Is the Denver Broncos Defense Becoming Frustrated with the Offense?

The Denver Broncos have dropped two games in a row and now have a 7-2 record this year. They lost 29-13 in embarrassing fashion Sunday to the division rival Kansas City Chiefs.

In this game we saw quarterback Peyton Manning set the record for most passing yards in a career, then later in the game he was benched in favor of backup Brock Osweiler. Manning was pulled from the game largely because of his four-interception day.

The turnovers put the Broncos defense back on the field without getting enough time to properly gather themselves. When the Broncos weren’t turning the ball over on offense, they were not moving it enough to extend drives.

Is the Broncos defense becoming frustrated with the lack of production from the offense? Let’s take a look.

Aqib Talib Suspended

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The Broncos played against the Chiefs without Pro Bowl cornerback Aqib Talib. He was sentenced to serve a one-game suspension after an incident against the Indianapolis Colts. Talib went over to Colts tight end Dwayne Allen while he was arguing with linebacker Von Miller and ended up poking Allen in the eye. He says the act was an accident, but the league disagreed and popped him for a game.

Talib described the incident after the Colts game.

“From my angle I saw him head butt Von (Miller) a little bit.  I went over there and tried to poke his head. I think my hand slipped there and hit his face," Talib explained. "He acted like he got into an 18-passenger car wreck. I guess that’s what type of guy he is.”

During his suspension, Talib had to stay away from team facilities. The Broncos moved second-year pro Bradley Roby into his starting spot during the week of preparation for the Chiefs game.

Fellow starting cornerback Chris Harris Jr. revealed how upset Talib has been during this suspension.

“He's hurting. He's definitely disappointed in himself," Harris said. "You know how it is when you feel like you let the whole team down. For one, he felt like he let us down in the game because we still had a chance to get the ball back, and then just not being able to play. He feels bad. It's something that will help him out in the long run, I think.”

Needless to say, getting Talib back on the field is going to be a boost for this defense.

T.J. Ward Ejected

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Strong safety T.J. Ward was ejected from the game in the fourth quarter for a late hit. Chiefs running back Charcandrick West had just galloped into the end zone for an 80-yard touchdown reception when Ward came flying into a blocker.

That blocker was wide receiver Jeremy Maclin. As the two tumbled to the ground, Ward brought his fist over and hit Maclin in the face. The refs penalized Ward for the play, and they chose to eject the veteran safety for his transgression.

Miller talked about Ward’s ejection after the game.

“I don't know what happened. I don't think that it was a punch, but I didn't see it. T.J. is one of our captains. That's where we get our energy and our emotion from. Maybe he just got emotional on the play. It was 29-nothing though.” Miller clarified, “Everybody was getting a little bit emotional. I didn't see the play, so I can't really comment on it.”

Don’t be surprised if Ward is fined and suspended for that action.

Von Miller Dejected

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Miller was disappointed in the play of his defense.

“We didn't play well on defense. We didn't play well enough as a team. We didn't do much to get the spark going as a team. From a defensive standpoint, we didn't create turnovers and gave them a short field.” Miller stated, “We were just waiting around and waiting for someone to do something. As a defense, we went out there and got turnovers. We just didn't do that today.” 

Miller would not elaborate when asked about frustrations with the offense.

“I'm about sacks. I care about sacks and being a great defensive-minded guy," Miller said. "I really don't know what you're saying about the offense. If it was me, I would just keep investing in those guys. We have big-time players over there—[WR Demaryius] D.T. [Thomas], [WR] Emmanuel [Sanders], [TE] Vernon [Davis] is getting going and [QB] Peyton [Manning]. I would just keep investing in those guys.”

Miller stated, “One of these games they'll get going. It might be next week when we get it going. On defense, we have to get those turnovers and get it going.”

Summary

The Broncos defense is capable of playing at a championship level, but this offense needs to put their teammates in better position to succeed. We’ve seen too many turnovers from the offense over the course of the season, and that has a negative impact on how the team does defensively. We’ve also seen too many three-and-out situations in 2015, which hinders the defense's ability to get adequate rest from drive-to-drive.

Against the Chiefs, their average starting position on 14 drives was their 47.5-yard line. A team that’s starting at midfield on average is likely to score plenty of points. The Broncos defense started out on fire, but they seem to be playing with trepidation at this time.

Have penalties and suspensions made this defense less aggressive? Miller doesn’t think so.

“I wouldn't say that we're timid, but you guys are the ones watching it. I'm going to watch the film tomorrow. The 15-yard [penalties] kill any team. We have to find a way to try and stay away from those. I feel like we have been doing a good job, but those 15 yards will kill us.” Miller concluded, “We just have to continue to work on that stuff.”

Is the defense frustrated because of the lack of quality offensive play? Perhaps, but we certainly know they’ve been acting out of frustration during this two-game losing streak.

All quotes and injury/practice observations obtained firsthand. Record/statistical information provided via the Broncos media department unless otherwise noted. Advanced stats via ESPN's employees-only database.