The Denver Broncos are now 3-0 after finding ways to beat the Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals. But while Bronco fans have to be thrilled with the start, it hasn’t always been pretty, and there is still plenty of room for improvement.
Being the defending Super Bowl champions means getting every team’s best shot all season long, and this team definitely has a target on their back.
If the Broncos are going to keep winning there are a few questions that they will have to answer over the duration of the season.
Here are five questions that we have so far:
If the game is on the line, and you are a quarterback forced to pass against this Denver defense, I wish you good luck.
But through these three games, one developing trend that we’e seen is that the Denver defense has allowed some yards on the ground.
In the season opener, the Carolina Panthers picked up 157 rushing yards. The Indianapolis Colts managed just 83 yards running the ball, but once again this week, the Cincinnati Bengals racked up 143 yards on the ground.
Currently, the Broncos defense is ranked 28th in the league in run defense, allowing over 127 yards per game.
Maybe it’s by design, and Wade Phillips would rather opposing offenses have some room to run, and not give up big plays through the air. Maybe the Broncos are missing Malik Jackson and Vance Walker from the interior of their defensive line. Or maybe it is just a fluke.
Whatever it is, when the stakes get higher, this defense will need to return to form and stop the run, or it’s going to be very tough to finish this season as strong as they started it.
2. Can the offensive line continue to develop?
After giving up 39 sacks, and averaging just over 100 yards per game in 2016, Elway set out to completely rebuild his offensive front, and it appears that he did.
Gone were Louis Vasquez and Evan Mathis. Offensive tackles Donald Stephenson and Russell Okung were signed. Tyler Polumbus retired. And center Matt Paradis was given a contract extension.
And so far it looks like it’s a little better.
Through three games, Trevor Siemian has been sacked just five times, putting him on track for 27 in 16 games. And the running game is averaging 111 yards per game.
Not top notch, but better, nonetheless.
As the season wears on, this line will need to continue to develop, and show improvement. When the weather gets colder, and the games get bigger, we know that these games will be won or lost in the trenches.
Will this offensive line be up to the task?
3. Can Riley Dixon be counted on in the clutch?
His punting average was steadily declining, going from 46.3 yards per punt in 2012, to 44.5 in 2013, to 44.2 in 2014, and finally just 43.6 last season.
Yet, he was at his absolute best when the lights were the brightest.
In the postseason, Colquitt punted a whopping 23 times, and averaged nearly 47 yards each kick. He also pinned opponents inside their own 20-yard line nine different times. As a result, the Denver Broncos defense was able to wreak havoc on opposing offenses.
So far this season, rookie Riley Dixon has punted 10 times with a 46.9 average, but has only dropped a single punt inside the opposing 20.
Colquitt was a huge weapon last year in the postseason. Dixon will need to shore up his game if he is going to do the same.
4. What’s with all of the third-down conversions against this defense?
Through the first three games of 2016, the Denver Broncos defense is allowing opponents to convert 48.8 percent of their third down conversions, ranking them 30th in the NFL.
Now to be fair, the Broncos have faced three of the top quarterbacks in the NFL in Cam Newton, Andrew Luck and Andy Dalton. And all three of those quarterbacks are very capable of using their legs to pick up first downs, too, which they did
So, is this poor conversion percentage the result of playing some very dangerous quarterbacks? Or should we be concerned?
5. Have we seen Trevor Siemian’s ceiling or his floor?
Siemian would finish the game 23 for 35 with 312 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions, earning him AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.
In the fourth quarter of games this season, Siemian is a combined 14 of 20 for 225 yards, with three touchdowns and zero interceptions.
These haven’t been lucky plays, either, nor have we seen Siemian doing anything outside his skill set. He just seems like he gets better in the clutch moments.
So he could continue to get better, and based on that, I do not think we have seen the ceiling of his potential.
But have we seen his floor?
In Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers, he was just 18 of 26 for 178 yards, with a touchdown and two interceptions.
So is that the worst we are going to see from what is basically a rookie quarterback? Or does he still have a few really bad games in him? And when are we going to see them?
It will be up to Gary Kubiak, Rick Dennison and Siemian himself to make sure that he is kept in the best positions to be successful.
If the Broncos can do that, we could be seeing another deep run in the postseason.