven catches, and 122 yards. He drew multiple DPI’s, and was mere inches from a beautiful spinning touchdown grab on the one-yard line (which was beautiful, but I REALLY didn’t need to see attempted twice in a row). It was a dominant day from Court and he seems well on his way to being the team’s leader in receptions, yards and targets. </p>
<p id="ypQzYs">His connection with Russell early on is evident, as seemingly anytime Courtland draws single coverage on the outside a deep shot is going up.</p>
<p id="FdqWR0">He also came up incredibly clutch on 3rd and 4th down where Tim Patrick has been the guy in years past. </p>
<p id="u8Ujyx">On a must-have 4th and 2 he absorbed a Wilson’ missile to the shoulder pad on the curl for a conversion, and on 3rd and 15 looking to seal the game he ran a crisp out-and-up against the flat in the cover 2 for a massive 34 yard gain. </p>
<p id="8pOV2W">He also puts in great effort as a blocker in the run game, and we’re seeing him become a weapon on scramble drills with Russ finding open space once the plays break down. It’s the year of Courtland Sutton, and the sky’s the limit. </p>
<h3 id="3hXSkQ">Garett Bolles</h3>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Garett Bolles clips vs. Houston <a href="https://t.co/InARUVqrQ8">pic.twitter.com/InARUVqrQ8</a></p>— Frankie Abbott (@FrankiesFilm) <a href="https://twitter.com/FrankiesFilm/status/1572802999377956864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2022</a>
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<p id="4NAnY9">I was concerned about the line and Bolles in general with the departure of Mike Munchak, but through two weeks Garett has been as solid as you can ask for. </p>
<p id="2392k9">He hasn’t faced the toughest of competition, but this last week against Jerry Hughes and Jonathon Greenard he put on a pass-blocking clinic. His athleticism is on full display in this offense, which asks him to climb to second level defenders and angle off 3-techs in the run game while providing a brick wall for Russell Wilson to stand behind in pass-protection. Last week he played 41 total passing snaps and gave up one single pressure; meanwhile, the rushing attack put up 149 yards on 5 YPC. Bolles has started the season looking like an all-pro and if the offense can clean up its red zone woes and put up points, we could see Bolles getting the recognition he deserves.</p>
<p id="LwOWo5">The D-lines only get tougher from here for Bolles, as this week he’s tasked with blocking Nick Bosa and the week after that Chandler Jones and Maxx Crosby, but I’m confident based on what we saw from him in week two that he can more than hold his own.</p>
<h3 id="z1cRB1">Baron Browning</h3>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Baron Browning clips vs. Houston <a href="https://t.co/6nKY3WTeGw">pic.twitter.com/6nKY3WTeGw</a></p>— Frankie Abbott (@FrankiesFilm) <a href="https://twitter.com/FrankiesFilm/status/1572819434481524736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2022</a>
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<p id="8Gr8Dx">Baron Browning’s placement on this list may come as a bit of a surprise with the production out of Bradley Chubb, Randy Gregory, and Dre’mont Jones, but the way Evero has been deploying Browning and the flashes of high level pass-rushing tools on display need to be highlighted. </p>
<p id="4yHaZd">The burst off the line and bend we saw so prominently in the preseason has carried over into the regular season. Browning routinely beats tackles around corners off the snap, and his freakish lower body flexibility allows him to keep his balance and reach QBs far better than the average rusher. </p>
<p id="YWXGwd">The rawness to his game is evident as he can find himself on the ground time and again, but so often we see him attempting moves that most pass-rushers simply aren’t capable of making and he has one of the best get offs I’ve ever seen, beating tackles before they have a chance to set.</p>
<p id="NkLaUx">Evero is using him as a weapon on 3rd downs mixing him, Chubb, Gregory, and Dre’mont wherever he sees fit, keeping linemen constantly off guard. We saw him sent on the RG on Sunday executing a perfect spin move and pressuring Mills into a poorly placed throw. </p>
<p id="1lT6EK">He still needs to improve against the run, as blockers hitting him from weird angles and chipping him completely neutralize his talent, but what he’s shown through two weeks has me believing he could be a double-digit QB sacker in the coming years. </p>
<p id="8mLrDT">Luckily for now he gets to be in the perfect situation for his development, learning the ropes from Bradley and Randy while being asked mainly to get after the passer on key downs. </p>
https://www.milehighreport.com/2022/9/22/23366423/broncos-texans-film-review-week-2frankiesfilm2022-09-21T05:00:00-06:002022-09-21T05:00:00-06:00Denver Broncos game 2 snap count and analysis
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<img alt="NFL: Houston Texans at Denver Broncos" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/50vOG8QV9I99nuVYQKiS9w-U2Ns=/0x7:4116x2751/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71395496/usa_today_19074669.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Who played and how much?</p> <p id="LACOzg">An ugly win by the <a href="https://www.milehighreport.com">Denver Broncos</a> is still a win and it’s better than a pretty loss. </p>
<h2 id="NGFeSj">Offense</h2>
<div id="0RF3QO"><table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Player</td>
<td>Pos</td>
<td>Num</td>
<td>Pct</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dalton Risner</td>
<td>G</td>
<td>72</td>
<td>100%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Garett Bolles</td>
<td>T</td>
<td>72</td>
<td>100%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Graham Glasgow</td>
<td>G</td>
<td>72</td>
<td>100%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Cameron Fleming</td>
<td>T</td>
<td>72</td>
<td>100%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Russell Wilson</td>
<td>QB</td>
<td>72</td>
<td>100%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Lloyd Cushenberry III</td>
<td>C</td>
<td>72</td>
<td>100%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Courtland Sutton</td>
<td>WR</td>
<td>66</td>
<td>92%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Kendall Hinton</td>
<td>WR</td>
<td>55</td>
<td>76%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Javonte Williams</td>
<td>RB</td>
<td>47</td>
<td>65%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Albert Okwuegbunam</td>
<td>TE</td>
<td>38</td>
<td>53%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Tyrie Cleveland</td>
<td>WR</td>
<td>31</td>
<td>43%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Eric Saubert</td>
<td>TE</td>
<td>26</td>
<td>36%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Eric Tomlinson</td>
<td>TE</td>
<td>24</td>
<td>33%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Melvin Gordon</td>
<td>RB</td>
<td>23</td>
<td>32%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Andrew Beck</td>
<td>TE</td>
<td>21</td>
<td>29%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Montrell Washington</td>
<td>WR</td>
<td>12</td>
<td>17%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Jerry Jeudy</td>
<td>WR</td>
<td>10</td>
<td>14%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Mike Boone</td>
<td>RB</td>
<td>7</td>
<td>10%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div>
<p id="NR2ZTp">Our offensive line played all 72 offensive snaps, but Graham Glasgow got shoved back into the backfield on too many plays for my liking. I guess his ability to pass block outweighs his seeming liability (relative to Netane Muti) as a run blocker. Fleming looked good in the run game again this week. The offensive line has not been called for holding on any passing plays yet this season. </p>
<p id="s5GskU">The Broncos have only been called for offensive holding three times and one was on the jet sweep to Montrell Washington when Melvin Gordon got called for holding down the field. The other two were on Lloyd Cushenberry on running plays. </p>
<p id="a8NK5N">That call on Gordon led to an odd situation. Because the holding occurred downfield well beyond the line to gain, the Broncos gained a first down but were penalized after the first down. The next play was <em><strong>first and 1</strong></em> from Houston 45. The penalty occurred at the Houston 35. The ball was spotted at the Denver 46 before the run. I can’t say that I have ever seen a first and one from midfield in 30+ years of playing and watching football. </p>
<p id="tVRLQp">The running back snaps were heavily weighted in Javonte Williams’ favor. He got 47, while Gordon got 23 and Mike Boone got 7. Williams got 15 carries and four targets on his 47 snaps while Gordon got 10 carries and one target on his 23. Boone didn’t see the ball on offense. </p>
<p id="aok3Z8">Albert Okweugbunam got the most snaps of the TE group, but we used all four tight ends quite a bit. Despite playing the most Albert had two targets and zero catches. He had another drop in this game on a 3rd down play where he had plenty of room to gain the first down if he had caught the ball. The Erics (Saubert and Tomlinson) played 26 and 24 snaps on offense while Andrew Beck played 21 snaps. Unlike game one, Beck only touched the ball once on offense - on that WFT? FB/TE speed option on 3rd and 1 in the 3rd quarter. </p>
<p id="m3O3I8">Jerry Jeudy leaving with a rib injury meant that he only played 10 offensive snaps. Courtland Sutton again was the primary target of the offense playing 66 of 72 offensive snaps and getting 11 of 31 targets. Kendall Hinton played a relatively quiet 55 snaps on offense one week after being called up from the PS. He was targeted one time and he a catch for 20 yards. Tyrie Cleveland played 31 snaps while Washington played 12. Cleveland had three targets; Washington had one. </p>
<p id="vBTbE8">According to PFR, Bronco receivers have five drops so far through two games. It feels like there have been more than that. For comparison, in 2019 on 516 passes, Seahawk receivers only dropped 17. Russ has had five on 73 so far this year. <a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/den/2022_advanced.htm">PFR shows that no Bronco receiver has more than one drop</a>, but that doesn’t jive with my memory. </p>
<p id="H6BFnw">Calvin Anderson was the only offensive player who played on special teams but played zero offensive snaps. Brett Rypien, Netane Muti and Luke Wattenberg did not play at all from the offensive group.</p>
<h2 id="KrliO7">Defense</h2>
<div id="4dw76u"><table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Ronald Darby</td>
<td>CB</td>
<td>63</td>
<td>100%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Caden Sterns</td>
<td>FS</td>
<td>63</td>
<td>100%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Kareem Jackson</td>
<td>SS</td>
<td>63</td>
<td>100%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Alex Singleton</td>
<td>LB</td>
<td>60</td>
<td>95%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dre'Mont Jones</td>
<td>DE</td>
<td>53</td>
<td>84%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>K'Waun Williams</td>
<td>CB</td>
<td>50</td>
<td>79%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Bradley Chubb</td>
<td>LB</td>
<td>48</td>
<td>76%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>D.J. Jones</td>
<td>DT</td>
<td>43</td>
<td>68%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Randy Gregory</td>
<td>DE</td>
<td>43</td>
<td>68%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Damarri Mathis</td>
<td>DB</td>
<td>38</td>
<td>60%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Baron Browning</td>
<td>LB</td>
<td>30</td>
<td>48%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DeShawn Williams</td>
<td>DT</td>
<td>28</td>
<td>44%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Jonas Griffith</td>
<td>LB</td>
<td>26</td>
<td>41%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Patrick Surtain II</td>
<td>CB</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>40%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Mike Purcell</td>
<td>NT</td>
<td>24</td>
<td>38%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Matt Henningsen</td>
<td>DE</td>
<td>17</td>
<td>27%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>P.J. Locke</td>
<td>FS</td>
<td>15</td>
<td>24%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Jonathon Cooper</td>
<td>LB</td>
<td>4</td>
<td>6%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div>
<p id="KXeols">With Justin Simmons out Caden Sterns played every defensive snap alongside Kareem Jackson at safety. P.J. Locke played 15 defensive snaps when we used three safeties (heavy nickel). </p>
<p id="hIzlyA">Four cornerbacks played defensive snaps. Ronald Darby played all 63, while K’Waun Williams played 50. Patrick Surtain was limited to 25 because of injury and rookie Damarri Mathis played 38 snaps in his place. </p>
<p id="hGuZjH">The heavies on the defensive line played 43 (DJ Jones), 28 (DeShawn Williams) and 24 (Mike Purcell) snaps. Dre’Mont Jones and Matt Henningsen played 53 and 17 snaps. </p>
<p id="koBndk">The outside linebackers had Bradley Chubb playing 48, Randy Gregory 43, Baron Browning 30 and Jonathon Cooper 4 snaps. </p>
<p id="6et9xu">Alex Singleton hardly left the field at ILB (60 of 63 snaps) while Jonas Griffith played on only 26 snaps on defense. </p>
<p id="anCxpK">Defensive players who played zero defensive snaps included Justin Strnad, Aaron Patrick, Essang Bassey, Delarrin Turner-Yell, and Darius Phillips. Patrick had a nice tackle on punt coverage. </p>
<h2 id="gAPu7r">Special teams</h2>
<div id="DPtI2s"><table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Player</td>
<td>Pos</td>
<td>Num</td>
<td>Pct</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Eric Saubert</td>
<td>TE</td>
<td>22</td>
<td>85%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>P.J. Locke</td>
<td>FS</td>
<td>21</td>
<td>81%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Jonathon Cooper</td>
<td>LB</td>
<td>21</td>
<td>81%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Justin Strnad</td>
<td>LB</td>
<td>21</td>
<td>81%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Aaron Patrick</td>
<td>LB</td>
<td>21</td>
<td>81%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Tyrie Cleveland</td>
<td>WR</td>
<td>18</td>
<td>69%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Andrew Beck</td>
<td>TE</td>
<td>18</td>
<td>69%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Essang Bassey</td>
<td>CB</td>
<td>18</td>
<td>69%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Jonas Griffith</td>
<td>LB</td>
<td>14</td>
<td>54%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Montrell Washington</td>
<td>WR</td>
<td>12</td>
<td>46%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Delarrin Turner-Yell</td>
<td>DB</td>
<td>11</td>
<td>42%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Corliss Waitman</td>
<td>P</td>
<td>9</td>
<td>35%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Jacob Bobenmoyer</td>
<td>LS</td>
<td>9</td>
<td>35%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Brandon McManus</td>
<td>K</td>
<td>9</td>
<td>35%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Mike Boone</td>
<td>RB</td>
<td>8</td>
<td>31%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Damarri Mathis</td>
<td>DB</td>
<td>8</td>
<td>31%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Mike Purcell</td>
<td>NT</td>
<td>8</td>
<td>31%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dalton Risner</td>
<td>G</td>
<td>4</td>
<td>15%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Garett Bolles</td>
<td>T</td>
<td>4</td>
<td>15%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Graham Glasgow</td>
<td>G</td>
<td>4</td>
<td>15%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Cameron Fleming</td>
<td>T</td>
<td>4</td>
<td>15%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DeShawn Williams</td>
<td>DT</td>
<td>4</td>
<td>15%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Calvin Anderson</td>
<td>T</td>
<td>4</td>
<td>15%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Bradley Chubb</td>
<td>LB</td>
<td>3</td>
<td>12%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>D.J. Jones</td>
<td>DT</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>8%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Darius Phillips</td>
<td>CB</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>8%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ronald Darby</td>
<td>CB</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>4%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Alex Singleton</td>
<td>LB</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>4%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dre'Mont Jones</td>
<td>DE</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>4%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>K'Waun Williams</td>
<td>CB</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>4%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Randy Gregory</td>
<td>DE</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>4%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Matt Henningsen</td>
<td>DE</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>4%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div>
<p id="wiqUKA">Our core special teams guys (not counting K, P and LS) appear to be Saubert, Locke, Cooper, Strnad and Patrick. All had 21 or more special teams snaps (of a possible 26). Cleveland, Beck, and Bassey each had 18. I found it interesting that Chubb (3) and Gregory (1) both played on special teams albeit sparingly. Chubb might be on the FG/PAT block team, but I have no idea why Gregory was in on a special teams snap given his injury history. </p>
https://www.milehighreport.com/2022/9/21/23362838/broncos-game-2-snap-count-analysisJoe Mahoney2022-09-20T10:00:00-06:002022-09-20T10:00:00-06:00Broncos vs Texans: The No Bull Review
<figure>
<img alt="Houston Texans v Denver Broncos" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lgTxPfFeHSg0BMbtEEyIoutED0o=/0x0:6252x4168/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71392100/1425042514.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Denver Broncos earned their first win of the season against the Houston Texans. Here are my thoughts, opinions, and analysis on the most frustrating win I’ve ever watched.</p> <p id="byczU9">I’ve been watching NFL football for decades. I’ve seen this team be good, bad, and ugly. I can’t remember for the life of me a time when I watched this football team win and come away feeling as negative and frustrated as I did this weekend.</p>
<p id="PyU7DV">I certainly have never watched a team need the fans to count down the playclock in order to avoid delay of game penalties. Part of me thinks that that is pretty darn smart, helpful, and supportive of the fans. But most of me feels like it is just sad.</p>
<p id="Eam6HE">The story of this team in the two weeks we’ve seen them is very clearly how poorly the coaching has been. There’s a lack of execution and discipline at all levels of the <a href="https://www.milehighreport.com">Denver Broncos</a> that we haven’t seen since Vance Joseph was our head coach.</p>
<p id="IiSt3N">The saving grace I’m seeing is that even with all the mishaps, this team has talent. George Paton has built a team that can compete even in spite of the haphazard job that Nathaniel Hackett is doing so far in his tenure as a head coach. </p>
<h1 id="kUwDrO">Defense</h1>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Minnesota Vikings v Denver Broncos" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/v7Nv2HJDuT4UnjqA7Yg8uETp-P4=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24037935/1242769498.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Justin Tafoya/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<p id="F8Kdte">Let’s take a minute to give some praise to Ejiro Evero and his defense. I was a BIG fan of Vic Fangio as a defensive coordinator and really felt like this coaching change was going to come with a big step back defensively with young Evero taking over.</p>
<p id="tT2CvA">Boy was I wrong.</p>
<p id="UGHr1T">This team has been competitive mainly because this defense has been so stinking stingy and opportunistic. I see a lot of guys in the right spots, swiping at the ball (and successfully causing fumbles even if they aren’t bouncing our way), and enforcing their will on our opponents.</p>
<p id="XrB7hZ">That being said, Seattle and Houston aren’t exactly offensive juggernauts in the NFL. This defense could still have some challenges, but you can tell by watching that they seem to be well coached. Credit to Evero as well for having his backups ready to play without missing a beat with some major injuries to his roster.</p>
<h2 id="2JBO64">Front 7</h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Houston Texans v Denver Broncos" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/spPTryDxhZX-J3QexC1vAXUkciY=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24037932/1425039332.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<p id="ZilWGq">Dre’Mont Jones was a force of nature in this game. He had two sacks for the Broncos, 1 TFL, a QH, and a forced fumble. We need this kind of inside presence for the defense to continue its success.</p>
<p id="n62hZc">Randy Gregory was also a disruptive force with the timely strip sack as the <a href="https://www.battleredblog.com/">Texans</a> were driving right down the field in the 2nd half. He also had a TFL and pitched in 3 QHs as well as a sack.</p>
<p id="LD6VfX">Alex Singleton is doing a fine job, but I honestly miss seeing Josey Jewell out there and look forward to having our front seven back at full strength soon. This team’s schedule is going to get tougher soon and Jewell could make a big difference if he can get healthy.</p>
<h2 id="bNK5uG">Secondary</h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="NFL: Denver Broncos Training Camp" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0afvA_m0XnYtaGfu8KbV8mlswbY=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24037931/usa_today_18855552.jpg">
<cite>Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
</figure>
<p id="m42G3p">Damarri Mathis gets a big mile-high salute from me as he played really well having to replace the injured Patrick Surtain II. He saved a big run in wide open space with a great open field tackle. He looked solid in coverage with a pass defense as well.</p>
<p id="9rPRvv">Caden Sterns also had the unenviable job of trying to fill the shoes of Justin Simmons. He also stepped in and helped the team hold the Texans to under 10 points. He’s a sound safety with a bright future in the league.</p>
<p id="mcPhdC">Ronald Darby didn’t seem to see many targets in this game. That’s because he played really well, you just won’t notice it on the stat sheet. The Texans didn’t want to throw his way because he was constantly lock-step right where he needed to be on his guy.</p>
<h1 id="F91R54">Offense</h1>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Houston Texans v Denver Broncos" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3rt4XCqxrw5CeEHwHse50Q1bojM=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24037929/1425039231.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<p id="Zo3Eeb">Nathaniel Hackett is the one person on the Broncos team that needs to do the most work and improve if this team is going to have any chance at a successful season. He’s absolutely been inept with setting up his team with winning calls in the red zone. He’s plagued the team with indecision that leads to at best hurried plays and at worst penalties.</p>
<p id="Lg2Ocz">The frustrating thing is that the offense looks so good in fits and spurts. If the Broncos can just get out of their own way, they are going to hang 30 on an opponent in the near future. The offensive line is locked in (even missing a starter). The running backs are both playing really great football. Our receivers even missing two of their best are showing a ton of talent and ability to make plays.</p>
<p id="7t978F">If Hackett can just get the team to dial down the frequency of penalties and get more into the groove of successful play calling, they will be a force to be reckoned with.</p>
<h2 id="ikOYOG">Quarterbacks</h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Houston Texans v Denver Broncos" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/4IEKOzSOcOIM-FtWNBIaor0UVB0=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24037927/1425039190.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<p id="ruysGS">I’m really thankful that this team has Russel Wilson taking the snaps for the offense. His touchdown pass to Saubert could have been thrown with a tighter spiral, but you can’t buy better placement on a pass like that. The angle was perfect against near perfect defense by the linebacker. All game long he put the team in position to win. Heck, even his interception was an excellent throw that hit his guy right in the numbers.</p>
<h2 id="7j1kyN">Line</h2>
<p id="ivkTQf">This line again didn’t look perfect. They let their QB get sacked 3 times, after all. That being said, they look above average the vast majority of the time. The running success the team is having is a credit to the line and I think they also have better games in front of them.</p>
<h2 id="tnLT45">Running Backs</h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Detroit Lions v Denver Broncos" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/CJGhOTpkHXugolzXm_dmDet2EE4=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24037926/1358653452.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<p id="d6oSUR">Melvin Gordon III and Javonte Williams were both forces of nature. I know they both fumbled last week, but I think it is absolute robbery that they didn’t get some carries inside the 10 yard line. One fumble does not make a player bad. The coach needs to get back to having faith in the run game, get the QB under center inside the 10, and let the big nasties go to work up front for these stud running backs.</p>
<h2 id="JHYsAl">Receivers</h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="NFL: Houston Texans at Denver Broncos" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/DVUMFXFk8xTfQ1cowMZCL63Ch1s=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24034345/usa_today_19074882.jpg">
<cite>Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
</figure>
<p id="9VOeud">Courtland Sutton is back, baby! 7 catches for 122 yards and he was in my books the MVP of the offense. I loved hearing him talk about wanting the ball in critical situations:</p>
<blockquote><p id="a3HP1B">“I want those opportunities to be able to make those plays. I want to be able to be the guy that he goes to on the big third downs and fourth downs so that we can convert them on the field. I feel like in order to be able to be in that space of an elite wide receiver, you have got to be that guy that can make those big third downs and fourth downs.”</p></blockquote>
<p id="HWzZNC">Eric Suabert gets a TON of credit for making a superb touchdown catch with a guy swiping at the ball from inside his arms. It showed great concentration and focus to get those 6 on the board.</p>
<h1 id="sNSg1L">Special Teams</h1>
<p id="Imn4Az">Between not having a returner back on a 4th down play, not trusting your field goal kicker at altitude from 53 yards, and more sloppy coverage, this special teams unit is looking quite lackluster to me. We have yet to get any serious traction from our return game either.</p>
<h1 id="RQ6ia4">Final Thoughts</h1>
<p id="hslYRX">Honestly, I want to come back to what I’ve been saying since we hired Coach Hackett: the beginning of the season is going to be rough. I think all these derpy problems we’re seeing are fixable. </p>
<p id="E1JkI3">But in reality, Hackett needs to show in the next three games that he’s getting it dialed in as far as communication goes. He also needs to get his team to execute better. Both areas are lacking for this team and if the Broncos are to have any real success this season, they need to get this preseason work over with and start playing real regular season NFL football.</p>
https://www.milehighreport.com/2022/9/20/23362568/broncos-texans-no-bull-reviewsadaraine2022-09-20T09:00:00-06:002022-09-20T09:00:00-06:00Stats in the cradle: Broncos game two 2022
<figure>
<img alt="NFL: Houston Texans at Denver Broncos" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/I_wzve2nJ9CB27g4hTrmHJ36IrA=/0x0:5616x3744/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71391710/usa_today_19075378.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Musings on red zone futility, when to try the field goal or punt, and forcing fumbles</p> <h2 id="yZEH3G">Red Zone Futility</h2>
<p id="vLSY5T">On Sunday the Broncos got inside the Texan’s five yard line twice and failed to get a touchdown on either drive. The Broncos now have five drives that have gotten inside the opponent five yard line and have nine total points on those five drives. For comparison, the Chiefs have eight such drives through two games and have scored seven touchdowns (and one field goal). Their 52 points on drives inside the opponent five leads the league (with four teams still yet to play this week as I’m writing this). </p>
<p id="7yjXPv">If you look at this by points per drive, the Broncos (with 9 points on five drives that got inside the opp 5) are getting 1.8 points per drive on these drives. That is second worst in the league at this point. Only the <a href="https://www.fieldgulls.com/">Seahawks</a> are worse. They have two drives inside the opponent five and have zero points to show for those two drives. Every NFL team has had at least one drive inside that had a play inside the opponent five this season. </p>
<p id="0aLUIS">There are currently seven teams that have gotten a TD on every single one of these drives (Arizona, Washington, New Orleans, <a href="https://www.thephinsider.com/">Dolphins</a>, Bills, Panthers and Cowboys), but some of those teams have only had two such drives (Bills, Panthers and Cowboys) while Arizona has had seven. </p>
<p id="Vut61B">The scary thing is that, for the Broncos, this is nothing new. <a href="https://stathead.com/tiny/AGkpc">This century the Broncos have 18 drives in the first two games where they got inside the opponent five and failed to score</a> a touchdown. The team with the second most is the Panthers with 15. If you expand that to the 10, then the Broncos are only 3rd worst with 33 drives in the first two games where the offense got inside the opponent 10 and failed to get a TD. The <a href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/">Chargers</a> (38) and the Patriots (35) have more of those drives in the opening two weeks. </p>
<p id="CFgCtl">The good thing is that the Broncos offense is literally inches from having three of those drives this season end in touchdowns (Melvin Gordon almost breaking the plane, Eric Tomlinson and Courtland Sutton both being out of bounds by roughly two centimeters). SO this should change for the better soon. </p>
<h2 id="8SR94p">To kick or not to kick</h2>
<p id="r0KlJZ">Down 3 with 4:21 left in the 3rd, on 3rd and 1 from the +35, Denver ran a TE/FB option sweep and lost 1 yard. Apparently this play was the result of miscommunication and this is <em>not what was supposed to be run</em>. Then on 4th and 2 from the +36, Nathaniel Hackett, who asked Brandon McManus to kick a 64-yarder on Monday, was uncertain about whether to go for it or attempt the 53-yd FG. This uncertainty led to a delay of game penalty as the ball was snapped just after the playclock reached zero. This moved the attempt back to a 58/59 yard attempt, which we know McManus can make in Denver, but instead of trying to tie the game with a long FG attempt, Nathaniel Hackett sent out the punting team. </p>
<p id="82Pt45">I guess the calculus was that the defense was playing well and it was better to not potentially give the <a href="https://www.battleredblog.com/">Texans</a> the ball back close to midfield.</p>
<div id="TTNxDk">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Maybe the choice to punt on 4th and 2 from the +41 was made because McManus is 2 of 11 from 58 or longer in his career. <a href="https://t.co/CJavrtX2df">pic.twitter.com/CJavrtX2df</a></p>— Joe Mahoney (@ndjomo76) <a href="https://twitter.com/ndjomo76/status/1571920258117603328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 19, 2022</a>
</blockquote>
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<p id="A6m4SO">McManus accuracy on kicks longer than 56 might have also factored into the decision (see above). The 32 yard (by design) punt did force the Texans to start their drive from the nine and they went three and out. Their punter, who had a career day, then boomed another 60+ yard punt which Montrell Washington returned twelve yards setting up the Broncos on the -38. The punt by Cameron Johnston was so good that Lovie Smith chose to not have replay the punt despite Andrew Beck getting flagged for running into the kicker (which thankfully would not have given them a first down since it was 4th and six). </p>
<p id="VFDhxU">Cameron Johnston punted five times for a net of 53.6, but his gross distance (from the LOS) was 64, 48, 64, 61, and 31. The 31 yarder was short by design since the Texans were punting from the Denver 45. That was fair caught by Washington at the 14. Johnston was the better punter on Sunday. Let’s hope this is not a trend. </p>
<p id="NtR3tO">The thing that was lost in the calculus was how effective Russell Wilson has been in his career at converting on 4th and short in plus territory. <a href="https://stathead.com/tiny/ILQlX">On 43 plays needed three yards or less in plus territory on 4th down, Wilson has converted on 27 (62.8%)</a>. Seven of those plays have resulted in touchdowns, four in sacks and only one in a turnover. In case you are wondering, many of these were in the 2020 season, so it’s not like young Russ could do this but “old” Russ can’t. Admittedly, he only converted on three of seven in 2020 and was sacked twice and picked once on three of the four failed tries on 4th down. However, two of the three conversions were touchdowns. </p>
<h2 id="4jQo9Y">Forcing Fumbles</h2>
<p id="SbLxxW">The Broncos have now forced five fumbles through two games. The defense forced six in seventeen regular season games last season. With two forced fumbles, free agent signee, Randy Gregory leads the team, but the other three guys who have one are defenders who were on the Broncos last season (Ronald Darby, Dre’Mont Jones, and Bradley Chubb). Admittedly, Chubb (fifteen games) and Darby (six games) both missed significant time in 2021 so in some ways they feel like “new” defenders relative to last season. </p>
<p id="2Gr8rJ">I hope this is a product of the more aggressive mentality that Ejiro Evero has instilled in the 2022 defense relative to last year’s defense which tended to be more passive/reactive. The Chiefs, Colts and Cardinals defense all tied for the lead with fourteen forced fumbles in 2021. Obviously the pace that the Broncos defense is on (for 42 forced fumbles) is not sustainable, but it is nice to see the defense causing them. Giving our offense some short fields to work with will be helpful because we are going to need to score more than 16 per game to compete in the AFC West. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">In 17 games in 2021 the Denver defense forced six fumbles. In 2 games in 2022 the Denver defense has forced 5.</p>— Joe Mahoney (@ndjomo76) <a href="https://twitter.com/ndjomo76/status/1571889554650550275?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 19, 2022</a>
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<p id="4ImQxD">It should not be lost on folks that the defense is playing quite well (admittedly against “weak” offenses) without Josey Jewell (starting ILB), Justin Simmons (out for three more games), and Patrick Surtain (missed half of last game). Allowing a total of 26 points through two games is pretty good, but not sustainable. The <a href="https://www.bucsnation.com/">Buccaneers</a> have only allowed 13 points and the Bills 17. The Broncos are currently tied for fourth in points allowed with the <a href="https://www.ninersnation.com/">49ers</a>, who we play next week. </p>
<p id="puEm4P">Yes, our defense has yet to face a true test, but if they can do this largely in the absence of our two best defenders (Simmons and Surtain), one has to hope that this defense will not regress anywhere near as much as many feared coming into the season. In the three seasons with our “defensive genius” at head coach, the Broncos finished 10th, 25th and 3rd in points allowed. </p>
<p id="BnudFn">The two starting QBs that the Broncos have faced this season will most likely not be starters in 2023. The same can be said of the QB that the Broncos will face on Sunday, Jimmy Garoppolo. If you were to bet money on Geno Smith, Davis Mills and Jimmy G all being their teams primary starting quarterbacks in 2023, you would lose that money (and I would laugh at you for being foolish with your money). </p>
https://www.milehighreport.com/2022/9/20/23362036/denver-broncos-game-two-stats-2022Joe Mahoney2022-09-20T08:00:00-06:002022-09-20T08:00:00-06:00Discipline is key for the Broncos right now
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<figcaption>Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Following their clunky win over the Texans, the Broncos discuss their numerous penalties, and how they can grow as players through this.</p> <div id="HT6ohD"><iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/6SS8oYupfCerzqeWlBp5l6?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>
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<p id="FoppwM">With respect, I’m not sure the <a href="https://www.milehighreport.com">Denver Broncos</a> could’ve played sloppier on Sunday. There was no time management. The coaching staff seemed incredibly overwhelmed. I am thankful that we won, but winning isn’t everything, especially when you take into account the opponents we have ahead of us.</p>
<p id="2EsNQ5">Our team now leads the entire NFL in false start and delay of game penalties, but they also have a slew of other issues — facemask, unsportsmanlike conduct for taunting, etc. etc. etc. All in all, they recorded <strong>25 penalties for 206 yards over just the last two weeks.</strong></p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Broncos’ 2022 season through two games: <a href="https://t.co/ofjDWzt7wW">pic.twitter.com/ofjDWzt7wW</a></p>— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaseDenver/status/1571879556877025281?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 19, 2022</a>
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<p id="8MY7cC">Predictably, several of the players were asked about about their plans to minimize these penalties going forward. [Most of] their responses were humble and resolved, but that needs to translate to the field before I get overly optimistic.</p>
<div class="c-float-right"><aside id="kCKjqj"><q>“All that matters is that Win. Then, taking those wins and understanding here are the areas where we can get better.” -Russell Wilson on becoming more disciplined as a team</q></aside></div>
<p id="vNaHSP">“We have to quit getting penalties as players. That’s on us. That’s discipline,” QB Russell Wilson acknowledged, “That’s making sure that we’re doing the little things right...All of those things are really critical, especially in close games. If we eliminate those, it’s not second and long. It’s second and five. It’s second and three.”</p>
<p id="PggMX6">Wilson continued: “All that matters is that Win. Then, taking those wins and understanding here are the areas where we can get better. We’ll definitely take on that challenge and I’m looking forward to it.”</p>
<p id="pTEwch">Regarding the false start penalties specifically, RB Melvin Gordon III gave his input for avoiding them in the future. “We just have to be sharp, man. It’s just mental focus and details at the line of scrimmage.” </p>
<p id="mHa8eX">Gordon explained that sometimes they get “locked” into their assignments and become impatient, hence the false starts. Basically, they get caught in their feelings.</p>
<p id="yXDJj8">LB Randy Gregory reflected some of Gordon’s sentiments about the need to stay sharp and not let emotions or tendencies get in the way.</p>
<p id="rb60jT">“We have to cut down the pre-snap feelings. Those are probably the main ones, offsides, misalignments and things like that,” Gregory insisted, “We just have to be smarter.”</p>
<div class="c-float-right"><aside id="xzc4bL"><q>“It’s on everybody.” -Kendall Hinton on the numerous penalties</q></aside></div>
<p id="U5h5Pm">WR Kendall Hinton offered his insight on the delay of game penalties. He reminded that it’s never just one thing causing it all, but multiple issues working together. At the end of the day, it’s about learning from your mistakes and allowing those lessons to shape gameplay.</p>
<p id="tVx7VQ">“It could be the coaches being delayed relaying information to the quarterback or receivers taking too long. It’s on everybody,” he explained, “From a receiver perspective, we have to pick up the pace when we’re getting out on the field.”</p>
<p id="9EQIam">“It’s just something we can learn and grow from,” Hinton concluded.</p>
<p id="eDEFUA">Ultimately, the consensus is that everyone needs to clean up what they’re doing. They’re getting so many penalties because of insufficient communication, because of sloppy play, because of this, because of that. </p>
<p id="pbViMf">Whatever the reasons — and I say this with the utmost love in my heart — I sincerely hope they can fix them before we face off with the <a href="https://www.ninersnation.com/">San Francisco 49ers</a>, and especially before we face off with our stacked rivals in the AFC West. I believe they can do it, but it’s going to take a lot of commitment and organization.</p>
<p id="95m8Ld">Next up is prime time at Empower Field. Go Broncos.</p>
https://www.milehighreport.com/2022/9/20/23362349/discipline-key-for-broncosEli Nicholson2022-09-19T15:00:00-06:002022-09-19T15:00:00-06:00How to jump-start the Broncos offense | Week 2 film analysis
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<p>The Denver Broncos offense has struggled to finish drives through the first two weeks. We jump into the film to see how they can improve.</p> <p id="l0Go2U">This article is so much better to write with the <a href="https://www.milehighreport.com">Denver Broncos</a> sitting at 1-1 instead of 0-2. Similar to playing or coaching everything is better after a win, especially reviewing the areas that need to improve. We are two games into this season and if we are being honest with ourselves this Broncos offense looks nothing like we imagined. We all had dreams of deep overs to Jerry Jeudy, stick it 8 post bombs to Courtland Sutton, and 42 points a game with Russell Wilson at the helm. Unfortunately, we have had back-to-back 16-point games and a pit in our stomach the size of the grand canyon.</p>
<p id="TonpQB">When you put on the All-22 film you realize that little things add up and there are six issues that are haunting this offense. </p>
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<li id="6OLq0z">Procedure Penalties - You simply cannot have false starts and delay of game penalties at home, it's inexcusable when these sorts of things happen.</li>
<li id="dWV6aA">Miscommunication - There are too many route combinations that make no sense and route decisions/throws that need to be cleaned up.</li>
<li id="5Dfwfd">Outsmarting OUrselves - I love a salty play design more than anyone, but if we find ourselves running FB speed option on 3rd and inches, we may be overdoing it here.</li>
<li id="nqAjdb">Red Zone Sequencing - Our play calling in the red zone has been rough, to say the least. We need to run the rock inside the five, and this is a former QB talking.</li>
<li id="kxIsRH">Boot Action - We have to clean up our boot game and start to check out of it when we have an extra force defender who is there to strictly account for Russel.</li>
<li id="GgN815">Game of Inches - This is something that you really can’t address but it needs to be said, we are inches away from at least 21 more points on the board.</li>
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<p id="jNyUuk">Now, let’s jump into the film to break it all down:</p>
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https://www.milehighreport.com/2022/9/19/23361572/how-to-jump-start-broncos-offenseTim Jenkins