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While Denver Broncos head coach Vic Fangio claims he doesn’t worry about his job security, if he wants to actually stay employed by the franchise, he’ll need to find a way to jumpstart the sagging team.
The Broncos (3-4) were once the talk of the NFL — whether it was for their hot 3-0 start, or the way critics labeled them as fraudulent for said start. Either way, the franchise was relevant again for the first time since Peyton Manning retired.
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But their current four-game losing streak has both confirmed the latter point of being impostors, while raising questions about the way the coaching staff is underutilizing some of its top talent — specifically the younger guys on the roster.
Give him the Rock More
Ascending rookie running back Javonte Williams has had a great start to his career, despite sharing the load with solid veteran Melvin Gordon III. And Williams, a former star at UNC, has had admirers within the Broncos’ facilities as well as outside the walls of Englewood. But for some reason, the electric neophyte is still seemingly underused in the offense.
Zack Kelberman, of Mile High Huddle, basically said all that needed to be said during the Broncos’ soul-snatching home defeat to the hated Las Vegas Raiders, October 17, when he tweeted the offense’s inability to lean on the running game in key spots.
One particular play featured an interception at midfield, near the end of the first quarter, by quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, instead of the Broncos simply giving it to a guy like Williams, who is already statistically considered among the best in the league — if not the best — at breaking tackles.
The mishandling of Williams has drawn the ire of many in Broncos Country, who would like to see embattled offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur call No. 33’s name more often.
Head of his Class
While Shurmur might not show Williams the love, prestigious outlets like Pro Football Talk are certainly high on the rookie.
PFF currently has Williams rated as the best running back of the 2021 rookie class, and 15th-best rookie overall — and this after not even being a first-round selection. Williams, who was drafted by the Broncos at No. 35, after first-year general manager George Paton traded up to select the running back, was picked 11 spots behind Pittsburgh Steelers back Najee Harris and 10 behind the only other running back selected in the first round, Travis Etienne of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
But it’s Williams who has been every bit as good as the more-heralded Harris, despite the former being in a timeshare and the latter being the bell cow in Pittsburgh. Williams has totaled 320 rushing yards, while Harris has 388. Etienne’s season never got off the ground, as he suffered a Lisfranc injury in the second preseason game and was lost for the season.
Williams has a 71.9 rating from PFF and has been charted by the site to have broken four tackles on 14 receptions and 22 tackles on 65 carries. And to highlight what a tough assignment it is to bring down the sturdy ball carrier, he currently owns the best broken-tackle rate of any back in the league with at least 50 carries.
Unlock PS2
Another rookie from Denver’s 2021 draft class has been turning heads, as cornerback Patrick Surtain II, aka, “PS2,” has been a favorite of numerous outlets as well.
PFF tweeted Surtain II’s production on air-yard plays as being elite, noting that out of 211 coverage snaps, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2021 draft has yielded zero completions of 20 or more yards.
ESPN’s Jeff Legwold ranked Surtain II as the fourth-best rookie overall, and top cornerback, as the Alabama product has tallied 24 tackles, one interception, and six passes defended.
Legwold said that Surtain II’s rise in the rankings is attributed to his full plate of responsibilities, as the rookie has played 86% of the team’s defensive snaps — including often guarding the opponent’s best wide receiver — and filled in admirably in a pinch when he filled in for then-injured starter Ronald Darby. Surtain II played so well, noted Legwold, that it was veteran Kyle Fuller who was sent to the bench upon Darby’s return, and not the rookie.
Further proving Legwold’s faith in the rookie is the performance Surtain II had on Raiders’ Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller in the October 17 matchup. It was in that matchup that the 6-foot-2, 203-pound Surtain II was a nuisance for the 6-foot-6 256-pound Waller.
The Raiders’ lead target was held to just two catches for 18 yards any time he was covered by the rookie.
That kind of ascending greatness in both Williams and Surtain II, is the type of help the Broncos need if they’re to end the slide.
Follow Tony Williams on Twitter: @TBone8
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