Denver Broncos: Why the Run Defense Isn't a Concern

After Jeremy Hill's 85-yard touchdown run powered the Cincinnati Bengals to a convincing win over the Denver Broncos, many are concerned about the Broncos run defense.

Injuries to Danny Trevathan and Brandon Marshall, Denver's starting middle and weak-side linebackers, forced the Broncos to start Todd Davis and Steven Johnson against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football.

The result reflected the talent on the field.

Davis was solid against the San Diego Chargers, but he had a somewhat rough outing against Cincinnati. As for Johnson, he had an absolutely abysmal performance.

According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Johnson received an atrocious grade of -6.1 for his performance. He was a huge liability in the running game, and Davis, whose grade was -1.2, couldn't pick him up.

As a result, Jeremy Hill ran for an 85-yard, game-changing touchdown.

However, as the game went on, the Bengals struggled to run on the Broncos. They did enough to win, but they averaged just 3.5 yards per carry after Hill's run.

So how did the Broncos get by after Hill's long dash to the end zone, and how can the Broncos prevent similar occurrences in the future? With T.J. Ward.

Ward earned a positive grade of 2.4 before being forced out of the game with a neck injury, one that, luckily, appears to be insignificant. He is a key piece to the defense because, as Cecil Lammey of Bleacher Report indicated, he can shift down into the box as a linebacker and, if need be, play safety.

On Hill's run, Von Miller lined up on the line of scrimmage, and Davis and Johnson were the other linebackers. Davis whiffed on a tackle behind the line of scrimmage, Johnson was cleared out of the play and Ward, Rahim Moore and others were unable to make a play as the strong safety.

But once the Broncos started to use Ward in the box and David Bruton, who ended up playing 41 out of 65 snaps, as the strong safety, Cincinnati didn't run the ball as effectively.

For instance, in the third quarter, Miller forced a fumble on a key play in which Ward was in the box and Bruton was lined up as the strong safety. Bruton forced a fumble later in the game and helped the Broncos stay close.

Still, Christopher Hansen of Bleacher Report called out the Broncos run defense and pointed out that the Broncos will likely face a tough running back like Hill, Le'Veon Bell, Justin Forsett, Arian Foster or Ryan Mathews in the postseason.

But despite their injuries, they'll be equipped to stop those backs.

The Broncos are second in total run defense this season; they have given up an average of 80.6 yards per game. They've had injuries to the linebacking corps, but if Marshall returns, the Broncos will have the right personnel for the playoffs.

Marshall won't return for the game against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, but if the Broncos wrap up a first-round bye with a win or a Pittsburgh win over Cincinnati, he'll have two weeks for his foot sprain to heal for the team's divisional playoff game.

Adding Marshall would give the team the third linebacker it needs so badly. Marshall, according to PFF, has been the fifth-best 4-3 outside linebacker this season.

With Marshall, who has 113 tackles in just 14 games, in addition to Miller (PFF's second-best outside linebacker) and Ward, the Broncos defense would be at a great place. Its biggest issue is linebacker, but Marshall gives them the linebacker they need.

Lately, Ward has received great grades from PFF. His performance on Monday night is encouraging, and his overall grade of 6.1 in his last three games is also encouraging.

Bruton has helped Ward by filling in admirably and allowing Ward to shift down. Bruton's PFF grade is 3.4 for the season, and he hasn't missed a tackle this year.

With the way Bruton's been playing, the Broncos won't feel Ward's absence in the secondary.

The only thing that could hurt the Broncos is if Marshall's foot sprain lingers. The Broncos would then need to turn to Davis, who helped the Broncos contain San Diego's rushing attack to the tune of 2.8 yards per carry but struggled against Cincinnati.

Still, Davis also made eight tackles against Cincinnati. Also, according to PFF, he's fourth in run stop percentage among 4-3 outside linebackers with at least 30 snaps.

Denver would benefit from having Marshall, but Davis could be a capable fill-in. Either way, the Broncos are equipped to stop the AFC's top-notch backs in the playoffs.

Bell, arguably the most talented of the bunch, is similar to Hill in size, and he's also very powerful. The Broncos, however, have contained powerful running backs. Marshawn Lynch averaged 3.4 YPC against the Broncos in Week 3, and Frank Gore averaged 2.2 in Week 7.

Granted, neither is as big as Bell. But the way the Broncos adjusted to Hill shows that they can contain either Bell or Hill. After all, in his last two games, Bell is averaging less than 2.8 YPC.

Denver can also match up with smaller backs, like Forsett. He is similar in weight to Jamaal Charles, who averaged 3.3 YPC against the Broncos this year. He's slower than Charles, and his recent stats (2.6 YPC in his last two games) show that his 29-year-old body is falling apart.

Denver has proven that it can stop different kinds of running backs, even with multiple injuries to linebackers. It has the right personnel, and its stats against the run are quite impressive.

Sure, the Broncos broke down on one play. But they adjusted after that and have been rock solid this year. With a healthy defense, there's no reason to doubt their run-stopping ability.