Did this Broncos regular season match up to your expectations going into the year?
I had the Broncos missing the playoffs going into the season, so I guess I wasn't surprised that they finished on the outside looking in. I thought the Broncos Achilles heel going into the season was the QB situation with Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch. I thought they would start out slow and then come on later in the season when the QB position was settled and their defense would keep them in games. The Broncos actually started better than I thought with a 4-0 start and they were 6-2 at the break, but looking at their improved division and the schedule down the stretch, I knew it was going to be a grind to make it into the playoffs. But, when you start as fast as the Broncos did, you should find a way to make it into the playoffs and that did not happen.
What was the problems with the offense this year?
The Broncos simply couldn't run the ball with any consistency. They couldn't win at the point of attack and both of their tackles were graded very low all year long. In fact, the only bright spot on their offensive line was Center Matt Paradis. Their offensive line was such a weak link that it prevented them from being good offensively every week. Also, the QB play was not as good as it had to be-especially down the stretch. You can't score 10, 3, and 10 points in must win games in the final month and the blame has to fall on the QB play of Trevor Siemian. The Broncos were also really bad on 3rd and short. They were bad in red zone and they were one of the leaders in 3 and outs on offense in the entire NFL. They always started slow and put their defense in bad spots too often early in games. If their offense could have provided more in the second half of the season, they would be playing in January in the playoffs.
What was the area of weakness on a solid defense this year?
The Broncos had another solid year on defense in 2016, and their secondary was spectacular all year long. The Broncos one area of weakness was their run defense. They couldn't stop the run at times, and it gave teams a chance to keep the chains moving, control the clock, and put the Broncos in bad field position. They really missed Malik Jackson and Danny Trevathan and that was evident all season long. Jared Crick wasn't enough to replace Jackson on the defensive line, and Todd Davis was admirable replacing Trevathan but once again it wasn't enough at times. Their run defense was the one spot that really hurt their defense from the beginning of the year to the end.
Why do you think the Broncos struggled after starting off the year 6-2?
I think the fact that their running game was shot after C.J. Anderson went down for the year in Week 7, and I think the fact that they didn't get enough from their QB play and their offense in the second half of the year doomed their chances. Plus, their second half schedule was too much to overcome for this team. They had to go to Oakland on a Sunday night and fell to 6-3. They survived New Orleans on a two-point blocked extra point conversion to beat the Saints 25-23, they blew the KC game at home the following week, they barely survived the Jags on the road, and then dropped games at Tennessee, got buried by the Pats at home, and got blown out by the Chiefs in Arrowhead on Christmas night. They just couldn't handle the better teams on their schedule and it proved that they weren't good enough to win the tough games down the stretch.
How did you think the Broncos QB situation played out?
I think that Trevor Siemian did his best and given the situation he performed admirably, but it played out the way that I thought it would. Siemian was just not good enough to get this team over the hump, and it ended up sinking their season. Rookie Paxton Lynch looked good when he played in the win over Tampa Bay in Week 4 after he relieved the injured Siemian in the 2nd quarter, but he struggled mightily in the two starts he had against the Falcons and the Jaguars. Let's be honest: If the Broncos had a quality veteran as their starting QB this year, they would be in the playoffs. They just couldn't overcome the mediocre play of Siemian and it looked like Lynch wasn't ready to play effectively enough in his appearances.
Which players really stood out to you and had a good season for the Broncos?
I thought that Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders were really good for the Broncos on offense all year long. I also thought that TE A.J. Derby was a nice addition and a nice fit for this team after they got him in a trade with the Pats in October. On defense, Von Miller was great as usual, Derek Wolfe had a tremendous year, and the play of Aqib Talib, Chris Harris and Darian Stewart was terrific all year long.
Which players didn't have as good of a season as you expected?
RB Devontae Booker was just not good enough when he had to step up and replace C.J. Anderson after Week 7. It was frustrating at times watching him run the ball. I thought Brandon Marshall should have played better and I was disappointed in the play from T.J. Ward at times. I also think that DeMarcus Ware wasn't same player after he got hurt in the Indy game in Week 2.
What was the turning point in the season?
People might look at the loss to Atlanta at home in Week 5, but I think there were two turning points: The loss of C.J. Anderson after the Week 7 win over the Texans and the loss to Kansas City at home in Week 12 in overtime. They could never replace Anderson in the run game, and he was one of the more vocal leaders on the offense. Devontae Booker proved that he was not good enough to replace Anderson and the Broncos had to turn to Justin Forsett off the waiver wire the last month of the season. The KC loss was so devastating because people forget that the Chiefs were coming in off a home loss to the Bucs the week before, and if Denver wins that game, they ended up making the playoffs.
What was the most memorable game of the year?
I loved the opening night win over the Panthers 21-20 in the Super Bowl rematch, but the two most memorable games featured a win and a loss. The win over the Saints in New Orleans on Will Parks two-point return after Justin Simmons blocked it to give Denver the improbable 25-23 win was the most exciting victory of the year. The other game was the epic game that they lost to KC at home in overtime 30-27. The game was a defensive battle to start, and Denver fell behind 9-0, but they rallied back to take the lead at 24-16 late in the 4th quarter only to see the Chiefs drive down to tie it in the final seconds at 24. After the teams traded field goals to start overtime, Brandon McManus missed a 62 yard field goal and KC won it on a Cairo Santos 33 yard FG that banked in off the upright to give the Chiefs the 30-27 victory. It was a tremendous back and forth game that had a playoff atmosphere but unfortunately the Broncos came up short.
What were some of the important final stats on the year?
Here were some of the stats on offense for the Broncos:
They scored 333 points, which averages to 20.8 points a game.
Trevor Siemian: 289-486, 59.5%, 3,401 yards, 18 TDs, 10 INT, 84.6 QB Rating
Paxton Lynch: 49-83, 59.0 %, 497 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 79.2 QB Rating
Devontae Booker: 174 Rushes, 612 yards and 4 TDs
C.J. Anderson: 110 Rushes, 437 yards and 4 TDs
Demaryius Thomas: 90 Receptions, 1,083 yards and 5 TDs
Emmanuel Sanders: 79 Receptions, 1,032 yards, and 5 TDs
Defense gave up 297 points against, which averages to 18.5 points a game.
Von Miller: 13.5 Sacks
Shane Ray: 8 Sacks
Derek Wolfe: 5.5 Sacks
DeMarcus Ware: 4 Sacks
Jared Crick: 3 Sacks
Aqib Talib: 3 Interceptions, 1 Touchdown
Darian Stewart: 3 Interceptions
Chris Harris: 2 Interceptions
Bradley Roby: 2 Interceptions, 2 Touchdowns
Justin Simmons: 2 Interceptions
Von Miller: 3 Forced Fumbles
T.J. Ward: 3 Forced Fumbles
Todd Davis: 96 Tackles
T.J. Ward: 87 Tackles
Brandon McManus: 29-34 Field Goals Made
32-33 Extra Points Made
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