Broncos’ pass defense struggling at wrong time with matchup against Bengals looming

Broncos coach Sean Payton couldn’t hold back his frustration. Last week, the Chargers ran the same play over and over, and his team couldn’t do anything to stop it.

It started with wide receiver Josh Palmer running a crossing route, slipping behind linebackers Justin Strnad and Cody Barton before catching a pass from quarterback Justin Herbert, resulting in a 24-yard gain in the first quarter of Week 16’s divisional matchup. In the second quarter, rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey ran the same route and had similar success. McConkey was uncovered when the ball landed in his hands and he sprinted down the sideline for a 27-yard gain.

In the Broncos’ 34-27 loss to the Chargers, Herbert’s life was easy. The star signal-caller completed 23 of 31 passes for 284 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, while 61.3% of his pass attempts were thrown to open targets — the separation between the receiver and the nearest defender is 3-plus yards at pass arrival, according to NFL’s Next Gen Stats. Meanwhile, 38.7% of his pass attempts were thrown to wide-open targets (five-plus yards of separation).

“We dropped coverage,” Payton said. “Look, in a short week, we’ve got to look closely at why these things are happening. But five different times, we had free runners, and you can’t have one of their top receivers (McConkey) not covered.”

Denver’s issues in the passing game have been noticeable over the last three weeks, which is not an encouraging sign ahead of Saturday’s road matchup against the Bengals — the league’s best passing offense at 267.3 yards per game.

Since Week 13, the Broncos’ defense has taken a step back. They have allowed 299.6 passing yards per game. They’ve also given up at least 30 points in two of their last three matchups. Denver only gave up 30-plus points once in the first 12 weeks. And If it wasn’t for three defensive touchdowns and a goal-line fumble from Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, the Broncos might not be 2-1 during this stretch.

Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II thinks the team shoots itself in the foot at times. Against the Browns, he listed communication issues as one of the reasons wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and Elijah Moore easily got open down the field.

Last week in Los Angeles, Denver once again had leaks in its coverage. McConkey — who recorded six catches for 87 yards on six targets — was left uncovered, especially in the middle of the field. The former Georgia standout had four catches for 64 yards in the seams, according to Next Gen Stats.

Denver inside linebacker Justin Strnad didn’t provide much support in coverage, allowing seven catches for 103 yards. Neither did safety P.J. Locke, who gave up a 19-yard touchdown catch to wide receiver Derius Davis. McConkey had a 17-yard reception on the previous play to help set up the go-ahead score.

Despite Denver’s recent struggles in its pass defense, Payton thinks those issues are fixable.

“Some of it is basic route principles,” Payton said. “…You get into a bunch look, and you have a route distribution of a shallow or vertical, you have to be able to match that distribution.”

Denver cannot afford to have these issues against the Bengals. Quarterback Joe Burrow totaled 252 yards and three scores in a 24-6 win over the Browns on Sunday. He is the first player in NFL history to have 250-plus passing yards and 3-plus passing touchdowns in seven consecutive games. Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase recorded six catches for 97 and a touchdown in Week 16. Meanwhile, Tee Higgins recorded his fifth touchdown reception in six games.

The potential return of cornerback Riley Moss, who has missed the last three games with an MCL injury, could help. Moss was listed as a limited participant for two straight practices last week, and Payton said Sunday that he hoped the 2023 third-round pick would be available against Cincinnati.

In the 12 games Moss has played, the Broncos forced a tight window on 16.9% of pass attempts, while 23.5% of opponents’ throws were to wide-open targets, according to Next Gen Stats. Since he has been nursing a knee injury, which he sustained against the Raiders on Nov. 24, Denver has forced a tight window on 12.6% of attempts while allowing a wide-open target rate of 26.8%.

Before his injury, Moss forced a tight window on 29.5% of his targets — the ninth-best percentage in the league with a minimum of 300 coverage snaps.

“The guy that plays opposite of (Surtain) is going to get a lot of business. Throughout training camp, (Moss) rose to the occasion, battled, competed, and throughout a good portion of the season,” Payton said.

Denver remains in the driver’s seat for the final playoff spot, needing only one win to earn the opportunity to play football in mid-January. But it must correct its issues in the passing game to keep its hopes alive.

“We’ve got to correct it and move on,” Surtain said. “We’ve got to finish the season the right way to get toward our destiny.”

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