Stats what I’m talking about: Bronco stat review for game three

After failing to score on the opening drive of the previous two games, the Denver Broncos scored a touchdown on their opening drive against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers .

I was surprised to find the Broncos did that six times last season, which was the most since the 2013 season when the team did it 8 times. The Broncos did not do it at all in the 2020 season and only twice in 2021 and 2022. I'd really like to see the Broncos do it seven or eight times this season, but maybe that is asking too much from our young offense.

The seven sacks that the defense collected was the most since the Broncos collected eight sacks against the Jets in 1996, but they did get seven in 2019 in the 16-0 shutout of the Titans.

The Broncos have had seven or more sacks 22 times in team history, but this was only the fifth time this century. The most the Broncos have ever gotten was ten against the Bengals in 1969. There are some teams that didn't get much more than that in a full sixteen game schedule.

It should also be noted that two of those sacks came from Dondrea Tillman in his first NFL action. He had himself a great game with 3 total tackles, 2 TFL, and 3 QBhits to go with his 2.0 sacks on 20 defensive snaps. I can't remember a backup OLB stuffing the stat sheet like that since Shaq Barrett in 2015 when he got 1.5 sacks, 9 tackles, 3 TFL, 2 QBhits, 1 FF, 1 PD and 1 FR. That, however, was in a start where he played 72 defensive snaps. Shane Ray had 3.0 sacks, 2 QBhits and 2 TFL in his best career game in 2016, but that was also in a start where he played 49 snaps. I can't remember a backup OLB stuffing the stat sheet like that in so few snaps. The closest I can find is Shaq Barrett getting 1.0 sacks, 3 tackles, 2 TFL and 3 QBhits on 31 snaps in the 17-3 win over the Chargers in 2015. Nik Bonitto came close with his 1.5 sacks, 1 TFL, 3 QBhits and 1 PD in the win last year over Cleveland, but again that was in 32 snaps. If any of you can remember a Bronco backup edge who put up more stats in so few snaps I'd love to hear about it.

The defense has been playing well so far this season and doing the opposite of what they did last season (thanks to Taylor Kothe for this). The Broncos gave up 17 in game one of 2023, then twice that in game two (35) and twice that again in game three (70). In 2024 the Broncos allowed 26 in game one, half of that in game two (13) and half again of that in game three (6). While it is possible that the Broncos hold the Jets to 3 points in Jersey on Sunday, I wouldn't bet on it. The Jets have scored 19, 24 and 24 points in their three games this season and were only held to 3 or fewer points once last season with Aaron Rodgers on the sidelines in a cast (like the jester). It's exceedingly rare for the team Aaron is starting for to not score 7 or more points when he starts. It has only happened five times in his 227 starts.

Speaking of QBs, Bo Nix, had the best game of his young career and that was partly due to his ability to throw the ball down the field. See my tweet below

Nix completed on 4 of 8 throws that landed 10 or more yards from the LOS in game three.

It's interesting to note that Nix stayed out of the center of the field against the Bucs with only one throw between the hashes. The two completions for greater than 20 yards were heartening to see.

The Bronco OL played a great game against the Bucs with an almost completely inexperienced player starting at RT in Alex Palczewski. He did not get called for a penalty or allow a sack. The whole OL did a great job of protecting Nix allowing him to be pressured only three or four times (pressure data has not been posted yet). Nix was not sacked and he was only hit twice.

While I was hoping that Nix would get his first TD pass on Sunday and be the first rookie to throw one this season (and he would have if Troy Franklin would have run his route further from the sideline so that we could have come down inbounds with that ball), Jayden Daniels just threw one tonight while I was typing this. He appears to be playing the best of the three rookie QBs who are playing, but I like Bo's trajectory and I'm hoping that he will continue to improve week-over-week.