With an offensive line playing its first game together against the stout Ravens front, Broncos HC Gary Kubiak decided to spread things out much of the time and hope some room to work was left behind.
As a result, the offense the Broncos ran Sunday looked a lot more like the offense the Broncos have run over the previous three seasons than what was expected from Kubiak's often run-first past. The Broncos were in three- or four-wide receiver sets on 48 snaps (penalty plays included) -- or 62.3 percent of the time -- and put QB Peyton Manning in the shotgun 48 times. They used a four-wide receiver, no running back set seven times.
This was after some offseason work when Kubiak kept Manning under center for entire practices to get him ready for that adjustment. The Broncos didn’t protect well in the look, with all four of the team’s sacks allowed, as well as Manning’s interception that was returned for a touchdown, coming with the Broncos in a three-wide receiver set.
As the story said, it is just one game, but it is something the Broncos don’t want to be a trend. The Broncos did pump up things a little more on their final drive -- the 17-play, 81-yard game-clincher that used up 10:56 of the fourth quarter -- and used a two-tight end set more in that possession as they gained 43 of their 73 total rushing yards.
Broncos news
