Denver Broncos: 3 keys to a playoff season in 2021

The Denver Broncos haven’t made the playoffs since the 2015 season, in which they went 12-4, winning the Super Bowl, and sending soon-to-be hall of fame quarterback Peyton Manning to retirement. Since then the Broncos have missed five straight playoffs, started nine different quarterbacks, three different coaches, and have had an overall record of 32-48.

Despite the inconsistent play over the last five years, this year you can expect a shift, and here’s why.

Key 1 – The Defense

A new year with new weapons and the expected return of Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller will surely have the Denver Broncos as one of the better defensive units in the NFL. Last season the defense struggled to stop the run, ranking 28th in the NFL, and allowing 22 rushing touchdowns as well as finishing 25th with 2080 rushing yards allowed. An expected Miller return alongside Bradley Chubb with draft pick Baron Browning should help contain the run.

Another weakness last season for the Broncos came with defending the pass, giving up 21 touchdowns in the air while only snagging 10 interceptions on the season. This off-season the Broncos went to work reshaping the secondary with the resigning of all-pro safety Justin Simmons as well as signing cornerbacks Kyle Fuller, Ronald Darby, and drafting Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II.

The secondary is shaping up to be a special one with the raw talent that rivals the 2015 “no-fly zone” that we all cherished.

Key 2 – Schedule

The next key is taking advantage of a subpar schedule that is in the Broncos’ favor. Yes, they have to play Patrick Mahomes twice, however, despite three blowout losses the other three were games that came down to the wire despite struggles from the offense. Based on the team’s win percentage last season the Broncos are tied at 27 out of the 32 teams for the easiest schedule this year.

Along with that, their hardest out-of-division game is against the Baltimore Ravens, which they will have home-field advantage for.

Key 3 – Offense

The last and final key is for the offense to not only drive the ball down the field but to end it with a score. There’s no denying the inconsistent play on the offense the last five seasons especially, at the quarterback position. As many fans hope for an Aaron Rodgers trade, the reality, for now, it is Drew Lock versus Teddy Bridgewater for the starting job with Lock expecting to be the starter.

This season the offense will have zero excuses as Pat Shurmur’s offensive system gains another year and the explosive offensive weapons at Lock’s disposal. Last season Denver went 82 for 212 on third-down conversions and 4 for 15 on fourth downs, which explains the struggles in scoring.

Look for Denver to utilize running backs Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams early to open the passing attack with more deep thrown balls versus what seems like a tradition now of screen passes. A more aggressive Vic Fangio versus the conservative route the last two seasons can also help not only get the offense going but add much-needed confidence to it.

This upcoming season will tell a lot about the future of the Denver Broncos. Another underwhelming season can result in another change to the staff, and a new quarterback next season. This could be a change that is needed, however, I don’t expect a change to happen as I truly feel this is the year a shift happens and the Denver Broncos are back In the playoffs where they belong.

Be sure to check back with Predominantly Orange as we will have all the breaking news and updates on the Denver Broncos.