Forget about the offense; the Broncos defense is the key to success

Everyone’s watch told the story. The Broncos game ended at 1:45 in Denver.

It kicked off at 11:00. So it was less than three hours from start to finish. And that provides the formula for success moving forward.

The Broncos beat the Buccaneers 26-7 on Sunday, getting their first win of the season. But the game provided much more than one victory.

Denver had struggled through their first two games of the season, averaging just 11.0 points per game on offense. They needed to find an answer. And they did in Tampa Bay.

First and foremost, the Broncos ran the football. They had 136 yards on 28 carries, an average of 4.9 yards per attempt. That’ll keep a lot of drives alive.

In addition, they found their running back. Denver has been devoid of skill position talent for years; they’ve been searching for playmakers. And one emerged against the Bucs.

Javonte Williams had just 12 yards on five carries, an average of 2.4 yards. Jaleel McLaughlin, who did have a nice touchdown run, was even worse; he had only seven yards on five carries, which is just 1.4 yards per attempt.

But Tyler Badie was the star of the day. The running back had 70 yards on only nine carries. He had a run of 43 yards, providing a much-needed big play in the Broncos offense.

The success on the ground led to better balance. Denver threw the ball 36 times, which offsets nicely with the 28 runs. And that helped their rookie quarterback.

Bo Nix finished the day with an impressive stat line. He was 25-of-36 for 216 yards. He also ran nine times for 47 yards, including a touchdown.

Being able to run the football took the pressure off Nix. It made the offense blossom.

But that side of the ball wasn’t why the Broncos won. Their defense stole the show.

The Buccaneers were rolling heading into the game. They were 2-0, averaging 28.5 points per game. And the Broncos shut them down.

On the day, Tampa Bay only managed 223 yards of total offense. Baker Mayfield was 25-of-33, but he only had 163 yards passing. The Bucs had less than 100 yards rushing and had two turnovers. They were anemic.

And that provides the blueprint moving forward. That’s how the Broncos are going to have to win.

They need to run the football, taking pressure off of their quarterback. And they need to play great defense, which prevents their offense from having to carry the load.

It worked on Sunday. But will it work moving forward?

Well, Badie certainly helps the cause. If the Broncos have a running back who can carry the load, garnering chunk plays in the process, they’ll be well on their way.

But the defense is the key. Denver harassed Mayfield all day, sacking the Bucs quarterback seven times on the day. And they were able to get pressure without blitzing, creating havoc with only their four upfront.

Dondrea Tillman had two sacks. Five others had one. It was a chorus of pressure.

And that’s the key to the game. That’s what the Broncos have to do moving forward.

It’s not about Nix. It’s not about Sean Payton calling the right plays. It’s not about the offense clicking.

Denver is going to win if their defense thrives. More directly, they’re going to win if they can pressure the opposing quarterback.

Fast forward a week. The Broncos are in New York on Sunday to play the Jets. How will they beat Aaron Rodgers and company? By getting after the quarterback.

It’ll be nice if Nix plays well. It’d be great if Payton calls a balanced game. It’d be awesome if Badie has another big day.

But getting pressure, while only rushing four, is the difference maker. That helped the Broncos beat the Bucs. And it’s their recipe against the Jets.

Stop talking about the quarterback. Quit worrying about the offense.

It’s all about Vance Joseph’s defense. They shined on Sunday. And they’re the secret to success moving forward.

Follow @jamesmerilatt