Broncos ride Javonte Williams to biggest victory of the season
Nov 14, 2023, 6:52 AM
The Denver Broncos are on a three-game winning streak! On “Monday Night Football” in Week 10, they traveled east to play the Buffalo Bills and came out on top by a score of 24-22. It was likely a surprise for the national audience, but Broncos fans can feel the momentum the team has built over the last few weeks.
The team has clearly bought in on what head coach Sean Payton wants to do. On offense, the team is running the ball early and often. On defense, the bend-but-don’t-break defense is not breaking. Both philosophies are different results than what we saw earlier in the season – and they’re working.
After the game, Payton praised his team’s performance.
“A good win on the road. We felt the turnover margin was going to be significant, and it was. Normally, if you finish plus three—I think we were plus three tonight—you’d win by more, but we hurt ourselves offensively with penalties. In the first half, there were four different times we were third-and-10 or more, and there’s a penalty on the drive that’s putting us in those spots. We have to clean that up. I was proud of how we fought and hung in there. Defensively, we did a lot of good things against an explosive team. They’re a tough team to beat here especially when they come off a loss. I think they’re 33-1. I forget the number with this quarterback and this head coach when they come off a loss, but it’s pretty good. We felt good about the plan the week leading up to it. We’ll have a lot of good tape to watch, and we’ll stay here tonight and leave in the morning.” Payton said.
Here are three observations from the Broncos win over the Bills in Week 10.
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A heavy dose of Javonte
Over the last three games, all victories, the Broncos have unleashed their rushing attack in a way they didn’t earlier this year. Starting RB Javonte Williams is looking more like the player he used to be, and I believe that’s one of the biggest reasons why the Broncos are running more now than they did earlier this year. Williams is over a year removed from the multi-ligament knee injury he suffered last season, and he’s working hard as the centerpiece of the Broncos’ offense in recent weeks – all wins for Denver.
Running the ball is best for the offensive line as well. The O-line is not as problematic as they used to be, and they’ve had all five starters in this season for nine games. That’s something to note as we look at the good and the bad with the play up front. They’re a better run-blocking line than they are a pass-blocking line, so more running works towards their strength. They were not perfect up front, with C Lloyd Cushenberry (and others) having a rough night against the Bills. However, they did stick with their plan to run more than they passed and it lead to another win.
Behind Williams, rookie RB Jaleel McLaughlin is not producing as expected. He’s a fast player and an exciting prospect, but McLaughlin is small, and his pass-protection is still a question mark. That’s why at the end of the game, with the results up in the air, the Broncos turned to veteran RB Samaje Perine. A look at the box score shows only a few touches for Perine (1 carry, 3 catches), but he made plays to move the chains and keep the drives alive as the team was trying to keep (or get back) the lead in the final quarter.
Payton commented on how the team has turned things around since Week 3.
“It’s the NFL. I mean, credit (to) these guys. There’s a little toughness to this league. I keep saying it—there’s that fine line between a groove and a rut. You have to bow up a little bit and you have to demand it of each other at practice during the week. You win during the week. I felt like we’ve been practicing during the week better—a lot better. If you do that and you demand that of each other, then Sundays become a little bit less chaotic.” Payton said.
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There is no doubt that WR Courtland Sutton has a ton of heart. Over the three-game winning streak, we’re not seeing the Broncos fill the air with footballs. Instead, they’re running the ball to lead the way. However, when they do go through the air we see a lot of targets for Sutton – and for good reason. Against the Bills, QB Russell Wilson threw 29 passes and completed 24 of them for a very efficient night. Sutton saw a team-high 11 targets, and the second-leading target getter was Williams with only four. It was clear that the plan was to get Sutton as involved as possible, and like the rushing attack – it worked. Sutton’s game wasn’t perfect, but you can see the effort he puts forth regularly as a blocker and receiver. You can certainly see Sutton’s impact near pay dirt. His 7-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter was a thing of beauty. Wilson threw it up for the big man while under pressure, only to see Sutton make a grab going out of bounds yet getting both feet in bounds in the end zone. Not many can make that play, and it seems like when this team needs a big moment in the passing game it’s Sutton who is targeted and most often comes down with the rock. “It’s two of them now. From our bench, it was the same area in the end zone at Kansas City. Obviously, that was a significant play. It was a four-point play, right? That was third down. He has great hands in traffic. We didn’t have a good angle on it, but good play by him.” Payton said. *** The Broncos defense did a good job containing Bills QB Josh Allen. They were able to slow down the superstar quarterback as both a runner and a passer. The Broncos defense did not record a single sack against Allen, and they only had three quarterback hits. However, it did seem like Allen was under duress and that’s all you need to make plays on defense. Allen has arm arrogance as he can make throws into windows that most quarterbacks cannot even consider throwing. The Broncos did a good job of closing on the ball when Allen did try those tight throws. That’s why they picked him off two times, with one of those being from a deflection. Allen has a rocket arm, and his pass was too hard for WR Gabriel Davis to gather in. When the ball careened off his hands, S Justin Simmons was there to catch the pick. I said in this week’s “Mile High Monday” that it would be best if the Broncos kept Allen in passing mode. The team did that, and Allen did not beat them with his legs. Allen did have a rushing touchdown, but he only carried the ball four times for 13 yards. He’s one of the strongest and most dangerous rushing quarterbacks in the league, so keeping him contained that way as a runner is tough to do. The Broncos did that, and they did it by keeping him under duress. Payton appreciates how his defense can generate turnovers. “I said this to you guys. These guys cause fumbles at the top of the league with anyone. The team we just played. When you watch it, and you watch it, and you keep watching it, you start getting mad at yourself because it’s something that’s being coached and emphasized. I think those guys got tired of me talking about it. Defensively, we were on the other end of it. That was the difference tonight. Four takeaways—you finish plus three, you’re winning 98 percent of your games.” Payton said.
Payton knows Sutton is making plays near pay dirt. Duress is best
