Dud No.1 – The Coaching Staff
Blame Michael Schofield (and Ryan Harris) all you want for Khalil Mack‘s five second-half sacks. But we’ve known since before training camp that Schofield (and Harris) were not going to be sufficient in protecting Denver’s quarterback, no matter who is behind center.
Schofield has struggled all year. Pro Football Focus has him producing just one game in ten with a positive rating. Harris has been a little better, as you might expect from an eighth-year player. But there’s a reason he was a street free agent when the Broncos signed him during training camp.
So it’s mind-boggling as to why the Broncos coaching staff would leave either Schofield or Harris in one-on-one matchups with Mack, especially after his second sack produced a safety in the end zone.
Just as they did with virtually no halftime adjustments to the offensive play calling or blitzing schemes, the Denver coaches continued with the same-old, same-old in protecting Brock Osweiler on the edges and they paid for it to the tune of five second-half sacks that in many ways proved to be the Broncos’ offensive undoing.
Denver has excellent blocking tight ends and backs. Why they weren’t used to keep Mack in check (at least as much as is possible with a player of his caliber) is beyond explanation.
