It’s incredible what good quarterback play can do for the entire franchise. The Denver Broncos are now considered to have an elite coaching staffs in the NFL.
Ben Solak over at ESPN ranked every team’s coaching staff and the Denver Broncos jumped in ranking significantly over last year. Amazing what a franchise quarterback does to the perception of a team’s coaching staff, eh?
6. Denver Broncos
The Broncos’ leap from last season is the biggest change in these rankings. I was suspicious of Payton’s offense after a lackluster season with Russell Wilson, and I wondered what the ceiling was on a Joseph defense that had underwhelmed the past two seasons. They were both established, veteran coaches — but had the game passed them by?
Nope! Payton and Joseph both shredded. Payton’s offensive work was some of his best. The Broncos never had a good running game, and rookie quarterback Bo Nix looked overwhelmed early. By November, Payton had the team putting up 30-point performances on the back of swings, screens, sprint-outs and perfectly timed shot plays. Nobody got more out of less talent on offense last season than Payton. As Nix grows and reinforcements join the offense, the ceiling in Denver is very high.
Joseph’s work was familiar but still impressive. His defenses have generally paced the league in blitz rate, and last season’s unit was a respectable fourth. Only the Lions called more man coverage behind blitzes than Denver did, as Joseph weaponized an elite cover man (Pat Surtain II) while concealing shakier coverage linebackers (by sending ‘em, baby).
Defensive performance is volatile year over year, and Joseph coaches a particularly volatile brand of defense. But when it works, it sure does work. A great bounce-back season all around for the staff in Denver.
How in the world he ranked the Las Vegas Raiders under Pete Carroll above Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers is beyond me, but every AFC West team is in the top half of the league. The Broncos and Sean Payton won’t have an easy division, especially with Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs near the top.
To be the best, they’ll need to beat the best. However, the most underrated part of the Broncos this season may be Vance Joseph and that defense. If they improve upon a rather good 2024 campaign, this team may be a quiet contender this season. Still a long way to go before that becomes reality, but there is a lot to like about the Broncos roster right now.
What did you think of these rankings? Share in the comments section below.
Horse Tracks
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