Short and methodical play selection
When Brock Osweiler falters, it’s because he’s running an all-or-nothing offense, much like Peyton Manning ran in the playoffs against Indy last year and earlier this season; even if it’s first down, Osweiler’s first look is 10-15 yards down the field.
Part of that’s on him, and part of that is on the play calling; either way, it’s not a recipe for success.
For one, it puts the offense at an immediate disadvantage if that ball falls incomplete; this has placed the Broncos in a lot of second- and third-and-longs, a down and distance not friendly to young quarterbacks. Second, it forces Osweiler to hold onto the ball, which is not a good thing when his offensive line may be the worst in football.
If the Broncos are going to succeed on offense, it’s because they’ve used a short and methodical gameplan, inching their way down the field and getting Osweiler into convertible third down situations.
After being missing all year, the Demaryius Thomas bubble screen finally made an appearance last night, and it worked — as it always has! They also started getting the ball to Ronnie Hillman out of the backfield and to Owen Daniels across the middle; safe, easy throws that move the ball and puts the offense in position to eventually move the chains.
If Gary Kubiak wants to mask the deficiencies of the offensive line, he needs to limit their impact; the easiest way to do that is to get the ball out quick.
That doesn’t mean Osweiler shouldn’t test his arm, but it does mean he shouldn’t test it on first-and-10; second-and-5 is a much better situation for the Broncos to take a shot down field, and it allows them to still have a convertible third down if they miss.
