Five weeks into the 2024 NFL season, the Denver Broncos have one of the best defenses in the NFL. And there’s still room for improvement.
Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph loves to blitz, and he’s able to do so frequently because Denver’s defensive backs hold up in man coverage. In those scenarios, though, all it takes is one missed pass breakup or one missed tackle to give up a big play.
That’s what happened against the Las Vegas Raiders last week when safety P.J. Locke misjudged a pass to tight end Brock Bowers, who went 57 yards for a touchdown. That’s the kind of play the Broncos can get cleaned up.
“It’s one of those things where you need to be present,” cornerback Riley Moss said of the defense’s approach. “Mentally, physically, every day. You want your work days, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, to be harder than the game so when you come into the game, it’ll be a lot easier.
“That’s kind of the mentality that our entire defense has had. It has been working, but there’s still some things we’ve got to clean up. We shouldn’t have given up that many points. There’s still some stuff to get after.”
Denver ended up winning last week’s game 34-18, but Moss wasn’t satisfied with the defense’s performance. The unit will look to take another step forward when the Broncos host the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 6.
