While the sack numbers are a bit off pace to the previous two seasons, the pressure rate is actually higher. The Denver Broncos defense is forcing quarterbacks to get rid of the ball quick or face the consequences.
- 144 quarterback pressures. 12 more than second place.
- 74 combined sacks and QB hits. 15 more than second place.
- 51 quarterback hits. 11 more than second place.
- PFF’s top ranked pass rush grade. Best pass rush win rate.
The reason the sacks are off pace is due to the competition this defense has faced. These quarterbacks are really good at avoiding sacks: Patrick Mahomes x2, Trevor Lawrence, Matthew Stafford, and Brock Purdy. Those guys have a combined 41 sacks between them. The other three quarterbacks Denver
faced: Justin Herbert, Jacoby Brisset, and Sam Darnold have a combined 59 sacks between them.
Of the remaining eight quarterbacks on the schedule, four quarterbacks are in the Top 5 in sacks taken and all but Josh Allen and Kirk Cousins are in the Top 10. Those sack numbers should start to stack for this Broncos defense down the stretch.
Broncos daily recap
Broncos focused on taking care of business against Panthers
The Denver Broncos have a shot to be 7-2 before their bye week if they can topple the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
How the Denver Broncos can beat the Carolina Panthers
The Denver Broncos head on the road to face the Carolina Panthers in Week 9. Here is how they can earn their seventh win of the season.
Broncos vs. Panthers: 3 Things to Watch in Week 9
Here are three storylines to watch when the Denver Broncos battle the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
Alex Singleton named AFC Defensive Player of the Month
What a turnaround from Week 1 for Alex Singleton and the entire defense. Singleton especially has been balling out during the Denver Broncos four game win streak!
Potent quotables
Vance Joseph
On the defense’s performance in goal-line situations
“I think we just play. We don’t worry about where the ball’s put down. We just play. Those things we practice every single week. I’m not surprised that we’re good down there. We spent a bunch of time down there. It’s been our fourth year together. We have our four or five calls we love down there that we’re good at. So if we do it right, we expect to win.”
On if he’s surprised that ILB Alex Singleton wasn’t previously recognized for his high level of play
“No, that’s the league. When you’re playing well on defense, guys do get recognized. He’s been consistent for a long time. He had 175 tackles [three] years ago. No one talks about that. I’m not surprised he’s playing well again.”
On young players like DE Sai’vion Jones and OLB Que Robinson being ready to play
“It’s coaching. I think when you’re picking your roster, you have to pick your roster with guys that fit your scheme. I think here that’s what we’ve done. So when you lose one player, we have guys who can fill in who have the same skill set. So I’m not surprised those kids play well. Again it’s NFL football. It’s the same coach, it’s the same room. When it’s their turn to play, they play to the standard. If they don’t fit and they can’t play, they shouldn’t be here. Every guy on this team who makes our roster on defense, if they have to play for us, nothing changes in my mind. Let’s go win the game. There are certain areas where I can’t call certain things with certain players, but the standard of doing it right, that never changes here.”
Darren Rizzi
On determining special teams rotations during games
“I think one of the things people might not recognize is we do a pretty good job of keeping track of reps during the game. We have guys up in the box kind of doing a rep count and making sure no one’s getting too many. As you know, there are some games where you might have 18 special teams plays, and there are some games where you might have 35. It really just depends how the game plays out. So we’ll do a good job. We’ll have a plan kind of going in. Dispel those guys if needed. They’re going to have to do obviously some things. They might not do the full workload as they normally do. Then again, they might depending on how the game plays out. So we’ll kind of track that as we go. Yes, my depth chart sheet will be an interesting one. Be like the old, what’s the movie? The old Matrix. It’ll be a lot of stuff going on there.”
On the challenges of kicking field goals and extra points in the rain and how they prepare for those conditions
“I think obviously because we play outdoors at our home games, weekly we’ll maybe do some wet ball drills and things like that. It’s weird when the K-balls are a different ball than the quarterback ball. They’re a little bit smoother because they get kind of worked. So when those balls get a little bit wet, they actually get really slippery. It’s not the ball that’s soaked, it’s the ball when it just starts raining. If you’ve talked to all the specialists over the years, the snappers and the holders and the punter catching the operation, those are the ones. So right away when you see any precipitation come down, those guys are off on the side and they’re getting work and whether or not they use a towel, gloves, whatever we’re allowed to use. Yes, it certainly makes that operation. So as soon as we know we’re going to get any kind of weather, we certainly practice it. Then those guys on gameday are going to be working on the sideline and gauging the weather.”
On the challenges of kicking at sea level when they’re accustomed to altitude
“I think the pregame warmup for us may be more important than any other position because you kind of get an idea of how the ball’s going to travel on that particular day, whether it’s wind, weather. I’ve coached at sea level for more than 16 years in the NFL and then a bunch of years in college. The ball may not travel as well. We’ll see what the weather is there. The pregame for the kicker and the punter is probably more important than people would anticipate because you kind of get the wind direction, you know which way if it’s sideways wind or north-south wind, if you will. Then how well the ball’s traveling. So we kind of have, [Head] Coach [Sean Payton] will always ask me right before kickoff, ‘What’s our line going each way for us and them?’ So the ball certainly travels a little bit better here in altitude, but I think sometimes it gets overblown, overdid a little bit. We’ll see how it is there in pregame on Sunday morning.”
Davis Webb
On the spark RB Jonah Coleman brings to the offense
“I think that started since rookie minicamp, and then the preseason game against Atlanta, and then the Jacksonville game and now this game. I think every time he gets an opportunity, he’s showed up. His teammates love him. He’s smart, he’s mature and he’s going to continue to get better, which is awesome.”
On how Head Coach Sean Payton has prepared the team for its next game following an emotional win
“I think if you look at Carolina’s record, you can be one of those guys that overlooks them. If you look at the Chicago game, they put up a lot of points on offense. You look at the Detroit game, they beat them. There are plenty of examples of this team being really, really good there. A playoff team last year, arguably should have beat the Rams in the playoffs last year. So they’re a couple plays away from having a winning record. This is the NFL. There are not many cupcakes out there, so this is going to be a good one on Sunday.”
On the challenge of facing a team with a new defensive coordinator
“I think the first quarter’s going to be interesting in regards to seeing what they have new, what’s kind of the same. [They have] a couple of players that are kind of banged up. Are they going to play or are they not? Obviously schematics. So I think the first quarter’s going to be a really interesting quarter. Then I think the game’s going to settle down within that second to the fourth. You could say the same thing about Kansas City versus us. Obviously it’s still [Head Coach] Sean [Payton]’s offense. There wasn’t much changed. Midseason changing a bunch is probably going to be tough, but there’ll definitely be some wrinkles and we’re prepared to attack it.”
Under the radar
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