Denver Broncos scoring has been a huge issue for years.
But the good news is that Denver’s scoring is way up over their most recent three-game win streak. And while most of that success has been due to the offense, Vance Joseph’s defensive unit has gotten in on the action, too.
Denver Broncos scoring is highest in the NFL over the last three games
In the year before Sean Payton was hired, the Broncos were dead last in scoring. Nathaniel Hackett was in over his head and the team was an utter joke.
The ineptitude offensively wasn’t only a Hackett issue. Denver Broncos’ scoring was in the bottom half of the league every year since the last time they made the playoffs, following the 2015 season.
That Super Bowl 50 winning team was led by the No Fly Zone defense, yes. But the Peyton Manning Era in Denver was highlighted by an awesome offense. And the John Elway Era Broncos were all about scoring, too.
Winning in the NFL today is about explosive offense. See: The Lions, Eagles, and Bills this year and the Chiefs in recent years.
That’s why the Broncos went out and hired Sean Payton.
Payton was out of the NFL for a year after walking away from the New Orleans Saints, but he still knew how to run a dynamic and deadly offense.
In his first year, Payton’s Broncos moved up to 19th in scoring with a team he didn’t construct.
This year, we’re seeing even more out of Payton’s offense with his quarterback–Bo Nix–and a group built more to his liking. It hasn’t been all roses: The Broncos scoring was awful to begin the year, and it’s been inconsistent.
That’s to be expected with a rookie quarterback. But the pleasant surprise has been how many points Denver’s putting on the board as of late.
In the wins over the Falcons, Raiders, and Browns, the Broncos scored 38, 29, and 41 points respectively. That’s an average of 36.0 points per game during their win streak, which is No. 1 in the NFL. The Bills are second (35.7) but Denver has a much better defense than Buffalo.
Broncos playing better all around in recent weeks
Part of the reason the Denver Broncos scoring numbers are up–including the first 40-point game in the Sean Payton Era–is due to the defense.
In the thrilling Monday Night Football win over the Browns, Denver’s defense scored twice.
First, it was edge rusher Nik Bonitto who picked off a pass and took it 71 yards to the house. Then, Ja’Quan McMillian enjoyed his own pick-6 to seal the win.
That was part of three turnovers forced against the Browns. And over the last three games, Denver’s won the turnover battle in every win. Those 2.0 takeaways per game during that span are tied for 2nd-most in the NFL.
While the offense struggled early on, only to get their footing mid-year, the Broncos defense has been phenomenal throughout the season.
They’re currently No. 2 in scoring defense, allowing only 18.0 points per game over the entire season. And in their three most recent wins, Denver sacked opposing quarterbacks 12 times (4.0 per game) as they lead the NFL with 47.0 on the season.
Without a doubt, Denver’s playing complete football right now.
More recent offensive trends on the three-game winning streak:
- Broncos are converting on 46.1% of 3rd down opportunities. That’s 6th-best over the timeframe.
- Denver’s 375.0 yards per game is 9th-best in recent weeks.
- Denver Broncos scoring has skyrocketed after halftime: Their 19.0 points in second halves is second to Minnesota.
- Speaking of being a second-half team: Denver defense allows only 7.1 points per second half all season long, an NFL-best.
- Denver’s 4.7 penalties per game are tied for best over last three weeks.
Next up, the Broncos (8-5) face the Colts (6-7) in a crucial contest for each team’s playoff hopes. That game kicks off at 2:25 p.m. MT on Sunday, Dec. 15.