Denver Broncos 3 quick takeaways after clutch win vs. 49ers

2. The Denver Broncos pass rush is phenomenal

The Denver Broncos’ defense, as a whole, is absolutely legit. They are championship-caliber and I don’t think that’s a stretch to say just based on the opponents and quarterbacks the Broncos have faced. There will be bigger tests upcoming, but the Broncos just held Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers — who have been running the ball at will this season — to 88 yards rushing on the night. After an impressive scoring drive from San Francisco early in the game, they were lucky to make it past midfield.

One of the big reasons the Broncos are having such success defensively is the pass rush. Randy Gregory has a whopping 15 pressures through his first three games as a Bronco. So much for needing to play in the preseason, right? Gregory came up with another big sack in this game for the Broncos, but he wasn’t alone. Bradley Chubb was wreaking havoc and would have had a pick-six if not for Dan Orlovsk– er, Jimmy Garoppolo stepping out of the back of the end zone.

It’s time to recognize the Denver Broncos’ pass rush for what it is — an elite group. Ejiro Evero has done a phenomenal job of scheming rushes, sending blitzes, moving guys around the formation, and creating pressure from all angles. Working in tandem with the coverage unit, the Broncos’ defense right now is firing on all cylinders.

How far can this unit take the team this season? So far through the first couple of games of the 2022 season, this Denver defense is reminiscent of the 2015 unit, and we haven’t even seen Justin Simmons out there for two weeks. So far, the pass rush duo of Gregory and Chubb has been a huge factor for the Broncos in terms of having a domino effect on the rest of the defensive success.