6 Adjustments Denver Broncos Must Make During Bye Week
The Denver Broncos have a first-round bye in the playoffs and will host a game in the divisional round of the playoffs. But they aren't heading into the postseason with the same kind of momentum that they had in the last two seasons.
In those two years, Denver had home-field advantage. This year, that distinction belongs to the New England Patriots and a showdown between the two teams could be looming.
However, there is a lot of work to be done before that can happen. The Broncos will have to wait to find out whom they will face, but there is plenty for them to work on during their week off.
Here are six adjustments the team must make before taking the field in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Incorporate Some No-Huddle Offense into the Game Plan Again
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When Adam Gase took over as offensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos, he promised a fast, uptempo offense. He didn't disappoint.
With Peyton Manning leading the charge, Gase put together one of the most effective no-huddle offenses the league has ever seen. With Manning getting his passes out in a quick rhythm, the Broncos have been able to move the ball down the field at will.
After teams started to push the Broncos around and the team started to throw the ball much more than it ran it, the team chose to take the offense in a completely different direction.
Denver found just as much success with a more powerful, run-oriented approach. Isn't there a way it can do both?
During the bye week, the Broncos need to develop a more unpredictable offense and come out firing against whichever team ends up in the divisional round against them.
If they showcase this in the divisional round, it would make them a very tough team to prepare for should they advance.
C.J. Anderson has thrived in the team's run-heavy offense, but Ronnie Hillman is not really built for it, and that showed in Week 17 against the Oakland Raiders.
But if they saved Hillman for a drive designed for a faster pace, they could take advantage of his speed while catching a defense completely off guard all at once.
The Broncos have the pieces to do it and have shown they can play two vastly different offensive styles in the same season. There's nothing that says they need do be one or the other.
It's the playoffs. It's time to pull out all the stops.
Bolster Pass Protection
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Think back to some of the Broncos' most recent losses. The Super Bowl against Seattle. Games against the St. Louis Rams and Cincinnati Bengals this season.
In each of those games, the Denver offensive line was absolutely dominated. In the playoffs, any team that faces the Broncos will try to beat them by being more physical and pushing them around.
That can't happen if the Broncos are going to beat anyone, and it all starts with the offensive line.
It has been proven over Peyton Manning's career that applying a stiff pass rush and knocking him around is the way to beat him and his teams, and that means the offensive line will be tested.
That will be a tough challenge for a line that has been reshuffled several times already this season.
Louis Vasquez, currently lining up at right tackle, is the player who must step up. After coming over to the Broncos as a free agent prior to the start of the 2013 season, Vasquez played very well at guard, being selected to the Pro Bowl.
But this season has been very different.
After being shifted over to right tackle, Vasquez has struggled and been beaten badly. Carlos Dunlap of Cincinnati made him look foolish at times in Week 16.
The Broncos should consider lining up a tight end next to Vasquez on as many passing plays as they can.
Virgil Green showed that he can catch the ball against the Oakland Raiders in Week 17, and he is a proven blocker. He could be a key contributor in the playoffs.
Each Phase of Special Teams Must Be Better
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At their very best, Denver's special teams have been average. At worst, they have been incredibly bad.
It started when the Broncos chose to release kicker Matt Prater following his league-mandated suspension. They replaced him with a kicker whom they were afraid to use in crucial moments.
Connor Barth has been terrific since being signed to replace the inaccurate Brandon McManus. Barth has made 15 of his 16 field-goal attempts in Denver, but he doesn't have the strongest leg. What happens when the team is faced with going for it on 4th-and-6 or trying a 54-yard field goal?
That could be a game-changing decision.
For the last few weeks, the Broncos have utilized a roster spot on McManus as a kickoff specialist. If they plan to continue this, McManus needs to prove his worth by blasting the kickoffs out of the end zone. If kickoffs are going to be returned past the 20-yard line, they might as well have Barth doing it.
Another player who could make a big impact in the playoffs is Omar Bolden. For much of the season, Bolden wasn't much help to the team and it was even fair to ask why he was on the roster at all.
But Bolden has emerged as a strong kickoff return man. In Denver's last two games, Bolden has ripped off kick returns of 77 and 76 yards. Both of those led to the Broncos putting points on the board.
"Broncos return game has improved considerably since Omar Bolden replaced Bubba Caldwell; Wes Welker replaced Isaiah Burse.
— Mike Klis (@MikeKlis) December 28, 2014"
In recent years, the Broncos have had an explosive return man in Trindon Holliday. Though he didn't help the team in any other area, he could change games with his ability as a returner. It appears Bolden could be the same type of player.
Finally, the team must be disciplined against the return as well.
If McManus can't get the ball out of the end zone, the Broncos need to be ready to shed blocks and make tackles. They are a team susceptible to giving up a big play, as they did against Cincinnati when Adam Jones stole the momentum with an 80-yard return.
Good playoff teams are ready to play at all three phases of the game, and bad special teams can ruin a Super Bowl run.
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Be Prepared to Deal with Key Injuries
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Danny Trevathan and Nate Irving are out for the season. Brandon Marshall has missed the last two games. The team is extremely thin at the linebacker position.
T.J. Ward had to sit out Week 17 against the Oakland Raiders, and his replacement, David Bruton, left the game with an injury as well.
What is Denver's contingency plan should it have to start the playoffs with these key players on the bench?
The biggest benefit of having a first-round bye in the playoffs will be the opportunity to get healthy:
"#broncos Brandon Marshall not practicing. Foot injury improving but still needs more rest. Bye week huge for him
— Troy Renck (@TroyRenck) December 30, 2014"
The Broncos simply can't afford any more injuries, specifically at the linebacker position.
However, the young players they have at the linebacker and defensive back positions need to be ready to contribute—perhaps much more than they did in the regular season.
Players like Steven Johnson, Todd Davis, Kayvon Webster and Josh Bush may need to come up big in key situations.
That could spell doom for the Broncos against the better teams of the league, but they must be ready to face the possibility of Davis having to stop Le'Veon Bell in the hole or Webster having to defend one of the game's best tight ends, such as Rob Gronkowski.
Set the Tone with Aggressive Defense
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The offense of the Broncos generally gets the headlines. After all, that's where Peyton Manning plays. However, this team will not win the Super Bowl without a great defensive effort, no matter how good the offense is.
The defense has been very good this season.
The Broncos will begin their playoff run ranked No. 3 in the league in total defense and No. 2 against the run, giving up fewer than 80 yards per game on the ground. The 41 sacks the team produced were good for ninth in the league.
While being healthy will be a big key, being aggressive will be the other. Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio must take the position that his defense is going to take over the NFL playoffs, regardless of who is on the other side of the field.
While Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware come after the quarterback, Del Rio needs to call for a blitz more often than he usually does. The Broncos have excellent defensive backs, and he should rely on them to make plays while the defense takes chances by going after the quarterback.
John Elway and the organization shelled out big bucks in the offseason to bring in guys like Ware, Aqib Talib and T.J. Ward. Those moves were made with the postseason in mind. Those moves were made so that the Broncos can be the bully on defense rather than the other way around.
Now is the time to do just that.
Play with Urgency
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This one is on the coaching staff, and it may not be anything a bye week can fix. Usually, a coaching staff is very set in its ways.
But Super Bowls generally aren't won by conservative, predictable coaches. John Fox fits into both of those categories.
Is it possible for Fox to change his mindset in a week? Sure, but it's also not likely. Still, Denver fans can hope that Fox might sense the urgency to win a championship and give it his best shot in the process.
Elway and the organization have put forth one of the strongest teams in the league, but they have also put the team in a win-now scenario.
How many more good shots are they going to get with Manning at quarterback?
Fox needs to put his faith in one of the best quarterbacks who has ever played the game, but he also needs to be willing to take some risks and go off the script when the game is on the line rather than just hoping for things to work out.
A fake punt on fourth down in their own territory or a play that no opponent has seen before are some of the things Fox could work into the playoffs.
How often do the Broncos throw the bubble screen to one of the wide receivers? It's a play teams see many times per game. Why not throw a bubble screen to Emmanuel Sanders behind the line of scrimmage, only for Sanders to catch the ball and throw it to Demaryius Thomas?
Sure, it's risky. It's also a play that could work and completely change a game.
In two seasons with Manning at quarterback, we've seen Fox give up home-field advantage with a terrible loss to the Baltimore Ravens as well as getting thumped in the Super Bowl.
Can Denver fans stomach another disappointing playoff loss under his watch?
The Broncos have the pieces, and they could even be flying under the radar. The team that played Cincinnati in Week 16 won't scare anybody, but Fox could throw in a wrinkle or two that could send a serious message to his team, its fans and its opponents.
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