Denver Post Broncos writer Troy Renck posts his Broncos Mailbag on Wednesdays during the season.
for the Broncos Mailbag here. Follow Troy for more daily updates on and .
Has punter Britton Colquitt become a liability to this team? He just doesn’t have the ability to flip field position anymore and continuously puts the defense in tough spots.
— Jamie Slade, Newfoundland, Canada
Jamie: He needs to improve. There’s no way around it. Colquitt ranks 28th in the NFL in yards per punt at 43.6. He has been asked, in some cases, to prevent returns with the team preferring a 41-yard punt out of bounds. Still, he has not gained traction on his inside the 20 work. And his punts have compromised field position in back-to-back losses. The Broncos wavered in their commitment to Colquitt in training camp before he sealed his roster spot by taking a paycut. He has the talent. But they need more from him down the stretch.
Do you have any reasons why the Broncos always implode in the second half and really let down their fans? I see poor coaching calls and bad play completely opposite first halves. Honestly I see nothing more than a wild card one-and-done in the playoffs.
— Bill, Wichita, Kan.
Bill: As tight end Owen Daniels admitted, “It’s a concert of things going wrong.” There is no simple answer to the struggles. The Broncos haven’t scored in the third quarter since their loss to Indianapolis in their eighth game. The haven’t scored in the second half in December. Part of it is adjustments, or lack thereof. I give the Broncos a pass at San Diego. They realized they weren’t losing to San Diego with a two-touchdown lead given how meek the Chargers’ offense looked. However, the inability to run the Raiders out of their cover two zone the following rank was puzzling. The running game went nowhere. Then against Pittsburgh, the Steelers became more aggressive in their coverage in the second half. Osweiler went from 14-for-18 to 7-for-26 after intermission. It’s multifaceted. The scheme, at times, clearly limits the Broncos because the personnel doesn’t fit well. The offensive line has been duct-taped together. Losing the top two tackles — Ryan Clady and Ty Sambrailo — continues to haunt because of the talent dropoff and lack of depth when, for example, Michael Schofield struggled. And it’s not helping that both guards, Louis Vasquez and Evan Mathis, have not been themselves because of injuries.
As a result the scheme is wildly inconsistent. When the Broncos can’t run the ball, they are severely limited. This attack is built on play actions and bootlegs set up by the run. Denver ranks 18th in rushing yards per game at 99.6 and 19th in yards per attempt at 3.9. During coach Gary Kubiak’s previous two decades as a head coach and coordinator, his teams averaged a 10th-place ranking in rushing. Without consistent ground production, the tight ends, a staple in this offense, remain disappointing. Owen Daniels is on pace for 46 catches, a career low when playing a full season. Vernon Davis shows flashes, but has made critical drops. His reluctance to extend on the ball over the middle against the Steelers submarined a second-half drive, and was hard to reconcile given the time and score in the game. Those are catches winning teams make.
Finally, Brock Osweiler is a work in progress. He makes sensational plays, then holds onto the ball too long on others. He needs to become more comfortable on his second and third reads. It appears when teams take away the first target in this offense that the quarterback struggles. Checkdowns to the running backs might help prevent the boom-or-bust nature of the offense.
If Brock Osweiler and Trevor Siemian were both injured, who is Denver’s emergency quarterback?
— Chuck Huey, Westminster
Chuck: I don’t know the answer. My guess is that one of the receivers would take direct snaps. Owen Daniels had plenty of experience as a high school quarterback. So again, I don’t know the answer. But I know if the question becomes who is their emergency quarterback in the game they are losing anyway. It’s equivalent of a in an MLB game.
Do you see the Broncos moving on from Demaryius Thomas next year. He seems to have no heart and leads the NFL in drops especially in the clutch.
— Michael Strickland, Eagar, Ariz.
Michael: Thomas inspires frustration from fans because of his inconsistency and the expectations he created with past excellence. The drops must drop. He’s had too many, by his own admission. But you don’t give up on a player of his talent after one season into a monster contract. I do believe missing OTAs and offseason camp while awaiting a contract affected Thomas. He spent weeks getting into football shape at a time when he needed to be learning a new offense. Thomas played better in Pittsburgh. I expect him to excel down the stretch. This is a defining moment of his career. He earned the big money, and welcomed more leadership and scrutiny. He needs to deliver in the same way that Emmanuel Sanders has this season. The best ability is reliability at this point. Showing he can be trusted in big spots is needed and necessary for this team to win.
I’m disappointed how we completely abandoned the running game after being effective in the first half. Why do you think this happened? It kept putting the defense in tough spots.
— Chad, Murrieta, Calif.
Chad: The running game remains puzzling. The Broncos have rushed well in four of the past five games. There has been progress since the beginning of the year. However, as I have said, this line doesn’t fit this zone-blocking scheme particularly well. It would have helped had Ryan Clady and Ty Sambrailo were healthy. But let’s remember the scheme can only go so far. When the Broncos were winning Super Bowls with this offense, they had up to seven Pro Bowlers, including Hall of Fame tackle Gary Zimmerman, Ring of Fame center Tom Nalen and Pro Bowlers Mark Schlereth and Tony Jones.
And, oh yeah, running back Terrell Davis should be in Canton. Yes, the scheme can work. But let’s not forget that talent is a factor.
So back to your question: two things are issues. C.J. Anderson has had trouble staying healthy this season. When he gets on a roll, his body betrays him. And Ronnie Hillman has run well in spots, but has been ineffective in the red zone.
How are the Broncos on IR progressing, such as Ty Sambrailo and Jeff Heuerman?
— Dan, Denver
Dan: They remain on track. Heuerman figures to be an important piece of the offense next season. It’s unlikely that Vernon Davis returns as a free agent. Sambrailo should compete for a starting tackle job next year. The Broncos need his talent on the offensive line either as a starter or reserve.
Why haven’t we seen more out of Virgil Green as a receiver this season? I know he’s a great blocker but Davis has made multiple crucial drops lately
— Darren, Altus, Okla.
Darren: His opportunities remain limited. The Broncos have accommodated Davis, given him every opportunity to bust out. But at this point, it’s fair to wonder if Virgil Green deserves more reps. He has excelled in limited chances. I would go back to him.
The Giants just put 35 points on Carolina, but the Panthers put up 38 points to go 14-0. Will the Super Bowl be a high-scoring game and if it is are the Broncos going in the wrong direction with their offense? Do the Broncos need to go back to the Peyton Manning Star Wars offense if/when he gets healthy?
— Russ, Colorado
Russ: The Panthers boast a dynamic offense. No one in the league can do what Cam Newton does. On any given Sunday, he’s the best quarterback and running back in the league. I don’t see the Super Bowl as a high-scoring affair. Defense typically takes over, keeping the score in the 20s. The Broncos would love to have their 2013 offense. That isn’t happening. They have worked an entire season on the new scheme. Changing now would be counterproductive. If Manning is healthy, and it’s uncertain if he will be ready for Monday night, I would expect more shotgun formations. But they aren’t going back to the old attack. Frankly, they don’t have the same personnel. That offense had Thomas, Decker, Julius Thomas and Wes Welker all playing at a high level.
Denver Post Broncos writer Troy Renck posts his Broncos Mailbag on Wednesdays during the season.
for the Broncos Mailbag here. Follow Troy for more daily updates on and .
Troy E. Renck: trenck@denverpost.com or
