Getty Denver Broncos fans have been vocal about their disappointment in 2022.
The positives? The Denver Broncos do have a couple wins. And, they could easily have more thanks to pretty impressive overall performances by the National Football League’s third-best team defense.
The negatives? How much time do you have?
1. The Broncos Are the NFL’s Most-Penalized Team
And it’s really not even close. Denver has been caught offending the football rulebook 54 times through six games. They’ve lost 486 yards because of those penalties. The only team that’s even close to as penalized as Denver through the first month-and-a-half are Russell Wilson’s former teammates. The Seattle Seahawks have had 50 flags thrown against them for 435 yards.
On the other side of the spectrum, the least penalized teams include the Cincinnati Bengals, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Atlanta Falcons, the Minnesota Vikings and the least penalized team so far, the Los Angeles Rams.
2. The Red-Zone Offense Is Bad — Really, Really Bad
Albeit a small sample size, the Broncos right now are on pace for a decades-worst red-zone performance. So far this year, they have a 20% red-zone success rating, according to TeamRankings. Once again the team that’s “next to the worst” are the Seattle Seahawks with a 33% rating.
Teams that have been great through six weeks inside of their opponent’s 20 yard line include the Atlanta Falcons with a 66% success rating, the Miami Dolphins at 71%, Detroit’s Lions at 75% and the Kansas City’s Chiefs with a 76% success rating. Far and away the league’s top red-zone team are the Tennessee Titans, who have turned appearances into points 92% of the time.
3. Nobody Has Scored Less Than the Broncos
Denver has finished 50% of their games thus far scoring exactly 16 points. Somehow, their points per game average is slightly below that at 15.2. Denver’s season-high 23-point Week 4 output was overshadowed by the fact that they allowed 32 points to rivals Las Vegas. That game was also sandwiched between 11-point and 9-point efforts against San Francisco and Indianapolis. Though the sample size is very small, Denver is averaging slightly more points on the road at 18.3 as opposed to at home where they’re averaging just 12.
Elsewhere in the NFL, the Chicago Bears offense is not far behind Denver at 15.5 points per game. The Pittsburgh Steelers average 16.2 points and the Washington Commanders are near the bottom with 17. AFC West rival Kansas City has scored the most this season with 29.8 points per game. The Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens aren’t far behind the Chiefs.
4. Denver Settles for More Field Goal Attempts Than Just About Anyone
The only team that’s tried more field goals per game this season are the Las Vegas Raiders. As a result of the poor red-zone offense, Brandon McManus is getting a lot of work. McManus is 14 of 17 attempts this season, making five of five from inside of 29 yards. The Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Pittsburgh also settle for more field goals than anyone in the National Football League.
5. Broncos Are the NFL’s Worst 3rd-Quarter Team
Denver does not perform well right out of the locker room. Over the course of six games, they’re averaging below 1 point per game in the third quarter at exactly 0.8. The the start of the second-half will need a lot more productivity if Denver will turn things around.
Next up for the Broncos is a date with the surprising New York Jets Sunday, October 23, at 2:05 p.m. Mountain time.