ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — After considerable mental wrenching on where to assign blame for the Broncos’ 0-3 start, I’ve finally pinpointed the problem and, consequently, the solution.
The offense has to start scoring in the 20s. Not just moving the ball between the 20s.
And for the sake of Von Miller and Bradley Chubb, it would help if the Broncos’ offense would score early.
The Broncos are mired in a seven-game losing streak going back to last year. Their point totals in those 7 consecutive losses: 14, 16, 14, 9, 16, 14, 16.
Not one 17 point game, and I’m asking for 21 or 24 points this Sunday against Jacksonville?
“Not good,’’ said offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello, whose game planning and play calling is not responsible for the final four losses last year, but has yet to alter the trend this year. “Yeah, absolutely it bothers me. Every game is won differently and in the end, yeah, you’ve got to score points. I can stand up here and make all the excuses I want for what the final outcome has been, but what I do believe is last year is last year and this year is this year. These guys play hard and the reality of it is every week has its own story.
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“We played two outstanding defenses in a row (the Bears and Packers). In the end, we all can look at this game (against Green Bay) and we know why we lost. You don’t have to overthink it. You turn the ball over in the NFL, you don’t win. That’s what I stood up here and said last week. It’s everything. You rectify that, you beat a very, very good football team. We did not do that, we gave it away and the result was less points and a loss.”
The Miller and Chubb three-game sackless start would not have happened if the offense had given them a lead. And a field goal on the opening possession against Chicago does not count as a lead, especially when the Bears matched that field goal in short order.
Basically, Miller and Chubb had 31 seconds to get a pass rush in. Chubb cleanly crushed quarterback Mitch Trubisky and was wrongly penalized for it.
Otherwise, there was the fourth-and-15 chance – and they missed. Miller and Derek Wolfe both took an outside rush lane; Trubisky stepped up and delivered the dagger.
If the Broncos go up 14-0 on Jacksonville, I can pretty much guarantee Gardner Minshew II is getting sacked two or three times.
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Looking at the rest of the NFL, I can’t believe I’m asking for the Broncos to score in the 20s and feeling like I’m overexpecting. Five teams are averaging at least 32.0 points in their first three games: Baltimore, New England, Kansas City, Dallas and San Francisco.
Those teams have between 3 (Dallas, Baltimore) and 7 (San Francisco) defensive takeaways. The Broncos have none. Takeaways are intrinsically attached to sacks and sacks come against the team that is playing catch-up.
Broncos quarterback Joe Flacco is passing pretty well. His running backs Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman are running pretty well. His receivers Courtland Sutton and Emmanuel Sanders are receiving pretty well. And the Broncos' offense is moving the ball pretty well.
But overall, the offense has been playing in a world of (stink).
Score, Broncos, and score more than 16 points and the sacks will come, the takeaways will come, which in turn would lead to short field and more points, and then maybe a win or two will come.
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