The Denver Broncos nearly broke the NFL sack record last season, and offenses are making changes to counter that.
The Denver Broncos have one of the best defenses in the NFL, especially when it comes to sacking quarterbacks, and they’re already seeing offenses make adjustments in the preseason, according to a report from Corey Masisak from the Denver Post.
Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has been analyzing the tape from the Broncos’ first two preseason games against the Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers, and he has no doubts about what he’s seeing.
“Lots of (bootlegs), lots of misdirection, outside runs more often than not, max-protection passes, quick game,” Joseph said earlier in the week. “Teams don’t want to lose first down, because if they do lose first down, then our rush kind of comes alive. So I think that that game was an example of what is coming in the future.
“In two weeks, we’ve seen that kind of trend that way.”
The numbers back up Joseph’s observations, per Masisak. The Broncos allowed the lowest success rate on first and second downs last season, with the number landing at 36.76 percent.
“I think they’re trying to get 4 yards,” Joseph said when asked what he thinks those teams are thinking. “They don’t want to be in second-and-7 or 8-plus, because that’s obviously a pass rush down. I thought last year we did a great job of basically playing third down twice.
“Third downs is where they practice their protection plans. They might slide to Nick (Bonitto) and chip (Jonathon Cooper). Second downs is where we made our hay, as far as the pass rush. I think teams understand that.”
A breakdown of downs and distances also supports what’s happening. The Broncos had seven sacks on second downs, per the writer, with ten coming in situations of at least second-and-7. If it looks like a passing down, it allows Joseph to get creative with his pass rushers, which increases the odds of a sack or a disruption.
The Broncos are adjusting accordingly, although Joseph won’t talk about the specifics at this point. He’s been through this game of adjustments before, and he knows the Denver defense will be playing this particular cat-and-mouse game throughout the season. The Broncos will probably see more adjustments tomorrow night against the Minnesota Vikings, but no one is going to give away a lot in games that don't count.
“We watched it over the summer and spring, just getting ready for how teams are going to play us,” Joseph said. “That’s been a lesson for our guys the first two weeks.”
