The Denver Broncos’ defense was historically bad earlier this season, but the script has been flipped in more recent weeks.
Three weeks after allowing 70 points to the Miami Dolphins, the Broncos allowed just 19 points to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 6. Two weeks after that, Denver allowed just nine points to Kansas City in a big upset win.
So, what changed for the Broncos’ defense from Week 3 to Week 8? Broncos star safety Justin Simmons said last week that one of the biggest changes was improved communication.
“Honestly, after Miami there was a lot of self-reflection, but even looking after that, going into Chicago, there were a lot of mishaps there,” Simmons said. “I think it is just how do we fine-tune the details, because that was what we were missing. I’m not just coming up here and, what I like to call it, ‘media talk.’ I’m not just coming up here and saying communication each and every week so it sounds good. That is really the No. 1 thing you work on. I think you go, and you watch the tape, and you look at the communication and you look at the busted coverages or coverages that it looks like they’re on top of it, it all comes down to communication and how you see it and how you guys work in harmony together — from the linebacker position to the secondary.
“I think once we saw, just because it has been somewhat successful here from a defensive standpoint the last few seasons, you can’t just walk into a game expecting to be successful. You got to continue that communication, continue that development as a unit and good things will continue to happen. Honestly, I think that was kind of the turning point. It’s almost like, OK, you got to work with this, each and every week and communication has to be at an all-time high.”
After a huge defensive turnaround in recent weeks, the Broncos are feeling much more optimistic about the second half of the 2023 season. Following the bye on Sunday, Denver will have nine games remaining to attempt to get into the NFL playoff picture. If the defense continues playing like it did against the Chiefs, the Broncos will have a shot to make some noise this fall.
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