Steve Atwater Jersey , you know I enjoy thinking, writing and talking about football stats. While they are much more fun when the Denver Broncos are setting good records, there is a perverse pleasure in “watching things burn”, or in this case watching our run defense get burned. Since the merger there have been 180 games where a team has allowed 270 or more yards rushing. Five teams gave up that many rushing yards three times in a season, while another 21 gave up 270 or more twice in a season. Denver is now one of those 26 teams on that dubious list. Since the merger teams that allow 270 or more on the ground are 14-196-1. That’s a 6.6% winning percentage. It’s not quite as bad if you restrict it to the last decade. From 2008-2018, teams giving up 270 or more rushing are 6-42 (12.5% winning rate) and since 2013 teams are 4-12 (25% winning rate). So while it has gotten easier, 4-12 gets you fired as a head coach anywhere outside of Cleveland.Oddly enough the last team to give up 270 or more rushing yards and WIN was the 2016 Miami Dolphins. Guess who was their defensive coordinator.Here’s a hint: he’s the Denver Broncos current head coach. The 2018 Broncos now hold the record for yards rushing allowed in two consecutive games since the merger at 593. The previous holder of this record was the 1978 Baltimore Colts who allowed 570 combined yards on the ground in the first and second games of the season that year (278 and 292). Somehow the 1978 Broncos lost to that team 6-7 despite only allowing 237 totals yards of offense and 11 first downs to the Colts. Right now the Broncos are allowing 161.3 yards rushing per game (968/6). With 968 rushing yards allowed in 6 games they have allowed two yards fewer than the 2000 Ravens did in 16 games. While the Broncos run defense has been terribad (and worst in the league) it is still not at historically bad levels.The 1978 Bills allowed a record 3228 rushing yards in 16 regular season games (201.8 yds per game) while the 1977 Kansas City Chiefs set the standard for run stop futility allowing 2971 yards in 14 regular season games (212.2 yds/g). Right now the Broncos run defense is worse than the 2008 Broncos (146.1 yds/g) and the 2010 Broncos (154.3 yds/g). After the 2008 season, Mike Shanahan got fired. During the 2010 season Brian Dawkins Jersey , Josh McDaniels got fired. I sense a trend here. Do you?So how did the Broncos do against the run on first down? They were terrible. The Rams ran the ball 19 times for 143 yards on first down (7.53 ypc). For comparison, Denver ran the ball 9 times for 24 yards on first down (2.67 ypc). Todd Gurley’s first down runs included runs of 29 and 21 yards. The Broncos have now allowed 10 runs of 20 or more yards this year and three runs of 40 or more.The terrible 2010 Broncos defense allowed 12 runs of 20 or more and five runs of 40 or more in 16 games. The atrocious 2008 Broncos D allowed 20 and 6. The 2018 Broncos run defense is on pace to allow 27 runs of 20 or more and eight of 40 or more yards. Both values would be the worst in modern Broncos’ history. I’m not even to bother to give the stats so far this year at stopping the run on first down. They’re dead last at stopping the run on first down. I can tell you that without even looking at the stats. There is no way that they are not dead last after the past two weeks. The Broncos defense was equally as bad at stopping the Rams on third and long as they were at stopping the Rams’ running game. The Rams were only forced into 3rd & long five times and they converted three of them. The Broncos stopped their first two and they converted their last three. That final conversion was a back-breaker. They had them in 3rd and 7 with 4:13 left in the game on the DEN 27 and they allowed Jared Goff to scramble for 13 yards, which set up the game-deciding FG. If they stopped them there, maybe their back-up place kicker misses a 40-ish yard FG and then the Broncos have four minutes to tie the game with a touchdown. At this point and don’t think it’s a matter of if, but when, Vance Joseph finally gets fired. I have zero confidence in the coaching staff’s ability to get things righted and keep this wounded ship from sinking. The dynamic tight end would instantly upgrade the Broncos offense."One prospect who had a pre-draft visit with the Broncos and could be taken in the first-round of the 2019 NFL Draft is former Iowa tight end Noah Fant. He is a 6-foot-4, 249-pount tight end who is considered one of, if not the best Peyton Manning Jersey , tight end in the entire 2019 NFL Draft. He is ranked as the top tight end in the draft according to The Draft Network and is ranked as its 7th best overall prospect in the 2019 field. NFL Network’s lead draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah has Fant ranked as his 15th best prospect in the draft in his latest top 50 board. Fant played a total of three seasons at Iowa and was a productive tight end during that time. During his three-year career at Iowa, Fant totaled 78 receptions for 1,083 yards, and 19 touchdowns. This past year, he totaled 39 receptions for 519 yards, and 7 touchdowns.Here are Noah Fant’s 2018 accolades via Hawkeyesports.com. First-team All-Big Ten by league coaches and second team by league media Second-team All-Big Ten by Phil SteeleThird-team All-America by The Associated PressSecond-team All-Big Ten by Associated PressOne of eight semifinalists for the John Mackey AwardNamed John Mackey Award Co-Player of the Week (with Iowa teammate T.J. Hockenson) for his play at IndianaJohn Mackey Award Preseason Watch ListPreseason first-team All-America by NFLDraftScouts.com, Athlon Sports and Sporting News Preseason first-team All-Big Ten by Athlon Sports Noah FantTight End | Junior | IowaHeight: 6’4” | Weight: 249lbs | 40-time: 4.5 secondsArm length: 33 1/2” | Hands: 9 3/4”Bench press: 20 reps | Vertical Jump: 39.5 inches | Broad Jump: 127.0 inches3-Cone Drill: 6.81 seconds | 20-Yard Shuttle: 4.22 seconds | 60-Yard Shuttle: 11.49 secondsFilm Room:Scouting Report:Strengths:Excellent athletic abilityAthletic background in track and basketballSmooth and rangy athlete with good body controlHas desired size teams look for in a tight endSoft handsGood route runner with a diverse route tree Can line up outside, in the slot John Elway Jersey , inline, and in the backfieldJumped nearly 40 inches at the Combine so he has leaping abilityPlays like like an athletic wide receiver but at 249lbs Special YAC abilityDangerous in spaceMismatch nightmare for opposing defensesRed zone weaponWeaknesses:Smaller frame than your traditional tight endFunctional strength could be betterNot known for his blocking skills Noah Fant’s spider graph:Quotable:The Draft Network’s Kyle Crabbs on Noah Fant.“Noah Fant has the physical skills and receiving chops to be the next big thing at the TE position in the NFL. The league has never been friendlier to flex targets and Fant runs like a receiver and leaps like a basketball pro. Fant is a nightmare in space and will excel in a vertical passing offense that can implement him in the middle of the field. With soft hands and elite athletic ability, Fant should be a volume target at the NFL level and will have an impact fairly early into his pro career.” Does Noah Fant make sense for the Broncos in the first-round of the 2019 NFL Draft?He would be an excellent fit for the Broncos and any team for that matter.Listen, you’re not drafting Noah Fant to block. You’re drafting him to be a mismatch problem in the passing game and that is exactly what he is. You can draft a blocker in the late rounds, but Fant has the potential to be a once-in-a-generation talent. With newly hired Rich Scangarello running the offense and bringing Kyle Shanahan’s offense with him, the tight end figures to become a focus in the passing game. Look at what George Kittle is doing in San Francisco right now. Get a player like Fant in that offense and it will give the Broncos a weapon at tight end that they have lacked for quite awhile(excluding Peyton Manning made Julius Thomas). I know many of you would be against a tight end at 10th overall, but I think Fant(Hock too) are worthy of that selection. Add in their talent and the tight end position becoming more important for the Broncos and it makes sense.
