The seeds were planted in the spring for all to see. The Broncos began offseason practices with a defensive pursuit drill. Thirty yards downfield, nose tackle Sylvester Williams lumbered toward the ball carrier. Everyone gave chase. For the Broncos’ defense to undergo a transformation, it needed an obsession.
Attack the quarterback. Produce turnovers.
The Broncos are 2-0 because their defense’s teething under new coordinator Wade Phillips has yielded fangs.
“One thing this group has, beyond the best depth I have ever been part of, is that we strongly believe in each other,” veteran defensive tackle Antonio Smith said. “We always think we can make plays. Even if things go wrong, we believe we will make it right.”
What began as brash talk has manifested into breathtaking statistics. Two games represent a dangerously small sample size, but the Broncos have extended disruptiveness that surfaced in the preseason. They own seven takeaways. That’s kind of a big deal. The last time the Broncos had seven after two games was in 1996. Even more startling, the Broncos produced 25 only takeaways last season.
Dig deeper and the achievement explains the new attitude. A year ago under defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, who was averse to blitzing, the Broncos recovered only seven fumbles by opponents. They already have three this season, including David Bruton’s strip of Kansas City’s Jamaal Charles at the 5-yard line Thursday, which Darian Stewart recovered.
And the Broncos’ three red-zone takeaways match last season’s total.
“We want to lead the league in turnovers (forced). That’s our goal, that’s what we want,” said linebacker Brandon Marshall, who received a game ball for punching the ball loose from Charles to set up cornerback Bradley Roby’s 21-yard scoop and score. “We are resilient, hardworking. We are going to fight.”
The Broncos didn’t just stumble onto these numbers. First-year Denver head coach Gary Kubiak reunited with Phillips to bring defensive pressure. From all places. The athleticism matches the scheme.
It starts with cornerbacks Aqib Talib and Chris Harris. They excel in man coverage, welcome it. Talib has altered the outcome of both games with crucial interceptions. He scored against Baltimore, but his interception at Kansas City stood out as more impressive. He provided the receiver space, baiting veteran quarterback Alex Smith into a mind-boggling mistake.
“I’d say this about the DBs (defensive backs) in our league: The difference between the good and great players are guys with ball skills,” Kubiak said. “We have a lot of ball skills. That gives us a chance to not just get an interception, but to make some big plays.”
With corners capable of creating tough looks for quarterbacks, they become vulnerable to the edge rush. A case can be made that the ageless DeMarcus Ware is Denver’s defensive MVP. He has two sacks and six hits on the quarterback. Von Miller, the other bookend, has a pair of sacks and an eye-opening celebratory dance (Google Hingle McCringleberry).
“Did you watch the game?” said Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Jah Reid. “They’re good.”
Last year, the Broncos excelled at stopping the run, setting a franchise record for fewest yards rushing allowed per game. It came at the expense of aggression. Too often, Denver couldn’t get off the field, most notably at Seattle in an overtime loss. Thursday, the Chiefs failed to convert a third down in seven tries.
“You know some (rusher or blitzer) will be left by himself,” Ware said. “The quarterback has to figure out where the ‘hot’ is. And guess what? It’s hard to make the decision, and a lot of times he can’t.”
Denver’s D is A-OK
Broncos general manager John Elway talked with cautious optimism in training camp, proclaiming this defense the best he has assembled. The Broncos have spent the first two games supporting that claim. NFL reporter Troy E. Renck, with assistance from Broncos media relations, has the notable feats:
Denver held the Chiefs without a third-down conversion and netted five takeaways. It was only the third time since the 1970 merger that an NFL team accomplished this feat on the road.
The Broncos’ three red-zone takeaways match their total last season.
The Broncos’ seven takeaways (four interceptions and three fumble recoveries) are their most through two games since 1996.
