3 Head-to-Head Matchups Broncos' Offense Must Win vs. Raiders
One of the biggest reasons the Denver Broncos sit at 3-5 heading Week 10's bout with the Las Vegas Raiders is the major inconsistencies from their offense as a whole. There is extremely high-octane potential from this unit, especially if you look at what the Broncos have accomplished in their past two fourth-quarter efforts alone; back-to-back 21-point frames to close out games.
For a myriad of reasons, such as lackluster play-calling, inconsistent play from QB Drew Lock or the offensive line, a penchant for shooting themselves in the foot with costly turnovers or penalties, or any combination of the above, the Broncos' offense has yet to fully live up to the potential that many pundits believed this team to have at the onset of the season.
It’s been tough sledding for this club for the majority of the season, as its inefficiencies as a whole have led to back-to-back 21-point deficits as well.
Armed to the teeth and loaded for bear with weapons that have explosive potential, many believe that the Broncos' offense has the overall ability to become one of the premier offenses in football should everything come together for an entire 60-minute football game. If the motor starts firing on all cylinders at the beginning of the game, rather than when the chips are down and it’s already too late, the sky's the limit for what this team can accomplish offensively.
Now, it’s hard to project the Broncos' offense getting things right in the passing game early in the contest for obvious reasons. They haven’t been able to do so all season, even going against a terrible Atlanta Falcons defense last week.
But if there’s any hope that Lock and the offense can get things figured out, this might be the week to do so. Las Vegas has a bottom-10 defense in almost every major statistical category, including total yards per game (385.6, 10th-worst), passing yards per game (267.1, seventh-worst), and points per game (28.6, ninth-worst).
This may sound like a broken record, especially seeing the fact that Atlanta was worse in almost every one of those categories, but the dam has to break open eventually. Maybe this is the week where it all comes together for the Broncos, especially given that this is a huge rivalry game. Sometimes, that can make all the difference.
So how do the Broncos get right offensively against a lackluster Raiders defense? By winning these three matchups.
Right Tackle vs. DE Maxx Crosby
The Broncos could be on the short end of the injury stick once again, as starter Demar Dotson (groin/hand) and primary backup Jake Rodgers (shoulder) are on the injury report this week. Dotson was unable to finish last week’s game against the Falcons, and Rodgers was absolutely terrible as his replacement.
I can only imagine what would happen if neither of those two was able to play on Sunday against an upstart pass rusher like Crosby. Crosby isn’t a true game-changer like a Myles Garrett or Joey Bosa, but he does a great job converting speed to power and holds up well in the running game.
Crosby's five total sacks on the season are the fifth-highest amongst edge rushers with at least 225 pass-rush snaps, and his 4.6% pass-rushing productivity percentage is a top-20 figure as well. Calvin Anderson, if he gets the start at right tackle, will have his hands full.
With Lock already showing signs of seeing ghosts in the pocket at times, and especially early in the game, not allowing Crosby to get the ball rolling will be a big key to the game.
WR Jerry Jeudy vs. CB Lamarcus Joyner
One of the most pleasant surprises for the Broncos to date has been the performance of their first-rounder. With consistent productivity despite a handful of critical dropped passes, Jeudy has overcome the pressure of filling a role that he was never projected to fill in 2020; that of a No. 1 wide receiver.
Last week, Jeudy took advantage of a terrible Falcons' secondary en route to a career day, hauling in seven receptions for 125 yards and a score. This week, Jeudy should see a lot of time against a cornerback that has struggled to remain sticky in coverage in Joyner.
When watching Jeudy, it’s easy to see how he creates separation with his elite route running. He does a tremendous job with speed variation, cutting on a dime, and accelerating out of his breaks. But what gets left unnoticed is his ability to translate that route running into creating yards after the catch, an area that Joyner has had some significant struggles with this season.
Joyner has allowed 172 yards after the catch this season, the fifth-most allowed amongst cornerbacks with at least 250 coverage snaps. His 5.7 yards allowed after the catch is one of the top-10 highest figures allowed amongst those players as well.
With the amount of separation that Jeudy creates and Joyner’s inability to close the gap after the catch, this should be a matchup that the Broncos can exploit in the quick passing game. Jeudy averages right at 4.7 yards after the catch, the eighth-highest mark of any receiver with at least 55 total targets on the year.
If Jeudy can work his magic after the catch against Joyner, there can be some huge plays made in the passing game for the Broncos.
OC Pat Shurmur vs. QB Drew Lock
To be fair, this isn’t a true 'one versus the other' type of argument, but rather a 'finding mutual ground' style of conversation. Arguably the biggest and most significant factor of developing a young quarterback is making him more comfortable within the scheme itself.
Putting your quarterback in situations that he is comfortable in, rather than forcing a square peg into a round hole, eases the transition to the NFL game as a whole. When it comes to the play-calling, Shurmur has actually done a pretty good job calling passing plays, especially in scheming players open over the middle of the field and asking Lock to scan the entire field and go through his progressions.
Oftentimes, receivers are running open all over the formation, especially on underneath crossing routes. Where it fails is with Lock not doing the necessary tasks of being a competent NFL quarterback.
He will laser in on one receiver, typically on the boundary, and when that read closes he will typically release from the pocket, opting for 'school-yard' football when things don’t go as planned and leaving missed opportunities over the middle of the field.
That is, until the tempo of the offense changes as a whole.
Where Lock has been good is in late-game scenarios with his team down large deficits when the only option is to run a fast-paced tempo style of offense. Getting to the line of scrimmage as quickly as possible, removing the chance of him overthinking what was going on in front of him and allowing him to play his game.
This opens Lock's eyes to the receivers over the middle of the field, and the offense actually starts to flow, gaining chunk plays at will. However, that isn’t a sustainable level of quality football. There has to be a give-and-take in this aspect.
Where Shurmur can be better is by opening up the tempo of the offense early in the game, getting Lock into rhythm. Simplifying the reads over the middle of the field, incorporating some quick-release patterns and rub routes, and changing the pace of the game from the onset would go a long way toward getting Lock into a groove early.
Utilizing some simple mesh concepts over the middle of the field, with multiple crossing routes that key on an underneath defender, all while letting Lock control the game from the line of scrimmage should be paramount for Shurmur. Then, slow things down.
Huddle up, call a play, and adjust to what you’ve seen happening in front of you. Dial up some play-action passing concepts designed to target the boundaries against a bad secondary.
This is where those bootleg and waggle concepts that move the pocket laterally come in. Target deep post routes from the weak-side of the formation and let Lock air the ball out.
It’s an easy change and one that is necessary to help ascertain whether Lock is the guy moving forward. Not only does Shurmur have to adapt to what Lock is doing well, Lock has to adapt to the demands of being a starter and play at an NFL level.
Essentially, flip the script of what the team has been doing thus far this season, and things will start to take off from there. Give and take.
It will not only help Lock grow as a passer, but also help the Broncos determine whether Lock — or Shurmur for that matter — is the guy moving forward.
Follow Lance on Twitter @SandersonMHH and @MileHighHuddle.
