Renck vs. Keeler: Staring at winless September, what is biggest concern with Broncos?
Denver Post
Renck: Tigirly Gold, a country music duo, began the national anthem Sunday with silent mics. The sellout crowd picked up the lyrics — it was the least they could do after counting down the play clock for Russell Wilson in 2022. The flyover plane was noticeably late. Then the Steelers kicked off and it somehow got worse. Welcome to the 2024 Denver Broncos season — now we stink more than ever. Rockies fans get tacos when the team scores seven runs. Will the same apply for Broncos Country if Denver scores seven points? Sean, the Broncos are staring at a winless September. Nothing new for coach Sean Payton, who has yet to win a game in that month in five tries with the Broncos. What is your biggest concern as they head out on a two-game road trip?
Keeler: Breaking Bo Nix. Mentally more than physically. Broncos Country is going to get tired of hearing this, but breaking in a rookie QB is a process. Usually a painful one. I pulled up the resumes of six Week 1 rookie starters at signal-caller, all their respective franchise “saviors,” from the draft classes of ’21 and ’23. Bryce Young — now benched in Carolina — took five starts before he got his first NFL win; Trevor Lawrence, same deal. Among Young (’23), C.J. Stroud (’23), Anthony Richardson (’23), Lawrence (’21), Zach Wilson (’21) and Mac Jones (’21), the average first victory came in Week 4. Consider yourself on notice, Aaron Rodgers.
Renck: The Broncos have been held to one touchdown over their first two games for the first time since 2006. The offense has all the rhythm of Elaine Benes dancing on “Seinfeld.” No run game is the low-hanging fruit. My biggest concern is more macro. Is Bo Nix going to suffer a crisis of confidence because of flawed game plans and waves of failure? He is mentally strong, but they must simplify the verbiage, the personnel groupings and go back to basics before Nix falls into a slump too deep to overcome. If I knew they were going to drop him back 45 times a game, and not bend to his college playbook, I would have advocated for starting Jarrett Stidham for the first month.
Keeler: Which neatly dovetails into my other big worry as Payton moves his team from Broncos Country to Waffle House Country: It still looks, at times, as if Sunshine Sean is trying to shoehorn his QB into the Saints offense circa 2018, rather than moving to a middle ground that helps Nix play to his strengths and build some confidence along the way. I get yelling to a rookie on the station platform that he’s got to figure out a way to jump onto a moving train. What I don’t get is the lack of an extended arm out from the moving train that helps said rookie find a foothold.
Renck: It’s time to shake up the rotation in the backfield. Tyler Badie had one carry for 16 yards vs. the Steelers. And Javonte Williams carried 11 times for 17 yards. Williams needs to come off the bench with Badie getting first crack. There is no secret this week. The Bucs will blitz. And the easiest way to stem the pressure is to crease the front with big gainers. It sounds easy. It is not. The Broncos’ struggles extend beyond the back. The offensive line lacks consistency. Left guard Ben Powers told me it is unacceptable and the group is taking it personally. That is an important step, but it will look hollow without many forward steps in the run game.
Keeler: With Mike McGlinchey going down, the line is suddenly lacking bodies, too. Look: Nothing gets right — not the offense, not Nix’s development — if you can’t lean on the running game as a base. Or, at worst, as a change of pace. Want to slow the likes of Tampa defenders JoeTryon-Shoyinka, Jordan Whitehead, Vita Vea, SirVocea Dennis and Lavonte David? Draws. Screens. Hot reads. Williams might’ve cut out the Takis, but it’s still taking too darn long for him to find the burst he flashed as a rookie.
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