Broncos Film Room: What Bradley Chubb needs to show in the third preseason game

Who would you rather be, Phillip Lindsay or Bradley Chubb? The answer seems easy, though just like Lindsay, the Broncos top-five pick has to earn his stripes and prove his worth on the field.

After a game with lots of positives in Week 2 of the preseason, there was still one big aspect of Chubb’s game that was missing.

We went back to the tape to break down what the talented rookie’s done well thus far and what he still needs to work on to break out in the all-important third preseason game.

Work in progress

There was a lot to like from Chubb’s performance against the Bears—read below—but there were also several instances on film that just left you wanting more, particularly from the man who abused ACC offensive lines a year ago to the tune of 25 tackles for a loss and 10 sacks back in 2017. 

The big thing that’s been missing from No. 55’s two preseason appearances has been his ability to create pressure off the edge.

His strength and motor didn’t always flash, as he’s struggled to create separation from offensive tackles, not getting by them.

Mind you, strength and motor were Chubb’s strong points at NC State, and while the quality of tackles he’s facing is better in the NFL, Chicago’s two starting tackles aren’t exactly world beaters. Those starting offensive tackles, and especially left tackle Charles Leno Jr., gave Chubb issues, as he just had a hard time freeing himself up and getting into the Bears backfield.

Even when he was getting by the backup tackles, Chubb struggled to close the play in the backfield.

The Broncos first-round pick needs to show more burst off the edge to beat his blocker from the jump and create pressure. His pass rushing arsenal has yet to be unleashed and he’s not working his strong hands as much as you’d like to see either.

It just looks like Chubb isn’t playing fast just yet, as he seems to still be adjusting to the NFL’s game speed, looking a half step too slow in processing information right now. Once he gets up to speed, playing fast and loose, we should be able to see the real Chubb, playing at his full potential. 

Against the run, he certainly showed flashes but also had some off plays, particularly missed tackles. Just watch him here below, as he has the back dead to rights but can’t close the play.

While other times defending the run he was blocked out the way, conceding a big gain—like this Jordan Howard run to his side.

Maybe a bit frustrated with his inability to constantly create pressure, Chubb also had two consecutive penalties. One for roughing the passer, as he came off the edge unblocked and was a step too late to the quarterback, which forced him to make contact after the ball was out, and then on the very next play as he was called for offsides. 

The good

Chubb showed flashes against the run, playing with his hand in the ground most of the game. It’s easy to see his strength at the point of attack and the upside he possesses as a run stopper who can set a strong edge. 

More impressive, in his second taste of NFL action, was 55’s versatility, especially when dropped in coverage, where he made several plays, looking nimble in space even when having to cover athletic running backs like the electric Tarik Cohen.

Just watch him here playing behind the four-man front as a classic 4-3 strongside linebacker.

His ability in pursuit, which was always evident in his college tape, also really flashed. On this play below, he went from rushing off the edge on the weak side to running across the field to make a tackle in space on the opposite sideline.

270-pound pass rushers aren’t supposed to move like that or be able to make those kinds of plays in space. 

Maybe his biggest play of the game was 55’s stunt on 3rd-and-long, going from lining up on the edge to bursting up the A-gap. 

Chubb’s pressure up the middle, combined with a corner blitz off the weak side, gave Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky nowhere to go as he had to just throw the ball away.

Interior pressure is crucial for the Broncos defense. With Chubb wrecking havoc on stunts, added to interior rushers like DeMarcus Walker or Clinton McDonald, who both got sacks in the game, the defense could significantly upgrade their ability to do more than just dominate off the edge but also up the middle.

Of course, the play of the game from Chubb was his safety tackle off a bobbled snap as he came screaming off the edge to close down on Trubisky in a hurry.

It’s a shame the snap was bobbled, as it would’ve been nice to see how quickly Chubb would’ve closed down on the quarterback had he got a clean snap. 

It was interesting to see how Chubb was used in the game, too, which showed off his complete skill set. He rushed with his hand in the ground and standing up, was dropped in coverage a good amount and was even used on the aforementioned stunt.

The kid can play all over the field and do just about everything, he just needs to start dominating on obvious passing downs to consistently create pressure. 

No one’s perfect opposite Von

Re-watching the tape, Shane Ray struggled even more than Chubb in creating pressure. He, too, had a hard time against the Bears starting offensive tackles and even their backup unit. 

Just re-watch the clip from before where Chubb made a play in coverage and watch how Ray, rushing off the edge with great leverage, simply lost his footing as he was about to break into the Bears backfield.

This play was emblematic of Ray’s performance, as he struggled to impact the game as a pass rusher.

Mind you, Ray was a late first rounder because of an off-the-field incident and could’ve very easily gone in the top-15 selections if not top 10. The relentless motor and first-step quickness that made him a blue-chip prospect at Missouri, though, has been missing the past few years. We saw that again against the Bears.

Granted, Ray played better in the second half, hurrying the quarterback twice. In a pivotal contract year, though, No. 56 needs to show more.

So far, the pass rushing unit opposite Von Miller, which should be the strength of Denver’s defense—if not the whole team—hasn’t lived up to expectations.

In conclusion

This isn’t a time to be alarmed, as Chubb’s still learning how to navigate the NFL and Ray just didn’t look 100-percent in his last outing. Not to mention, it’s still preseason and we can’t read too much into things.

That said, for the Broncos to achieve their full potential, the rushers opposite No. 58 need to step it up. 

For Chubb, he’s already showing he can be the versatile chess piece the defense was looking for, impacting the game all over the field.

However, while the top rookie quarterbacks have played surprisingly well early in the preseason, Chubb has the added pressure to show he was worth taking above a potential QB of the future. To show that, he needs to get after opposing quarterbacks with regularity, wreaking havoc in opposing backfields like he did at NC State.

Time will tell, with the third preseason game against the Washington Redskins being the biggest test the young rookie’s faced so far.