Broncos at Chargers: The No Bull Assessment

The Denver Broncos misplaced to the Los Angeles Chargers due to two important causes:

Poor teaching throughout from the Broncos
One-sided refereeing that favored the Chargers deeply

I’m not going to spend a ton of time on level #2 as that’s simply the NFL (and our personal John Holmes goes into it at a far higher depth than I’m able to). It’s a must to cope with dangerous ref jobs, although it actually puzzles me to see such favoritism paid to the lowly Chargers. On the finish of the day, good groups overcome this and the Broncos didn’t play good soccer.

The blame for this loss lays flatly on the ft of Sean Payton and Vance Joseph. Both of them may have known as a extra wise sport and clinched the win for the Broncos.

Offense

I completely liked the run offense dialed up early and sometimes for the Broncos. Sean Payton was rotating backs in virtually each play and it stored the Chargers guessing. The play calls had been artistic and utilized pulling guards and excellent blocking.

Sadly, Payton determined to desert his run sport as soon as once more as the sport wore on. This actually numbs the thoughts once you consider how properly it was working.

The opposite drawback with the offense was Payton not forcing extra downfield performs. To be honest, this might have been excellent protection by the Chargers as our viewing angle isn’t nice for seeing the secondary. That being mentioned, the Chargers had been down gamers of their secondary and I consider good teaching may have schemed up some benefit matchups.

Additionally, Payton’s choices on the finish of the primary half didn’t value us the sport, however make no mistake, they had been dangerous choices. The Broncos had all the momentum within the sport. You don’t have to attempt to go for a primary down. Simply run the ball 3 times and get the half over with. I don’t blame the participant from particular groups for his foolish penalty. I blame the top coach for placing them in that place. It was simply dangerous situational soccer and it value the staff 3 factors and momentum.

Quarterbacks

Picture by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Pictures

Bo Nix had a fairly stable sport at first look. The issue is that his greatness was on show within the first half when the run sport was potent. The second half was a special story as he stored dumping off the ball to his outlet receivers an inordinate quantity of instances as an alternative of discovering a option to push the ball downfield.

One of many massive pluses Nix brings to the sector is his capacity to scramble. His second landing of the sport was largely as a result of menace he’s as a runner. The defender on that facet needed to honor his capacity to run and tried to play midway between Nix and Burton to defend them each till assist may get there. Nix made an excellent throw on the run for the simple landing.

The massive space of enchancment we noticed for Nix on this sport was his play towards the blitz. He actually didn’t deal with it properly and both didn’t have solutions, or the solutions he had had been smothered by the opponents.

On the finish of the day, Nix continues to be a rookie quarterback who has loads to work on. I consider he’s nowhere close to his ceiling but. This sport is in the long term going to be nice for his growth even when it stung a bit to lose the sport.

Line

I liked seeing our line block so properly early. This was one in every of their higher run-blocking video games of the season. The road continues to be getting some fairly foolish penalties that they should clear up.

One stand out to me was seeing us run performs whereas pulling Ben Powers. He made some bruising blocks on the transfer that had been spectacular.

Operating Backs

Picture by RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Publish by way of Getty Pictures

Audric Estime must be the beginning again shifting ahead. He ought to have gotten extra carries on this sport as he was averaging over 5 yards per carry. He runs with energy and has a knack for locating creases within the protection. It was fairly apparent to me that he was out once we wished to go the ball. If that’s due to his go blocking, he must stage that talent up in a rush.

Ben Watson acquired a stunning variety of performs on this sport. I wasn’t too inspired by them, actually. He missed a catch late and solely had a median of two.5 yards per carry.

Receivers

It was good to see Devaughn Vele get a landing catch off a very easily run route. I’m a fan of the younger participant and would have liked to see him get extra targets than the measly 3 he acquired within the sport.

Our #1 receiver on the day was Javonte Williams. He hauled in 7 catches for a whopping 29 yards. Averaging 4 yards per catch just isn’t a successful system.

Marvin Mimms, Jr. had an eye-popping reception as he scrambled for over 50 yards. That is one other participant that appears to be thriving, but the offense doesn’t appear to search out its option to him sufficient.

Protection

This staff wants to determine what its id is. I do know it sounds good to listen to Joseph speak about adjusting his protection to do what his gamers do greatest, however I query if that’s actually what’s happening. Our inside linebackers particularly had been lower than the duty of defending the center towards crossing routes. This weak spot was abused all through the sport.

Within the brief time period, Riley Moss getting wholesome goes to be a shot within the arm for this protection. In the long run, this staff must get extra corners who can play man protection on the surface.

Entrance 7

Picture by RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Publish by way of Getty Pictures

Zach Allen impressively wrecked a third and 1 single-handedly. It was an instance of excellent timing blended with uncooked energy as he blasted into the backfield and acquired the TFL. He spent a very good period of time pressuring the pocket as he had 4 hurries within the sport as properly.

Justin Strnad had such a tough sport this week. He badly over pursued from the sting on a run that gave up a 1st down. Afterward a third and 5 he was flat-footed and let the tight finish cross with out pursuit. He was simply too sluggish recognizing that it was a go. He even gave a 15-yard pointless roughness penalty by hitting a sliding Justin Herbert who had clearly given himself up. It was bone-headed and completely may have been prevented.

Drew Sanders had just one snap within the sport and made it depend. He got here up the center on a blitz that the Chargers didn’t account for and acquired an enormous sack. Hopefully, we’ll get to see extra of him within the final two weeks of the season as I really feel like he’s acquired extra capacity at ILB than what we’re seeing on the sector these days.

Secondary

Kris Abrams-Draine made a game-breaking interception because the Chargers had been driving late within the first half. He performed with method that my boy Chris Harris Jr. can be pleased with and robbed the go by breaking beneath the route. I’ve favored what I’ve seen from the rookie. He’s acquired an enormous profession forward of himself at nook within the NFL.

Brandon Jones led the staff in tackles with 10 (not essentially what you need from a security). He was on McConkey one in every of his massive crossing routes and blew the protection. It wasn’t all dangerous from Jones, as he did have a very massive go protection late within the sport on third down.

P.J. Locke simply terrible protection on the surface crashes too deep and lets his receiver go excessive for a straightforward landing. Locke is without doubt one of the weakest pass-defense gamers within the secondary. He’s a man that retains the whole lot in entrance of him however with an excessive amount of of a cushion and it results in him oftentimes being late to a play.

Particular Groups

Tremon Smith made an enormous mistake in punt return protection that led to three factors for the Chargers off a free kick (which hasn’t been carried out in many years). He has to maintain himself away from the returner on a good catch.

Last Ideas

It’s beginning to look a bit ugly for the Broncos because the season winds down. Sure, they management their future. Win one sport and so they make the playoffs.

This was a tough outing, although. This staff seemed just like the staff with poor teaching going up towards a really well-coached staff within the Chargers. I’m seeing a little bit of hubris in Sean Payton’s play-calling and sport choices that I’m not an enormous fan of. It isn’t sufficient that you just act like the neatest man on the sector. It’s higher once you simply do the smarter actions and win the friggin sport.