September 21st 2024.
Last week served as a harsh reminder that the Broncos are facing some serious challenges this season. Their games were filled with interceptions, penalties, failed runs, and anxious hand-wringing. The glaring issue stems from the offensive statistics, which not only look bad but also are bad. It's almost impossible to wrap your head around how a team that isn't wearing leather helmets or playing on old black-and-white TVs with rabbit ears could be struggling so much.
There's no denying that the Broncos offense is struggling, but the question is, where does the blame lie? Some might argue that there are multiple culprits, but it's safe to say that the offensive line is taking most of the heat. In their back-to-back losses, the Broncos had a staggering 14 three-and-outs and only managed to score one touchdown. This is a far cry from what was expected of them.
During a hot and humid August practice, left guard Ben Powers sat on a bench and set the standard for his team. He stated, "We know that this organization values having a dominant offensive line. We take pride in that and we know that it's our responsibility to lead this team towards success." Unfortunately, instead of living up to their potential, the promising five have dragged the entire offense down, resulting in a series of mistakes and missed blocks. In fact, according to Pro Football Focus, which provides reliable grades, the Broncos rank 31st in run blocking and 30th in pass protection.
This doesn't come as a surprise to former Pro Bowl guard Mark Schlereth and Super Bowl 50 champion tackles Tyler Polumbus and Ryan Harris. They have a wealth of knowledge about the inner workings of the trenches, so I asked for their assessment after watching the film. Polumbus, who now works as a midday talk show host at Altitude Radio, didn't hold back in his assessment. He said, "To put it bluntly, this past week was atrocious for everyone. We've seen a lot of subpar football over the past eight years, but this might have been the worst. I'm just glad I wasn't playing against those guys on the Steelers. They are a really formidable team. The O-line was just terrible."
When asked why this was happening, Schlereth, who hosts both national and local talk shows and calls NFL games for Fox Sports, didn't mince words. He said, "It seems like every single play, there's a physical breakdown, but more concerning is the mental breakdown. I understand that sometimes you'll get outplayed physically, that's just part of the game. But not knowing what to do when a safety enters the box and constantly coming off blocks to chase ghosts just shows a lack of understanding of the bigger picture."
Harris echoed Schlereth's sentiments, saying, "In general, it seems like they're choosing to be tired, too many people are ending up on the ground, and they're not able to sustain their blocks." It's clear that the Broncos' offensive line is struggling in a big way, and this has had a significant impact on the team's performance.
The Broncos currently rank 27th in rushing yards, with only 163, and 60 of those yards came from quarterback Bo Nix on scrambles. The team is also struggling in passing yards per attempt, ranking 30th, and they are tied for the league lead with four interceptions. While it was expected that Nix would experience some growing pains, no one anticipated that the offensive line would play like rookies.
According to PFF, the group, with the exception of Mike McGlinchey, has been underperforming, with Quinn Meinerz ranking 60th and Ben Powers ranking 63rd out of 65 qualifying guards. Luke Wattenberg is currently last among centers, and even Bolles, who has been dealing with a lower leg injury, ranks 63rd out of 68 tackles. ESPN's win rate percentage is slightly more forgiving, with Powers being graded 9th in run blocking and McGlinchey being graded 20th in pass blocking. However, McGlinchey recently injured his knee against the Steelers and will be out for four weeks. He will be replaced by first-time starter Alex Palczewski.
Meinerz, who received a four-year contract extension worth $45 million this offseason, has been the most surprising disappointment. He hasn't been living up to his reputation as a dominant player, as he did in 2023 when he was honored as a Pro Bowl alternate. Schlereth commented, "In the first three run plays against the Steelers, Quinn made mistakes in all of them. I thought he played poorly and missed too many blocks. Maybe he feels like he has to do the work of three players on every single play. It's not uncommon for players to struggle a bit after getting a big contract, as they feel they have something to prove. But he's a big and physically strong guy who can move people. We've seen him do it before, but he needs to play a lot better."
Harris added that Meinerz is still young, only 25 years old, and still learning. He said, "He needs to get to a point where he can anticipate what's going to happen instead of just reacting to what he sees in front of him. Anticipation is key in the trenches."
The Broncos have a long way to go to turn their season around, and it's clear that the offensive line is one of the main areas that needs significant improvement. As Meinerz stated, "It all comes down to execution. We can see on film where things are going wrong, whether it's someone missing a block or not being in the right position. As a team, we need to work together and fix this issue." The offensive line needs to get back to basics and focus on their individual roles and responsibilities if they hope to help the team reach its goals.
Last week was a tough one for the Broncos and it served as a harsh reminder that they are facing serious challenges this season. The team once again struggled with interceptions, penalties, and a lack of success in their running game. It's enough to make anyone wring their hands in frustration.
But perhaps the most concerning aspect of this team's performance is their offensive statistics. They are downright bad and almost impossible to comprehend, especially for a team that isn't playing in leather helmets and on black-and-white televisions with rabbit ears. It's clear to everyone that the Broncos' offense is not up to par, but the question remains: who is to blame for this downfall?
Many people have been named as potential culprits, but the finger seems to point most directly at the offensive line. In the past two games, the Broncos have had 14 three-and-outs and only one touchdown, a disappointing performance by any measure. Left guard Ben Powers, who takes great pride in his role on the team, spoke about the high standards the organization has for their offensive line and how important it is for them to carry the team to success.
Unfortunately, the reality is that this once-promising group has not lived up to expectations. In fact, they seem to have dragged the entire offense down with them, making elementary mistakes and missing crucial blocks. According to Pro Football Focus, a reliable measure of player performance, the Broncos rank near the bottom of the league in both run blocking and pass protection. This is no surprise to former Pro Bowl guard Mark Schlereth and Super Bowl 50 champion tackles Tyler Polumbus and Ryan Harris, who have seen their fair share of football trenches. I reached out to them for their expert opinions after watching the game film.
Polumbus, who now works as a talk show host, expressed his disappointment in the team's performance, particularly against the Steelers. He admitted that he was relieved he didn't have to go up against their talented defense, but also noted that the Broncos' offensive line was simply terrible. When asked why, Schlereth, who also hosts radio shows and calls NFL games, was direct in his assessment: the Broncos are making too many physical and mental mistakes. As a former player, he understands that it's inevitable to get beaten physically on some plays, but it's the mental errors that are truly concerning. Harris echoed this sentiment, pointing out that the line seems to be choosing to be tired, getting knocked to the ground too often and failing to sustain blocks.
The Broncos' running game has been particularly lackluster, with the team ranking 27th in the league. However, 60 of those yards have come from quarterback Bo Nix scrambling, as opposed to designed runs. In terms of passing, the Broncos rank 30th in yards per attempt and are tied for the league lead with four interceptions. While it's expected that Nix, a young and inexperienced quarterback, would have some growing pains, no one anticipated the offensive line playing like rookies.
Pro Football Focus has not been kind in their evaluations of the Broncos' offensive line, with the exception of Mike McGlinchey. Quinn Meinerz and Ben Powers, both highly paid players, are ranked near the bottom of their positions. Luke Wattenberg, the team's center, is ranked last among all centers, and even Bolles, who has been dealing with an injury, is ranked near the bottom among tackles. ESPN's win rate percentage, which measures a player's success in their individual matchups, is slightly more forgiving, but still shows that the line is struggling.
Meinerz, in particular, has been a disappointment. He was given a large contract extension this offseason, but has not been playing up to his potential. Schlereth pointed out that in the Broncos' first three run plays against the Steelers, Meinerz made crucial mistakes in all of them. Harris noted that Meinerz is still young and learning, but needs to work on anticipating movements rather than just reacting to what is happening in front of him. After all, at just 25 years old, he still has plenty of room to grow and improve.
It's clear that the offensive line needs to step up their game in order for the Broncos to have any chance of success this season. As Meinerz himself said, it's all about execution, and the line needs to do a better job of working together and anticipating their opponents' movements. Everyone knows they are capable of playing at a high level, but they need to do it consistently in order for the Broncos to reach their goals.
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