DENVER — In any scenario where things do not go according to plan, there are excuses and there are reasons.
It is easy to confuse the two. But as the Broncos step into a season altered by the pandemic, it is fair to accept that there are valid reasons why things may work and evolve differently than they hoped when 2020 dawned.
That starts with their offense.
On paper, general manager John Elway and his staff stuffed offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur’s satchel with weapons. Some have already emerged as reliable components of the team’s offense, particularly wide receiver Courtland Sutton and running back Phillip Lindsay, both of whom already have “Pro Bowler” affixed to their career resume. Others showed promise last year, specifically tight end Noah Fant and quarterback Drew Lock. That core became a largesse with the offseason additions of veteran running back Melvin Gordon and rookie wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and K.J. Hamler.
But the next repetition they receive together in practice will be their first. It will come behind an offensive line that will have at least two new regular first-teamers. It will be in a scheme that Shurmur is installing as he becomes the Broncos’ fourth offensive coordinator in as many seasons.
They will not have any preseason snaps, although Broncos coach Vic Fangio indicated that there could be some full-speed, game-condition snaps in practice to try and make up for the absence of preseason games. They didn’t have OTAs and won’t put on pads until no earlier than Aug. 17.
It is understandable that Broncos fans should have high hopes for their offense in the long term. But at first, expect some messes as the unit grows and finds its chemistry.
Those high expectations for the offense?
“They’re are definitely tempered,” Elway said. “I don’t think that we can expect — with no offseason — for us to be coming out and hitting on all cylinders.
“I know that we’ve spent a lot of time in Zoom meetings. Pat and his staff on the offensive side have spent a lot of time with it, but there’s nothing like being on the practice field, so it’s going to be a slow build.”
After four post-Peyton Manning seasons watching offensive football that ranged from inconsistent to inept, this may not be what Broncos fans want to hear.
But the reality is that for a young offense that needed the repetitions more than most units around the NFL, the pandemic has already robbed it of growth opportunities with OTAs and team-organized practices being scrubbed. The fact that the team won’t don pads until three weeks after reporting for camp and won’t play the preseason at all further drains the reservoir of repetitions to a critical level.
‘I think with the way that training camp is set up, I always remember as a rookie [that] it was important to see other helmets — not just Bronco helmets, but to see other helmets and get used to and realize that, ‘Hey, they are now in the NFL.’ So with our young team, that doesn’t help us,” Elway said. “I was hoping for a couple of preseason games just because we’re so young on the offensive side, for them to get to see somebody else.
“But we’re going to have to deal with it. Today’s world is adjusting, and we’ll adjust to that.”
And the Broncos will adjust. Just because the offense doesn’t flourish early doesn’t mean it can’t blossom quickly once it collects full-speed game repetitions together.
Furthermore, the offense does not need to make a giant leap to make the team better. If the Broncos can produce even five more points per game, then the Broncos would have 22.6 points per contest, taking them from 28th in the league last year to 16th, turning a bad offense into an average one.
Pair that with a defense that brings back Bryce Callahan and Bradley Chubb from injuries and adds Jurrell Casey to the interior pass rush, and you have a scenario in which the Broncos can pair a top-eight defense with an average offense. Barring a calamitous turnover margin, this set of circumstances should — at minimum — push the Broncos back into contention.
“Obviously we’re going to have to lean on the defense. We do have veterans on the defensive side that we can rely on as we grow as an offense. So that’s the hope,” Elway said.
“I’d love to see us come out and see us score 40 points against Tennessee on Monday night. I’m not saying that can’t happen. But obviously, with the youth that we do have, it’s going to take some time, and hopefully we can play better defense with the veterans that we have coming in and that can give us a chance.”
And that’s where it comes down to focusing on the reason, and not the excuse.
The “excuse” would be saying the Broncos can’t find a way to win because of the young offense, particularly in the passing game. Their defense, Fangio’s stated desire to work toward “balance” on offense and the presence of veteran running backs in Lindsay and Gordon offer the Broncos a chance to work around any early issues for the offense.
That no-excuses mentality permeates the Broncos as they gather for the COVID-19 testing that serves as the kickoff to a training camp unlike any other in team history.
“I’ve tried to express is that ‘it is what it is,’ and whoever handles this the best that they can will probably have the most success,” Elway said. “So we can’t sit here and bitch about it; we’ve got to realize that it’s part of it and we’ve got to deal with it and deal with it the best we can and stay with our nose to the grindstone, because this is not going to be over in a month; it’s going to take us six months.
“So, as long as we realize the length of this and how long this commitment is going to be, then we’ve got a chance to be successful.”
And in adapting for the pandemic and building a better offense, the Broncos look ready for the long haul.
