Over the course of this four-game losing streak, the Denver Broncos' defensive front has been exposed. There has been a concerning lack of consistent pass rush from anyone not-named Von Miller and Dre'Mont Jones, and Denver's run defense is getting exploited due to injuries to its linebacking corps stacking up.
With the Broncos entering a 'mini-bye' week, the coaches need to use this time to make some changes upfront. It's unfortunate that nose tackle Mike Purcell suffered a significant finger injury in Cleveland that will cause him to miss "a couple weeks", but Denver should let him take the time he needs to recover.
Even if he wasn't hurt, changing things up on the defensive line, and specifically, Purcell's role, was something that needed to happen anyway. His play has not been good, and it's been palpable with the Broncos missing starting linebacker duo Alexander Johnson and Josey Jewell.
With a dearth of veteran linebacker talent and the poor play from Curtis Robinson and Justin Strnad, it's the biggest reason why Vic Fangio needs to make some D-line changes. The Cleveland Browns targeted Denver's linebackers and rushed the ball at will.
The Broncos' rushing defense is an obvious, glaring weakness now that opponents will find easy to exploit — unless Fangio does something about it personnel-wise. But what changes are reasonably within the team's power to implement?
Here are three that could have a palpable, quantifiable effect on the Broncos.
1. Shuffle the Starting Four
The first change the Broncos need to do is switch their four-player line. Keep Von Miller as a 7-technique edge defender, play Dre'Mont Jones as a 5-technique, and then go with Shelby Harris and DeShawn Williams as 3-techniques.
From there, Denver should rotate Shamar Stephen and McTelvin Agim along the front to relieve guys as needed. These slight tweaks would be a better fit for the 1.5-gap defense Fangio has been playing upfront, especially with all the injuries at linebacker.
2. Rush Linebacker: Promote Jonathon Cooper
The Broncos would keep a rotation of Malik Reed and Cooper opposite of Miller, with the rookie becoming the starter. Cooper's play jumped off the field on Thursday night, demanding more playing time whether Miller is on the field or not.
3. Secondary: Two Safeties & a Dime-Backer
From there, the Broncos fill the secondary with five defensive backs which is a traditional theme for Fangio's defense anyway. Keep three corners out there or use more of the promising rookie safety, Caden Sterns, and bring Kareem Jackson closer to the line of scrimmage.
Upside Gain Comes with Downside Risk
In order to make some defensive gains, Denver has to change things up to help cover its issues at linebacker, and whatever the solution ultimately is, it'll come with some downside risk. My suggestions here wouldn't be a significant change from what Denver currently does.
This shuffling might put the middle of the field at risk with one true linebacker on the field and Jackson playing a dime-backer type role, but it's already vulnerable, and this look could give Denver options to cover it up.
The Broncos already run three-down linemen with two edge rushers. The difference comes from taking one linebacker off the field for an extra defensive back. It would give Denver a more balanced D-line, with the emphasis on the pass rush.
Can't Get any Worse
Strnad and Robinson have proven themselves to be liabilities and one of the objectives of this shuffling would be to take one of them off the field. With what would be essentially a 3-3-5 defense, Fangio could be a bit more creative with his looks, which the Broncos aren't getting currently from his 4-2-5. This could be even more beneficial when rookie third-round linebacker Baron Browning returns from his concussion suffered in Week 6.
Bottom Line
While it's unlikely Denver will make these obvious changes, as Fangio has resisted publicly any notion of schematic and/or personnel adjustments, such a shuffling makes sense with the injuries piling up and what has transpired on the field. Fangio is coaching for his job, but he seems to be set in his ways.
Even if it calls the curtains on his head-coaching tenure in the Mile High City.
Follow Erick on Twitter @ErickTrickel.
Follow Mile High Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.
Subscribe to Mile High Huddle on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!
"make" - Google News
October 25, 2021 at 02:08AM
https://ift.tt/3ErF8cP
Three Changes Vic Fangio Must Make to Revitalize Broncos' Depleted Defense - Sports Illustrated
"make" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2WG7dIG
https://ift.tt/2z10xgv
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Three Changes Vic Fangio Must Make to Revitalize Broncos' Depleted Defense - Sports Illustrated"
Post a Comment