Denver Broncos: 5 Things that need to happen for a successful season
The Denver Broncos are four years removed from making the Super Bowl, so now what must they do to have a successful 2019 NFL season?
Four seasons ago, the Denver Broncos were in the Super Bowl. Since Peyton Manning’s retirement, though, the Broncos have failed to get back to those heights — or really anywhere close to the vicinity.
Now, the question is what do the Broncos and newly appointed head coach Vic Fangio needs to do to be successful in the 2019 season?
Let us explore five things that need to happen in order for the Broncos to walk out of the 2019 NFL season feeling as if they were a success overall.
5. Keep Emmanuel Sanders healthy
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One of the top things that need to happen for the Broncos to be successful this season is to make sure their star wide receiver Emmanual Sanders stays healthy. We saw what Sanders can do in the preseason, where his Achilles injury looked to be fully healed. However, another injury could cost the Broncos dearly as he figures to be an integral part of the Denver offense in 2019.
4. Turnovers must be limited to a minimum
If the Broncos are going to be successful, the offense must limit turnovers. In 2018, the Broncos committed 21 turnovers. These turnovers can mean a lot for a team in the NFL, the difference between a win or a loss in a given game. Too many, and they add up, costing a team the chance at a postseason berth or Super Bowl run, which is what Denver wants to avoid.
3. Joe Flacco needs to be healthy as well
A huge addition to the Broncos offense in the 2019 offseason was the trade for quarterback Joe Flacco. Flacco won Super Bowls with the Ravens. I believe that, with Sanders and a strong offensive line, Flacco has the potential to take Denver to those heights as well.
In his 2018 season with Baltimore, Flacco completed 232 of his 379 attempted passes for a 61.2 percent completion rate. Flacco was able to rack up a total of 2,465 passing yards for 12 touchdowns.
On top of a new head coach, he Broncos also have a new offensive coordinator this season, Rich Scangarello, formerly on the 49ers staff. From the looks of play-calling during the preseason, the Broncos offense will mirror a Kyle Shannahan system. This type of play-calling seems like the best case for Flacco.
More importantly, though, Flacco needs to be able to stay healthy this season. While Drew Lock can play as a backup, there is almost no chance that the rookie is capable of leading a playoff (or Super Bowl) charge for Denver in 2019.
2. Limiting costly penalties is a must
According to NFL Penalties website, the Denver Broncos had 125 penalties go against them for a total loss of 985 yards in the 2018 season. The worst of these penalties, though, are committing holding, false start and pass interference infractions, which are mindless lapses in focus. As the Broncos have some rookies on the offensive line, they must keep the number of holding and false start penalties limited.
1. Get after the quarterback consistently
The Broncos defense looked sharp during the preseason. Bradley Chubb and Von Miller are stars capable of getting to the quarterback quickly on any given play. Many fans entering the preseason were underestimating what Chubb was capable of this season. However, he and Miller are more than primed to put up massive sack numbers in 2019.
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If Chris Harris and Bryce Callahan step up this season, we could be looking at the strongest No-Fly Zone since its popularity in 2015. While that won’t pressure the quarterback, it will allow Chubb, Miller and the defensive line to have more time to create havoc in the opposing backfield. This team is still defensive-minded and must live up to that if they ultimately want to have success.