The Denver Broncos pulled off the most historically improbable comeback in modern NFL history on Sunday afternoon in Denver, and it took all three phases of the game to do so. As the Broncos offense took off for a franchise record 33 points in one quarter of play, they needed the defense to uphold their end of the bargain too. They were able to force Jaxson Dart into a late game interception, setting up a passing touchdown from Bo Nix to RJ Havrey to bring the game to one score.
Dart was floating around the pocket on third down, got tripped up as he stepped up, and fluttered a throw straight to Justin Strnad. Strnad brought it back within the 20-yard line, and the Broncos would score four plays after. Simply put, the Broncos likely cannot finish their comeback without the play of Strnad.
For Strnad, his role on the Broncos has become unclear. With the return of Dre Greenlaw, his playing time figures to diminish considerably. Team captain Alex Singleton has struggled this year, but has retained a considerable amount of playing time through seven games. If the Broncos are serious about putting their best group in the second level, Strnad should continue to see the majority of the snaps over Singleton.
Broncos must continue to start Justin Strnad over Alex Singleton after Dre Greenlaw's return
Justin Strnad has played considerable minutes for the Broncos the last two seasons, but he hadn’t turned in a performance quite like he did yesterday. He lit up Jaxson Dart on a free rush in the first half, laying one of the first hits the Broncos got on Dart.
Strnad has 3.5 sacks on the year, making him one of the NFL’s elite sacking inside backers. His ability to get to the quarterback set up his interception, faking pressure to the middle before dropping back in spy coverage on Dart.
The Broncos are going to need to decide soon on their usage of inside linebackers. Dre Greenlaw played a considerable amount in the first half, but was off the field for the home stretch. In total, Greenlaw saw 21 defensive snaps to Strnad’s 41, and both were topped by Singleton, who played all 77 snaps. The Broncos cannot afford to have their third-best linebacker playing the vast majority of defensive snaps.
For the Broncos, the solution is clear: as Greenlaw’s snaps increase, those should come from Singleton and not Strnad. Justin Strnad has earned his snaps and has continually produced in major moments. His ability to get to the quarterback and create turnovers has been unique for the Broncos this year, and he has simply been better than Singleton. In his 5th year with the Broncos, Strnad finally had his moment and deserves every chance to build off of it.