After another prime-time win against the Minnesota Vikings, the Broncos are 5-5. The Sunday night victory was the Bronco’s fourth straight, putting them firmly in the AFC playoff race. After a 1-5 start, what key factors allowed the Broncos to start winning? And can the Broncos continue to use these factors to beat the Cleveland Browns on Sunday?
Three Reasons Why the Broncos Continue to Win
The Broncos Defense and Vance Joseph
For the first five weeks of the season, the Broncos defense was ranked last in almost every defensive category. They gave up 28 or more points to almost every team they faced, including the New York Jets, who average 15 points a game. After the Jets put up 31 points on the Broncos and the Miami Dolphins put up 70, Vance Joseph already had one foot out the door. But, as all hope seemed to be lost, in week 6 against the Kansas City Chiefs the Bronco’s defense showed a glimmer of hope, only allowing the raining Super Bowl champions 19 total points.
Since then, the defense has exploded to another level. In the last 3 weeks, the Broncos defense has taken the ball away 12 times and has only allowed an average of 17 points a game. They have made juggernauts like the Buffalo Bills, look confused and unsteady. Vance Joseph promised to fix the defense, and he did just that. Joseph changed the entire defensive scheme and got rid of dead-weight players. After a period of time when Joseph and his defense were losing games for the Broncos, he has turned them into one of the main reasons they are winning. If Josephs’s squad continues to take away the ball and stop explosive offenses, then the Broncos will continue to win.
The Resurgence Of The “Clutch” Russell Wilson
As the 2023 season started, all of Denver’s hopes were riding on Russell Wilson. The Broncos brought in the one man who thought he could coach Russell Wilson back into championship form, Sean Payton. Denver’s dreams seemed to be crushed before they ever got off the ground. Though Wilson was playing better than he was the previous season, he couldn’t make the big plays when they were needed most. This led to the Broncos being 1-5. There were talks of Wilson being benched, traded, and even cut from the team.
Wilson’s job as a starter in the NFL was in doubt. But in week seven against the Green Bay Packers, things started to click. Wilson led the Broncos on a game-winning drive and started the Bronco’s four-game-winning streak. Since then, Wilson has also led two more game-winning drives against the Bills and Vikings. On all three of Wilson’s gaming-winning drives, he started on his own 25-yard line. He has a completion percentage of 75%, 128 yards passing, and a touchdown on those game-winning drives. Just like he did in Seattle for 10 years, Wilson is winning the Broncos games in the clutch as opposed to losing them.
The Offensive Genius Of Sean Payton
When Sean Payton came to town, he set the standard for the Broncos shockingly high. A year after going 5-12, Payton expected the Broncos to make the playoffs. After only 6 weeks, that dream was all but dead. Payton looked more like a fool than an offensive genius. His plan to “fix” Russ was looked at as “all talk and no action”. After being embarrassed by the Jets, Sean Payton’s big mouth made him look like the league’s biggest jerk. But, Payton was still confident in his scheme and was ready to make changes to fix the offense. It seemed that, after a few changes and a bit of time, Payton’s team started to come together.
Since the Broncos started winning, a new culture has formed in the locker room. After the win against the Vikings, Russell Wilson said “We all believe together”. This exhibits the point that Payton and his coaching style have taught a group of players who didn’t know how to win that if they follow the system and believe in each other, things will fall into place. Payton’s goal to help Wilson become a competent quarterback has started to pan out and the team has found a way to win four straight games. The team will need to continue to grow together if they want to make the playoffs, and it seems that Payton is the man for the job.
Main Photo: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
