The Denver Broncos had a fantastic season but were carried by the defense, thus the team needs to add more playmakers this offseason.
After watching what many would call one of the most boring Super Bowls, one might think the Denver Broncos could have fared differently than the New England Patriots did against the Seattle Seahawks.
The Patriots knocked off the Broncos 10-7 in the American Football Conference championship game, a game that started in thrilling fashion for Denver but quickly went awry. The Broncos were forced to start backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham because starter Bo Nix fractured his ankle in the divisional round against the Buffalo Bills on the second-to-last play of the game.
Fans and people within the media were quick to say that the Patriots only advanced due to Nix being out, and while that may be true, we will never know for sure. One thing’s for certain, though, and that’s Patriots QB Drake Maye struggled all night long against the outstanding Seahawks defense.
Would Nix and the Broncos have put up a better fight and even won the game? Maybe, but Denver was carried by their defense for much of the season and were the definitive reason for securing the No. 1 seed in the AFC. While the Broncos offense wasn’t bad by any means, it was mediocre for the most part, especially down the stretch.
The Broncos were often down throughout the first three quarters and would battle back to win games late. Their resilience should be celebrated, but at the same time, having to win all your games like that is taxing and unsustainable.
Not having enough playmakers was a problem for this offense. There is plenty of talent up and down this roster, but Denver never had “that guy” to go to whenever they needed a first-down or a must-have play. Even All-Pro left tackle Garett Bolles thinks the team needs a couple more playmakers, so the Broncos need to figure out who to add offensively and what they will do this offseason.
ESPN’s Jeff Legwold summed up Denver’s offseason in three words: find some pop.
“They were 29th in percentage of drives that ended in a three-and-out,” Legwold wrote Sunday. “They were 15th in plays of 20 yards or more (the other three conference championship teams were Nos. 1, 2 and 4), and running back J.K. Dobbins led the team in explosive runs despite not playing after Nov. 6.”
Speaking of Dobbins, he was a real difference maker and was on pace to easily surpass 1,000 rushing yards before suffering a season-ending foot injury in Week 10. The veteran running back is set to become a free agent after rushing for 772 yards and four touchdowns but has expressed interest in returning to Denver.
With plenty of decisions to make regarding other free agents like star linebacker Alex Singleton and star defensive end John Franklin-Myers, it will be interesting to see if General Manager George Paton brings back his RB1 or lets RJ Harvey take over as the lead back.