Broncos Are Failing to Utilize New Defender to His Strengths

The Denver Broncos' new safety wasn't used properly by Vance Joseph vs. the Indianapolis Colts.

Denver Broncos defensive end John Franklin-Myers (98) and Denver Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga (9) work to bring down Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren (84) on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, during a game against the Denver Broncos at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos struggled when covering tight ends in 2024, partly due to inconsistency at the safety position. So, Broncos GM George Paton and head coach Sean Payton made an effort to improve in that area by going out and adding Talaona Hufanga, who can handle tight ends in coverage. 

The Broncos also brought in linebacker Dre Greenlaw to counter tight ends, providing them with two options against some of the top pass-catchers at the position in the AFC. However, Greenlaw has been working back from injury, which has put more coverage pressure on Hufanga. 

The TE Issue

Against Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren, Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph opted not to use Hufanga, instead throwing a lot at the rookie first-rounder with little success. By the time they got to the second half, the Broncos utilized multiple different looks to handle Warren, but it didn't work well. 

The Broncos' biggest success came when they put Hufanga on Warren, but it was minimal. One of the Broncos' popular strategies was to put Patrick Surtain II on Warren on third down, but this approach didn't help the defense, as the Colts exploited their receiver mismatches by using Surtain on the tight end. 

One of those mismatches was putting safety Brandon Jones on Josh Downs, which is a big advantage for the Colts. Jones is a good safety, but he does best working in zone coverage, especially in deeper zones. 

With Jones working down on a receiver, the Broncos had Hufanga playing that deep safety role in their cover-1 and cover-3 looks. While Hufanga can handle that, it isn’t his strong suit, and it can be overused. 

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Sep 7, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga (9) reacts against the Tennessee Titans in the first half at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Obviously, not having your coverage linebacker creates a significant need for adjustment. Still, Joseph believed he could replicate his results against the Tennessee Titans. That brings up an issue that Joseph has always had: adjustments. 

Even going back to his time as the Broncos' head coach, Joseph struggled when adjusting the defense when players got hurt. This was an issue the Broncos had last year, too, as he tends to stick with what he does, and it doesn’t work when certain players are missing, especially against certain teams. 

The 2023 Miami Dolphins loss and the 2024 Baltimore Ravens debacle are prime examples of the Broncos' defense missing key players and Joseph sticking to his guns. When you don’t have the key pieces to the puzzle, it's impossible to put it together. 

The Takeaway

This all comes back to the usage of Hufanga. It's not just Joseph failing to adjust for Warren and Greenlaw's absence. In the end, the Broncos struggled to handle the tight end in coverage, and their pass rush couldn't compensate, as the Colts' offensive line is genuinely strong and effectively shut them down. 

The concern is that this is who Joseph is and not something he can change at this point. There is a reason to stick with what your defense does best, but a competent NFL coordinator needs the foresight to recognize that without the key pieces, he can’t continue bashing his head against the wall.