2026 Broncos averaging fewest yards per play in franchise history… for now

The 2026 Denver Broncos offense is off to a historically bad start.

Right now, it’s the worst in franchise history in terms of yards per play.

Pro Football Focus shared the alarming numbers on Thursday morning.

Fewest yards per offensive play in Broncos franchise history

2026 4.40
1977 4.41
1976 4.59
1978 4.64
2001 4.66 pic.twitter.com/pLoAk64Jrv

— PFF (@PFF) October 22, 2026

The late 1970s were a different NFL — plus the Broncos had the Orange Crush Defense. They didn’t exactly need a high-powered offense.

And the 2001 Broncos severely underachieved as running back Terrell Davis fought various knee injuries and QB Brian Griese was pedestrian in his play.

But to think this version of Denver’s offense made the list is wild.

Yes, it’s only been six games, but Bo Nix still isn’t right mentally after two ankle surgeries and the Broncos have already switched offensive play-callers, moving from Davis Webb to Sean Payton after four contests.

An interesting nugget from 104.3 The Fan’s Zach Bye, co-host of “The Drive,” is also going viral.

A stat that shouldn’t be true but is…

The Nathaniel Hackett – Russell Wilson offense of 2022 averaged 73 more yds per game than this Sean Payton – Bo Nix led offense. Also separated by just 2 pts per game.

Sean called 2022 “one of worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL”

— Zach Bye (@byesline) October 21, 2026

For as much as the 2022 season was painful with head coach Nathaniel Hackett and QB Russell Wilson, they were running laps around the current version of the Broncos offense.

The good news is Denver has an elite defense and we’ve seen them ride that to Super Bowl appearances before. It happened in 1977, a team that’s on the PFF list above. And the 2015 defense famously led the team to a title in Peyton Manning’s final year.

Plus, we’re only about one-third into the season. A couple high-powered offensive games could swing these numbers in a hurry.

Nix, Payton, Webb and the rest of the Broncos offense will attempt to get things back on track on Sunday afternoon against the Arizona Cardinals.

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