Broncos get back to basics in victory
Dec 12, 2017 - 12:53 AM ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- The Denver Broncos' equation for success had not changed: Avoid egregious errors on offense and special teams, get an early lead and play pressure defense that forces the opponent into mistakes.In 2015, it worked to give them a world championship. In 2016, even with Peyton Manning retired, it was still enough to push them to a winning season.
But in 2017, the Broncos lost touch with it, enduring their longest losing streak in 50 years. Their quarterbacks couldn't protect the football effectively, and they couldn't play the type of football for which they were built.
Sunday against the Jets, with their season all but over, they rediscovered it.
"Before we could stop the losing streak, we had to stop beating ourselves," Broncos general manager John Elway told KDSP-AM 760 in Denver on Monday afternoon.
That's what the Broncos did in a 23-0 win that snapped an eight-game losing streak.
When Trevor Siemian took chances, he looked downfield and gave his big targets, Demaryius Thomas and Cody Latimer, chances to win jump balls. When obvious opportunities weren't there, he threw the ball away.
When the special teams were on the field, they didn't try to make the spectacular play, with fumble-prone punt returner Isaiah McKenzie having been benched for the steadier Jordan Taylor.
Instead, Taylor fielded the ball, took his opening and averaged 12 yards per return.
The result? A no-turnover game, a by-the-numbers approach, and a game that saw every Jets possession begin no closer to the Broncos' goal line than the New York 25-yard line. With that sort of buffer zone, the defense attacked, thrived and got its first shutout in 12 years.
"You don't really ever go into a game saying, 'I'm not going to turn it over. I'm not going to get strip-sacked.' You just say, 'I'm going to have a good, smart process about everything,'" Siemian said.
But at the same time, Siemian knew he had to attack with a different mindset.
"There's going to be times in the game you're smart, but you're aggressive at the same time," he said. "There's been a couple of times this year where I've been stupid and aggressive, which you can't be. You just want to have a good process."
Because he finally did, the Broncos ended a losing streak they never saw coming.
"It's been a long time," Broncos head coach Vance Joseph said. "To give guys T-shirts for playing well and just to watch the joy in the locker room is fun."
--As is the case for the team as a whole, the 2017 season has not been what inside linebacker Brandon Marshall hoped it would be.
Marshall has remained relatively healthy, and so far has avoided the injuries and pain that's stalked him in the previous three seasons.
But he hasn't made many big plays, befitting a defense that leads the league in total yardage allowed but frequently hasn't been able to find the big, game-changing play that could have altered the complexion of the season.
That changed for Marshall on Sunday. During the Broncos' first defensive series, he burst into the backfield and brought down Jets running back Elijah McGuire for a 3-yard loss, one of three tackles for losses he had in the game.
Two plays later, he stripped Jets quarterback Josh McCown of the football, setting up an Adam Gotsis recovery that led to a touchdown pass two plays later.
"I did some self-study this week to see how I could improve my game," Marshall said. "I felt like I just haven't been as aggressive this year in coverage and in the run game. So I just decided that I would shoot my shot more. I would take more chances, more calculated risks. It obviously paid off."
It isn't enough to save the season, but it could be enough to keep more of the team together than some would have expected throughout the week.
"We don't want the whole team to get blown up. No one wants that," Marshall said. "It was headed that way, and it could still head that way if we don't win. I think we just need to keep winning so people can keep their jobs."
--The Broncos' ground game was not spectacular on Sunday, but it did see frequent work against the Jets' stout front seven, as C.J. Anderson, Devontae Booker and fullback Andy Janovich combined for 71 yards and a third-quarter Janovich touchdown on 32 carries.
The Broncos' 35 overall runs -- including three carries by quarterback Trevor Siemian -- gave them more runs than pass plays in a game for the first time since Week 4. They are 4-0 this season when they run more often than they throw.
"I thought (offensive coordinator) Bill (Musgrave) called the game to help us minimize mistakes, he helped call a game to help us keep drives alive and to keep the third downs manageable," Broncos head coach Vance Joseph said of his new offensive coordinator, who was promoted to replace the dismissed Mike McCoy three weeks earlier. "It was fun to see."
Twenty-two of the carries were by C.J. Anderson, which represented his heaviest workload since Week 2.
"I'm a little sore today," Anderson said Monday. "I took some shots (from the Jets) and I delivered some shots, so that's on me.
"I watched the tape, and I can play with better pad level. I'm a little sore today, but I'll be ready to go Thursday, that's for sure."
NOTES: QB Trevor Siemian had his first start without an interception since Week 4, completing 19 of 31 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown Sunday. Siemian's 90.8 passer rating was his first of above 75.0 in his last five starts. ... RG Ron Leary missed a second consecutive game because of a back issue. He has not practiced in the last two weeks. According to a report from KUSA-Ch. 9, the Broncos are expected to place him on injured reserve. Connor McGovern would continue starting in his place. ... NT Domata Peko sat out a second straight game because of a sprained MCL that he suffered against the Raiders two weeks ago. The Broncos are expected to remain cautious with Peko, but hope he could play against the Colts. ... S Justin Simmons suffered a "mild" high-ankle sprain on the first series of the game and did not return. Simmons came into Week 14 fresh off the first pick-six of his career, a 65-yard interception return for a touchdown in the loss to Miami. He is considered "day-to-day," Broncos head coach Vance Joseph said. ... QB Paxton Lynch missed a second consecutive game Sunday because of a high-ankle sprain suffered against the Raiders on Nov. 26. ... S Jamal Carter suffered a shoulder bruise against the Colts on Sunday. He is expected to play against the Colts.
REPORT CARD VS. JETS
--PASSING OFFENSE: B - Trevor Siemian played within himself against the Jets. He didn't force throws into coverage, he allowed his receivers the chance to adjust to passes in flight, and when no one was open, he rolled out and threw it away. The result was an efficient, if unspectacular game that was a perfect complement to the Broncos' defense and was the kind of game the Broncos had been looking for. It was only the Broncos' second game this season without an interception.
--RUSHING OFFENSE: C - Breakaway runs weren't there for the Broncos on Sunday, but the offense showed persistence on the ground, and it paid off with a 1-yard scoring plunge by Andy Janovich in the third quarter. Denver's willingness to stick with the run also allowed it to win the time-of-possession battle while shortening the game and limiting the risk for its turnover-prone offense.
--PASS DEFENSE: A-plus - Statistically speaking, it was perhaps the most dominant performance in the NFL this year. Denver's defense held the Jets to just 41 net passing yards -- a piddling 1.64 yards per pass play -- and allowed just one first down through the air. Denver's pass rush was effective at preventing Josh McCown and Bryce Petty from having any time to throw.
--RUSH DEFENSE: A-minus - Denver's defense overcame the loss of Domata Peko and Derek Wolfe to stifle the Jets, limiting them to just 59 yards and 2.6 yards per attempt. Just one of the Jets' 23 attempts went for more than 10 yards, and Broncos defenders tackled Jets ball carriers behind the line of scrimmage six times, including three by Brandon Marshall and two by Von Miller.
--SPECIAL TEAMS: B-minus - Jordan Taylor replaced Isaiah McKenzie on punt returns and was as efficient and error-free as the Broncos hoped he would be, averaging 12.4 yards on his five returns without a fumble. Brandon McManus sent all six of his kickoffs to the end zone, but missed a 29-yard field-goal attempt in the second quarter. Curiously, all seven of his missed field-goal attempts this season have come at home; he is 12-of-19 in Denver, but 9-of-9 on the road. Overall, it was unspectacular, but it was error-free.
--COACHING: B-plus - This was the kind of game plan the Broncos needed. The offense played within itself, sticking with the ground game, taking judicious shots downfield and setting up Trevor Siemian to throw it away when an open target was not available. They played to their strengths in a way they had not been able to since September, and it made all the difference.
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