Fangio Puts Finger on Why Broncos' Offense Looked so Different vs. Dolphins
Heading into Week 11, Drew Lock’s turnover-heavy performances had twitchy fingers in Broncos Country hovering over the panic button. It was clear that the Denver Broncos' young signal-caller needed a helping hand from his teammates and coaches to settle his own jangling nerves.
Riding to the rescue was embattled offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, who skillfully managed to rework the Broncos' offensive game-plan mid-stream. Shurmur walked the line of better protecting the faltering Lock while caffeinating a running attack that was being criminally underused.
Shurmur jumped into his own football DeLorean and went back to Don Shula-era blocking schemes of yesteryear for a blueprint. As a result, the Broncos' athletic offensive linemen were free to move and block downfield, unleashing the dual attack of running backs Melvin Gordon and Phillip Lindsay on the Miami Dolphins.
After 10 weeks of all the separate parts failing to click, the Broncos finally had something that worked offensively, redounding to a dominant performance and productivity.
Many fans question why it took so long for Shurmur to scheme to the strengths of the Broncos' offense and take some of the load off of Lock. Earlier this week, head coach Vic Fangio put his finger on what led to the team's offensive epiphany.
“We showed some versatility in the offense—both in the number of guys that caught some balls and carried it,” Fangio explained. “It’s a direct result of being able to run the ball better. Any time you can run it a little bit better, it opens up things for a lot of guys. If you throw it a little bit better, it’ll open up the running game.”
It goes without saying that the better a team can run the ball, the more likely it is to be successful. But the wrinkles Shurmur threw into the blocking schemes were completely new. It was executed wonderfully but it started with the design.
Putting it all together as one cohesive unit, with the emphasis on playing old-fashioned complementary football, had proved elusive for Shurmur. The offensive line had not held up in pass protection across the board, resulting in Lock missing time and playing banged up.
Center Lloyd Cushenberry has been charged with anchoring the line in his rookie season but has struggled to find consistency. Left guard Dalton Risner has suffered without a veteran influence next to him at center and seems to have taken a step backward after his stellar rookie year.
That changed considerably last Sunday. Driven by left tackle Garett Bolles' continued Pro Bowl-level performances and Cushenberry’s sudden improvements, the entire group played up to its potential.
Fangio explained his belief that his rookie center has in fact been making incremental improvements through the first 10 games.
“I think Lloyd has done a good job of improving a little bit each and every week,” Fangio said. “That’s not surprising because of the type of guy he is. He’s very conscientious and has a lot of pride. He wants to uphold his end of the bargain as it relates to fitting in with the offensive line, executing his blocks, and doing his job as the center, which involves identifying fronts and how the line is going to work.”
Introducing the throwback blocking scheme that heavily featured pulling guards and tackles, as well as Cushenberry himself at times on the hoof, showcased the coaches' considerable confidence in the rookie's football IQ. Continuing to win the battle for the line of scrimmage holds the key to the Broncos keeping their playoff hopes alive.
“Miami plays some fronts that was popular in the 60s," Fangio explained. "Because of the way they play their defense, those runs were appealing to us. We put them in, and the guys did a great job of executing them.”
Credit to Shurmur for throwing the curveball even if it came at the 11th hour. It was a big leap of faith to trust that the new mix of ideas could be executed by such a young group of individuals on the fly. Bigger challenges lie ahead as opposing teams will undoubtedly adjust to the Broncos' scheme, but at least there's hope that Shurmur's inspiration can serve as a foundation to build upon.
Follow Keith on Twitter @KeithC_NFL and @MileHighHuddle.
