The Denver Broncos are coming out of the bye week with a 5-5 record and a shot at making the playoffs still. What do we need to see from this team?
The playoffs remain a possibility for the Denver Broncos coming out of the bye week with a 5-5 record. Believe it or not, it’s the truth.
The NFL has been pretty bizarre as a whole in 2021 with a huge majority of the league at or hovering just around the .500 mark over halfway through the season.
Coming off of an ugly (but apparently quality) loss to the Eagles, the playoffs certainly feel impossible to a lot of Denver Broncos fans, and I think most would agree that they don’t feel probable at this point.
What is on the Denver Broncos wish list after the bye week?
So what’s next for the Denver Broncos now that the bye week is in the rearview? Here is a quick wish list and things that could propel the team into the postseason if they get them done.
1. The Denver Broncos must feed their receivers
As this article was being typed up, I had to stop and write the news post about Courtland Sutton signing a four-year contract extension worth north of $60 million.
Just days after re-signing Tim Patrick to a three-year deal worth $34 million, the Broncos got Sutton locked in and now they can look to the future at the quarterback position knowing that their top receivers will be around for the next window.
Coming out of the bye week and looking to more of the immediate future, however, the Denver Broncos and specifically quarterback Teddy Bridgewater really need to prioritize getting these guys involved more heavily in the offensive gameplan.
It’s been a tough season for the offense as a whole (again) but the Denver Broncos need to be more intentional about targeting Sutton and Patrick, especially after making such a substantial investment in both of them.
In weeks 1-6, Sutton was targeted 53 times, an appropriate number for a player of his caliber.
In weeks 7-10, he was targeted just 14 times, an embarrassing number for Teddy Bridgewater and the offense.
It’s time to feed the receivers.
2. The Denver Broncos must get/stay healthy on defense after the bye
Even with Von Miller now on the Los Angeles Rams, and a number of other players on injured reserve, the Denver Broncos have a talented enough defense to really make a run in the final seven games of the 2021 season.
One of the key players that the Broncos need to come back as soon as he’s healthy enough to do so is Bradley Chubb.
Chubb has been working his way back from an ankle procedure in September, and the team’s hope all along has been to have him back shortly after the bye week.
We’ll see what kind of progress Chubb has made in recent weeks, but he was working off to the side at practice and got a pre-game workout on the field in before the Eagles game.
Chubb is inching toward a return and even with his long-term future in mind at this point, there should be some urgency to get him back with the postseason at stake.
Coming out of the bye, the team should also be getting a healthy Baron Browning and the banged up secondary, minus Bryce Callahan, will all be ready to roll.
Priority number one for this unit is getting healthy, but after that, is it too much to ask for them to stay that way?
This defense is capable of being dominant when healthy, even without some players that were starters going into the season.
3. The Denver Broncos must continue letting their rookies eat
The Denver Broncos’ dominating win over the Dallas Cowboys was, hopefully, more of a sign of things to come than just a blip on the radar.
What was most impressive about that game against Dallas? George Paton’s first rookie class.
From top to bottom, nearly everyone drafted by the Broncos in 2021 made substantial contributions in that game, and it was glorious to see.
Even though he wound up leaving the game with a knee injury, Pat Surtain II was doing his part to help shut down the Dallas offense.
Second-round pick Javonte Williams had a 100-yard rushing game against Dallas.
Third-round picks Quinn Meinerz (right guard) and Baron Browning (linebacker) started and gave Broncos Country confidence that they could be long-term starters for the team.
Fifth-round pick Caden Sterns got an interception off of Dak Prescott.
Seventh-round pick Jonathon Cooper was one of the most impactful players in the game and was constantly putting pressure on Prescott.
More of that after the bye, please.
Denver Broncos: 7-Round Mock Draft Heading Into the Bye Week
The Denver Broncos head into the bye week with a ton of questions for the future. In this mock draft Sayre Bedinger and Patrick Chiotti look to answer some!
The Denver Broncos clearly have a very talented rookie class and they need to make sure all of these players continue to get opportunities and progress.