The Denver Broncos were the Super Bowl favorites heading into the season, but after dropping two of their last three games, there is serious concern about whether or not they can contend again this year.
Injuries on offense and an inability to stop the run on defense were two key issues that really hurt Denver in a surprising loss to the St. Louis Rams on Sunday. A lot of bettors were shocked that the Broncos explosive offense could only muster up seven points to a beleaguered Rams team. Let’s take a look at what’s wrong with this team right now.
Injuries Are Piling Up
The injuries on the offense in particular were a big problem for Denver in the loss to St. Louis as tight end Julius Thomas missed most of the game with an ankle injury while Emmanuel Sanders was sidelined with a concussion after a penalized hit from Rodney McLeod. Both Thomas and Sanders have already accounted for over 150 receptions and 13 touchdowns and that’s a big hit for any passing game to take.
Running back Montee Ball’s return to the lineup didn’t last long as he aggravated an ankle injury that had kept him out the previous five games. The Broncos have already struggled to move the football on the ground and that won’t change until Ball gets back to 100-percent. With so many injuries to key players it’s unreasonable to expect the Broncos to perform at an elite level and until they start to get bodies back they struggle with consistency.
Defense Has Struggled With Consistency
Denver owns the league’s second-ranked run defense but they were torched by Tre Mason for 113 yards in the loss. Overall, they have been far too inconsistent on that side of the ball this year.
The Broncos added a lot of talent to the defense in the offseason in an effort to shore up the unit that was ripped apart in the Super Bowl, but the results have been hit and miss. Usually, Manning and the offense give this team a big cushion to work with but clearly, this unit doesn’t look like it can carry the load when the offense has an off day. This is going to be a lingering concern into the playoffs.
Manning Needs To Be Better, Needs More Help
Manning has thrown for 3,301 yards and 30 touchdowns already but he admitted that he needed to be better following the loss to St. Louis. Based on his performance in that game, he was telling the truth. Manning completed just 34-of-54 passes and threw two interceptions in the defeat and he has now thrown five touchdowns and five interceptions in Denver’s two losses this season. We’ve now seen twice in the last three weeks that the Broncos can’t fully protect Manning and when he’s pressured, he makes mistakes. We saw that in the Super Bowl and we’re seeing it again in recent weeks.
The other side of it is that the offensive line isn’t doing enough to protect him. Beyond that, the coaching staff is putting too much on his shoulders. On Sunday, the team threw the ball 54 times and ran it just nine times. Against New England, they ran it 17 times but threw 57 passes. The offense became predictable and that made them easier to stop. Manning is still one of the game’s best, but he can’t do it on his own. He needs more help from the offensive line and the running game or he won’t capture that elusive Super Bowl ring.
