{"id":93650,"date":"2020-08-27T10:54:29","date_gmt":"2020-08-27T14:54:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/?p=93650"},"modified":"2020-08-27T10:54:29","modified_gmt":"2020-08-27T14:54:29","slug":"2020-denver-broncos-good-bad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2020\/08\/27\/2020-denver-broncos-good-bad\/","title":{"rendered":"2020 Denver Broncos: The Good and the Bad"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 2020 Denver Broncos<\/a> are well into training camp, after Zoom meetings throughout the off-season. It\u2019s been a challenge with the pandemic, but thus far the players \u2013 including the young ones – have adapted fast. If anything, the struggles have been kept to a minimum. It\u2019s an ideal time to look at the good and bad of the 2020 Denver Broncos so far this season.<\/p>\n

The Good and Bad Of The\u00a0 2020 Denver Broncos<\/h2>\n

The Good<\/h3>\n

Drew Lock<\/a> \u2013 He Leads the Offense Well<\/h4>\n

A new offensive coordinator turned out to be a positive factor this year. Ordinarily, a second-year quarterback working with a new offensive coach during these different times wouldn\u2019t be ideal. Typical off-season work options were limited. However, coaches and teammates have been impressed with Drew Lock<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s \u201ccommand\u201d of the offense, as reported by<\/a> Sayre Bedinger of Predominantly Orange. Head coach Vic Fangio<\/strong> pointed out Lock\u2019s ability to \u201cthrow the ball to every level of the field\u201d and make plays with his legs. That\u2019s promising and characteristic of a quarterback with experience far beyond Lock\u2019s. Pat Shurmur’s<\/strong>\u00a0offense seems right for Lock \u2013 he\u2019s been running up the offense in a way that makes it look easy.<\/p>\n

Defense Has Had A Resurgence<\/h4>\n

Fangio\u2019s defense with his former teams was renowned for a spike in their second year. It seems no different in Denver<\/a>. The defensive line has been pressuring all three quarterbacks from all angles, and their pass rush is remarkable. Von Miller<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s and Bradley Chubb<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s performances are reminiscent of past seasons. Meanwhile, Shelby Harris<\/a>, Jurrell Casey, <\/strong>and Dre\u2019Mont Jones<\/strong> are developing well.<\/p>\n

The secondary has been, according to Bedinger, outstanding. The top four guys are especially pleasing to watch. Kareem Jackson <\/a><\/strong>and Justin Simmons <\/a><\/strong>are being regarded as the best safety duo in the league. Cornerbacks A.J. Bouye<\/a><\/strong> and Bryce Callahan<\/a><\/strong> are going full speed and will make quite a daunting pair this season. Big improvements have come from Alexander Johnson<\/a>,<\/strong> who has stepped up his game. He slices through the line of scrimmage and makes plays in coverage. He could be a top performer in the defense this year.<\/p>\n

The Bad (Or Just Not So Good)<\/h3>\n

Still No Definitive Third Cornerback<\/h4>\n

It\u2019s not earth-shattering, but a concern. Isaac Yiadom<\/a>, De\u2019Vante Bausby, <\/strong>and Davontae Harris<\/a><\/strong> are competing for the CB3 position. Filling this spot will be an area of focus. Fangio has expressed the need for two guys to fill this role, should injury take hold of one of them. Bausby has been picking off a pass a day at practice, if not more. He\u2019s looking like a viable candidate for the spot. Yiadom was a starter in 2019; he and Harris have youth and talent on their side. Consistency is their main issue. Put simply, they need to find some.<\/p>\n

It’s somewhat concerning that rookie Michael Ojemudia<\/strong> is down with a quad injury, so he\u2019s missing valuable time on the practice field. It\u2019s unlikely he\u2019ll have time to get healthy and have any significant time playing this year. Meanwhile, Duke Dawson<\/a><\/strong> hasn\u2019t stood out at all, which has disappointed some analysts.<\/p>\n

Injuries Aplenty…<\/h4>\n

The Broncos are certainly not the worst off, as a lot of teams start training camp with injuries already stacked up. At this point, linebacker Justin Strnad<\/strong> and tight end Austin Fort<\/strong> are out for the season with wrist and knee injuries respectively.<\/p>\n

Rookie receiver K.J. Hamler<\/strong> may miss close to a month with a hamstring injury. His injury is expected to stay with him into the first two weeks of the regular season. It\u2019s vital he proceeds with caution if he is to remain a valued skill player.<\/p>\n

Todd Davis<\/strong><\/a> injured his calf last season and has done the same again this year. This is just not ideal for a player going into his sixth professional season. The silver lining here is that Josey Jewell<\/a> <\/strong>will finally have the opportunity to step up and show what he can do. We saw snippets of his potential in 2019.<\/p>\n

There Are More Positives<\/h3>\n

At this point in the preseason, the Broncos are in a fairly good position overall. With more positives than negatives, there\u2019s hope for fans. They may see a better performance from the team \u2013 a welcome improvement from the last few years.<\/p>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a>