Tag: Vance Joseph

Broncos defense ranks near top of the NFL in major categories

The Broncos’ defense ranks second in yards (256.5) and third in points allowed per game (13.8) this season.

Through four weeks of the 2024 NFL season, the Denver Broncos have one of the best defenses in the NFL. That’s not an opinion — the stats back it up.

On a per-game basis, the Broncos have allowed 256.5 total yards (second), 146.0 passing yards (third), 110.5 rushing yards (12th) and 13.8 points (third). Denver also has 16 sacks (second) and five takeaways (11th). Vance Joseph has the unit playing at an extremely high level, and they shut down the New York Jets in Week 4.

“Yeah, I think, look, they’ve got a good rushing attack, and I think when that’s rolling it’s hard, you know he (Aaron Rodgers) does so much,” coach Sean Payton said after a 10-9 win over the Jets on Sunday. “I thought we defended the run real well today.”

New York’s offense was limited to 2.8 yards per carry against the Broncos and Rodgers was sacked five times in Week 4.

“It’s tough to do against him,” Payton said of the sacks. “He’s someone that’s real good with his protection IDs and he’s also someone who he knows if he’s short one and he knows right away. So, you’ll send a guy in motion, he’s extremely smart so you may go another 20 games before you see that happen to him. Look, that was part of the success today.”

Up next for Denver’s defense is a home game against the Las Vegas Raiders, who have averaged 288.8 yards per game and 19.5 points per game. Joseph will undoubtedly send the heat against a Raiders line that has allowed 14 sacks through four games this fall.

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Vance Joseph’s defense dominated Aaron Rodgers in Week 4

The Broncos’ defense absolutely dominated Aaron Rodgers and the Jets on Sunday. Vance Joseph’s unit has been brilliant this season!

Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has his unit flying through the first four games of the 2024 NFL season.

Denver’s defense sacked New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers five times for -41 yards in a 10-9 victory in New Jersey on Sunday. The Broncos also forced and recovered a fumble and forced a turnover on downs against the Jets.

Rodgers finished the day 24-of-42 passing for 225 yards with no touchdowns as New York’s offense was kept out of the end zone. Denver’s defense also limited the Jets to just 2.8 yards per rushing attempt.

Following the Broncos’ upset victory, fans and pundits took to Twitter/X to praise Joseph for the defense’s impressive performance.

Denver’s defense already ranked near the top of the NFL in several major categories going into Week 4. After allowing just nine points against New York, the Broncos have now allowed an average of just 13.75 points per game this season. Joseph deserves also the praise he’s getting right now.

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Vance Joseph has Broncos’ defense playing at a high level

The Broncos’ defense ranks 2nd in passing yards allowed, 3rd in yards allowed and sixth in points allowed three games into the season.

What a difference a year makes.

One year after a 70-20 loss to the Miami Dolphins, the Denver Broncos returned to Florida on Sunday to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

This time, the Broncos took care of business with a convincing 26-7 victory. Denver’s defense — led by coordinator Vance Joseph — dominated from start to finish, ending the game with seven sacks and two takeaways.

“I think we made [Baker Mayfield] hold [the ball],” Broncos coach Sean Payton said after the game when asked about the sacks. “I think we made him hold it some. That is a credit to coverage.”

Denver cornerback Pat Surtain held Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans to just one catch for eight yards. Broncos safety Brandon Jones grabbed an interception and recovered a fumble.

Six defenders recorded a sack, including two sacks from former UFL pass rusher Dondrea Tillman in his NFL debut. Following that impressive performance, Denver’s defense ranks high after three weeks of play.

The Broncos have allowed 259.3 yards per game (third-best), 133.3 passing yards per game (second-best) and 15.3 points per game (sixth-best). Denver’s 11 sacks are tied for fifth-most and while that number is inflated by Sunday’s seven-sack performance, the team’s 44.8% pressure rate is a good sign that the sacks should continue.

If there’s a weakness, it’s the 126.0 rushing yards allowed per game (12th-worst), but that’s not a big factor when the Broncos are able to build a lead.

Denver’s defense is off to a great start this season, and Joseph deserves credit.

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Broncos CB Riley Moss ‘held his own’ in first NFL start

“He played with confidence and he wasn’t shaken by anything,” Broncos DC Vance Joseph said of CB Riley Moss. “He’s going to be fine.”

Making his first NFL start last week, Denver Broncos second-year cornerback Riley Moss held up relatively well across from Pat Surtain.

“I thought Riley played well in his first NFL start versus a high-end NFL receiver with a high-end quarterback,” defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said this week. “Obviously, they wanted to attack Riley from time to time, but he was always in the spot to make the play and that’s what you ask young guys to do. Compete and challenge guys every play. He tackled well.

“That was encouraging for a young corner to go out there and tackle that back one-on-one a couple of times. That’s encouraging. He played with confidence and he wasn’t shaken by anything. He’s going to be fine.”

Moss was just inches away from breaking up a fourth-quarter pass from Geno Smith to Tyler Lockett that ended up sealing the game.

“I was in good position and he just made a play,” Moss said. “And sometimes you get the short end of the stick … I’m still pissed off about it, but that’s why we play multiple games, so you can get better.”

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Surtain has been encouraging to the young cornerback coming off Sunday’s loss.

“I just tell him, ‘That’s the NFL,'” Surtain said. “I think perfect throws beat perfect coverage. Some sequences like that, it occurs. At the end of the day, I told him it happens. I think he had a great game. Matter of fact, Riley, he came in following one of the top receivers that’s been doing it for a long time in the game and he held his own for sure.

“I told him, ‘Man, you played great.’ All those catches and all those throws, sometimes it happens. It’s a part of the game. I just told him to always keep his confidence no matter what.”

Moss is now set to make his second career start when the Broncos host the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2.

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Broncos expect Nik Bonitto to ‘make some hay’ in 2024

“Nik [Bonitto] is a special rusher,” Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said. “He had a great year last year.”

Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph is pleased with the outlook of the team’s pass rush rotation ahead of the 2024 season.

Last fall, Jonathon Cooper led the team with 8.5 sacks, followed by eight sacks from Nik Bonitto. Baron Browning missed seven games due to injury and finished the year with 4.5 sacks.

When asked about his expectations for Bonitto in June, Joseph praised the entire outside linebacker room while calling Bonitto a “special player.”

“I think as a group, it’s a good group between ‘Coop,’ and Nik and Baron,” Joseph said. “It’s a good group. They all can rush the passer; they all are good run game players. Nik is a special rusher. He had a great year last year. Even with missed time, he had a pretty good year.

“So obviously, he’s a natural rusher and it’s my job to find spots for him to kind of showcase that. It’s a good room, it’s an experienced room. It’s a room that should make some hay this year for us.”

The Broncos added to the room this spring when they used a third-round pick to select Utah pass rusher Jonah Elliss. Bonitto, Browning, Cooper and Elliss will be tasked with “making hay” in Joseph’s defense this fall.

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Vance Joseph looking for a resilient CB to start across from Pat Surtain

Vance Joseph wants a resilient CB who can work through adversity to step up this summer to win a starting spot across from Pat Surtain.

Vance Joseph knows what it’s like to play as a defensive back in the NFL.

He started six games at cornerback for the New York Jets in 1995 and then played for the Indianapolis Colts in 1996 before transitioning to coaching.

Joseph broke into the NFL’s coaching family as an assistant defensive backs coach with the San Franciso 49ers in 2005. He now serves as the Denver Broncos’ defensive coordinator and while he oversees the entire defense, Joseph’s experience makes him especially qualified to coach up the DBs.

Denver has star cornerback Pat Surtain as the CB1 on the depth chart, but it remains to be seen who will start across from PS2 this fall. The candidates include Riley Moss, Damarri Mathis and Levi Wallace.

“It’s been [a] competition,” Joseph said on June 12, “… obviously, Pat is one of the best corners in football, so if you’re playing opposite of Pat, you’re going to get most of the targets. That’s part of it. So having a guy who is resilient, and who can work through adversity during games and kind of invite being attacked.

“It’s kind of a good thing for a corner also because you can make a lot of plays that way also. It’s my job schematically to kind of push the ball back to Pat. That’s tough sometimes, but we can do it.”

Mathis and Moss struggled to make an impact last fall and the team turned to Fabian Moreau. The Broncos did not re-sign Moreau this spring, but the team did bring in Wallace to provide veteran insurance at the position.

In an ideal world, one of Moss or Mathis will step up this summer and prove to be worthy of a starting role across from Surtain. With training camp set to begin this week, it’s up to Joseph to coach up the team’s secondary and get the most out of Denver’s cornerbacks in 2024.

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Broncos’ run defense will get a boost from two new additions in 2024

The Broncos had the third-worst run defense in the NFL last year. The additions of Malcolm Roach and John Franklin-Myers should change that.

The Denver Broncos allowed an average of 137.1 rushing yards per game to opposing offenses last year, representing the third-worst average in the NFL. At least part of the blame fell on the team’s defensive line, and coach Sean Payton and general manager George Paton set out to make changes this spring.

Denver allowed defensive lineman Jonathan Harris to walk during free agency and the team has not re-signed Mike Purcell. To replace them, the Broncos signed Malcolm Roach and then acquired John Franklin-Myers in a trade with the New York Jets.

“Last year with the rush defense, it wasn’t every game, it was just spotty,” defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said on June 12. “I think having those two guys inside to hold a point for us and to change the L.O.S. [line of scrimmage], that’s important. With our run defense, both guys have a history of doing that. So that should help us tremendously.”

Roach posted the best run-stop percentage (17.4%) in the NFL last year, according to Pro Football Focus. Franklin-Myers has totaled 21 tackles behind the line of scrimmage over the last four years.

“[They have been] awesome,” linebacker Alex Singleton said of Roach and Franklin-Myers on June 11. “I’ve known John for a few years now. We trained together a couple of years ago back in southern California. I am excited. The way that they play is fast and physical. They are aggressive dudes. It’s been pretty nice having them in front of me these past couple of weeks.”

Franklin-Myers appears poised to start on the defensive line alongside Zach Allen and D.J. Jones this fall. Roach will likely be used primarily in short-yardage and run-defense scenarios. Roach and Franklin-Myers were key additions to Joseph’s squad and they should help the team’s run defense get back on track this fall.

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Broncos need one of Riley Moss or Damarri Mathis to step up in 2024

Riley Moss and Damarri Mathis appear set to compete for the Broncos’ No. 2 cornerback job this summer. Levi Wallace is also in the mix.

Two years ago, the Denver Broncos used a fourth-round pick to select cornerback Damarri Mathis. Last year, Denver used a third-round pick to select Riley Moss. So far, neither has proven to be a reliable option to start across from Pat Surtain.

Mathis began last season as a starter before being benched. Moss had core muscle surgery last offseason and only played 23 snaps on defense as a rookie. The Broncos will need at least one of the two cornerbacks to take a big step forward in 2024.

“With Riley, he is an exceptional athlete,” defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said on June 12. “He makes it look easy. He’s really smooth, he’s mature, he’s smart, he has great size and great ball skills. When you watch him play, it looks really easy and he’s always in a comfortable position.

“Damarri, I’ve been impressed with his technique and eye placement. He has physical traits that most corners don’t have. He has power, he has quickness, he has size. So his thing was just upping his football I.Q., and he’s done that.”

Denver signed veteran Levi Wallace just before the draft, presumably to have an experienced fallback option in case Moss and Mathis don’t show improvement this summer. The Broncos also used a fifth-round pick to select Kris Abrams-Draine during April’s draft.

“[I]t should be a good competition in the fall, in training camp,” Joseph said. “But obviously we need more than three corners — you need four, maybe five guys. So it’s good to see both young guys grow.”

Surtain and Ja’Quan McMillian are the team’s best cornerbacks, but McMillian plays in the slot. Moss and Mathis appear set to compete with Wallace and Abrams-Draine for the No. 2 outside cornerback role this summer.

The competition will kick off when training camp begins next week.

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Broncos DC Vance Joseph hopes to continue momentum on defense

After struggling early last season, the Broncos’ defense turned things around. Vance Joseph aims to continue the positive momentum in 2024.

After missing out on Vic Fangio last offseason and apparently not meeting Rex Ryan’s contract demands, the Denver Broncos eventually decided to bring back Vance Joseph as their defensive coordinator.

At first, the results were disastrous as Denver’s defense struggled to begin the season. Broncos head coach Sean Payton backed Joseph, though, and the defense turned things around after Joseph made several key changes.

Joseph will now aim to have the unit pick up where it left off last fall.

“That’s the hope, obviously,” Joseph said last month. “We have some new guys playing. It takes the spring and the fall to kind of get caught up from the previous year. Every year the defense changes.

“It’s based on the players — always players first, scheme second. But obviously it’s good to be in the same scheme two years in a row. Our main players, Pat [Surtain] and Alex [Singleton], it’s good to watch them play with comfort. So hopefully that comes true.”

Surtain is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL and Singleton has anchored the defense since 2022 as an inside linebacker. The Broncos also added defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers via trade, drafted pass rusher Jonah Elliss and signed safety Brandon Jones during free agency.

With those additions, Joseph’s defense will aim to take a step forward in 2024 after allowing 24.3 points per game in 2023 (sixth-most in the NFL). If the unit doesn’t continue last year’s late-season momentum, Joseph’s job security could come under scrutiny again this fall.

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Broncos might have a future defensive coordinator in Jim Leonhard

Either with the Broncos or another team, Jim Leonhard seems to be on track to eventually get a defensive coordinator job in the NFL.

The Denver Broncos made two additions to their coaching staff on Wednesday, officially hiring Pete Carmichael as senior offensive assistant and Jim Leonhard as defensive pass game coordinator/defensive backs coach.

Leonhard, 41, is a huge hire for a positional coach.

The former NFL safety spent 2016-2022 coaching at his alma mater, Wisconsin. After starting out as a defensive backs coach, he was quickly promoted to defensive coordinator before later becoming the team’s interim head coach.

Leonhard spent last fall as a senior football analyst at Illinois. Before that, he interviewed for two defensive coordinator openings in the NFL (as our friend Joey Richards of “Let’s Talk Broncos” pointed out on Twitter/X).

Leonhard interviewed for — and was offered — the Green Bay Packers’ defensive coordinator job in 2021, but he turned them down, opting to remain with the Badgers. Two years later, Leonhard interviewed for the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive coordinator opening, but they hired Sean Desai instead.

The fact that Leonhard has already interviewed for DC jobs in the NFL suggests that he will likely land a DC role at some point in the future, either with the Broncos or another team.

We know that current DC Vance Joseph would like to become a head coach again. Perhaps if Denver’s defense has a standout year in 2024, Joseph might be considered for head coach openings next January. If Joseph does leave the Broncos at some point (by his own choice or otherwise), Leonhard will be an obvious candidate to replace him.

Leonhard is overqualified for a defensive backs coach position (despite “pass game coordinator” being in the name). He will likely get a promotion before long, the only question is if that will happen in Denver or elsewhere.

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