Ziggy
11-19-2012, 05:31 PM
This defense has completely turned itself around this season. Some of the reasons why are obvious. Some are not. I thought we might take a look at all of the reasons this defense is beginning to dominate, and how it all came together.
1. Jack Del Rio is the real deal- It took a while for the personnel to catch on to this complicated system and trust each other, but now that everyone is buying in, it's beginning to come together. Players are staying with thier assignments, allowing Del Rio to run multiple fronts and personnel sets.
2. The Broncos have the best defensive player in the NFL- Von Miller is unstoppable. Not only does he lead the league in sacks, but he leads the league in TFL as well. He's dominating both phases of the game.
3. Getting Joe Mays off of the field- That's when the turn around began, and it's no coincidence. That wasn't the only reason, but it was a major one. Giving Mays garaunteed starter money and not going after one of the many legit MLB'ers that were available in free agency is probably Elway's biggest error yet as a GM.
4. The emergence of Chris Harris and Tony Carter- These kids can flat out cover. We knew from last season that Harris was a good nickel corner. This year he's proven that he's a good starter. Carter has picked up where Harris left off last season.
5. The Dline- While you don't hear much about these guys outside of Elvis and his 8 sacks, the big uglies are keeping the linebackers clean. This may be the biggest key to a Del Rio defense. Wolfe, Vickerson, Bannan, Unrein, Jackson, and Ayers have all done a great job of taking up space and keeping blockers occupied. Watching the LB'ers fly around the field only happens when they can stay clean. Wolfe's numbers may not be eye popping, but he's doing a phenomenal job as a rookie Dlineman. You won't hear a lot about these guys, but they are the #1 factor outside of Von to the success of this defense.
6. The emergence of Wesley Woodyard- As I just stated, he's staying clean which is allowing him to use his speed and athletic ability. He rarely has to scrape off blockers and he's taking advantage of it. He has a nose for the ball.
7. The safety play has improved by leaps and bounds this season- Mike Adams is a solid vet. He knows where to be and he gets there. He's not flashy, but he is solid and reliable, as is Jim Leonhard. Don't hear Rahim Moore's name being called much any more? That's because he's stopped making the mental errors that cost this team big plays last year. His tackling is much improved and the game seems to have finally slowed down for him.
With DJ back and working in the middle, this defense should get better. He brings two things to this defense. 1. More speed at the MLB position. 2. The ability for our linebackers to play against any offensive set in base D. With him and Woodyard on the field together, you have 2 guys that can cover backs and TE's over the middle. It's rare to have that in the NFL, but the teams that do normally have very good defenses. Chicago and San Fran come to mind. The place that this is really going to pay dividends is against teams that run a no huddle offense. I expect DJ to take a few weeks to get into game shape, but he should be a big addition.
Doom is on pace for for 13 sacks. That would be phenomenal if he wasn't on the same team as Von, who is on pace for 21. Together, they have helped the Broncos lead the league in sacks so far this season. Did anyone else read that? The Broncos are leading the league in sacks this season. This defense is fun to watch again. After years of frustration, this team has the coaching, talent, and scheme to become dominant on the defensive side of the ball. Elway has done a great job of filling in the gaps with productive vets and adding young talent. Here are some of the moves he's made on the defensive side of the ball since he's been GM:
1. Re-signed Champ, Vickerson, and Woodyard.
2. Signed Brookings, Adams, Porter, Leonhard, and Bannan from free agency.
3. Drafted Von, Wolfe, Moore, and Jackson.
4. Signed Harris and Carter as undrafted free agents.
There's not a big contract in that entire group outside of Champ, who is well worth what he's getting paid. My hat's off to Elway, Fox, Del Rio, and the entire organization. The Broncos have gone from having the worst defense in the NFL when Elway took over this team, to having a top 6 defense so far this season. They have a legitimate shot to be top 3 by the end of the year. He's done it without any desperation moves in free agency or the draft, and all the while building a superb offense as well. This is how championship teams are made.
1. Jack Del Rio is the real deal- It took a while for the personnel to catch on to this complicated system and trust each other, but now that everyone is buying in, it's beginning to come together. Players are staying with thier assignments, allowing Del Rio to run multiple fronts and personnel sets.
2. The Broncos have the best defensive player in the NFL- Von Miller is unstoppable. Not only does he lead the league in sacks, but he leads the league in TFL as well. He's dominating both phases of the game.
3. Getting Joe Mays off of the field- That's when the turn around began, and it's no coincidence. That wasn't the only reason, but it was a major one. Giving Mays garaunteed starter money and not going after one of the many legit MLB'ers that were available in free agency is probably Elway's biggest error yet as a GM.
4. The emergence of Chris Harris and Tony Carter- These kids can flat out cover. We knew from last season that Harris was a good nickel corner. This year he's proven that he's a good starter. Carter has picked up where Harris left off last season.
5. The Dline- While you don't hear much about these guys outside of Elvis and his 8 sacks, the big uglies are keeping the linebackers clean. This may be the biggest key to a Del Rio defense. Wolfe, Vickerson, Bannan, Unrein, Jackson, and Ayers have all done a great job of taking up space and keeping blockers occupied. Watching the LB'ers fly around the field only happens when they can stay clean. Wolfe's numbers may not be eye popping, but he's doing a phenomenal job as a rookie Dlineman. You won't hear a lot about these guys, but they are the #1 factor outside of Von to the success of this defense.
6. The emergence of Wesley Woodyard- As I just stated, he's staying clean which is allowing him to use his speed and athletic ability. He rarely has to scrape off blockers and he's taking advantage of it. He has a nose for the ball.
7. The safety play has improved by leaps and bounds this season- Mike Adams is a solid vet. He knows where to be and he gets there. He's not flashy, but he is solid and reliable, as is Jim Leonhard. Don't hear Rahim Moore's name being called much any more? That's because he's stopped making the mental errors that cost this team big plays last year. His tackling is much improved and the game seems to have finally slowed down for him.
With DJ back and working in the middle, this defense should get better. He brings two things to this defense. 1. More speed at the MLB position. 2. The ability for our linebackers to play against any offensive set in base D. With him and Woodyard on the field together, you have 2 guys that can cover backs and TE's over the middle. It's rare to have that in the NFL, but the teams that do normally have very good defenses. Chicago and San Fran come to mind. The place that this is really going to pay dividends is against teams that run a no huddle offense. I expect DJ to take a few weeks to get into game shape, but he should be a big addition.
Doom is on pace for for 13 sacks. That would be phenomenal if he wasn't on the same team as Von, who is on pace for 21. Together, they have helped the Broncos lead the league in sacks so far this season. Did anyone else read that? The Broncos are leading the league in sacks this season. This defense is fun to watch again. After years of frustration, this team has the coaching, talent, and scheme to become dominant on the defensive side of the ball. Elway has done a great job of filling in the gaps with productive vets and adding young talent. Here are some of the moves he's made on the defensive side of the ball since he's been GM:
1. Re-signed Champ, Vickerson, and Woodyard.
2. Signed Brookings, Adams, Porter, Leonhard, and Bannan from free agency.
3. Drafted Von, Wolfe, Moore, and Jackson.
4. Signed Harris and Carter as undrafted free agents.
There's not a big contract in that entire group outside of Champ, who is well worth what he's getting paid. My hat's off to Elway, Fox, Del Rio, and the entire organization. The Broncos have gone from having the worst defense in the NFL when Elway took over this team, to having a top 6 defense so far this season. They have a legitimate shot to be top 3 by the end of the year. He's done it without any desperation moves in free agency or the draft, and all the while building a superb offense as well. This is how championship teams are made.