Creativity will pull the Broncos closer to Ricky Bobby than Vince Lombardi.
At least that is the educated guess of former Denver quarterback Ben DiNucci when asked how the offense will look different with Davis Webb calling plays.
“I think it will be spread and uptempo for Bo (Nix) and these receivers to let it rip,” DiNucci said on “Up and Adams” this week.
Why should we believe his prediction? He was in the quarterback room at the end of last season. He knows Webb as a coach and a friend. There is every reason to think his opinion is correct.
The idea that the Broncos could feature a twist on the fictional NASCAR driver is realistic. If you aren’t fast, you are last. Or something like that. This would be welcomed with a warm embrace by apountry.
But what about Sean Payton? You know, the boss — the architect of the offense.
Reluctantly, Payton recognized the need for a change. He remains a terrific play caller, but the mechanics were messy. When your quarterback screams at the sidelines, “Hurry up!” every week and burns timeouts, it is time for an adjustment.
To what degree is the question.
While the players believe in Webb and remain energized by the change, it only matters what Payton thinks and permits. According to DiNucci, Webb has already shortened Payton’s Shakespearean soliloquy play calls into abbreviated verbiage, with four or five words replacing paragraphs. This is designed to get the Broncos out of the huddle quickly so Nix has more time to diagnose the defense with 12-to-15 seconds on the play clock.
That will help and happen. But I am not convinced Payton will let the offense out of his white-knuckle grip.
The beauty of speeding things up is obvious: more points. The ugly side is that failed uptempo drives take around 90 seconds off the clock and undermine the defense, clearly the Broncos’ team strength.
Can Webb find a balance between what he likes and what Payton wants? My humble suggestion is to mix in uptempo within drives. So foot on the gas for a few plays followed by multiple under-center runs. Payton does not want uptempo as the base offense, even if it is Nix’s preference.
However, he also knows the Broncos need improvement, and that requires emphasis in OTAs, mandatory minicamp and training camp, especially given Denver’s first six opponents.
It also demands sticking with it.
Last summer, the Broncos focused on implementing an outside-zone running scheme and then ditched it early in the season.
You get good at what you prioritize. If Payton allows Webb to hit the throttle, for this to work, he cannot pull the emergency brake in the third week.
Brown out: The framing of an ESPN article about Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson was so tone deaf that it should have come with a laugh track. In explaining the story on social media, it was stated that Watson has no “ill will toward Cleveland despite rocky tenure, believes Todd Monken’s offense can bring out his best.” Ill will? Watson should be beyond grateful that the salary cap has prevented the Browns from cutting him, instead paying him $175 million to date to rehab injuries and perform like the worst quarterback in the league.
College crossroads: College athletics are reaching an inflection point, and it is fair to wonder if it will affect CU. More schools are losing the appetite to use university funds to cover athletic shortfalls. Will that lead to a reliance on private equity funds – always risky business – or simply jarring cuts to comply with a leaner budget? Boulder could become a test case after the upcoming football season.
Days and confused: The rest vs. rust debate is subjective. Unless we are talking about the Carolina Hurricanes. Their 11-day postseason break – the longest in modern sports history – clearly impacted their play as Montreal upset them in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. It was Carolina’s first home loss since March 29.
