Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - Denver Broncos Defense Will Continue To DOMINATE Rookie QBs vs. Cam Ward, Titans

Episode Date: September 3, 2025

The Denver Broncos defense must dominate Cam Ward and the Tennessee Titans in his rookie debut. Cody Roark and Sayre Bedinger discuss Sean Payton's offense and how it can establish rhythm against a to...ugh Titans front seven. Plus, Special teams also take scenter stage as rookie punter Jeremy Crawshaw and kicker Will Lutz must provide the Broncos with great field position and Patrick Surtain II and Riley Moss look to contain Tennessee's top receiving threats Calvin Ridley and Tyler Lockett. Cody Roark is a credentialed beat reporter for Mile High Sports and covers the Broncos daily in person. Sayre Bedinger is the site expert for Predominantly Orange. Both bring Broncos Country the most in-depth and objective coverage of the Denver Broncos. WANT MORE DAILY DENVER BRONCOS CONTENT?For all of the latest Denver Broncos news today -- Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOBroncos?sid=YouTube Locked On NFL League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft & More🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNFL Follow on Twitter: @CodyRoarkNFL and @SayreBedingerFollow the show on Twitter: @LockedOnBroncos Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!DoorDashWith DoorDash Streaks, you save every Saturday you order — stack it up all season and you could save up to $250. Order this Saturday. Keep the streak alive. Fuel your gameday — only with DoorDash. Terms apply. Promo period through 11/18. Monarch MoneyTake control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNFL at monarchmoney.com/lockedonnfl for 50% off your first year. UpsideDon’t let this offer drive on by, download the free Upside app now using my limited time promo code TOUCHDOWN for a limited time 25 cent per gallon bonus! Offers vary by user and location, Go to upside.com for terms and conditions.Click Here to download the app: https://getupside.onelink.me/zlLr?af_xp=custom&pid=barrington&c=barrington_lockedon25&deep_link_value=promo&deep_link_sub1=lockedon25&af_dp=upsideapp%3A%2F%2F Yahoo FantasyPresented by YahooFantasy #YahooPartner. Draft now at https://yahoofantasy.com/lockedonnfl. PrizePicksDownload the PrizePicks app today and use code LOCKEDONNFL to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime. FanDuelRight now, new customers can bet just FIVE dollars and if your bet wins—you’ll get THREE HUNDRED dollars in bonus bets to use across the app. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Rookie quarterbacks have struggled in road openers, and Cam Ward faces a tough Denver Broncos defense. We'll tell you why the Broncos need to keep that trend going in Sunday's game on today's episode, Locked on Broncos. You are Locked on Broncos, your daily Denver Broncos podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. What's up, Broncos country? Welcome into another episode, Locked on Broncos, your daily Denver Broncos podcast, part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. I'm Cody Roark, Broncos reporter from Mile High Sports, joined as always by Sarah Bedinger, site expert over there, predominantly orange.com. And we got a lot to break down here on today's episode of the show that is brought to you by our friends
Starting point is 00:00:46 over there at Mazda. Just like there's more to every player, more dedication, more attention to detail. There's more to a Mazda vehicle. Stay tuned later in the episode for highlights. And this week's moving the game forward as we break down, why the Broncos need to keep a certain trend rolling against rookie quarterbacks that hasn't necessarily been a successful case for them dating back to 2020. We'll go through that.
Starting point is 00:01:06 And we'll also talk about the Broncos' offensive rhythm, staying in check against a very aggressive Titans defensive front led by Jeffrey Simmons. That's going to be crucial for them if they want to win Sunday's game. And on top of that, we'll also talk about why special teams, yes, special teams, special players. That's going to be a crucial element in Sunday's game here. If the Broncos want to start off 1 and, oh, you get all that here on today's episode of the show. Thanks to all the everydayers out there in. Broncos country for tuning in, making us your first listen, however you choose to do so.
Starting point is 00:01:34 Sarah, my friend, look, we're excited. Game Week is here. The anticipation continues to build up tomorrow. I know you've got a great crossover Thursday episode with Locked on Titans host Tyler Rowland. But I like to get into a little bit of an early preview of this game. You guys will get a little bit more in-depth one in tomorrow's crossover episode. But for me, I'm excited about the Broncos and what this defense can look like,
Starting point is 00:01:56 specifically against a rookie quarterback. And there's a certain trend. The Broncos must keep going. There is. If you're the Denver Broncos and the Broncos, defense specifically, you don't want to be the exception to the rule after this game. Rookie quarterbacks historically, as you mentioned, Cody, they do struggle in their first road starts. No rookie has won a week one road start since 2018. And since 2020, get this,
Starting point is 00:02:22 first year quarterbacks who make their NFL debuts away from home, they are two and 15. And those 17 quarterbacks, they've only thrown eight touchdown passes during that stretch. So to say that it's been a rough go for rookie quarterbacks or first year quarterbacks going on the road in their first time, their first time starting. It's a bit of an understatement to say that they struggle. So, yeah, you don't want to be the exception. You don't want Cam Ward to be bucking historic trends at this point, especially coming to Denver where we know that the crowd is going to do its part to make it a hostile environment. The defense has to take advantage of that early, often, get him rattled, get him playing with kind of the yips, get him trying to make every throw on his first read and really just,
Starting point is 00:03:06 I don't know, that's exactly what you want to see. You want to see if his first read's not there. You want to see him kind of panicking in the pocket. Not that we wish Cam Ward any ill will for his career, but certainly in this game against Denver, I want to see him struggle a lot. And I think that all starts up front with the Broncos defensive line led by Zach Allen, John Franklin Myers, D. Che Jones. And then he got your outside linebackers and Jonathan Cooper, Nick Bonito, that aggressive tone setters, you know, I think is going to start and end with them. And I'm curious to see if Drake Greenlaw gets involved early on, can he set the tone with the big hit on Tony Pollard to kind of just say, hey, you know what? Welcome to the NFL.
Starting point is 00:03:44 You know, Cam Ward, we're going to shut down the run and we want you to try to throw it. But I'll always say, and I always err on the side of caution, there have been times historically where the Broncos have said to a quarterback, we dare you to throw and they've carved them up. Hopefully that's not the case here this week. but really I think this mentality of coming in and keeping that trend rolling, it starts with making Cam's life miserable in terms of pressure in terms of QB hits. If you can get him, as you mentioned, a double clutch, hold on to the ball. Now you have an opportunity to sack the quarterback. And certainly if you have him wrapped up, I mean, he's also a big body guy.
Starting point is 00:04:16 He can use his legs. He can escape. So make sure you bring him down. And then that creates opportunities to maybe speed up his clock and that helps out the guys in the back end of the secondary. That's going to be crucial here this week against a rookie quarterback. that does have some veteran options at the receiver position. He does, and the Titans are going to try to get all those guys involved. I've already seen reports coming out of the Titans.
Starting point is 00:04:36 They plan on moving Calvin Ridley around the formation offensively, which I think really ultimately means they don't necessarily want him lined up against Pat Sartan all throughout the course of the game, but also they're going to try to keep the Broncos defense on its heels. And how many times last season did we see Vance Joseph absolutely in his bag of tricks when it comes to sending a wide variety of exotic looks at quarterbacks, regardless if it was a rookie or if it was a veteran, and utilizing those blitz packages to really exert dominance on that side of the ball.
Starting point is 00:05:09 That is a big reason why the Broncos led the NFL in Sacks last season, and a big reason why you and I talked throughout the offseason, why we believe that they can potentially set the NFL record for Sacks in a season because they've got so many different guys that can win one-on-one matchups, that can beat double teams that can be effective as blitzers. So against a young quarterback like this, who the Titans are going to try to have him getting his first read early and often. They're going to be trying to create yards after the catch.
Starting point is 00:05:36 They're going to try to catch the Broncos off guard with misdirection. The Broncos have to be disciplined. They have to be ready and they have to be aggressive. Well, they're also not going to be shy from taking shots down field. I mean, Will Levis had a, I think, a 99-yard touchdown pass last year. So even if they're backed up, they're not afraid to air it out a little bit. And obviously, I think Cam Moore is a clear upgrade at the quarterback position over a guy like Will Levis. You know, it's interesting about moving Calvin Ridley around.
Starting point is 00:06:01 Well, the Broncos will probably if that's the case, if they really want to identify a specific matchup, they'll move Pat wherever Calvin goes. We've seen Pat travel. Pat can. Pat wants to travel. Pat wants to lock down the best receiver, which then opens things up, I think, for Riley Moss to maybe get his lick back against Tyler Lockett. And obviously, last year against Seattle, ironically enough, week one, Riley Moss had really good coverage nine out of ten times on Tyler Lockett.
Starting point is 00:06:27 Lockett made an incredible play on a handful of different plays there. So it's a chance for Riley Moss to maybe get some revenge against the veteran savvy receiver there. And then other guys are going to be in the mix as well. Van Jefferson, to me, I'm a little interested about Chig Ocunquo and also Gunnar Helm, who obviously is a very talented tight-in. So they got two tight ends. Oconquo's got good size where I worry about that in the red zone. And I think, you know, Helm is a guy that can impact you in the yards after the catch department.
Starting point is 00:06:53 Yeah, those two guys are really intriguing young tight ends for them, especially O'Conquo, who has made a lot of plays and can really scoot after the catch. And so they're probably going to try to get him in matchups against Alex Singleton whenever they get the opportunity. And I would not be shocked to see the backs get quite involved as well. I mean, Tony Pollard, that's kind of one of his calling cards is, hey, I can go make plays in space. I mean, he was outstanding when he was with the Cowboys at returning kicks, making plays as a receiver, getting out in space and making guys. So there are a lot of guys for this Titans team that, you know, you look back at last year, you see a team that got the number one pick in the draft. And any team that gets the number one pick in the draft, they earn the number one pick in the
Starting point is 00:07:34 draft. I mean, you got to lose a lot to get there. But at the same time, now you've got a clean slate, got a mostly healthy roster. And you've got renewed optimism. And you're playing with house money. And nobody's expecting anything of you. We know how the Broncos were last year when that was their kind of mantra is, hey, we're us against the world right now.
Starting point is 00:07:52 Right. And so there's a lot of veterans on that Titans team, as you and I have mentioned. And so Cam Ward, it's really up to him if he's going to be the straw that stirs the drink, right? And for the Broncos, you've got to make sure that that drink never makes it to the table. Yeah, no, I think that that's a great point that you made there. And last year, what happened with Tennessee doesn't matter. What happened with Denver last year simply doesn't matter. It's a new year.
Starting point is 00:08:15 It's a new slate. Everybody is 17 and 0 until they ain't, Sarah. And that's the name of the game here. but Broncos country, we still got a lot to break down on today's episode of show. We're going to dive deep into why the Broncos offense needs to be efficient, and they need to have their flow consistent against this Tennessee Titans defense led by Jeffrey Simmons to Vandre Sweat. We'll talk about how the Broncos can do that in which matchups we're identifying as areas of concern here in this matchup. We'll go through that much more here on today's episode, locked on Broncos.
Starting point is 00:08:43 Today's episode of show was brought to you by friends over there at Mazda, and this is Mazda's moving the game forward brought to you by those who believe it's not just, just about playing the game. It's about redefining it because these moments do more than win. They push what's possible. They remind us to go that extra yard, shift into that extra gear, and keep moving the game forward. And the Broncos are trying to keep moving forward after last season winning 10 games, making the playoffs for the first time since Super Bowl 50. It's a big year with Super Bowl expectations from head coach Sean Payton and obviously everybody in that locker room. That's what keeps fans and players alike moving forward, always chasing the next
Starting point is 00:09:19 great moment. And when you follow what moves you, the unexpected is only the beginning. And just like there's more to every highlight, there's more to a Mazda vehicle. Mazda move and be moved. Today's show is also brought to our friends over there at Supply House. And when the opening whistle blows on a new repair, get your crew moving forward with supply house today. Order today and see parts on your doorstep tomorrow. Over 280,000 plumbing, HVAC and electrical items from the most trusted brands in the business. Their real time inventory. and honestly times keep you from punting projects while their industry leading customer service always has your blind side covered.
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Starting point is 00:10:15 Visit Supplyhouse.com to sign up for free and use promo code Shing. NFL 5 for 5% off your first order. That's supplyhouse.com. Real people, real service. The Denver Broncos are taking on the Tennessee Titans in week one of the 20, 25 season. And you know what? The offense, they've got to find a rhythm right away.
Starting point is 00:10:34 Took them quite a few reps out there last season. And by reps, I mean, a couple of games to get things going offensively last season. But you know what? Let's see if they can do what they did against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Get off to a fast start here in week one instead of week three. We're going to talk about why the offense. needs to get into a rhythm quickly in week one on today's episode, lockdown Broncos.
Starting point is 00:10:53 But Broncos Country, thank you so much for making us part of your day. However you choose to do so, we appreciate all of you everyday listeners of the show. If you're not already an everyday listener, hey, we really appreciate if you hit subscribe on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts. Cody, let's talk about this offense getting into an offensive rhythm against the Titans defense. Obviously, you mentioned. And we've talked a lot about the fact that this Titans defense has some teeth on the
Starting point is 00:11:18 defensive line. I mean, Devondre Sweat, Jeffrey Simmons, Sebastian Joseph Day. They've obviously got Dremont Jones out there playing off the edge, which is interesting. It's going to be kind of fascinating to see. But it's a pretty good unit on paper. And the Broncos, they are not going to be able to be, you know, kind of just figuring things out out there. They will get on their heels quickly against a defensive line like this. They need to.
Starting point is 00:11:41 And that's going to be the biggest key. But how do you do that? I think it comes out early with establishing the run, trying to get the run game going, because what we all saw in the preseason, I'm certain, and I feel like I'm comfortable in speaking for Broncos country. They're looking at the product with the starters in the rushing offense, and they didn't feel comfortable about what they saw. And granted, I will say the context to that is the Broncos in these preseason
Starting point is 00:12:03 matchups. They weren't going through the week saying, okay, hey, we're going to put a game plan together. This is the type of front that the Titans love to run. So we're going to run this offense. This is how we're going to block it this week, whereas that is the game plan this week here for the regular season is, okay this is the front that this team likes to come out in when they come out in it we can run this this is going to be our bread and butter here if they change to this this is what we can do but it has to be about that overall level of consistency right and let's say your first play of the game bo nicks and the broncos offense take the field here let's say it's a run you don't don't panic essentially if you were sean peyton if you were the coaching staff if the titans defense led by geoffrey simmons sweat sebastian joseph if one of these guys you're
Starting point is 00:12:47 makes a play and it's a one-yard loss or you barely get back to the line of scrimmage. I think so much of it is about can you try to set the tone? Can your offensive line win their assignments there? Because so much of it's not man-to-man. It's a zone blocking scheme that's predicated on identifying the nearest threat, helping if you can on the offensive line, double teaming and then working up to your assignment to be able to have those lanes open up for your running back. It requires everybody to sustain and hold their blocks, which is the challenge of today's
Starting point is 00:13:15 NFL. You know, if the Broncos have a dominant offensive line, they got to come out here and they got to look like that against what I feel like could be an underrated defensive line this season here for Tennessee. And I'm interested, too, to see how Sean Payton or how quickly Sean Payton would revert to maybe the quick passing game as the extension of the running game. You know, if the running game does start to struggle early on in this one, Cody, will we see Sean revert to kind of that quick passing game? Get the ball out to Marvin Mims, design some or run some of those design. plays that are meant to get Mims going in space or throw the ball quickly out to Troy Franklin for a screen, see what he can make happen. I mean, those are the types of things that I think you kind of felt like this offense reverted to last year when the running game wasn't getting
Starting point is 00:14:00 going. And that's where we saw a little bit more of the inefficiency of the offense overall. And I know that I know Chase Daniel, when he came out to training camp this year, he was talking about the option plays from the quarterback position and just Bo Nix's comfortability running all those sorts of things. I mean, everything that this offense wants to do to sort of evolve in 2025 really seems to hinge on whether or not they can actually run the ball effectively on a down-to-down basis. You need those drive starters. You need to be able to create yards after contact. You need to be able to extend drives on third and short with your running game, not just bow nicks throwing the ball, right? And so everything really comes down to whether or not they can be efficient in this way.
Starting point is 00:14:40 And it starts with being bullies on the offensive line. And I think that's starts with first down. I mean, the Broncos have to be a better first down team. I know that last year they did improve compared to what we saw in 2023 in terms of third down efficiency, though I would say it still wasn't great last year. I think how they do on first down this year is going to be a big defining factor because if you're going three or four yards on first down forward, that's great. It opens up what you can do as a play caller. It certainly changes the way that the defense is going to play you at certain times if you're going backwards. Now every defense is going to say, hey, we're just going to sit back.
Starting point is 00:15:16 We're going to play cover four. We're going to throw it. Want you to throw it short. We're going to rally and tackle. And we're going to live with maybe getting out the field. And I think this is where Cody Barton being on the Tennessee Titans now is a very interesting storyline because Cody got to go against this Broncos defense every single day in practice going back to Trenti camp last year.
Starting point is 00:15:36 And obviously throughout the regular season, there are certain things that he knows. So I'm curious if the Broncos maybe have some changes. Obviously, they've evolved the offense a little bit. There's a lot of stuff that they want to bring back from last year. But maybe they changed the terminology a little bit this week just because you are facing Barton. Or maybe they keep something the same, but it's an entirely different play. And maybe it forces Cody Barton to say, hey, I know what this play call is. This is what we're going to do.
Starting point is 00:16:00 And maybe it's a counter. It's the ultimate chess game here. But I think that Cody Barton and his former role on this defense, I think he's a very interesting storyline to also follow. it is you've got to use that against him right and i know sean peyton obviously knows that and think they're going to do the same with maybe a lloyd cushionberry on the other side and try to use maybe what what do you think you know we're going to use that against you right and sending different stunts or you know different blitz looks that like lloyd's going to think well i saw this in practice a couple
Starting point is 00:16:27 years ago and then obviously it's going to be something different so i think that's an asset that you have in your favor is when you're playing against somebody who's been with your team you can use that against them in certain ways. And obviously not leaning too heavily on the fact that, well, he's going to know exactly what we're doing on every single play, but use that against him at the certain times that it can be effective, right? And so it is going to be interesting to see like these guys, are they going to come to Denver with the chip on their shoulder too?
Starting point is 00:16:53 Because obviously it didn't, and the Broncos didn't pay those guys when they probably could have, you know, I mean, Draymont Jones is a different situation. But, you know, when it comes to the Broncos offense, kind of flexing a little bit in this game. you kind of get the feeling that it's going to be a bit tougher in the early going to going to be playing with a little bit more adrenaline than maybe later in the season. Well, hopefully the opening script for Sean Payton has some plays that are going to open things up. I think so much of it is predicated on that first play, right?
Starting point is 00:17:24 When Bowdox comes out in the offense is lining up, whether under center, whether on the shotgun and saying, okay, hey, this is what the Titans are doing. You can look at that and you can modify the script as needed while staying within the structure of that, right? I mean, so much of it is based on what you think you're going to see on that first play. And I think if anyone's going to know, it's Sean Peyton and his staff. They're going to do a really good job of that. But I think that you have to be better on first down. You have to be efficient. You have to get off to a fast start here. Avoid the three and outs. That can't be a theme here in this game. And the Broncos can do that. They can maintain some rhythm against this tough Tennessee
Starting point is 00:17:57 Titans defense that I feel like will be better than most people are giving them credit for going into the season here. But Broncos country, we talked about offense. We've talked about defense. More importantly, we're going to talk about special teams because the Broncos absolutely have to maintain efficiency on that third phase of the football. If they want to beat Cam Ward and the Tennessee Titans here in week one, we'll tell you how here on today's episode of the show. This episode is presented by Yahoo Fantasy. The NFL season is here and you can feel the buzz. Fantasy football season is also here. Everyone's researching, drafting, and building their championship squads.
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Starting point is 00:20:22 That's Fandual.com to place your first $5 bet. Special teams, special players. That's the phrase. And it's going to be one of the more important elements in Sunday's game at the Broncos are going to get off to a hot start, and more importantly, get off to a 1 and 0 start in AFC conference play against the Tennessee Titans. Thank you once again, Broncos country, all the everydayers. Thanks for making us your first listen, however you choose to do so.
Starting point is 00:20:45 Sarah, it's important, I think, as we always go through these early game previews, kind of setting the stage a little bit, right? You're going to get a deeper insight from Sarah and Tyler Rowland of Lockdown Titans and tomorrow's crossover Thursday episode brought to you of our friends over there at prize picks, but I feel like for us to preview this game right now, it's these are the superlatives that we're looking at. We've highlighted offense. We've highlighted defense.
Starting point is 00:21:05 Special teams is so important. And I can't help but go back to Sean Payton's first year as head coach of the Denver Broncos. Who was the kicker? It was Will Lutz. What happened in that game? He missed a field goal. He missed an extra point. And the Broncos ended up losing that game to the Raiders by how many points?
Starting point is 00:21:21 One, by one point. So at this juncture, every little thing that you do on special teams, it matters. And not only does it matter from Will Lutz. It matters from your coverage units. And more importantly, I think everybody's eyes are on the rookie punter, Jeremy Croshaw. He's going to have to be good and he's going to have to have the best punt of his career so far on his first attempt, which hopefully doesn't even happen. Hopefully the Broncos don't punt at all on Sunday. But in the likelihood that they do, his first attempt, he has to nail it with the driver.
Starting point is 00:21:52 He absolutely does because when we talk about, you know, really making life difficult for Camp Ward, it's not just the pass rush. It's not just having the defensive player of the year, Pat Sertan, right? It's create those long fields for this guy. I mean, yeah, he might have a couple of nice throws in this game, but that's not ultimately going to matter if you give him a long field every single time that he gets the ball. So, yeah, Jeremy Croshaw is going to be huge. Kickoff coverage going to be absolutely critical in this game because you don't want Cam Ward reaching midfield. I mean, I don't want to undersell what an NFL team is capable of doing, Cody,
Starting point is 00:22:28 but we are talking about the defense here that led the NFL and Sachs last season. They were among the best in the league in every possible metric. And they added Dre Greenlaw. They added Talanoa Hufanga. They added Jada Barron and everybody else in the defensive front. I mean, those guys are all expected to be even better than they were last year. So really what it comes down to is you've got to give this guy as long of a field as possible. And I think back to last year's open,
Starting point is 00:22:54 I remember against Seattle where the Broncos had two safeties in a game, right? You pin the quarterback deep, even if it's Gino Smith. I mean, you might be liable to make that offense, make a mistake. Force them to make unforced errors, right? That's exactly what you want to do by pinning them deep. And Jeremy Crosho are going to be huge, Cody, in terms of doing that, as well as Will Lutz and that kickoff coverage. How many times last year did we see Riley Dixon boom a punt to where it had the perfect
Starting point is 00:23:24 hang time, but also the perfect depth and trajectory? It bounced the way that it should have. and the Broncos covers team was able to get downfield and seal it at the one yard line. A lot of that happened in that week one game. It forced that safety that you were talking about against Seattle in the opener last year. That has to be a present dynamic here once again, because I'll be honest with you. That saved the Broncos in a few games last season, specifically the Colts game. It gave them some momentum defensively to get that offense off the field.
Starting point is 00:23:52 And you're able to make a play in the return game from Marvin, to set up obviously, you know, a scoring drive for you there. It is so complimentary to what you want to do either offensively or defensively. And I will say what we saw in the preseason from them is that the punt coverage team was not getting the job done. There were a couple of big returns that certainly hurt the average overall of Croshaw, six total punts. But it's, you know, 43 yards net average, but his average was 25 because of the returns that you allowed there. So that obviously has to be an improved area here this upcoming week against Tennessee.
Starting point is 00:24:25 And I just think more importantly, you want to see the rookie. punter find some consistency and you can't have cam ward start at the 50 or even on your own side of the 50 yard line because you are a couple of plays you can even have a couple of small plays a couple runs here and there for three yards that put you at least into field goal range to at least give you a chance to come away with points you don't want that to happen you want points to be to feel like an impossible task essentially if you are the titans here and i think so much of that is going to be on the coverage unit here for Denver on special teams. It is.
Starting point is 00:24:57 It's going to be crucial for them to get off to a quick start in this game. And I think that's something that can really create momentum, as you said. I mean, how many times, like you mentioned last year against the Colts and a number of other games, did special teams plays really, I mean, boost the Broncos in terms of when you pin the opposing team deep, you force them to have a long field that changes the way they approach things. You've got to be way more conservative with your play calling when you're pinned inside the five or inside the 10. Right. And so I think that's, especially with a rookie quarterback, when you're playing things conservatively against a defense like the Denver Broncos, that's when you're on your heels and the Broncos can pin their ears back and really get after you. So I think special teams, Cody, that's, that's a question area right now. I mean, we've seen also, too, like I know Will Lutz had, like you mentioned a couple of times in the last couple seasons where, I mean, he's been a little iffy out there instead of consistent.
Starting point is 00:25:51 I know he's been one of the best kickers in the league, but there's been stretches as well where the Broncos needed him to come through. Maybe they were a little sloppy on offense. Maybe the defense wasn't doing its job consistently enough, and you need the kicker to come through because you're playing a tight game. And then all of a sudden, you know, when it rains, it pours. And so you have to be, everything has to be on point from special teams because we don't want to be talking about that really after the game.
Starting point is 00:26:16 Unless there's a return touchdown or a game winning something. I mean, we want to be talking about those guys forcing, punts. We want to be talking about those guys, or forcing fumbles, excuse me. We want to be talking about big time returns, that sort of stuff as opposed to. Why is the punter not doing his job? Why is the kicker missing kicks? Why are they not covering all those sorts of things? Well, and to your point as well, we even saw that in the playoff game against Buffalo. Remember right before halftime, Lutz missed the field goal. I mean, it was still a close game. And then it just kind of got away from the Broncos after that. It was kind of like the snowball effect of
Starting point is 00:26:47 everything that could go wrong did go wrong. We talked about all the drops from the receivers that didn't help Bo Nix in that game against them, the lack of an overall run game, the defense failing to get off the field, and then you have a special teams missed right before half. It could snowball, and there is no halftime adjustments. There is no halftime speech that the coach is given that's going to say, hey, this is going to change the course of our game here.
Starting point is 00:27:10 It's, no, we're going to the locker room. We get 15 minutes. We're going to eat a banana, get some electrolytes, go to the bathroom. We're back out on the field. All right, second half is here. There is no, I mean, any given Sunday type of moment. you're not getting out, but Chino giving his speech there. It's not the case.
Starting point is 00:27:24 I always think that's one of the bigger myths here. So yes, I mean, you talk about just the factor of special teams having this momentum to it. I mean, I even think you're trying to kick a field goal before halftime. If you are the Broncos at home, even if it's a 60-yarder, we saw Will Lutz tried in the preseason, didn't come anywhere close to where you wanted it to be, but find a way to be smart, right? And we saw, I think, one area of Denver being improved, and this was a little bit of a benefit to defense, special teams and offense in the preseason, at least we saw them start to piece together extra possessions and then coming out of the, you know, half time with the ball
Starting point is 00:27:59 scoring. So maximizing those opportunities to put up points on the board, that's crucial and that's going to have to be a big element. And special teams is going to be the leg of what makes that happen here on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. But with that said, Brockos country, that'll wrap up today's episode of the show. We appreciate you so much for rocking with us. All the everydayers, thanks for making us your first listen.
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