Earlier this week, Gary Kubiak said, “I have so many questions that we can answer,” and he’s right. The Denver Broncos are the league’s most mysterious team.
And while the questions start at quarterback, they go far deeper than that. In fact, they go far deeper than this team.
Last year, the Broncos took home a Lombardi Trophy despite one of the worst quarterbacking performances in the NFL. That’s not supposed to happen. Pundits may love to say that “defense wins championships,” but what they really mean is that “quarterbacks win championships, and you need a great defense to stop a great quarterback.”
According to Vegas and talking heads around the sports world, the answer seems to be a definitive no. Fortunately, the Broncos may have a few tricks left up their sleeves.
Here are five questions the Denver Broncos need to answer:
Can Paxton Lynch steal the show?
Even from just a few series in the Broncos first preseason game, it’s clear that Lynch is the quarterback on Denver’s roster with the most upside. His arm strength and mobility far surpass anything Sanchez or Siemian bring to the table. And while, yes, it was against the Bears’ third-string defense, Paxton showed on several occasions that his footwork and accuracy are well on their way.
Now, of course, Lynch has the largest downside, too, but just how good does he have to be in preseason to steal the job right out from under Sanchez and Siemian’s nose?
If Lynch has a Russell Wilson-esque preseason, it may be difficult for the Broncos to deny him the job, especially if his skill set theoretically gives the offense the best chance to succeed.
The rest of the league looks at the Broncos quarterback situation as one of the worst in football, but that’s because nobody’s really seen the first-round talent in Lynch showcase his abilities. And maybe he never will, not this preseason, but if he does, and if he proves to be a viable option Week 1 — even Weeks 2, 3 or 4 — there’s enough surrounding talent that Denver’s offense can begin to carry part of the weight.
How is Wade Phillips going to use all his talent?
This group is about as deep as the Mariana Trench, and that presents Wade Phillips with an interesting problem: How does he utilize all that talent?
From the secondary to the front seven, there’s upwards of 20 guys deserving of rotational snaps on the Broncos defense, but giving them those snaps is another story.
For instance, Lorenzo Doss and Kayvon Webster have been two of the most impressive players at training camp this offseason, but behind the No Fly Zone, it’s going to be difficult for them to see the field. Likewise, Shane Ray and Shaquil Barret could probably start on 31 other teams in the NFL, but in Denver, their role is to lend a breather to DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller.
Now, Phillips could go the conventional route and use his backups sparingly or he could use depth to his advantage like no other team can. Not only will the Broncos have the ability to rotate pass rushers and defensive linemen without much drop off, but Phillips will have the ability to institute creative packages, where Denver has five or six cornerbacks and safeties on the field at a given time.
Whatever he does, it’ll be fun to watch. Creativity is Wade Phillips’ strong suit.
Can Cody Latimer become the real deal?
In what has been called the best wide receiver draft class in recent memory, Latimer has been a bust.
But at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, Latimer should be an intimidating force on the football field, and when you factor in that he ran a 4.39 second 40-yard dash on a still-healing broken foot at his pro day, there’s no reason he shouldn’t be producing.
Last Thursday, we saw a little bit of that production, as he was the best receiver in the game. But was that because things have clicked or is that because he was going up against second- and third-string cornerbacks in the Bears’ secondary? I don’t know.
But I will say this: If the cogs finally do click into place, and Latimer starts showing off that natural talent he was praised for coming into the draft, the Broncos won’t have to worry about a No. 3 wideout competition; it’ll be his job, and Denver may be back to having the most explosive receiving corps in the NFL.
Can Von Miller be even better in 2016?
Here’s the scary fact about Von Miller: He wasn’t that good last season.
He was great — don’t get me wrong — but he wasn’t the best defensive player in football. He wasn’t the player we saw in the postseason.
During the 2015 regular season, Miller was simply really, really good. But for a player who has looked like one of the greatest defenders in NFL history at times, really, really good doesn’t always meet the bar.
With 11 sacks and 35 total tackles, Miller had the worst year (statistically) of his career, discounting the 2013 season where he began the season suspended and finished the season on injured reserve.
Even Miller has admitted on several occasions that he didn’t really begin preparing for specific opponents until the postseason — he’d simply rely on his natural ability — but we saw what it did for him during the Broncos’ three-game playoff run. Extrapolated for a full 16-game season, Playoff Von would have totaled 26.5 sacks and 69 total tackles.
“Miller admits he’s thought about changing his habits and focusing more on football after hours,” Kevin Clark wrote in his profile of Miller. “During the playoffs, he dialed back his internet usage and ignored social media, and he had the run of his life. ‘Maybe this season I should try that every single week,’ he says.”
And what if Miller does just that? Could he take his game to another level and become a full-time Playoff Von?
If he does, he’ll have to make room in his trophy case, because he’ll be stashing a Defensive Player of the Year award right next to his Super Bowl MVP.
Is the run game improved?
Understandably, the focus has been on the Denver Broncos’ quarterbacks this offseason, but if Gary Kubiak is serious about improving his offense from last year, it starts with the run game.
Not only does a powerful rushing attack make life easier for whomever is starting at quarterback, but it’s the engine that allows Kubiak’s passing attack to work.
There’s a reason why Kubiak has been able to bring the best out of quarterbacks throughout his career, and that’s because he makes the game simple and creates opportunities for big plays, and he does all that with the play action.
Throw in tape of Kubiak offense from the last 20 years and you’ll see the same thing: fake handoff, bootleg, deep pass. John Elway did it. Matt Schaub did it. Joe Flacco did it.
But none of them did it without a running game.
C.J. Anderson looks to be in the best shape of his life, and the reviews on Devontae Booker could not be more positive. Elway revamped the offensive line this offseason with two big signings at tackle, and the fullback position has officially made its return to Denver, Colorado.
If everything goes as planned, the Broncos could have a top-10 rushing attack — they’ve shown glimpses of that in the past, and we know Kubiak churns out top-10 performances on a yearly basis (he has had 14 top-10 rushing offenses in the last 21 years). That will go a long way towards allowing Mark Sanchez, Trevor Siemian or Paxton Lynch to exceed expectations.