The Denver Broncos are 3-2 going into their Week 6 matchup at home on Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers. With a chance to start off 2-0 in divisional play with a win, there are a handful of questions Broncos Country has going into the week in our latest mailbag.
Denver Broncos Week 6 mailbag
If you want to get involved in our weekly Denver Broncos mailbag, keep your eyes peeled on social media on Monday’s over @CodyRoarkNFL on Twitter and yours may make the cut.
With some of Bo’s slow starts to games, how much of it is him not hitting open or designed plays versus Sean Payton calling conservative plays? – AJ Vicens on Twitter.
I don’t believe there’s a one-size-fits-all answer here. On the tape, many opposing teams are playing zone coverage against Denver, especially on third down, but Sean Payton talked to us this week about their early down efficiency needing to be better because it’s impacting their third down efficiency. Payton also mentioned that Nix is doing a great job of going through his progressions and hitting where he needs to, but when you’re facing a second and long, and third and long scenario on a consistent basis, it changes what you’re able to do from a playcalling standpoint as well because opposing defenses are playing Denver a specific way in those scenarios.
The answer? Get the run game going on the early downs and get yourself into more third and manageable looks.
Should George Paton look to extend D.J. Jones? He’ll be a UFA after the season. – Colorado Jolene on Twitter.
I firmly believe that they should. D.J. has been great at the nose tackle spot this season, and the rotation they’ve had with him and Malcolm Roach has paid off big time for Denver’s defensive production against the run and rushing the quarterback. The front is drastically improved because of the depth and the impact that Jones and others on the defensive line are creating. Hopefully, Paton keeps that together.
Do you think there’s a possibility that Javonte Williams role begins to expand more as the season wears on? – KingKoopa88 on Twitter.
I think there’s a good chance we see this happen. The Broncos’ biggest offensive issue has been their run production on early downs. If they can find a way to get that going, Williams is going to be the primary back and will likely lead the team in snaps played at the position. With Audric Estime set to return soon, we may see him, Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin get all of the reps at the position split between them. On tape, Williams’ pass protection ability and his yard-after-contact production as a rusher and receiver have been big for them in the past two weeks, and it feels like Javonte is only getting more comfortable.
Any update on the Drew Sanders return timeline? Dude is going to feast in this scheme. – DarthXSalvas on Twitter.
Great question. We haven’t been told of an official timeline just yet for Sanders’ return. His initial one was deemed ‘indefinitely,’ but he’s been working on the team’s side field with the training staff and Beau Lowery, the team’s VP of Player Health and Performance. We still don’t know what position he’ll play yet, whether that’s inside linebacker or outside linebacker, but one thing I can tell you — he’s absolutely jacked. We’ll see where he’s at come November for a better idea of his potential timeline.
Have we seen the last of Greg Dulcich? – JoshS on Twitter.
It’s a possibility, but I’m not sure we can speak about Dulcich’s status with finality. Denver’s coaching staff wanted to see if a changeup in personnel, elevating Lucas Krull and making Dulcich inactive, would help with the production at the tight end position.
Krull had one catch for five yards despite Adam Trautman and Nate Adkins getting a bulk of the offensive snaps at the position. One thing Krull brings to the table is energy — I don’t think you’ll see anybody more animated after a first down than he is, whether it’s him making the play or a teammate. His size is valuable inside of this scheme, but things may open up a little more when Denver gets their offense in more of a consistent rhythm.
As for Dulcich, it feels like he’s running out of opportunities.
Does Joe Lombardi do anything? You never hear his name, and no one seems to talk about him. – Calvin Vesco on Twitter.
Lombardi does a lot. He’s the primary voice up in the box on the headset for Sean Payton during games. Lombardi has the best seat in the house up there, seeing what personnel and front the defense comes out in, communicating this information to Payton, which then helps Payton facilitate the playcall in to Bo Nix. I’d argue that Lombardi has one of the most important jobs on the staff outside of Payton and Vance Joseph.
In your opinion, can the Denver Broncos keep the momentum going for the next 3-4 games or more? – Ed Helinski on Twitter.
If the offense begins to click more consistently, I believe they can. Their next four games are at home against the Los Angeles Chargers, a Thursday Night game next week vs. the Saints on the road, back home against the Carolina Panthers, before a two-game road trip against the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs. This is a crucial yet difficult stretch for them coming up, and taking care of business this weekend will be a step in the right direction. If they can go 2-1 in the next three games, I believe it sets up well for them.
So much of the landscape can change, though, with current injuries or if any injuries pop up for them, but that’s something we can’t really project. The defense is playing at an elite level, and if the offense can find its rhythm, they’ll be a tough beat.
We’ll be back next week for another Denver Broncos mailbag series!