It can sound a bit cliché, but there is almost always time to turn the season around. The best example of this is the current Denver Broncos season. Six weeks ago, the season was over. They had been embarrassed thoroughly, suffering a humiliating loss in which the Miami Dolphins posted 70 points.
Yet here we are, Week 12 in the books, and the Broncos are 6-5 and right on the cusp of a playoff spot. How did we get here? How did head coach Sean Payton and the Broncos turn around what seemed like a lost season? Here’s how they’ve managed it.
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The Defense Got its Act Together
The most glaring issue in the first six weeks of the season – in which the Broncos started 1-5 – was the defense. It was never more apparent than that awful game against the Dolphins. Everyone and their mother wanted the head of defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.
The transformation since then has been nothing short of a miracle. Since Week 5, no team has scored more than 24 points against the Broncos, including the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs twice. They even traded Randy Gregory and still saw one of the most abrupt statistical turnarounds in league history.
Through the first six weeks, they were one of the worst defenses ever tracked in DVOA (39.3%). Since then, they are -2.8%, good for ninth in the league. The defense has been at the forefront of this incredible turnaround and greater confidence will only create a more dangerous unit.
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Vote for your favorite Broncos on defense » https://t.co/4vEIYMuLu6 pic.twitter.com/Nm9Tz4T06O
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) November 27, 2023
Russ is Cookin’
After the way the 2022 season went, everyone had the same opinion: Russell Wilson wasn’t cooking, he was just cooked. While he hasn’t exactly returned to his prime of a few years ago, he has become more than an effective NFL quarterback once again.
He’s found a bit of his escapability once again, avoiding rushers while getting off the kind of throws that peak Russ managed routinely. Even more importantly, he is doing all of this without turning the ball over. He has 20 touchdowns to just four interceptions, proving that he isn’t going anywhere.
He is in the bottom half of the league in yards but in the top 10 in completion percentage. Payton trusts him to make the right decisions even if he isn’t breaking the top off of the defense. It has proven effective, especially given that there are no turnovers to hamper other areas of the team. Russ has come a long way after the abysmal start and has shown that he’s still a very good quarterback.
We knew it was going to be a battle.
And we came out on top. 😤
Sights & Sounds from #CLEvsDEN: pic.twitter.com/RETCFWITVB
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) November 28, 2023
Grinding it Out
Perhaps the most important thing the Broncos have done is show patience. Unlike other teams in the league, the Broncos are content to grind out their wins. The defense keeps offenses at bay while the offense – unpretty as it may be – gets things done.
The latest example came in the win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. In the 29-12 win, the Broncos established the run game to wear down arguably the best defense in the league. The Browns offense struggled to put much together and eventually fell behind for good.
The Broncos aren’t going to wow spectators because they don’t have the explosive offensive or defensive weapons to make that happen. But with the right approach, a stout defensive group, and an approach to keeping the ball off the ground, the Broncos are proving that they can hang with just about anyone right now.
"Samaje Perine is a runaway beer truck!" 😅#AsISawIt x @koacolorado pic.twitter.com/JbgAl0qVQf
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) November 27, 2023
The AFC Playoff Picture
Sitting at 6-5 and just behind the Indianapolis Colts (also 6-5), the Broncos have been the talk of the football world over the last few weeks. Currently, they have a 27% chance to make the playoffs. Given where things were just a few weeks ago, that is an incredible shift in momentum.
Sportsbooks are starting to see the potential of the Broncos. They are currently 13th in Super Bowl odds, a huge leap from where they were when the season began. The Super Bowl might be a tall ask even now, but it is hard to not look at the big picture.
For now, there is nothing to consider other than winning the next game. It sounds cliché but that approach can be quite effective. The rest of the schedule is very reasonable. They have the Texans, Chargers (twice), Raiders, Patriots, and Lions. If they can win at least three of those, they will have a decent shot of getting into the playoffs.
The current AFC playoff picture 🍿 pic.twitter.com/rh0irqCPpm
— PFF (@PFF) November 27, 2023
Conclusion
Though there is still a lot of season left to play, it is hard to ignore what the Broncos have done. At 6-5, the Broncos are fully in the race for a Wild Card spot.
The key will be sustaining this effort, keeping turnovers to a minimum, and continuing to use an aggressive defensive strategy to keep offenses at bay.
