Maybe the Broncos should consider moving all their games to London.
The Broncos’ offense mostly looked helpless through the first seven weeks of the season, but that changed in England on Sunday. Against the Jaguars, Denver lit up the scoreboard with three touchdowns 21-17. Scoring 3 touchdowns isn’t usually eligible for a scoreboard, but when you’re a Broncos, it’s coming in as the NFL’s lowest-scoring offensive team this week.
So why did Denver end up having some success on offense? The biggest reason is that Russell Wilson is finally starting to play Russell Wilson the way the Broncos thought it was when they made a blockbuster trade for the QB in March.
Wilson’s ability to pitch accurately in the frontcourt is one of the reasons his career has been so successful, and he showed it against the Jaguars. One of Wilson’s best pitches of the day came in the third quarter when he hit Greg Dulcich with a 38-yard pass in the air that went 30 yards in the air.
That pitch came on a 92-yard scoring run, and Wilson went 5-for-5 for 88 yards. Wilson seemed to have a good connection with Dulcic, who caught three passes for 78 yards. That touchdown gave the Broncos a 14-10 lead, but they would go late in the fourth quarter after Travis Etienne ran for a yard with 3:54 left. Lose the lead.
At that point, the Broncos were back on the court feeling like their season was coming, but Wilson didn’t seem bothered by the pressure. Wilson arguably saved Denver’s season with a 47-yard pass to KJ Hamler in his first drive.
Six games later, Latavius Murray would score a one-yard touchdown.
Another reason the Broncos offense is so good is because it’s unstoppable in the red zone. Entering Week 8, Denver’s red zone offense was the worst in the NFL, with only 23.5% of red zone offenses scoring touchdowns (for this perspective, every other team in the NFL is converting at least 35% of red zone offenses). District enters Week 8 with a zone touchdown).
A big reason the Broncos shot a perfect 3-for-3 in the red zone in this game is because Nathaniel Hackett actually showed some creativity. Denver’s first touchdown of the game was a six-yard pass from Jerry Judy, which seemed to catch the Jaguars off guard.
The Broncos’ offense was by no means perfect on the day. In fact, it looks like it’s going to be another nightmare game for the unit’s early days. In the Broncos’ first four games, they kicked the ball three times without falling behind, and Wilson had an interception. Earlier in the season, that might have been enough to start a full-blown collapse, but this time around, the offense was able to bounce back.
On his first four possessions, Wilson went 2-for-6 for 19 yards and an interception, but after that, he went 16-of-24 for 233 yards and a touchdown.
The Broncos have a playoff-caliber defense, and if the offense continues to improve, this team could eventually sneak into the wild card game.
Well, let’s take a look at the results for each game starting in Week 8. If you want a more in-depth look at the Ravens’ win over the Buccaneers on Thursday, be sure to click here.
Denver beat Jacksonville (London) 21-17
John Breech’s Broncos-Jaguars grades (Love grades? Hate grades? Let him know on Twitter.)
Atlanta beat Carolina 37-34 (overtime)
John Breech’s Panthers and Falcons grades (Love grades? Hate grades? Let him know on Twitter.)
Miami beat Detroit 31-27
John Breech’s Dolphins-Lions grades (Love grades? Hate grades? Let him know on Twitter.)
Minnesota beat Arizona 34-26
John Breech’s Cardinals-Vikings grades (Love grades? Hate grades? Let him know on Twitter.)
New Orleans 24-0 Las Vegas
John Breech’s Raiders-Saints grades (Love grades? Hate grades? Let him know on Twitter.)
Philadelphia defeated Pittsburgh 35-13
Jeff Kerr’s Steelers-Eagles grades (Love grades? Hate grades? Let him know on Twitter.)
New England beat New York Jets 22-17
Jordan Dajani’s Patriots-Jets grades (Love grades? Hate grades? Let him know on Twitter.)
Dallas 49-29 Chicago
Bears-Cowboys grades by Garrett Podell (Love grades? Hate grades? Let him know on Twitter.)
Tennessee beat Houston 17-10
John Breech’s Titans-Texans grades (Love grades? Hate grades? Let him know on Twitter.)
Washington beat Indianapolis 17-16
John Breech’s Commanders-Colts grades (Love grades? Hate grades? Let him know on Twitter.)
San Francisco beat the Los Angeles Rams 31-14
Bryan DeArdo’s 49ers-Rams grades (Love grades? Hate grades? Let him know on Twitter.)
Seattle beat the New York Giants 27-13
Cody Benjamin’s Giants-Seahawks grades (Love grades? Hate grades? Let him know on Twitter.)
Buffalo beats Green Bay 27-17
John Breech’s Packers-Bills grades (Love grades? Hate grades? Let him know on Twitter.)