After catching one pass for two yards on three targets in his Denver Broncos debut, there's really no way to sugarcoat it: Jaylen Waddle's debut was a disappointment.
The good news for the Broncos is, they can fix it rather quickly.
After watching the game from the All-22 angle and dissecting the Broncos' passing plays drawn up by offensive coordinator Davis Webb, one thing is abundantly clear: The plan was to get Jaylen Waddle the football. The problem with that plan started with the inability of the offensive line to properly protect Bo Nix, and Nix's unwillingness to fire the ball in Waddle's direction.
What went wrong in Waddle's debut, and how do the Broncos get it fixed as early as Week 2 against the Jaguars?
Broncos can easily fix Jaylen Waddle's involvement in the offense by drawing up more manufactured touches
Here's a look at Waddle's first stat line as a member of the Denver Broncos, which was as bad in real life as it looks on paper:
- 3 targets
- 1 reception
- 2 yards
- 1 drop
Waddle had fewer targets in this particular game than all of Pat Bryant, Courtland Sutton, Evan Engram, and RJ Harvey. He was tied in the target department with tight end Adam Trautman.
That is simply a failure on the part of the Denver Broncos' coaching staff, no matter what way you slice it. To send the Miami Dolphins 1st- and 3rd-round draft picks for Waddle this offseason and to give him just three targets in a game is malpractice.
One of the biggest issues in watching the game back (not a recommended activity) was the fact that many of the plays the Broncos drew up for Waddle were longer developing plays, and either the protection didn't hold up for Bo Nix, or Nix wasn't trusting the protection and came off of the concept when he should have fired the ball to Waddle.
And yes, Waddle has to take ownership for his dropped pass on 3rd-and-7 when the game was still well within reach. That particular drop was a killer for the Broncos, because it could have been a sustained drive resulting in at least 3 points. Instead, the Broncos got none.
While there are plenty of dirty hands when it comes to Waddle having a lackluster debut for the Broncos, the primary culprits are head coach Sean Payton and offensive coordinator Davis Webb. The idea that Waddle would have less than 8-10 targets in any individual game this season is nonsensical.
Even if it means the Broncos force-feeding Waddle the ball in their quick passing game, then so be it.
We saw the Broncos give Pat Bryant a team-leading six targets in the game against the Chiefs. They didn't have enough sustained drives offensively to truly give us a good feel for what the team's target share will look like this season, but the quick-game plays designed for Bryant should probably still be reserved for Waddle.
Put as simply as it possibly can be: Get the ball to Jaylen Waddle any way you have to.
The Broncos felt like Waddle was the missing piece to their offense this offseason, adding an element of explosiveness that didn't previously exist on the roster. While that remains true, it doesn't mean that every play dialed up for Waddle needs to be some type of home run ball.
Unless you're going to start hitting home runs.
The Broncos might need to work at hitting singles and doubles with Waddle, which shouldn't be a problem, because we know this team has an expansive menu of quick passing plays. That's an issue they can fix as early as Week 2 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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