Vance Joseph’s Diabolical Game Plan Stifled Jordan Love

Give credit to Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph for the adjustments he made to shut down the Green Bay Packers' talented quarterback in the second half.

Dec 14, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) is tackled by Denver Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto (15) while throwing downfield during the fourth quarter at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Entering Week 15, Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love was among the NFL's elite at going against man coverage. Meanwhile, the Denver Broncos were among the league's highest in man coverage rate.

It was a significant concern for the Broncos in this game, but defensive coordinator Vance Joseph stepped up and made the solution simple. Denver upset Green Bay 34-26.

Zone Coverage

With how good Love is against man, Joseph and the Broncos turned to zone coverage for 74% of their coverage snaps. Was it perfect? No, but it made a difference, as Love went 18-of-29 for 162 yards and a touchdown, with two interceptions, and was sacked three times against those zone calls. 

That would mean Love went 6-of-11 for 114 yards against man coverage. That was a 10-yard-per-completion difference between zone and man coverage, so Joseph was brilliant to switch it up and create the issues for Love that made a difference for the Broncos. 

That wasn’t the only change Joseph made that helped spark success for the Broncos' defense, which had to do so without starting safety Brandon Jones, who exited the game early with a pec injury. Jones has since been placed on injured reserve.

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New Blitz Looks

Dec 14, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) is sacked by Denver Broncos linebacker Jonah Elliss (52) during the third quarter at Empower Field at Mile High. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Joseph also made some necessary changes to what the Broncos were doing up front. Joseph loves his linebackers to double mug the A-gap and then blitz or drop from there. However, it had become stagnant, and opposing quarterbacks were not as fearful of that look as they had been earlier in the season. 

Opposing quarterbacks would either target the space vacated by the blitz or look outside if the linebackers dropped into coverage. The Broncos needed to add another wrinkle to the look to make it feared again. They did that against the Packers. 

All it takes is one play. If a team does something once, especially if it works, the opponent has to be wary of it from then on. That includes future opponents.

When the Broncos had their linebacker double-mug the A-gap and blitz, while Alex Singleton ran a twist that resulted in a big play for the defense, that was a successful play that will force opponents to watch out for it.

What opposing offenses were doing was collapsing their blockers to protect the interior, entrusting their tackles to one-on-one matchups with Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper, and also adding tight ends and running backs to chip. It helped ease the pressure up front and the dangers of facing the 'Orange Rush.'

When Singleton was sent on a loop outside, it changed the math for the blockers. Cooper was still taking the right tackle, but Singleton's delay left him mostly unblocked, drawing attention from the chipper. This was a wrinkle to make it a problem for opposing offenses once again. 

Still Must Perfect Zone Coverage

That said, Joseph and the Broncos will need to find a way to solidify their zone coverage. Even though the Broncos did a good job against the Packers, there were enough explosive plays that kept the Packers moving the ball in the first half. 

Joseph will also need to add more wrinkles to the different looks he gives upfront, because the 'Orange Rush' has not been as great as it was earlier in the season. The Broncos have still been good in rushing the passer, but they haven’t been great, and that's the life force of this defense, and it all starts with them.

The Takeaway

This was one heck of a game from Joseph, given the adjustments he made, but there is still room to improve. Even then, it's easy to see why he is such a favored candidate for the upcoming head-coaching cycle, and hopefully that doesn’t lead to issues come playoff time when he interviews for other jobs.