Shh! Broncos’ foes succeeding with quiet schemes
With offense struggling, defense has little room for error
The play that finally broke the back of the Broncos’ defense Sunday was a pass from Philip Rivers that traveled 3 yards past the line of scrimmage.
Facing third-and-11 from the Denver 42-yard line, the Chargers sent speedy receiver Travis Benjamin across the middle of the field on a short slant. Fellow wideout Keenan Allen, meanwhile, worked inside and paused his route in front of Broncos cornerback Chris Harris, leaving Benjamin with yards of open real estate between the hash marks. He caught the pass, sprinted outside of safety Justin Simmons and cruised into the end zone to seal the victory for Los Angeles.
The breakdown ended a frustrating day for a defense that did its part in the 21-0 loss but was provided little margin for error, and an even smaller opportunity to make game-changing plays. The short pass, designed to create a schematic advantage as opposed to an athletic one, was a microcosm of how teams have tried to mitigate the impact of the Broncos’ playmakers on defense.
“They don’t even give us any plays to gamble with,” Harris said. “Everything comes out fast, pick plays. They’re not really throwing the ball. Think about it. They don’t throw the ball down the field, really.
“Most of the plays we’ve given them have been very great schemed-up plays. They’re scheming us, they’re setting pick plays and they’re figuring out ways to empty us out with three tight ends. They throw it fast to the tight ends. When have you seen a ball — other than the Raiders and the first Chargers game — go down the field 40 yards? It doesn’t happen. We have to get used to how teams are playing us.”
The Broncos are ranked first in
total defense, giving up just 258.5 yards per game. They rank second in rush defense (71.8 yards per game) and sixth in pass defense (186.7). But only Atlanta has fewer takeaways this season (three) than the four produced by the Broncos. And Denver is one of just three teams that hasn’t recovered an opponent’s fumble. It’s part of the reason the Broncos rank 29th in the NFL with a minus-eight turnover margin.
The Broncos have tried to address its inability to force turnovers by adding more takeaway drills in practice. Linebacker Von Miller said he has tried to be more cognizant of stripping away the ball when he has the opportunity, much like he did to Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton in Super Bowl 50. Harris said Monday the Broncos simply have to find a way to be even “more dominant” on defense.
The problem for the Denver defense is it can be difficult to penetrate offenses that are cloaked in bubble wrap. Opponents have attempted only nine passes this sea- son that travel more than 21 yards in the air, according to Stats Pass, by far the fewest in the league against any defense. The secondfewest such attempts against a team are the 14 faced by Miami. (Opponents have completed five of those nine passes against the Broncos for three touchdowns and one interception.)
“When you don’t score points, it’s hard for our defense to cause havoc, because everything is being played close to the vest,” Broncos coach Vance Joseph said. “The Giants threw one pass over 8 yards. (On Sunday, Rivers) was very conservative. When the ball went past 10 yards, it was all max protection. It’s hard for our defense to control a game without having a lead. If we get a lead, this defense will show up big time.
“It’s hard for us on defense to be the difference if it’s not with a lead because teams are just going to run the ball, run the ball, third down, try their luck and punt it back. That’s what we’ve seen in the three losses.”
The approach of the Chargers on third down matches Joseph’s description. Rivers threw the ball more than 10 yards down the field only three times on 12 third-down plays. The first was a third-and-14 attempt in the third quarter that Bradley Roby tipped, and it was nearly intercepted. The second was a post route to Allen that set the Chargers up for a touchdown. The third came on a third-and-11 play in the fourth quarter when Rivers torpedoed a pass for a first down to Hunter Henry, who was blanketed tightly by safety Will Parks.
More often, a third-down play ended with Rivers throwing at the feet of a running back to avoid pressure, picking up an intentionalgrounding penalty, throwing short and settling for a punt or absorbing a sack and willfully giving the ball back to the Broncos’ inept offense.
Next up for the Broncos is a Kansas City Chiefs team that has turned the ball over exactly once this season — a fumble by rookie running back Kareem Hunt on the first play of the season. Quarterback Alex Smith has yet to throw an interception. Every other team in the NFL has thrown at least two.
“We have to worry about being better and try to give up zero points,” Harris said. “We can be more dominant and make more turnovers. That’s the only thing we’re trying to focus on, ourselves, and what we can do. We can’t control what the offense does. That’s on them.”