Denver is well known for LoDo and RiNo.
GoBo better join that list if the Broncos are serious about becoming a Super Bowl contender.
The Broncos delivered a second-half performance against the Jets that was embarrassing. So, you let me have it.
Preparing to board my flight from London Heathrow to DIA, the criticisms veiled as questions included, “Who calls a pass on the 1-yard line and risks a safety? Was that a fullback draw on third-and-10? Why doesn’t Evan Engram play more?” And my personal favorite from a man with a heavy British accent, “If I wanted to watch a game with no scoring,” you guessed it, he could have saved his money for a fútbol game.
The fans are mad. They are angry. They are right.
We will find out more about the Broncos, so much more with a normal practice schedule and no travel, when they host the New York Giants. We will find out an answer to the question hanging over this season: Will coach Sean Payton do more to help Bo Nix?
Will he employ doses of uptempo?
Until Payton provides that answer, the question on whether or not the Broncos are a legitimate AFC threat will remain an unequivocal no.
Teams that play deep into January don’t rank in the middle of the pack or worse in every meaningful offensive category.
The reason this is the case? Nix and Payton are not in rhythm.
This season has been an exercise in frustration.
For every eye-opening quarter, there has been a dizzying array of punts. Nix admitted Wednesday that it was “a relief” when Engram converted a first down on the cgame-winning drive last Sunday.
Is that the new reality for Nix and this offense? It better not be or the Broncos will waste one of the greatest defenses in franchise history.
What unfurled against the Jets was so odorous that it suggests that the Nix and Payton have contrasting visions of how to achieve success.
Nix needs to go fast. At least for the foreseeable future.
He was 11-for-15 for 96 yards in uptempo against the Jets, according to Next Gen stats. He excels at the quick hitters, not surprisingly since he mastered it over his final two years at Oregon. The Jets and the Giants are the not the same defensively, but they have this in common: they bring the heat.
Nix is already getting rid of the ball quickly. Why not add wrinkles with sprinkles of tempo? The quarterback sure sounds like he would be all for it.
“It gets the defense off balance. We play well from the quick game. It’s tough on defenses,” said Nix, who is completing 64.6 % of his passes with nine touchdowns and four interceptions. “You are more attacking them, instead of letting them attacking you.”
Will Payton consistently hit the throttle? Unlikely. He has pumped the brakes anytime the issue has been raised over the past two seasons. His reasoning is sound, that going too fast too much will compromise his own defense.
Let’s be clear, I am not suggesting there is a disconnect between the coach and the quarterback. But there appears to be a difference in preference.
Nix believes uptempo “can limit what the defenses will do, and they may not be in the right set.”
Payton sees its value, but likes it more as a situational weapon.
“I think a lot of it is dependent on what personnel we’re in, what do we want to get to. I think it’s always part of our plan. It’s just a matter of where we’re at field position-wise and what we’re trying to accomplish,” Payton said. “I can’t recall that we went away (from it last week). There are times when— like the touchdown was kind of an up-tempo play. We’ll use it each week where we see fit.”
He’s the boss. But it is obvious the Broncos need more of it and fewer personnel groups.
As it stands, Denver’s passing attack is akin to an NBA team that relies on layups and 3-pointers. There is no intermediate game, though Engram could change that if, you know, he ever becomes a focal point of the offense.
Given the reliance on the short passes to set up deep strikes, it makes sense to press the pedal. Nix admits that he picks his spots when going over the game plan with offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and Payton, a concession to their experience.
But the six-game sample size is something. Nix has raised his voice before during games, and would be well-served to speak up now with a third of the season over. This could shift him into high gear.
The offensive issues are more than a Nix problem. But wouldn’t the speed game help solve some of them?
“Yeah, I think he likes that we’ll probably get a really simple or base defense, or coverage from lining up fast and putting tempo on ’em. For example, like, with the Giants, those guys up front – they’re real. It also has a little bit to do with like, wearing guys down,” receiver Troy Franklin said. “Just getting them to move fast, they’re bigger guys. So it’ll help us in the long run and stuff, for sure.”
This week will begin answering questions. No matter how you break down the numbers, the Broncos’ offense has been average at best, disappointing at worst. Payton is fond of saying that all teams begin the season a race to find their identity.
It is clear that the coach can speed up that process for his quarterback by going uptempo.
It is time for BoGo.
