The offense mirrored the sense of urgency.
Trailing 14-3 Monday night, the Broncos needed to rescue their season quickly. The solution? The hurry-up offense, reserved almost exclusively for two-minute drills.
In a twist, the scheme five-time NFL MVP Peyton Manning perfected proved catalytic for Brock Osweiler. He played with confidence, delivering a cold-blooded victory in bone-chilling conditions, securing his job as the starter with Manning as his backup.
“Obviously, it means a lot. It shows that coach believes in me,” Osweiler said. “But that’s not where my focus is.”
Osweiler waited 43 months for his opportunity. After strong outings against the Bears and Patriots, he drew criticism for his second-half failures in back-to-back losses. The Broncos had not scored after halftime in December, going 2-for-25 on third down conversions during that time.
For Osweiler to remain the starter, he had to finish.
A combination of no-huddle and shotgun proved successful Monday night. In this offensive set, Osweiler completed 17-of-24 passes for 192 yards and a touchdown against a Bengals defense that has allowed the NFL’s second fewest points this season.
“I think he settled down a little bit. We got some tempo going. I think it helped us with their pass rush,” coach Gary Kubiak said. “When we went fast, I think it helped us wear them down maybe a little bit from that standpoint. I just think the fact that he’s played enough now, he’s very comfortable in what we’re doing and he’s able to do it fast.”
That it seemed natural is easily explained. Osweiler operated no-huddle offenses at Flathead High School in Kalispell, Montana and Arizona State, and practiced it for two years under former Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase.
“I enjoy it,” Osweiler said after Wednesday night’s walk-through practice in the Pat Bowlen Fieldhouse. “I haven’t had too much experience in the game, but it’s certainly something I very comfortable with.”
When employed, the schematic switch serves multiple purposes. It drains opposing linemen at altitude — something multiple Bengals acknowledged — and limits defensive substitutions. In doing so, it camouflaged a Broncos’ ongoing concern: the offensive line. It’s harder to reach the quarterback in the shotgun, and Osweiler improved his release time.
In consecutive possessions bridging the second and third quarters, Osweiler went 11-for-13 for 133 yards. He finished 4-for-6 on third-down conversions in the uptempo attack.
It carries risk as evidenced by the Philadelphia Eagles’ issues this season. Beyond turnovers nothing compromises a team’s defense like an offense that can’t stay on the field.
“We hadn’t really shown it on tape in awhile so I think it probably took them a little bit by surprise,” Osweiler said. “The key about the no-huddle is getting first downs because if you are getting three and outs it kind of defeats the purpose. Fortunately we were able to wear them down.”
It helped that offensive coordinator Rick Dennison didn’t abandon the running game. The Broncos rushed for 15 yards in their base offense and 98 yards in a blend of no-huddle and shotgun.
It doesn’t mean Osweiler will no longer be under center. It just means he doesn’t have stay there if it’s not working.
“It’s something we felt like we needed to do because we had no possessions. In the first half, we had three. I don’t know if I’ve ever been a part of that,” Kubiak said. “I think at that time it was just a matter of us doing what we had to do. If we’ve got to do it again, it’s nice to know we can do it well.”
