Bye-Bye to the Old Broncos Run Defense

It gets pretty old pretty quickly as a Broncos fan, hearing about our 2007 rush defense. Allowing well over 160 yards per game. Last in the league. Etc. etc.

I can still remember Tony Kornheiser questioning a Packers field goal three weeks ago, the last time the Broncos were on Monday Night Football. While the exact words escape me, the message reverberates in my head: “The Packers really don’t want to go for it on 4th and 2? Against the worst defense in the league? Against this Broncos defense that is that bad?!”

Well, guess what? We’re not 32nd anymore. We’re 31st. (Thanks, Jets).

The difference was the bye week. Before, the Broncos allowed over 180 rushing yards per game. Since, Broncos opponents have averaged barely over 100.

Heading into our Week 6 bye, we were dead last in rush defense, allowing a whopping 187.6 yards per game. We allowed 200 rushing yards to the Oakland Raiders. Simply horrible.

Since the bye week, the Broncos have kept their opponents under 120 yards rushing in 3 of our four games. Only the Lions in Week 9 eclipsed that mark with 130 rushing yards. The Broncos have allowed an average of 105.25 rushing yards per game since then. That’s 62 less rushing yards than the Broncos in weeks 1-5!

What’s more, insert that 105 yard number into the current standings and the Broncos would be right in the middle of the pack. 16th overall, right behind the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Credit the coaching staff for knowing something had to change, and credit the players for better play all around. Just credit these Broncos for turning their porous run defense around. The Broncos aren’t dominant, and they still have a lot of room to improve (16th is only worth shouting about when you were 32nd before). But they’re much, much better than they were.

But they’ll be tested.

They’ll need to be just as sharp against the Titans’ three-headed running attack in LenDale White, Chris Henry, and Vince Young. White’s bruising, strong style is a perfect complement to Henry’s speed, and Vince Young’s versatility poses the Titans’ greatest threat. If the Broncos can contain this Titans running attack, which really is the soul of their offense, they will dominate, yes dominate, the Titans on Monday.

If the Broncos of old come out to play, they won’t stand a chance. If the Broncos of lately show up at Invesco Field, they will find themselves in the midst of a two-game winning streak, returning to .500, and with any luck (Go Jags!), sharing the lead in the AFC West.