After a month of questions surrounding the Broncos’ new defense and its lacking consistency, the focus has shifted.
Leading tackler Danny Trevathan is expected to return Sunday from a leg injury, and his presence, the team hopes, will serve as the glue to for its many pieces.
The spotlight is now on Denver’s run game.
Denver hosts the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, a team with yet another tenacious defense that ranks No. 4 in the league against the run (71.7 yards per game).
“We just got to get better as a group,” Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase said Thursday. “We struggled a little bit this last game (in Seattle), the first two games were pretty good … our efficiency was good. Last game we were terrible. We got a lot of room for improvement, but we’ll get there.”
In Weeks 1 and 2, the Broncos averaged 3.7 yards per carry (190 total yards). In Week 3 against the Seahawks, the Broncos managed to gain just 1.8 yards per carry (36 total yards).
With one of the youngest running back corps in the league trying to fill the void left by veteran Knowshon Moreno, some speed bumps were expected this year. And three games in, Gase and coach John Fox both admitted the room for improvement is great, but also issued a reminder that the Broncos are only three games into their season.
And wide receiver Demaryius Thomas concurred.
“It’s nothing to worry about,” Thomas said. “We just go out and work and keep grinding and it’ll pay off.”
The return of Virgil Green on Sunday certainly won’t hurt.
Green left Week 3’s game in Seattle early with a concussion, affecting the Broncos’ run blocking and forcing Denver to alter its play calling for the remainder of the game. He was a full go at practice Wednesday and Thursday, and is expected back for Sunday’s game.
“He’s a very big part of our offense, from run game to special teams, to passing game — people don’t notice the little things, but he’s a very big part,” Thomas said. “Without Virgil, our offense probably won’t run the way we want it to.”
Gase said the finger can’t be pointed at any specific unit or player for the Broncos’ offensive struggles so far. The backs, the linemen, tight ends — all need polishing, something Orlando Franklin mentioned earlier in the week and reiterated Thursday.
“We just have to finish,” he said. “It’s what all the great teams do. We have to all be on the same page.”
Nicki Jhabvala: njhabvala@denverpost.com or at
