Lloyd said he believes that the design of coach John Fox and offense coordinator Mike McCoy's offense is responsible for his decreased numbers to start the season. In a run-first, ball-control type of system, the deep shots have been few and far between.
Lloyd's two longest catches of the year have been for 20 yards each, and his average is 12.7 yards per reception. The team's longest pass play was a 52-yard catch by Eric Decker against Cincinnati.
"I think it's just us, the coaching staff staying true to running the ball. I think we've kind of gotten into a game-management mode, into an aggressive 'take control' mode, and I think that's what has limited us," Lloyd said.
Lloyd's argument is perfectly illustrated in that touchdown drive against Tennessee. Lloyd lined up wide left on 11 snaps, wide right on three others and once in the slot. Orton attempted 10 passes on the drive, none longer than 10 yards, and none to Lloyd. The Broncos also called six running plays.
"Have we played a certain style of offense the first three weeks of the season? Yes. But we'll find ways to get him the ball," McCoy said.
McCoy said the team has a number of plays designed for Lloyd, specifically long passes, in the game plan each week.
Even with John Fox's arrival, we were still optimistic about Lloyd's chances with Kyle Orton under center, but Eric Decker led the Broncos in targets (12) on Sunday, while Lloyd only saw seven passes come his way. He's going to need to be the Broncos' clear #1 WR if he's going to post the WR2 numbers that fantasy owners were expecting when they drafted him in the 5th/6th rounds.
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