Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - UNDER PRESSURE: Denver Broncos RUN GAME Scheme Must Improve in 2026

Starting point is 00:00:00 The Denver Broncos run game wasn't consistent enough last season, and in 2026, Zach Streif is going to have his work cut out for him. You are Locked on Broncos, your daily Denver Broncos podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. What's happening at Braco's country? I'm Cody Rourke, joined as always by Sarah Bendron. On today's episode of the show, we're taking a look at Broncos' offensive run game coordinator, assistant head coach, Zach Streif,

Starting point is 00:00:31 and whether or not he'll be under the most pressure to get the run game going this upcoming season. Plus, the continuity in the offensive line could be a saving grace for him and could be the thing that turns the Broncos offensive run blocking schemes around this upcoming season. But we're going to kick things off by talking about how Zach Streif will and should adjust to the run game scheme here after it was an issue that was brought up by Sean Payton. You're going to get all that on today's episode of show. Sir, look, Sean Payton has been very candid about it. And it really came off the hills of the AFC championship game where he told us in the end

Starting point is 00:01:03 of the year press conference, I went up to Streif. office and I told him what I like about the run game, what we need to be better at. And one of those things he mentioned, I want to be able to run the ball from under center a little bit more. RPO's are where exactly they need to be at this point. I want to run more two back sets. I also want to be able to still use multi-personnel. That was obviously exciting. But then at the NFL combine, the NFL coaches meeting, he talked about his level of

Starting point is 00:01:27 disappointment with how they ran the football last season and even made a kind of a comment to in that end of the year press conference back to the AFC championship game where We're going to take a look at our personnel. We're going to take a look at our scheme. Well, guess what? The same personnel is back this upcoming season. So what does that tell us? Tell us that the scheme is an issue.

Starting point is 00:01:44 And I wonder if part of the reflection had to do with even Javante Williams, Cody. I mean, letting him go seeing how he had such success with the Dallas Cowboys. And after two years in Denver, I know that injuries, you know, play the role, recovery and getting back to feeling yourself and all that stuff. There's plenty of other factors there. but it does maybe make you look in the mirror a little bit longer when you see somebody have that type of success outside of your system. So I think that there's definitely something to that. And with the run scheme, it just, yeah, it felt like it was an uphill battle.

Starting point is 00:02:17 Even when J.K. Dobbins was ranking in the top five of every major category, I think you and I would agree. And we could go back and listen to our post game stuff that we did. It felt like the Broncos were still kind of running uphill at that point. It felt like nothing was really easy. it didn't feel like the balance was quite there, didn't feel like they could lean on that running game. And I think that's what we've been waiting for, especially because Zach Streep in particular has gotten promoted. I think we've been kind of expecting the running game to be something that the Broncos can lean on week after week and out physical these other teams.

Starting point is 00:02:54 That has not been the case. I think they've been much more of a sort of, I mean, in the running game, I hate to say this. now offensive linemen probably hate this word, but they've been a bit more of a finesse team offensively, and they just haven't necessarily found a way to become bullies. And so that's what I want to see. I know that you don't want to be a bully, people. You want to be a nice person.

Starting point is 00:03:15 But when you're an offensive lineman, you want to be bullies. And the Broncos need those guys to be that going forward. Yeah, you want to be a bully on the football field. Don't be a bully in life, folks. It's always a great thing. If you're playing football, okay, be a bully. It's fine. You like that dog mentality.

Starting point is 00:03:28 No, I agree with you, Sarah. And you mentioned something about a promotion, right? Initially, when Sean came on in 2023, he brought Streef along to coach the offensive line. Obviously, someone he knows as a former player, there was a promotion after that. He was promoted to obviously, he was offensive line coach slash assistant head coach slash offensive run game coordinator. There's been another change in his title this off season and nobody is talking about it.

Starting point is 00:03:55 Thankfully, we noticed it because I don't know if this would be discussed. And it could be a big nothing burger. but he went from being the offensive line coach slash assistant head coach slash offensive run game coordinator to now he's just offensive run game coordinator and assistant head coach. His assistant coach last year got promoted from assistant O line coach to this year is the offensive line coach. So is this more of Zach Streif internally for the Broncos and maybe being discussed with Sean Payton saying, I need you to be all in on trying to figure out this run game scheme. We'll have someone else coach the offensive line. is that more of a demotion or is this more so a I don't know promotion by demotion so to speak for

Starting point is 00:04:34 Streef where he's just going to focus on this while his coach's focus on the offensive line I'm very curious did Streef have too much on his plate last season I think so I mean think of the roles as a pie chart right because all of us has 100% of ourselves to give to anything that we do right so if you divvy out you know your roles that you have as in like a pie chart let's say for Zach Streep, it's those three different things, right? It's being the assistant head coach, and maybe that is just a title, right? But let's say even if you take that off the table because, well, assistant head coach is just a title to give him a race. Let's talk about offensive line coach and offensive run game coordinator.

Starting point is 00:05:14 At best, you can give 50% of your pie chart as a human being to each of those two things. You can't give 100% to being the offensive line coach and you can't give 100% to being the offensive run game coordinator. So you're trying to split between two different things. And some people are great at being, you know, jack of all traits. But I think even the best of them, right, John Payton is a play calling duties this offseason to Davis Webb. There is value in just having a focus goal and saying, I'm going to pour into 100% of all that I've got into being the run game coordinator.

Starting point is 00:05:49 Somebody else can pour 100% of themselves into being the offensive line coach. And so I think that's a huge, huge deal because those are two. two very different roles. The offensive line coach, you've got to develop and coach up the offensive linemen in terms of the fundamentals. And you've got to develop these young guys and get them up to speed. And you've got to make sure that your guys are ready to play different positions like Palteski had to last year. He's never played on the left side. So the offensive line coach is responsible for all these things, whereas the run game coordinator has to be ready to go to, you know, this chess board and say, this is how we beat this team on the ground. And this is why we can

Starting point is 00:06:26 stick to it or this is how we can stick to it. So I think it's just dividing that pie chart up and now you're saying, all right, you're going to give 100% of that pie chart toward being the run game coordinator. Well, and Chris Morgan now takes over fully as the offensive line coach. But I'll tell you, I'll give Broncos fans a little bit of insights to like what I saw at practice last season when the Broncos were going into individual drills. Really, it would be Zach Streif working with, I would say center, left guard, left tackle to the side where Chris Morgan is working.

Starting point is 00:06:56 with sometimes a center right guard right tackle to the other side where the O line was working. Maybe splitting it up. Maybe there was a difference in terms of, I don't know, and how things were being coached. But we know Denver implemented a brand new blocking scheme, the outside zone, where they added that to their mix, which I could tell you, players were a little frustrated with it because it was more so about, as you mentioned, finesse getting to a spot and a landmark and sealing a blocker or sealing outside in, inside out, just getting to a spot. trying to beat a defender there and then hoping you're running back makes a cut or if you can

Starting point is 00:07:30 seal them inside that they can burst up the sideline there. It was just far too inconsistent. And I think this is going to tie into a larger conversation we'll have on today's show about continuity in the offensive line, the identity of this unit going forward. But I think it is definitely worth monitoring here, this change in title, especially as you mentioned, Sean Payton giving up play calling. So Sean is saying, hey, if I'm giving up play calling, Streef, maybe he and Zach Streif are going to team up together to figure out this is what we want in the blocking department.

Starting point is 00:07:59 The Broncos have to become a little bit nastier, I'd say when you talk about run blocking. And there were times where they had it last season. They're not saying that they're soft or anything like that or that they didn't have this aggressiveness to them. There were times where they did and they had times where guys like Luke Wattonberg, Ben Powers, Mike McLeod, like everybody on the offensive line had moments where they buried

Starting point is 00:08:17 their guy that they're blocking. But it's just about collectively as a unit, can that unit just dominate and bully opposing defensive fronts? To me, that has to be where the identity of this, I'd say, blocking scheme eventually ends up. And we'll see if that's where it ultimately does come training camp, come preseason, and maybe even going into the regular season, maybe we'll find out if things are changing a little bit in terms of how they're doing this scheme. But something I think we should bring up your Broncos country. Let us know your thoughts here on Zach Streep and also the run game scheme, in your opinion,

Starting point is 00:08:48 and what needs to change with that. But coming up next, we're going to talk about continuity on the Broncos' offensive line is a good thing as Denver goes into the third year of Bo Nix with the same offensive line unit. And that'd be the saving grace for them in a pivotal year for Bo. We'll break it down here on today's episode of the show. Broncos Country, today's episode is brought to you by Fandu. The NBA playoffs, they're here. And where every possession matters, every matchup is magnified. And every game can swing a series.

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Starting point is 00:10:07 We're going to find out. We're going to talk about it on today's episode, Lockdown Broncos. And Broncos Country, we appreciate every single one of you for tuning in every day here. And if you are in Every Dayer, and if you want to support the show further, please consider joining the Everydayer Club where you can get an exclusive content you get an ad-free version of the show. There's a link in the show notes for you. Lockdown Broncos at Supercast.com for more information on that. Cody, let's break down the continuity of the offensive line. Very fascinating to me that the Broncos, and I bring this up every year. I bring it up frequently, honestly. The fact that they haven't drafted an offensive tackle since 2017 when they took Garrett Bowles is still crazy to me.

Starting point is 00:10:44 but it's even crazier when you consider that they have eight guys, if not more coming back to this offensive line, who should be considered virtual roster locks. I mean, so to have that level of continuity with your starting five, to have these guys together now, they've been mostly all together since 2023. I mean,

Starting point is 00:11:03 this is pretty insane to have that level of continuity on a line. And these guys know each other well. It's, it's a huge advantage. At least you would think on paper. Well, and I think when you return the same offensive line, I think that's so big, not only for that unit to keep growing together, but I think it's important for your quarterback to have. And for Boe, certainly you look at the price tag of that offensive line with Gariboles, Quinn Miners, heck what Ben Powers is getting paid this year. Luke Wattenberg just got an extension. And then Mike McGlenshey, his deal is going to be coming up here soon. Denver has invested a lot of money in the offensive line. And it is one of those things that George Peyton and Sean Payton in the offseason have still said even this off season, we always want to look at the trenches in terms of figuring out if our depth is good enough there. You mentioned Alex Paucheski, who's back. Matt Pair is back. Frank Crum is an exciting player

Starting point is 00:11:53 that the Broncos really have liked. And you still have a guy in Matt Garjulo, who unfortunately suffered a really bad injury in the preseason last year. Denver likes their offensive line group. They like the names in that place. They also have some other guys who are in the practice squad like Nash Jones. But for Denver, I think coming into training camp here, it goes back to the question you and I have talked about consistently, even in the last segment, a little bit of asking the question, was the scheme the issue, or does the Broncos offensive line have some mass weaknesses? I think when we look at Bo Nix and how he was great at avoiding the sack, being one of the least sack QBs in the NFL last season to what we saw in the AFC championship

Starting point is 00:12:34 game where Denver's offensive line looked like it struggled, especially Quinn Miners. It was a rough game for him. It does seem like Bow makes up for maybe some of the deficiencies that Denver has. I think it goes back to what you said earlier. It's because I think they are a finesse unit. I think they have power players. I think Quinn and Garrett Bulls are guys that could physically dominate, whereas the other guys, in my opinion, are a little more finesse that they can get an angle and win with leverage, whereas you have two guys in Quinn Miners and Garibals who can get their hands on you and physically dominate you. I think that's what we see with Denver's offensive line. I'm curious, do you agree with that or do you have a different opinion? I definitely agree. I mean, obviously over the last two

Starting point is 00:13:14 years, there haven't been too many instances where the offensive line has had to go out there and protect like for a different QB other than Bo Nix. And, you know, we saw the stark contrast from Bo Nix to Russell Wilson. The difference a year made. I mean, this is roughly the same offensive line. Like I said, I mean, it's been the same virtually since 2023. So obviously these guys improve as players over time. Obviously, they've, they've, you know, got a different quarterback back there who is excellent at avoiding sacks and avoiding pressure. But that's also something to consider is how often is Bow Nix getting pressured? How often is he getting hit? Is it too often? Is he, you know, we know that one of the big talking points with Bo Nix is does he try to get outside

Starting point is 00:13:57 the pocket a little bit too early? And is that a result of, you know, the pockets not being clean all that often? So, I mean, There's layered discussions here to it, but I think the Broncos believe, and there's, obviously, they put a lot of money behind this. I think they believe that they have the best offensive line in the entire NFL. And I think that there's, it's just that switch has to flip. Like I know, Garrett Bowles, I think, believes he's the best past protecting left tackle in the league. And I mean, rightfully so, like he's proven over time.

Starting point is 00:14:29 These guys, I think even if you are the best, even if you believe you're the best, you have to challenge yourself to get to that next level. And that's where I think Streef and the run game, this whole discussion that we're having can really come into play is because you want to go out there and be the one to step on the pedal right away. Why are the Broncos in so many one score games? Why are they not blowing teams out? I would argue that a big reason for that is the inability to dominate in the trenches offensively. Honestly, I mean, that's just, I think the Broncos have gotten kind of punched back a little bit.

Starting point is 00:15:04 this year, it's got to be the other way around. They've got to be the ones to be delivering those punches. I agree. And you were making the point of Russell Wilson in 2023 when Streif came on board. 45 sacks that season, Russ took. And Sean even went to the great lengths of saying that he believes sacks are a quarterback statistic that mainly it's driven by how the QB plays. Russ in that one year, 45 sacks, Bo Nix and two years combined, 46 sacks. One of the least sack quarterbacks in the NFL just goes to show.

Starting point is 00:15:33 And I think Bo's foot mobility certainly plays into a little bit of a role there for how he can avoid certain pressures. I mean, there's times where Bo looks like he's about to be sacked and bang, he's emerging, fighting through contact, making a huge play. I really think that Denver offensive line-wise, I think they want to, I think the players want to get to a point where they are physically dominating guys. Understandably so, you can't do that in every game. There's going to be times where as a tackle, you're going against an offensive or an outside linebacker that's significantly stronger than you are, right? That's understandable here. I found this stat from true media very interesting here for Denver. As we talk about the run game, obviously the offensive line unit here.

Starting point is 00:16:12 Denver was tied for first the NFL last season with the Los Angeles Rams with 19 sacks allowed last season. And the average time to sack for Denver last year was 4.16 seconds. The average clean time to throw for Denver, 2.47 is one of the best in the NFL. And they had 219 pressures allowed. But here's the statistic that really kind of confuses me when you talk about Denver's lack of success or consistency in the run game versus what the numbers say. And this is why sometimes numbers can lie or skew a little bit. Denver was one of the top units in the league last year in yards before contact per rush at 1.90 yards before contact per rush last season. Something is not adding up here.

Starting point is 00:16:56 There's like this imbalance in line what we're seeing versus what is being reported. I don't know if that is skewed based on a couple of big time runs that obviously JK broke open, but RJ also broke open himself last season or Bo with his legs. I'm part of me is wondering if that is factored in the equation here. Yeah, it has to be because I think you and I would agree that some stats, obviously, in that one in particular, just doesn't match what we saw throughout the course of last year. And so that's one of those areas. And you can watch the Broncos games.

Starting point is 00:17:27 You can look back at all of Sean Payton's post game press conferences, how many times he talked about negative plays affecting the offensive rhythm and flow. And a lot of that is the running game. And teams attack and knife through that line of scrimmage because the Broncos were number one in the league last year and pass attempts. So they're probably thinking to themselves if they're running the ball and we attack and we send extra players. I mean, we'll get that guy in the backfield. If they're throwing the ball, we're going to pressure the quarterback. And there's a decent chance that they're going to be throwing the ball.

Starting point is 00:17:58 It's, I mean, what? They're the number one, you know, in terms of. past attempts in the NFL. So teams are taking advantage of the Broncos' tendencies. And therefore, I just can't, I can't fathom that there was, tell the team that was in the playoffs that that was the case. Oh, yeah, you're one of the best teams in the NFL at yards before contact per rush. That just, that did not come across in the way they played, especially because like I said,

Starting point is 00:18:21 you go back to the one score game argument. Why were the Broncos in so many one score games? I would argue a lot of it has to do with the imbalance. offensively, the inability to close games out on the ground, the inability to dominate in the running game. So to me, that's what I look at. And I just don't, that seems way too close to their, their yards per carry on the season. I mean, doesn't it, Cody? I think that's kind of the interesting thing. It's like, if that's, that's how far they're getting past the line of scrimmage before getting hit. How are they not getting hardly any further before they came to

Starting point is 00:18:55 the ground? Because they're not, and I've looked at this a few times on some of the film breakdown I've done on J.K. Dobbins, you know, a lot of times the Broncos will combo block a specific player, right, if it's to a playside. And they have, let's say, a three technique, which is a defensive lineman who's lined up on the outside shoulder of the guard. Well, at times, it depends on where is that defensive end or the outside linebacker lined up in comparison to the tackle. Does that mean that if he's wider, does that isolate the offensive tackle on one-on-one? If he's closer, could there be a combo block? there's plenty of times where it's Quinn Miners and Luke Wattenberg combo blocking a two-eye or a three technique. And then if it's a two-eye, you have Luke Wattenberg working his way up to the

Starting point is 00:19:37 playside linebacker. Or if it's an outside run, you have the combo block there. And then it's Quinn Miners working his way up to the playside linebacker. There just wasn't, once again, consistency. It's about being able to dominate. And Denver's got to get back to that. And I imagine for Sean to say it's a priority, I'm curious to see how much we actually see that priority be into account here with the on-field results that match what are I see. The Broncos can get back to be a physically imposing offensive line. I think that this team will very much win the Super Bowl this year. We know they have the defense to do it, but the offensive line can be that difference maker. Hello, Super Bowl. That's what Denver's going to have. And Seattle is a great example of

Starting point is 00:20:17 having the best of both last season. The Philadelphia Eagles, the year prior, the best of both. That season they won the Super Bowl. That is the formula. I think Denver's trying to get it. The question is how much of that can be adjusted based on the scheme versus your players. You have players that fit maybe that physically imposing scheme. Well, we know they got two. Can those other guys become that? I'm very, very curious here. As the Broncos grow throughout the offseason here.

Starting point is 00:20:39 Broncos country coming up next, four strep, despite the title change, despite the emphasis of trying to get the run game going, it is safe to say that he's probably facing the most pressure if the run game fails to get going here once again. We'll debate what that looks like here on today's episode, Lockdown Broncos. Brockos Country. Today's show was brought to you by TurboTax. It's tax time, but for a lot of us, the old way of doing taxes is a lot.

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Starting point is 00:21:46 that Zach Street will be facing this upcoming season. The Broncos run game can't get going consistently enough here. Once again, it's been going two seasons going now on three. And that's our arguably one of the bigger questions we've had from this team in the last handful of years is, what happens if they could just find a way to run the football? For Bo Nix to have the success that he's had in his first two years in the league, it's incredible when you look at it in hindsight, knowing that, hey, like, Bo never had a run game. Like I see all these arguments there on social media of people saying,

Starting point is 00:22:14 oh, well, Bo Nicks is overrated. Bo Nix has a great team. Bo Nix has the best offensive line in football. And in my head, I'm thinking, like, people just regurgitate everything they see on Twitter and they drink it like its mother's milk. When the reality of it is, if you watch the games, everybody could tell you, Denver had 43 drops last season from players.

Starting point is 00:22:34 Denver could not run the ball consistently enough, including the playoffs where I think against the Buffalo Bills, they had 70 rushing yards. I think they had around the same exact or 79 against the New England Patriots in the snow. They couldn't even run it in the snow. And everyone's like, oh, well, they got a great offensive line. I got this.

Starting point is 00:22:50 No, Bo Nix has made, I'd say the Broncos' offensive line look a lot better than it has been, even though that the Broncos have publicly said, we believe this offensive line is the best in football. It's our highest graded unit. But it's like, all right, what is your grading curve here? Because what we're seeing versus what you're getting, you're seeing consistency, you're seeing finesse at times. But when it comes to the run game, you're not seeing consistency.

Starting point is 00:23:13 You're not seeing that finesse. You're seeing like, what the heck is going on? How come they can't even get a yard? And that's what led to them ultimately, as you brought up earlier, departing with Giovante Williams. Same issues popped up last year for Denver. Yeah, and I think it's funny too because the same people who will say that, you know, Bo Nix is getting carried by this great team and all this circumstances around him

Starting point is 00:23:34 were the same people who said the Broncos had the worst roster in the NFL that same year that they drafted. The weeps. That's right. So, yeah, I think to the question is, you know, will the street be under pressure at the Broncos run game struggles again 100%. And there's no question that he should be as well. That should really be, you know, for the offensive staff, I think this is the one thing that's got to get figured out above all. Maybe right there along with the drop passes, Cody. I mean, for the offense this season, they need to figure out some sort of rhythm in the running game.

Starting point is 00:24:10 They need to have, that's the, that's been the thing that Bo Nix is the identity of this team. The Broncos offense goes as Bo Nix goes. So, hey, Bo Nix has a great game. The Broncos are going to have a great game. Bonix comes through in the fourth quarter. Broncos are coming through in the fourth quarter. It's so he goes. Who's been that running back to carry this team?

Starting point is 00:24:32 I mean, Dobbins a couple of times, right? Dobbins, they could ride his hot hand. It just doesn't feel like that's ever been a thing with Sean Payton as the head coach that the Broncos could lean on. And it's got to become something that they could lean on, which speaks to what you said earlier about this team being a Super Bowl, like they can win the Super Bowl if they can figure this out. because how much better can a team that won 14 games last year?

Starting point is 00:24:56 And we're being critical of the things that they don't do well. This team won 14 games last year without a good running game. Like they were 19th in the NFL in rushing attempts, and they were good for the first nine weeks of the season running the ball. And then things went off the rails when J.K. Dobbins went down. Even that Raiders game, not a good running game for the Broncos. It's just nothing was good in that game for the Broncos. Cody, I didn't even have fun watching that.

Starting point is 00:25:22 they won that game because it i was there how do you how do you think i felt i was sitting there like oh my gosh this is like the worst game we've ever seen i was like that you know we got to go in the locker room and talk about it then we got to go and we got to like talk about it on a show like that was i felt like we all felt like man like this has to change that cannot be like this well and that game is kind of a perfect sort of you know point in time to go back to because it's those types of games like a short week, a primetime game against a division rival, you should be able to go into their house and run all over those guys. One of the worst defenses in the NFL last season.

Starting point is 00:26:02 And the Raiders proved that by overhauling their entire defense this offseason. They signed like 1,800 free agents to try and fix it. That is a game that you should have gone in there, even on a short week, even if you're tired, even if you're, you've been grinding away, even if you came off a couple of other tough wins, you should have been able to go in there and pound them into the ground with your running game. And that game you went into with a healthy J.K. Dobbins, didn't you?

Starting point is 00:26:31 I mean, he left that game, not healthy. So that's a perfect example is that kind of a game that you shouldn't have ever been fooling around, low scoring, one score game, could have been the difference between getting or not getting the number one seed at the end of it all. that is the exact game that we're talking about this team meeting to have that run game in its identity in the DNA. And Zach Streep is responsible for that.

Starting point is 00:26:56 Yeah, and he will have that pressure to get it right. Look, if the Broncos, you brought up the drops issue, a wide receiver, they fixed the problem. They fired Kerry Colbert. They brought in somebody they feel like is going to do it. You know, I know that Zach Streep has a special place in Sean Payton's circle and obviously mindset. And I think Sean is going to do whatever he can to provide Streep with the resources. that he needs to get this thing going, but it is a results-driven business.

Starting point is 00:27:22 And the Broncos run game disappeared in moments where Denver Nita, like in the playoffs, starting with that Buffalo game, the Broncos defense got back to forcing takeaways, right? Five, but then Denver couldn't put the bills away because they simply couldn't run the football against the bills. That was a challenge. And then almost kind of played schematically into the hands of the bills won

Starting point is 00:27:41 because Denver in that game was facing the number one past defense in the NFL. And once again, Bo Nix putting on the superhero cape. We were talking so much that week about Josh Allen being the NFL Superman. Well, guess what? It was Bo Nix who became Superman in that specific game there and led the Broncos to a victory despite breaking his ankle, unfortunately, on just a play that we're going to sit here always throughout the offseason

Starting point is 00:28:03 and be like, man, what if, what if? It sucks. It sucks that we have to do that. But could you imagine Bo Nix was like the Bills run game? Come on. Come on. I mean, he's winning MVP. Even the Cleveland Browns run game, of all things, and that's a dumpster fire organization.

Starting point is 00:28:20 It just takes one fix, one tweak, right? They just, and I don't know exactly what that is, but it can happen. And I think that it can unlock those new levels for Bo Nix. That's one of the biggest reasons why it's so important. Obviously, I feel like the Broncos can dominate a lot more games. I think they have the talent discrepancy to be able to do that, but it's going to require execution. in the running game. And it's going to require everybody.

Starting point is 00:28:47 I mean, they could do it with Jalilil McLaughlin. We saw it at times. They could do it with Badegh. They did it against the bucks on the road. Like, he ran all over those guys. The Saints game from 2024, Cody, I think of the Bengals game from last year. There's so many instances, the first half of the Chargers game at the end of the 2024 season, so many instances where the Broncos have proven they can bully people in the running

Starting point is 00:29:11 game. And for some reason, they can't make it consistent. Unlocking that is the key. to this team going from being a Super Bowl contender to being a Super Bowl favorite. Yeah, I want to say more pressure on Zach's grief means less pressure on Bow Nix as well. That's one thing that benefits Bo the most here, especially coming off of ankle surgery is the fact that, hey, if you have a run game, a really good run game, it's going to take the pressure off of Bo. It's going to take pressure off of the quarterback.

Starting point is 00:29:36 I mean, look exactly why the Kansas City Chiefs went out there and they got them Kenneth Walker, because Mahomes is coming off of a complete ACL, multi-ligament knee injury, Well, guess what? You don't want him to have to be Superman the way that he has in the past because it can eventually come back to haunt you. That's why they went out and they made the big splash again, Kenneth Walker thinking, hey, this guy's going to take pressure off of Pat as he continues to come back from his knee injury.

Starting point is 00:30:00 So the Broncos need to do the same exact thing here in Broncos Country. Let us know your thoughts here. Do you think Zach Streif will be under pressure this season of the Broncos run game can't get going? Let's know here on today's episode of the show here. But Broncos Country, we'll be back tomorrow for another episode of show as we take a look at the three biggest questions surrounding Darren Rizzy and his special teams unit going into 2026. And in the meantime, join the Everydayer Club.

Starting point is 00:30:24 Check it out on the show notes down below. We're Lockdown Broncos. That's supercast.com. We got the J.K. Dobbins film review coming up, the Jada Baron one. And we're working on a Nick Benito one as well for all you Everydairs in the All Access Club. So check it out today, support the show. We'll see it tomorrow for a brand new episode, Lockdown Broncos.

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