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The Denver Broncos may be 8-2 and atop the AFC West, but their offense is quickly becoming a cause for concern. As Sports Illustrated noted, after Thursday night’s narrow 10-7 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, running back J.K. Dobbins delivered a blunt message to his teammates and fans this weekend. “The defense is winning us the games, and we’re not helping them,” Dobbins said postgame. “We’re not doing them any justice. I feel bad the way we play on offense and the way they play on defense because they’re doing so great and we’re doing so bad.” “They’re our brothers, too, and it just sucks because they’re just out there so many plays, playing their butts off. We can’t keep doing this to them.” He acknowledges what many in Denver are already thinking: The defense is carrying the team, and the offense isn’t doing enough to pull its weight. In Thursday’s game against the Raiders, Denver managed just 220 total yards, went 5-for-15 on third down, and punted seven times. Quarterback Bo Nix struggled again, throwing two interceptions and failing to sustain drives. “We owe it to the fan base and to ourselves to stop playing like how we’re playing” “We just have to do better because eventually it is going to bite us in the butt… So we’re going to get it fixed,” Dobbins said. Dobbins Speaks Out on Offensive Woes Dobbins’ comments reflected the sentiment shared by many Broncos fans frustrated with the team’s lack of production. Through ten games, the Broncos have scored 18 or fewer points in three of their last five and rank near the bottom of the league in total offense. Meanwhile, their defense, led by Nik Bonitto, who is in the thick of the Defensive Player of the Year conversation, has been dominant. Denver leads the NFL with 46 sacks and allows just 270.7 yards and 17.3 points per game. On Thursday night alone, the defense registered six sacks, forced eight punts, and held the Raiders to just 188 total yards of offense. Yet, despite the dominance, Denver’s offense managed only one touchdown and nearly let another winnable game slip away. Dobbins’ message was blunt: “We’ll figure it out as an offense,” he added. “We will.” Expect Improvement Going Forward Quarterback Bo Nix also addressed the team’s offensive struggles, admitting that the slow starts and inconsistency fall partly on his shoulders. “At some point, we’ve got to start moving the ball and scoring some points,” Nix said. “Between penalties and sluggish football, we’re just not playing very good. It starts with me. I’ve got to be better. We’ve got to find some juice.” Nix has thrown four interceptions in his last four games and has faced growing scrutiny despite the team’s record. Head coach Sean Payton said he plans to simplify certain concepts and get his young quarterback more comfortable earlier in games. “We’ve got to get Bo into a rhythm, quick reads, quick throws, and positive plays,” he added. “When we do that, everything starts to flow.” The Broncos will have a week and half of time to get things right offensively before their critical matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Dobbins summed it up best: “We can’t keep doing this to them. We’ve got to hold up our end because this team can be special if we do.”
