Will Von Miller or Bradley Chubb lead the Broncos in quarterback sacks?
Kiz: Can we slow the roll ( not to mention the money wagered in Las Vegas) on quarterback Drew Lock becoming the NFL’s most valuable player in 2020?
The practice at the stadium Saturday was a gentle reminder Lock will have his share of growing pains this year and the Broncos will still need to lean heavily on its defense, if winning 10 games is to be more than a pipe dream. Two big reasons for optimism: In Von Miller and Bradley Chubb, there’s the potential for a dominant pass rush. Will the vet or the kid have a more dominant season?
O’Halloran: Just a few days ago, I would have said Chubb was on his way to matching or exceeding his total of 12 sacks from 2018. But he left Saturday’s practice early and didn’t work Monday in order to rest his left knee. That is now a concern until proven otherwise. Will Chubb’s snaps be managed early in the year? If so, how will that impact Miller’s production? Because of the uncertainty hovering over Chubb, I’ll switch it up and say Miller has more sacks.
Kiz: Things started going bad for the Broncos early ( and often) during the 2019 season. Among the biggest bummers was losing Chubb to a torn ACL before the end of September. Sports medicine can make that knee good as new, but sometimes it takes more than a year for an athlete to return to peak form. How has Chubb looked behind the closed doors of this abbreviated training camp? And should we scale back expectations for Chubb until 2021, and chalk up this season as part of the rehab process?
O’Halloran: Up until Saturday, I thought Chubb was practicing well. He wasn’t out there for every first- team rep ( nor should he be), but he was showing good athleticism as a pass rusher and good power as a run stopper ( albeit with no contact). I’m with you on ACL players needing as much as a full season to get their rhythm back. Miller is the exception — he tore his ACL in December 2013 and had 14 sacks the following year ( playing every game). I was thinking when camp started that Chubb could be in the range of 12- 14 sacks. It may be time to move that bar down a bit.
Kiz: If both Chubb and Miller can produce double- digit sacks in 2020, this is nothing but a fun discussion and a royal pain for an old quarterback like our old pal Tom Brady. But if Chubb isn’t 100% until November and Miller shows his age ( in his age- 31 season), then the Broncos are going to have a very difficult time making the playoffs. My hope is Chubb will lead the team in sacks, because that is what’s best for the team’s long- term success. But what’s the correct answer? You tell me.
O’Halloran: If Chubb leads the Broncos in sacks and that number is 8- 10, this team is in big- time trouble. Last year, they had no sacks and no takeaways in the first three games and not surprisingly, they started 0- 3 and were chasing the season. The best chance for the Broncos to reach the playoffs is to lean on their defense, and specifically, their pass rush, to take the pressure off a young offense. That means they need Chubb healthy and effective and Miller effective.