For the first time in a while, expectations are high for the Denver Broncos. The organization has legitimate reasons to be optimistic after a bit of a dark period following their Super Bowl L win over the Carolina Panthers. This is a franchise on the rise — that’s their hope, at least.
Luckily, those within the building aren’t the only ones setting the bar high. In a recent segment with team reporter Aric DiLalla, longtime Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan shared his thoughts on this year’s team.
Mike Shanahan High on Pairing of Sean Payton & Bo Nix
Shanahan, a Broncos Ring of Honor member, is bullish. Citing the work of current head coach Sean Payton as “unbelievable,” Shanahan is quite fond of Denver’s turnaround.
“If you don’t believe, the players are not going to believe,” Shanahan said. “That’s why I love what Sean has done. He said, ‘Hey, we were pretty good last year. Take a look at where we finished on defense.’ Teams that finish almost in the top five in every area, especially on defense, gives you an opportunity right there. Then you take a look at the offense and some of the additions they’ve gotten from free agency, they’re going to be a team to reckon with.”
Indeed, Payton has worked quickly since taking over. In his first year as head coach of the team, he led the roster to a three-win improvement. Despite having a quarterback in Russell Wilson that wasn’t his preferred choice, he made do and brought the Broncos to a competitive baseline. Last offseason, Payton then landed his guy when Bo Nix went 12th overall in the NFL Draft.
The rest is history, as Nix turned in a productive rookie campaign. Subsequently, Denver got back to the playoffs for the first time since the aforementioned championship. Shanahan, a veteran when it comes to evaluating signal-callers, is a fan of Nix.
“I just like the way he handles himself,” Shanahan said. “He handles himself like he’s a 10-year vet. Nothing’s too big for him. You can tell he’s just cool, calm and collected. Got a lot of poise, he handles pressure very well. You can tell that he’s a competitor. It’s going to be fun to watch him for a lot of years.”
Shanahan Believes Denver Defense Deserves Its Respect
Of course, no team is complete without a defense. There’s a pretty clear argument to be made, in fact, that the Broncos’ best unit is that side of the ball. A season ago, they ranked third in scoring and seventh in yards allowed. Advanced stats paint an even more sparkling picture of that performance. According to SumerSports, Denver led the league in lowest EPA/play surrendered.
It’s easy to overlook defense, as it isn’t as head-turning as high-flying offense can be. Having benefitted from a stop or two in his day, though, Shanahan wants to give coordinator Vance Joseph’s group its props.
“For the defense, people forget how good that defense was last year,” Shanahan said. “Everybody’s taking a look at the offense and Bo Nix. What they did on defense was, I mean, you take a look at third overall and second in this, second in that, first in takeaways and then in sacks. Especially coming back now with the addition of a few good players, they’re going to be hard to beat.”
There isn’t much to dislike about this group. Up front, Zach Allen is a premier pass rusher and Nik Bonitto is a very fun complement on the outside. At the second level, Alex Singleton and Dre Greenlaw should be a productive duo. In the secondary, Patrick Surtain II is an absolutely elite player and the pickup of safety Talanoa Hufanga projects to make a big-time difference. Only a recent injury to defensive lineman Matt Henningsen can be a wet blanket on this fire.
The Broncos are young at key positions and may only get better with time. Shanahan recognizes what a contender looks like, and he appears to believe this version of Denver is capable of making it back to the postseason again.
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