The Denver Broncos may finally have a matchup that lets them breathe a little on offense, and it comes against a Los Angeles Chargers team that has turned into a mess at 0-4.
Denver has spent the early part of the season fighting through one offensive problem after another, with no clean answer in sight. But the schedule is about to hand them a different kind of test, and maybe even a much-needed opening. The Chargers were supposed to be one of the tougher early hurdles, yet they’ve unraveled instead.
A big part of that slide starts with Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert. Herbert has carried the reputation of a quarterback built to explode on the league, but right now he isn’t even taking firm control of his own team. Ball security remains one of his issues, and with the season nearing the quarter pole, he looks far removed from the gunslinger image that followed him into the league.
The changes on offense have only made things uglier. New offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel is now part of the problem, even though his motion-heavy system once set the standard when he was head coach of the Miami Dolphins. Instead of creating rhythm, the offense has become a unit that keeps tripping over itself.
Harbaugh has also landed in the middle of the media noise surrounding the Chargers. He’s been pulled into the feud that various media members are creating, and his latest press conference included questions he believed were really aimed at taking shots at Herbert.
For Denver’s defense, this is exactly the kind of opponent that should be easier to handle. The Broncos have already dealt with the Kansas City Chiefs, Jacksonville Jaguars and San Francisco 49ers, so the Chargers represent a welcome change after that stretch of powerful offenses.
And the Broncos offense could use the same kind of relief. Los Angeles is allowing an average of 26.5 points, and Denver’s best scoring output so far has been 20 against Jacksonville.
Still, this has the feel of a classic trap game. Winless teams eventually find something, and the Broncos cannot afford to be the one that gets caught sleeping.
Being on the road makes that even more important, especially if Denver wants to get out fast. Herbert has usually wilted when that happens.
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The larger conversation around accountability did not stop with Mims, either. Former Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw took aim at Sean Payton after the game, and Payton did not push back in his postgame availability, instead responding positively to Greenlaws comments. Meanwhile, across the division, Raiders coach Klint Kubiak was already talking about changing the approach around Ashton Jeanty and Mike Washington, a sign that coaches on both sidelines are feeling the pressure to fix problems before they harden. [Read more 🡒]
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From Denvers side, the name worth tracking is Zack Baun, the inside linebacker who has recently earned both Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro recognition. His contract is considered movable, and if the Eagles decide to keep adjusting their roster, the Broncos could make sense as a team ready to act before trade talks around the league shift into a more crowded market. [Read more 🡒]
Bo Nix Faces A Growing Broncos Debate Ahead Of Tougher Tests
Bo Nixs recent approach has put a spotlight on how the Broncos want their offense to look as the schedule stiffens. Against the 49ers, he was especially conservative on the deep ball, and the result fed a familiar question for a young quarterback in this system: how much patience is the right amount, and when does caution start to limit the offense?
Cecil Lammey raised that issue directly, arguing Nix needs to be willing to challenge tighter windows if he wants to become more effective. The concern for Denver is simple enough. If the quarterback keeps playing it too safe, defenses can crowd the underneath game, muddy the coverage and make the passing attack harder to sustain as tougher opponents force the Broncos to be more aggressive. [Read more 🡒]