Broncos 31, Chargers 28: Three Takeaways For the Future
Although Sunday’s contest didn’t impact the playoffs, it did lay the framework for the Denver Broncos of the future. In a hard-fought battle where Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley kept his starters significantly longer than expected, the game was more of a struggle than anticipated.
Let’s give the Broncos credit. After losing 12 games this season, they could have laid an egg. To their credit, the Broncos lit up the scoreboard with 31 points and closed this dark chapter in team history with a ray of sunlight.
As the Broncos organization turns to the offseason, a new coaching staff can use the game tape to accelerate the process of putting a winning product on the field. What else did we learn from the season finale?
Let's examine.
The Wilson We Knew
We finally saw the version of the Russell Wilson we expected when the Broncos sold the farm to acquire him. He fought through a drought of incomplete passes and led the Broncos' offense to multiple scoring drives.
The potency of the Broncos' run game, combined with using his legs, opened up passing lanes. Wilson threw for 283 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. This season's disappointing performance and the corresponding media backlash should help Wilson embrace a realistic view of the style of football he needs to play to be successful.
Jeudy a Budding Star
After a few tumultuous seasons, there is enough evidence to establish that Jerry Jeudy is a special player. In fairness, the third-year veteran played with quarterbacks incapable of showcasing his skills.
Against the Chargers, Jeudy was the essential piece in the Broncos' offense. Offensive coordinator Justin Outten deserves a heap of credit for using motion to get Jeudy in space and baiting the defense to think the elusive wide receiver would only run underneath routes.
The budding star had a breakout game and racked up 154 yards on five receptions. A prospective offensive coordinator will be licking his chops at creating game plans that take advantage of Jeudy's immense gifts.
A Well-Blocked, Coordinated Ground Attack
When the Broncos lost starting running back Javonte Williams in Week 4 to a season-ending knee injury, all hopes appeared lost for the Broncos to have a credible run game. Highly criticized second-year GM George Paton had to dive into the depths of finding players on opposing teams' practice.
Adding Latavius Murray to the roster from the New Orleans Saints practice squad returned a higher dividend than expected. The former 2015 Pro Bowler reignited the Broncos' rushing attack.
Against the Chargers, Murray ran with power and deceptive speed. He carried the rock for 103 yards on 15 attempts (6.9 YPC). Paton added speedy running back Chase Edmonds to the roster as part of the Bradley Chubb trade.
It's essential to recognize the contribution of the offensive line in creating massive holes for these backs to push through. Although the patchwork O-line struggled mightily in pass protection, they had the right mindset to take the fight directly to the Chargers' defensive line.
The happiest person to see the Broncos close the season with a victory must be Broncos CEO and part-owner George Penner. As he leads the search for a new head coach, he is better positioned to sell the dream.
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