Horse Tracks: three areas of focus for the Broncos final stretch of games

SB Nation

The Denver Broncos have had a well-deserved and much-needed break during their bye week. Players are rested up. Guys are getting healthy. The team has been working to improve, correct, and prepare for

their final stretch of games before the postseason.

Like many of you out there in Broncos Country, I like playing arm-chair coach (or GM in the offseason). Here are the top 3 things I think the Broncos should sharpen up in order improve as they wrap up their season:

1) Reduce procedural penalties

The Broncos are leading the league in penalties. Riley Moss gets an atrocious amount alone, but the team overall has way too many penalties that are procedural in nature (lining up in the neutral zone on defense or covering up the tackle on offense, for example).

All the pass interferences I can live with. You teach players to fight for the play and they need to play on that edge as close as they can if they want to compete at the highest level of football. But not knowing how and where to line up is just weak-minded slop. Some of those 5-yard penalties have really hurt the team and need to be eliminated.

2) True up the run game

The Broncos are playing with some backs that don’t excel at dealing with initial contact well. The team needs to improve their blocking gap discipline, and how to execute the run offense in a way that helps the backs up the production on a consistent basis. 3.0 yards per carry doesn’t cut it. We need either R.J. Harvey or Jaleel McLaughlin (or both) to really step up and show consistent ability to keep the offense on schedule.

3) Get Pat Surtain, II healthy

This defensive backfield has done a tremendous job while Surtain has been injured. Big credit to them and big credit to Vance Joseph, as this reflects how well he’s been coaching this roster.

But now the Broncos are looking at a postseason run. There is no need to rush PS II back to the field if he’s not ready and safely able to play. The next two games are against fairly weak opponents on paper. The defense has been fine against much higher talent in the past couple of games. If Surtain needs to heal, let him heal. This defense is damn near unstoppable with him healthy.

Hit us up in the comments and let us know what else you would have the team working on as they prepare for a big Sunday Night game against the Commanders (shout out to our boy, Von Miller…big love from Broncos Country!).