Undefeated coming out of the bye week and Broncos fans still seem as unhappy as ever.
It’s weird, isn’t it? I mean, if Bill Parcels was correct when he said, “You are what your record says you are,” then the Broncos are perfect, right?
Well, it’s not that easy, and Broncos Country knows that. For this franchise, for this team, a 6-0 record means jack squat if you’re not getting your finger sized for a Super Bowl ring come February.
Broncos fans are smart enough to know that things need to improve if Denver is going to finish up the season with a happier ending then they’ve had in the last three. And with that said, here are three (non-Peyton) Denver Broncos that need to step up and carry the load over the final 10 weeks of the season.
3. Shaquil Barrett
This has nothing to do with how Shaq Barrett has played through the start of this season. Obviously, he’s been fantastic. This has everything to do with how much more impactful he can still be.
In Week 6, when Barrett got his first career start for the injured DeMarcus Ware, he was dominant. It was as if he was still back in the preseason taking lunches from third-string tackles. Honestly, he looked just as good as Ware has this season, if not better.
Now, when Ware gets back, he’ll be the starter — obviously. Even at 33 years old, the veteran was playing at an All-Pro — if not Defensive Player of the Year — level through five games. But that doesn’t mean that Barrett will no longer be a star on this defense.
With how Wade Phillips has been rotating his pass rushers, Barrett already gets a ton of reps; that won’t change. What will change is how they use Barrett. He’s not just going to be a Ware or Von Miller surrogate, pushed into the lineup when they need a breather; he’s going to be a spotlight piece, a player Phillips designs packages around.
If he can do all this, if he can be option 1C to Miller and Ware’s 1A and 1B, then the Broncos defense may actually have room to grow; for the rest of the NFL, that’s a scary thought.
2. Demaryius Thomas
Here’s an interesting stat for you: Demaryius Thomas is currently ranked as the Pro Football Focus’ 35th best wide receiver, right behind Philly Brown and Jason Avant.
Let that sink in.
Right now, Thomas is fourth in the NFL in receptions and 11th in yards, yet he’s viewed by PFF as the 35th best wideout in the league; for anyone who watched the Broncos vs. Browns, it’s clear why.
Thomas, who’s ranked inside the top 10 in each of the last three seasons, just hasn’t been himself this year. While we’re seeing guys like Odell Beckham Jr. and DeAndre Hopkins make some of the most insane, acrobatic catches you’ll ever see on a weekly basis, Thomas seemingly would have a hard time bringing in a ball if Peyton Manning handed it to him.
It’s infuriating. And it’s unacceptable.
But at the same time, there’s no denying how great DT can be. Just look at that Chiefs games where he almost single-handedly drove the Broncos down the field by boxing out the entire Chiefs defense. He can do things that nobody else can do, and he can do it with ease.
Hell, even with those critical drops against the Browns, DT caught 10 balls for 111 yards.
With the way this offense is playing, though, it doesn’t matter how much good DT does, he can’t have these mental mistakes; there’s no wiggle room.
This piece brought to you in part by …
[adrotate banner=”9″]1. Ronnie Hillman
Can we all agree that the C.J. Anderson experiment is over? I mean, really, what’s the difference between Anderson and Monte Ball? Maybe there’s some natural talent, but neither guy has the speed to hit the hole before it closes up like the Red Sea.
Just look at this play:
Yeah, that’s a great play by the defender, but there’s a hole there, and more importantly, that’s a play the running back needs to make.
From what I’ve seen year, the only back capable of hitting the whole with the speed Denver needs, especially with the way this offensive line is playing, is Ronnie Hillman.
https://twitter.com/TheCauldron/status/650780499779153920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
There is a 0.00000000 percent chance CJ Anderson makes that play — you can probably tack on a few more zeros, too — and the Broncos NEED their running backs to be making more plays just like that.
If Hillman can continue to play like he did against the Browns, then the questions surrounding the Broncos offense could start to fade away quickly. Establish a running game, set up the pass and take some of the pressure off of Peyton Manning. That needs to be the Broncos mentality going forward.