How can the Broncos’ defense be even better in 2025? | Countdown to Camp

Welcome to the Broncos studio. I am your host and team reporter Lisa Nandez here with lead writer on denver broncos.com. Eric Dalala and Hall of Famer Steve Atwater. When you look back to last season, the Broncos defense was nothing short of dominant. From Zack Allen to Jonathan Cooper, they made the life for QBs in the NFL difficult. As we countdown to training camp, I ask you guys, how can this defense get better in 2025? Well, I’ll tell you, when you’re playing good defense, you have great statistics. you got turnovers, you know, you got uh lease yards allowed, all those different things. And so teams tend to get complacent and think that, hey, man, we don’t have to do much. But guess what? We got to pick up where we left off last year. First off, we got to get back to that point of where we were last year of being dominant, uh being aggressive, and uh I I don’t know many areas where we can improve, but we got to be at least the same as we were last year. Now, a couple of areas I would say penalties. We could decrease some of the penalties also a few more turnovers, but even those categories we were ranked relatively high. So, uh they they’ve done well, but they still got to get back to that point. Yeah. And I I think Steve, when you look at maybe some of the areas where the Broncos defense could have been a little bit better. Sean Payeyton talked about the the middle, the interior, kind of the spine almost of that defense. They went out, they resigned DJ Jones. They signed Dre Greenlaw and you’re hopefully getting Alex, you know, a healthy, energetic Alex Singleton back from injury. You add Taleno Hufunga. So, you’ve addressed that uh weakness there. And then the secondary, which I think late in the year when they dealt with some injuries, specifically at Riley Moss, there were a couple games there that were, you know, difficult, right? Like Cleveland Browns game, Jameus Winston threw for a bunch of yards. They addressed that as well by adding Jade Baron in the draft. So, I do think they’ve addressed some of those areas that they thought were maybe weak points, but I think what Vance Joseph said a few weeks ago really stuck with me, which is that other teams spent all off season looking at the Broncos, figuring out where are your weak points, and hey, late in the year, they’re going to try to use that as a formula to get after you. So, you’ve got to find a way to answer the bell there. And and I I think it really comes down to especially against the top teams in this league when you play a Kansas City, right? When you go and play the Philadelphia Eagles, when you play, you know, maybe the Green Bay Packers take a step this year and they’re in it late in the year. When you play those types of teams, can you make the necessary plays on third down and in the red zone? That to me is what stands out and can take this defense. I know they were what, third in scoring last year that they were great already, but to get to the playoffs to w, you know, compete for a championship and maybe even win a championship. If you’re going against Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, you got to be able to make that play in that moment on third or fourth down. And I think that for me is where this defense can take that next step. And when DJ Jones spoke to the media, he mentioned the importance of focusing on the details. He was like, “Vance Joseph has put us in a very good position. And now it’s up to us to really kind of hone in on those details to make ourselves better. Yeah. And that’s that’s up to each individual person, too, to go back and look at the film and see what areas uh can I get better in. You know, we we can look at as a safety, I know I would go and look and say, man, uh I was a little bit late on that play. Could I have lined up a little bit, maybe a yard or two closer and be that much closer to the play? So, I think every play, every player has to evaluate himself. It’s not always up to the coach to make those changes. You got to you got to put take it upon yourself to be the best that you can be. Yeah. And I feel like there’s no egos in that room. I feel like that entire defense, they pride themselves on saying like we’re all going to eat. So whatever I have to do, whether it’s the dirty plays and maybe I make the tackle, but someone else recovers the fumble. I feel like that kind of mindset for this defense is really going to help them in 2025. Yeah, I think this is a group that is just there’s this element of hey, we played well, but we lost in Buffalo and there were some plays we left on the field and so I think as a unit they’re ready to get back out there. And listen, I don’t think we can go this whole video without talking about the fact that the reigning defensive player of the year is coming back too. You know that guy. And the way that Patan played last year, you you hope that like he’s now got to live up to that again, right? And it doesn’t mean he’s got to win defensive player of the year again, but he’s got a standard to live up to now. And I think that if he can play that way and defenses or excuse me, offenses are going to avoid him even more, it funnels the ball elsewhere, other guys can make plays. But to me, it just feels like when you’ve got a a blue chip player like Certan, and then you’ve got pieces all over the roster, whether it’s a Nick Bonito or a Huanga, Brandon Jones, um Zack Allen, Jonathan Cooper, like there are some dudes on this defense. And uh it’s about putting it together and and like you said, Steve, going out there and kind of starting from scratch and and replicating it, getting back to that point cuz you’re not just going to you don’t just pick up where you left off without any work. You got to go do it. Yeah. And um I think that you got guys that have been there before that know what it takes to win. And when you have those guys, I I think in clutch moments, they when you look at them in the huddle and you see that look in their eyes, that that makes you a better a better team, a better a better uh defense knowing that you have playmakers and that uh they’ve been there before. Yeah. Well, Vance Joseph said that the respect for PS2 is only going to get higher and I know that’s going to come across the league and finding new ways to play against him. I know that wide receivers have been looking at his tape all off seasonason. Well, we appreciate you guys hanging out with us in the Broncos studio. As always, I’m your host and team reporter, Lisa Hernandez. Next to our lead writer on denver.com, Eric Dalala, and Hall of Famer Steve Atwater. Remember, we will be back with more analysis and coverage as we countdown to training camp.

As we count down to the start of 2025 Broncos Training Camp powered by Ford, join Hall of Famer Steve Atwater, team reporter Elisa Hernandez and lead writer Aric DiLalla in the studio to discuss how the Broncos’ defense can take another step forward this season.

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