Taking Stock of the Denver Broncos at the Bye Week

Sep 14, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11) is tackled by Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller (58) during the second half at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos won 24-17. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

As you all know by now, the Denver Broncos are in the midst of their bye week as most teams enter week four. Common sense says it is too early for a bye but it might be beneficial in a couple of ways.

The Broncos are coming off of a very physical and emotional game versus the Seattle Seahawks and could have been ripe for a letdown had they had to play this week. Now they should be refreshed and ready to go when they return to work on Monday.

Secondly, the Broncos will get linebacker and defensive leader Danny Trevathan back for the October 5^th game versus the Arizona Cardinals.

The bye, as early as it is, is a perfect time to take stock and examine what is going right and what needs to improve.

What’s going right:

Peyton Manning: I know he threw a costly interception versus the Seahawks but he also bounced back and directed an 80 yard touchdown drive in under a minute, with no time outs to send the game into overtime. Manning looks stronger and poised for another big season.

Emmanuel Sanders: Sanders has been fantastic through the first three games and has brought a new dimension to the Broncos offense. Eric Decker was very popular and is still missed be many, but Sanders is a better football player.

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Von Miller/Chris Harris: After a slow start which we should have expected, both Miller and Harris are starting to show why they are so vital to the Broncos defense. Miller was the Broncos best player versus the Seahawks, and Harris had the interception that turned the game around. Between them rounding into form and the return of Trevathan, the Broncos defense should continue to get better every week.

Aqib Talib: He often does not get mentioned with the best cornerbacks in the NFL, but he should. Two of his plays have led to two tipped interceptions through the first three weeks, and he has graded very high in each game. The New England Patriots believed they got the better end of the deal when they signed Darrelle Revis to replace Talib, but they’re wrong. Revis has been terrible and Talib has been everything the Broncos wanted.

2-1: The Broncos played three playoff teams from 2013 in the first three weeks, including a trip to the World Champions and they won two of the three. Their only loss happened in overtime to the Seahawks in a place that is almost impossible for visiting teams to win. The Broncos have really not played that well yet and they are 2-1; that bodes well moving forward.

What needs to improve:

The running game: We’ve talked about this a lot but it’s the one major area of concern on this team. They don’t have to be great in the running game, they just need to be effective. Despite the calls for personnel changes, the improvement is going to have to come from within. The offensive line must do a better job of getting a push up front, and the running backs have to read the holes better. The success or lack of success, more than anything else, will determine how far the Broncos can go in 2014.

Demaryius Thomas: For whatever reason, Thomas is off to an extremely slow start in 2014. He has had more drops in three games than he usually has over the course of a full season. Thomas has also looked disengaged for long periods of time. To his credit, Thomas has acknowledged his lackluster play and vows to improve. I expect a much more focused receiver following the bye week.

Defense: They have already shown signs of improvement with their effort versus the Seahawks. As I’ve stated numerous times, the defense will only get better as the weeks go by. It is almost a completely new group with players returning from injury, draft picks and free agents. They will continue to gel and be a much different defense than they have been early in the season.

Second half: In the first two games, the Broncos played extremely well in the first half and struggled in the second half. They must do a better job of coming out of the locker room and putting teams away when they have the chance. This includes the coaches who need to put the hammer down when the opportunity is there.

It feels like, in some circles, that the Broncos are 0-3 with the amount of criticism being directed their way for not winning pretty. Maybe that’s a good thing, maybe that’s what happens when expectations are so high. However, they are 2-1 and they are doing a lot of things right.

Enjoy the bye week because after Sunday, it’s time to ride.