Zach Allen is leading a Denver Broncos pass rush on the verge of a breakthrough

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — All of a sudden, the Denver Broncos have a legitimate pass rush.

The Broncos have finished each of the past three seasons in the bottom half of the NFL sack leaderboard, struggling to find their way in the post-Von Miller Era.

But, two games into the 2024 season, the pass rush appears to be back. Or at least close to it.

The Broncos only have four sacks this season, which ties for 17th in the league. Context is important, though. Opponents have attempted the third-fewest passes against the Broncos and completed the second-fewest. On a per-snap basis, the Broncos rank 13th in sack production.

The underlying numbers are the reason for excitement.

ESPN tracks pass-rush win rate, which tracks every matchup between a rusher and a blocker and grants a win to one of the players depending on whether the block lasts at least 2.5 seconds.

The Broncos ranked 30th in pass rush win rate last year. They rank 2nd in 2024.

And that’s not all. The Broncos have knocked down the opposing quarterback on 20% of pass attempts, which trails only the Dallas Cowboys. Leading the way with five of the Broncos’ 13 quarterback hits is Zach Allen.

“He’s a good player first of all,” defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said of Allen. “He works at it. He’s smart. Obviously when you’re game planning guys have time to watch film. Good veterans figure out ways to make plays within a scheme. He does that very well.”

Allen, 27, is in his second year with the Broncos after signing as a free agent from the Arizona Cardinals.

Through two weeks, he ranks first in pass rush win rate among interior linemen across the NFL.

Almost as impressively, Allen has played all but seven defensive snaps so far this season. Only two defensive linemen have played a higher percentage of their team’s snaps so far this season, Christian Wilkins and Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders.

“Obviously big guys wear down quicker than smaller guys because the job is different,” Joseph said. “He’s in great shape, and again he was mentored by J.J. Watt, who played every down. That speaks to the offseason, that speaks to how to train, how to eat and then lifestyle. So I’m not surprised he can play that many snaps. Now it’s not always good because big guys do wear down, and you want big guys fresh.”

Head coach Sean Payton is impressed by Allen’s consistency.

“Play 16 and play 48 look the same,” Payton said. “That’s hard to do at that position.”

The Broncos’ coaching staff deserves credit for the increased pressure.

Only two defensive linemen in the top 20 for pass rush win rate have been double-teamed less than Allen.

Similarly, Jonathon Cooper ranks third among edge rushers in pass-rush win rate, but he’s double-teamed the least of any edge rusher in the top 20?

So who is drawing all of the double-teams? Sometimes… nobody.

You may have seen a stat floating around that suggests the Broncos are blitzing more than any other team in the NFL. But I wouldn’t call what the Broncos are doing “blitzes.”

The Broncos are using their “penny front” instead of their “nickel” often. That means they’re lining up their three defensive linemen and two edge rushers on the line of scrimmage, with a lone linebacker behind them.

The Broncos are sending five rushers, which some would call a “blitz,” often. That means everybody gets a one-on-one, unless the offense keeps a tight end or running back in the formation for protection.

More importantly, the penny front allows the Broncos to get their best players on the field. While Denver still has a Josey Jewell-sized hole at the second linebacker spot, new additions John Franklin-Myers and Malcolm Roach have been everything the Broncos could have hoped for in their first two games.

Eventually, the Broncos must convert more of their pressures into sacks, but they have a formula that is providing signs of life.

Injury Report

The Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers released their final injury report of the week on Friday.

The big news: The Bucs will probably be without their two best defenders on Sunday.

Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. will not play and nose tackle Vita Vea is doubtful. That’s big news for a Broncos offense that has struggled in its first two outings.

Here’s the injury report for Sunday…

Broncos

Buccaneers