7 Things we've Learned About Broncos After Four Games

After a 3-0 start, the Denver Broncos took one on the chin against the Baltimore Ravens. While the Broncos did take care of business against the teams they were supposed to beat, their performance against a Ravens team pegged by some as a possible Super Bowl contender reveals that Denver still has plenty of work to do.

Although it's easy to get down on the Broncos after a loss, especially like the one against the Ravens, there were still some positives showed at times Sunday, and they have been there since the start of the season.

Of course, getting the negatives cleaned up is necessary for the Broncos to have a true shot at the playoffs. We'll see what the Broncos do against a Pittsburgh Steelers team that appears to be declining. But make no mistake: Pittsburgh isn't a team the Broncos can take lightly.

What have we really learned about the Broncos after four games? Here are a few takeaways worth noting.

1. Injury Bug Won't go Away

After all the players the Broncos lost to injury either for part or all the season in 2020, you would think the team wouldn't have so much bad luck in that department in 2021. But that hasn't been the case.

Thus far, the Broncos have suffered injuries to QB Teddy Bridgewater, WR Jerry Jeudy, WR KJ Hamler, OG Graham Glasgow, OG Dalton Risner, WR Diontae Spencer, RB Mike Boone, OLB Bradley Chubb, ILB Josey Jewell, CB Michael Ojemudia, CB Ronald Darby, and CB Patrick Surtain II.

While a number of these players are expected to return in the coming weeks, Jewell and Hamler are done for the season and it remains to be seen how much time Bridgewater, Spencer, and Surtain — all of whom exited Sunday's game at some point — will miss. Jeudy isn't expected back until the second half of the season.

It's not a given the Broncos would have won Sunday with most of these players healthy, but they certainly would have helped improve their chances.

Furthermore, it's clear that the Broncos can't afford to keep losing players to injury if they expect to beat the better teams in the NFL. Here's hoping the injuries stop piling up, and soon.

2. Bridgewater is Broncos' Best QB Option

Bridgewater hasn't been perfect this season, but he's given the Broncos a steady presence under center. He has good pocket awareness, good decision-making, and, for the most part, his throws have been on the money.

To be fair to Drew Lock, not everything was his fault Sunday. He had one good throw called back because of a phantom holding penalty on Garett Bolles, and there was one play in which it appeared Courtland Sutton ran the wrong route on third down, resulting in an incompletion.

However, Lock didn't have the same pocket presence and awareness that Bridgewater has displayed. And while Lock was generally good with the shorter throws, he was off-target on his deep throws.

If Bridgewater misses the Week 5 game against the Steelers, Lock will get a week to prepare. However, if he gets the start, it may be his last chance to show he deserves the job.

3. Players are Showing Fight... at Times

The good news is that, even after Bridgewater went down, the Broncos kept playing hard. The team isn't letting mistakes or setbacks get it down as it has in the past.

Simply having Bridgewater's veteran presence has been a good thing, but other veterans are stepping up as well. Von Miller, Kareem Jackson, and Justin Simmons haven't been flawless, but they're clearly bringing more fire to the defense.

On offense, you see players backing one another up as well, regardless of who is in the lineup. That's a good thing to have, and it will be important to keep that up in the coming weeks.

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4. Game Management Continues to be an Issue

Head coach Vic Fangio, to his credit, has been good at running a defensive scheme, getting players to play hard, and commanding respect from the locker room. However, he still needs to do a better job of managing the game overall.

There have been multiple instances of Fangio sitting on his time-outs when he could use at least one to stop the clock and give the Broncos more time to get the ball back. The Ravens game is the one that will likely come to mind first, but one could argue the same thing happened against the Jets a week earlier.

In order for the Broncos to close out against the better teams, Fangio has to be more mindful of the clock and how to utilize his time outs. His failure to do so Sunday isn't the reason the Broncos lost, but he can't afford to have a situation in which it becomes the reason.

5. Special Teams Still a Major Flaw

The Broncos gave up a long punt return Sunday and were fortunate it didn't turn into the second return touchdown they've allowed this season. And we don't need to be reminded about the kickoff return score allowed in Week 2 vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars.

There have been a few good special teams plays — case in point was Mike Ford doing an excellent job covering a late punt against the Ravens. However, the bad has outweighed the good yet again for this team.

I stand by my belief that coordinator Tom McMahon is only here because general manager George Paton wanted Fangio and all three coordinators linked together this season. However, should Fangio prove he deserves to return for 2022, Paton could allow Fangio to make changes, meaning McMahon may not be back, even if Fangio stays.

The only reason I don't see a change happening midseason is that Denver would need somebody on the coaching staff willing to take the job on an interim basis — if nobody will, the team would be stuck with who it has. However, after the season, the Broncos really have to think about a new special teams coordinator, regardless of other circumstances.

6. Miller is Making a Case for a New Contract

Plenty of people wondered whether Miller's time with the Broncos was nearing its end. In fact, it reportedly came close to ending this offseason, with the Broncos having an apparent interest in Leonard Floyd, before he re-signed with the L.A. Rams, and Denver then opting to exercise Miller's 2021 option.

Lo and behold, Miller is off to a great start for the season. He's logged four sacks in the first three games of the season. While he didn't get a sack against the Ravens, he had multiple pressures on Lamar Jackson and was a key player in the run defense, even tracking down the quarterback on a couple of run plays.

Miller may very well be the best overall player the Broncos have this season. He's doing a lot of things well, despite several players out of the lineup due to injury.

If Miller keeps this up, the Broncos are going to have to seriously think about extending him. He may be 32 years old, but he's showing no signs of decline. As long as his great play continues, the Broncos have to consider keeping him beyond 2021.

7. 2021 Rookie Class Providing Early Returns

The Broncos made 10 selections in the 2021 NFL draft and, while not all of them have become immediate contributors, those that are chipping in are showing a lot.

Surtain has missed on a few plays, but overall, he's doing quite well for himself. Here's hoping his chest injury won't cause him to miss too much time.

Javonte Williams has given the Broncos a great player to pair with Melvin Gordon in the running game. Williams' pass protection skills are good, he's a solid pass catcher and he's a tough runner, as shown by him dragging Ravens defenders in the second quarter to set up a Broncos touchdown.

Quinn Meinerz was called into action this week to start at left guard for an injured Risner and, while he wasn't great, he's shown he may be a better fit at guard than center. The potential is there for Meinerz to be a quality starter.

And the biggest surprise may be Caden Sterns, who followed his Week 3 performance with an even better showing in Week 4 by posting two key pass break-ups and two sacks on Jackson. That's quite a performance for a fifth-round pick.

If other draft picks emerge with quality play, the Broncos will have a strong group of young guys to build around — and it would be a big feather in the cap for Paton in his first season as Broncos GM.

Follow Bob on Twitter @BobMorrisSports.

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