5 changes the Broncos must make during the bye to keep their playoff dreams alive

The Denver Broncos are 8-5 entering their Week 14 bye and are playing the best football we've seen from the franchise since Super Bowl 50. Broncos Country is understandably elated by the development of this young roster under head coach Sean Payton, but being ahead of schedule (at least from where the national pundits thought they would be) has quickly adjusted the pressure on this team.

And make no mistake about it -- the pressure is on for the Broncos to achieve their first winning season since 2016 and end a playoff drought that has lasted since 2015.

What do Sean Payton and his staff need to work on/correct while everyone takes some time to step back and get a 10,000-foot view of this operation? There are a few things that this team needs to prioritize above others.

5 major changes/adjustments the Broncos must make during the Week 14 bye

1. Give all the RB snaps to Audric Estimé and Jaleel McLaughlin

Just like any hitter in baseball who starts striking out at a high rate, or a basketball player who is consistently missing shots, or any other professional athlete who is not performing at a high level, Broncos starting running back Javonte Williams needs a couple of weeks to clear his head.

Perhaps he will come back from the bye week a man on a mission, but Williams has been horrendous for nearly two straight seasons. He has played 29 games in the last two years and has 22 games with less than four yards per carry. It's simply unacceptable.

The Broncos have a nice four-week period after the bye where they could really feature 5th-round rookie Audric Estimé as well as second-year player Jaleel McLaughlin, who led the team in rushing against the Browns on Monday night.

2. Find some way for Bo Nix & Troy Franklin to connect on a deep shot

You can't help but feel like it's only a matter of time before Bo Nix and Troy Franklin connect on a deep ball, right? I mean, these two guys were supposed to hit the ground running in the NFL in terms of their chemistry, having played the last two years together at Oregon.

Unfortunately, it's been a grind for Nix and Franklin to really get on the same page in the NFL compared to their time with the Ducks. It hasn't exactly been a sequel to the Joe Burrow/Ja'Marr Chase connection in Cincinnati. We didn't expect that, but we all figured that if Franklin saw the field as much as he has this season, he and Nix would be on the same page for sure.

The two simply haven't been able to dial it up deep, whether Franklin has dropped it or Nix has overthrown it. At some point, that chemistry is going to return and the timing is going to hit. Whenever that happens, the dynamic of this offense is going to shift once again. Having Franklin prove he can take the top off the defense and create big plays downfield will give the Broncos a huge edge down the stretch run of this season.

3. Scheme up some YAC for Lucas Krull once or twice a game

This is not super high on the overall priority list, but Lucas Krull is a heck of an athlete and a natural when he gets the ball in space. We've seen him make some nice contested catches this season but I want to see more of what he can do if he catches the ball with a full head of steam. The Broncos could take a drag route from Lucas Krull and turn it into a 40-yard play. He's got tremendous speed and he's just really tough to bring down with his physicality after the catch.

Krull had nearly double the YAC/reception last year as he has this year, so perhaps the Broncos could draw something up each week to scheme him a touch or two where he might have the chance to make a defender miss and do something with the ball in space.

4. Figure out the snapping issue with center Luke Wattenberg

I've mentioned this a handful of times when noticing it during games, but has anyone else noticed the fact that Bo Nix is reaching for a lot of snaps, or waiting too long for a lot of snaps?

There's a distinct inconsistency with the way the ball is getting to Nix when he's operating out of the shotgun. And he's adjusting, but he's having to focus way too much on catching bad snaps when that shouldn't be an issue. Like a catcher throwing the ball to the pitcher in baseball, you're only going to notice accuracy issues if they're consistently popping up, not if it's occasional or rare.

Wattenberg's snapping issues are extensive if you watch the tape, and you can't help but wonder how long before something bad happens.

Perhaps this is a more common issue than I realize, but it looks like the ball needs to get to Nix more accurately and with more consistent pace. There are times when Wattenberg snaps it with some velocity and there are some times it looks like he's soft-tossing it. It's something worth noting at this stage as an area to improve.

5. Put together a package of plays for Drew Sanders

The Denver Broncos decided to activate Drew Sanders off the PUP and put him on the 53-man roster, so there's no point in wasting him.

Beyond having Sanders play some special teams, I'm excited to see him potentially get a package of plays defensively to show off his versatility. Sanders can get after the quarterback, he can drop in coverage, he can spy the quarterback...he can do it all.

And using this final month of games to get Sanders going will be crucial for Denver's pass rush depth as well as Sanders building confidence after what could have been a lost year. Sanders suffered an Achilles injury in the Spring and the fact that he's ready to contribute is massive for him and the Broncos.

Get him a package of plays during the bye and unleash another pass rusher, starting against the Colts.