Week 12: Broncos vs. Dolphins

Clearly the Denver Broncos have a lot of things that they need to work out if they have any hope of playing in Super Bowl 49.  If this team wants to be playing in February they need to start by figuring out their offensive line.  The Broncos problems begin and end with the offensive line.  For starters they have absolutely no aggression at the point of attack, and they are getting eaten alive in the running game.  There is penetration on almost every single play, and that is a big reason why the Broncos attempted a measly nine running plays.  There were many who criticized the coaching staff for the nine runs but there was little option as the running game has been shut down because of the poor play of the line.  The line is also causing serious issue in the passing game as Peyton Manning is being moved off of his spot by pressure far to often.  The biggest problem rests in the middle of the line where defenses have brought lots of pressure through the A gaps and gotten pressure right in Peyton Manning's face.  The decline in Peyton's play recently can be directly attributed to the play of the line, even when there isn't pressure he is anticipating pressure and rushing throws.  Anyway, time to move on and see what the Broncos can do against the Miami Dolphins.  

Preview

Denver Broncos

If there is one positive to take away from the game against St. Louis, it is that Emmanuel Sanders looked great once again and I think we can expect him to continue playing well.  If he wouldn't have been hurt in the game against the Rams the Broncos may have been able to stage a comeback. It sounds as if Sanders has fully recovered from the concussion that he suffered and I would expect him to have another huge game.  If the Broncos offensive line can give Manning the time that he needs I expect a huge bounce back game from the Broncos offense.  This is a group that is used to dominating the opponent, and last week they were embarrassed by the Rams.  The offensive line has said all week that things will change and they will improve as a unit. The Miami Dolphins will provide a great test for this offense, and it will be a great gauge for the Broncos to see where they stand in terms of being a Super Bowl contender.  One thing this team must improve on is running the football.  This has been a struggle for the Broncos all season, and last week was a new low for the Broncos as they ran the ball a pathetic 9 times.  The Broncos will have to show commitment to the running game in this game and in the future if they hope to make it all the way to the Super Bowl.  When Peyton Manning has a successful running game he is a far more dangerous quarterback, and the Broncos need to establish a running game to keep opposing defenses honest.  

Denver Broncos

The real key going forward is going to be the Broncos defense.  If the Broncos continue to struggle on offense they may have to count on the defense to win them a few games going forward.  This unit was assembled to be dominant and so far this season they have yet to have a truly dominating effort.  The defense needs to show the ability to dominate games so Peyton Manning and the offense do not feel like they have to go out and win the game every single week.  It would be nice if the defense could start locking down the opponents offense.  One player on the defense who has been holding up his end of the deal is Von Miller.  Miller has been phenomenal all season long and he has looked like the best player on the field.  This is great for the Broncos, and it allows them to drop men back in coverage.  The Broncos currently rank 30th in blitz percentage in the NFL which means they are getting pressure on the quarterback by only bringing four men.  So far this has worked great for the Broncos, but they need to do a better job of getting stops on third down and long.  They have struggled most of the season with getting off the field on third down, and they need to make improvements on third down going forward.  

Denver Broncos

Another player that has been impressive this season has been Derek Wolfe.  Wolfe has looked like a player worthy of being drafted in the second round, after returning to a healthy playing weight.  Last season he struggled with seizure like symptoms and other various injuries, these problems caused him to drop weight and he was not able to make an impact on the game.  Now that he is healthy and back to his playing weight he has been a much more effective player.  The Broncos defense will need more great play from players like Derek Wolfe if they are going to win games for the Broncos.  Look for players like Wolfe and Malik Jackson to continue to make plays as defenses focus more and more attention on Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware.  

Denver Broncos

Keys To Victory

If I were game planning for the Broncos in this one my number one priority is to get the running game going.  Even if they struggle to run the ball they have to continue to run the ball in order to keep the pass rush of the Dolphins honest.  This is something they failed to do last week against the Rams, and Robert Quinn came flying off the ball on every play and didn't worry one bit about the running game.  If the Broncos want to keep Peyton Manning upright in this game they have to stay committed to the running game.  Hopefully this offensive line will improve as they get more reps in the running game.  This will only be their third game playing in their current alignment.  If the play of the line doesn't improve we could see yet another shake up along the offensive line in the coming weeks.  Defensively I would take away short and intermediate routes.  Ryan Tannehill has definitely played better over the last few weeks, but a lot of his game is hitting receivers on underneath routes.  The Broncos need to take these easy throws away and make him make difficult throws down the field.  Throwing the ball deep is something that Tannehill has struggled with throughout his career and the Broncos need to force him to make the tough throws in this game.  If they can do that they may force him into some tough throws and force a few turnovers, or he may choose to hold the ball and the Broncos pass rushers can get there.  

Prediction

Last week I called for the Broncos to start slow against a tough Rams defense, and they did.  The problem was that they never found their rhythm and the offense struggled to make plays all day.  I think this week the Broncos may struggle again offensively as they are facing off against a very talented Dolphins defense.  Look for the Broncos defense to keep the Dolphins at bay until the offense starts to get rolling.  I think that because this game is at home that will be the difference in this one.  So far this season the Broncos have been a very different team at home, and this week shouldn't be any different.  I think the Broncos will bounce back this week and get back on the winning track.  The thing to keep an eye on in this game is the play of the offensive line, a good game from them will likely result in a Broncos victory.  

Final Score- Denver Broncos 31, Miami Dolphins 17