BSN Breakdown: Denver Broncos Could Use a Turnover Turnaround in 2015

Hey Broncos Country, what do you say we weigh a novel concept as the Orange and Blue prepares to enter the 2015 season?

With the litany of offensive concerns — a new system, a 39-year-old starting quarterback, a reconfigured and inexperienced offensive line and the loss of pass-catching weapons Julius Thomas and Wes Welker — it’s the perfect time for the Denver defense to step up as the team’s dominant unit.

In fact, it’s safe to say the Broncos could use a huge season from Von Miller, Chris Harris Jr., DeMarcus Ware and Shane Ray and Co. more than ever.

To carry the torch and win some games, though, the Denver D needs to turn around its turnover fortunes and stand out more in the NFL’s stand-out statistical category.

Check out these numbers from the last five NFL seasons (2010-14) to see what we mean:

• Over that span, the Broncos are tied for the league’s sixth best regular-season record at 50-30 (.625) and have made four playoff appearances
• Defensively, they rank 11^th in fewest opponent total yards per game (340.1), eighth in fewest opponent yards per offensive play (5.19) and 11^th in quarterback sacks (198)
• However, they also rank 22^nd in points allowed (1,903 or 23.8 per game) and are tied for 24^th in takeaways with 111.

The traditional league defensive rankings are based on yards surrendered so the Broncos may not seem to be so lacking to the untrained eye.

But here’s the perfect example of why the yards-based rankings are misleading. The team which has allowed the most total yards (29,888 or 373.6 per game) over the past five seasons is none other than the same team that owns the league’s top record (63-17) over the same span: The defending champion New England Patriots.

So, DeflateGate aside — hey, couldn’t resist the jab — what’s been the key for the Clam Chowder crew? Try turnovers as the Pats easily are tops in the league with 167 takeaways and a robust plus-91 turnover differential over the last five seasons.

The Orange and Blue, meanwhile, are a minus-16 and have finished on the plus side of the turnover ledger only once — last season’s plus-5 margin — in the last five seasons while ranking 21^st in defensive interceptions (70) and an ugly and unfortunate 30^th in opponent fumbles recovered (41). Fumble recoveries are supposed to be a 50-50 proposition, but only the Packers (40) and Dolphins (34) have snatched up fewer opponent fumbles than the Broncos since the start of the 2010 season.

So while last season’s third-place defensive ranking (305.2 yards allowed per game) may seem to indicate that the Broncos’ D is just fine, the team’s so-so turnover differential (plus-5) and 16^th-place points allowed finish (22.1 per game) reveals that Wade Phillips’ unit has some work to do.

Make that significant work to do if the D truly hopes to flip the script and carry the franchise in 2015.