Justin Simmons says Broncos will contend in 2021
Jul 1, 2021, 10:26 AM
Since being drafted by the Denver Broncos in 2016 Justin Simmons has only seen a winning record once in his career, but he believes the times are changing.
Simmons told NFL Network’s Good Morning Football on Thursday that he believes the Broncos are in a position to contend in 2021.
“I feel like we’re really close,” Simmons said. “We’re finally having a year where we’re having coordinators come back and guys are familiar with the schemes and the systems, both on offense and defense and on special teams. I feel like we’re really close.”
The Broncos haven’t seen the light at the end of the tunnel for some time. The team is not only going on a four-year losing record skid, but a five-year playoff drought as well.
Since 2016 the Broncos own a 32-48 record.
However, the hype around the Broncos’ roster and the key veteran players returning have made quite a buzz around the NFL.
Some analysts are saying Denver should not be slept on because of the depth and talent the Broncos have on their roster.
“I feel like this could be the year and I’m really excited for that. I’ve been itching for it ever since I came into the league — 9-7 is the closest I’ve been. And so I’m really looking forward to this season.”
The return of Von Miller and Courtland Sutton will be huge in 2021.
Mix in the additions of Patrick Surtain II and Javonte Williams from the draft with Jerry Jeudy (who is projected to have a big year) and this team could be dangerous.
The Broncos’ 2021 strength of schedule ranks 28th in the league. They have the easiest schedule in the AFC West and AFC overall and only four teams in the entire NFL have an easier schedule than the Broncos.
Of course the biggest question mark sits at the quarterback position.
Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater are battling for the starting job while the Broncos continue to monitor the Aaron Rodgers situation in Green Bay. Unfortunately this decision will likely decide whether the Broncos come close to returning to the playoffs or remain on the outskirts.
With the offense out of his control, Simmons knows that to get to the postseason the Broncos have to go better than the 1-5 division record they compiled last year.
“In our division, we got teams like the Chiefs, the Raiders and the Chargers, those are some high-powered offenses,” Simmons said. “So we’re going to need a defense that’s ready to go week in and week out because we play the best in our division. In terms of team defensive goals, we want to be No. 1. We have the talent across the board to be able to get after the quarterback, get some turnovers, that’s an area that we’ve struggled in the past couple years. So we’re just really looking forward to competing out there and going against some of the best offenses in the league. Like I said, from a defensive standpoint, we feel like we can be No. 1, and so that’s our goal.”
