Are The Broncos Winning Because Of, Or In Spite Of, Joe Flacco?
The Denver Broncos have stacked a couple of wins for the first time since Weeks 12 and 13 of last season. Fans want to know; is it safe to dare to hope again?
After starting off the 2019 season at 0-4, no question, the Broncos dug themselves a hole. And it might turn out to be too deep to climb out of, in terms of making the postseason.
If the team can continue to play with the same level of intensity and focus its displayed defensively over the last two weeks, anything is possible. Shutting out any NFL opponent is an impressive feat and the Broncos have now gone two consecutive games without allowing the opposing offense to score a touchdown.
As encouraging as the Broncos' last two defensive performances have been (seven sacks, six takeaways), the model for winning envisioned by this front office is still missing a crucial component; an offense.
Let's face it, the Broncos offense has been difficult to watch. And with Emmanuel Sanders succumbing to a knee injury vs. the Titans, the offense could be without one of its most dynamic weapons.
It all starts with the quarterback. Joe Flacco has not been the difference-maker the front-office billed him to be.
Fans should have expected it, after seeing the body of work Flacco compiled in 11 seasons in Baltimore. But Flacco's been downright atrocious at times.
From throwing interceptions at inopportune times, to taking sacks when the Broncos are on the edge of automatic field goal range, to failing to establish any sort of consistency, the Broncos are being held back by the play of their veteran quarterback. We're not seeing the 12th-year vet play with any sort of urgency or intensity and the proof is in the pudding.
We can talk about Flacco going 18-of-28 passing for 177 yards while tossing an interception, but third down and red zone efficiency are the two key statistical areas that more directly point to how well this QB is playing for Denver. The Broncos went 2-of-14 on third down vs. the Titans and 1-for-2 in the red zone. The latter isn't terrible but the former? Atrocious.
For crying out loud, the Broncos have converted just five third downs (out of 25 tries) over the last two games.
Flacco is holding this offense back. And OC Rich Scangarello will continue to be in thrall to Flacco, and take the fiery darts of a frustrated fanbase, so long as he remains the starter. Unfortunately, that's not likely to change any time soon.
But the question is, can the Broncos expect to win consistently with the offense playing as sputteringly as it has through six games? With how good this defense has been since adding LB Alexander Johnson and NT Mike Purcell to the starting lineup, yes — the Broncos can beat opponents like the Tennesee Titans and even the L.A. Chargers.
But what about the true powerhouses of the AFC? After all, the Broncos drew the second-toughest strength of schedule this year and the road ahead does not get any easier.
Denver gets the Kansas City Chiefs next week at home and while Patrick Mahomes and company are on a two-game skid, they remain one of the best teams in the Conference.
As good as this defense is playing, 16 points at home is not going to get it done vs. Mahomes. The next week, the Broncos will travel to take on a resurgent Indianapolis Colts team playing very well with Jacoby Brissett at the helm, before drawing a bi-polar Cleveland Browns squad that won in Denver last year.
Those are the three remaining games before the Broncos' Week 10 bye. From there, Denver gets one more swing at each of the team's three AFC West foes, while also facing four other opponents who each present daunting obstacles of their own in one form or another.
The Broncos can eek out a win here and there with the offense putting up 270 total yards and 16 points, like Flacco and company did in Week 6. But to fully morph into a force to be reckoned with, the Broncos need an upgrade at quarterback.
None of this is to take away from the inspired performances of offensive stalwarts like Phillip Lindsay and Courtland Sutton. And even the Broncos' O-line.
But it all comes down to the quarterback position. The NFL is indeed a 'got-man' league and the player the Broncos currently 'got' at quarterback is bereft of the type of dynamic talent that can elevate this team to the heights the San Francisco 49ers currently find themselves cruising at.
That's the real model GM John Elway is after. The Niners are running the same offensive system as Denver's, or perhaps it's better stated the other way around, and are playing a similar brand of stifling defense. They're 5-0.
The difference? San Francisco has a dynamic QB and the future of the position solved. Denver is still holding onto hope that Flacco can suddenly morph into John Elway circa 1997.
I'm not trying to be a downer. Because this defense is playing at an insanely high level under Vic Fangio and is the reason the Broncos have rattled off two straight wins.
We've seen young players emerge to change the face of the Broncos defense, and combined with the veteran wherewithal the team has in Von Miller, Kareem Jackson and Chris Harris, Jr., it could be enough to keep this team competitive. But remember, this team was 'competitive' in Weeks 1-4. But they still lost each and every game.
If as a team, you need everything else to be working at peak level in order for your QB to bring home a win, you've got a Trent Dilfer-type of problem. And that's where the Broncos find themselves currently.
Bottom line, with a QB playing at the level Joe Flacco is, I'm doubtful it'll be enough to keep up with the class of the AFC, like the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans, two teams the Broncos will combine to play three times in the remaining 10 games. But it's not as if Elway is devoid of options.
In two weeks' time, Drew Lock could be dressed and standing on the sideline. If there was any doubt in the front office before it made the decision to place Lock on injured reserve, hopefully the ensuing six games have pounded home the reality that this team needs Lock sooner than later — this year, not in 2020.
Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.
