Broncos’ Path to Contention Hinges on Fixing These 3 Fatal Flaws

The Denver Broncos have to fix these three problems to meet 2025 expectations.

Nov 24, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton gestures towards down judge Frank LeBlanc (44) against the Las Vegas Raiders in the fourth quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos exceeded all predictions in 2024, and expectations are subsequently riding high this season. However, there are three areas in 2024 where the Broncos struggled, requiring vast improvements for the upcoming season. 

There are more than three, but the ones we're highlighting today stand out as the most significant. If the Broncos are going to meet and even exceed 2025's expectations, improvement needs to be shown in the following areas.  

Rushing Offense

This is the most obvious area the Broncos have to improve after having one of the worst rushing offenses last season. They made two big moves to improve by signing running back J.K. Dobbins and drafting RJ Harvey, but will it be enough? 

There has been a lot of talk about the Broncos having the run game infrastructure in place, but a growing concern is emerging. The offensive line had issues in run-blocking in the preseason, and this is an even greater concern with the poor blocking the Broncos have dealt with from their tight end position. 

Improving the run game isn’t only about upgrading the running backs. The Broncos need their offensive line to step up, while also getting the improvements from their tight ends. If anything is going to keep Denver's rushing attack from improving, it’ll likely be the blocking more than the ball carriers. 

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Rushing Defense

Sep 8, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Denver Broncos defensive tackle D.J. Jones (93) celebrates a holding penalty against Seattle Seahawks guard Anthony Bradford (75) for a safety during the second quarter at Lumen Field. | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

One of the concerns with the Broncos is the limited improvement of their rushing defense. Yes, free-agent safety Talanoa Hufanga and linebacker Dre Greenlaw will help, but the Broncos lack a force in the middle of their defensive line, which is what they arguably needed the most. 

Even with D.J. Jones re-signed, a solid run defender, he is only average. In the Wildcard Round of the playoffs last January, the Buffalo Bills showed how to handle him. Jones couldn’t handle the power of the Bills' interior blockers or their double teams, and that trickled out from there. 

Adding to the issues was the inability of the Broncos' outside linebackers to set a hard edge. They, too, got manhandled by the Bills' tackles. When you add those two components together, you have a collapsing defensive front that puts more pressure on the second-level defenders. 

How Hufanga and Greenlaw will help is by addressing the downhill crashing from the safeties and linebackers, which was problematic last year. The issue here is that they are still second-level defenders, and to really improve the Broncos' rushing defense, they need to hold up on the front line. 

Penalties

Oct 27, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) is held by referee Mike Morton in the second half against the Carolina Panthers at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Last year, the Broncos were called for only eight more penalties than their opponents, so they weren’t astronomically more penalized, unlike the New York Jets, who had 33 more penalties than their opponents. 

With eight more penalties called on them than their opponents, the Broncos were hit with 218 more yards given up by penalty than their opponents, the third-most in the NFL. That means those eight penalties averaged 27.25 yards, and that's where the Broncos need to clean up their act. 

It can be hard to win games when you are giving up so many more yards to penalties than your opponents. In their losses last year, the Broncos were penalized 17 times more than their opponents, resulting in -180 yards. 

Only in two of the Broncos' losses were they penalized fewer times than their opponent, and only one of them had their opponent hit with more penalty yards than they were. In two losses, a single penalty had a significant impact on the outcome of the game. 

Penalties are going to happen, but they can’t be as lopsided in terms of yardage as they were for the Broncos last year. A repeat would hinder them from reaching their expectations. This could be a sneaky way the Broncos drop games in 2025, if they don't clean it up.