Denver offense has 470 reasons to feel confident about seasonopening win
Nearly as many rush attempts as passes. Eight players who had at least one offensive touch. Seven pass plays that gained at least 20 yards. One sack allowed. And a whopping 470 yards.
The offense is back in Denver. In Sunday’s 2724 win over the Seattle Seahawks, it was like the offense woke up from a twoyear nap and it should fuel optimism it will return to NFL prominence af ter finishing 19th, 22nd and 27th in scoring from 201517.
The Broncos’ yardage output for the offense led by coordinator Bill Musgrave was their most since 503 yards against San Diego in 2015 (Week 17).
“Billy’s the man,” left guard Ron Leary said. “I said that watching the third preseason game (at Washington). I wasn’t playing and I said, ‘This man is the real deal the way he calls plays and keeps the defense on their toes.’ Hats off
to him. He’s the OC for a reason.”
When Musgrave meets the media Thursday, instead of taking a victory lap, he will probably say the reason for the Broncos’ offensive performance was the players. Maybe he should considering how bad the offense has been lately.
Musgrave called a game that allowed quarterback Case Keenum to throw for 329 yards and three touchdowns (helping offset his three interceptions), receivers Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas to combine for 198 yards on 16 catches (two touchdowns) and rookie running backs Royce Freeman and Phillip Lindsay to rush for 15 times for 71 yards apiece.
The 470 yards were the fourthmost of Musgrave’s coordinator career, behind 626 for Oakland in a 2016 overtime win at Tampa Bay and two games for Minnesota — 496 in a 2013 win over Chicago and 489 in a 2011 loss to the Broncos.
“Bill had a great plan as far as attacking (Seattle) in the run game and pass game,” Broncos coach Vance Joseph said Monday.
Joseph said the Seahawks scrapped their usual singlehigh safety look for quarters coverage, which divides the deep part of the field among four defensive backs. “They hadn’t shown that on tape ever — in five years,” Joseph said.
Two ways to beat quarters coverage: Quick passes and “levels” route concepts.
In the quick game (slants and throws into the flats), Keenum was 16of18 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns on throws that traveled five or fewer yards downfield. Lindsay turned a pass caught behind the line of scrimmage into a 29yard touchdown.
Using levels routes allowed Keenum to probe the middle of the field and make Seattle’s defenders decide who to cover — the intermediate or deep crosser. On Sanders’ 43yard touchdown, receiver Courtland Sutton ran an intermediate crosser. Sanders, running a deeper crossing route, became open when free safety Earl Thomas bit on Sutton.
“I loved the way Bill called the game,” Keenum said. “Being our first real (game), it was awesome to see.”
For Joseph, it was awesome to see the run game gain traction at the most important time. Leading by three with 2:28 remaining, Musgrave called six straight run plays, the first three gained 17, five and 15 yards to help run the clock down to the 61second mark.
When Seattle played its traditional strong safety in the box, Musgrave used a fullback (Andy Janovich played 13 snaps) and twotight end personnel. The Broncos ran a combined 32 plays (out of 74) with either a fullback or second tight end and also used Thomas in motion toward the offensive line to block.
The Broncos rushed 32 times for 146 yards (4.6 average), yet another encouraging sign for the offense.
“(Musgrave) had a plan to block the extra guy in the box (on) every single play,” Joseph said. “To rush for 146 vs. a loaded box is quite difficult in this league and we did it.”