Denver Broncos: Analyzing the pass rush against Bears

For the first sack of the game, we got to see Jay Cutler get dropped by Shane Ray, though Derek Wolfe would get an assist here if we can use a basketball comparison.

Wolfe starts to collapse the pocket with some great work on Kyle Long — one of the best guards in the game — while Shane Ray beats both left tackle Charles Leno and a chipping Jeremy Langford with an inside spin move to finish the job.

This is a very savvy pass rush move by Ray, using his speed to get Leno in a vulnerable position before spinning back and helping Wolfe drop Cutler to the ground.

We saw a number of exciting plays by Shane Ray in some limited snaps, but this was a highlight here. It’s so understated how important Derek Wolfe is to the Broncos’ defense, and just how much re-signing him long-term is going to mean for this team.

He opens up opportunities for guys like Shane Ray to cash out and clean up when Wolfe does some of the grunt work on the inside. He’s just a big, strong, nasty player and he makes guys around him better.

Next: Sack #2