A lack of a pass rush plagued the Broncos in loss to the Raiders

The Denver Broncos don’t look much different this season. The offense did look better with QB Russell Wilson running the Sean Payton system, but they still did not score 17 points. That’s why the Las Vegas Raiders won their seventh in a row against the Broncos by a score of 17-16 in Week 1. It was a terrible way to start a season that had so much hope – and so much hype – because of HC Sean Payton.

After the game, Payton was blunt in his opening statement.

“Look, obviously, (it was a) disappointing loss. It (was a) hard-fought game that we kind of felt that (at) halftime this was going to come down to a possession. We didn’t make enough plays. There’ll be some things we like that we see on this film and then there’ll be some other things we have to correct. I thought the penalties were a tick high for us. That’s going to hurt us, but we defended the run well. (We’ll) kind of go from there,” Payton said.

Here are three observations from the Broncos loss to the Raiders in Week 1.

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Russ Was Fine

I think the offense lacked some punch, but there were really no issues with the play of Broncos QB Russell Wilson. He was doing what this scheme asks him to do. Wison was on time with his throws for the most part, and I liked the rhythm he established early in the game.

When plays needed to be extended, Wilson would do that. He did a good job of keeping his eyes down the field while extended the play with his feet. Wilson wasn’t thinking about running immediately, and he wasn’t holding onto the ball too long waiting for a deep shot to develop. He ran the system well, and the offense did seem to stall when they got near pay dirt. This system will work with Wilson under center, but it’s not going to be a dazzling offense featuring those beautiful ‘moon ball’s that Wilson likes to throw. Instead, the Broncos offense is going to dink-and-dunk their way down the field.

That’s fine, and it will take time off the clock, but you need more points and more touchdowns when you use up that much time. Instead of their long drives paying off, the Broncos had missed opportunities when they could have moved further into scoring position.

Overall, I think Wilson looked comfortable – and he seemed to agree with that sentiment at the podium.

“The relationship that Sean and I have — understanding offensively what we want to do. I think the creativity, the diligence of all our coaches but also us players as a collective effort. We have a lot of work to do, just because it’s a long season. It’s going to be something that we’re going to do everything we can to be our best. I feel great. The only thing I’m disappointed (about is that) we didn’t come up with a win tonight. That’s really all that matters and it’s all we really care about. We’ll get better next week,” Wilson said.

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No Pass Rush

I was expecting more from the Broncos pass rush. Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo had a clean jersey at the end of the contest, and the Broncos defense did not register a single sack. That’s simply unacceptable in today’s game, and it’s especially egregious when you consider the talented pass-rushers (and their high-dollar contracts) the Broncos have.

Randy Gregory is one of the best in the game when he’s healthy. He rarely stays healthy for long, and Gregory has never played a full season in his pro career. However, it’s Week 1 and he was as healthy as he’s going to be this season and could not get home against the Raiders. It was a disappointment for Gregory, and I was shocked he didn’t get at least one sack.

Jonathon Cooper is one of my favorites on this team, and he’s been brilliant this offseason when it comes to effort and flashing potential. Against the Raiders, Cooper did not get a sack against Garoppolo. Yes, Jimmy G can scoot a little bit, but he’s not what I would call a scrambler by any means. With Coopers upside, I thought for sure he would flash and get people excited about his future in Week 1. Guys like Nik Bonitto and Frank Clark did nothing to make the quarterback uncomfortable in the season opener.

Payton admitted they have some things to work on in the pass-rushing department.

“Well look, I was satisfied with how we played the run. We knew (Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo is) someone who’s got a quick release. We’ll have a chance to see the tape. I don’t like him stepping up in the pocket. We kind of lose contain on that last play where he gained a first down rushing. We’ll see the tape and get better a better feel for that,” Payton said.

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Who Scares You?

One of the main problems with this team is that there are not enough playmakers on offense. Their rushing attack is basically thunder and thunder with RB Javonte Williams and RB Samaje Perine. Both are powerful backs who can be tough to bring down when they build a head of steam. However, neither are what you would call explosive or a big-play threat. The one running back who is speedy and dangerous, rookie Jaleel McLaughlin, could barely get on the field against the Raiders.

Without WR Jerry Jeudy, I expected to see more from WR Courtland Sutton. He did get a touchdown but finished the game with only four catches for 32 yards. The Broncos needed Sutton to push for nearly 100 yards in this game. I thought WR Brandon Johnson looked good early with two big catches, but that’s all he did in Week 1, finishing with two catches for 31 yards. Wilson spread the ball around, but the guys on the other end didn’t do much after the catch.

Perhaps it would have been different if TE Greg Dulcich had stayed healthy. He flashed a bit for Wilson, but Dulcich suffered a leg injury and missed most of the game because of it. Dulcich can move the chains as a receiver but must get better as a blocker. However, as a weapon he can be used effectively – especially in the red zone where the Broncos offense seemed to stall on Sunday.

Losing Dulcich to an injury was something both Payton and Wilson commented on after the loss.

“Greg is definitely a threat in the passing game and the running game, but I think passing game — what he can do. When he went down, all of these other guys stepped up—(Adam) Trautman stepped up. I think he’s such a playmaker. Dulcich, there’s so much he can do. Obviously if you have Dulcich in and Jerry, I still think we should have won that game,” Wilson said.

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