Troy Renck: When the defense rests, there is no case for the Broncos as a Super Bowl team. Bo Nix has shown growth and a slow heartbeat in the clutch. But the lack of multiple elite weapons leaves him exposed, and his coach asking him to do too much. It did not matter for three months because the defense served as the great equalizer, camouflaging more blemishes than Revlon. That is why Sunday’s loss was so sobering. The Jaguars amplified the Broncos’ flaws, and negated their strengths. It leaves an unnerving question heading into Thursday night at Kansas City: Is it time to panic about the Broncos defense?
Sean Keeler: Remember that mutton bustin’ competition at halftime against the Packers? Remember when the sheep got loose and ran all over the field? That’s what Vance Joseph’s defense looked like trying to wrangle the Jaguars’ Parker Washington. The darkest day of the calendar year (Dec. 21) was the darkest day for Broncos Country, too. For three hours, Vance Joseph’s defense tackled like the 2025 CU Buffs. Should we be worried? Yes. Should we be panicked? I’m not pulling any ripcords until I see how Thursday night plays out against the Chiefs’ third-string QB.
Renck: No need to flash the Bat Signal, but the Broncos should push the red Staples button. Denver needs new items, fresh looks. The Broncos yielded four red zone touchdowns at home for the first time since 2017. Denver looked confused by the Jaguars’ motion, leaving open receivers on a day when missed tackles were already yielding too many extra yards. Since the break, the Broncos have yielded 25.8 points per game compared to 17.5 in the first 11 games. Vance Joseph must consider a counterpunch. Time to mix in a few more zone coverage concepts, and give Jahdae Barron some snaps at safety in front of P.J. Locke.
Keeler: Barron’s an enigma to me, man. And based on his playing time, I’m wondering if he’s an enigma to VJ, too. The Broncos’ first-round draft pick played just 18 snaps against the Jags. You’d really like to see him start flashing during this stretch run and take that momentum into the postseason, the way, say, R.J. Harvey has at tailback. Hasn’t happened. Maybe this whole “defensive Joker” thing, having to be ready at multiple positions, was too much to throw at the kid too soon. Which is a shame, because with guys going down, they really, really, really need him. Something’s gotta change. Since the bye, starting tight ends against the Broncos are averaging six catches for 61 yards with two scores over four games. This defense is turning everybody into Travis Kelce these days.
Renck: Coach Sean Payton disputed the idea of a defensive slide Monday, pointing to the Packers game. Denver played terrific in the second half of that win. But against Washington, Green Bay and Jacksonville — the Raiders don’t count — issues have surfaced. There are communication issues, minor or otherwise, from linebackers Alex Singleton and Dre Greenlaw. With Greenlaw (hamstring) and Justin Strnad (ankle) hurt, those might not get better against the Chiefs. Tackling was a problem vs. the Commanders and Jaguars. The defense carried the Broncos for weeks, but the absence of an offensive explosion needs fresh wrinkles. It is not fair, but it is not enough to lead the league in sacks (63). They need to create more turnovers. Denver ranks 27th in takeaways with 12, ahead of only the Cowboys, Chiefs, Giants, Commanders and Jets. All those teams have been eliminated from playoff contention. If the Broncos want a division title and top seed, they must regain momentum, starting with the gift of facing a third-string quarterback on Christmas.
Keeler: Sean Payton and George Paton looked at how things slipped in December and January of last year and resolved to strengthen the spine of VJ’s defense. But with Dre Greenlaw’s bad hammy and Brandon Jones’ pectoral problems, the Broncos could be right back to where they started. Watching Locke play center field gave me flashbacks to that woop-woop-woop Zay Flowers score against this secondary in Baltimore last fall. And based on my emails Monday, I wasn’t the only one who woke up with the wrong kind of Deja vu.
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