5 Changes Broncos Must Implement to Fix Offensive Problems

While all the focus has been on the Denver Broncos' defense, the offense has its fair share of issues. The Broncos have managed 15 points in the second half this season, including an extremely lucky bounce-of-the-ball touchdown on the Hail Mary against the Washington Commanders.

Minus that miracle and the Broncos have nine total second-half points: three field goals on nine drives. Denver's other five drives in the second half have been a missed field goal, an interception, and three punts.

The Broncos have done next to nothing in both games in the second half. This team has to figure it out, especially if its defense is going to continue to falter.

Both sides of the ball have had 17 possessions and scored/allowed a score on nine drives. The Broncos' offense has turned the ball over twice while missing one field goal, with the defense forcing three missed field goals with one takeaway. Denver's defense can't get off the field, while its offense falls short in critical moments.

The Broncos can get a decent enough lead in the first half but then do nothing to keep that lead or eat out the clock. There is a way to do both, and Sean Payton knows it, but it's on the players to execute it.

So what offensive changes would bring that about?

Speed Up the Play-Call Process

The Broncos wasted a lot of time with how long it was tasking to get plays in. There were multiple instances where the Broncos' offense huddled with about 15 seconds left, only to break with around five seconds left. That needs to be sped up, but there's more to it.

Typically, play calls and substitutions are made with 20-25 seconds left. The Broncos are starting to get subs with about 20 seconds left, which puts the whole thing behind the eight-ball.

It was such an issue that Payton has spoken about it twice since the game. He held himself accountable while also laying part of the blame on the quarterback, and the problem does fall on both of them.

Both are NFL veterans, and there is no reason for the process to take as long as it has.

Use Playmakers Consistently

Marvin Mims Jr. showed what he can do on offense with his speed, catching two passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. Those were two of four touches against the Commanders. He also had two runs for 10 yards, which is quite effective for his play-to-snap ratio.

The issue is Mims played 16 snaps on offense. He had six total touches for 132 yards between both games, coming on 33 total snaps. He's a playmaker that Denver must find a way to utilize more often. Mims isn't the only problem here.

Courtland Sutton ended the game with five catches on seven targets for 66 yards. That's modestly impressive, right? Well, his first target ended in an interception with 10:33 left in the third quarter. He produced his stats with 22:32 left in the game. Why isn't he being utilized more often earlier in the game plan?

Samaje Perine had a great game against the Las Vegas Raiders, but he touched the ball just four times on 35 snaps against the Commanders. He averaged six yards per touch after averaging 6.5 yards per touch in the opener. His hand has been hot, with 5.1 yards per rush against the Raiders, but he got one carry against the Commanders.

The Broncos have a lot of playmakers, so ensuring everyone gets their fair share of targets is a challenge, and hopefully, it will balance out as the season goes on. The problem is they are going away from hot hands while sticking with the not-as-effective players.

What happens next on the Broncos? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

Commit to 'Bully Ball'

This point carries over from the previous point, particularly the bit about Perine. The Broncos have 41 designed runs as a team, picking up 176 yards or 4.3 yards per carry. That doesn't include scrambles by the quarterback, to be precise.

The Broncos' running backs have 36 carries for 149 yards, with 4.1 yards per carry. That isn't the best average, but it isn't terrible either. The problem is the Broncos built their offensive line to be a 'bully ball' offense, meaning a commitment to the run, but they haven't done that.

Williams and Perine are powerful backs, and with how the line was built, this duo can tire out a defense by committing to the run. The Broncos shouldn't be at 36 total runs over two games, not with how this offense was built.

The Broncos committed to the run with their personnel, keeping players over others because of their blocking ability. The team targeted players in free agency because of what they could bring to the run game.

If building up the run game was of such importance during the roster-building phase, then the Broncos need to commit to it when the games matter. Otherwise, Denver is trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.

Find Rhythm Faster After Scripted Plays

When on their early-game script, the Broncos' offense looked like a high-powered and efficient unit. Now, it's hard to say precisely when they get off the script as most teams implement a 20-25 play script to be used on the first two or three drives.

Going off 20 plays for three drives would be four touchdown drives the Broncos have managed on the script. Four of six touchdown drives come when on the script.

I have no clue why there is such a drop-off for the Broncos when they go off the script, but the coaching staff needs to figure it out. When they're off script, the offense has a closer resemblance to the 2022 unit than it does a quality offense for the NFL.

Speed Up Tempo

If the Broncos can speed up their play-call process, they can speed up their tempo. The Broncos waste too much time from play to play, and playing in Denver, Payton should want to keep the tempo elevated.

Whatever it takes to start speeding up everything for the offense. Speed up the tempo on offense, and you tire out defenses quicker, which can pay off later in the game.

While making some of these changes may not lead to significant improvements with the issues on offense overall, they could be enough. The Broncos are -3 in point differential, sitting at 0-2.

Improvements here could flip that.

Follow Mile High Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.

Subscribe to Mile High Huddle on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!