Today’s headlines in Denver were pretty predictable, a classic combination of panic, doom-and-gloom, and overreaction:
The Defense Bails Out the Offense, Again
Manning’s Struggles Continue
The Broncos Offense Remains Stuck in Neutral
Every story about Sunday’s win at Cleveland had a familiar chord running through it: The Broncos defense is championship-caliber, but their offense isn’t ready for primetime.
To some extent, that’s true. Against the Browns, Denver’s defense made big plays when they had to, including a huge stop in overtime that kept Cleveland off the scoreboard. And for the sixth straight week, the Broncos offense wasn’t a thing of beauty, sputtering at times and being downright ugly on occasion.
But that analysis of the game isn’t entirely accurate. In fact, it’s failing to see the big picture. For those not looking to simply find evidence to support their side of the never-ending Peyton Manning argument, there were plenty of positive signs for Denver’s much-maligned attack.
1. The Broncos found a running game
On the day, Ronnie Hillman finished with an impressive 111 yards on 20 carries; that’s a legit 5.6 yards per carry, as it wasn’t inflated by one big run. Hillman consistently found his way through holes, picking up chunks of yardage on almost every carry; he once again showed that he’s Denver’s best option in the backfield, showcasing the burst needed in Gary Kubiak’s one-cut system.
That said, C.J. Anderson also showed some flashes against the Browns, particularly on the team’s game-winning drive. When the Broncos needed a few yards to make Brandon McManus’ field-goal attempt a little easier, No. 22 was able to move the chains despite the fact that the Browns knew what was coming.
2. The offensive line is coming around
In part, the success of Hillman and Anderson had to do with the fact that the guys in the trenches were finally opening some holes. Despite shuffling players in and out, rotating seven different guys throughout the game, the Broncos o-line was able to find some cohesion. It showed in their ability to move the ball on the ground throughout the day.
In addition, the big men in the trenches did a nice job of protecting Manning. In 48 pass attempts, the quarterback wasn’t sacked once; and for the most part, he was relatively untouched. In addition, the o-line provided the time and space needed for No. 18 to find an open receiver, step into throws and deliver some downfield strikes.
3. Manning made some nice throws
For the most part, everyone is going to focus on the three picks the Broncos quarterback threw against Cleveland; and that’s totally fair, as they were a combination of poor decisions and ugly passes. But failing to recognize what happened on the other 45 passes would be a mistake.
Throughout the day, Manning completed deep ins and long outs, throws that he supposedly couldn’t make anymore. In addition, he finally connected on a go route, hitting Emmanuel Sanders on a 75-yard touchdown pass in the second half; that’s the type of completion that will start to open up the rest of the offense.
As a result, it’s fairly obvious that Manning’s issues at the moment aren’t physical; they’re mental. He’s throwing the ball as well as he has during his time in Denver; over and over and over again that was evident on Sunday. But he’s also making way more mistakes, misreads and bad decisions than he’s ever made as a Bronco. That’s because he’s still thinking instead of just playing; once the game becomes instinctual again, Manning will be just fine.
So while everyone else is moping around today, find the silver lining. The Broncos offense is about to burst out; there were signs of it on Sunday in Cleveland.
With a running game that is coming around, an offensive line that is finally opening holes and protecting the passer, and a QB that is grasping a system more and more with each week, the long process of transitioning to a new offense is about complete. And when that happens, everyone who doubted Manning, Kubiak and the Broncos during a 6-0 start will look and feel pretty silly.
