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Heading into Week 11, Drew Lock’s high-spinning performance had nervous fingers in Broncos Country hovering above the panic button. It was clear that the young Denver Broncos signalman needed the help of his teammates and coaches to calm his own nerves.
To the rescue, beleaguered offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur skillfully managed to rework the Broncos’ offensive game plan midway through. Shurmur followed the line to better protect the tottering lock while caffeinating an ongoing attack that was underused criminally.
Shurmur jumped into his own DeLorean football and went back to the Don Shula-era blocking patterns of yesteryear for a plan. As a result, the Broncos’ athletic offensive linemen were free to roam and block the court, triggering a double attack from running backs Melvin Gordon and Phillip Lindsay on the Miami Dolphins.
After 10 weeks where all of the separate pieces failed to click, the Broncos finally had something that worked offensively, resulting in dominating performance and productivity.
Many fans wonder why Shurmur took so long to plan the Broncos’ attacking forces and relieve some of Lock’s load. Earlier this week, head coach Vic Fangio put his finger on what led to the team’s offensive epiphany.
“We showed some versatility on offense – both in the number of guys who caught balls and carried them,” Fangio explained. “It’s the direct result of being able to run the ball better. Whenever you can perform it a little better, it opens things up for a lot of guys. If you run it a little better it will open the racing game.
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It goes without saying that the better a team can execute the ball, the more likely they are to succeed. But the wrinkles that Shurmur threw in the blocking patterns were completely new. It was executed wonderfully, but it started with the design.
Bringing it all together into one cohesive unit, with an emphasis on old-fashioned complementary football, had proven elusive for Shurmur. The offensive line had not held up in passing protection across the board which cost Lock time and played poorly.
Center Lloyd Cushenberry was tasked with anchoring the line in his rookie season, but struggled to find consistency. Left guard Dalton Risner suffered without veteran influence alongside him at center and appears to have taken a step back after his brilliant rookie year.
That changed dramatically last Sunday. Driven by the continued performance of left tackle Garett Bolles at the Pro Bowl level and Cushenberry’s sudden improvements, the entire squad performed to their potential.
Fangio explained his belief that his rookie cross had actually made incremental improvements over the first 10 games.
“I think Lloyd did a good job improving a little bit every week,” Fangio said. “It’s not surprising because of the type of guy he is. He is very conscientious and has a lot of pride. He wants to live up to his end of the bargain when it comes to integrating the offensive line, executing his blockages and doing his center job, which involves identifying the fronts and how the line is going to operate.
The introduction of the back blocking system which heavily included guards and pull tackles, as well as Cushenberry himself occasionally on the foot, showed the coaches’ considerable confidence in the rookie’s football IQ. Continuing to win the battle for the line of scrimmage holds the key to the Broncos maintaining their playoff hopes.
“Miami is playing some fronts that were popular in the ’60s,” Fangio explained. “Because of the way they play their defense we liked those runs. We set them up and the guys did a great job running them.
Thanks to Shurmur for throwing the curve ball even though it arrived at the 11th hour. It was a great leap of faith to believe that the new mix of ideas could be executed by such a young group of individuals on the fly. Greater challenges lie ahead as opposing teams will undoubtedly adapt to the Broncos’ pattern, but at least there is hope that Shurmur’s inspiration can serve as a foundation to build on.
Follow Keith on Twitter @KeithC_NFL and @MileHighHuddle.
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