Despite impressive preseason, the Broncos still have a fatal flaw
Aug 26, 2024, 4:00 AM | Updated: 5:42 am
The Broncos are the kings of the preseason. After dispatching of the Cardinals in their exhibition finale, routing Arizona by a 38-12 count at Empower Field, Denver finished their tuneup schedule with a perfect 3-0 mark.
They’re one of six teams to run the table in the preseason. And they did it in convincing fashion, outscoring their opponents 99-44 in the process. That’s an average score of 33-15.
As a result, optimism abounds in the Mile High City. Sean Payton has his mojo back. Bo Nix is the answer at QB. VJ’s defense is going to fly around and make plays. All is good with the orange and blue.
Except for one thing. And it might be the team’s Achilles heel in 2024.
Heading into last season, the so-called insiders said the Broncos were going to be a run-heavy team. They were going to take the pressure off of Russell Wilson by keeping the ball on the ground. They’d set up good down-and-distance situations, while bringing the play-action game into the mix, with a steady dose of handoffs.
It sounded good. But it never happened.
On the season, the Broncos were very ineffective when it came to running the ball. The finished in the bottom half of the league in rushing yards (1,810) and yards per carry (4.0), while also producing the second-fewest rushing touchdowns (8).
Javonte Williams was Denver’s leading rusher, racking up 774 yards on the season. But he averaged only 3.6 yards per carry and managed to find the goal line just three times. His longest carry of the season was 21 yards, as the Broncos had very little explosiveness out of their running game.
Somehow, things are going to be different this year, however. With a rookie quarterback, the mantra being repeated is the same as last season, with a belief that it’ll actually ahppen.
Run the ball. Play good defense. And give Bo Nix a chance.
Sounds easy. Seems simple. But will it be?
The Broncos running game is virtually the same as it was in 2023. Williams is back as the starter. Samaje Perine is the third-down and two-minute back. Jaleel McLaughlin is the speed option. And the offensive line is virtually the same, save for Luke Wattenberg replacing Lloyd Cushenberry at center.
Audric Estime was added in the draft. But the fifth-round pick hasn’t shown anything in training camp or the preseason to suggest that he’s going to jumpstart things.
He’s not alone, however. Despite the Broncos having a really, really encouraging preseason, showcasing an offense that looks light years better than it has in ages, the biggest problem from a season ago remains.
Denver can’t run the ball. At all.
In three preseason games, the Broncos racked up 359 yards on 94 carries. That’s an average of 3.82 yards per attempt. That would’ve ranked 27th last season in the NFL.
But that’s not the whole story. Those numbers are slightly inflated.
Quarterbacks and receivers accounted for 13 of those carries. They amassed 68 yards, more than 5.2 yards per attempt.
That means the Broncos running backs put up just 291 yards on 81 carries. They averaged under 3.6 yards per carry.
Yikes.
If that trend carries over to the regular season, Denver’s offense is going to be in trouble. It’ll look a lot like last season.
Opposing defenses will take away the run and dare Nix to beat them. Without elite weapons on the outside, which the Broncos simply don’t have, the rookie quarterback will have a hard time making them pay. He’ll be searching for open receivers, trying to make something happen on a constant barrage of third-and-sevens.
Been there, done that. That was the scenario that plagued Wilson in 2023. It’ll haunt Nix this season too.
The reality is that the Broncos need to run the ball effectively in order to have a good offense in 2024. They don’t have big-time playmakers, so they need to string together long, sustained drives. That means avoiding negative plays and being in good down-and-distance situations.
Running the ball is critical to that formula. Otherwise, Denver will constantly be behind the sticks, trying to make up ground through the air. And that’s a bad idea with a rookie quarterback.
So as much as the preseason has been encouraging, and it certainly has been, one of the biggest riddles hasn’t been solved. Despite trying to figure it out, with nearly 100 carries in three games, the Broncos haven’t solved their running game woes.
Javonte, Jaleel, Semaje and Audric haven’t provided the answer. Denver still isn’t any good when they keep the ball on the ground.
They have two weeks to find an answer. Otherwise, the Broncos fancy preseason is going to prove to be a mirage; it’ll be fool’s good.
If Denver can’t run the ball, they can’t be effective on offense. And right now, there’s plenty of reasons to be concerned about their ground game being a lot like last season.
