Raise your hand if you were among the army of fans and media more than willing to give Vance Joseph a swift kick in the trousers as he was being shown the door following the Denver Broncos 2018 season.
Raise your other hand if you scoffed at the notion that Joseph, who had just led the 2022 Arizona Cardinals to becoming the 29th “best” defense in the NFL, was about to return to Denver to become Sean Payton’s defensive coordinator, a lower role on the org chart than the last time he’d worked in the Mile High City.
Kick up a leg if you thought – quietly or loudly – than Joseph should get canned again after his Broncos D was lit up by the Miami Dolphins to the tune of 70 points and 726 yards last September.
Now, all of you (and, admittedly, that includes this know-it-all scribe) still hopping around on one leg should be blown completely over by the notion that Joseph is the best coach on the Denver Broncos sideline. And yes, that includes the man who mysteriously hired him – Sean Payton.
On Sunday, the Broncos beat Aaron Rodgers and the Jets in one of the most gawdawful football games ever played – and they did it because of none other than Vance Joseph. Not only were the Broncos lacking their starting middle linebacker, as Alex Singleton suffered a torn ACL last week against the Buccaneers, but the defense barely had time to grab a Gatorade before being asked to take the field again.
And again.
And again.
In the first half, Denver’s offense offered just two first downs. Over six first-half possessions, Bo & Co. went three and out four straight times, then turned in two five-play “drives” (resulting in just two first downs) before heading in for halftime. In the second half, things got better (they couldn’t get worse) for the offense, but it wasn’t as if Payton or Nix ever completely found their groove at the rain-soaked MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. In the second half, the Broncos managed a touchdown and a field goal, but still had to punt twice and could only manage to gain three yards in what should have been a game-winning possession.
With the defense stopping the Jets on their own 35-yard line, just 1:46 remaining on the clock, Payton played things as conservatively as a 1-2 head coach with a rookie quarterback could. After three plays and four yards, up 10-9 on the scoreboard, Payton then made a not-so-conservative decision to attempt a 50-yard field goal in questionable conditions.
If kicker Will Lutz makes the kick, the Broncos are up four, asking a defense that’s been great all day to stop Rodgers from going the length of a field and scoring a touchdown with less than a minute-and-a-half remaining.
If Lutz misses the kick, the head coach must ask his defense for yet another huge favor – essentially hoping that the bend-but-don’t-break defense can stop Rodgers from going 30-ish yards in the same amount of time.
Lutz, of course, missed.
Joseph’s defense came to the rescue – sort of. They gave up 28 yards, too many to feel comfortable, but few enough to keep things interesting. Jets kicker Greg Zuerlein – ironically – was handed the same challenge that Lutz faced in kicking a 50-yarder in the same conditions.
Like Lutz, Zuerlein missed. Broncos win. Thank you, V.J.
In truth, the game should have never come down to either kicker missing. Had Payton not foolishly used his challenge on a review of a Courtland Sutton catch that was clearly not a catch – rather than a Rodgers fumble that was clearly a fumble (as well as a scoop and score by Joseph’s defense) – the game would have been out of reach long before kickers got involved. Regardless, as it had done all day, the defense did enough to make the go-ahead field goal anything but a gimmee.
On second thought, the Jets only scored nine points – a mere dozen even if Zuerlein’s kick would have sailed through. Twelve points? That’s all any NFL team can ask of its defense.
Luckily for the Payton and the Broncos, that’s about all he’s had to ask this season. After four games, Joseph’s defense ranks third in points allowed (just 13.8) and second in yardage allowed (256.5). Throw out the Broncos opener, and Joseph’s defense has given up an average of less than 10 points in the last three games. Rookie quarterbacks in the NFL often succeed or fail because of the situation they’ve entered. Could there be a more favorable scenario for young Nix?
“VJ is just dialing up,” said all-world cornerback Patrick Surtain II. “He has so much trust in us as players and that allows him to call these exotic schemes, show different looks and frustrate opposing offenses because his ability to trust us and his ability in his play calling. Obviously, these past few weeks it’s paid dividends.”
Those dividends appear in the form of a 2-2 record. Thank goodness there’s an excellent coach on the Broncos sideline.
Raise your hand if you predicted that coach would be Vance Joseph.