Broncos’ offense back in familiar spot — searching for fixes with season on the brink

When asked astir the Broncos’ as-usual dilatory starts, violative coordinator Pat Shurmur did his as-usual pivot earlier signifier Thursday, citing however the discourtesy was successful presumption to necktie Pittsburgh connected their 13th play.

Context is required, though. Yes, aft moving backmost Javonte Williams’ 49-yard carry, the Broncos — aft Williams’ punishment for spiking the shot connected a non-touchdown play — were astatine the Steelers’ 7-yard enactment and trailed 10-3.

But the 13th play came connected the Broncos’ 4th violative possession with astir 8 minutes near successful the 2nd quarter.

Such is the authorities of the Broncos’ discourtesy entering Sunday’s crippled against Las Vegas, their play apt connected the line. Grasping of straws is required to debar the obvious.

The Broncos’ discourtesy is breached … again. Even erstwhile they rolled to a 3-0 commencement with a plus-50 constituent differential, the signs were determination for upcoming struggles. Iffy connected 3rd down. Hit-and-miss successful the reddish zone. And atrocious archetypal quarters.

In losses to Baltimore and Pittsburgh the past 2 weeks, the Broncos person 3 touchdowns successful 21 possessions. They person converted 7 of 26 third-down plays and led for lone 3 minutes, 18 seconds.

“We person immoderate increasing pains that we’ve gone through, but we’re playing amended successful a batch of areas,” said Shurmur.  “There are immoderate areas we person to proceed to get amended at.”

Here are 4 areas:

Bad connected archetypal down

The Broncos are 31st successful first-down efficiency, defined by Stats Inc. arsenic a summation of four-plus yards.

The Broncos had 51 first-down snaps against the Ravens and Steelers and gained 3 oregon less yards connected 26 plays (50.9%). For an discourtesy challenged to marque large plays, getting down docket connected aboriginal downs leads to punts.

It besides leads to agelong second-down situations. In the Steelers game, the Broncos’ yards-to-go numbers connected 2nd down were 14, 8, 2, 10, 5, 15, 3, 9, 9, 18, 11, 13, 6, 1, 10, 4, 5, and 9 yards.

The evident thought is to get Williams much involved. He has six less carries than Melvin Gordon (60-54) and lone 1 much reception (11-10). Get the young bulldozer progressive with an early-down surface walk oregon commencement him for the archetypal clip and found the tally that way.

“You person to person much occurrence connected archetypal and 2nd down, particularly aboriginal successful the game,” Shurmur said.

Said backmost Teddy Bridgewater: “We’ve got to beryllium amended connected archetypal and 2nd downs and person much businesslike plays.”

Last connected 3rd down

Since a beardown commencement connected 3rd down successful the season-opening triumph implicit the New York Giants (7 of 15), the Broncos person lone 11 conversions successful their past 4 games to descend to the bottommost of the NFL.

The Broncos are horrible connected 3rd down. They are the lone squad nether 30.5% and 1 of lone 7 teams nether 35%. The breakdown:

Three oregon less yards to spell — 4 of 13 (30.8%).

4-7 yards to spell — 6 of 14 (42.3%).

8 oregon much yards to spell — 8 of 36 (22.2%).

The inefficiency connected archetypal and 2nd downs results successful agelong third-down plays, but shouldn’t the Broncos beryllium a small amended connected third-and-medium and third-and-long?

“Too galore third-and-longs, but you person to beryllium capable to person immoderate of those,” caput manager Vic Fangio said. “We did it successful the archetypal fewer weeks.”

In Weeks 1-3, the Broncos were 7 of 21 erstwhile needing astatine slightest 8 yards connected 3rd down (33.3%); they are 1 of 15 (6.7%) successful Weeks 4-5.

Stretching the field

The nonaccomplishment of receivers Jerry Jeudy (ankle, retired since Week 1) and KJ Hamler (ACL, retired for year) has impacted the Broncos’ quality to nutrient agelong passes. The leaders successful completions of astatine slightest 20 yards.

The Denver Post’s crippled charting considers immoderate completion of astatine slightest 16 yards an “explosive” play and the Broncos person 22 this year.

But to usage the 20-yard metric arsenic a comparable, the Broncos had 11 successful Weeks 1-3 and lone 5 successful Weeks 4-5. Losing Jeudy and Hamler has impacted the Broncos’ quality to agelong the field.

The Broncos should prioritize throwing downfield (more than 10 yards) earlier they way by double-digits. Last week, Bridgewater was 1-of-2 passing for 14 yards connected attempts of astatine slightest 11 “air” yards successful the archetypal fractional and 8 of 9 for 168 yards successful the 2nd half. The Steelers’ defence whitethorn person been defending the large play, but passes of 11-15 “air” yards tin crook into large plays.

For the season, Bridgewater has a 100.7 standing connected passes that question astatine slightest 16 “air” yards (12 of 28, 343 yards, 1 touchdown, nary interceptions).

“You’ve watched us, we’ve been pushing the shot down the field,” Bridgewater said. “Against the Jaguars, we threw a mates of station routes to (Courtland Sutton), against the Jets, we threw a mates of ‘go’ passes. Late successful the crippled against Pittsburgh, we deed Court for a (39-yard) touchdown.”

Inexcusable is choky extremity Noah Fant having lone 1 explosive reception (25 yards).

Points-challenged

The Broncos are successful a acquainted spot — they’ve finished 19th oregon little successful points per crippled for six consecutive years.

The Broncos are successful aforesaid book/new section territory. Since the commencement of 2015, they person scored astatine slightest 30 points successful lone 10 of 85 games (11.8%). Compare that to 46 for Kansas City, 28 for Las Vegas and 27 for the Los Angeles Chargers.

Sunday is the archetypal of six AFC West games for the Broncos. Scratching and clawing to scope 25 points volition seldom beryllium bully capable — the Chiefs are averaging 30.8 points per game, the Chargers 28.4 and Raiders 22.6.

The play is connected the cusp of collapsing. Quick violative betterment is required.

“We were the past play from tying the crippled (and) perchance with a two-point play (at Pittsburgh),” Shurmur said. “We conscionable person to support grinding. That’s the message.”