The Broncos win over the Dolphins offers a glimmer of hope for more
Nov 23, 2020, 6:28 AM
The Broncos didn’t learn much from their first win over the season. Beating the Jets, a team that remains winless as Thanksgiving approaches, by a 37-28 score didn’t provide much insight into what Denver does well and what they don’t.
The team’s second win of the year didn’t offer much more info. Winning in New England by a 18-12 count seemed like a nice victory at the time, but the Patriots have proven that they aren’t what they once were now that Tom Brady is in Tampa Bay.
And Denver’s third win in 2020 wasn’t much more revealing. Coming back from a 21-point, second-half deficit seemed like a big accomplishment, but it was really just another example of the Chargers finding yet another way to lose a game.
That’s not being negative. That’s not looking at the glass as half empty. It’s just reality.
Heading into the Broncos matchup with the Dolphins, Denver hadn’t provided many reasons for optimism. That all changed on Sunday.
Miami entered the game red hot, winners of five straight. They were looking to climb into a tie with Buffalo atop the AFC East, serving as one of the best stories of the NFL season.
The Broncos dominated them. In every facet of the game, Denver was the better team on Sunday.
The final score may have only been 20-13. And the Dolphins might’ve had a chance to tie the score in the final minutes of the game. But the game wasn’t nearly as close as those facts might indicate.
Denver racked up 459 yards of total offense, while holding Miami to just 223. Any time one NFL team doubles the output of another, it’s an impressive performance.
But controlling the line of scrimmage and manhandling the Dolphins wasn’t the only good news. In fact, it was just the start of the good news that should have Broncos Country feeling much better about things.
Normally, a 20-point performance wouldn’t be reason to be excited about the offense. But that doesn’t begin to explain how good Denver was against Miami.
In reality, the Broncos should’ve very easily put 35-plus points on the scoreboard. For a team averaging 20.6 points per game, that would’ve been a breakthrough performance.
Melvin Gordon fumbled at the goal line on Denver’s final drive of the game, taking seven points off the board and failing to ice the game. The Broncos opening march of the second half stalled at the 14-yard line when they were stopped on fourth-and-one, nixing three to seven points from their performance. And a first-half series ended in a field goal despite Drew Lock and Company having a second-and-one at the nine-yard line, a stall that cost another four points.
Granted, those blunders can’t happen. Gordon has to take care of the ball or the Broncos have to start using Phillip Lindsay in crucial situations. Vic Fangio needs to take the points, especially in a low-scoring game. And Denver’s offense has to be better in short-yardage, as they still struggle to gain yards in obvious running situations.
But the opportunities are there for more points. The Broncos are knocking on the door.
That wasn’t the only positive on the offensive side of the ball, however. The play of their quarterback was also a huge step in the right direction.
Statistically, Drew Lock had an okay day. He completed 18 of 30 passes for 270 yards, with no touchdowns and an interception. But that fails to tell the whole story. During the game, Lock repeatedly demonstrated his toughness, both mentally and physically, and showed that he can make crucial plays.
The quarterback’s availability for the game wasn’t known until Saturday, as he recovered from an oblique and rib injury that stemmed from the beating he took last week in Las Vegas against the Raiders. Nonetheless, Lock stood in the pocket for four quarters against a Dolphins defense that loves to blitz, not flinching despite constant pressure.
He also didn’t cower when things went poorly early in the game. Coming off of a four-interception game last week, it would’ve been easy to crumble when the Broncos third play of the game resulted in a Miami interception at Denver’s 22-yard line. When the pick turned into a touchdown for the Dolphins, the 7-0 hole could’ve pushed the snowball down the wrong side of the hill. But it didn’t. Lock kept his cool, rebounded and played well the rest of the way.
Included in that performance were multiple conversions on third-and-long, including two on the Broncos first touchdown drive of the day. The first was a 15-yard strike to K.J. Hamler on third-and-10 to prevent another three-and-out. The second was a 14-yard scramble on third-and-13 to avoid having to settle for a field goal.
Those types of plays are what are so enticing about Lock. He has all the tools, able to make things happen both with his arm and his legs. The ability to move the chains, even in a bad down-and-distance situation, is what separates great quarterbacks from the rest of the pack. Lock isn’t there yet, obviously. But he has the talent to someday get there, if he can become more consistent.
The other side of the ball also showed improvement on Sunday. After Gordon fumbled with less than six minutes to play in the game, it felt like things were going to fall apart. Denver’s defense was poised to have another late collapse, allowing a 99-yard, game-tying touchdown drive in the waning moments.
Instead, they made a play to stop the drive and win the game. Justin Simmons intercepted Ryan Fitzpatrick in the end zone with a minute to play, clinching victory for the Broncos. That’s what a great defense is supposed to do; with the game on the line, they’re supposed to come up big.
Did Denver’s win over Miami save their season? Not by a long shot. The next two weeks, with games against the Saints and Chiefs on the horizon, are a chance to accomplish that feat.
But the victory over the Dolphins did show what the Broncos are capable of when they put everything together. It offered a much-needed ray of hope.
