Broncos OC Pat Shurmur & Teddy Bridgewater Push Back on Lack of Sutton/Patrick Targets Criticism

Over their last six games, the Denver Broncos are 4-2, but their passing game has been inconsistent. The Broncos have been able to rely on their running game and defense, but when necessity has demanded it, the passing game has not answered the bell.

The Broncos are starting to forge an identity on offense but the inconsistent passing game is problematic. We can surmise one of the reasons for a lack of aerial production is a concerted effort to protect the football with Teddy Bridgewater.

Minimizing turnovers can be a significant boost to a defense and the running game, allowing an offense to grind out the game, take up a reasonable amount of time off the clock, and limit the defense's exposure.

Such a stringent conservatism offensively has a huge domino effect on the other aspects of the team, however. Denver's passing game has shown that it can't be the primary weapon, even in a pinch, which is a problem when the team gets behind.

Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur took to the podium on Thursday and addressed the relative lack of targets to the recently-paid wideout duo Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick.

"Just points and wins," Shurmur said. "Yeah, the important thing is to win and then certainly when you score points, because we are all charged with scoring points. We had nine drives the other day [against the Lions], and we scored on six of them."

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While it's true that winning is paramount, the passing game is the fastest way to score points. When the Broncos fall behind, having that weapon ready to go in the arsenal is key so that the offense can score points quickly to get back in the game.

Shurmur went on to say that targets will come for Sutton and Patrick and how each game has a different offensive complexion, which is fair. When the Broncos have a multi-score lead, obviously, running the ball is par for the course especially as efficiently as Shurmur's unit has been doing it. Unfortunately, that will cut into the targets for the receivers.

However, Sutton has been targeted just 20 times with a paltry 10 receptions over the last six games. That speaks to a lack of rhythm and connection between the receiver and quarterback. Either that, or the passing concept isn't conducive to involving the Broncos' top boundary playmakers.

Those issues are not huge concerns when the Broncos are winning ball games and can impose their will with the ground attack, but when that isn't the case, the lack of rhythm and chemistry in the passing game will come out in the wash — as it has.

Shurmur's remarks echo that of Bridgewater, who dug his heels in on the 'Hey, we're winning' trope earlier this week when the topic of a lack of Sutton/Patrick targets was broached by media.

“At the end of the day, we’re winning," Bridgewater on Wednesday. "That should be the most important thing. No matter how we do it or who has a great game. I’ll point out—I watched the New England Patriots play last Monday. I think it was the first football game I watched all year. The quarterback threw the ball three times. You think anyone was in the locker room pouting?”

Touche, but goes beyond Sutton. Over the last four games, Patrick has been targeted more frequently, with eight receptions on 19 targets. Uncharacteristically, Patrick did drop two targets against the Lions, which could have happened for multiple reasons.

Jerry Jeudy has had his fair share of targets as part of the offense since he returned in Week 8 but it has been a combination of him, the tight ends, and the running backs garnering the lion's share of Bridgewater's passing attention. That can effectively balance out the running game, especially with a lead, but Sutton and Patrick are two of Denver's most dynamic playmakers.

Even though the Broncos have been able to run the ball, there needs to be more of a concerted focus to get Patrick and Sutton involved. However, the Broncos can't force it because that can lead to turnovers.

There is a simple thing Shurmur can do to mix things up that could catch the defense off-guard and get the wide receivers involved. And it would only have to happen a couple times per game.

It's becoming more and more effective to line up a wide receiver in the backfield and Denver has three options there. The Broncos could line up one receiver in the backfield and get a mismatch against a linebacker, or hand it off to say, Sutton, and let him throw it deep to Patrick down the field. These are options, among others, that the Broncos need to start exploring.

Shurmur has to find a way to keep Sutton and Patrick involved without it coming off as contrived. It needs to be done before the Broncos are put in a position where they have to rely on their passing game, which could very likely happen over these last four games as the team pushes for the playoffs.

If the Broncos are unable to get their passing offense cooking when situations demand it, it could be too late to salvage it, and the offense will collapse. This responsibility also falls on Bridgewater and the offensive line to look for those receivers, be willing to take some chances and provide more time for the quarterback to make the reads.

Follow Erick on Twitter @ErickTrickel.

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