A fourth-quarter surge doesn’t make the Broncos offensive woes

The Denver Broncos win streak is over. After winning three in a row, the Broncos lost at home against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday by a score of 23-16.

I like when the Broncos win. That didn’t happen, so it’s time to use a short memory and get ready for the New Orleans Saints on “Thursday Night Football.”

I also like contemplating life and sports when driving around with the top down on my old Jeep Wrangler TJ! The following is a result of those trips during the week.

Buckle up, let’s take a ride through my thoughts.

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Character Not Tactics

Fans should not take much away from the surge of production from the Broncos offense in the fourth quarter against the Chargers. Broncos QB Bo Nix had a quarterback rating of 0.0 after the first half, and he didn’t do much in the third quarter either.

However, in the fourth quarter Nix started to heat up. Nix finished the fourth quarter with 189 yards passing, two touchdowns, 28 yards rushing, and a passer rating of 143.2. That’s a great finish after a terrible start, but is this something that can be duplicated?

I don’t think you can rely on this happening in a game where the defense is still bringing pressure. The Broncos offensive line, ravaged by injury, had Nix under duress for most of the game. Nix was only sacked twice, and he was only hit five times, but he was running for his life trying to make plays. When the Chargers called off the dogs and stopped sending pressure in the fourth quarter, Nix was able to thrive.

What can the Broncos offense take from scoring 16-straight points in the fourth quarter? According to TE Adam Trautman, it's more about character than tactics.

"When you get the offense going at the end of the game and you're down by 23, they're playing a lot of off (coverage).… pic.twitter.com/cNDZZWxMY9

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) October 14, 2024

They’re not going to face soft coverages when the game is at hand. It’s good the team didn’t give up, but they need to be better when a defense is putting up more of a fight.

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Superior Sutton

The Broncos don’t have enough weapons around Nix. Thank goodness they have wide receiver Courtland Sutton. While many insist he would be a No. 2 receiver on any other team, Sutton is the Broncos No. 1 receiver, and he plays like it.

Sutton is going to show up when the offense gets things going. In fact, he’s a big reason why they can get things clicking. Sutton is not getting the sheer number of targets that other receivers are in more high-powered passing games, but his target share ranks fourth in the league.

Against the Chargers, Sutton made another miracle grab for a touchdown. He’s done this quite a bit through his career, and Sutton has done it before when catching end zone throws from Nix. This time, Sutton brought in a one-handed catch while getting one knee down to secure the score. It was an amazing play, and Sutton’s catch was one of the best touchdown grabs in Week 6 – or this season!

COURTLAND SUTTON, ARE YOU SERIOUS?! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/SAgCNEtcsa

— PFF (@PFF) October 13, 2024

I really appreciate the effort that Sutton puts in on a weekly basis. While other pros would complain about the offense, the quarterback, the lack of passes, Sutton is just putting in the work. His play is key to the continued development of Nix in 2024 – and hopefully beyond!

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More Hurry Up?

Tempo can be used as a weapon in the NFL. The Broncos tried to go with no-huddle looks at times against the Chargers, but things didn’t work until the the end of the game. With the Chargers playing soft zone in the fourth quarter, the Broncos were able to make this game seem closer than it actually was.

Can the Broncos hurry into hurry up?

The simple answer is no. Going hurry up requires rhythm, and the Broncos have trouble establishing that – especially early in games. If they’re able to run the ball better than they did on Sunday, that would help the offense keep the chains moving. Once that happens, then perhaps a hurry-up look could be in the mix.

With dropped passes and fumbles against the Chargers, the hurry-up drives didn’t work for the Broncos. In fact, they were their own worst enemy on offense for much of this game. That comes down to Payton and his play-calling in addition to the players execution also must be improved.

@CecilLammey I’m just a digital marketing agency owner watching the Broncos on TV, but I feel like all season, the best I’ve seen Bo play has been in a 2 or 4 minute drill. And I know that’s not sustainable, but could they do it MORE at least? Honest question. #BroncosCountry

— Mike Hawkins (@HarleyBronco) October 13, 2024

We’ll need to see the offense improve when it comes to moving the chains if they’re going to use tempo as a weapon. It would be nice to see them establish a rhythm, then they could go into ‘fast break’ mode to put a team on the ropes. That can’t happen if they are continuously out of sorts.