{"id":75784,"date":"2019-11-06T06:12:06","date_gmt":"2019-11-06T11:12:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/?p=75784"},"modified":"2019-11-06T19:20:04","modified_gmt":"2019-11-07T00:20:04","slug":"denver-broncos-are-optimistic-bye-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2019\/11\/06\/denver-broncos-are-optimistic-bye-week\/","title":{"rendered":"Denver Broncos Are Optimistic as They Enter Bye Week"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Denver Broncos<\/a> are optimistic about entering their bye week.\u00a0 They may be sitting at 3-6, but they\u2019re heading into their Week 10 bye happy they\u2019re 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<\/a> showed the Broncos are stepping in the right direction.<\/p>\n

The Denver Broncos Optimistic Entering Bye Week<\/strong><\/h2>\n

3-6. Sound familiar? Aria DiLalla of denverbroncos.com reminds us<\/a>\u00a0that 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.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s The Same, Yet Different\u2026<\/h3>\n

This year\u2019s 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<\/a><\/strong> says \u201cit feels like pieces are coming together and not so much that pieces are falling apart\u2026 like we\u2019re in a different space.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brandon Allen Was A Better Starter Than Anyone Expected<\/h3>\n

No one believed Brandon Allen<\/a><\/strong> would do a better job than Joe Flacco<\/a>,<\/strong> 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<\/strong> believes Allen has room to improve and could thrive with more practice. \u201c\u2026 He knows our offense and he\u2019s been in our meetings since he\u2019s gotten here\u2026 Now he\u2019s getting an opportunity to practice more. Just practice, I think, will produce the improvements we\u2019re looking for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Noah Fant Is Improving<\/h3>\n

Noah Fant<\/strong><\/a> 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. \u201cHe knows he can do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Defense Is Once Again Looking Good<\/h3>\n

Broncos defense was somewhat lacking after Super Bowl 50, but this season they\u2019re ranked fourth. The unit ranks in the top five in passing, total and red zone defense; ninth in scoring defense. Fangio\u2019s experience with defense makes him demand more. \u201cWe just need to, I believe, cover a little bit better at times in one-on-one coverage situations.\u201d He also feels the secondary needs to tackle opposing receivers after they catch the ball, and there needs to be pass rash improvement.<\/p>\n

But Let\u2019s Not Be Complacent<\/h3>\n

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\u2019t acceptable. \u201cWe are 3-6. Could we be better? Yes. Could we be worse? No. I don\u2019t really know how to answer that question other than we\u2019ve had more than our chance to have a much better record than we do\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Main photo:
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>