Flacco on Broncos' Offensive Performance in Week 6: 'I Thought We Did Our Job'
Over the last two weeks, the Joe Flacco-led Denver Broncos offense has converted just five third-down attempts (on 25 tries). And yet, the team is 2-0 during that stretch.
On the heels of the Broncos' impressive defensive performance in which the Titans were not only shut out 16-0, but were also sacked seven times, held to just 39 yards rushing and had the ball taken away three times, Flacco was asked whether Denver's Category 5 defensive performance made his job any easier (duh).
“Obviously, the outcome of the game is going to be way improved when your defense is playing like that, no matter how your offense goes out and reacts to that," Flacco said from the podium following the game. "Offensively, obviously we weren’t great, but I thought we did our job. In a couple of situations, we were able to do what we needed to do to really make the game feel a lot more comfortable than it could have been.”
Much like his QB play, Flacco's answer is lukewarm. There's no doubting the Broncos offense "weren't great" and while it's true the unit did enough to get out to and maintain a lead, it was an embarrassing performance at worst and an impotent one at best. The Broncos defense dominated, carrying more than its fair share of the water.
“In some ways, it doesn’t always make it easier," Flacco said. "It’s awesome to see them play like that, first of all. It’s funny the way things go, when [a] defense is playing that good, sometimes as an offense you kind of get in the mode of playing conservative and then you kind of put yourself behind the sticks—a penalty here, a penalty there. In some ways, it makes us be more on top of our stuff and things like that.
Flacco went 18-of-28 passing (64.2%) for 177 yards. He tossed an interception that the Broncos defense was able to negate by forcing a three-and-out on the Titans' ensuing possession.
That Titans secondary is good. But it's not as if the Broncos are devoid of talent at the skill positions. Courtland Sutton was a second-round pick, Emmanuel Sanders is a two-time Pro Bowler, and Noah Fant is a first-round rookie, none of which mentions the Pro Bowler the Broncos have in the backfield in Phillip Lindsay and one of the best backup RBs in the NFL in Royce Freeman.
Those are weapons that a dynamic quarterback should be able to make some hay with, especially at home and especially with the defense wreaking havoc, taking the ball away, giving the offense short fields and extra possessions. Flacco's answer to the question above perhaps features a Freudian slip that reveals the real reason the Broncos were only able to put up 270 total yards on 14 possessions and fail to score at least 20 points for the fourth time this season.
Flacco's 12-year career has been spent mostly as a QB playing compliment to a dominant defense. With the exception of one whirlwind postseason, Flacco has never had to be the tip of the spear for his team. He's never had to do the heavy lifting. When he's had to carry the water, his teams have traditionally come up short.
And so, when the defense is smothering the opponent, giving the offense the ball back and providing short fields, as Flacco said, he gets "into the mode of playing conservative", instead of keeping his foot on the pedal and stepping on throats.
Again, that Titans defense is good. Flacco respected Tennessee's ability, especially on the back end of the defense, but is that any reason to batten down the hatches and play [John] Fox-ball?
"I think the one thing I would say is that you get a little less aggressive than maybe you should be just because you give them a lot of credit on the other side," Flacco said. "I think when we really turn the corner and become a really good offense, we’re not going to care really who we’re facing. We’re just going to go out and there and we’re going to do our thing the way we know how to do it. I would say that’s kind of a little bit of what I felt today.”
Was Flacco intimidated by the 2-3 Titans? If so, the implications are sobering, considering how tough the Broncos' remaining 10 opponents are.
There's a difference between recognizing your opponent's ability and playing smart, and playing scared in the face of it. Flacco played scared on Sunday and he felt safe in doing so because the Broncos defense was on fire, controlling the game.
The Broncos can win a game here and there with the defense playing like it did against the Titans. But converting 2-of-14 on third down, crossing the opponent's 20-yard line twice and playing not to lose is a recipe for disaster against quality opponents. It's not a sustainable model.
Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.
