The Denver Broncos are coming off a Wildcard loss against the Buffalo Bills in their first playoff game since Super Bowl 50. So many things went right for Orange and Blue this year.
Whether it be the Broncos' defensive turnaround or the emergence of rookie quarterback Bo Nix, they exceeded many expectations. While it’s fun to reminisce about everything that went right in 2024, it’s essential to highlight the blemishes that were apparent in Denver's brief playoff run.
This Broncos team is young and inexperienced, so making mistakes means growing to become a true contender in the NFL. Let’s examine where Denver was lacking in this season and the biggest disappointments of the 2024 campaign.
Running Game
The Broncos' running game was supposed to be a focal point of the offense, especially with a rookie quarterback, but that didn’t materialize. Without Nix’s 430 rushing yards, the Broncos rank 31st in yards with 1,478, averaging 4.1 yards per carry.
Javonte Williams was trotted out each week, getting the lion's share of carries, which was detrimental as he averaged a measly 3.7 yards per attempt. Jaleel Mclaughlin and rookie Audric Estime showed they had more juice than Williams, but Sean Payton refused to cut down the veteran's playing time until the last few weeks of the season.
Payton also didn’t stick with the run game even when it worked, as if he was trying to show off his shiny new signal-caller. Denver will indeed look to upgrade the running back stable in the offseason to add a spark to its ground game.
Inside Linebackers
Denver's linebacker corps was already suspect heading into 2024, but losing Alex Singleton to a torn ACL in Week 3 made its weakest position on defense that much worse. Justin Strnad took Singleton's place alongside Cody Barton, who is pedestrian at best.
Outside of a few turnovers, Barton was a terrible tackler and was rarely in a position to make the big stops, and the same can be said for Strnad. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has received a lot of heat for his play-calling, but a lot of the defensive gaffes came down to execution, and more often than not, Denver’s linebackers were at fault.
In the Bills game, the Broncos' linebackers struggled to fill gaps and couldn’t bring down any of their playmakers on their own. The Broncos haven’t emphasized upgrading their inside linebackers in years, but GM George Paton should be looked into in the offseason.
Tight Ends
It’s hard to be too disappointed in a group that wasn’t expected to be good, but the Broncos’ tight end room was abysmal regardless. When your depth chart consists of Adam Trautman, Lucas Krull, and Nate Adkins, there’s not much to get excited about.
The Broncos must add talent at tight end through free agency and the draft to make their offense more dynamic. It was apparent in the Bills game that Nix needed more reliable weapons across the board, but mainly as a security blanket, which Trautman is not.
Luckily, this year's draft is filled with talented tight ends like Penn State’s Tyler Warren and Michingan’s Colston Loveland, both of whom would be a great fit with the Broncos.
Bottom Line
The Broncos had a few glaring issues in 2024 that prevented them from being a great team. That said, they still managed to secure a playoff spot, and the problems they do have are fixable.
All signs point to Denver being a consistent postseason contender for several years, especially now that quarterback is no longer an issue.
