There's No Quick Fix to Broncos' Defensive Woes
The Denver Broncos got embarrassed against the Miami Dolphins, and a large part of that falls on the defense and, ultimately, the man tasked with running the unit. There's no other way to put it.
Not everything is Vance Joseph's fault, but after Sunday's outing against the Dolphins, it's nearly impossible to say he should keep his job for much longer. While the absence of Justin Simmons wasn't on Joseph, he seemed lost when it came to calling plays to make up for Simmons' absence.
However, regardless of what happens to Joseph, there is no quick fix coming to address the Broncos' defense. Allow me to break it down.
The reality is that the Broncos were lacking true game-changers on defense, aside from Simmons and Patrick Surtain II. There are good players but not top players.
There are also a lot of young players, some of whom are rookies who need more time to develop and some of whom are second-year players who have failed to take the next step in development. The injuries to certain players haven't helped matters, either.
Losing Caden Sterns was a big blow. Simmons being out for an extended period won't help, either. And then there are the veterans who are supposed to provide stability.
Kareem Jackson isn't the same player he was in 2019. Alex Singleton is a good run defender but coverage isn't his strong suit. Zach Allen hasn't delivered as expected.
I could go on but firing Joseph, while certainly something that must be in discussion, isn't the solution by itself. Neither is begging a veteran defensive coordinator to come in to replace him. That just screams 'quick fix,' and the Broncos don't need any more of that.
If the decision is made to let Joseph go, the best the Broncos can do is give the reigns to a defensive coach who has never been a coordinator before but with the understanding that he is learning on the job. That means he gets the rest of the season, no questions asked.
If that coach were to show he can do some good things, even with the lack of talent, you can consider him as the permanent coordinator. If not, given that more evidence has shown that the Broncos need a full rebuild, you need to get a first-time defensive coordinator rather than an experienced coordinator who may have no patience for a rebuild.
Broncos fans shouldn't be afraid of first-time defensive coordinators. Dennis Allen and Ejiro Evero have shown they can do good things, even as the Joe Woods experiment failed. Don't fall into the trap of bringing in a veteran thinking that you've got a quick fix to the defensive woes.
By all means, fire away with the criticism at Joseph. He's part of the problem. But he's not the only problem. The issues plaguing the Broncos run deeper than him.
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