10 reasons the Denver Broncos will win Super Bowl 52

9. Third Down Conversions

By Sayre Bedinger, Editor

In 2016, there were a number of occasions that I thought in my frustration — The Broncos might as well just punt on third down.

Three and out could have been the primary goal of the Gary Kubiak offense, for all we know.

The play-calling on third down was so bad, I think I may have even grown a few gray hairs over it.

Well, let’s not say things we can’t take back…

All joking aside, the Broncos’ (in)ability to convert third downs offensively last season was pathetic. They ranked 31st, ahead of only the four-win Los Angeles Rams, when it came to converting on third down.

Shockingly, they were improved percentage-wise from 2015, where they were also terrible converting third downs, ranking fifth-worst in the league in that category.

The remedy?

The Broncos simply need to call plays on third down where the primary receiver is meant to run past the sticks before he catches the football. That would be a great start.

They also need guys that can break tackles and make people miss after the catch, so they went out and drafted Carlos Henderson and Isaiah McKenzie. They also picked up Jake Butt, a tight end who is capable of winning one-on-one matchups and moving the sticks on third down.

Calling different (better) plays will be a start, but the Broncos also have the personnel to be one of the most improved third down teams in the league this year.