Pat Shurmur is only doing what the Broncos asked him to do

In Broncos Country, there is no love lost for Pat Shurmur. Denver’s offensive coordinator is pretty universally despised amongst the fan base.

At first glance, that’s understandable. The team’s offense is pretty hard to watch on a weekly basis.

They don’t move the ball (19th in total yards). And they don’t score a lot (23rd in total points). Every week, it seems like they stumble and fumble, floundering their way to another game with less than 20 on the scoreboard.

It’s bad. It’s boring. And Broncos fans have had enough.

They should be upset. The product on the field this season, and for the past five seasons, isn’t acceptable. Broncos Country is right to be fed up with the repeated nonsense.

But they shouldn’t blame Shurmur.

Yes, he’s in charge of the offense. But he’s only doing what he’s been asked to do.

No offensive coordinator wants to play a conservative brand of football. They want to dial things up, chuck it all over the yard and put up big stats. That’s how they get a reputation as an “offensive genius.” That’s how they become head coach candidates. That’s how they make big money.

Shurmur is no different. Like all of his colleagues, he’d love to have a dynamic offense.

But that’s not what he’s been asked to do. That’s not the way the Broncos play.

Think back to the beginning of the season. What was the formula for success for the Broncos in 2021?

They needed to rely on their high-priced defense to carry them to victory. The offense’s job was to simply avoid mistake. Don’t put the defense in a bad position and everything will be fine.

“Any drive that ends in a kick, even if it’s a punt, is a good one,” became the mantra. Just don’t turn the ball over. Flip the field. Help the Broncos play keep-away.

For the most part, the Broncos offense has done just that. A deeper dive into the statistics explains how.

Denver has only turned the ball over 17 times thus far. In 16 games. That’s impressive. It’s the sixth-lowest total in the NFL in 2021.

Check.

The Broncos are second in the NFL in average time of each possession and eighth in average number of plays per drive. That keeps the opposing team’s offense standing on the sidelines.

Check.

On average, Denver’s opponents start their drives at their own 26.7-yard line. That’s the third-best mark in the league. In other words, the Broncos offense does a great job of flipping the field, making teams put together long drives to score on the team’s defense.

Check.

They don’t turn the ball over. The hold onto the ball. And they flip the field.

That was the formula. That was the plan.

No one expected the Broncos offense to light it up this season. They weren’t supposed to be in the top-10 in yards or scoring. They weren’t designed to do any of those things.

It’s an offense designed to compliment the defense. And they’ve done that very well.

The opposite, however, is not true. The Broncos defense has not consistently helped out the offense.

With the money invested on the defensive side of the ball, Denver needs to make plays in that phase of the game. That’s where the high-priced playmakers reside.

Doing so would help out the Broncos offense. Give them a short field to navigate. Heck, put up points on the board.

For the most part this season, however, Denver hasn’t done that. They don’t make many game-changing plays.

The Broncos defense has forced just 19 turnovers through 16 games. That’s 19th in the league. Being in the bottom half of that category is unacceptable.

Denver’s offense has the 18th-ranked average starting field position in the league. Again, in the bottom half.

The Broncos have scored one touchdown on defense. That was Pat Surtain’s pick-six in a home win over the Chargers.

Typically, Denver’s defense can’t get off the field. They’re 22nd and 21st in the NFL in average drive length, respectively, in terms of time and plays. That leaves the Broncos offense standing on the sidelines, with limited opportunities.

By and large, the Broncos defense doesn’t do its part. It doesn’t help the offense.

They don’t provide a short field, either via turnover or forcing punts from deep in the opponents’ territory. They don’t make big plays. And they can’t get off the field.

That’s what they’re supposed to do. That was the deal. But they aren’t holding up their end of the bargain.

By contrast, the Broncos offense is doing their part. They’re executing in a manner that fits the formula. They’re following the plan that was put in place at the beginning of the season.

Pat Shurmur is an easy target, but he shouldn’t be the fall guy. He may not be a great offensive coordinator, but he’s not the villain in the Broncos wasted season.

An objective look at the numbers tells a different story. He’s done exactly what he’s been asked to do.

Follow @jamesmerilatt