The Denver Broncos are optimistic about entering their bye week. They may be sitting at 3-6, but they’re heading into their Week 10 bye happy they’re not in a worse position. Their recent 3-2 stretch is much welcomed considering their previous three last-second losses. A convincing 24-19 victory against the Cleveland Browns showed the Broncos are stepping in the right direction.
The Denver Broncos Optimistic Entering Bye Week
3-6. Sound familiar? Aria DiLalla of denverbroncos.com reminds us that in each of the last three seasons, the Broncos have held a 3-6 record. In 2017, they eventually fell to 3-8. In 2018, they started strong with 2-0 and dropped to 3-6.
It’s The Same, Yet Different…
This year’s record has been the same through nine games. But the recent win has given fans some hope. It feels like the team has progressed tremendously since the start of the season. Linebacker Todd Davis says “it feels like pieces are coming together and not so much that pieces are falling apart… like we’re in a different space.”
Brandon Allen Was A Better Starter Than Anyone Expected
No one believed Brandon Allen would do a better job than Joe Flacco, yet here we are. In his first NFL career start, Allen led the offense to tie its highest point total of the season. He completed 12-of-20 passes for 193 yards, two touchdowns, and no turnovers. A quarterback rating of 125.6 makes him the third most successful debut by a Broncos quarterback. Head coach Vic Fangio believes Allen has room to improve and could thrive with more practice. “… He knows our offense and he’s been in our meetings since he’s gotten here… Now he’s getting an opportunity to practice more. Just practice, I think, will produce the improvements we’re looking for.”
Noah Fant Is Improving
Noah Fant had some major rookie struggles to start the season. But he reminded us why he was a first-round pick when he caught three passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. And that was after he broke three tackles. Fangio feels Fant has the right mentality and added confidence for the remainder of the year. “He knows he can do it.”
Defense Is Once Again Looking Good
Broncos defense was somewhat lacking after Super Bowl 50, but this season they’re ranked fourth. The unit ranks in the top five in passing, total and red zone defense; ninth in scoring defense. Fangio’s experience with defense makes him demand more. “We just need to, I believe, cover a little bit better at times in one-on-one coverage situations.” He also feels the secondary needs to tackle opposing receivers after they catch the ball, and there needs to be pass rash improvement.
But Let’s Not Be Complacent
If the Broncos make those said adjustments, there are certainly more victories coming their way. But Fangio is keeping them on their toes. Walk-off losses aren’t acceptable. “We are 3-6. Could we be better? Yes. Could we be worse? No. I don’t really know how to answer that question other than we’ve had more than our chance to have a much better record than we do…”
The Broncos are taking steps in the right direction, after another slow start. The Broncos are optimistic with renewed confidence all around during bye week. But they must remain vigilant. Then and only then will we see a better record.
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