Good morning, Broncos Country!
Consistency and continuity are hard to find.
They’re even harder to keep.
Yet the Denver Broncos have established both, on an organizational level and on the roster. George Paton and Sean Payton both signed five-year extensions this offseason. On the roster side, the Broncos lost one starter on defense and finally added an offensive weapon with the trade for Jaylen Waddle.
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On top of that, Denver was able to keep Vance Joseph as defensive coordinator after interviewing for head coaching positions. All of this for a defense that was arguably the best in the NFL a season ago, and has consistently been one of the best over the last few seasons.
With that consistency and continuity comes the pressure to keep performing at an elite level.
“I think the challenge is human nature,” Joseph said to the media earlier this week. “I told the guys the very first day that we’re not chasing what we’ve done in the last two years, but we’re chasing the process that got us there. That’s tough for players and coaches alike. The process is tough, and it takes a long time to be really good at something. Once the season is over, what you did last year doesn’t matter, and that feels like a waste.
“Starting over is the key. Finding ways to get better. It was pretty good last year and the year before, but we have to find ways to get better (like) taking the ball away and those things. Helping our team win that way is our goal. Starting over and chasing the process is our goal, and being better than we were last year.”
One area of improvement for Denver’s defense this season is creating more turnovers. We saw it in the playoffs, but getting the ball and extra possessions to Bo Nix and the offense will go a long way to replicating the success from a season ago.
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“I think our focus has to always be playing great defense,” Joseph said. “That’s (on) first and second down, stopping the run, being great in the red zone, and being great on third downs. Those things can’t change, but you can still focus on getting the ball. That’s for me, schematically, having more eyes on the ball with pressure. That’s our players catching the football. (That’s) our players when they’re sacking a quarterback, breaking the elbow, and causing more forced fumbles. So it’s all of us, but it starts with me pushing it and making sure we fix that problem.”
When you know what to do and have had success like Denver’s defense, the grind for consistency and improvement becomes a habit. You know what works, but also what must improve. When everyone is aligned and aiming toward the same goal, the process becomes more enjoyable. That’s why the return of Joseph is so important for the defense and the success of the team.
“Continuity in this league is rare, and the fact that we’ve got it is huge,” Broncos defensive lineman Zach Allen said to the media. “We really hit the ground running. It’s crazy that it’s only really been six practices, and how much we’ve already put in and got accomplished. It’s really exciting, and (I’m) definitely excited to take it into minicamp next week and then into (training) camp.”
For at least another season, the Broncos have Joseph back to help build on a team and a unit that has eyes for greatness. You never know when a window will close, so you have to do everything you can to keep it open as long as possible.
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“I’m thrilled he’s back selfishly, and yet there’s that part of me with what he was able to do and how that benefited our team, I’m quite sure he’s going to have another shot at this thing,” Payton said to the media. “I’ll do anything and everything I can to help him. He’s been fantastic to work with. His command of the room with the players on defense and what they’re doing is super impressive.”
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