{"id":645812,"date":"2026-01-01T15:35:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-01T15:35:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/645812\/"},"modified":"2026-01-01T15:35:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-01T15:35:11","slug":"broncos-season-will-get-sacked-if-denvers-defense-doesnt-produce-takeaways","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/645812\/","title":{"rendered":"Broncos’ season will get sacked if Denver’s defense doesn’t produce takeaways"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Broncos\u2019 D<\/a> is getting defensive as the F-word spews in their direction.<\/p>\n

The national narrative that embraced the Broncos after they trucked the Packers<\/a>, and has shifted: Denver is now a fraud again.<\/p>\n

This time, because the defense has gaps in its resume and does not produce turnovers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Well, come to think of it. \u2026<\/p>\n

The Broncos\u2019 defense will ruin dreams and cancel any chance of reaching the Super Bowl without getting sticky fingers.<\/p>\n

Sean Payton is starting to work himself into a lather about it<\/a>. The confidence. The belief. The anxiety. The concern.<\/p>\n

Yep, Payton is stirring the pot, getting riled up. And that means only one thing: Vance Joseph better be at his best.\n<\/p>\n

It is not fair, of course. The Broncos own a 13-3 record, in large part, because of how his defenders prevent points. But Denver needs more from them, more from him.<\/p>\n

This is a franchise with a fan base that knows what a great defense looks like. And this isn\u2019t it. Not yet, anyway. The Broncos are good, but they do not belong in the same sentence as the 1977 and 2015 fang droppers.\n<\/p>\n

And it has nothing to do with facing five backup quarterbacks. That is not their fault. They don\u2019t make the schedule or plan injuries.<\/p>\n

Defense is emotion. It is energy. It is a connection. And the Broncos feature all of it.<\/p>\n

Defense is a consequence for incompetence. The Broncos have displayed almost none of this. Opponents tiptoe away with black and blue eyes, but the defense remains in the red.<\/p>\n

We are watching an oxymoron.<\/p>\n

The Broncos boast a franchise-record 64 sacks, and, without a boost Sunday against the JV Chargers<\/a>, will set the mark for fewest takeaways in a single season. The current record is 13, set in 2008. The Broncos have 12.\n<\/p>\n

It makes no sense. It is like an ace mechanic who doesn\u2019t drive. Or a couple\u2019s therapist who isn\u2019t married. How can you generate this much pressure on the quarterback and not get turnovers?<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is crazy,\u201d cornerback Riley Moss said Wednesday. \u201cWe are first and second in almost every other category. And we rank tied for 28th in takeaways.\u201d<\/p>\n

These are the facts. And there is no hiding from them. Payton is not. Monday, the coach made it clear that the Broncos must improve their turnover margin, which sits at minus-5.\n<\/p>\n

It is no wonder that the talking heads across the country see smoke and mirrors in Denver. After 17 weeks, the Broncos are running a winning business that defies logic.<\/p>\n

They have won six games when losing the turnover margin. That is tied for the most in the NFL in a single season \u2014 ever. As in ever ever. Of the previous teams to do it \u2014 the 1996 Broncos, 1987 Chicago Bears and 1985 Raiders\u2014 none reached the Super Bowl. Or won a playoff game.\n<\/p>\n

So, yeah, ranking 25th in the turnover margin is a problem.\n<\/p>\n

The cynic in me screams that the offense deserves equal blame. It is a lot easier to jar the ball loose and force teams into compromised positions when protecting a double-digit lead. Or even an early cushion.<\/p>\n

The Broncos have 12 wins when trailing this season, the most in the league.<\/p>\n

So, let\u2019s not just pin this on Joseph. But that is where this conversation is headed.<\/p>\n

The offense is not built to get better. The skill position players, save for Courtland Sutton, came off the Nordstrom Rack. They are serviceable, but nobody\u2019s idea of explosive.<\/p>\n

Bo Nix makes up for the deficiencies with his ability to remain calmer than a lagoon in the fourth quarter. The clutch gene is a thing. And he has it.<\/p>\n

A magic wand he does not possess.<\/p>\n

Playmakers are not walking through the door. So, it is up to Nix to protect the ball and avoid sacks, which the offensive line does a wonderful job of erasing.<\/p>\n

The truth is as sobering as it is simple. The Broncos offense, barring the return of J.K. Dobbins before the Super Bowl, is not built to run away and hide. The group does just enough.<\/p>\n

Thus, the onus falls on the defense, where there is more talent, and improvement is possible.<\/p>\n

Enough is enough.<\/p>\n

It is not an indictment of Joseph. It is a plea. Unleash the hounds. Punch the pigskin.<\/p>\n

Of all the reputations on the line starting this Sunday, none is more tenuous than that of Joseph. He is a (heck) of a coach. But if he wants to become a head coach \u2014 and he deserves another chance \u2014 his defenders must show as much brawn as brains.<\/p>\n

The good thing is they know it. This bunch is close, selfless and self-aware.<\/p>\n

\u201cTakeaways are an issue, yes,\u201d Pro Bowl defensive end Zach Allen said. \u201cWe haven\u2019t played our best game yet. That is what we are striving for. Ideally, we would like to have done that earlier (in the season), but that\u2019s the exciting part. We know we can. And guys are handling it well.\u201d<\/p>\n

There is time this time of year. The NFL postseason will be volatile. There is no clear favorite, no dynasty, no team without flaws.<\/p>\n

The Broncos\u2019 defense has won all season without condiments. The players have fit in their alignments, executed their assignments, and turned offense\u2019s blue in the face with a vice grip to the throat in the red zone.<\/p>\n

That will not suffice this month. It is unnerving that takeaways are suddenly necessary now. But this is why winning a championship is so hard. It is about playing your best when it matters most.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t want this team to steal your heart, Broncos Country? Cross your fingers that the defense becomes a den of thieves.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is what we should want,\u201d Pro Bowl edge rusher Nik Bonitto said. \u201cWe think we are one of the top defenses, so we should want this challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n

Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver\u2019s teams.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Broncos\u2019 D is getting defensive as the F-word spews in their direction. The national narrative that embraced…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2062],"tags":[925,232,7244,5294,49536,1270,231,258,2426,7,601,929,262,6,84,1625,94166,4912,1514,1813,9,2833,505,2831,2832,1626],"class_list":["post-645812","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-denver-broncos","tag-bo-nix","tag-broncos","tag-broncos-country","tag-broncos-defense","tag-broncos-offense","tag-courtland-sutton","tag-denver","tag-denver-broncos","tag-denverbroncos","tag-football","tag-j-k-dobbins","tag-latest-headlines","tag-los-angeles-chargers","tag-nfl","tag-nfl-playoffs","tag-nik-bonitto","tag-nordstrom","tag-pro-bowl","tag-riley-moss","tag-sean-payton","tag-sports","tag-sports-columnists","tag-super-bowl","tag-troy-renck","tag-vance-joseph","tag-zach-allen"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/115820582093578851","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/645812","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=645812"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/645812\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=645812"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=645812"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=645812"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}