Denver Broncos Customized Jerseys

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Despite the Broncos record Jared Veldheer Jersey , and the optics at a glance, the Denver offense has shown improvement this year. There is an explosive component to this offense that hasn’t been there in years past.Denver has also finally found a consistent running game. After three years of hearing “we want to establish the run” or “we want to lean on the running game” from the various coaching staffs, the fans are actually seeing the product on the field.The Broncos rank 3rd in the league in total rushing yards, and 1st in the league in yards per attempt.However, it’s the passing game that while it produces some explosive plays, just cannot get things done when it counts.“3rd down and red zone”I probably bring up this quote at least once a month during the NFL season, because I love it so much. David Shaw, head coach at Stanford is one of my favorite coaches and he described quarterback play in the NFL as 3rd down and red zone. That’s what sets the greats apart from the “stat stuffers” or “fantasy quarterbacks”. Sure it’s fun to rack up yards between the 20s on 1st and 2nd down, but where quarterbacks make their money is in those critical spots for their team.3rd DownSo how has Denver’s passing offense fared on 3rd downs? First of all, it’s critical to understand the importance of a passing offense in this spot and why the quarterback must be effective on 3rd downs. If you have a strong running game like Denver has, is there as big a need for the quarterback and passing offense to shoulder the load on 3rd down?In short, yes. In today’s NFL, 3rd down is essentially the quarterback’s down. Out of the 3,129 3rd down plays across the league so far this year, only 21% have been runs. That is because the league average for yards to gain on 3rd down is 7.1 yards (Denver is right at league average). Of the times teams have run the ball on 3rd downs, 50% of those runs have come when the offense had less than six yards to gain. So when offenses have less than six yards to gain, it’s about a 50/50 split whether they run or pass on 3rd downs. Thus, offenses are passing the ball 80% of the time on 3rd downs. So, if you want to convert and be efficient on offense, you’re quarterback has to at least show up on 3rd down.Unfortunately, this is precisely where Denver has failed in the passing game.Case Keenum currently ranks 31st in the league at converting on 3rd downs at a paltry 22.5%. Additionally Connor McGovern Color Rush Jersey , Denver ranks 7th in the league on sacks given up on 3rd down with 12. In a future post, I’ll be breaking down each of those sacks to look at who’s to blame - the offensive line, or the quarterback, so more to come on this.At first glance, when looking at raw stats like completion % or QB rating, Keenum’s performance doesn’t necessarily dip that much when it gets to 3rd down. Which is why it is important to look at more telling metrics like success rate and yards per attempt that take into account the context of the situation. For instance, when passing on 3rd down, Denver has averaged around 8 yards to gain for a first down. Compare that to Case Keenum’s average yards per attempt on 3rd downs, at 5.6, and it becomes clearer that while he may be completing passes, they are falling short of the needed yardage. In fact, Keenum’s Y/A on 3rd down drops nearly three yards per attempt from his first down Y/A. This leads to Denver being one of the worst teams in the league at not only converting on 3rd down, but on gap between yards needed versus yards actually gained.I broke this down in a handy chart.3rd Down DifferentialTmGamesPlaysYardsToGoYds GainedDifferentialRank1st%TmGamesPlaysYardsToGoYds GainedDifferentialRank1st%(here is a more mobile friendly chart)As you can see, Denver is 28th in the league at closing the gap between the needed yards on 3rd down, and actual yards gained. On average, Denver’s passing game is four yards short of their needed yardage on 3rd downs, with the league average being around two yards.This is why regardless of how effective your running game is, the quarterback and passing game is critical to the success of the offense as a whole - and Denver hasn’t just been not good in this area, they have been downright bad.Red ZoneThe second critical area for an offense is finishing when in scoring range. This is where things begin to really look ugly for Case Keenum.Keenum’s QB rating drops nearly 40 points when inside the red zone, and his completion percentage drops over 20%.This is even more of a startling drop off considering Case Keenum was a top five quarterback in the red zone last year. I mentioned this a little bit last week while on Orange and Blue 760. Case Keenum threw 15 touchdowns last year in the red zone with zero interceptions, and six of those went to Kyle Rudolph. Another deep dive I will be doing in the future is a look at Keenum this year in the red zone https://www.broncosfanstore.com , so stay tuned, but not having a go-to guy down in the red zone has clearly been an issue for Keenum and Denver’s offense.When looking at the numbers like this, it is easy to see why Denver has struggled so much this year, and why fans are not happy with the quarterback play. This is just the start of a series of posts on this topic, but it begins to paint a picture of just how bad the passing offense has been in key situations. You just can’t win in the NFL with this kind of play. If the Denver Broncos want to improve their fortunes this year or next, this has to be where they start. There is something ominous about a must-win game in Week Five.That’s where the Denver Broncos sit as they head east to face the New York Jets on Sunday. Yes, there’s that sense for the game, but also for what lies ahead; especially if Denver loses. After New York, in two of the next three games the Broncos host the Los Angeles Rams and are on the road for the Kansas City Chiefs.As Adam Malnati and I talked about on the latest MHR Radio Podcast, if Denver (2-2) gets back on track against the Jets (1-3), it doesn’t guarantee squat, but it’s a heck of a lot better than the alternative. If the Broncos lose, they’re staring down a four-game losing streak, and, in the best case scenario, will win one of six games. Not to compound that ominous sentiment, but Denver’s lack of success on the road doesn’t help. In the last six games played in the East Coast, the Broncos are 1-5. Overall, in the last nine road games they’re 1-8 and 4-13 in the last 17. Buckle up, Broncos Country.Offensive RankingsDenver: Thirteenth in overall offense (383.3 yards), third in rushing (148.3) Denver Broncos Customized Jerseys , 19th in passing (235.0) and 25th in points (21.0).New York Jets: Twenty-ninth in overall offense (289.3 yards), tied for 25th in rushing (88.0), 27th in passing (201.3) and 21st in points (22.3).Defense RankingsDenver: Seventeenth in overall defense (366.8 yards), eighth in rushing (93.8), 20th in passing (273.0) and 17th in points (24.3).New York Jets: Thirteenth in overall defense (355.5 yards), 16th in rushing (108.3), 14th in passing (247.3) and 13th in points (22.3).Here are our keys to the game. Run. The. Damn. Ball If you read MHR after the loss to the Chiefs, it seemed all of our stories hammered Bill Musgrave for the lack of running game, play calling and whom he had on the field in key situations. There’s a reason for that — the Broncos offensive coordinator played a major role in their loss. For the life of me, over two days later, I still can’t wrap my head around calling 22 run plays and rookie Royce Freeman gets only eight. Eight freaking carries for a guy Kansas City still hasn’t tackled. And he wasn’t on the field in the most crucial drive of the game midway through the fourth quarter. That has to change on Sunday. As the stats show, it’s what Denver does well and the Jets can’t stop. Run the damn ball, and get Freeman 15-20 carries. — Ian St. Clair Take advantage of matchups Sign up for FanPulse, our weekly Broncos survey.When the Broncos do pass, Keenum needs to find crossers over the middle of the field. The Jets are an elite pass defense on the boundaries but their backers are exploitable in coverage. I talk about this in GIF Horse, but the Jacksonville Jaguars did this masterfully. — Just_JoRoPaging Von Miller The Broncos need a bounce back game, and their star linebacker is taking a little flack from fans right now. Miller is supposed to be a game changer, but the last two games have seen him vanish a little. With a rookie quarterback under center for the Jets, this seems like the type of game that Miller could tar over. With the lack of turnovers created by the defense, pressure on the QB could lead to a few picks, and strip sacks. Miller needs to be a true game wrecker Denver Broncos T-Shirts , and the defense needs to grab some turnovers. — Adam MalnatiPete Trifecta First: Cut Devonte Booker. Any playing time he has is stolen playing time from Freeman and Phillip Lindsay, who I have watched pass block plenty well.Second: Feast on a rookie QB. Listen to Chris Harris Jr and stay aggressive. Don’t give up the easy plays.Third: Start Chad Kelly. Guess what? Last I checked, he hits receivers/tight ends running free down the sideline in stride for touchdowns. He doesn’t overthrow them by a country mile. — Pete Baron Utilize Courtland Sutton One pleasant surprise we got from Monday Night’s loss to the Chiefs was the rookie receiver. He showed us the unique ability to maintain focus on passes, even when wearing defenders as a blanket. This isn’t new to those who have been watching him since training camp, but it is something that should continue. He’s big and strong, and knows how to make plays. I feel like whomever is throwing to him just has to get the ball within his radius and you will get the effort it takes to make the catch. I look for the second- and third-string players to be more impactful this week. There’s too much talent not to take advantage of it. — Casey Barrett Calm the f@$k down! This is for players, coaches and fans. Focus on playing mistake-free football. No hook-and-ladders, no end-arounds (well, OK, one of those with Emmanuel Sanders scoring a touchdown is fine), no putting Shaquil Barrett in coverage downfield. Play aggressive pass-rush defense with the Orange Rush and utilize the playmakers on offense. I know it’s trendy in here to call for more Freeman, and I’m not against that, but mostly I would do anything that takes advantage of Andy Janovich’s talent because he’s the true hero in that rush attack and apparently is damn good catching 32-yard passes too. — Laurie Lattimore-Volkmann The MHR Radio Podcast is now on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher and TuneIn. Please subscribe to the one that fits your fancy, and also rate and review what you hear.What are your keys to victory for the Broncos?