Winning Feels So Good

The Broncos are 2-0 and are on top of the AFC west with the raiders?!!! Yup and that means the chiefs are looking up from 3rd place in that division. Who knows how long this will last but for the next week Broncos fans can boast about having a better record than the chiefs. Alright, now to the game. The Broncos beat the Jags 23-13 in typical Broncos fashion with defense and ball control keeping time of possession lopsided having the ball for nearly 18 more minutes. Here are my 3 takeaways from this game.

1. Teddy is More Than a Game Manager

One of my main concerns before the season when Teddy was named the starter was that he would only be able to thrive if our defense and run game flourished. That certainly was not the case as the run game was mediocre only racking up 96 yards on 30 carries. Teddy once again was very efficient throwing for 26/34 328 yards and 2 TDs and could have had more if the Jags were not holding Sutton all day on the deep routes. He looks so comfortable in the pocket and navigates it in a Brady-esque manner as he simply knows where the pressure is coming from and does a good job finding spots to step up in. His ability to go through multiple progressions and look off safeties and linebackers is such an underrated part of his game and an aspect that does not show up in the stat sheet. To really understand the impact of Teddy Bridgewater you have to watch him play rather than just look at the box score. He had a passer rating of over 100 once again this week with 125.6. He brings a sense of security that the broncos have been missing from that position since 2015. Bottom line is that he has shown the ability to make plays when things are not pretty which is what is most impressive to me.

2. Offensive Line and Special Teams a Cause for Concern?

The offensive line did not look very good against a poor Jaguars defense. The run blocking and the pass blocking were not abysmal as the run game averaged 3.2 yards per carry and Teddy was sacked 3 times for 26 yards. The sacks could have been more if it weren’t for Teddy’s nice pocket awareness. Teddy was under pressure a number a number of other times and I wonder what the issue is. Is the poor blocking a consequent of the aggressive play calling? Teddy has thrown more 20 yard passes than any other quarterback in the league which obviously means Teddy has to hold the ball longer and maybe the offensive line has too much pressure blocking for that long. Whatever it is, it needs to be fixed before the broncos play a good defense such as Baltimore and Pittsburgh. Onto Special Teams…. Do I really need to say anything? I mean it’s getting ridiculous as the broncos continue to blow coverages especially in kick off returns. Why do the Broncos have linebackers in their return team? We’ll ask that question to Tom McMahon on his way out after this season because his firing is inevitable. This special teams unit is anything but special in the rankings as they are ranked 32nd in the league according to PFF.

3. Slow Starts Should not be a Norm

The broncos started way too many games in 2020 like they did not even know a football game was taking place. The Broncos still do not have an opening drive touchdown in 21 games after Sunday which is the most in the NFL. For the second straight week the Broncos were down 7-3 for a majority of the first half before finally breaking through and scoring a TD before the half ending. It’s a little worrisome that the Broncos have needed almost 28 minutes of football to get the offense a touchdown against 2 under average teams. It’s only 2 games so hopefully they can turn it around soon because this will not fly against elite teams such as the Ravens and Chiefs or even the Browns. On a side note, that Ravens vs. Chiefs game was one for the ages and whoever thinks Lamar Jackson is unfit to play QB is more ignorant than the Jets front office. Anyway, the main problem for Denver has not been moving the ball up and down the field, it has been finishing drives early in games. With that said the offense looks great once it gets going in the second half. We just would prefer that level of play over 4 quarters rather than 2.

Despite the win I came away with some worrisome takeaways but this does not mean I am worried about the team as a whole but there are certainly things we need to clean up and must display against the Jets because the meat of our schedule is coming soon and it begins against the Baltimore Ravens in less than 2 weeks. On Thursday I will speak on the injuries to Chubb and Jewel and how it impacts the rest of the season. Onto the Jets! Go Broncos!