Pat Shurmur needs to understand the Broncos winning formula

Sunday's dominant performance against the Cowboys was largely due to the offense finding an identity, something they need to stick with

BY JAMES MERILATT

Nov 8, 2021, 6:00 AM

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Raise your hand if you predicted that one. Don’t lie.

Virtually nobody saw this one coming. Who could’ve thought that the Broncos would go on the road and absolutely dominate the Cowboys?

None of the hosts on The Fan. That’s for sure.

It's an uphill battle today in Dallas for the #Broncos, as illustrated by The Fan's staff picks | Who are you picking today, #BroncosCountry? pic.twitter.com/J3yqDYcOus

— Denver's Sports Station 104.3 The Fan (@1043TheFan) November 7, 2021

And who could blame them?

The Broncos had lost four out of five games, with their only win being a lackluster victory over Washington in Week 8. Plus, they had traded away their best player, semi-waving the white flag on the season this past week when they shipped Von Miller to the Rams.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys had won six games in a row. After losing their season opener to the defending Super Bowl champions, Dallas was on a roll, boasting the best offense in football. They were getting Dak Prescott back, so there was no reason to believe it wouldn’t continue.

Add it all up and it looked like a laugher. There was a reason why the oddsmakers had the Broncos as a double-digit underdog.

Somehow, however, it went the opposite way. At one point in the second half on Sunday, Denver was up 30-0. They were dominating on the scoreboard and on the stat sheet. It was as much of a butt kicking as you’ll ever see in the NFL.

All of which begs one very simple question: How did the Broncos do it?

The answer is equally as simple. They ran the football.

On the day, Denver racked up 190 yards on 41 carries. Javonte Williams had 111. Melvin Gordon had 80.

As a result, the Broncos were constantly in good down-and-distance situations. This allowed Teddy Bridgewater to have a big day, as Denver’s quarterback finished 19-of-28 for 249 yards and a touchdown.

Take a deeper dive into those stats and it’s clear to see the formula. The Broncos ran the ball more than they threw it.

When they do that, they’re pretty darn good. The problem is that they very rarely follow this recipe.

Last season, they did it in Carolina. The Broncos ran the ball 30 times, while only throwing it 27. Not coincidentally, Denver put up 32 points, thanks it large part to Drew Lock tossing four touchdowns.

The Broncos didn’t learn their lesson. Pat Shurmur never followed that formula the rest of the season.

As soon as he could, the Broncos offensive coordinator went back to what he likes most. Almost immediately, Denver was going three wide and chucking the football all over the yard.

Not surprisingly, the Broncos lost their last three games. And this season, once again reverting back to bad habits, Denver’s offense was mostly anemic.

It seems counterintuitive, but the Broncos are actually more explosive when they run the ball more than they throw it. They generate more big plays when they loosen things up by dominating the line of scrimmage.

Against the Panthers in 2020, Denver didn’t have much of an option. They had a patchwork offensive line, so Shurmur was forced to dial things back and be more “conservative.”

Not coincidentally, the Broncos faced a similar situation on Sunday. Against the Cowboys, Denver was without Garett Bolles. And during the game, they lost Graham Glasgow. Down two starting offensive linemen, Shurmur had no choice but to keep the ball on the ground.

Sometimes, desperation is the best form of inspiration.

The offensive coordinator should’ve learned something last year. The lightbulb should’ve gone off after the Carolina game.

Unfortunately, it didn’t. Shurmur went back to his old ways as soon as the Broncos offensive line was healthy.

This time around, he can’t make the same mistake. He has to learn his lesson.

When Denver runs the football, they’re a pretty good offense. When that’s their identity, they’re a tough team to beat.

The Eagles come to the Mile High City in Week 10. The game plan against Philadelphia should look a lot like it did against Dallas.

It’s time for a heavy dose of Javonte Williams. It’s time for a lot of Melvin Gordon. It’s time for once again running the football.

The formula is simple. Here’s hoping Pat Shurmur understands it.