TD passes, Denver’s WRS need to reconnect
It happened so long ago and so much has transpired in the ensuing weeks that it’s perfectly understandable if it has been forgotten. But the last time a Broncos wide receiver caught a touchdown pass was the afternoon of Sept. 17, when the Broncos toppled the Cowboys in Denver.
Midway through the second quarter, Emmanuel Sanders reeled in a 6-yard pass in the end zone from Trevor Siemian. The Broncos extended their lead to 14 points and eventually 25 points and, by most early assessments, had built the offense they had long envisioned.
My, how things have changed. While the Broncos have occasionally found the end zone since that day, not one of their wide receivers has caught a touchdown pass since that Sanders score. In fact, only two wide receivers have caught a touchdown pass this season: Sanders with a pair in Week 2 and Bennie Fowler with two in the season opener against the Chargers. (Fowler should have had a third, but he dropped a pass in the end zone Monday at Kansas City.)
In their last five games, the Broncos have had only three passing touchdowns — caught by tight ends A.J. Derby (two) and Jeff Heuerman.
More concerning: Demaryius Thomas, Denver’s No. 1 wide receiver, hasn’t caught a touchdown pass in 13 consecutive games. The last time he saw the end zone was Nov. 13 in New Orleans.
“He is a No. 1 in our offense, and (opponent) game plans are made to stop him from scoring touchdowns,” coach Vance Joseph said. “Our overall goal is to win games, whoever scores the touchdowns. He’s one of our best players, so the more he scores, the more we can win. Our pass game goes through 88 (Thomas) and 10 (Sanders). However they play us, we have to take advantage of it.”
The most-tenured Bronco on the roster, Thomas has played with six quarterbacks since he was drafted in 2010 and has dealt with the adjustments inherent in each. He played through a string of injuries to start 87 consecutive games, the most among active wide receivers in the NFL.
But he never had a scoring drought this long.
In seven games, Thomas has been targeted 59 times and caught 35 for 455 yards. His numbers are similar to those of his first seven games last season: 54 targets, 37 receptions, 456 yards. But he had four touchdowns in that span last year. He also caught seven of his 10 targets in the red zone, leading to three touchdowns.
This year, Thomas has been targeted only four times in the red zone and caught the ball once, for just a 3-yard gain.
The list of reasons he isn’t scoring is long and varied, and go beyond the Broncos’ offensive issues.
“There are certain plays we’ve missed,” said offensive coordinator Mike Mccoy. “I think there are certain plays he might say he might not have won on the release, whether it’s a decision we made in a progression, was there a protection break- down, there are a number of different reasons. It’s not just one reason. But I think with Emmanuel and D.T., there are plenty of plays asterisked with those guys’ names on it that we’re trying to get them the ball. A lot of the passing game, with those two special players — not just Demaryius, but with Emmanuel — we’re trying to get those guys the ball often.”
According to Pro Football Focus, of the 10 interceptions thrown by the Broncos, four were targets to Thomas. Denver’s collective struggles in the passing game have played a part, too.
The double-coverages Thomas has faced certainly contributed, too, as Joseph alluded.
But the recent dearth of touchdowns by Broncos wide receivers and the Demaryius Drought hasn’t gone unnoticed. Denver is hoping to end it Sunday in Philadelphia.
“Yes. We were putting in red zone today and most of the time I’m in the back, like ‘Give me that play! Give me that play!’ I was like ‘Hey, give it to D.T. Give it to D.T.’ He’s getting to go a full year without a touchdown, so we have to change that,” Sanders said. “I’m praying that he goes on a run and has — look at the guy in Houston, I forgot his name. He has what? Fifteen catches and seven touchdowns — Will Fuller.
“Hopefully, Demaryius can be that guy and I can come up next and do the same thing.”