In his first season as head coach of the New Orleans Saints in 2006, Sean Payton led the franchise to a division title and a berth in the NFC Championship Game. In his second year in the Mile High City, the Super Bowl XLVI champion guided the Denver Broncos to its first winning season since 2016, and its first postseason game since beating the Panthers in Super Bowl 50.
The franchise also found something they had been looking for since veteran Peyton Manning’s four-year stint with the club from 2021-15. The team parted ways with Russell Wilson, and used a first-round pick on a college signal-caller with lots of playing experience. After a slow start, Payton, Nix, and an improved defense were on their way to a big year.
Biggest Positive from 2024
Talk about on-the-job training? With rookie quarterback Bo Nix at the helm, the Broncos got off to a 0-2 start. The 12th overall pick in April’s draft didn’t throw a touchdown pass in either game, and served up a pair of picks in each contest.
Nix’s first scoring toss of the season didn’t come until Week 4, but in his final 14 regular-season contests he threw 29 TD passes and was picked off only eight times. He got the Broncos off to a quick 7-0 start at Buffalo, but Denver’s offense was a no-show for most of the afternoon. Still, Payton raved about this talented youngster from Day One, and Nix established himself as a team leader.
Potential UFA that needs to be re-signed
In the team’s 31-7 wild card loss at Buffalo, defensive tackle D.J. Jones finished with seven tackles and a sack. The former sixth-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers has played the past three seasons in the Mile High City. Will he return for a fourth year with the organization?
“I feel like we’ve built some culture here,” said Jones recently to Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post. “We’ve brought some culture back. I’d love to come back.” Including last week’s playoff meeting with the Bills, Jones has played and started 49 games with the Broncos the past three seasons. “I feel like I’m hitting my prime and hitting my stride…”
Needs Fixing
Very much like the division-rival Chargers, the Broncos’ improved defense also had it issues down the stretch. The same unit that gave up the fourth-most total yards per game and was ranked 30th vs. the run in 2023 (a chunk of that due to that 70-20 loss at Miami in Week 3) finished seventh in total defense, while only three clubs allowed fewer yards on the ground.
Including the playoff loss to the Bills, the Broncos allowed 30-plus points in four of their final six outings. That happened only once in their first 12 contests. This unit needs a few more pieces, but 2024 was a season of major strides for this defense.