The Denver Broncos are in the midst of a three-game winning streak and even after a nice blowout win against the Las Vegas Raiders, there are still problems to be addressed. The Broncos are a very young team overall and they haven't been immune to mistakes, obviously.
This is a team that is still growing week to week, and there are issues that could really come back to bite them if not addressed sooner rather than later. So what is it that the Broncos need to "fix" before they take on the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 6 of the 2024 season?
Let's pinpoint three specific things.
3 issues the Broncos need to address before Week 6 matchup vs. Chargers
1. Giving up big plays defensively
We all understand the Denver Broncos are not immune to giving up the occasional big play or two defensively. Against the Las Vegas Raiders, however, it was nearly detrimental.
The Broncos gave up a touchdown of 50-plus yards to Raiders tight end Brock Bowers on Las Vegas' first possession in Week 5. They then gave up a huge field-flipping run to Raiders running back Alexander Mattison on the Raiders' third possession, which came after Vegas had already put together another scoring drive (field goal) just before that.
Thank goodness for Pat Surtain's pick-six, because otherwise the Raiders were five yards away from going up 17-3. Big plays allowed defensively were a key reason for that. The Broncos have given up big plays on the ground dating back to Week 1 against Seattle. This defense has played exceptionally well most of the year, but if there is one weak link in the armor, it's been allowing big plays.
And it's not coming just as a result of lapses or missed tackles. The Broncos have been called for a number of massive pass-interference penalties this season. As a matter of fact, the combination of Pat Surtain (3), Riley Moss (3), and Ja'Quan McMillian (2) has been called for eight total pass interference penalties in five games. You love aggressiveness, but those have to be cleaned up.
2. Slow starts offensively
It might be unreasonable to expect the Broncos to score literally every time they touch the ball, but when you see explosions of consistent offense like we did in the second half against the Raiders, it's hard not to want to see that more often. Right?
One of the main issues plaguing the Broncos offensively right now is not getting enough plays offensively. Sean Payton alluded to this at his Monday media availability after being asked about incorporating specific players for the hundredth time this year. He noted that when you have 58 plays offensively in a game, and your plan calls for 72, there are plays you simply don't get to over the course of the game.
So, getting more playmakers involved means you need to convert third downs better so that you have more total offensive plays in a given game. The Broncos were 3-of-12 on third downs against the Raiders which is unacceptable even if you factor one of the third downs being a kneel at the end of the game. This team has to be better on early downs and they have to execute better early in games, starting against the Chargers.
3. Dropped passes/miscommunication on routes
The Broncos' offense might be humming right now if not for these two issues, which can absolutely be cleaned up over time.
We hope...
Some dropped passes are subjective, of course, while others are obvious. I'm not sure how people who officially count this particular statistic determine what is a drop, what is too tough to catch, what's a bad throw, etc. What I do know watching every game live and seeing pass plays that should be converted is that the Broncos have dropped too many balls this season.
Josh Reynolds and Troy Franklin each had a drop against the Raiders. There have been instances where Courtland Sutton has dropped passes or could have made a better effort at the ball. Although there are some outliers, the Broncos are near the top of the league (tied for 12th) with 7 total drops this season.
Too much of the offense's issues right now are a result of dropped passes or miscommunication on choice routes between the QB and receiver. These guys have got to get on the same page quickly, and Bo Nix needs his receivers to help him out when he puts the ball on a spot, even if it's a tough catch.