Broncos HC Hints at Correction Made to Beat QB Justin Herbert
As the 2-3 Denver Broncos take to the road for a showdown on Monday Night Football against the Los Angeles Chargers, getting some heat on quarterback Justin Herbert will be paramount.
Defensive game plans in the modern NFL revolve around disrupting the passing game whenever and however possible. Broncos' rush linebacker Randy Gregory is on injured reserve, so defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero is playing without a full arsenal at his disposal.
To compensate, Evero must keep his other edge-rusher, Bradley Chubb, playing at an extremely high level. Chubb currently ranks fifth in the league with 5.5 sacks, but it’s quite conceivable he tops that list if he posts some sacks on MNF.
The Broncos always hoped to get consistent production out of Chubb when he was selected with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft, and now they are.
Listening to head coach Nathaniel Hackett on Thursday, you realize just how important the 26-year-old's athletic skill set is to applying pressure and setting the edge.
“First and foremost, his ability to get to the QB has been very impressive—his power and his ability to come off and read run-to-pass and to be able to dip, rip, and get different moves," Hackett said of Chubb. "His ability in the stunts has been very good."
Chubb has affected the game in multiple ways.
"A lot of the sacks that we’ve gotten that he hasn’t gotten—he’s been a part of it because he’s flushed them up and push them into certain people," Hackett continued. "Just overall as a team, understanding where he needs to be has been very impressive. Then you still add in the ability for him to stop the run and set the edge—that’s been great. It’s just been all around. He’s really just been a good, sound football player. You add in that athleticism and confidence, and that’s where those explosive plays are coming for him.”
How the Broncos choose to attack Herbert might hinge on how many snaps they feel they can get out of young rush linebacker Baron Browning. The second-year former Ohio State Buckeye impressed mightily in a losing effort against the Indianapolis Colts until an untimely wrist injury forced him from the lineup.
On Friday, Evero admitted that Browning's past history as an inside linebacker brings some extra layers to what the Broncos can do, especially regarding coverage packages.
“Definitely, when you talk about the outside linebacker position, he does give you a little more coverage than you’re accustomed to in that position, so it’s been good.” Evero said of Browning.
Scheming to confuse Herbert is certainly worth a shot, but in the final analysis, the young quarterback's arm talent and mobility are hard to trump. Therefore, learning from their mistakes by letting the likes of the Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr break containment and move the chains will prove pivotal.
Hackett understands that the ability to set the edge and flush Herbert up into the pocket might just provide the recipe for success, and that's where Chubb comes in.
“That happened and we’ve got to correct that. We’ve corrected that. We’ve talked about that,” Hackett said. “That’s not necessarily Carr’s game, as much as Justin’s [Herbert]. I thought Carr did a great job in those situations. Right now, with Justin [Herbert]—we know that that’s something that he wants to do. We all just have to be on the same page—understand our gap integrity, understand our rush lanes, and do our best to not let him escape.”
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