Denver Broncos: Creating the Blueprint for Optimal Offense in 2015
The Denver Broncos are going to have a new look on offense this season. Head coach Gary Kubiak is implementing a more balanced offense than what we’ve seen over the last few years with quarterback Peyton Manning leading the way.
Just because the Broncos should run the ball more doesn’t mean that Manning is going to be handing off all day long. In fact, Manning could once again have 30 or more touchdown passes for the Broncos. The Broncos will use the rushing attack to control the time of possession, and Manning will use his arm to efficiently strike defenses.
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Here we create the blueprint for the optimal offense in 2015.
Quarterback
Manning is going to have to learn how to operate from under center. That’s what the Broncos are doing right now in Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the offseason. They’re working Manning under center almost exclusively as they get him comfortable in the new offense.
Kubiak talked about that after practice on Wednesday.
“That’s kind of the plan. We’re going to do that initially," he said "We know that the other end of the stick is fine (playing out of the shotgun formation). It’s something that he’s been doing forever.”
Kubiak continued, “We’re going to spend a lot of time under center initially in our process and how we’re going to go about our teaching. We have kind of a nine-day teaching installation, so he’s going to be under there for a good three days before we move back. He’s been very responsive and he’s working extremely hard.”
Manning is confident that he can do whatever is asked of him. He elaborated on the differences in reading a defense from the shotgun or from under center.
“Obviously under center you can keep your eyes on the defense a little bit longer to tell you the truth. When it’s the shotgun, you’ve got to keep your eyes on the ball at some point. It’s always a little bit easier under center because you can be looking to the left and at a weak safety when the ball is being snapped. Whereas in shotgun, you’re eyes have to be on the ball a little bit more.” Manning concluded, “Probably some things that are easier about under center as far as seeing late rotations and seeing certain key players.”
Running the ball more this season means Manning’s numbers could suffer just a bit. However, he can still be incredibly productive under Kubiak.
Most importantly, Manning doesn’t have to do it all. Using the rushing attack to do the heavy lifting translates to Manning being even more dangerous in an efficient offense.
Running Back
C.J. Anderson is likely to be the engine to the Broncos offense. The zone-blocking system is a perfect fit for a player with Anderson’s skill set.
Anderson has worked hard this offseason to get in better shape. He has a larger upper body this year while still maintaining his large lower body. His leg drive helps him run through arm tackles, and his cutting ability is reminiscent of former Jacksonville Jaguars star Maurice Jones-Drew.
He knows how to set up defenders at the second level before he crosses the line of scrimmage. Anderson is a patient runner who can make defenders miss in a small area. He lacks long speed, but Anderson can regularly break off 40-yard runs when attacking a defense.
In addition to his ability as a power runner, Anderson is also a fantastic receiver out of the backfield. He can make difficult catches and does a good job of picking up extra yards after the catch. Anderson can even line up wide as a receiver in certain formations.
His all-purpose ability means he’ll rarely have to come off the field. However, he will get pushed for the starting job in training camp by Montee Ball.
Ball entered the season as the starter last year, but a groin injury suffered in Week 5 essentially ended his season. He’s healthy now and seems focused on the starting job. Ball has experience working in a zone-blocking system from his days in college at Wisconsin. He’s not the power runner that Anderson is, but he could prove to be a capable reserve if Anderson needs a breather.
Kubiak had plenty of success running the ball in Houston with Arian Foster, and that trend continued for him last year as he got a 1,000-yard season out of Justin Forsett in Baltimore.
Anderson could be the next undrafted back (like Foster) who becomes a superstar under Kubiak’s guidance.
Wide Receivers
We’ll once again see Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders lead the way in the passing game. Thomas is currently missing at OTAs as he stays away from Dove Valley this offseason. He was slapped with the franchise tag earlier this year, and the two sides have until July 15th to come to a new long-term agreement.
Even though Thomas is missing, it may not take him that long to get up to speed in the new offense. Thomas should pick up where he left off last year. He’s arguably Manning’s favorite target, and even in a more balanced offense we could see him put up fantastic numbers.
In Houston, Kubiak had a superstar receiver in Andre Johnson. While Thomas has only one year with over 100 catches, Johnson had five such seasons under Kubiak. Thomas might be able to eclipse the century mark for the second year in a row.
The numbers may not be the same for Sanders in 2015.
With so much emphasis on the tight ends in Kubiak’s offense, the second wide receiver doesn’t get as much work as in other offenses—like the one Sanders put up career-best numbers in last year. Getting over 100 catches again may not happen, but getting Sanders the ball around 80 times sounds like a good number to strive for.
Sanders' run-after-the-catch ability makes him dangerous on shorter routes. His speed makes him a fantastic deep threat as well. With an emphasis on running the ball, the Broncos should set up a lot of play-action passing in 2015.
Kubiak believes in the play-action passing game.
“First off, if you run the ball well, you should be able to play-action pass," Kubiak explained. "It’s hard to find big chunks in this league. It’s hard to get the ball downfield and make big plays. You’ve got to make them to be successful, so we felt like if we run the ball well and we play pass, and it looked the same, we’ll be able to get the ball down the field.”
The third wide receiver for the Broncos should be second-year pro Cody Latimer. He’s got the ability to be a quality starter in this league, but he needs to continue his development as a pro. Latimer’s role should be larger this season, as he could catch around 25-30 passes for the Broncos. Latimer can do a lot more, but the design of this offense is going to keep his numbers down. In case of an injury to Sanders or Thomas, Latimer has the ability to step in and start.
Tight Ends
The Broncos will often use two-tight end sets in 2015. Last year, the Broncos used three-wide receiver sets on 305 dropbacks (second in the NFL); by comparison, the Kubiak-led Baltimore Ravens offense only used that many wide receivers on 181 dropbacks (24th in the league), per the ESPN employees-only stats database.
We are going to see a lot of formations with both Owen Daniels and Virgil Green on the field.
Daniels follows Kubiak over from the Ravens, and he knows this offense like the back of his hand. The veteran has soft hands and knows how to get open underneath. Daniels should quickly become a favorite target for Manning because of his ability to catch passes consistently and move the chains.
Green is the best blocking tight end on the roster, and he’s a seriously underrated receiver. He’ll continue to be a fantastic run-blocker, and Green may be able to post a career high in catches this season. Green won’t be used a ton as a receiver, but he’ll get more targets than in years past. Something around 30 catches sounds about right for Green.
Offensive Line
The zone-blocking system is being implemented this year under Kubiak. That system requires offensive linemen who are laterally agile and quick off the snap. There’s less emphasis on power, and there’s more emphasis on creating cutback lanes. The change in philosophy up front has caused the Broncos to revamp their offensive line.
Ryan Clady (left tackle) and Louis Vasquez (right guard) are set as starters for 2015, but the other three positions are up for grabs during training camp.
Left guard could be manned by either Ben Garland or Shelley Smith.
The Broncos added Smith earlier this year in free agency, and he’s a known quantity after spending time in the zone-blocking system under Kubiak during his time with the Texans. Garland, a former defensive lineman, has been working on the offensive side of the ball for a couple of years now. He’s got the power and agility to work well in this system, but he lacks the experience that Smith has.
Right tackle is going to be a competition between veteran Chris Clark, second-year pro Michael Schofield and rookie second-round pick Ty Sambrailo.
Clark began last year as the starter, but he was replaced after struggling early in the year. Schofield could be groomed as a swing tackle for the Broncos, and he has plenty of experience at right tackle from his days in college at Michigan. Sambrailo played in the zone-blocking system at Colorado State, and he’s got the desired skill set to be a quality starter at right tackle.
The center position is the third and final spot on the offensive line that is up in the air.
Gino Gradkowski was added via trade earlier this year, and he’s got the most experience after starting 16 games in 2013. He’ll compete with second-year pro Matt Paradis. The sixth-round pick in 2014 spent his rookie season on the practice squad and will have to show better in camp to make the final roster. Rookie Max Garcia was added in the fourth round of the draft this year, and he’s a power player with outstanding functional strength but questionable athleticism to play in the zone-blocking system.
Kubiak had good things to say about Gradkowski after practice on Wednesday.
“I think he moves real well. I know he’s very bright. He knows our system. I knew he’d come in here and be very competitive from that standpoint, but I also knew he’d be a great teacher for [C] Matt [Paradis]." Kubiak continued, "Matt’s a young player who’s in a competition to be our starting center, and he’s not only going to get to compete against Gino, but Gino’s going to help him.”
Summary
You can make the argument that the Broncos are in a better position to make a Super Bowl run than they were last year. The balanced offense could keep defenses off balance in 2015.
If opponents try to stack the line to stuff the run, then Manning can make them pay with his arm. If opponents play more umbrella coverage, then Anderson can run the ball down their throat.
The Broncos have the best of both worlds with this new offense.
While they won’t use three wide receivers that often, we could see Latimer mixed in near the red zone because of his size, wingspan and leaping ability. Manning should still have a strong season passing the ball, but his numbers should be down compared to what he did in 2014 (and certainly when compared to 2013).
Thomas and Sanders provide Manning with veteran targets who can attack all sections of the field. We’ll see Daniels and Green utilized to hurt defenses underneath as well.
Sanders believes in this new offense.
“It’s definitely different," Sanders said "You talk about going from a no-huddle offense to an offense that’s huddling up, to an offense that is predicated off running the football and then throwing it.”
Sanders explained, “It’s a totally different setup but the more and more I’m in it—just going against [CB] Aqib [Talib] and [CB] Chris [Harris Jr.] today—off the play action they looked at me and were like, ‘Man, you’re getting ready to have a good year.’ We can just get the run game going and use my vertical speed on crossing routes and all these different combinations of routes based off the play action.” Sanders summarized, “I think the offense will be successful, especially with [QB] Peyton Manning at the helm.”
The offensive line will be asked to protect Manning even better this year. The zone-blocking system should help them create cutback lanes for Anderson, and it will be interesting to see how they perform when power blocking is needed in short-yardage and goal-line situations.
The Broncos' new offense can be dominant on the ground and through the air in 2015.
All quotes and injury/practice observations obtained firsthand. Record/statistical information provided via the Broncos' media department unless otherwise noted.
Contract and salary-cap information provided by Spotrac. Transaction history provided by Pro Sports Transactions.
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