Denver Broncos: Fanzone interview with Sayre Bedinger

After an impressive win against the Arizona Cardinals, I sat down with Sayre Bedinger and got his takes on the Denver Broncos and what is in store.

Thursday night is what the Denver Broncos really needed. Even though it was against the Arizona Cardinals, a win is a win in the National Football League. For the first time, we saw the Broncos put on a completely dominating effort from the opening kickoff to when the clock hit triple zeroes.

The defense was impressive, forcing five turnovers. Two of those turnovers were returned for touchdowns as Todd Davis and Chris Harris Jr. were able to help lead the team to a huge win.

Von Miller and Bradley Chubb continued to show why they could be the most dangerous duo rushing the quarterback. Even Shaquil Barrett got in on the sack party.

What is next for the Broncos? A big matchup at Arrowhead awaits. But let’s put a stamp on this game before moving on to Kansas City.

I am joined by Predominantly Orange co-editor Sayre Bedinger. Normally, we have the Denver Broncos fanzone article before the game. But for this week, we wanted to change things up for a bit and talk after the big game.

Let’s see what Sayre Bedinger had to say about the current state of the Broncos after Thursday.

An impressive win for the Denver Broncos on Thursday. What stood out to you the most in this game?

It really was an impressive win. It felt like the Broncos finally put together a complete performance, even though Case Keenum’s numbers don’t jump off the page. Denver’s defense hasn’t scored multiple touchdowns in a game since 2015 (the Super Bowl defense) and Von Miller seems to have finally hit a stride. I think what stood out to me most was how well the team played in desperation mode for the third straight time. Aside from the Jets game coming off of a huge letdown the week prior, the last three games the Broncos have had the chance to ‘get up’ for include KC (lost on fourth quarter comeback), Los Angeles (lost by three), and Arizona (won by 35). The Broncos have responded well with their backs against the wall and they finally were rewarded with a win.

Do you believe that this win will help the offense, knowing that the running game and defense can step up in a big way?

What the offense showed against the Cardinals was a really good balance and an ability to win on third down, but the best thing they did all night was find ways to convert in the red zone on multiple occasions. I think knowing that the defense is still capable of playing at such a high level is encouraging, and the Broncos obviously know they are one of the best running teams in the league. The key is getting in position to be able to run the ball and stick to it. You can’t get into a 10-point hole and play to your strengths as a team (running, rushing the passer). This game showed everyone in Denver that they can dominate games if they play well all-around.

The win might have saved Vance Joseph and/or Joe Woods from the pink slip. How impressed were you by the playcalling?

The playcalling defensively has been excellent aside from the New York Jets game. It’s significantly improved in recent weeks, and rumor has it Vance Joseph has taken on a more prominent role in that regard. The Broncos finally put together two games in a row with elite level pressure on the quarterback. They also held two of the highest scoring teams in the NFL (Kansas City is second, Los Angeles is 3rd) to their lowest scoring output of the season so far. Then, of course, Josh Rosen is going to now have nightmares about Von Miller for the foreseeable future.

How confident are you in Denver after this win?

I think my confidence in the Broncos dipped to a season-low after their loss to the Jets. They felt like a helpless and hopeless group at that point, but they showed some serious resilience against the Rams after going down 20-3. I was actually more impressed by their losses to the Rams and Chiefs than I was their victories over the Raiders and Seahawks. I am confident this team is capable of winning a number of ways at this point, whether they are playing in a tight game, have to come from behind, or need to control the clock.

Sitting at 3-4, the Broncos can still make some noise in the AFC. I believe that winning against KC and Houston could very well put them in the discussion for the playoffs? What are your thoughts on that? Does the second half of the schedule favor Denver?

A win against Kansas City would take the Broncos’ chances of making the playoffs to a legitimate level. In fact, at that point, you could talk about the Broncos potentially being buyers at the NFL trade deadline, even. I don’t know that this team is going to make any major splash via trade but they could absolutely make some noise in the playoff chase especially with as weak as some of the AFC has been. At the very least, a wild card spot could be up for grabs but it will take some time for teams to weed themselves out. If the Broncos can find a way to only lose two or three more games all season, the playoffs will be within reach.

Thank You Sayre for taking the time to chat with me once again. Now, we move on to Kansas City. Let’s go Broncos!