
What is wrong with the Broncos defense? List is lengthy and fixes must come fast
New York TimesDenver Broncos linebacker Drew Sanders played the first four snaps of his NFL career against the Washington Commanders on Sunday. In each of the first two games, third-down penalties extended an opponent’s fourth-quarter drive when the Broncos had the chance to get the ball back. What follows is a closer look at Denver’s struggles defensively and where fixes could come as the Broncos head into a Week 3 road game against the high-powered Miami Dolphins: Screen game failures After the Broncos’ second preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers last month, Payton quipped that the next time his team’s defense properly executed against the wide receiver screen would be the first. The Commanders catapulted themselves back into Sunday’s game when Howell completed a 4-yard touchdown pass to Thomas on fourth down in the second quarter. We’re just going to focus more on it this week and, like I said, if we’re getting off the field on more of those third downs, we’re probably not even talking about it.” The Broncos were able to sack Howell four times Sunday, but their struggle to move the quarterback off his spot in the red zone continued.
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