Broncos' Unit Grades Entering Week 8 Reflect 2-5 Record

The Denver Broncos are reeling.

After seven weeks, the die is cast on the Denver Broncos’ hopes of producing a winning record. The Broncos' failure to close out winnable games has fans feeling that the team’s foundation is trapped in cement. 

Compounding the problem is the sinking feeling that the defense’s outstanding level of play is the only unit capable of keeping games competitive. With nine games remaining, Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett must find a way to pull up from this four-game nose-dive before all hope is lost. 

The clock is ticking loudly for the first-year head coach to find a path forward to improve the performance of his ailing offense and mediocre special teams before the exhausted warriors on defense tap out.

How have the Broncos' different phases graded out through seven games? Let's break it down. 

The Defense: A

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The Broncos' defensive unit is the team’s undisputed towering strength. The defense ranks first in Pro Football Focus' rankings and entered last week's tilt as the third-ranked defense in total yards. 

The Broncos’ relentless pass rush creates unyielding pressure on opposing quarterbacks, which is a key reason opponents are scoring under 20 points per game. The Ohio State Buckeye wrecking crew of Baron Browning and Dre’Mont Jones force quarterbacks to get the ball out of their hands quickly. 

Browning was the Broncos' offseason diamond in the rough and needed just a bit of polishing. The decision to move him from inside to outside linebacker is paying off. Browning will miss Sunday’s contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars due to a strained hip flexor. 

Not to be forgotten is veteran rush linebacker Bradley Chubb. Playing in the final year of his contract, Chubb is living up to the expectation of a top-five draft selection. 

Another significant contributor is inside linebacker Alex Singleton. The fourth-year veteran has done a magnificent job in both the run game and blitzing on key downs. It will be difficult for the coaching staff to relegate Singtelon into a backup role when Josey Jewell returns from injury. 

The biggest contributor to the Broncos' defense receiving an A grade is cornerback Patrick Surtain II. He is an undisputed lockdown corner, that can take on any opponent’s No. 1 receiver, as evidenced by how his man-to-man coverage suffocated one of the most talented pass catchers in the game, Las Vegas’ Davante Adams.

Defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero continues to create crushing game plans that keep opposing offenses under 20 points per game. He continues to demonstrate in Year 1 that he is the most capable coach on the Broncos staff.

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Offense: D-

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The Broncos’ offense ranks 31 out of 32 teams. It’s safe to say no one predicted the Broncos would have a bottom-ranked red-one scoring offense. 

The hapless offense appears to be locked in a mind-bending lack of improvement loop. In every first quarter, they exhibit firepower that teases fans and creates optimism. 

The offensive line opens running lanes for the backs to gain additional yards while providing Russell Wilson time to complete passes downfield. I'm not sure what sedative is poured into offensive players’ Gatorade during halftime, but they come out of the tunnel as if they were sleepwalking through the final two quarters of the game.

The offensive line reverts back to being a sieve for pass rushers to take a free run at Wilson. At the same time, Wilson’s vision seems to narrow, and his past inaccuracy issues reappear. 

Hackett’s inability to make effective halftime adjustments is almost malpractice. The Broncos’ offense is on life support and needs a shot of adrenaline to get it in operating order.

Special Teams: C

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The Broncos' third phase has not helped the team win games. The 24th-ranked unit has shown glimpses of promise but lacks consistent performance. 

Kicker Brandon McManus has not performed up to his potential. Coach Hackett needs to be more pragmatic about McManus' true effective field goal range. 

Special teams coordinator Dwyane Stukes will need to focus his energy on getting the group back to executing on the fundamentals.

Bottom Line

Denver's unit grades seven games in are heavily influenced by mental errors in key moments of the game. An unacceptable number of penalties, missed assignments, and lack of execution have been the hallmarks of the Broncos’ offense and special teams. The lack of discipline lies squarely in the lap of players and coaching staff.

It’s time for coach Hackett to get laser-focused on leading his team to a back-to-basics mentality. His top priority must be to rally his players and coaches around the mantra of “control the controllable” and the “do your job” mentality.

Broncos Country would be satisfied if just those goals were accomplished.

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