Will the Denver Broncos offense find a way to commit to the run game going forward this season? This was one of the several questions received in this week’s Broncos mailbag.
Denver Broncos Mailbag Week 7 Edition
As the Broncos prepare for their Week 7 matchup against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, we dive into our latest mailbag series.
Every week, we ask Broncos fans to send in their questions surrounding the team. Despite a 1-5 record, fans are looking for potential solutions as the future of the team hangs in the balance.
Will the Denver Broncos commit to the run game more even if they’re trailing? – @newtype_jk47
They should commit to the run game more going forward. Unfortunately, the Broncos haven’t invested as much in the run game as Sean Payton had initially hoped for dating back to the offseason.
The flow of some of the games they’ve been in have forced them to abandon the run at times, but there have been plenty of instances where they’ve abandoned the run game in favor of passing in situations they didn’t need to.
There were several moments last week against the Kansas City Chiefs where Denver should have stuck with the run game but decided to pass.
Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin were effective rushers in limited usage last week against Kansas City. Denver’s rushing attack might be the best part of their offense, and they haven’t fully embraced it yet.
With Williams getting closer to full strength coming off of a quad injury, Payton noted that he’s continuing to trend in the right direction.
“I know there’s a confidence level he has in his knee, and he feels that strength,” Payton said. “The experts will tell you that it continues to get stronger even in Year 2. Then finally somewhere after two years, it’s at that point where—I don’t want to say it’s 100 percent, but certainly, we’re pleased with his progress and the way he’s running.”
Which Broncos players do you think will be moved at the NFL Trade Deadline? – Kinlayy G.
I’m not entirely sure what Denver plans on doing at the deadline. I don’t anticipate that they themselves will make any trades to acquire players at this point.
However, they could potentially trade a player and a pick for another player and a pick with another team, similar to what they did with Bradley Chubb and Chase Edmonds last year.
Many replies from Broncos fans want them to trade everybody, but a mass exodus isn’t likely. The key names to keep an eye on will be wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton.
With them being linked to rumors dating back to the offseason, it wouldn’t surprise me if teams call regarding both of them. It’s unlikely that they’ll get any first-round picks for them, though.
As it pertains to the Broncos’ defense, to my knowledge, Sean Payton values Patrick Surtain and Justin Simmons for what they want to do defensively. On top of that, Jonathon Cooper and Nik Bonitto are emerging into crucial players and have the potential to emerge into potential stars.
Scrapping core players on an already struggling defense won’t make things any better for them, instead, their focus should remain on strengthening the weaknesses they possess personnel-wise on defense.
I honestly don’t see them making a wide variety of moves that most fans anticipate they’ll make.
Turning back time for a bit, do you think Russell Wilson would be having a similar type of situation/season in Washington as he is here if the trade went that route? – @Orange_crush512
I think there would be a high probability of that, considering some of the changes and controversy Washington has dealt with over the last few years. The Commanders offensive line has also struggled with protecting Sam Howell, who has been hit and sacked at an astronomical rate.
The national media and some fans refuse to acknowledge that QB wins are not a real stat. Russell Wilson himself can’t will a team to victory on his shoulders alone. Football is a team game.
It’s one of the most frustrating courses of dialogue to have on social media because wins and losses are pinned entirely on one position. Obviously, Wilson can play much better, but the environment and pieces around a quarterback matter equally as much as QB performance.
Denver’s defense has been their biggest issue collectively this season, but the major discourse has been on Wilson and the team’s record.
It’s hard to imagine things would be different for him in Washington’s environment.
Over the last 7 years, a lot has changed: ownership, coaching, players, trainers, nutrition people…. pretty much everything but carpet & cheerleaders. Do you think the issues today are because of all the change, or the right change hasn’t happened yet? – Munky
This is a great question. There has been a ton of change in Dove Valley over the course of the last seven years.
Continuity isn’t a word that can be applied to the Denver Broncos. I think a lot of the issues that are present with this Broncos team are ripple effects of some of the past decisions.
It’s hard to pinpoint what the “right change” would be as this team moves forward. What Denver needs is a true direction and vision.
Things may be unpleasant for a while, but that’s why the Walton-Penner Family Ownership group hired Sean Payton. Payton will have his work cut out for him, but his plan hasn’t gotten off to the start he envisioned.
He’ll get the necessary time required to try and turn things around.
In situations like this, it’s easy to want to scrap the whole plan and throw it out, but that’s been the issue with Denver for the last seven years.
All eyes will be on what Payton does for the remainder of this season and going into the offseason, where changes at various levels of the team are expected to be made.