Three takeaways from the Denver Broncos’ big win over the Dolphins.
The Denver Broncos keep their season alive after a win on Sunday. While still on the outside of the playoff hunt, the Broncos desperately needed to steal a win to stay out of the top-10 draft pick discussion.
The Broncos certainly played one of their most complete games on Sunday, with offensive and defensive production. Overall, this win will be one to look back on for the Denver Broncos as one to model their season after.
Here are my three takeaways from the Denver Broncos’ win over the Miami Dolphins:
1. The Denver Broncos dominated the Line of Scrimmage
After a combined 15 carries against the Las Vegas Raiders, the Broncos’ top two backs had double the carries in the win over Miami. The two rewarded the Broncos with a combined 166 rushing yards and two touchdowns, per ESPN.
The Denver Broncos made a concerted effort to establish the run game against the Dolphins, and they found success immediately with huge runs from both backs. Melvin Gordon helped drive the Broncos to their first score of the game, while also punching in the goal-line touchdown.
All tied up. 😎@Melvingordon25 | 📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/X5t96RJpyV
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) November 22, 2020
Gordon would add a second touchdown later in the game on a 20-yard gallop to the end zone.
The Broncos’ offense was not the only group dominating the line of scrimmage. The Denver Broncos’ defense tallied six sacks on rookie Tua Tagovailoa, who would later be benched for his performance.
Tua looked uncomfortable all day, with the Broncos’ defense holding the Dolphins to four three-and-outs with Tua under center. The Broncos pass rush sent a constant wave of stunts and blitzes from every angle to confuse not only Tua but the Dolphins’ young offensive line.
DeShawn Williams led the team with 2 sacks, followed by Malik Reed with 1.5 sacks. Bradley Chubb and Dre’Mont Jones each recorded a sack against the Dolphins as well.
Miami struggled to establish the run game as well, with their leading rusher Salvon Ahmed finishing the day with 12 carries for 43 yards. The Denver defense bottled up the run all day and forced Miami into third-and-long throughout the game.
The Denver Broncos controlled the line of scrimmage against the Dolphins on both sides of the ball. Moving forward, the Broncos will need to emphasize their play in the trenches to steal another win against a quality team, and potentially put themselves back in the playoff hunt.